Videos

Strained trapezius lands White Sox righty Lance Lynn on injured listDaryl Van Schouwenon April 18, 2021 at 8:26 pm

White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn throws against the Cleveland Indians during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Thursday, April 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) | AP Photos

The White Sox placed right-hander Lance Lynn on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 17) with a strained right trapezius.

BOSTON — The White Sox placed right-hander Lance Lynn on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 17) on Sunday with a strained right trapezius.

Lynn, 33, is 1-1 with a 0.92 ERA including a complete game shutout with 27 strikeouts and a 0.92 WHIP in three starts this season.

The Sox made the announcement between games of their split doubleheader with the Red Sox Sunday at Fenway Park. Before then, there was no indication that Lynn was hurt.

The Sox defeated the Red Sox 3-2 and announced that Michael Kopech would start in Game 2, although probably limited to three innings in the seven-inning game.

The trapezius is a large paired muscle extending over the back of the neck and shoulders and moving the head and shoulder blade.

Right-handed reliever Zack Burdi was recalled from the Schaumburg training facility.

Lynn’s next scheduled start was Wednesday at Cleveland.

Lynn, acquired in an offseason trade for Dane Dunning, has struck out 10-plus batters with zero walks in back-to-back starts, the first Sox pitcher to do so. He did not allow an earned run over his first 18 23 innings, the longest such streak to begin a season by a White Sox starter since Wilbur Wood went 21 innings in 1976.

Burdi, 26, was on the active roster on Wednesday and Thursday but did not pitch before being optioned to Schaumburg on Friday.

Read More

Strained trapezius lands White Sox righty Lance Lynn on injured listDaryl Van Schouwenon April 18, 2021 at 8:26 pm Read More »

Man dies days after Austin shootingSun-Times Wireon April 18, 2021 at 8:35 pm

A man died April 17, 2021, after being shot days earlier in Austin.
A man died April 17, 2021, after being shot days earlier in Austin. | Adobe Stock Photo

Michael Pipes, 35, and a 26-year-old man were shot April 6, officials said.

A man who was shot earlier this month in Austin on the West Side has died from his injuries.

Michael Pipes, 35, was pronounced dead at 4:46 a.m. Saturday at Mount Sinai Hospital, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Pipes and a 26-year-old man were wounded in a shooting days earlier.

About 7:30 p.m. April 6, they were in the 300 block of North Latrobe Avenue when a vehicle drove up and someone opened fire, Chicago police said.

Pipes was struck in the head and the other man was shot in the leg, police said. Both were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital.

An autopsy found Pipes died of complications from his gunshot wound and ruled his death a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said. He lived in South Shore.

No arrests have been reported.

Read More

Man dies days after Austin shootingSun-Times Wireon April 18, 2021 at 8:35 pm Read More »

No more GOP nonsense about gun rightsLetters to the Editoron April 18, 2021 at 8:44 pm

A body is taken from the scene where eight people were killed and others wounded by a gunman who then shot himself at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Friday, April 16, 2021.
A body is taken from the scene where eight people were killed and others wounded by a gunman who then shot himself at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Friday, April 16, 2021. | Michael Conroy | AP Photos

Someone needs to tell Republicans we are not living in 1870’s America, when cowboys with holstered guns supposedly roamed the prairie on horseback.

Republicans, I am sick and tired of you using the pathetic excuse against gun control — that any measure designed to strengthen public safety with tougher gun background checks infringes upon the rights of gun owners and the Second Amendment.

Fed up to the bone.

One gun tragedy follows another, with the FedEx tragedy in Indianapolis being the latest. They keep piling up.

Someone needs to tell the GOP this is not 1870’s America, when cowboys with holstered guns supposedly roamed the prairie on horseback. That’s a “Gunsmoke,” “Lone Ranger” and “The Wild Wild West” mentality.

SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be 350 words or less.

This is a nation facing a gun violence epidemic. Real action is badly needed. President Joe Biden needs to make clear to Congress, and particularly to the Senate, that if they don’t get off their butts and act, he will bypass them with more executive orders to fight gun violence.

A mental health check should be a part of any background screening for a person to own a gun. We should require gun buyers to see a doctor first.

Gun fanatics who believe they have a God-given right to own a firearm, such as Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, are on the wrong side of public opinion. The GOP needs to be reminded of that. One poll after another has shown that nearly 90% of Americans favor tougher background checks for gun owners, with even a majority of Republicans holding that view.

Herb Vermaas, Salem

Tailgating in White Sox parking lots

A recent Sun-Times editorial raised the idea of residential and retail development on the site of the parking lots at Guaranteed Rate field. I say let it be.

Sox fans enjoy the fact that we have the space to tailgate before the games. People barbecue, enjoy a beverage, playing bean bags games and generally hanging out with each other. You can’t do that on the North Side around Wrigley Field, where a shortage of parking is a huge issue.

Families of Sox fans enjoy loading up the car and driving to the park, knowing there is plenty of parking space. Not every family has access to public transportation or would want to take it. Cut back on the parking lots and the entire Bridgeport neighborhood will be flooded with excess street traffic, with all the folks looking for a parking spot.

I would be willing to bet that most Sox fans feel just as I do.

Thomas Bajorek, Burbank

Read More

No more GOP nonsense about gun rightsLetters to the Editoron April 18, 2021 at 8:44 pm Read More »

Lightfoot dispels lascivious ‘rumors’ about her resignation: ‘I will continue to serve today, tomorrow and into the future’on April 18, 2021 at 5:56 pm

Mayor Lori Lightfoot took to Twitter Sunday morning to dismiss lascivious “rumors” about her impending resignation that set the social media platform ablaze over the weekend.

“I will continue to lead a group of the willing all across our city who are about doing the people’s work,” Lightfoot tweeted from her personal account. “The people of Chicago elected me mayor, and I will continue to serve today, tomorrow and into the future. Back to work.”

The claim that Lightfoot planned to step down Sunday was apparently fueled by a now-deleted tweet sent by Ja’Mal Green, an activist and former mayoral candidate who continues to call for her resignation.

“Lori Lightfoot is resigning tomorrow in a stunning end to her mayorship,” Green tweeted Saturday.

That claim quickly lit up Twitter, leading to speculation about a series of uncorroborated allegations about the mayor’s personal life. The Sun-Times hasn’t independently confirmed any of those claims, including the allegation Green said prompted his initial tweet.

“Our city doesn’t have any time for homophobic, racist and misogynistic rumors, today or any day,” Lightfoot tweeted. “It’s shocking and disappointing to see some media members and verified Twitter handles are peddling this trash as truth.”

In a statement Sunday, Green apologized for his tweet and claimed it “was taken out of context.”

“I should have kept quiet,” he said.

Green explained he fired off the tweet after he was “made aware by members of the political world that it was possible that mayor [sic] Lightfoot would resign.” However, he acknowledged that ultimately “helped to amplify rumors” that were already circulating — rumors he claimed were pushed by members of the union that represents Chicago’s rank-and-file police officers.

“I made clear to the public and to the mayor that my intention was never to fuel rumors about her family. I have major concerns with how the mayor is leading right now, but I will never get personal,” said Green, noting his own connections to Lightfoot’s family.

Lightfoot began her tweet thread by jokingly referencing a previous rumor that she was moving her family from Logan Square to Sauganash, a sleepy neighborhood on the Northwest Side. But she quickly shifted tones, hammering on the “major challenges” facing Chicago while decrying the claims churning in the rumor mill.

“This nonsense that some apparently have the luxury of indulging in has not fed one person, stopped the pandemic, housed anyone living on the street or saved one young person,” Lightfoot tweeted.

“Anyone who wants to work with me to make progress, I’m ready,” she added. “Even if we don’t always see eye to eye, if you actually love this city and want to be part of making it better, let’s do the work. The rest of you, get out of the way.”

Read More

Lightfoot dispels lascivious ‘rumors’ about her resignation: ‘I will continue to serve today, tomorrow and into the future’on April 18, 2021 at 5:56 pm Read More »

Four Downs: News and notes from Week 5 in high school footballon April 18, 2021 at 5:37 pm

There are no Public League football teams in this week’s Super 25. That may be jarring to some, but it is my honest take on the current state of things.

I’ve detailed everything Public League football has been up against over the past year in recent stories. There’s enough talent on the high-level Public League teams to be ranked, but they just aren’t there right now and it’s important to keep the Super 25 legitimate. I’ve kept a Public League team or two in the bottom of the rankings most of the season, choosing to give the powerhouses from the city the benefit of the doubt. There are several highly-ranked suburban teams that haven’t been challenged at all either.

Phillips lost to Loyola 30-0 on Friday and Simeon squeaked past Kenwood 23-18 on Saturday. I was at both games and can safely say that the teams are just a few steps behind the rest of the area’s elite right now.

Dons aren’t done

Notre Dame opened the football season with a 34-13 loss to Marist and then dropped a 7-0 game to Providence at home in Week 2. Star quarterback Anthony Sayles isn’t playing this season, so that along with the two losses pretty much shoved the Dons out of the spotlight.

Welcome back Notre Dame. Mike Hennessey’s squad shocked Nazareth on Saturday, knocking off the Roadrunners 10-0. Dons quarterback Vincenzo Ricciardi connected with Conor O’Boyle for the winning touchdown.

Nazareth junior Tyler Morris left with an injury in the second half. He’s one of the state’s best players and a top 100 talent in the national Class of 2022.

What’s next?

Things are going to feel extremely odd this time next week. The football season, which just seemed to get going, will abruptly end. There will be a slew of undefeated teams and absolutely nothing settled.

The basketball season fizzled out the same way for most teams, but the Chipotle Clash of Champions provided a small bit of closure. There also weren’t a dozen or more highly-regarded undefeated teams with claims to lofty rankings.

That’s life during COVID-19. Maybe it is best to view this season as an appetizer for the fall.

Player of the Year/All-Area

The Sun-Times will select a Player of the Year and an All-Area team over the next week. Coaches and athletic directors, please email your nominations to [email protected]. I’ll be depending on the nominations more than ever this season since I wasn’t able to see nearly enough games due to the shortened season and all the cancelations.

This season has been a mess for a lot of teams and I’ve decided not to hold that against any player. If a kid had a tremendous career and could only play one or two games this season that’s fine, send over the nomination.

Read More

Four Downs: News and notes from Week 5 in high school footballon April 18, 2021 at 5:37 pm Read More »

Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school football rankings for April 18, 2021on April 18, 2021 at 5:37 pm

New additions to the Super 25:

Antioch: There were two really easy calls this week on which teams to add to the rankings. I’ve had my eye on both the Sequoits and St. Francis since the preseason and they could have joined at any point over the last month.

St. Francis: The opening week win against IC Catholic opened everyone’s eyes and the Spartans haven’t let up.

Crete-Monee: The Warriors have been absolutely crushing opponents this season.

Dropping out:

Nazareth (2-2): The Roadrunners fall out after getting shut out 10-0 by Notre Dame. The amount of talent the team lost over the last few months is well documented and coach Tim Racki has been playing a ton of guys in every game, which is definitely the right call during this season. That’s more important than a ranking.

Phillips (3-1): I’ve kept a Public League team or two in the bottom of the rankings most of the season, choosing to give the powerhouses from the city the benefit of the doubt. There are several highly-ranked suburban teams that haven’t been challenged at all either. The Wildcats lost at Loyola this week and Simeon struggled to beat a talented young Kenwood team that Morgan Park shut out a few weeks ago. After seeing all the CPS powers, other than the Mustangs, my honest opinion is that Public League just isn’t Super 25 quality at this point.

Simeon (3-0): See above. It should be noted that the future is very bright for the top-level Public League teams. There are promising young players getting some important experience this spring.

Week 6’s Super 25

With record and last week’s ranking

1. Loyola (5-0) 1

Friday at No. 5 Marist

2. Lincoln-Way East (5-0) 2

Friday at Lincoln-Way West

3. St. Rita (4-1) 3

Friday at Notre Dame

4. Mount Carmel (4-1) 4

Friday at No. 11 Brother Rice

5. Marist (4-1) 5

Friday vs. No. 1 Loyola

6. Naperville Central (5-0) 6

TBD

7. Warren (5-0) 7

Friday vs. Libertyville

8. Maine South (5-0) 8

TBD

9. Hinsdale Central (5-0) 9

Friday at Lyons

10. Joliet Catholic (5-0) 10

Saturday vs. Marmion

11. Brother Rice (3-2) 12

Friday vs No. 4 Mount Carmel

12. Huntley (5-0) 14

TBD

13. Barrington (5-0) 15

Friday vs. No. 14 Prospect

14. Prospect (5-0) 16

Friday at No. 13 Barrington

15. Wheaton Warrenville South (4-1) 17

Friday vs. St. Charles North at NIU

16. Batavia (4-1) 18

Friday vs. No. 19 Wheaton North at NIU

17. Cary-Grove (3-0) 19

TBD

18. Neuqua Valley (3-0) 20

TBD

19. Wheaton North (4-1) 21

Friday vs. No. 16 Batavia at NIU

20. Hillcrest (4-1) 22

Saturday vs. Richards

21. Lake Forest (5-0) 24

Friday vs. Waukegan

22. Antioch (5-0) NR

Friday at Lakes

23. St. Francis (5-0) NR

Friday vs. McNamara

24. Glenbard West (2-1) 11

Saturday vs. Oak Park

25. Crete-Monee (4-0) NR

Friday vs. Kankakee

Read More

Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school football rankings for April 18, 2021on April 18, 2021 at 5:37 pm Read More »