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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Luis Robert Jr. displays defense and power for Chicago White Sox in 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies
Chicago White Sox starter Davis Martin said he walked over to Luis Robert Jr. after Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies and gave the center fielder a hug. Martin told him, 'If that's the last game we play together, that was awesome. You making those plays.' Robert showed why he has been mentioned in trade speculation, displaying defense and power for the Sox in a 6-2 victory in front of 15,106 at Rate Field. The MLB trade deadline is Thursday. In English, Robert said he's handling the next few days, 'day by day.' He added through an interpreter: 'A good amount of my friends have been sending me photos and text messages with rumors and all that stuff but I tried not to pay attention to that.' Robert's focus remained on aiding the Sox. In the top of the fourth inning, he made a diving catch in right-center to rob J.T. Realmuto of an extra-base hit. 'Luis making a great play kind of set the tone for the rest of the game,' said Martin, who allowed two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. Martin also made a stellar defensive play of his own, tumbling to get to a Nick Castellanos grounder before getting to his feet and throwing him out to end the fifth inning. Robert batted with one on and two outs in the bottom of the fourth. He lofted a long fly to right. The ball kept drifting and landed over the wall for a tie-breaking two-run home run. 'At first I thought I missed it,' Robert said. 'But I think the wind carried the ball.' Manager Will Venable added: 'That was a really good one. Luis put himself in a really good spot, continuing to take good swings on good pitches, and obviously the backside damage right there, so it was great to see.' Robert has recently dealt with various bumps and bruises. He returned to action Sunday as a designated hitter after missing the first two games of the City Series against the Chicago Cubs because of right adductor tightness. He was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning. X-rays on his right forearm were negative. That did not keep him out of Monday's lineup. 'Thank God the ball hit me in the part of the arm where there's enough muscle there,' Robert said. 'Today was a little sore but nothing major.' Additionally, he was back in center field. The Sox fell into a hole after a two-run double by Bryce Harper in the third inning. Colson Montgomery hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the bottom of the third. Robert put the club ahead one inning later with the 99th home run of his career. 'I think every baseball player, that's a significant amount of homers,' Robert said of possibly reaching No. 100. 'I think in my case, injuries or whatever, I haven't gotten there yet. But once I get there, that will be a very good accomplishment. I will be very happy.' Robert has also been happy with his recent production. He's 9-for-25 (.360) with two home runs, eight RBIs and 10 runs since the All-Star break. 'I'm feeling good,' Robert said. 'Not swinging at the pitches out of the strike zone and that has been the key.' Lenyn Sosa and Montgomery added RBI singles in the eighth as the Sox (39-68) took the opener of the three-game series. And now Robert and his teammates wait to see what's ahead. 'Wherever he goes, he's going to make an impact — whether it's on our team this year or next year or somewhere else,' Martin said. 'He's a phenomenal baseball player. I don't know how you can't watch him play baseball and think he can't help you win at the highest level.'
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: Climate change is producing larger hail, researchers warn
Good morning, Chicago. During severe thunderstorms, rising air shoots icy pellets the size of Dippin' Dots ice cream into the bitter cold of upper atmospheric layers. There, supercooled water freezes onto the small particles to form hail, which then falls when it gets too heavy for the storm's upward draft. As climate change warms average global temperatures, hailstones larger than pingpong or golf balls will become more frequent — likely worsening the weather hazard's already billions of dollars in annual property damage across the country, according to a study published last year in the scientific journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. 'Climate change is obviously occurring,' said Victor Gensini, a meteorologist and professor of atmospheric science at Northern Illinois University who led the study. 'The question, for scientists, is often: How does that manifest itself (in) these smaller-scale extreme weather perils?' Insurance companies have reported rising hail damage claims from homeowners due to severe storms. In 2024, roof repair and replacement costs totaled nearly $31 billion across the country, up almost 30% from 2022, according to an April report from Verisk, a risk assessment and data analytics firm. Hail and wind accounted for more than half of all residential claims. Read the full story from the Tribune's Adriana Pérez. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: how neighborhood ties still propel violence in a changing Cabrini-Green, the best and worst from the City Series and our guide to Lollapalooza 2025. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The U.N. General Assembly is bringing high-level officials together this week to promote a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict that would place their peoples side by side, living in peace in independent nations. Israel and its close ally the United States are boycotting the two-day meeting, which starts today and will be co-chaired by the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia. The United States and the European Union agreed to a trade framework setting a 15% tariff on most goods yesterday, staving off — at least for now — far higher imports on both sides that might have sent shockwaves through economies around the globe. Gov. JB Pritzker and his fellow Democrats have been unrelenting in their criticisms of the tax and spending plan President Donald Trump signed July 4. But along with much-lambasted cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and education, the budget reconciliation plan Republicans pushed through Congress this summer includes a tax change that Democrats as well as some Republicans in high-tax blue states have backed for years. Julia Tate was headed to bed a few weeks ago when her daughter burst into their rowhouse screaming. Tate's cousin, Devon LaSalle, had been shot. The family had urged LaSalle to not come around the neighborhood so much, but he grew up in a now-closed part of the Cabrini-Green rowhouses. He still spent a lot of time there in spite of how much had changed since he was a kid on Mohawk Street. At 41, LaSalle was one of many people who stuck around the rowhouses even as development exploded around the now-vacant lots where the infamous high-rises once stood. The rhythmic rumble of the 'L' isn't a death rattle — yet. But Chicago's public transit systems are set to get gut-punched early next year by a funding deficit in the hundreds of millions of dollars. If state lawmakers don't agree to allocate more money to public transit, branches on half of the CTA's 'L' lines could go silent. So many bus routes would get slashed that Chicago would have fewer of them than Kansas City. Metra trains could be spaced one or even two hours apart, depending on the day of the week. A man accused of entering a Walmart in Michigan and randomly stabbing 11 shoppers before being detained by bystanders in the store parking lot is expected to face terrorism and multiple assault charges, authorities said yesterday. Another intriguing City Series, along with Dick Allen's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, highlighted a fun baseball weekend for Chicago Cubs and White Sox fans. Paul Sullivan details the best and worst from the City Series and Dick Allen's posthumous induction into the Hall. Overshadowed by much of the hand-wringing done this offseason regarding the Bears' depth — or lack of — when it comes to pass rushers was a discussion of how the new scheme will affect the players on the roster, writes Brad Biggs. In the early hours of July 31, 1985, Tommy Trotter thought he smelled smoke. 'I'm a light sleeper,' he told the Tribune. 'I went downstairs to check out the kitchen and it got stronger.' He could hear 'cracking' in the ceiling. The director of racing at Arlington Park racetrack in Arlington Heights, Trotter and his wife and son were staying on the second floor of the Horseman's Lounge in the posh Post and Paddock Club. He woke up his wife, sent his son to notify security, and told the switchboard operator to call the fire department. Imagine heading out to pick up your father's medicine at the neighborhood CVS one day, only to be stopped by four strangers who ask: 'Can I take a picture with you?' That's was what happened to Kriston Bell, 17. When approached, the Beverly resident asked if they knew him from somewhere. Their response: 'From 'America's Got Talent.'' The admirers took pictures to share with their kids. Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park, bringing another stellar lineup of artists that captures the current musical zeitgeist. This year's festival showcases an impressive blend of breakthrough acts and established favorites, with headliners like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Tyler, the Creator.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Ichiro Suzuki adds humor to Hall of Fame ceremonies as Dick Allen and other honorees are inducted
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — If you want someone for your next celebrity roast, Ichiro Suzuki could be your guy. Mixing sneaky humor with heartfelt messages, the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame stole the show Sunday in Cooperstown. Morning showers and gloomy skies delayed the ceremonies by an hour, but the moisture gave way to bright skies and warm temperatures. The sun seemed its brightest during Suzuki's acceptance speech. The outfielder was joined by pitcher CC Sabathia, also elected in his first year of eligibility, and closer Billy Wagner, who made it in his final try on the writers' ballot. Suzuki fell one vote shy of being a unanimous selection and he took a jab at the unidentified sports writer who didn't vote for him. 'Three thousand hits or 262 hits in one season are two achievements recognized by the writers. Well, all but one,' Suzuki said to roaring laughter. 'By the way, the offer for the writer to have dinner at my home has now expired,' he added, with emphasis on 'expired' for good measure. A pair of Era Committee selections rounded out the Class of 2025: Dave Parker, who earned the nickname Cobra during 20 big league seasons, and slugger Dick Allen. Parker died June 28, just a month before he was to be inducted. An estimated 30,000 fans crowded onto the field adjacent to the Clark Sports Center, sun umbrellas and Japanese flags sprinkled around. Suzuki's No. 51 was seemingly everywhere as fans, thousands of them Seattle Mariners boosters who made the trek from the Pacific Northwest, chanted 'Ichiro' several times throughout the day. A sign that read 'Thank You Ichiro! Forever a Legend' in English and Japanese summed up the admiration for Suzuki on his special day. Column: City Series and Dick Allen's Hall of Fame induction highlight a great Chicago baseball weekendWith 52 returning Hall of Famers on hand, Suzuki paid homage to his new baseball home in Cooperstown and his adoring fans by delivering his 18-minute speech in English. His humor, a surprise to many, delighted the crowd. He threw shade at the Miami Marlins, the last stop of his professional career. 'Honestly, when you guys offered me a contract in 2015, I had never heard of your team,' Suzuki joked. He kidded that he showed up at spring training every year with his arm 'already in shape' just to hear Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs scream, '`Holy smokes! Another laser-beam throw from Ichiro!'' He even took a moment for some tongue-in-cheek modesty. 'People often measure me by my records. Three thousand hits. Ten Gold Gloves. Ten seasons of 200 hits. 'Not bad, huh?' Suzuki said to more laughs. He thanked his late agent Tony Anastasio for 'getting me to America and for teaching me to love wine.' But he also took time to get to the root of what made him extraordinary. 'Baseball is much more than just hitting, throwing and running. Baseball taught me to make valued decisions about what is important. It helped shape my view of life and the world. … The older I got, I realized the only way I could get to play the game I loved to the age of 45 at the highest level was to dedicate myself to it completely,' he said. 'When fans use their precious time to see you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them whether you are winning by 10 or losing by 10. 'Baseball taught me what it means to be a professional and I believe that is the main reason I am here today. I could not have achieved the numbers without paying attention to the small details every single day consistently for all 19 seasons.' Now he's reached the pinnacle, overcoming doubters, one of whom said to him: '`Don't embarrass the nation.'' He's made his homeland proud. 'Going into America's Baseball Hall of Fame was never my goal. I didn't even know there was one. I visited Cooperstown for the first time in 2001, but being here today sure feels like a fantastic dream.' Ahead of Dick Allen's Baseball Hall of Fame induction, Chicago White Sox teammates reflect on his lasting impactSabathia thanked 'the great players sitting behind me, even Ichiro, who stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001).' He paid homage to Parker and spoke about Black culture in today's game. 'It's an extra honor to be a part of Dave's Hall of Fame class. He was a father figure for a generation of Black stars. In the '80s and early '90s when I first started watching baseball and Dave Parker was crushing homers, the number of Black players in the major leagues was at its highest, about 18%. Me and my friends played the game because we saw those guys on TV and there was always somebody who looked like me in a baseball uniform. 'Baseball has always been a great game for Black athletes, but baseball culture has not always been great to Black people. I hope we're starting to turn that around. I don't want to be the final member of the Black aces, a Black pitcher to win 20 games. And I don't want to be the final Black pitcher giving a Hall of Fame speech.' Wagner urged young players to treat obstacles not as 'roadblocks, but stepping stones.' 'I wasn't the biggest player. I wasn't supposed to be here. There were only seven full-time relievers in the Hall of Fame. Now, there are eight because I refused to give up or give in,' he said. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was picked on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. After arriving in the majors in 2001, Suzuki joined Fred Lynn (1975) as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami. He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose's major league record of 4,256. Sabathia, second to Suzuki in 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting, was a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and a World Series title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees. A seven-time All-Star, Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves for Houston, Philadelphia, the New York Mets, Boston and Atlanta. Tom Hamilton and Tom Boswell were also honored during Hall of Fame weekend. Hamilton has been the primary radio broadcaster for the Cleveland Guardians franchise for 35 seasons and received the Ford C. Frick Award. Boswell, a retired sports columnist who spent his entire career with The Washington Post, was honored with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: City Series and Dick Allen's Hall of Fame induction highlight a great Chicago baseball weekend
Another intriguing City Series, along with Dick Allen's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, highlighted a fun baseball weekend for Chicago Cubs and White Sox fans. The Cubs took the series with a 5-4 win over the White Sox in Sunday's finale, while Allen's widow, Willa Allen, delivered an emotional speech honoring the former Sox slugger at the Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y. Here are the best and worst from the City Series and Dick Allen's posthumous induction into the Hall: Best dressed: The Sox bring out the all-black caps from the 1950s and early '60s for Hall of Fame weekend. The cap features a diagonal white 'SOX' logo with red trim, and is the one they wore during the 'Go-Go Sox' era from 1951 to 1963. Hopefully the Sox bring it back again. It's the best retro idea they've had in years. Worst pitching move: Cubs third baseman Jon Berti pitching in the ninth inning of Friday's Sox rout. Using Berti to save the bullpen is both tired and repetitive, especially with an eight-man relief staff. Manager Craig Counsell should be able to find at least one reliever to suck it up for one inning of mop-up duty. Worst cutaway: CHSN showing Sox vice president of marketing Brooks Boyer cheering in the stands Sunday after Andrew Benintendi's three-run, eighth-inning home run pulled the Sox to within one run. Even Marquee Sports Network wouldn't be so bold as to focus on Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney cheering in the stands at one of their games. The men in charge of the telecasts should stay off the telecasts. Best performance: Cade Horton's 6 1/3 shutout innings in Saturday's 6-1 Cubs victory provided a huge lift for a team that had lost four or five and watched Shota Imanaga implode in Friday's loss. Had the Cubs lost the series, panic no doubt would've ensued before the big three-game showdown in Milwaukee, which begins Monday. Worst news leak: Bulls coach Billy Donovan's contract extension being announced by ESPN before the series finale, over a month after reports that it basically was a done deal. No terms were announced and no one was made available for comment. Making an important personnel decision and not explaining why is a classic Reinsdorfian maneuver. Best interview: Sox starter Adrian Houser tearing up after Friday's win during his postgame media session, thinking about his infant daughter getting to see him pitch for the first time. A class act, Houser did the job he came here to do, and should soon be rewarded with a trade to a contender. Worst managerial take: Sox manager Will Venable on the trade rumors affecting players: 'I hope people don't want to leave here. With what these guys have built and that clubhouse and how they get along, the type of baseball that we're playing, this is a place that people want to be.' Yes, but the Sox aren't going to be truly competitive for at least a year or two, so any veteran should relish a chance to be traded to a contender this week. Worst baserunning. Lenyn Sosa, take a bow. Sosa was thrown out at third Sunday after Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner baited him by letting an infield fly rule popup drop. Instead of staying put, Sosa gets nailed at third, squelching a potential rally. 'Not a real good baserunning play by Sosa,' CHSN's Steve Stone says in obvious disgust. 'A little bit of a mental error there where he didn't see the call being made,' Venable said, adding 'we have to look ourselves in the mirror and figure out a better way to coach that.' Sosa might also need to look in a mirror. Best monster truck impression: Hoerner kept a rundown going Sunday after being picked off first, before Ian Happ's big collision at third with Colson Montgomery brought home the eventual winning run on an interference call. Wise guys called it Happ's biggest hit of the season. Best line: MLB Network's Harold Reynolds on Allen's Hall of Fame plaque: 'Just missing the cigarette.' Reynolds was referring to the classic Sports Illustrated cover with Allen juggling baseballs in the Sox dugout while a heater dangled from his mouth. Best tweet: In what was labeled 'an ode to Dick Allen,' a White Sox social media post showed Jonathan Cannon, Grant Taylor and Sean Burke juggling baseballs in the dugout. Worst programming decision: How does CHSN virtually ignore Allen's induction into the Hall of Fame? They had all year to put together a short documentary on the man who helped save the franchise from moving in 1972. It would've been great viewing before or after Sunday's game. Someone dropped the ball. Worst hit by pitch: Cubs closer Daniel Palencia plunking Luis Robert Jr. in the arm in the ninth inning Sunday might have put Sox general manager Chris Getz into therapy with four days left before the trade deadline. The oft-injured outfielder sat through minor soreness in the first two games before talking Venable into letting him DH on Sunday. Best scene: The concourse all weekend was filled with fans of both teams enjoying the food and conversation. It was as good an advertisement for coming out to the ballpark as anyone could've written, and reminded us once again that Sox Park comes alive when it's full and energized. With the Sox playing a better brand of baseball since the All-Star break, it'll be interesting to see if it pays any dividends at the box office with the Philadelphia Phillies coming to town Monday.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
3 Chicago White Sox City Series takeaways, including costly errors in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Cubs
Andrew Benintendi described Sunday as 'the first day in a while I squared up a few balls.' The Chicago White Sox left fielder homered twice in the 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs in the rubber match of the Rate Field portion of the City Series in front of 38,036. Benintendi hit a solo home run in the first. His three-run home run in the eighth cut the deficit to one. The Sox brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth, but Lenyn Sosa grounded into a force play to end the game. 'We lost the series, so obviously we're not happy with that,' manager Will Venable said. 'We thought coming in we put ourselves in a good position. You win the first one, you like your chances to get one of the next two to win the series. So we have things that we have to continue to work on and get better at and regroup here and go to work (Monday) on the (Philadelphia) Phillies.' Here are three takeaways from Sunday's game. Third baseman Colson Montgomery had a fielding error in the second inning on Sunday. Shortstop Chase Meidroth had a throwing error in the sixth. Neither error came back to cost the Sox. But a mental miscue in the third drained the momentum of what could have been a big inning. The Sox had runners on first and second with one out. Meidroth hit a popup and was automatically out when the infield fly rule was called. Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner let the ball drop. Sosa, who was on second, took off for third base even though he did not have to. He was thrown out to complete an inning-ending double play. 'That's a play we talk about a lot and he just got stuck, a little bit of a mental error there where he didn't see the call being made,' Venable said. 'But that's kind of an automatic one where you know that ball is out. He's got to do a better job on that and he knows that and we discussed it.' Then the lack of execution during a pair of rundowns cost the Sox a run in the eighth. The Cubs had runners at first and second with two outs. Catcher Edgar Quero threw to first to try to get Hoerner in a back pick. A rundown followed. Ian Happ took off for home and got caught in a rundown himself when the Sox threw to the plate. Happ ran into Montgomery on the way back to third and the third baseman was called for interference. Happ was awarded home, extending the Cubs' lead to 5-1. 'Two rundowns where we really didn't execute either of them,' Venable said. 'The first one, (first baseman Miguel Vargas has) got to do a better job of getting Hoerner going. (The second baseman) Sosa's got to cut the distance. And then obviously you can't have an obstruction call. 'We've got to do a better job on the second rundown, too. We know if you don't execute plays like that it's going to hurt you. Today was a good example of that.' Luis Robert Jr. initially wasn't in Sunday's starting lineup after missing the first two games of the City Series because of right adductor tightness. But he later received the OK to return as the designated hitter. 'The initial evaluation, he came in feeling better but still not in a spot where he could get out there in center field,' Venable said before the game. 'We wanted to keep him plugged in and give him the opportunity to run around more, and he did. 'We talked about it, and he really talked his way into the lineup after that. We agreed that maybe center field wasn't the best thing for him but that we could utilize his bat and that he was good to go to DH. We ended up making the change.' Robert went 0-for-3. 'Physically, he's still getting there,' Venable said after the game. 'But I thought there was good, competitive swings, competitive at-bats and nice to see him out there.' Robert got hit by a pitch in the ninth. X-rays on his right forearm were negative. All eyes are on Robert, who has been mentioned in trade speculation. The trade deadline is Thursday. Grant Taylor made his second career start on Sunday, serving as the opener. He ran into some trouble in the first inning, allowing a double with one out to Kyle Tucker and then walking Seiya Suzuki. Pete Crow-Armstrong then went the other way with a hit just inside the third-base line. Tucker scored easily and the ball slowed up enough in foul territory to allow Suzuki to score from first. Taylor allowed two runs on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk in one inning. 'That double they got in the first inning was a weird little hit by PCA,' said pitcher Sean Burke, who followed Taylor. 'Grant is doing everything he can and his stuff looked good.' Burke allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in 4 2/3 innings. Both runs came with two outs in the sixth, an RBI single by Hoerner followed by an RBI double from Matt Shaw to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. 'Just frustrating not being able to finish that fifth inning (of work),' Burke said. 'I'm able to get out of that, got Hoerner down to (a) two-strike count and one more strike, one more out to get through that inning. If I'm able to clean that up, then we win that game instead of losing it by one run.'
