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Sports

Title IX played a big part in Laura Ricketts’ life. ‘The impact that it has is immeasurable,’ the Chicago Cubs co-owner and MLB groundbreaker says.

On a scorching June afternoon, historic Wrigley Field served as a fitting backdrop.Chicago Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts holds a rare position within men’s professional sports leagues. She is one of a few women currently at the ownership level. And as chairman of the board for Cubs Charities, Ricketts has witnessed firsthand how sports can have an impact on communities.AdvertisementAlthough she didn’t grow up with aspirations of a career in sports, Ricketts says she was the best athlete in her family.[ [Don’t miss] Title IX turns 50: Meet 50 women in Illinois who have impacted sports on — and off — the field of play ]“My brothers would probably disagree about that, but my mom will not disagree. She knows,” Ricketts said with a smile during a recent interview with the Tribune. “So that was my thing.”AdvertisementBorn five years after Title IX passed in 1972, Ricketts was among the first generation of girls to benefit from the amendment, which included opportunities in sports. She recalled playing T-ball at 5 years old, and by the time she reached high school, volleyball, softball, basketball and track filled up her calendar. Recently she has started playing tennis with her wife, Brooke.Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts stands for a portrait at the offices next to Wrigley Field on June 14, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)“It’s hard to overstate how it’s impacted my life — and it made me who I am today, honestly,” Ricketts said of sports. “Sports teaches you about being a teammate, it teaches you to put yourself out there, it teaches you to work really hard, it teaches you about resiliency, it teaches you that there’s no shame in failing as long as you try hard or try something new.“I know all of those played into my development and who I am to this very day.”Ricketts also has the distinction of being Major League Baseball’s first openly gay owner. Ricketts, who was out when her family bought the Cubs in 2009, acknowledges there can be a burden to breaking barriers; however, she believes it’s an opportunity.[ [Don’t miss] After a tennis career as ‘the only one,’ Katrina Adams is now on a mission to open doors for women in sports ]“I may be a queer woman, but I’m also a white woman,” Ricketts said, “so imagine being a queer brown or Black woman, or just imagine being a Black or brown human being of limited means in this country, right? I don’t know what it’s like to walk in their shoes, but I can have the beginning of an understanding of what it’s like not to be equal and to be thought of as the other. I have this incredible access and incredible privilege.“Obviously it comes up in baseball. … I have the credibility as the queer person in the room to give the leeway for conversation and to allow people to grow and to learn from it.”Her foundation in sports helped Ricketts navigate law school at Michigan, and eventually as a lawyer, in a competitive, largely male environment. Ricketts remembers women in law school forming a study group, encouraging and supporting each other. In the years since, this dynamic has played out for Ricketts through her work on a local and national level.Portrait of siblings Pete Ricketts, Todd Ricketts, Laura Ricketts and Tom Ricketts by the Cubs dugout at Wrigley Field on Oct. 13, 2009. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)In addition to leading the Cubs’ charity efforts and creating youth programming, Ricketts in 2012 cofounded LPAC, the first queer women-focused super PAC that endorses and supports candidates who are committed to LGBTQ+ and women’s equality and social justice. She has also served on the boards of the National Leadership Council for Lambda Legal, a nonprofit for LGBTQ+ civil rights, and EMILY’s List, an organization that works to elect Democratic pro-choice women.Advertisement“I’m very aware of the unique position that I’m in,” Ricketts said. “I’m happy to say it’s not as unique as it was 10 years ago, but for women in professional sports, it still just feels like a trickle and it’s such a slog to get more. But I do feel like we’re slowly building momentum. The people in these roles, the impact that it has is immeasurable, and so I feel that responsibility.”A big project awaits Ricketts and the organization through Cubs Charities. They are set to build an urban youth academy to house some of their sports-based youth development programs for boys and girls. The project is expected to be officially announced in the near future.The academy will feature sports fields, including at least one indoor infield, and a community center. It is expected to be built in an area of Chicago that needs investment but will draw youths from across the city.“We really strive to be the best, and in the case of Cubs Charities, it doesn’t just mean in the way we conduct our business or our staff,” Ricketts said. “It’s not just for the sake of being the best but to show the impact you can have and to be a model for other teams. We want to be the team that other teams look to and say, ‘Let’s go talk to the Cubs and see what they did because they’re doing it right,’ in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion.”Ricketts has seen strides in the diversity of the Cubs front-office personnel with just under 40% of them women, noting, “We should be at 51% in my estimation.” She wants to do more — including working with Major League Baseball to encourage more equity in the sport. Ricketts, a mom of three, sees this as an area she can grow into because of the visibility of professional sports.Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts gives an interview to the Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro at the offices next to Wrigley Field on June 14, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Behind the scenes, Ricketts has been trying to affect change. When the Cubs were searching for a new play-by-play voice for Marquee Sports Network last year, Ricketts nudged the higher-ups at the network to talk to women for the position. Beth Mowins was ultimately brought on to call a handful of games. During Cubs board meetings, Ricketts, often the only woman in the room, has made clear they need more women and people of color in these roles.AdvertisementIn her position, Ricketts says questions must be asked as to why women can’t be recruited to stay in — or even get in — the organization, noting the need for an environment and culture that helps them rise to the top.[ [Don’t miss] Commentary: 50 years later, Title IX gains are fragile. And there’s much more work to do in the next 50 years. ]“My personal mission and my personal belief is that we need women in positions of power and leadership. We all need it, not just women need it, but as a society, as a planet.” Ricketts said. “Because if we don’t have women in positions of leadership and power in sports, in government, in politics, in education, in business, then we forfeit.“We forfeit what we can be, what we can achieve individually. We forfeit what we can achieve as a gender. But we’re all forfeiting what we can become and what we can achieve as a community and as a society.”Being part of a family ownership group can bring more individual scrutiny, particularly when differing politics are involved. While her immediate family members are notably Republican, Ricketts, an executive committee member of the Democratic National Committee, doesn’t feel she needs to make it a tit-for-tat situation on a public level.She does, though, feel compelled to have conversations with family members to understand where they are coming from and have them understand her perspective “at least how they speak about things and how they look at things, to take that into consideration, how to see things from someone else’s shoes.”“When you have a larger family of means and they’re all doing a lot of things, they’re all trying to impact the world for what they feel is the greater good of everybody,” Ricketts said. ”And you own a baseball team together and you have that visibility, there’s attention between being known for what you do and what you’re about and sort of being lumped in with the family as a whole. I would want to be known for what I do, what I’ve accomplished.”

Lifestyle

Lake Michigan car ferries make for fun Midwest getaways, plus 16 things to do once you land

A spin around Lake Michigan easily exceeds 1,000 miles and 18 hours of road time when following shoreline instead of interstate. That’s no vacation for the driver, or travelers low on leisure time.Another option: Shorten the loop by using two car ferries to cross the Great Lake, which turns the getaway into more of a one-tank trip and adds maritime adventure while exploring smaller chunks of Michigan and Wisconsin.AdvertisementThat strategy kept intact what I expect from a Lake Michigan excursion — quality beaches, sand dunes, lighthouses, nautical museums, waterfront dining — and made it easier to notice unique attractions, generations-old businesses and places loved by the locals.Sail one way on the SS Badger, a National Historic Landmark that is the nation’s last coal-fired passenger steamship. Play bingo, watch movies, nap in a stateroom or roam the onboard museum and gift shop while cruising four hours between Manitowoc, Wisconsin — just over 2½ hours away from downtown Chicago — and Ludington, Michigan. ssbadger.comAdvertisementThe SS Badger, the nation’s last coal-fired passenger steamship, began work in 1953 as transport for railway cars. Now it is a nautical extension of U.S. 10 that links Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and Ludington, Michigan. (Todd and Brad Reed Photography / HANDOUT)The route is a nautical extension of U.S. 10. The floating giant (with room for 600 passengers and 180 vehicles) began work in 1953 as transport for railway cars.Lake Michigan’s other car ferry is the sleek, high-speed and businesslike Lake Express, introduced in 2004 to link Milwaukee and Muskegon, Michigan, in 2½ hours. Sailings on the 250-passenger and 46-vehicle vessel usually are more frequent than the SS Badger. lake-express.comWhen ashore, sticking to coastal parks and beaches is fine, but there’s plenty to explore in the waiting towns beyond.A 15-minute drive from Ludington’s port is Bortell’s Fisheries, a rural, sixth-generation family purveyor of smoked fish and fried fish sold by the pound. Seating is outdoor picnic tables; one right turn away is lakeside Summit Park, where I savored a half-pound of smelt with fries as the sun set — and I was far from alone. facebook.com/bortellsfisheriesMy bed for the night was a smartly converted stable at Cartier Mansion, built for a lumber baron in 1905. The Ludington inn’s woodwork-rich decor is largely unsullied. On the breakfast plate: sausage made with the chef-owner’s 22-ingredient spice blend. cartiermansion.comHow else to spend your precious time until the ship home comes in? These unusual possibilities caught my attention:About 2.5 miles of public beach are a part of Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon, Michigan. (Visit Muskegon / HANDOUT)Members of Sable Lighthouse Keepers Association are eligible to tend a Lake Michigan lighthouse for one or two weeks. Membership, which costs $60 for one person or $100 for a family, includes free admission to four lights — Big Sable, Little Sable, Ludington and White River — the nonprofit serves. splka.orgDip into fresh-as-it-gets ice cream at House of Flavors. Next to the downtown location is the third-generation factory that produces 25 million gallons annually. houseofflavorsrestaurants.comAdvertisementNew and spot-on at historic White Pine Village is the Value of Sports Museum, where artifacts and stories of extraordinary athletes are more about character and life lessons than competition results. South of Ludington. historicwhitepinevillage.orgMac Wood’s Dune Rides, in its 92nd year, provides open-air and up-close views of Michigan’s sand dunes. Or rent a vehicle in Silver Lake — aka “Dune Town” — to explore on your own. macwoodsdunerides.com; thinkdunes.comCheeseburgers at four-generation Country Dairy, near New Era, are made with the farm’s meat and cheese. Orders come with a free pint of milk. Cafe and market carry a Christian theme. Farm tours are offered. countrydairy.comWheels are attached to the bottom of a luge sled that follows a 320-foot track at Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park in Michigan. (Visit Muskegon / HANDOUT)Olympian Frank Masely designed banked, curved tracks at Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park to introduce average folks to lugeing during all seasons. Wheels are attached to the bottom of a luge sled that follows a 320-foot track. A longer course is for lugeing in winter. msports.orgThe growing Social District in downtown Muskegon is a 12-block blend of restaurants, bars, cottage boutiques and public art. The area’s historic buildings make for a lovely walk. Take note of Courses Restaurant and The Sweet Spot, Culinary Institute of Michigan teaching outlets. downtownmuskegon.org; coursesrestaurant.com; sweetspotcim.comThe Deck on 2½-mile-long Pere Marquette Beach, Muskegon, is a huge draw for drinks, dining and music during summer — so popular that a 90-minute limit applies at the main level. thedeckmkg.comAdvertisementThe Grohmann Museum at Milwaukee School of Engineering is devoted to art that depicts the many forms of work. On the roof is a sculpture garden. (Mary Bergin / Chicago Tribune)Travelers gravitate to lakeside Milwaukee Museum of Art, whose winglike design is a city icon. One mile inland is roomy and engaging Grohmann Museum and its sculpture garden at Milwaukee School of Engineering. Art depicts the realities of blue- and white-collar work. msoe.edu/grohmann-museumEspecially laudable among Milwaukee restaurants this year is Solly’s Grille, a 2022 America’s Classics honoree. The James Beard Foundation’s lifetime achievement award notes that Solly’s, in a nothing-fancy house, introduced butter burgers in 1936 (and uses 130-some pounds of butter weekly). sollysbutterburgers.comArt Preserve, near Sheboygan, is the world’s first museum devoted to artist-built environments. Most were made without formal art training. Closest outdoor example: James Tellen Sculpture Park, near lakeside Kohler-Andrae State Park. jmkac.org/art-preserve; kohlerfoundation.orgInside Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum, Two Rivers, Wisconsin, are 1.5 million pieces of wood type that represent 1,000-plus styles and sizes. (Mary Bergin / Chicago Tribune)Whistling Straits, site of golfing’s 2021 Ryder Cup, stretches 560 acres along Lake Michigan, near Haven. Tee off or simply dine at the golf course restaurant; the rustic-cool setting with an upstairs pub has gorgeous views. destinationkohler.com/golf/whistling-straitsRural and nonprofit Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center, near Manitowoc, is all about field-to-farm heritage, production and diversity. There are interactive exhibits, a gift shop and cafe. Admission includes a dairy farm tour. farmwisconsin.orgGet spooked at Dead by Dawn in downtown Manitowoc, and don’t expect a restful night. Innkeepers turn every “dead and breakfast” stay into a Halloween-style haunting. The 1851 building has a paranormal history; reserve a seat at Shrunken Head bar to learn more. deadbydawn.comAdvertisementAdmission is free to West of the Lake Gardens, 6 acres and on a former streetcar right of way in Manitowoc. It’s a pretty and peaceful place to while away an afternoon. westfoundation.usWhen’s the last time you held a vowel? Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in Two Rivers, studies, preserves and prints with type made from wood. No other museum is devoted to wood type, and Hamilton Manufacturing was the nation’s largest producer of it. woodtype.orgSailings on the SS Badger and Lake Express are seasonal, mid-May to mid-October. Frequency and cost depend on the ship and time of year. Expect to pay a per-passenger fee in addition to the cost to transport a vehicle. Reservations advised. ssbadger.com; lake-express.comSave by bringing a bicycle instead of a vehicle. SS Badger offers a discount when traveling without a vehicle and returning within 48 hours. The dock-to-downtown area is walkable in Manitowoc and Ludington.About 80 miles separate Manitowoc and Milwaukee; 60 miles separate Ludington and Muskegon. For more about port city lodging, restaurants and attractions: manitowoc.info; visitludington.com; visitmuskegon.org; visitmilwaukee.org.

Lifestyle

Ask Amy: New girlfriend fears guy is a chump

Dear Amy: I started seeing “James” three months ago. I am 35 and he is 40. We both have successful careers, great communication, and an appetite for adventure. It has made for an amazing start, but I struggle with some baggage.James has a four-year-old daughter part time, whom I adore.AdvertisementJames and his ex “Constance” were together for six years – never married. Constance has always been a stay-at-home mom, raising three older children that James considers stepchildren.Constance left James. He was shattered and confided in me that she must have been miserable to leave the financial security he provided. The thing is – she still has it!AdvertisementFor the past year, Constance and their daughter reside in the house he bought for the family, no strings – or rent – attached.Their agreement is that she may stay indefinitely. If she decides to move, he would sell the house and she gets half. He also pays her monthly child support ($500 more than is legally required).When I expressed how generous he was, James elaborated that he wants his daughter to live comfortably, and Constance takes good care of the property.While I admire his heart and support, I can’t help but think that James is being overly generous. He and Constance are not on speaking terms. Constance has been cutting ties between him and her other children.Her eldest child has called her a “gold digger” in the process.Am I wrong in agreeing that Constance may be abusing James’ generosity?Are splitting assets like this typical for unmarried couples?I recognize his responsibility to his daughter, but I fear he has been manipulated into financially supporting Constance long term. She has always lived off of child support. It makes me nervous for a potential future together.AdvertisementShall I speak up or stay out of it?– Biting my TongueDear Biting: You have been seeing “James” for three months. Understand that he has the right to spend his money any way he wants to, including this generosity to an ex who isn’t very nice to him.If he can afford to provide housing for his ex and her children for the indefinite future, and if doing so makes him feel like he’s doing the right thing, then I’d say – good for him!My only concern would be that he doesn’t seem to have a legal agreement with his ex outlining this arrangement. If that’s the case, she is more vulnerable than he is, because he could negate this agreement at any time, especially if he is involved with someone (you, for instance) who seems to think he is a chump and is influencing him.My advice to you is to enjoy your relationship with him and don’t judge his choices unless and until they have a direct impact on you.AdvertisementIf you two became serious and had a financial entanglement, and certainly if you moved toward cohabitation or marriage, this would become your business.Dear Amy: I’m a widowed woman (62) and met a man (36) with two young children.We’ve been in a relationship for three years and so far I’ve yet to meet his siblings or mom, I can’t go in his house, and we’ve only been intimate a few times.Our “relationship” consists of phone calls and text messages.I’ve invited him and the kids to holiday and birthday meals, but he’s always got other plans.I’m never invited to any family gatherings.AdvertisementHe says he cares for me very much – as I do him – but this isn’t working for me. What do you think?– WonderingDear Wondering: I think this isn’t working for him, either.I hope you meet a new special someone who wants to open his life to you. This man … ain’t it.Dear Amy: A divorced dad [”Missing Friends”] wrote to you about their “couple” friends siding with his ex-wife, leaving him missing their friendship.I was on the other side of this. I was the wife that was left “taking” all the friends. I didn’t ask people to choose, they just did.AdvertisementI found that when the dust settled and I invited my ex to events, as he did with me, our friends came around, too, knowing that we could all be at events together with no drama.Ask AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.No one had to choose sides if we didn’t.It’s not always easy, but it’s better than being left out.– The ExDear Ex: Well said. Thank you!Got a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.AdvertisementSign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.©2021 Amy Dickinson.

Sports

Chicago Cubs closer David Robertson, 37, fulfills dream by hitting in a major-league game for the 1st time

PITTSBURGH — David Robertson waited 14 years for this moment.The Chicago Cubs’ 37-year-old closer had been itching to step into the batter’s box just once during his major-league career. His time finally arrived Wednesday night at PNC Park in the Cubs’ 14-5 blowout win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.AdvertisementRobertson had not taken an official at-bat since high school as a shortstop and pitcher in Tuscaloosa, Ala., a stretch that included 787 pitching appearances in professional baseball dating to when the New York Yankees drafted him out of the University of Alabama in 2006.But Robertson held out hope that chance would arise at some point during his big-league career. The situation certainly was unconventional. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Robertson hit against Pirates infielder Diego Castillo.AdvertisementAs everyone in the Cubs dugout lined up against the railing for a front-row view, Castillo struck out a swinging Robertson on a full count. In honor of his first career MLB at-bat, Robertson was given the Cubs’ lineup card from the game. He plans to find a place to hang it in his home.Cubs closer David Robertson delivers against the Brewers in the ninth inning on June 1, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“I don’t know if I’ll ever get another opportunity, so I’m glad I did and made my dream come true,” Robertson said. “Even though I struck out.”Robertson borrowed Christopher Morel’s bat and Yan Gomes’ helmet. Someone offered him batting gloves, but he declined. He figured they wouldn’t matter because Robertson’s approach was simple: swing hard and hit the ball.“I really wasn’t thinking about anything else,” Robertson said. “It seemed like the mound was very close.”His memorable moment initially was a long shot.Robertson, who pitched a scoreless eighth, needed the offense’s help to get to the plate. He was slotted into the designated hitter spot in the order, which wasn’t due up until eighth in the final inning. Castillo retired two of the first three Cubs he faced, but Andrelton Simmons walked, Jason Heyward was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Alfonso Rivas followed with his first career grand slam. Rafael Ortega’s two-strike single brought up Robertson.“I didn’t think it was actually going to happen,” he said.Robertson smiled.Advertisement“And then I blew it. I blew it.”Robertson fell behind Castillo 1-2 before working a full count. He whiffed on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, elevated above the zone for a would-be ball. Robertson didn’t see a pitch faster than 55.4 mph. One of his three swings-and-misses came on a 40.4-mph eephus.Throughout the sequence, a grin stretched across Robertson’s face.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“It was fun to get in the box, I just couldn’t hit the ball,” Robertson said. “It was so slow and I wasn’t going to walk. … I mean, it’s easy to tell when it’s a ball or strike when it’s, like, 40 miles an hour, but I wasn’t going to walk. I had to swing. I had to try.”Manager David Ross had broached the topic with Robertson before the Pirates brought in Castillo for the ninth. Ross said he had been looking to get Robertson an at-bat a couple of times this season and wasn’t sure it was going to work out Wednesday.Robertson’s coaches and teammates got some laughs out of watching him hit. Ross joked that Robertson had “too much bad speed for how slow it was coming.” He noticed Robertson couldn’t stop smiling on deck and called him a kid at heart, even when the veteran’s pitching.AdvertisementRobertson said he “absolutely” heard it from his teammates after walking back into the dugout after his strikeout, all in good fun, proclaiming: “They were wearing me out.” Ian Happ, who homered in the win, joked about Robertson needing to get in the cage to work on his swing.“That was tough,” said an amused Keegan Thompson after holding the Pirates to one run in six innings. “He’s been begging for an at-bat the whole year and he swung and missed three times. I mean, at least he swung, but you’ve got to put the ball in play.”Baseball is a long season, and for a Cubs team closer to last place than first, the levity of Robertson hitting was welcomed.“It felt like first time I’ve laughed in the dugout in a while, so that definitely felt good,” Ross said. “These guys continue to come in and work hard, and you want to see them succeed and us succeed, and the nights when you have the ability to relax and take the focus off of so many little things and just have a little bit of fun and watch D-Rob get up there and a position player versus pitcher for once, (it) was fun to watch.”