Author: staff

Sports

As Rafael Ortega’s hitting heats up with more playing time, the outfielder’s Chicago Cubs future remains uncertain

All Rafael Ortega could do was wait.Consistent at-bats in the Chicago Cubs lineup weren’t available for the outfielder through the first five weeks of the season. With Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki entrenched in left and right field, respectively, Ortega’s opportunities were limited to occasional starts in center and at designated hitter.AdvertisementGetting in an offensive rhythm posed a challenge, contributing to a .204/.304/.286 slash line through April. Within the context of his big-league career — in which extended playing time has been limited during parts of six seasons spanning 10 years — it wasn’t an unfamiliar spot for Ortega. However, he took advantage of the Cubs’ post-trade-deadline roster situation last year and thrived as one of their best hitters.But the start of the 2022 season put Ortega in a familiar position.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: How Tony La Russa and David Ross are trying to change the script during Chicago’s summer of baseball discontent ]“For me it’s more mentally right now — I’m trying to be more mentally positive because I haven’t been playing every day,” Ortega told the Tribune during the Cubs’ road trip last week. “I have been telling myself: Just wait for your opportunity and then when you get the opportunity, just do what you have to do.”Between Jason Heyward dealing with COVID-19 in mid-May and Suzuki remaining sidelined by a sprained left ring finger, Ortega’s extended look over the last six weeks is paying off for the 31-year-old Venezuelan.Since May 17, when Heyward went on the COVID-related injured list, Ortega is hitting .293 with a .377 on-base percentage and .801 OPS in 33 games. He owns a .321/.387/.500 line in June with six of his 18 hits going for extra bases. That includes his game-tying two-run homer Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals and a two-run double in the Cubs’ comeback win Sunday.The Cubs’ David Bote (13) and Rafael Ortega celebrate after scoring during the fourth inning against the Cardinals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in St. Louis. (Jeff Roberson/AP)Ortega says his production comes down to consistency — with his approach, decision making and playing time.“It’s mostly about just being relaxed at the plate, my body feeling relaxed,” Ortega said through an interpreter. “When I tighten up a little bit and have that pressure, I don’t make good decisions. So it’s really just about being relaxed with my body and with my swing. Load up and I’m able to have a good swing.”Fifteen of Ortega’s 44 starts have come at DH, a role he continues to adjust to. As part of his in-game preparation, Ortega will come inside to hit in the cage or prepare as if he were heading out on the field to play defense.“It’s just about making sure that I’m not overswinging when getting ready for a pitcher or maybe taking it too easy,” Ortega said. “It’s finding that right balance.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Ortega is maintaining a focus on what he can control each day. He has seen how the Cubs roster has evolved over the past year and is grateful for his first real shot to stick in the majors.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: Cubs aren’t the same as a decade ago — but they keep trotting out the same old narrative to fans ]As to whether he fits in the Cubs’ longer-term vision as the organization tries to build its next contender, Ortega said he “hopes that I can be a part of that. I would love to be part of the championship-winning team.”It’s not guaranteed Ortega will be on the roster past the Aug. 2 trade deadline. He likely will see his playing time diminish when Suzuki returns from the IL, but he could be an attractive left-handed bat off the bench for a playoff contender.Even beyond the last six weeks, Ortega has shown he can be a valuable big-league hitter. Since the Cubs called him up in May 2021 — a stretch covering 165 games and 529 plate appearances — Ortega has hit .283, slugged .439 with a .359 on-base percentage and tallied 15 home runs, 24 doubles, 66 runs scored, a 118 OPS+ and 2.6 WAR.Ortega is prepared for anything that might happen leading up to the trade deadline.“When I was growing up, trying to get into the big leagues,” he said, “we’re told there’s 30 teams out there. You might not necessarily get to play for the same team for a long time or even throughout your whole caree.“So if there’s a team out there that might think that my skill set would work for the team — I mean, my mentality is to come in and try to do good job.”

Sports

Luke Richardson’s mentors with the Montreal Canadiens say the new Chicago Blackhawks coach has a way with young players

Former Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien kept coming back to the same word to describe his former assistant coach Luke Richardson: “presence.”And Julien wasn’t just talking about the new Chicago Blackhawks coach’s demeanor.Advertisement“He’s probably going to challenge a lot of players when it comes to fitness. He’s in unbelievable shape,” Julien said about the 53-year-old Richardson, a 6-foot-3 former defenseman who would jump into drills to give a player a breather. “He works out every day — extremely hard. Sometimes you look at him and tell yourself he could still be a player.“That’s Luke in a nutshell.”AdvertisementAnother of Richardson’s former Canadiens coaches, Martin St. Louis, said with a laugh: “I’m sure (Hawks) players are going to YouTube him and they’re going to see the kind of player he was, and I think he’s going to command respect right away.”[embedded content]While St. Louis and Julien agree on Richardson’s physical bearing, they also see many of the same personality traits they believe make Richardson the right fit at the right time for the Hawks: composure, patience, respect and empathy.“He’s just a very approachable, calculated guy,” St. Louis said. “He’ll relate to the young guys and prospects, and I think the guys will gravitate to him. His whole experience as a player, as a head coach in the American (Hockey) League, as an assistant coach in the NHL now, he’s got a lot of time in the game. And now going to have his own style.“But he cares about people. He’s a very caring human and his players are going to feel that.”Richardson said in a Hawks release Monday: “I plan to create an environment of trust with our team. With trust, relationships will form and grow, thus allowing everyone to blossom and execute their role.“My philosophy is to be better today than we were yesterday and, to achieve that, we will need commitment and consistency.”[ [Don’t miss] Jeff Greenberg brings the system he learned with Theo Epstein’s Cubs to the Blackhawks as he tries to ‘close that gap’ with baseball ]He was consistent in building his NHL resume, whether he realized he was doing so or not. The Ottawa, Ontario, native played more than 1,400 games with six teams across 21 seasons.Richardson began his coaching career as an assistant with his hometown Senators in 2008-09. In 2012 he was named coach of the AHL Binghamton Senators, who made the playoffs in the first two of his four seasons.AdvertisementHe led Canada to a Spengler Cup championship in December 2016 before joining the New York Islanders as an assistant for the 2017-18 season.Julien hired Richardson that summer and had him work with defensemen and the penalty kill.“Luke has got a lot of knowledge on the game, and one of his biggest strengths is his rapport with the players,” Julien said. “Besides being knowledgeable, he’s a very patient guy too. … He’s not a guy that will panic on the spot, but he’ll get his message across.”The Canadiens fired Julien in February 2021 and installed Dominique Ducharme, but happenstance put an international spotlight on Richardson.Canadiens interim coach Luke Richardson stands behind the bench during a Stanley Cup semifinals game against the Golden Knights on June 18, 2021, in Montreal. (Paul Chiasson/AP)Ducharme contracted COVID-19 during the 2021 Stanley Cup semifinals, and Richardson shepherded the Habs to a series win against the Vegas Golden Knights. He also coached the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final, which the Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.Julien said Richardson’s command of the bench appeared seamless.Advertisement“With the forwards, he had the same kind of respect from them as well,” Julien said.Ducharme got the axe in February, almost a year after Julien was fired, and St. Louis leaned on Richardson — his former teammate with the 2006-07 Lightning — when he was named as Ducharme’s replacement.“For me it’s bittersweet,” St. Louis said of Richardson getting the Hawks job. “I’m really excited for him. He’s been in the game a long time and he’s been at it. For him to get the opportunity, he’s earned that. I hate to lose him because for me he was a good guy to jump in this with, getting the job in February.“He’s got a quiet confidence, but he’s very calm and collected. The modern coach now has more of a calm approach about things. I think Luke is that.”[ [Don’t miss] Eric Nesterenko, member of the 1961 Blackhawks, dies at 88 — and leaves behind a complicated hockey legacy ]Both St. Louis and Julien noted Richardson’s ability to be patient with young players while still holding them accountable.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“Obviously hockey’s a game of mistakes, but they felt comfortable they would learn from their mistakes a little bit and get some coaching and reinforcement,” St. Louis said. “I don’t think Luke suffocated them.Advertisement“Sometimes people just overcoach. Luke did not do that.”Julien added: “They’re not going to feel (he’s) one of those guys that will throw them under the bus.”Richardson’s ability to connect with players likely will determine his longevity with the Hawks. That’s general manager Kyle Davidson’s mandate.It was a perceived lack of response from players that led to Jeremy Colliton’s firing in November, and on paper interim coach Derek King didn’t fare a great deal better despite reviews that he was more effective addressing the room.“He’s a really good communicator,” Julien said of Richardson, “but he’s also got that presence and that respect from the players. If you put all those things together, it should add to success, the kind of coach that you’re looking for.“I personally think it was a good choice. In my mind, Luke deserves that shot.”

Sports

Lucas Giolito’s strong start goes to waste as the Chicago White Sox fall to the Los Angeles Angels 4-3

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Chicago White Sox starter Lucas Giolito’s best outing in a month — including back-to-back strikeouts of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the fifth inning — went to waste in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in front of 21,973 on Monday at Angel Stadium.The Sox took the lead in the top of the seventh, only to give it away in the bottom of the inning as they began a six-game trip on a sour note.Advertisement“In position to win a game, it breaks your heart not to hold it for (Giolito),” manager Tony La Russa said.Taylor Ward put the Angels ahead with a two-run double against reliever Reynaldo López. The Sox have lost five of six.AdvertisementGiolito allowed two runs on six hits with six strikeouts and one walk in six innings, fanning Trout and Ohtani twice apiece. He had allowed at least four earned runs in four of his previous five starts.“My overall confidence wasn’t shaken,” Giolito said. “I’m not going to sit here and say everything is great and everything is perfect and I’m going to go out and dominate every start. Anything can happen. It was very frustrating to get into bad habits and allow myself to perform the way I’ve performed for multiple starts in a row.“But my job as a starter is to go out there and take the ball and give us a chance to win. I’m pleased I did that (Monday). Not pleased we lost the game, but it’s how it goes sometimes. I’m just going to continue to put in the work and lock in these adjustments.”White Sox starter Lucas Giolito pitches during the second inning Monday, June 27, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (Jae C. Hong/AP)The two runs he surrendered came in a strange sequence. Brandon Marsh hit a long fly to right in the second. Sox right fielder Gavin Sheets raced near the short wall and briefly had the ball in his glove, but it popped out.At first glance, it appeared to bounce off the top of the wall, hit a fan and then bounce back into play. It was originally ruled a two-run homer.But after a review, it was clear the ball did not hit the fan. It was changed to an RBI triple.“Felt like I had a good jump. I thought I had it,” Sheets said. “I hit the wall and checked the glove and still thought I had it. And obviously found it was over on the side and got it in as quick as I could. “It’s frustrating. Obviously a ball that’s a tough play, one that I wanted and thought I had. When you’ve got Gio on the mound, you know runs are tough to come by for the other team and you want to make a play for him in that situation.”AdvertisementMarsh scored moments later when Andrew Velazquez’s hard-hit comebacker ricocheted off Giolito’s foot and into shallow right for a single.While the Angels made the most of their early breaks, the Sox didn’t capitalize on some of their chances.Tim Anderson collected their first hit with a leadoff single in the fourth. He stole second — the 100th stolen base of his career — and moved to third with one out on another stolen base.But Luis Robert flied out to shallow center and José Abreu flied out to right.An inning later, Sheets doubled and reached third on a grounder with two outs. Noah Syndergaard struck out Josh Harrison to end the inning.The Sox finally broke through in the sixth. Anderson drew a one-out walk. Vaughn brought him home with a double to left. Abreu tied the game with a two-out double to left.AdvertisementJosé Abreu watches his RBI double during the sixth inning Monday, June 27, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (Jae C. Hong/AP)The Sox took the lead in the seventh after Sheets singled and moved to second when Syndergaard couldn’t cleanly field Seby Zavala’s bunt. Harrison drove in Sheets with a single to center, but Zavala was out venturing a little too far after rounding second.“I can’t believe this happened,” La Russa said. “Overran the base. Big out. Mistakes. Mistakes part of the game.”The Sox had the lead but it was short-lived.López walked Max Stassi, and Marsh singled. They moved up on a bunt, and Ward followed with the two-run double just out of Robert’s reach near the wall in right-center.“Game of inches,” La Russa said.Abreu put a charge into the crowd with a high fly to deep center leading off the ninth, but Trout made the catch near the wall. And second baseman Luis Rengifo made a nice play to rob Leury García for the final out as the Sox came up just short again.Advertisement“It’s always the time,” Giolito said when asked if this is a critical juncture for the team to start gaining ground. “You don’t want to be losing baseball games. At the same time it’s a long season and we’ve been dealing with a lot of adversity, injuries-wise.“For me, personally, I’m pleased with some of the aspects of my start (Monday). It makes me feel a lot better about the work I’m putting in and continue to put in to continue to make these adjustments. Overall, yeah, it’s always time to try and put things together (in) every facet of the game and win series.”