Author: staff

A man riding a scooter died after colliding with a truck in the South Austin neighborhood Thursday afternoon.At about 2:15 p.m., the unidentified 35-year-old was westbound on Erie Street when he entered the intersection at Cicero Avenue and crashed into a truck that was southbound on Cicero, Chicago police said in a media notification.AdvertisementThe man was pronounced dead at 2:46 p.m. at Stroger Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday.Police continue to investigate and no citations have been issued.

The Chicago White Sox were one out from escaping a bases-loaded jam in the 10th inning Thursday against the Kansas City Royals.A passed ball and a two-run single later, the Sox were headed toward their ninth loss in 10 games.AdvertisementThe Royals scored three runs in the 10th and beat the Sox 5-2 in front of 11,242 at Guaranteed Rate Field.“It is cruel, I think,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “You have bases loaded, two outs, lefty against lefty and you think, ‘Wow, we get this out and we can score a run and win.’ All of a sudden, there’s three on the board.Advertisement“This game will drive you nuts.”La Russa noted that “a lot went on in that game besides the 10th inning.”It was another tough day at the plate for the Sox, who finished with five hits and walked just once. Royals starter Brad Keller allowed one run — a sixth-inning homer by Leury García — on three hits in seven innings.“He pitched really well,” La Russa said. “He made a lot of good pitches, but both offenses, they didn’t score much either. The ball that (Sox catcher) Reese (McGuire) hit (in the eighth), thought it was out of the park but the wind kept it in. But they hit some balls hard too.“Tough day to hit, good time to pitch.”Sox starter Michael Kopech allowed two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and four walks in five innings. He threw a career-high 94 pitches.“Just didn’t have my sharpest stuff,” Kopech said. “Didn’t execute what I did have early on. I had to fight through what I had. I’ve just got to be more prepared for the next one.”The Sox tied the game at 2 in the eighth when pinch runner Josh Harrison scored on AJ Pollock’s sacrifice fly to left.AdvertisementSox reliever Aaron Bummer got a double play to wrap up the ninth. With closer Liam Hendriks recovering from back spasms and Kendall Graveman unavailable after pitching two innings Wednesday, Bummer returned for the 10th.A walk to Carlos Santana, the Royals’ second in the inning, loaded the bases with one out. Bummer struck out Bobby Witt Jr. for the second out.But McGuire couldn’t handle a 1-0 high sinker to Kyle Isbel, and Whit Merrifield scored to break the tie.“The ball sailed on him. I’m not sure what (happened),” La Russa said. “You watch the game he caught today, he was one reason we had a chance late into the 10th inning. He just did a great job. I don’t know what happened on that one.”Isbel drove in two insurance runs with a single to left on the next pitch.“In the first two, three weeks of the season, I’ve put my team in some pretty crappy situations,” Bummer said. “Whether it’s guys having to come in behind me or just not making pitches when I need to, so simply I need to get better. The way I’ve been throwing the ball isn’t the way I want to throw the ball. It’s not the way that I know that I can. Advertisement“I found a couple of things that were one pitch away, but at the end of the day I’m not making those pitches. You can take it for what it is, but it’s a game of wins and losses. It’s a game of doing your job or not doing your job. Whether or not being one pitch away, I didn’t do my job. The balls that were put in play were ground balls, so that’s a positive. The walks and things, all those things have got to go away.”La Russa said Bummer, who has a 7.04 ERA in eight relief appearances, is pressing.“There’s a guy that’s trying too hard,” La Russa said. “You put your arm around him and tell him, ‘We’re with you and things will get better.’”The Sox have dropped three straight series, each against division foes (the Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Royals).“We’ve just got to play our game,” Bummer said. “We’re obviously not playing the way we want to. Just keep grinding, keep going through this. “We expected everyone to be coming for us. We’re now the hunted in this division, and everybody in this division made some moves to take a step forward and we did too. It’s a long season. It’s been (18) games. We’ve just got to keep going, keep pushing through.”

The number of Illinois bridges in poor condition has increased over the last four years and a quarter of the state’s water lines are tainted by lead, according to the latest infrastructure report card from the Illinois Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.But despite the state’s third consecutive below-average overall grade of C-minus in the quadrennial report, massive investments from the state and federal governments led the authors to conclude that “fortunately, the future is bright.”Advertisement“This report card demonstrates how proper and consistent funding can produce more jobs, safer communities and put more money back in taxpayers’ wallets,” said Andrew Walton, president of engineering group’s Illinois section, in a news conference at Union Station. “These investments will also help Illinois capitalize on our geographical advantage, which in turn will create and promote growth for our state’s economy and citizens.”The engineering group completes similar report cards for 36 states, and Illinois was one of 15 to get an overall grade of C-minus, with six other states getting a D-plus or worse.AdvertisementAcross 11 infrastructure categories, the state maintained or improved its ranking in all but one category, its drinking water score, which fell to a poor rating.The report introduced a grade for stormwater infrastructure for the first time, assigning Illinois a poor grade because of its aging and undersized system.The report found 2,405 bridges in Illinois to be in poor condition, up from 2,303 bridges in the 2018 report. The analysis notes that 70% of Illinois bridges in poor condition are owned by municipalities and counties, suggesting a need to address the backlog in local maintenance.Already in the works is a $1.2 billion reconstruction of bridges and roads in a 12- or 13-mile stretch of Interstate 80, from a couple miles west of the Interstate 55 interchange, all the way to the Des Plaines River, said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. A project like that will increase the standards of several bridges and roads, extending their life expectancies by “hundreds of years,” Osman said.The I-80 bridges over the Des Plaines River in Joliet in 2019. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)“Progress does not happen overnight,” Osman said. “We are on our way, not only to keep improving infrastructure, but also to invest public resources where they do the most good.”The number of state-maintained highways in excellent condition rose 5.2% in 2020 compared to the previous year, but 18.6% of highways were rated poor, according to the report. Also, congestion around the Chicago area still makes trips about one-third longer during peak travel times.The state’s water infrastructure remains one of the biggest problems. More than 1 million of the state’s 4 million drinking water service lines have been flagged for containing levels of lead or lead solder, according to the report, one of the largest shares of lead service pipelines in the nation.“We have a lead problem, a lead service pipe problem,” said Patrick Lach, lead author of the report. “That is a major safety issue that we are concerned about with our citizens who have those service lines.”AdvertisementA federal investment of $288 million this year, solely to improve Illinois’ water infrastructure, should help propel the state’s replacement of lead service lines, the report said. That must be coupled with workforce development, especially for water treatment operators, it said.Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Rebuild Illinois” plan, an ongoing six-year, $45 billion effort to improve state roads, bridges, rails and public buildings, along with the state’s allotment from the $1 trillion federal infrastructure plan President Joe Biden signed into law in November, signal a “new era” for Illinois infrastructure, Walton said.Rebuild Illinois, from 2019, invests $25.3 billion over six years into upgrading the state’s roads and bridges. That includes $561 million for reconstructing the Interstate 190 Kennedy Expressway near O’Hare and $25.4 million to improve the bridge under the Old Post Office.Illinois is also slated to receive nearly $1.4 billion in federal funding over five years to upgrade its deteriorating bridges. That’s only a portion of the expected total of more than $17 billion the state can expect for infrastructure improvements..The earmarked investments ensure money will continue flowing into the state’s infrastructure for the next several years, but experts urged officials to look beyond the current investments to assess how to ensure sustained revenues to maintain roads.Revenues from fuel taxes are expected to fall, both in the short term with Pritzker’s six-month freeze on the gas tax, as well as in the future as the auto industry is shifting toward electric vehicles, according to the report.AdvertisementDespite the stagnant overall grade, state Sen. Don DeWitte, a St. Charles Republican and minority spokesperson on the Senate Transportation Committee, said “the needle is moving up.”“These investments are showing positive progress in the areas of roads, bridges, air and rail systems in Illinois that not only bring these long-delayed improvements into safer states of good repair, but will maintain these foundational infrastructure investments for further expansion and system upgrades, to maintain Illinois’ status as the transportation hub of the nation,” DeWitte said.cspaulding@chicagotribune.com

Chicago will host the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time, the league announced Thursday.The game will be played July 10 at Wintrust Arena, where the Chicago Sky clinched their first WNBA championship in October after erasing an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter of Game 4 to beat the Phoenix Mercury.AdvertisementIn addition to the All-Star Game, the WNBA will hold a two-day “WNBA Live” event at McCormick Place, the league said in a release. Further details will be released at a later date.“We are thrilled to turn AT&T WNBA All-Star 2022 into a weekend-long event that will give WNBA fans incredible opportunities to engage with our brand and partners who have stepped up to support the WNBA,” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.AdvertisementThe Sky open the regular season May 6 against the Las Vegas Aces at Wintrust.“Chicago is a city of sports fans, and we’re thrilled to cheer on the Chicago Sky as they defend their title at Wintrust Arena,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 34Chance the Rapper sings as Chicago Sky players dance during a rally for the WNBA champions. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy on April 12 paid $1.57 million for a six-bedroom, 5,610-square-foot house in southwest Waukegan — and he’ll have plenty of company in his neighborhood in terms of the Bears’ coaching staff.Two other newly hired assistant coaches — defensive line coach Travis Smith and offensive line coach Chris Morgan — also have just bought homes close by.AdvertisementGetsy, 38, was hired by the Bears in January, three days after new head coach Matt Eberflus was announced. Getsy came from the Green Bay Packers, where he had been quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.Now, Getsy has nearly as good of a chance of seeing Smith and Morgan in his neighborhood as he will on the practice field at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. Smith, who joined the team in February, paid $950,000 on April 4 for a five-bedroom, 4,304-square-foot house on the same street as Getsy’s house, while Morgan paid $1.1 million on March 18 for a five-bedroom, 4,905-square-foot house that is just a few blocks away.AdvertisementAll three houses are within close proximity to one another, and all three are inside Waukegan’s city limits but have Libertyville mailing addresses.Getsy’s new house, which had been listed on March 1 for $1.59 million, was built in 1998 and has five bathrooms, four fireplaces, a two-story foyer, a two-story family room, a second staircase to the second floor, a main-floor laundry room and an updated white kitchen with quartz-topped cabinetry and high-end appliances. Other features include a primary bedroom suite with a recessed tray ceiling, and a lower level with a media room, a billiard room and a multipurpose room with a glass block wall. Outside on the 1.84-acre property are an in-ground pool and a limestone fire pit.Built in 1992, Smith’s new house has 3 1/2 bathrooms, a great room with a two-story custom fireplace, a kitchen with custom cabinets and two Sub-Zero refrigerators, a first-floor primary bedroom suite with custom millwork in the primary bathroom, and a first-floor den, all on a 1.19-acre property. And Morgan’s new house, which was built in 1998, has 4 1/2 bathrooms, a family room with a fireplace, a kitchen with a central island and quartz countertops, a mud room with custom cabinetry, an English basement with a custom bar and a first-floor primary bedroom suite with vaulted ceilings and a walk-in closet.Alissa McNicholas of Compass represented Getsy, Smith and Morgan in their purchases. She declined to comment on the transactions.Goldsborough is a freelance writer.Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.

Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy on April 12 paid $1.57 million for a six-bedroom, 5,610-square-foot house in southwest Waukegan — and he’ll have plenty of company in his neighborhood in terms of the Bears’ coaching staff.Two other newly hired assistant coaches — defensive line coach Travis Smith and offensive line coach Chris Morgan — also have just bought homes close by.AdvertisementGetsy, 38, was hired by the Bears in January, three days after new head coach Matt Eberflus was announced. Getsy came from the Green Bay Packers, where he had been quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.Now, Getsy has nearly as good of a chance of seeing Smith and Morgan in his neighborhood as he will on the practice field at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. Smith, who joined the team in February, paid $950,000 on April 4 for a five-bedroom, 4,304-square-foot house on the same street as Getsy’s house, while Morgan paid $1.1 million on March 18 for a five-bedroom, 4,905-square-foot house that is just a few blocks away.AdvertisementAll three houses are within close proximity to one another, and all three are inside Waukegan’s city limits but have Libertyville mailing addresses.Getsy’s new house, which had been listed on March 1 for $1.59 million, was built in 1998 and has five bathrooms, four fireplaces, a two-story foyer, a two-story family room, a second staircase to the second floor, a main-floor laundry room and an updated white kitchen with quartz-topped cabinetry and high-end appliances. Other features include a primary bedroom suite with a recessed tray ceiling, and a lower level with a media room, a billiard room and a multipurpose room with a glass block wall. Outside on the 1.84-acre property are an in-ground pool and a limestone fire pit.Built in 1992, Smith’s new house has 3 1/2 bathrooms, a great room with a two-story custom fireplace, a kitchen with custom cabinets and two Sub-Zero refrigerators, a first-floor primary bedroom suite with custom millwork in the primary bathroom, and a first-floor den, all on a 1.19-acre property. And Morgan’s new house, which was built in 1998, has 4 1/2 bathrooms, a family room with a fireplace, a kitchen with a central island and quartz countertops, a mud room with custom cabinetry, an English basement with a custom bar and a first-floor primary bedroom suite with vaulted ceilings and a walk-in closet.Alissa McNicholas of Compass represented Getsy, Smith and Morgan in their purchases. She declined to comment on the transactions.Goldsborough is a freelance writer.Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson finalized his new leadership team Thursday by hiring former Cubs executive Jeff Greenberg, a onetime rival for the Hawks GM job, as one of his top two lieutenants.Greenberg was named associate general manager, the same title former Seattle Kraken executive Norm Maciver holds.AdvertisementMaciver, Davidson’s former colleague when both worked under former GM Stan Bowman, has been tasked with merging pro and amateur scouting into one department.Greenberg, who most recently served as Cubs assistant general manager, will oversee the “strategic systems and processes that will fuel the entire hockey operations group,” according to a team release.AdvertisementHe starts May 9.“Our journey is just beginning as we build a next-generation foundation for this team, and that starts with a focus on modernizing and improving the hockey operations infrastructure in our front office,” Davidson said in a statement. “We will only get back to being best-in-class on the ice if we are working with best-in-class information and ideas behind the scenes.”Said Greenberg in a statement: “There couldn’t be a more exciting time to get in on the ground floor of this journey and pursue every possible solution to put this team back on the path to winning hockey.”Greenberg raised eyebrows when he was revealed as a candidate interviewed for the permanent GM role despite not having a hockey background.Ultimately, seven candidates were interviewed but Greenberg emerged among three finalists, including Davidson — who served as interim GM since Bowman stepped down in October — and Tampa Bay Lightning director of hockey operations Mathieu Darche.Chicago Blackhawks new general manager Kyle Davidson speaks after being introduced, March 1, 2022, at the United Center. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Davidson praised Greenberg and said the two hit it off immediately.“We connected instantly over our parallel paths, shared love for hockey and vision for this sport’s future,” Davidson said. “I’m excited for our fans to see what he, alongside Norm, can bring as key voices at the table — a table that will continue to grow with other leaders we will add to the team.” AdvertisementGreenberg is Davidson’s choice, but it seemingly has CEO Danny Wirtz’s fingerprints on it.Wirtz has made it his calling card to think “outside the box” while trying to turn around the franchise — on the ice and at the box office— and that informed his decisions to hire current president of business operations Jaime Faulkner, a former consumer technology and analytics executive, and to pick Davidson, who made the bold pitch to rebuild from the ground up.Wirtz and Faulkner hired Mike Forde of consulting firm Sportsology to advise with the GM search.Wirtz told the Tribune after a Blackhawks town hall in early February he wanted “someone in the room that has operated in different sports that can bring other perspectives. … It’s helpful to have someone who has been inside (on) how to structure organizations.”Wirtz was impressed with Sportsology’s work with Chelsea FC and several NBA teams.“You look across global sports, European soccer has done a lot in terms of performance area, medical, that are far beyond what we do,” he said.AdvertisementThat line of thinking extended to the kind of executives Hawks ownership was looking to add to the organization.Greenberg hadn’t been revealed as a contender yet when Wirtz spoke to the Tribune, but the chief executive kept an open attitude about the role.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“The general manager position primarily has to be very familiar with the system of hockey but that doesn’t preclude injecting outside of hockey,” Wirtz said. “Typically hockey does not hire a ton from outside (but) lot of sports have found success bringing in people from other sports, from management to consulting to legal, lots of other stuff.“You see a lot of profiles of general managers across the NHL now they’re coming from less traditional backgrounds. I think it’s a wave across the league and I want to make sure we keep an open mind. Doesn’t mean we won’t go closer ‘in the box,’ but we want to be considering all options.”In his 11 seasons with the Cubs, Greenberg worked his way up from director of pro scouting and baseball operations to assistant to the general manager. He was part of the rebuild that culminated in the 2016 World Series championship. He also worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates and Major League Baseball, the latter in labor relations.AdvertisementGreenberg grew up playing hockey in Pittsburgh.His new role with the Hawks will involve him in scouting, development, coaching and operations. His job will be to help modernize the processes and tools the front office uses — one Davidson’s top priorities — to collect and share data about playersin the pipeline and elsewhere in the NHL. Greenberg’s team also will help create strategies to give the Hawks a competitive advantage.“Jeff will be both an architect and connector of the hockey operations group, ensuring that we’re always at the forefront of professional sports,” Davidson said in the release.

Despite a quick exit in the first round of the playoffs, the veterans on the Chicago Bulls roster feel this season was a marker for the potential of the franchise. As they enter the offseason, the Bulls crave consistency.Only three players who opened the 2020-21 season on the Bulls roster remained on the team this season: Zach LaVine, Coby White and Patrick Williams. Nikola Vučević — who arrived at last year’s trade deadline — said he didn’t feel comfortable in the Bulls system until halfway through this season. Even then, the veteran center said he still was finding his rhythm at the end of the season.AdvertisementAfter his exit interview with the front office Thursday, Vučević said he feels confident the Bulls are committed to retaining the core group from this season. Despite the inconsistency caused by injuries and COVID-19 cases throughout the season, Vučević feels it was an important year of chemistry building for a young team that barely knew each other at the start of the season.[ [Don’t miss] Bulls eliminated from the playoffs after DeMar DeRozan is held to 11 points in the Game 5 loss ]“Almost all the great teams, they’ve been built over time. Nothing happens overnight,” Vučević said. “To have the continuity, you need to get a team to go through the ups and downs of a season, playoffs, tough moments, good moments, getting to build that chemistry.Advertisement“It doesn’t happen just like that. You have to work out, you have to go through the grind of the season. You have to do all that to get there, and I think they know that.”It’s easy for the disappointing finish to obscure the fact that, for most of this season, the Bulls were fun.Nikola Vučević departs after discussing the end of the Bulls season Thursday, April 28, 2022, at the Advocate Center. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)DeMar DeRozan’s teammates lavished him with superlatives — “amazing,” “crazy,” “no words” — after a record-setting season. His partnership with LaVine, which drew skepticism around the league when the Bulls acquired DeRozan, quickly became one of the NBA’s better one-two punches. Secondary additions such as Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso grew into fan favorites, sparking winning streaks and at one point lifting the Bulls to the top of the Eastern Conference.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The problem is all of those players rarely got the chance to play together. Williams was injured in the fifth game of the season. By the time he came back, Ball was sidelined for the season while Caruso and LaVine dipped in and out of availability.Nevertheless, those glimpses of the team at full strength made players such as Ball eager to see the full roster return for a chance to live up to this season’s potential.“I would love to run it back,” Ball said. “If everybody can get healthy and come back, I don’t see why we couldn’t run it back.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: Bulls coach Billy Donovan had to deal with adversity all season, and Game 5 was no different ]Most of this season’s core is set to return. Vučević, White, Javonte Green and Ayo Dosunmu are signed through next season, DeRozan and Williams through 2024 and Ball and Caruso through 2025. LaVine is the only outlier as he enters free agency this summer.Next season comes with plenty of “ifs” for the Bulls — if Williams and Dosunmu continue to grow into their roles, if Ball can stay healthy, if LaVine comes back. And coach Billy Donovan cautioned the path only will get harder after the Bulls went from doubted underdog to Eastern Conference contender in a matter of months.AdvertisementBut as they begin early preparations for next season, the veteran core feels confident in the foundation laid in their first season together.“That’s where it starts,” DeRozan said. “All the great teams that play for something, that play deep, that compete for championships, what’s got to be there first and foremost is that continuity.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 27Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan, center left, congratulates Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Bucks’ 116-100 win in Game 5 on April 27, 2022, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

One night during the 2020 season, Chicago Cubs veteran outfielder Jason Heyward took catcher Willson Contreras out to dinner.Teammates having dinner together isn’t atypical, but on this occasion it served a specific purpose. Heyward knows better than most the highs and lows within a season and career. Heyward’s advice centered on the big picture: Communicate when you might need help. If something isn’t going your way, take your time. Observe and learn.Advertisement“His job has a lot of expectations, so I wanted to acknowledge that I understand it’s not easy as a catcher coming in at the time he came into this organization and let him know I was there,” Heyward told the Tribune. “I understand what he’s trying to do is hard and what he wants to accomplish, letting him know that, over time, most likely there’s going to be coaches that come and go, that’s just a part of the game — different systems, different mindsets — but that he’s going to be here a lot longer than a lot of people.”When Contreras arrived at big-league camp in March, a lot of questions focused on his impending free-agent status. Six minutes into his first media availability, the topic of leadership came up. Contreras, one of the more veteran Cubs players, cited the importance of knowing when to speak up and be vocal.AdvertisementHe has become a leader on the new-look Cubs.“The right time is this year because we have really good young players that might need help, might need advice, might need a hug, whatever,” Contreras told the Tribune. “I want to be available for them and be the best I can be out there.”Contreras’ path to becoming a more noticeable leader is a product of a deliberate investment by the 29-year-old catcher over the last few years. The work he has put into that area has not gone unnoticed by Heyward and Kyle Hendricks, the only two teammates remaining from Contreras’ 2016 rookie season.Chicago Cubs pitcher Ethan Roberts, left, and catcher Willson Contreras meet on the mound during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field, April 21, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“It’s his time,” Heyward said. “This is the way the game goes. At a certain age and certain time, things are one way with teammates, coaching staff, whatever. And now a lot of those guys are gone for us. Now Willson has an opportunity to see more things coming. … A lot more guys are going off of you, and I think he understands that and appreciates it. He doesn’t take that lightly.”Before the Cubs dismantled the roster at last year’s trade deadline, Contreras felt his place was to shut up and listen. He admitted it took a while to accept all the trades, believing they were a playoff team all the way up to the deadline. The changes ultimately created an opportunity for Contreras to become a more vocal presence.Now, Contreras possesses a coveted perspective, and as a catcher it can carry extra weight because of how he is involved in all parts of the game.“If you want to be a leader, you have to respect everyone, every teammate,” Contreras said. “If you want to be a leader, you have to get to the ballpark on time. You have to show them how you go about your business and not show up an hour or two before the game. I think that’s how you gain respect from teammates and respect for the job.“Holding everybody accountable when they do something wrong, doing it the right way. Don’t show up someone in front of everybody.”AdvertisementAfter Contreras earned his big-league call up on June 17, 2016, he was a constant source of energy. His vibe was a welcome addition to the eventual World Series champs.But over the course of those final four months of the season, Hendricks saw Contreras come to understand that maintaining his level of energy for a full 162-game slate at a demanding position would be challenging.Now in his seventh big-league season, Contreras’ knowledge of his body and how to manage the long year also plays a role in the evolution of his leadership.“He’s realized where to pick his spots,” Hendricks told the Tribune. “Willson has grown into himself in the way that he’s just confident and comfortable in who he is, as a player and a person. He’s settled into himself.“He knows when is the right time to say something and when is not just based on experience.”Hendricks thought Contreras did a great job last season handling the Cubs’ less experienced pitchers, specifically with how to support them in various game situations. He recalled watching Contreras come into the dugout after innings knowing when was the right time to approach and go over something versus letting a younger pitcher work through a learning experience on their own.Advertisement“He really was able to identify those situations with the young guys and really feed into that and make them feel comfortable or pump them up, whatever they needed in that moment,” Hendricks said.Contreras appreciates how Hendricks and Heyward recognize his efforts to be a better leader and player.“The way you prepare shows everyone you care,” Contreras said. “If I was the type of guy that just shows up late and just gets ready for a game, nobody will respect me. Or if I don’t play the game the right way or don’t hustle.”The departures of Anthony Rizzo, who spent a decade in a Cubs uniform, Kris Bryant and Javier Báez appeared to deal a blow to the clubhouse beyond their on-field capabilities.Asked if he agreed with the perception the Cubs lost leadership after last year’s trades, Heyward said his answer might not be popular.From his perspective, those views are from fans and media who don’t have insight of what’s happening in the clubhouse. Heyward acknowledged players don’t possess control over everything because of the business side to the game, especially when dealing with contract uncertainty.AdvertisementChicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras talks with teammates during spring training at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz., March 16, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“Anytime you have a natural built-in distraction, it does make things a little bit harder and does take the focus off of just going out and playing the game,” Heyward said. “I saw that with our group last year. And that’s not a knock or excuse, that was our reality last year. As far as what didn’t come back through the door this year, it was just time for change. That’s what came about.”Heyward appreciates the Cubs’ offseason acquisitions featured a lot of players who have a different perspective of winning at the major-league level. Among them: infielder Jonathan Villar, catcher Yan Gomes and pitchers Marcus Stroman, David Robertson, Drew Smyly and Chris Martin have combined to be part of 49 postseason series, six World Series and four titles.The roster overhaul doesn’t diminish the Cubs’ special six-year span preceding the trades. Heyward anticipates fans being surprised by the Cubs this season, even if their style of play looks different than the past few years. He views the changes as good organizationally and for what comes next.“I do love the fact that we don’t have to show up every day and chase results,” Heyward said. “I think that’s a trap. The things we try to pay attention to detail on, things we want to focus on that are very important in the game, I think we’re going to see a lot of success and have a lot of fun playing.“Everyone’s focused in the moment, no one’s really looking at, ‘Oh, what about a contract? Where am I going to be?’ All those things are very tough and a part of the game,” Heyward said. “But now Willson can be here, and guys will appreciate a lot about him being in that space.”Contreras might be the next star to leave the Cubs, whether that decision is made by him or the franchise. Over the last seven weeks, the unclear future hasn’t affected Contreras’ responsibilities or his investment as a leader.Advertisement“This energy is there,” Contreras said. “Players are willing to listen, they’re willing to make sacrifices to win games. We’re sticking together.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has suspended an Evergreen Park pharmacy’s ability to dispense certain controlled substance medications, after it allegedly gave patients dangerous amounts and combinations of drugs.The DEA issued an order to Evergreen Park Pharmacy on Wednesday immediately suspending the pharmacy’s ability to give patients certain medications including oxycodone, morphine, codeine and Valium. Certain drugs are labeled as controlled substance medications because of their potential for abuse and risk.AdvertisementThe order came after a DEA investigation revealed alleged regulatory violations and an Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program review showed that excessive opioids and dangerous drug combinations were allegedly given to three patients. A pharmacy expert who reviewed records found that the quantities and combinations of drugs dispensed to the three patients allegedly were “not for legitimate medical purposes, and could have led to respiratory failure and death,” the DEA Chicago division said in a news release.Hani Abdallah, a pharmacist and the pharmacy’s owner, said Thursday when contacted by the Tribune that the pharmacy did nothing wrong and plans to fight the suspension. The pharmacy is still dispensing other types of medications not covered by the suspension.AdvertisementAbdallah said he knows the three patients well, and they were all using the medications for legitimate purposes. He said they started on high amounts of the medications, but he was able to lower them.“I think I did a good job at bringing them down, and for the DEA to come in and do that, it’s just not right,” Abdallah said.When suspensions are issued, pharmacies have the right to administrative hearings before an administrative law judge renders a final decision about whether to revoke a pharmacy’s registration to legally dispense controlled substance medications. State-licensed pharmacies must be registered with the DEA to legally dispense controlled substance medications.In recent years, doctors and pharmacies have come under scrutiny for how they prescribe and dispense certain medications, such as opioids, which can be addictive and lead to death when people overdose on them.The state and nation have been dealing with an epidemic of opioid addiction, exacerbated by the pandemic.In 2020, the number of opioid deaths in Illinois rose 33% compared with 2019, according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office. In March, Pritzker announced a statewide Overdose Action Plan to help address the issue in some of the state’s hardest-hit areas.