Chicago Cubs: 3 wild trade packages for Craig Kimbrel by Vincent Parise

Next1 of 6Prev post

Use your (arrows) to browse

Chicago Bears (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)

When the Chicago Bears moved up to draft Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft, fans went wild, and justifiably so.

General manager Ryan Pace had just done something that every fan was hoping for, yet probably a small minority actually thought could happen.

Well, it happened alright, and for now Pace is a hero — something he hasn’t been considered for a couple of years now. At least in most fans’ minds, Pace has brought the fan base back in and given them hope.

The casual football fan may know Fields’ name, but that’s about it. Some may not know just how good he was, especially considering his fall in this year’s draft.

The Chicago Bears may have stolen Justin Fields in this year’s draft, based on some startling numbers.

For those fans who are excited about the Bears but don’t know much about Fields, the analytics should open some eyes. We can listen to the couple of analysts who may have assisted in Fields’ slipping in the draft, but those guys don’t tell the whole story.

Digging into Pro Football Focus‘ numbers and grades on Fields, the findings were staggering. Not everyone takes what PFF says as the law, nor should they. Every analytics and statistics outlet has their flaws, but PFF is one of the best in the business and they do their homework.

When we’re talking about Fields, he was one of those PFF darlings. These guys loved what Fields did at Ohio State. Some of their findings will blow your mind, in fact.

These five statistics should get fans even more excited for the coming season.

Next: 1. Deep ball aficionado

Next1 of 6Prev post

Use your (arrows) to browse

Read More

About 1:50 a.m., the 22-year-old had gotten into the backseat of a ride-share vehicle in the 2000 block of East 75th Street, when a gray Volkswagen sedan pulled alongside and two males inside fired shots striking him in the head.

A man was fatally shot Thursday morning as he got into a ride-share in South Shore on the South Side.

About 1:50 a.m., the 22-year-old had gotten into the backseat of a ride-share vehicle in the 2000 block of East 75th Street, when a gray Volkswagen sedan pulled alongside and two males inside fired shots striking him in the head, Chicago police said.

The ride-share driver drove to a gas station in the 2300 block of East 75th Street, and flagged down officers who were responding to a Shotspotter alert, police said. The 22-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooters crashed their vehicle into a parked car in the 7500 block of South Clyde Avenue, and fled on foot, police said. No one is in custody.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not yet identified the man.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

Read More

Four people were wounded in two separate shootings at the same time in Englewood.

Two people were killed, and seventeen others wounded Wednesday in Chicago, including a 16-year-old boy who was shot to death in Roseland on the Far South Side.

The teen boy was inside a home about 6:05 p.m. in the first block of East 113th Place, when he heard shots and felt pain, Chicago police said. He was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. His name hasn’t been released.

A 21-year-old man was shot and killed in the South Shore neighborhood. The man was seated in a vehicle about 2:20 p.m. in the 7500 block of South Chappel Avenue, when another vehicle pulled up alongside them and someone inside began firing shots, police said. He was struck in the head and neck and pronounced dead at the scene.

In non-fatal shootings, a 19-year-old man was shot in the West Englewood in the South Side. He was walking north about 10:50 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Wood Street, when someone fired shots from inside a silver-colored vehicle, police said. The suspect drove away immediately after the shooting. The man was struck in the arm and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where his condition was stable.

A man and woman were wounded in a shooting in Hyde Park on the South Side. The pair were traveling east in a vehicle about 9:15 p.m. in the 1700 block of East 57th Street when they heard shots and felt pain, police said. The 26-year-old man was struck in chest, shoulder and hand. He was transported in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center. The woman, 23, shot in the leg and was taken to the same hospital in good condition.

Four people were wounded in two separate shootings at 7 p.m. in Englewood on the South Side.

A 15-year-old was traveling as a passenger in a vehicle about 7 p.m. in the 1500 block of West 71st Street, when he heard shots and felt pain, police said. He was shot in the hand and was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition.

At the same time, three men were shot in a drive by in the Englewood on the South Side. The trio were standing on the sidewalk about 7 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Ada Street, when a male inside a vehicle drove past and fired shots, police said. The group had gotten in a verbal altercation with the gunman prior to the shooting. A 27-year-old man and two others, 44 and 45, suffered gunshot wounds to the body and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

A man was wounded in a shooting in Woodlawn on the South Side. He was standing on the sidewalk about 4:35 p.m. in the 6600 block of South Evans Avenue when he heard shots and felt pain, police said. The 25-year-old was struck in the back and self-transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.

A man was hurt in a drive by in Little Village on the Southwest Side. The 22-year-old was sitting in a vehicle about 2:55 p.m. in the 2100 block of South Western Avenue when another vehicle approached him and someone from inside fired shots, police said. He was struck in the hip and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.

Three boys and a man were shot after getting into an argument inside an apartment in Englewood on the South Side. The four — ages 15, 16, 17 and 22 — were in a second-floor apartment with several other people in the 7200 block of South Princeton Avenue, when someone got into an argument and opened fire about 1:05 a.m., police said. All four males were taken to hospitals and listed in serious condition. The 15-year-old was struck in the back of his head and rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where police initially said he was pronounced dead. But it was later reported that he had been resuscitated. The 16-year-old was shot in his neck and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital. The 17-year-old was struck in the left shoulder and brought to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The 22-year-old was struck in the back and groin, and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Police initially reported the victims were all teenagers.

Four others were wounded in shootings citywide.

Ten people were shot, two fatally, Tuesday citywide.

Read More

Clark had just started a new band that performed live for the first time over the past weekend on the North Shore.

Kevin Clark stuck with his music after appearing nearly 20 years ago as drummer Freddy “Spazzy McGee” Jones in the wildly popular movie “School of Rock.”

He formed bands, wrote songs, taught children. At 32, Clark had just started a new band that performed live for the first time over the past weekend on the North Shore.

“He told his bandmates just yesterday: You know, this is finally the life I want to live. And we’re going to make it. You’re my musical family — my family — and we’re all going to make it,” his mother Allison Clark said.

Clark was riding a bicycle early Wednesday when he was struck and killed at a notoriously dangerous intersection on the Northwest Side. He was hit by a Hyundai Sonata around 1:20 a.m. in the 2600 block of North Western Avenue, Chicago police said.

Paramedics found him on Logan Boulevard and took him to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:04 a.m., according to the Chicago Fire Department and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The driver of the Hyundai, a 20-year-old woman, was issued several citations, police said.

Provided photo

Clark grew up in Highland Park and started playing drums at age 3 by “hitting pots and pans in the basement,” his mother said. He started private lessons at age 5 and could also play guitar, piano and violin.

“He loved music. He’s just a raw talent. He’s got a heart of gold,” Allison Clark said.

At 12, Clark landed a role in the 2003 hit “School of Rock” with actor Jack Black. Clark played an outspoken kid who was the band’s drummer. Although he had no acting experience, his prowess at drumming helped him land the gig.

“He wasn’t an actor, wasn’t thinking about being an actor,” Allison Clark said.

A friend who played piano had recommended Clark attend the auditions, she said. They saw an ad in the back pages of the Highland Park News: “Looking for 10- to 12-year-old kids who can play an instrument in a movie with Jack Black.”

Sun-Times files

She remembered Clark being called back to the audition room and playing “Iron Man” with the film’s guitarist, Joey Gaydos Jr. “He just kind of shined,” his mother said.

She recalled how her son learned he got the part before she did. A few weeks after the auditions, they were picking up pizza and she left Clark in the car a moment. When she returned, Clark asked her, “Do you want to go to New York?”

“He said he got the part and I asked him how he knew. And he pointed to the area code on the phone. And, sure enough, he got the part,” she said.

Clark didn’t continue with acting, but music remained in his blood.

“He was motivated and loved to write songs,” said Robbie Goldberg, Clark’s roommate in Lake View East and bandmate in the Robbie Gold Band. “He loved to take the guitar off the wall and make a funny song.”

The pair met in high school and played Nirvana and Green Day together, Goldberg said. As adults, they played gigs at Stanley’s, the Taste of Chicago and House of Blues.

Provided

“It was great working with Kevin,” Goldberg said, adding that he was shocked to hear of the death of his roommate of five years.

Goldberg wasn’t sure why Clark was biking in Avondale when he was hit, but said Clark had several friends on the Northwest Side.

Clark’s past projects included Dreadwolf and Funk it Let’s Jam. Clark was also a shift manager at Starbucks at Ashland and Irving, and had taught music at a School of Rock location in Libertyville, his mother said.

His most recent project was the band Jess Bess and the Intentions. “They were unbelievably fantastic and they would’ve gone somewhere,” his mother said.

Several of Clark’s “School of Rock” co-stars paid tribute to Clark on social media. Black said he was heartbroken and devastated.

“Kevin is gone. Way too soon. Beautiful soul. So many great memories. Heartbroken. Sending love to his family and the whole School of Rock community,” Black wrote in an Instagram post.

Miranda Cosgrove, who starred as the band’s manager, wrote on Instagram that she was “stunned and saddened” by the news.

“The world lost an amazing soul,” Cosgrove wrote. “I’ll always remember your spirit and how kind you were to me. I’ll never forget all the memories. You’ll always be missed Kevin.”

Rivkah Reyes, who played the bassist Katie in the movie, wrote on Twitter that she’d “never forget your hugs and your laugh and the sheer joy on your face when we’d run into each other in Chicago. Thank you for always showing up for me with that ‘big brother I never had’ energy.”

A memorial was planned for Wednesday night at Teddy O’Brian’s in Highwood.

Clark’s mother said she had taken dozens of calls from his musician friends by Wednesday afternoon.

“You know, we’re all really in shock. It was just this morning,” Allison Clark said. “He was just a 32-year-old kid. It doesn’t make sense. A lot of our jammer friends — mostly 65-plus — have lost their lives recently. So hopefully he’s up there jamming in the sky with them.”

Read More

The group had gotten in a verbal altercation with the gunman prior to the shooting, according to police.

Three men were shot in a drive by Wednesday in the Englewood neighborhood.

The trio were standing on the sidewalk about 7 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Ada Street when a male inside a vehicle drove past and fired shots, Chicago police said.

The group had gotten in a verbal altercation with the gunman prior to the shooting, according to police.

A 27-year-old man was shot in the stomach and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where his condition was stable, police said. Another man, 44, was struck in the lower back and taken to the same hospital, where his condition was stable.

The third man, 45, suffered gunshot wounds to both legs and the groin and was transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where his condition was also stable, police said.

No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate.

Read More

Congolese refugee Mapenzi Mweniake came to Chicago in 2016 with her son and her extended family to begin a new life after spending 20 years in a Tanzanian refugee camp.

Her husband, Mwenebatu Mwenemkamba, was forced to remain behind in the camp, waiting for clearance that never came as the Trump Administration dismantled the U.S. refugee program before COVID-19 erected its own roadblocks.

On Wednesday, the couple was reunited at last at O’Hare International Airport, both husband and wife saying how happy they were for the chance to start anew.

The reunion didn’t go exactly as choreographed. Mweniake, a small group of supporters and a media contingent waited expectantly more than an hour outside Exit A of the international terminal, Mweniake clutching a bouquet of roses and her son Mussa, age 12.

But Mwenemkamba emerged from a different door and suddenly was standing there before her. Just as quickly, she found and embraced him, burrowing into his shoulder.

“I’m very happy, very happy,” she told reporters.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Mwenemkamba had more to say.

“I’m very happy to meet my wife again because, you know, it was a long time, five years, we were not together. I’m very happy, and I thank the Lord,” he said.

“America is a new country. I don’t know America. I think to do the best in America in order to succeed my life. With the grace of God, I will succeed.”

Mweniake, 29, and Mwenemkamba, 34, will now start over in their own Rogers Park apartment with help from RefugeeOne, Chicago’s largest resettlement agency, and from members of First Congregational Church of Western Springs, which is co-sponsoring the family.

When I spoke to Mweniake earlier in the week, her excitement was evident.

I suggested that it might be difficult for the couple to reconnect after so long apart, but she wanted none of my negativity.

“I’m really, really excited,” she emphasized.

Mweniake said one of the first things she wants to do with her husband is take him to see the animals at the Lincoln Park Zoo. First, though, she wanted to give him that big hug.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

“It’s been a very, very long time,” she said.

When things settle down, she plans to school him on what I would describe as being street smart.

“When you get here, you have to be careful. In my country, we like to help each other,” Mweniake said, suggesting in so many words that one needs to be more careful about who they trust in America.

Mweniake and Mwenemkamba met in the massive Nyarugusu refugee camp where she had lived since she was one year old after her family fled civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He also had been stuck at at the camp since 1996.

Provided

“Refugee’s life is very, very hard,” Mweniake said. “Sometimes we didn’t have food, medicine.”

By comparison, life in Chicago has been very good, she said.

“Everything for me was new. I can eat. I can sleep. My son is going to school,” Mweniake said.

Not to suggest the life of the refugee here is easy.

“You have to work hard to pay your bills,” Mweniake said.

Still, she appreciates the opportunity to do so and hopes for a better future for Mussa.

“I wish my son would be a doctor,” she said.

For now, Mussa is more your typical, quiet 12-year-old, eager to play video games or soccer.

Mweniake works in housekeeping at Misericordia, studies English at Truman College and sings with a musical group, GGB, which stands for God’s Grace Band.

The band, originally formed by church members in the refugee camp, has made some music videos that can be found on YouTube. I became an instant fan of their joyful sound.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Just as the past five years have been stressful for Mweniake without her husband, it’s been much the same throughout the refugee resettlement world as the U.S. pulled back from its commitments.

RefugeeOne went into survival mode, reinventing itself to better support the refugee community already here until America was ready to open its arms again, said Melineh Kano, the organization’s executive director.

Clare Kralovec, whose husband is senior pastor at the Western Springs church that will be looking out for the family, said church members have learned through more than 30 years of sponsoring refugees that they benefit from the program as much as the newcomers.

“You feel really honored to be there at a time in their lives that is so tender and vulnerable,” Kralovec said.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

I’ve never really understood the antagonism toward the refugee program during the Trump years. Welcoming refugees is America at its best, taking in the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

Refugees by definition are people who have been displaced from their homeland by tragic circumstances such as wars or natural disasters — and can’t come here without permission.

They make good Americans.

After some foot dragging and fumbling, the Biden Administration has raised the annual limit on the number of refugees who can be admitted to the U.S., with a commitment to go higher in the years ahead.

That’s a welcome sign, and it would be made easier if Americans took the time to understand who is coming here and why.

Read More

“He’s played incredibly well and it’s a big loss. I think the way he plays resonates with the guys,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer said.

PITTSBURGH – It’s been a tough month for the Cubs on the injury front and it just got tougher as they put second baseman Nico Hoerner on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain on Wednesday.

The Cubs’ second baseman injured the hamstring in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 4-3 win while running to first base in an attempt to beat out a bunt.

“He’s played incredibly well and it’s a big loss,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer said. “I think the way he plays resonates with the guys.”

It’s the second time this month Hoerner has been on the IL after his collision with center fielder Ian Happ forced him to miss time with a left forearm strain.

The loss of Hoerner is significant as the 24-year-old infielder has been a spark plug for the Cubs’ offense. He’s slashing .338/.405/.432 with seven doubles, three stolen bases and a 137 wRC+ since being recalled from the team’s alternate site on April 22.

“He’s a baseball player, man,” manager David Ross said earlier this season about his second baseman. “He’s a really good baseball player. That’s what I love about him. He’s always studying and trying to be better. He’s got a plan and he’s willing to do anything we ask. It’s a really consistent at-bat. … He’s out to prove something which is really powerful thing.”

That energy has carried over to his defense where he’s played like one of the best glove men in baseball with a plus-four defensive runs saved and plus-five outs above average.

“He’s so valuable,” Hoyer said. “The quickness he has when he’s playing that rover spot in the shift, he’s is so good at it. I feel like we’ve seen a lot of runs that way.”

The Cubs will now have to try to optimize their lineup as best they can with Hoerner on the shelf. A hamstring strain is a tricky injury to navigate and with Hoerner dealing with a more moderate severity, it will likely be at least three-to-four weeks before he makes a return.

“Really tough to see,” starter Jake Arrieta said. “I mean he was very emotional and rightfully so. He works tremendously hard. He takes care of himself and prepares as well as anybody that I’ve ever seen.

“I feel bad for him and I feel bad for our team. But we’ve shown the ability to have other guys step up and fill a role it’s necessary until guys like that get healthy. So hopefully we’re still able to do that and move on and fill the gap until he’s healthy.”

One part of that equation will be outfielders Jake Marisnick and Jason Heyward coming off the IL. Both have progressed and are very close to making their return.

Marisnick and Heyward returning will mean a return to the infield for Kris Bryant. Bryant has played primarily in the outfield this season, but with Hoerner’s injury, the team’s needs have now changed. David Bote and Eric Sogard will split time at second base.

“He’s playing a good outfield and playing at an MVP level at the plate,” Ross said. “So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it in my mind. But yeah, that’s definitely an option.”

Read More

Diamond DeShields and other players heard the official use the term “boy” and Wade saw the exchange take place on the court.

Sky general manager and coach James Wade filed an official complaint Wednesday morning with the WNBA office after a white official referred to him in a derogatory manner using the racist term “boy” during Tuesday night’s game at Wintrust Arena.

“I’m a grown man. I have a family and a team and I have a responsibility,” Wade said Tuesday night. “When someone tells one of my players ‘hey explain to your boy,’ I take that personal.”

“That’s what I’ve been dealing with. That’s how people see me.”

A Sky spokesperson said that Wade has been interviewed by NBA security but the WNBA has yet to comment on the situation.

Wade said he always encourages his players to play through bad officiating and to be professional even if others are not. Diamond DeShields and other players heard the official say this and Wade saw the exchange take place on the court.

The team said they hope the league takes swift action on this matter and makes sure there is a zero-tolerance policy for racism in the community and the league.

Tuesday marked a year since George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis sparking movements across the globe that called for unity, an end to police brutality and a dismantling of the systems that perpetuate racism.

Following their game against the Dream, players and Wade reflected on the fact that much is still the same and when they take off their uniforms they are Black in America.

“It’s tough,” Wade said. “This basketball thing is something that can distract you from it because you have a passion for it but you never lose sight of who you are. At the end of the day when I leave the gym, I am who I am and that’s the way it is.”

The loss was the Sky’s second straight and it was in large part due to the Dream’s aggressive style of play on defense that kept the team out of sync. Wade said the Dream were allowed to be aggressive.

The three officials during Tuesday’s game called 43 total fouls. The Dream finished with one less foul call than the Sky.

Wade said it was challenging for his team to get aggressive defensively because it was repeatedly halted by the officiating which he described as shameful and disgraceful. The Sky’s margin for error is very small Wade said.

“I don’t know how good of a coach I can be, or how effective I can be if you look at the game and see how it is,” Wade said. “I’m not going to try and victimize anything but I take it personal. It’s personal. We don’t have any margin for error.”

Of the league’s 12 head coaches, only three are Black. Derek Fisher who coaches the Los Angeles Sparks, Vickie Johnson who coaches the Dallas Wings and Wade.

There are just four women in head coaching positions, Johnson, the Indiana Fever’s Marianne Stanley, the Phoenix Mercury’s Sandy Brondello and the Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve.

Next up, the Sky play the Sparks at Wintrust Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. Wade said he does not have a specific date for when he expects Candace Parker to return from her ankle injury.

Read More

The William Hill Sportsbook is directly accessible from Capital One Arena, home of the NBA Wizards and NHL Capitals.

WASHINGTON — The first full-service sportsbook at a major sports arena or stadium in the United States opened its doors Wednesday at the home of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Capitals.

Capital One Arena is directly accessible from the William Hill sportsbook during Wizards playoff games without fans needing to leave the building. That possibility exists when the Capitals return to the ice this fall if the NHL adjusts its policies.

The New Jersey Devils opened a betting “lounge” inside Prudential Center in Newark in October 2018, but it’s only able to show odds with bettors able to place wagers on a mobile application. State restrictions there limit in-person wagers to casinos or racetracks.

Caesars CEO Tom Reeg called it a groundbreaking moment for sports betting. Caesars bought William Hill in April.

“This is the first integrated sports book in a physical stadium in the country, so this is the new paradigm,” Reeg said. “This is where (sports betting is) going.”

Ted Leonsis, who owns the Capitals, Wizards and the arena, hopes to capitalize on the increasing acceptance of legalized sports betting in the U.S. and continue chipping away at the stigma of gambling.

“Fans come to the arena and they now have the ability to have a rooting interest, if you will, in the outcome of the game,” Leonsis said. “I just view this as a natural extension of what was happening but to do it in a more modern — in the sunlight, in a transparent — way.”

Leonsis is betting it’ll be the first of many around the country.

“You’ll see lots of other arenas, lots of other leagues pushing on the gas to do this,” he said. “Because of that, we know we’re an exemplar and everyone’s going to be watching how well we execute.”

The first opportunity for fans to go from an arena to a sportsbook comes Saturday when the Wizards face the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

Read More

White Sox go 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, waste another dominant start by Carlos Rodon

The White Sox did not score, but not for a lack of opportunities.

The Cardinals had very few scoring chances but gleaned the most from them in a 4-0 victory Wednesday afternoon, helping them avoid a series sweep.

Wasted was another dominant outing by Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (5-2, 1.29 ERA), who struck out 10 and walked none of six innings of one-run, one-hit ball. The only hit against Rodon was a home run by Cardinals leadoff hitter Tommy Edman, who also homered against Aaron Bummer.

A two-run single by Edmundo Sosa in the ninth against Jose Ruiz iced the outcome for the Cards (27-22).

The Sox (28-20) were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base. Yermin Mercedes (0-for-4) left 10 runners on base.

Sox right fielder Adam Eaton left the game with a sore hamstring and pitcher Michael Kopech hobbled off the mound after pitching a scoreless seventh in relief of Rodon. Kopech spun to the ground after his losing his balance on his final pitch.

Manager Tony La Russa didn’t immediately know what was wrong with Kopech.

“I don’t want to be guessing, I just don’t know,” La Russa said.

“There isn’t a guy on this roster if he gets hurt, we don’t feel it or feel for him — we’ve had our share [of injuries]. But in this particular case, he’s been on top of it. So keep our fingers crossed that’s it’s not serious.”

As for Eaton, “it got sore on him, we’ll have to see how he is tomorrow,” La Russa said.

The Sox host the Orioles Thursday to open a four-game series.

Read More