Author: staff

Sports

Column: Boston Red Sox rookie’s 1-star review of Wrigley Field hits a nerve with the Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs owners have spent the last decade-plus trying to emulate the Boston Red Sox.Whether it was hiring Theo Epstein as president of baseball operations, renovating Wrigley Field the same way as Fenway Park, signing free-agent pitcher Jon Lester, creating their own TV network or exploring the purchase of a Premier League soccer team, there seldom has been an idea out of Boston the Cubs couldn’t borrow.AdvertisementIf they could’ve gotten away with playing “Sweet Caroline” during Sunday’s 4-2, 11-inning loss to the Red Sox at Wrigley, you know the Cubs would’ve done it in a heartbeat.“There is something flattering about it,” former Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino once told me of the copycat Cubs. “If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then we’ll take it.”AdvertisementSo it must’ve been a crushing blow Saturday to Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and President of Business Operations Crane Kenney when Red Sox rookie pitcher Josh Winckowski gave a thumbs-down review of Wrigley. “A little underwhelming,” Winckowski said after being charged with the loss. “Fenway has a presence to it. I really didn’t get that here, to be honest. I said to my mom last night, this place is very stock standard.”[ [Don’t miss] Which Cubs players are likely to get traded? Here’s where things stand with the deadline 1 month away. ]Wrigley Field? Underwhelming? A run-of-the-mill, “stock standard” ballpark?That’s the worst insult one could hurl at the Ricketts family, which claims to have spent $740 million to renovate the ballpark in its 1060 Project. The Cubs called it the “preservation” of Wrigley and even slipped a Fenway Park photo into their renovation presentation to show how their video board would be integrated seamlessly into the ballpark.Skeptics looked at all the changes as a way to rationalize sky-high prices, just as the Red Sox owners did at Fenway.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 21Windows frame the view past the outfield at the new Catalina Club in the upper deck behind home plate at Wrigley Field on April 6, 2019, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)But even with all of the changes catering to the ultra-expensive premier clubs and Cubs sponsors, Wrigley Field still is considered a baseball mecca, a piece of Americana and — at the very least — a kind of cool place to watch a game.That’s why Wrigley is on so many people’s bucket lists.Comparing it to Fenway Park, the only major-league ballpark older than Wrigley, is a fool’s errand. I love both places, and any objective baseball fan who has been fortunate enough to visit both should feel the same.AdvertisementFenway bills itself as “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark,” which sounds a tad pretentious because it is. But like Wrigley it’s a unique and wonderful place with plenty of history to chew on during a four-hour game.[ [Don’t miss] 5 takeaways from the Cubs’ worst month of the season, including Christopher Morel’s 1st tough stretch ]Whether it’s superior to Wrigley is in the eye of the beholder. Winckowski apparently prefers the Green Monster to ivy-covered walls, which is his prerogative. Of course he never has had a chance to spread out in the outfield basket in left field, as Epstein recently did during a “last hurrah” at Wrigley before moving back East.After Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo of Masslive.com tweeted Winckowski’s remark Saturday, the Cubs Twitter account replied by tweeting a photo of a Cubs fan in the center-field bleachers being cheered on while drinking beer out of a shoe.I’m not sure what message the Cubs were trying to convey, other than that Cubs fans don’t mind a little foot fungus with their $14 beers. But it definitely was anything but underwhelming.The shot at Wrigley by the obscure 24-year-old pitcher obviously hit a nerve at the Cubbieplex, the nickname of the building housing the Cubs offices. Other organizations might have ignored being slighted by a rookie with 26 innings under his belt. But as the Cubs marketing slogan says, “It’s different here.”So kudos to the Cubs Twitterati for defending their turf, even though a simple middle-finger salute would’ve sufficed.AdvertisementThen again, is it possible Winckowski has a point?Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Wrigley has adopted many of the standard-issue items seen in most major-league ballparks. It was the last video-free ballpark in the majors until the giant video board arrived in left field in 2015. The video board is popular with fans, who like seeing themselves on it, but a disappointment for those interested in seeing creative content once in a while.While the video board forever changed the way Cubs fans watch games, that’s the price the Ricketts family paid for valuing advertising revenues over the unique qualities that made Wrigley a unicorn among ballparks.Don’t look now, but the next Red Sox idea the Cubs are likely to copy is their recently launched stand-alone streaming service for NESN, which broadcasts Red Sox and Bruins games at the price of $29.99 per month. Sure, that’s much higher than what Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streamers charge despite having way more content than NESN. But the Red Sox seem to know what cable-cutting fans will pay to watch their team.Cincinnati Reds players warm up before playing the Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 29, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)The Cubs might not be able to get away with charging $29.99 per month for this particular team, but if President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer can persuade Ricketts to sign free agent Aaron Judge in the winter, who knows what fans would pay to stream Cubs games?Anyway, Winckowski’s “meh” review of Wrigley was the talk of the ballpark Sunday. The remarks even were endorsed by some fans, particularly those who live on the South Side. Wrigley is not for everyone. Some of my best friends won’t step foot in it, and that was before they knew Cubs fans drink beer out of their shoes.AdvertisementBut it always will be a special place, which is why the Cubs could draw 40,185 fans Sunday despite being out of contention since May.As long as the ivy and the hand-operated center-field scoreboard stay untouched, the essence of Wrigley will remain the same, no matter what Winckowski tells his mom.

Sports

Goran Dragić reportedly will sign with the Chicago Bulls, addressing the team’s 3-point shooting concerns

Looking to address a lack of 3-point shooting, the Chicago Bulls are set to sign veteran guard Goran Dragić to a one-year deal, according to a report by The Athletic.The deal is worth a reported $2.9 million as the Bulls continue to build their roster around newly re-signed guard Zach LaVine.AdvertisementDragić, 36, is a 36.2% career 3-point shooter, one of the weakest areas for the Bulls last season. They took the fewest 3-pointers in the league last season (28.8 per game), and despite ranking fourth in 3-point accuracy, the lack of volume led to the league’s lowest scoring rate from long range.Adding Dragić also should help shore up the bench production; the Bulls ranked 29th in bench scoring last season.Advertisement Entering his 15th season, Dragić found the most success during a seven-season stretch with the Miami Heat, averaging 16.2 points from February 2015 through the 2020-21 season and making the All-Star team in 2018.His 3-point accuracy dipped to 25.4% last season as he stepped away from the sport for personal reasons, playing only 21 games. The Toronto Raptors traded him in Februrary to the San Antonio Spurs, who bought out his contract four days later. He signed with the Brooklyn Nets later that month and played 16 games with them.Dragić will be another older addition to the Bulls roster, but his relatively low salary and potential offensive contributions should offer versatility for the upcoming season.

Sports

Column: Chicago Blackhawks’ clock hinges on Alex DeBrincat’s status — and trading him could have huge repercussions

Luke Richardson should enjoy the moment.He had his big day, his coronation as the 40th head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks at the team’s store downtown, and has been on his welcome-to-Chicago tour, appearing on radio and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field.AdvertisementIt’s a wine-and-dine period every new coach receives, and from many reports it couldn’t be happening to a nicer guy.So no one wants to throw cold water over Richardson’s big splash, but reality is lurking around the corner for the first-time head coach.AdvertisementAlex DeBrincat.The Hawks star’s future has dominated conversation about the team’s offseason, and it certainly loomed in the background of Wednesday’s introductory news conference.Will Richardson be starting the rebuild without his leading goal scorer? DeBrincat accounted for 19% of the Hawks’ goals and almost 30% of their power-play goals.General manager Kyle Davidson said in March that “I don’t necessarily subscribe to the untouchable theory” when it comes to trading players, and when asked Wednesday whether that stance applies to DeBrincat, he doubled down.“I don’t necessarily subscribe to the untouchable theory because there’s always a situation where someone’s going to offer you, whether it’s realistic or not … something that you can’t turn down,” Davidson said. “I guess in reality, other than those who are contractually obligated to be untouchable, that no one is. But we’re not in a position where we can hold anything back.”Davidson also said the Blackhawks wouldn’t “necessarily” be “proactive in every sense,” but — there’s always a but.“When you announce something like a rebuild, it’s only natural that people come to you with a lot of different ideas,” he said. “So we’re open to listening and we’ll evaluate from there.”Reports have pegged the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders among the suitors for DeBrincat.AdvertisementA rebuild is motivation enough to entertain trade talks, but the lack of a first-round pick in Thursday’s draft only heightens the Hawks’ incentive.“I haven’t been shy about professing my willingness to acquire some future assets,” Davidson said. “That’s something we’ll look to do. But I’m not looking to force anything. … We have some ideas and some thoughts as we head to Montreal next week, but until we have more concrete discussions with teams, we’ll see where that goes.”Chicago Blackhawks left wing Alex DeBrincat (12) celebrates after scoring in the first period against the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center, March 8, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)The impact of DeBrincat’s departure from Chicago would be monumental — both in the short and long term.The impact obviously would be immediate. Short of hearing from Richardson about what he has in store on offense and defense — you can only go by what the Hawks put on film last season — it’s not a stretch to say the offense revolved around DeBrincat and 92-point producer Patrick Kane.To underscore what DeBrincat means to the Hawks, he ranked 22nd in the league in goals-above replacement (20) and tied for 21st in wins above replacement (3.5), according to evolving-hockey.com.Who could even begin to approximate that role? Kirby Dach, Lukas Reichel or Taylor Raddysh?AdvertisementAnybody?Trading DeBrincat also could start a domino effect on the roster.Kane would have to evaluate how patient he can be with the rebuild, or waive his no-movement clause and ask to be traded to a playoff contender, like the Hawks did with goalie Marc-André Fleury last season. Otherwise, Kane would have to weigh how much staying with one franchise through his Hall of Fame career means to his legacy.Jonathan Toews already spoke about the prospect of moving on after the Hawks traded up-and-coming forward Brandon Hagel to the Tampa Bay Lightning.“In this case, you can’t help but picture yourself and what it’d be like to play for another team and what that experience would bring. That pops into your mind,” Toews said in March.The Hawks have said they’ll be reluctant to shell out cash during free agency this summer, so without DeBrincat, how much appetite would they have to retain Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalík, both of whom have arbitration rights and likely are due significant raises?AdvertisementSpeaking of which, DeBrincat will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after next season, and a $9 million qualifying offer might be too rich for the Hawks’ blood this early in the rebuilding process.DeBrincat said he’s “open to anything” when asked last season about an extension.In the long term, trading DeBrincat could bring a windfall for the Hawks.Hagel netted two future first-round picks and young forwards Raddysh and Boris Katchouk.Imagine what DeBrincat could bring. Davidson’s not going to trade DeBrincat for anything short of a king’s ransom, not if he wants to show his face anywhere near Madison Street.The Hawks have five picks between the second and third rounds this year, a protected first-round pick from the Lightning in 2023 (potentially four picks in the first two rounds) and another protected first-round pick from the Bolts in 2024 (potentially two first-rounders).AdvertisementIf DeBrincat lands a first-rounder or two and an elite prospect or two, that would be quite a haul for Davidson and Richardson to mold the roster however they want.Four or five years from now, the Hawks should have a solid enough nucleus to loosen the purse strings for free agents and catapult the team into contention — with enough prospects still in the pipeline to keep developing — or else something went terribly wrong in the draft or the locker rooms.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.At that point, Richardson probably would be the first to welcome the pitchforks if his team isn’t competitive.But for now, he has to worry about more than just a paucity of playmakers.At a critical time when he’s trying to build a culture in his image, he could have fewer players of the kind he needs.DeBrincat isn’t just revered for his skill — like Hagel was — he’s beloved for the example he sets.AdvertisementThe 5-foot-7 winger harasses bigger opponents on defense, often poking away pucks into the Hawks possession, and he’s as feisty on the penalty kill as he is on the power play. He’s one of the Hawks’ character guys, the kind who playfully torments a young skater such as MacKenzie Entwistle in practice. Like, every practice.And based on many of DeBrincat’s postgame interviews, personal achievements can’t dull the sting of a loss.DeBrincat checks a lot of boxes, and that kind of player wouldn’t be very easy for Davidson and Richardson to replace — no matter how many prospects they get in return.

Sports

Column: As the era of 2 college super-conferences draws near, Notre Dame’s future appears up for grabs

Thursday’s news of USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten Conference as early as 2024 stunned the college sports world.The prospect of two elite athletic programs teaming up with the nation’s most powerful Power Five conference might be the most anticipated merger since Joe Walsh joined the Eagles.AdvertisementDid the Eagles really need Walsh to crank out hit after hit?No, but they immediately turned out the granddaddy of all classic rock albums, “Hotel California,” and became better than ever with Walsh.AdvertisementDitto the Big Ten, which didn’t need USC or UCLA to prove its worth in the world of college sports but became exponentially greater with both schools as members.What it means for the college football landscape will be the subject of intense speculation the next several weeks and months leading into September.The idea of two super-conferences — the Big Ten and SEC — dominating the sport and leading to the extinction or irrelevance of the remaining three power conferences seems to be the most likely outcome, at least according to experts who somehow missed out on the biggest story of the year until it actually happened.Oklahoma and Texas ignited the gold rush last year when the two most prominent Big 12 schools announced their decision to bolt to the SEC. Surely we haven’t seen the last “name” school eschewing tradition to join one of the super conferences and share the TV booty. And when that happens, the poor get poorer.But who knows?Maybe the Big 12, ACC and Pac-12 can survive as minor conferences. There certainly are enough networks and streaming services for everyone to get a share of the TV pie, even if it’s a sliver compared with the wheelbarrows full of cash the Big Ten and SEC will be raking in under their current and future contracts.One of the biggest questions is what happens with Notre Dame, the only college football program that doesn’t need to share with the others because it’s freaking Notre Dame.The Irish never needed to join a conference because NBC airs all of their home games in a deal that runs through 2025. They’ve had a national following for more than a century and have been doing just fine as an independent, making it to the College Football Playoff without having to win a conference title.AdvertisementPlayers celebrate scoring during the Notre Dame Blue-Gold game April 23, 2022, at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. (Michael Caterina/AP)But according to Notre Dame’s agreement with the ACC, the Irish are obligated to join the conference if they decide to give up their independent status before 2036. That’s a long way from now, especially with the rapid alteration of the college sports landscape.And if Clemson, Miami and another team bolt the ACC for the SEC, as some have predicted, the future of the conference would be in severe jeopardy.The obvious choice for Notre Dame would be the Big Ten — the Irish would fit perfectly with the Ohio States, Michigans and USCs of the college football world. This has been discussed since Nebraska and Penn State joined the Big Ten, but the Irish didn’t need the Big Ten and kept the status quo.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Times change, and Notre Dame soon might have no choice but to join a conference. But why would the SEC let Notre Dame get away without making an offer that its president, Rev. John Jenkins, couldn’t refuse? If USC and UCLA are good fits for the Big Ten, why wouldn’t Notre Dame be comfortable in the SEC?Perhaps coach Marcus Freeman could even affect a Southern accent like his predecessor, the chameleon-like Brian Kelly, who took LSU’s money and suddenly began sounding like he was shucking crawdads on the bayou. A Notre Dame schedule with games against LSU, Alabama and Georgia every season would be just as appetizing as a Big Ten schedule, and the SEC’s dominance proves it’s by far the best football conference.While we await the fallout from the USC and UCLA exodus, we also mourn the loss of the Rose Bowl as the preeminent New Year’s Day bowl game. The tradition already took a hit when they played the 2021 Rose Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. No one seemed to blink when the “granddady of ‘em all” wasn’t played in Pasadena, Calif., so maybe no one will mind if USC were to play Washington State of the revamped Pac-6 Conference in the 2025 Rose Bowl.AdvertisementCollege football can survive anything, no matter the unending competition for the biggest haul from universities that were built to provide education for students rather than entertainment for the masses. When it comes down to it, the game-day experience — including the marching bands, cheerleaders, fight songs, stadiums, age-old rivalries and newer traditions such as the “Jump Around” singalong in Madison, Wis. — make every fall Saturday a day to look forward to.Changes always have been part of the game and always will be.In the words of the House of Pain anthem performed at every Wisconsin game: “Get used to one style and yo and I might switch.”Jump around, America. Jump around.

Lifestyle

Why pink bigleaf hydrangeas might not bloom in summer

The huge, pink mophead blooms of bigleaf hydrangea are one of the joys of summer for Chicago gardeners. What a disappointment when those blooms fail to fluff!“Bigleaf hydrangeas just aren’t entirely reliable in our climate, because sometimes the flower buds don’t make it through the winter,” said Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic manager at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.AdvertisementBuds of bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) are formed in late summer and must survive all winter to bloom the following summer. “They aren’t especially well protected, so even a single day of severe cold is enough to kill them,” Janoski said. Dead buds will appear blackened, and they will never open. The hydrangea may produce abundant green leaves in spring but no blooms.Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) will bloom most abundantly after a mild winter, and may not bloom at all after a harsh one. (Beth Botts/Morton Arboretum)Gardeners can be confused because some other familiar species of hydrangea do bloom reliably: smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), including the popular Annabelle cultivated variety, and panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), including the Tardiva variety. “These hardy hydrangeas don’t form their flower buds until spring, so the buds are never at risk from winter cold,” Janoski said.AdvertisementIn gardening parlance, shrubs that set their flower buds on stems formed in the previous year and overwinter them are said to “bloom on old wood.” Those that grow their flower buds on new twigs in the spring or summer of the same year they bloom are said to “bloom on new wood.” Roses are a classic example.[ Garden guide: Everything you need to know about growing hydrangeas ]A number of hydrangea species are iffy because they bloom on old wood, such as oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) and mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata).In some climates with more equable winters, such as the Atlantic states where weather is moderated by the nearby ocean, these plants’ buds are less likely to be killed. The volatile and often harsh Chicago climate is more risky for them. After a mild winter they may bloom abundantly, but after a cold winter — or even a mostly mild winter with a bud-killing cold spell — they may not bloom at all.To add to the confusion, some newer varieties of bigleaf hydrangea, such as the Endless Summer and Let’s Dance series, and mountain hydrangea, such as the Tuff Stuff series, have been bred and selected to bloom to varying degrees on both old and new wood.“Even if the buds on old wood are damaged over the winter, these varieties can grow some new wood in spring that will set flower buds,” Janoski said. “You may not get as many blooms as you would after a mild winter, but you’ll likely get some.”There’s another common reason that hydrangeas fail to bloom: “Sometimes the flower buds get cut off when the gardener is pruning in winter,” she said.If you prune a plant in winter that blooms on old wood, such as bigleaf hydrangea, forsythia, lilac, mock-orange, or ninebark, you’ll be removing the flower buds along with branches. “To be safe, wait to prune a spring- or summer-flowering shrub until after it has bloomed,” Janoski said.Plants that bloom on new wood, such as smooth hydrangea and panicle hydrangea, can be pruned in winter with impunity.AdvertisementHow can you know what to do? “Identify your plants,” she said. It’s not enough just to know you have a hydrangea, because different species of hydrangea grow differently and need different care. “You need to find out exactly which species of hydrangea you have.”The Plant Clinic can help you identify your plants and find out how to care for them so you get the most beauty and satisfaction from your garden.For tree and plant advice, contact the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum (630-719-2424, mortonarb.org/plant-clinic, or plantclinic@mortonarb.org). Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum.