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Pall ball: Former White Sox and Cubs pitcher Donn Pall has number retired before Evergreen Park-Shepard contest. ‘It’s amazing.’

Former White Sox and Cubs pitcher Donn Pall offered up a message for high school baseball players after having his No. 20 retired by alma mater Evergreen Park.If he can do it, anybody can.Advertisement“Whenever I speak to kids, I’ll tell them my story,” Pall said. “Nobody ever looked at me and said, ‘That guy’s going to be a major leaguer. That guy’s phenomenal.’“Nobody said I was going anywhere. Nobody recruited me for college. I went to walk on at Illinois and got cut my freshman year. I tell people, ‘You just never know.’”AdvertisementDonn and Kate Pall walk out on the field for the former White Sox and Cubs pitcher’s number retirement ceremony before Shepard and Evergreen Park played a South Suburban Red game in Evergreen Park on Monday, May 16, 2022. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)After the pregame ceremony, the rest of Monday night belonged to Shepard. The Astros rolled to a 10-3 win to stay in the hunt for the South Suburban Red championship.Junior right-hander Andrew Alarcon allowed just one unearned run over four innings and drove in three runs on two singles to lead Shepard (15-10, 11-4).Dominic Chillmon went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Paul Kladis also drove in two runs as the Astros closed within a half-game of Reavis for the conference lead.Grady Elwood allowed one earned run in 5 2/3 innings of relief and Jack Hughes added a two-run single for Evergreen Park (14-17, 7-11).Shepard’s pitcher Andrew Alarcon (5) delivers a pitch against Evergreen Park during a South Suburban Red game in Evergreen Park on Monday, May 16, 2022. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)Alarcon said he was inspired by Pall’s story.“That was really exciting for me to see, that even if you don’t start at a big school, you can go far,” Alarcon said. “That’s my dream. I’m trying to do the same thing he did right now.“I’m just trying to get my name out there, start from the bottom and go to the top and finish there.”Pall’s name and number will adorn a fence along the third base line at Evergreen Park, an honor that means a lot to the 10-year Major League Baseball veteran.Advertisement“I grew up here and lived here for around 25 years,” Pall said. “I have a lot of friends that still live here. I love coming back to Evergreen Park always. There’s certainly a special bond with me and this community, all the fields I played on here and the high school. It means a lot to be back.“Who would ever think this would be happening for me? It’s so cool to be able to do that, to retire the number and to get to see these incredible fields they have here. It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true, really.”Evergreen Park’s Alejandro Munoz (7) connects against Shepard during a South Suburban Red game in Evergreen Park on Monday, May 16, 2022. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)After graduating from Evergreen Park, Pall attempted to walk on at Illinois but did not make the team as a freshman. He tried again as a sophomore and made the cut.His breakthrough did not come until he was a fifth-year senior. He went 13-1 with a 1.98 ERA and attracted attention from MLB scouts.Daily SouthtownTwice-weeklyNews updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and WednesdayIn 1985, he was drafted in the 23rd round by the White Sox. He pitched on the South Side for six seasons. He also had stints with the Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Florida Marlins.Pall went 24-23 in his career with a 3.63 ERA.AdvertisementShepard’s catcher Mike Radz (12) tags out Evergreen Park’s Sean Higgins (18) at the plate during a South Suburban Red game in Evergreen Park on Monday, May 16, 2022. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)Not bad for a guy who could not get a college scholarship.“If you want something bad enough and someone tells you you’re not good enough but you want it, keep working hard and keep getting after it because you never know,” Pall said. “I’m the story that proves that.”For Elwood, a sophomore who retired Shepard’s final 10 hitters of the game, there could not be a better hometown role model for a young pitcher.“The path that he took, it would be awesome if I could ever do something even close to that,” Elwood said. “That’s the goal.”Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

Sports

NBA point guard Rajon Rondo waved gun at mother of his children: complaint

The mother of Rajon Rondo’s children has been granted an emergency protective order after he allegedly pulled a gun on her and threatened to kill her.Ashley Bachelor, the NBA point guard’s 36-year-old ex-girlfriend, claims that Rondo was playing video games with their son last week when she asked the boy to finish doing laundry, according to the order obtained by the Louisville Courier Journal Monday.AdvertisementRondo, 36, became “enraged” and “ripped the video game console from the wall” when their son got up, smashed a tea cup in front of their daughter, began throwing things around the house and outside, then drove his car onto the lawn, according to Bachelor.“You’re dead,” he allegedly told her when she asked why he was acting out.AdvertisementRajon Rondo most recently played with the Cleveland Cavaliers. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)Instead of calling police, Bachelor said she called the former police chief personally, scared of how Rondo would continue to react. He left, then came back 15 minutes and began hitting the back window with a gun, according to the protective order request.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Still waving his gun, Rondo allegedly screamed at both children, asking why they were afraid of him.Rondo’s parents eventually showed up and he let the children back inside the house, but “could not be calmed down.”Despite Rondo trying to block the door, Bachelor said she was able to get inside and bring the children upstairs with her.The former police chief, Yvette Gentry, was eventually able to get the gun from Rondo, who left the house.Rondo has been ordered to stay 500 feet away from Bachelor and their children, and must surrender all firearms.The NBA said it is “aware of the report and are in the process of gathering more information.”Rondo, who played college basketball at the University of Kentucky, was on the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers this season and is now an unrestricted free agent after 16 seasons in the NBA.

Sports

Chicago Fire’s Xherdan Shaqiri is highest-paid MLS player at nearly $8.2M

NEW YORK — Chicago Fire midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri is Major League Soccer’s highest-paid player, jumping past Los Angeles FC attacker Carlos Vela.The 30-year-old Swiss international, who joined Chicago this season from Lyon, has a base salary of $7.35 million and total compensation of $8,153,000, according to figures released Tuesday by the Major League Soccer Players Association.AdvertisementHe is expected to be passed by Italian winger Lorenzo Insigne, who joins Toronto this summer from Napoli.[ [Don’t miss] Xherdan Shaqiri signs with the Chicago Fire for a club-record $7.5 million fee — the team’s most significant signing in years ]LA Galaxy forward Javier Hernandez began the season in second at $6 million and Inter Miami striker Gonzalo Higuaín third with a $5.1 million base and $5,793,750 in total compensation.AdvertisementToronto midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo is fourth ($3.8 million, $4,693,000), followed by New England forward Jozy Altidore ($3,706,139 $4,264,963), Atlanta forward Josef Martínez ($3.75 million, $4,141,667), Vela ($2.25 million, $4.05 million), Atlanta midfielder/forward Luiz Araújo ($3.6 million, $3,941,667), Columbus midfielder Lucas Zelarayán ($3.1 million, $3.7 million) and New England midfielder Carles Gil ($3,25 million, $3,545,833).Atlanta has the highest payroll, with guaranteed compensation of $20,999,272, followed by the Galaxy at $20,128,040, Miami at $18,882,628 and New England at $18,141,886.Salt Lake is last at $10,477,859.The union said the average for senior roster players, not including designated players who count only partly under a team’s salary cap, increased by 10.3% to $438,728 from $397,753 in 2021.