Author: staff

Sports

Fergie Jenkins’ statue will be unveiled Friday at Wrigley Field. His former teammates reflect on the Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer’s career.

Fergie Jenkins already has his 10-minute speech prepared well ahead of his monumental recognition.Jenkins joked he will try not to bore anyone but hopes to enlighten people about his baseball journey and thank those who helped him along the way. When Jenkins’ statue is unveiled Friday morning, it will join those of former teammates Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Billy Williams in the newly established monument row in Gallagher Way outside Wrigley Field.AdvertisementJenkins, 79, arrived in Chicago on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s ceremony. He anticipates about 150 family members and friends will attend the unveiling.[ [Don’t miss] Rookie Christopher Morel’s special moment pumps life into the Cubs’ rebuild plan: ‘It’s so cool’ ]“It’s an honor in itself because of the fact that a lot of generations have never seen me play, especially youngsters,” Jenkins told the Tribune. “It’s going to impact a lot of different people to stand by my statue and read some of the stats I’ve put together as an athlete: winning games, complete ballgames, winning the Cy Young, that type of thing.Advertisement“It’s an honor to have people stand in front of my statue and have their picture taken.”Ahead of the ultimate honor a team can give a player, the Tribune spoke to five of Jenkins’ former Cubs teammates about their memories playing with the right-hander and what made him an elite pitcher.When the Cubs acquired Jenkins from the Philadelphia Phillies three weeks into the 1966 season, the 23-year-old Canadian had only eight games of big-league experience. Cubs manager Leo Durocher used Jenkins out of the bullpen before putting him in the rotation at the end of August for the rest of the season, and he posted a 2.13 ERA with two complete games in his last nine starts. Jenkins went on to make 594 starts in his 19-year MLB career, including 347 in 10 seasons with the Cubs.OF Billy Williams (teammate of Jenkins from 1966-73): “It was a long, lanky guy when he walked in the clubhouse, and he didn’t know anybody — like we all do when you move around — and all of a sudden Leo put him in the bullpen. The thing with him, he always had good fastball control, a real good slider and a good changeup. He threw the changeup different than any pitcher I’ve seen. His right foot kind of went back off the mound a different way. But you can’t teach that.”Fergie Jenkins, left, and Billy Williams throw out ceremonial first pitches before the 2013 Cubs home opener at Wrigley Field. (Jose M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune)Jenkins was a workhorse throughout his career. As a Cub he threw 154 complete games, including 29 shutouts. Once he started full time in 1967, Jenkins averaged 301 innings over seven seasons during his first stint in Chicago.LHP Ken Holtzman (1966-71): “Fergie is impossible to describe by today’s standards and protocols. He was among an elite group of pitchers who were supposed to finish what they started and produce wins for his team. The workload of the starting pitcher was much greater than today’s pitchers and is probably why most of the pitchers of that era had their best years in their 20s, as opposed to many elite pitchers of today who have their best years in their 30s.”Williams: “A strong individual. There’s so many times we’d go out a little bit, come in a little late and he’d be on the mound the next day. I remember we were in Pittsburgh and we had a good time that night — he and I went out. And then we had to go fishing at 4 o’clock in the morning (40 miles away) in Latrobe. So we rushed back to the hotel, we stayed up there fishing, then we rushed back to the hotel and the bus left at 5:15 p.m. We run in, take a shower, get on the bus and we go to the ballpark. And I say, ‘Ferg, who’s pitching tonight?’ He said, ‘I am.’ That’s when I knew he was a strong individual.”[ [Don’t miss] Willson Contreras’ hot start for the Cubs is rooted in his approach: ‘One of the most talented hitters I’ve ever been around’ ]Over the course of Jenkins’ career, 32 catchers caught him at least once. But none more than former Cubs catcher Randy Hundley, who was behind the plate for 240 of Jenkins’ appearances. Jenkins had a 3.21 ERA, 3.37 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .279 on-base percentage and .646 OPS against him when paired with Huntley.AdvertisementC Randy Hundley (1966-73): “He was just a delight to catch for. He had a good, natural delivery on the ball and kept the ball down and did the hard work between starts, getting a lot of running in, keeping his arm in shape. He had command of all of his pitches. The slider was maybe his best pitch. During that time, Leo didn’t want to go to the bullpen and bring somebody else in to take his place. He just wanted to pitch him through the whole game and see if we couldn’t get the win. He was a good hitter too. He hit 13 home runs, and it helped him stay in the lineup. Most pitchers were not that good and would get pinch hit for if we were behind.”Former Cubs teammates Billy Williams, from left, Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins and Randy Hundley joke on the field before a game on April 23, 2014, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune)After the 1973 season, the Cubs traded Jenkins to the Texas Rangers. He spent the next eight seasons in the American League with the Rangers and Boston Red Sox and pitched at an above-league-average level. His Cubs tenure, however, had another chapter. Jenkins signed with the Cubs before the 1982 season, pitching two more years before his career ended three months shy of his 41st birthday. The next season, the Cubs won the division and made their first postseason appearance in 39 years.3B/2B Ryne Sandberg (1982-83): “In those two years, I didn’t really realize he was at the end of his career. That didn’t set in because he was so effective. After I moved to second base, I would look at the hitter and to see the sign and and to watch him execute that pitch. For me, I could just get a huge jump mentally or position myself because he was going to hit that spot and would have movement on it. He’d take the sting off of the ball. We needed to play defense behind him because he missed the sweet spot of the bat somehow with his slider and his moving fastball. So to play defense behind him was just a luxury, and we were able to just be at the right place at the right time. The infield would work hand in hand with him because he was so locked in.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: Anthony Rizzo has no regrets over his ‘bad breakup’ with the Cubs — ‘I wish them well’ ]Jody Davis was Jenkins’ primary catcher those two seasons and ranks third in games caught that Jenkins pitched. Davis was behind the plate for Jenkins’ 3,000th career strikeout on May 25, 1982, in San Diego when he struck out Garry Templeton. The milestone baseball went to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Jenkins kept strikeout ball No. 3,001, and he gave No. 3,002 to Davis.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.C Jody Davis (1982-83): “It’s here in my trophy case, and I’m pretty proud of that. An unbelievable competitor, human being. He was ‘Pops’ to me at the yard. Catching him was almost like a day off because Fergie had such great control of all his pitches that you go out there and you call a pitch and you set up, catch the ball and throw it back. It was so much fun. Looking at his numbers is just astronomical. I mean, it’s breathtaking. He was such a great competitor, he never threw two pitches at the same speed and in the same spot. I mean, he made it look easy to move the ball around.”Sandberg: “I remember a game in April, he was in his windup when he turned toward me at third base and said, ‘Heads up, Ryno.’ And then he threw the pitch, and I flinched and saw a bullet hit over to my right foul. In between innings I went to him, ‘Fergie, what did you mean by that heads up?’ And he goes, ‘Well, I was just alerting you that I was throwing a big power right-handed hitter an inside changeup and I wanted him to pull it foul for a strike. If he happens to be right on it, it’s going to be a rocket right at you, so I’m trying to help.’ So he did that the rest of that season throwing big guys inside changeups, and they couldn’t keep it fair.”AdvertisementFergie Jenkins, from left, Ryne Sandberg and Billy Williams before a Cubs-Reds game on April 10, 2016, at Wrigley Field. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)Jenkins’ statue cements his status as the greatest Cubs pitcher. He can still be found throughout the Cubs record book, including most games started and most career strikeouts. Jenkins, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, became the first Cub to win the National League Cy Young Award in 1971 and finished in the top three four other times. His former teammates remember Jenkins’ career beyond the well-deserved accolades.Williams: “When that statue is unveiled and when the kids go running up to look at it and see it, they should say: This was a durable pitcher. He wanted to be on the mound. His thing was going out to pitch. You don’t find too many people with the complete games that he had. But he wanted it. He wanted people to say, ‘There was a guy that pitched his heart out for the Cubs.’”Davis: “The ultimate competitor. His numbers are off the charts. If you look at his numbers compared to today, pitchers would laugh at them. But really he’s a great human being, a great friend, a great teammate. I’m glad I got to be a little part of it.Sandberg: “If I was walking to home plate to face to him, just his height, his looseness of his arm and his legs coming at you and arms would be a lot. They’re coming at you and then the ball darting in different directions. That’s deception. And he had that naturally. But to see his 20-win seasons that he strung out, I don’t see that happen in today’s game. That’s pretty incredible.”Holtzman: “Fergie was highly respected by both his opponents as well as his own teammates because of his reliability, consistency and excellence, which are his qualities that I most tried to emulate. His statue should be made of granite to symbolize his determination and strength, and I hope people who see it are reminded of his greatness.”

Sports

Chicago Bears Q&A: How do the offseason moves help Justin Fields’ future? Who are the top free-agent receivers in 2023?

Work has begun in earnest for the 2022 Chicago Bears season with organized team activities underway this week at Halas Hall. Brad Biggs opens the weekly Bears mailbag to find questions about Justin Fields, wide receiver options and the possibility of joint practices this summer.If you had to do your best to spin the Bears offseason positively for Justin Fields, how would you do so? — @theryanheckmanAdvertisementThe first place you start is Fields has a year of experience with 10 starts under his belt. It doesn’t matter that he was in a system with coaches he no longer plays for. He understands the difference between college and the NFL now, the intricacies of reading defenses, preparing with a game plan and studying film. All of that is beneficial and should aid him in Year 2, when none of that will be new to him.What is new is the coaching staff, led by offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and the playbook. The hope is Getsy and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko can help unlock Fields’ immense physical talent and allow him to operate more efficiently out of the pocket. Fields proved last season he can be a magician extending plays, both running the ball and buying more time to make deep throws downfield. Now he has to raise his level of play in the pocket when the ball has to come out on time and on target. AdvertisementThe wide zone running scheme has benefited other quarterbacks around the league, and the Bears hope that will be the case with Fields. There are valid questions about the offensive line, the skill-position talent and more, but if Fields can take significant steps forward, his play can ease some of those concerns. His performance this season will heavily dictate what happens next offseason and shape expectations for the organization.[ [Don’t miss] ‘A complete reset’: Bears are challenging Jaylon Johnson to earn the trust of new coach Matt Eberflus ]What is the likelihood the Bears add another veteran WR before camp? — @connor_riecks18They signed a pair of veteran wide receivers — Tajae Sharpe and Dante Pettis — to one-year contracts May 12. Those names probably don’t move the needle for you because they haven’t had a lot of production the past few seasons. But wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert spent time with Pettis with the New York Giants, and Janocko was the Minnesota Vikings wide receivers coach in 2020 when Sharpe was with them.If you’re asking about an available veteran such as Odell Beckham Jr., Cole Beasley or Will Fuller, that seems less likely. I wouldn’t rule it out, but it looks more and more like the Bears want to see how they can develop existing players on the roster — such as Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown and third-round pick Velus Jones — behind Darnell Mooney. I doubt they are scouring the market for an upgrade over Pringle. They signed him with the idea he could develop into a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver now that he will have more opportunities being out of Kansas City.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 11 Meet the Chicago Bears’ 2022 NFL draft class. (Jae C. Hong/AP)While much has been made about the Bears drafting a series of offensive linemen, they haven’t had a first-round offensive lineman in several years. What is the success rate of starting offensive linemen not drafted in the first round for the Bears? — @babydocdaveSince 2017, the Bears have used two first-round picks on quarterbacks and were without first-round selections in 2019, 2020 and 2022. The only other first-round pick in that span was linebacker Roquan Smith in 2018. Since 2000, the Bears used first-round picks on offensive linemen Kyle Long (2013), Gabe Carimi (2011), Chris Williams (2008) and Marc Colombo (2002).We’ll have to see how 2021 draft picks Larry Borom and Teven Jenkins pan out this season as they have clear paths to win starting jobs. Cody Whitehair was a second-round pick in 2016 and has been a mainstay on the line since then. James Daniels was a second-round pick in 2018 and was solid when healthy. Before that, you have to go back to Phil Emery’s seventh-round home run in 2014 with left tackle Charles Leno.With the Bears taking four offensive linemen in the fifth round or later this year, an absolute best-case scenario is that two of them pan out as starters down the road. It still would be a win if one of them is a solid starter in the future. It’s way too early to speculate who could pan out and where.AdvertisementOut of all the wide receiver signings, which do you think will have the biggest impact for Justin Fields’ development? — @whitesquirrl11Some might view it differently, but I believe a quarterback has a greater influence in helping develop a wide receiver than the other way around. If the quarterback is struggling to read defenses, understand coverages and process after the snap, I don’t care how dynamic the wide receiver is, he won’t have a huge impact week in and week out. The Bears don’t have the quality or depth at wide receiver that they ultimately want to achieve. That’s not news to anyone. They know they need to continue to develop the position, and that can be said about multiple groups on the roster.[ [Don’t miss] The Bears are back at Halas Hall for OTAs. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of their roster. ]Will the Bears have joint practices with another team during preseason? — Larry S., ElburnThat’s unlikely this summer but not because the Bears don’t have interest. Joint practices are difficult to schedule, and to a large degree teams are at the mercy of the NFL’s preseason slate.“I don’t think we are,” coach Matt Eberflus said Tuesday when asked about the possibility. “I’m in a conversation with one of (the preseason opponents) right now and that might come up. I’m not going to say their name, but we could potentially do one. But I don’t foresee it happening right now.”The Bears open the preseason Aug. 13 at Soldier Field against the Kansas City Chiefs and then play on the road Aug. 18 against the Seattle Seahawks and Aug. 27 against the Cleveland Browns. The quick turnaround from playing the Chiefs to flying to Seattle would make joint practices with the Seahawks difficult if not impossible to schedule. Typically teams want to have joint practices in the first or second week of the preseason. That leads me to believe the greatest chance is that Eberflus has talked with the Chiefs about the possibility. AdvertisementTwenty-three teams participated in joint practices last summer, including the Bears but not the Chiefs. Chiefs coach Andy Reid has said he’s not a fan of joint practices in part because the preseason schedule was reduced from four to three games. The Seahawks also did not participate in joint practices in 2021. The Browns already have one practice partner lined up for this summer in the Philadelphia Eagles.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 18Bears inside linebacker C.J. Avery (47) and other defensive players warm up during rookie minicamp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, May 6, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)Is there a strong wide receiver free-agent class next year? The Bears will have money to spend. — @bigrafael76It’s really early to start wondering about who will hit the open market in March 2023. A lot of players could be re-signed before then, and some could even be traded and signed by a new team. The franchise tag could be a factor. Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin and DK Metcalf top the list right now. After that, I don’t know if there is a receiver who would command the kind of huge contract I believe you are referencing. Diontae Johnson, Jarvis Landry, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Hunter Renfow, Allen Lazard, Deonte Harris, Jamison Crowder, Mecole Hardman, D.J. Chark, Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers, Marvin Jones and Cam Sims are among the receivers entering the final year of their contracts. You can add the Bears’ Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown to that list too. With any luck, they will play really well this season and the Bears will be motivated to retain them.As I have written previously, what really would be great for the Bears is if they can find a top-flight wide receiver in the draft and take advantage of having that player on a cost-controlled rookie contract.[ [Don’t miss] Bears 2022 schedule: Here’s who they’ll play — and our predictions for each matchup ]Does the new regime actually believe that this roster as currently constructed can compete for the division? Or is part of the master plan to be at the bottom of the league (where most project them) to get that higher draft pick? — @lastcallleskoAdvertisementWhen referring to the roster, you have to understand nothing about it is static. I expect GM Ryan Poles and his staff to continually overhaul the roster with moves, and that process won’t end when the regular season begins. Before that point, they could be particularly active when teams cut down to the 53-man roster by making multiple waiver claims or even a trade.As far as competing for the NFC North title, who thinks that’s realistic in Year 1 of a new regime with the Bears coming off a 6-11 season with one of the oldest rosters in the league? Poles has been busy clearing salary-cap issues for the future. The Bears did not have a first-round draft pick this year and are installing a new offense for a talented second-year quarterback who had a rookie season full of struggles. That makes an instant turnaround with a new staff difficult. Will Eberflus believe the Bears can battle every week with a chance to win? Absolutely. Is the plan to tank? No. The Bears want to develop the young players on the roster. If a handful of inexperienced players blossoms in 2022, that would put them in a better position for success in 2023 than absolutely stinking for one of the top draft picks. It’s wise to consider all of the factors in play for Poles, Eberflus and Bears fans when looking ahead to this season.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 30Virginia McCaskey, the daughter of George Halas, took over as majority owner of the Chicago Bears in 1983. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)How has the offensive line been set up this week? Curious if they still have Larry Borom at left tackle and Teven Jenkins at right tackle. — @widdison21That’s how they were lined up Tuesday, and my best guess is the Bears will open training camp with that configuration. But they have two more weeks of OTAs and a minicamp to sort through options. The coaching staff won’t make any determinations for Week 1 until training camp and the preseason.“Right now, it’s still way too early,” offensive line coach Chris Morgan said Tuesday. “It’s May. We’re not even in pads yet. Right now, we’re refining techniques, we’re introducing schemes, everything is fluid. Just moving guys around, that kind of deal, and more technical right now.Advertisement“I definitely did (pre-draft work on) both guys when they came out (last year), and a lot of the positives you see now. Both those guys are working really hard. They’re coming along. They want to win. They’re willing to do whatever. It’s been a nice surprise so far.”Sign Akiem Hicks for one year at $7 million. Whatcha think? — @robinrichie2If a team was willing to pay Hicks $7 million for this season, he probably already would have a contract elsewhere. Perhaps he will wind up getting that kind of money or can achieve that level with incentives. I doubt the Bears would entertain the idea of re-signing the 32-year-old.