Author: staff

A poorly worded inscription on a plaque at the base of a monument outside the Old Will County Courthouse implies credit for the monolithic 1969 concrete structure should go to architect J.C. Cochrane, designer of Illinois Capitol and other notable buildings.He designed the Lake County Courthouse in Crown Point, Indiana, as well, so one doesn’t have to travel all the way to Springfield to discover his busy, classical style doesn’t really fit the imposing flat stone walls of the Joliet edifice.AdvertisementAlso, Cochrane died in 1887, a major impediment to designing postmodern architecture.In the plaque writer’s defense, Cochrane had designed an earlier, much more ornate courthouse for Will County in 1884, where the county’s legal business was handled for 80 years before it was unceremoniously demolished to pave the way for the modern structure now known as the old courthouse.AdvertisementA century-old postcard shows the former Will County Courthouse, which was demolished in the late 1960s. (Daily Southtown file)Architect Otto Stark, known for designing the office building at 55 W. Wacker Drive in Chicago, is credited with the design of the 1969 courthouse, which won architecture awards at the time.Stark’s design is appropriately stark, in a style called Brutalist, not because it’s brutal, but because the French term for raw concrete is “beton brut,” and the old courthouse features plenty of that material. It was a popular style in the turbulent late ‘60s, especially for government buildings. Much like in Joliet, Lake County’s ornate 1878 courthouse in Waukegan was torn down in 1967 and replaced with a Brutalist-style successor.A half-century later, Stark’s courthouse in Joliet is facing the same fate as its predecessor. Will County officials seem intent on demolishing it now that they have a brand new steel and glass courthouse with an award-winning design across the street.That imminent danger helped put the Old Will County Courthouse on the 2022 list of Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois, announced last week by the preservation advocacy group Landmarks Illinois. It joins the Eugene S. Pike House in Dan Ryan Woods on Chicago’s South Side, the Century & Consumers Buildings on South State Street in the Chicago’s Loop, Rockford’s Elks Lodge No. 64 and Gillson Park in Wilmette.It’s the shortest list in the 25 years Landmarks Illinois has been compiling it, which is encouraging to Bonnie McDonald, the organization’s executive director. She said other resources the organization offers have helped make a dent in the number of historic structures at risk due to redevelopment or “demolition by neglect.”“Our programs around technical assistance and grant funding and resources are growing,” she said. “Because those are growing, the number of endangered properties are shrinking.”Since issuing the first Most Endangered list in 1995, the group has featured about 300 sites, McDonald said, with about a 50% success rate.“We think of that as a success because these properties come to us in imminent danger,” she said. “The wrecking ball is coming. They’re deteriorating, and often times it’s seen as a last resort. To have had success with over half of them, we feel like it’s a triumph.”AdvertisementConstruction of a new courthouse in Joliet is shown in 2018, looking west from the Old Will County Courthouse. Now that the new courthouse has been completed, county officials want to demolish the old structure. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown)One of their most proud triumphs isn’t far from the courthouse. The Joliet Penitentiary made the list in 2002, just months after its last inmates were transferred to other state prisons. In a Tribune story about that year’s list, Landmarks Illinois officials said the prison would be one of the group’s most difficult challenges, requiring “creative thinking to come up with an adaptable use plan for that structure.”Now called the Old Joliet Prison Historic Site and managed by the Joliet Area Historical Museum, the site is still being stabilized with the help of millions in grant funds while also offering tours and hosting concerts, an annual haunted house and other events.That success was largely the result of a group of active local supporters, McGrath said, a crucial element to getting on the Most Endangered list.“We require local support,” she said, “an organization we can work with to ensure success.“If we have a nomination from a single person, or we find there isn’t a local support base, we will work with whoever we can, but we won’t put it on the Most Endangered list.”While lots of preservation efforts receive grants, resources and other support from Landmarks Illinois, the Most Endangered list is a way to rally public support around an effort as well as generate ideas for showcase projects. Including properties that don’t have a local support, or ones where “the wrecking ball is truly right down the road and (demolition) is a week away” would be counterproductive, McGrath said.Advertisement“The purpose of the list is to identify opportunities around these places and address challenges, and find solutions that can be used across the state,” she said. “These are models for other communities.“We want it to be meaningful and to make a real difference. These are examples of larger issues around the state like public ownership and lack of public funding, owners who are using demolition by neglect, and policy issues. That’s really the purpose of this list.”Sometimes, it doesn’t work out. Another Brutalist building, the Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, appeared on the Most Endangered list for four consecutive years starting in 2009 before demolition began in 2013.But McDonald prefers to focus on the success stories, such as Chicago’s James Thompson Center, another regular that came off the list this year after four years now that a sale and renovation plan seemingly have spared it.People ride the elevator inside the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago in December. The recent sale of the building is considered a preservation win by Landmarks Illinois. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)The Thompson Center also is encouraging because it involves an architectural style that’s just now coming around to being considered historic.“Not everyone sees postmodernism as historic and significant,” McDonald said. “How can something built in my lifetime be historic?Advertisement“This is really a story about how places gain significance for different generations. There’s a large group of people who see Brutalism and postmodernism as beautiful and significant. They tend to be younger people, under 40. It takes about 60 years for an architectural style to start to have a constituency of support.”There’s no doubt that being easy on the eyes can help a preservation effort along. The Eugene S. Pike House in Chicago’s North Beverly neighborhood is a stately old home built in 1894 by a prosperous developer whose estate was purchased by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County in 1921, later becoming Dan Ryan Woods. According to its Landmarks listing, the district planned to use the house as a superintendent’s headquarters and it eventually became the “Watchman’s Residence” in the 1960s.Daily SouthtownTwice-weeklyNews updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and WednesdayEmpty for years, the house has had active preservation support from the Beverly community, but it needs extensive repairs and a Forest Preserve District effort a few years ago didn’t generate any reuse ideas.McDonald said district officials are open to saving the structure and working with the community on a renewed effort to find another suitable use for the Pike House.That kind of partnership isn’t evident with the Old Will County Courthouse, where government officials seem intent on demolition while a group called the Courthouse Preservation Partnership is hoping to stave off its doom.McDonald said Landmarks Illinois still hopes to have “a constructive dialogue” and an opportunity to suggest reuse ideas for the old courthouse. But until then, adding the Brutalist structure to this year’s list is a way “to continue to bring that dialogue to the public,” she said.AdvertisementWhile it may not fit the profile of most historic structures, the Brutalist courthouse in Joliet has another very important quality that makes its preservation paramount, McDonald said — the countless people who have interacted with it over its five decades.“It tells the story of our community,” she said. “It’s part of the story of the people who live here.”Landmarks is a weekly column by Paul Eisenberg exploring the people, places and things that have left an indelible mark on the Southland. He can be reached at peisenberg@tribpub.com.

“It has been a frustrating spring, with all the rain leaving me with a yard that has been consistently wet and nearly unusable. Water will also pool in a back corner of the yard after heavy or long periods of rain. Is there something I can do to dry my garden out, like adding a dry well to absorb water?”— Antonio Martinez, Highland ParkAdvertisementA dry well is simply a hole dug in the ground and filled with gravel. This is unlikely to do much to improve drainage, as it will quickly fill with water and continue to pond while the surrounding soil remains too wet.To correct drainage problems, you need to collect the excess water from the site and then move it out of the area — water flows from the high point to the low point. There are different ways to do this, depending on each site’s conditions.AdvertisementInstalling drain tile can help. The drain should be installed in the lowest area of the bed, and the soil above the drain should not be compacted or heavy clay, which would prevent water from reaching the drain. A very thin layer of clay soil over the drain tile can block water from reaching it.The pipe must slope evenly from the highest point of the bed to the lowest point, where water can discharge out of the garden to work properly. Use perforated PVC pipe or a flexible black pipe and install No. 8 gravel or ⅝-inch roofing gravel around the pipe to help collect water and help prevent silt from plugging up the pipe.Perforated PVC pipe will last longer and can be installed with a drain cleanout so a plumber can unclog the piping if it gets filled with silt or tree roots in the future. Pipes that are 4 inches in diameter are typically adequate for most home applications.A French drain is a trench filled with gravel and will help dry out an area, providing the trench is pitched properly and there is a place for the water to run to. A trench with gravel will not improve the drainage in a garden unless the water runs out of the lowest end of the trench and away from the area. Otherwise, the trench with gravel will fill up with water while the surrounding soil remains too wet.Another strategy is to modify the grading to improve surface drainage and move water out of the area. This can be very effective when you are able to install a swale or add soil to low areas to direct water out of the garden.Just adding soil to a low area will not work if the water does not run out of the garden, but you may be able to move water to a garden zone that has less impact on your use of the yard. Grading can be a complicated project, especially if there are shade trees involved.Grade changes under and around shade trees can have a negative effect on the trees’ health, so consulting with an arborist during the planning process is important.If the corner of your garden is the lowest part of your garden with grading not an option, then explore adding a drain tile system. Install a catch basin in the lowest spot to collect the surface water.AdvertisementYou would need to pitch the underground drain tile to run water away from the corner and out of the garden. This can be a more complex installation and may require a permit from a local governing body to install. The best solution for some gardens may be a combination of strategies to improve drainage. If you have catch basins as part of an existing drainage system, be sure to clean debris out of them on a regular basis to keep the drainage system working properly.Debris will build up in the bottom of the catch basin and eventually plug up the piping. Try installing plants that are adapted to the conditions in that area of your garden if you are unable to improve the drainage.For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Dear Amy: I am a husband and father of an 18-month-old daughter.I’m concerned about how my mother-in-law treats my wife and daughter.AdvertisementShe calls my wife multiple times a day to FaceTime with her granddaughter.My wife answers as often as she can.AdvertisementThe problem I have is that my mother-in-law keeps saying things to our toddler like: “Don’t worry — whenever grandma is talking to you, you don’t have to listen to your mom.”Or when my wife tells my daughter to stop doing something, her mother will say, “Grandma says it’s OK.”The last time I heard this I wanted to grab the phone and say: “Mom makes the rules, if you can’t follow them, you can’t see our daughter” and hang up on her.My wife says that it isn’t my place (I agree) but she hasn’t set boundaries, yet.My MIL is coming to visit in about a week and I’ve been stressing about it constantly.She is sleeping on our couch for three days, and I don’t think I want to hold my tongue if she tries to say the same things when she is in our home.I’m all for grandparents spoiling grandkids, but when my daughter is throwing food on our floor and grandma says, “It’s OK — make your parents clean it up” I want to ground grandma.Your suggestions?Advertisement– NervousDear Nervous: Keep your cool. The calmer and more consistent you are, the more effective your response will be.If your mother-in-law directly countermands you, and if you are certain she isn’t just being playful, you can say, “Oops. I’m going to have to stop you. We are her parents and we need to make the rules for her, even if you don’t agree with them. Can you help us out here and not contradict us?”She may say, “Oh, I’m only joking, don’t take this so seriously.” And you can respond, “I get it, but we’re trying to be consistent, and her sense of humor isn’t quite developed yet.”Dear Amy: My sister has been with her fiancé for four years.They live together and plan to marry in July. This will be the second marriage for both. They’re in their 50s, and both have grown children.AdvertisementThey live in a wonderful city and enjoy a nice lifestyle, playing tennis, traveling, etc. He is a doctor and she, a corporate recruiter.My sister couldn’t be happier, as her previous marriage was full of grief and frustration.All was going well until her fiancé’s daughter (in her 20s) dropped out of college and moved in.Apparently, her dad covers this daughter’s expenses and does not require much (if anything) in return. He lets her basically do as she pleases, and that means sleeping until noon, not working, and asking my sister, “What’s for dinner?”You can probably see where this story is going. My sister’s blissful pre-honeymoon phase is being interrupted by this third person’s constant presence. It frustrates my sister (to no end) that her fiancé has not set down any ground rules. My sister works from home and feels she has lost her peaceful “space” due to his daughter’s lax lifestyle.Further, she fears that the daughter may end up living with them for many years to come; something she didn’t bargain for when she moved into his house and accepted his marriage proposal.AdvertisementYour take?– ConcernedDear Concerned: It’s “his house,” “his proposal,” and “his daughter,” but it’s HER life.This is not the way to enter a family system where two smart, successful, and advanced-age adults should be holding hands and in basic agreement about their marital partnership.This also sets your sister up for failure, as the hard-working future stepmother of a young adult.Every couple should receive pre-marital counseling – but especially couples blending families, finances, and property.AdvertisementI would suggest that your sister put the wedding on hold until she and her fiancé get on the same page regarding all of their children.Life will deliver many unforeseeable events that will require them to pivot, but this situation is easily remedied.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.Dear Amy: Not a question, but a comment: Why are some of the issues raised in your column so trivial? It seems like people really work hard to get worked up about things.– TiredDear Tired: I find that generally, if someone isn’t interested in a particular cultural issue, they will find that topic trivial.My take is that our world is wide enough to accommodate issues of all sizes.AdvertisementGot a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign 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.

Two men in their 40s were killed and two other men were injured in a shooting in Englewood Saturday night, police said.Around 7:30 p.m., officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 1900 block of West Garfield Boulevard where four men were on the sidewalk when they were shot by someone in a gray vehicle driving by, the Chicago Police Department said in a media notification. AdvertisementA 42-year-old man was shot several times and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. A 48-year-old man was shot several times and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. AdvertisementA 24-year-old man was shot in the back and in the left arm and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition, police said. A fourth man was shot and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital to recover, police said. Police did not know his condition. As of 9:30 p.m., detectives were still at the scene investigating the shooting, police said.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Emanuel Reynoso broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the 72nd minute, and Dayne St. Clair saved all four shots he faced to lift Minnesota United to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Fire in MLS action Saturday.Bongokuhle Hlongwane had an assist on Reynoso’s game-winner for Minnesota (4-2-2).AdvertisementKervin Arriaga and Robin Lod added goals in the final six minutes after the Fire’s Federico Navarro was sent off for preventing Lod from getting through on goal opportunity.United outshot the Fire (2-2-4) 8-5 with a 5-4 edge in shots on goal.AdvertisementGabriel Slonina saved two of the five shots he faced for the Fire, who are winless (0-2-2) in their last four MLS games.

The Chicago Cubs piled on the runs in historic fashion Saturday, crushing the Pirates 21-0 at Wrigley Field in the franchise’s largest shutout win since at least 1901. After two sluggish offensive performances in losses in the first two games of the series, the Cubs pounded out 23 hits — the team’s most since a 23-hit performance at Arizona in 2005.AdvertisementManager David Ross welcomed the offensive outburst, which gained steam in an eight-run second inning that newly recalled infielder Alfonso Rivas capped with a three-run homer to right field.“Definitely enjoyable,” Ross said. “It’s just good for the psyche — just to pile on hits, get your numbers in a game like that, build up a little bit. It’s always nice.”AdvertisementThe win also snapped a four-game losing streak that began Tuesday with a 6-5 home loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.The Cubs’ Alfonso Rivas, right, celebrates with Jonathan Villar after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning against the Pirates on Saturday at Wrigley Field. (Nam Y. Huh / AP)Nico Hoerner was one of five Cubs to record three or more hits, finishing with three RBIs on a career-high four hits. After a three-hit performance Friday, it also marked the first back-to-back three-hit games of his career.Rivas, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and Willson Conteras all had three hits.“I’m not going to list it off because it felt like everybody had a really good day,” Ross said. “Just quality at-bat after quality at-bat.”Contreras drove in three runs and and Happ two.Suzuki stole the first base of his major-league career and went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while scoring a career-best three runs. Through interpreter Toy Matsushita, Suzuki said he never had seen anything like Saturday’s offensive blitz.“This was my first time experiencing a game with that much offense, so (I was) surprised,” Suzuki said.Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki runs to first base after hitting an RBI single against the Pirates during the second inning Saturday at Wrigley Field. Suzuki went 3-for-4 in the Cubs’ 21-0 win. (Nam Y. Huh / AP)Rivas got the start at first base after joining the team ahead of Friday’s 4-2 loss, and he looked right at home at Wrigley. He slashed .538/.571/.923 in three games with Triple-A Iowa after two appearances for the Cubs earlier in the month.Advertisement“(Rivas) was working on some stuff before he left and came back and contributed really well, hitting the ball in the air, big home run there,” Ross said. “We hadn’t had some of those break-open homers yet or doubles with the bases loaded. He came up with a big knock there. Plays really good defense.”The 25-year-old’s second-inning blast traveled 416 feet, putting the Cubs up nine and effectively ending starter Zach Thompson’s afternoon after he gave up nine hits and four earned runs in two innings. Rivas finished with a career-high five RBIs.“It definitely gives you confidence, going down and treating it as a temporary move, expecting to come back,” Rivas said. “(Ross) is really good at communicating that. It helped me a lot.”Kyle Hendricks (1-1) earned his first win of the season, allowing just two hits and walking none in seven innings.Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks delivers against the Pirates in the first inning Saturday at Wrigley Field. Hendricks picked up his first win of the season, allowing two hits in seven innings in the 21-0 rout.
(Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Images)“They call him ‘The Professor’ for a reason,” Rivas said of Hendricks. “It was awesome playing defense behind him, getting quick outs, seeing him work the corners and changing speeds. That’s what he does.”AdvertisementThe margin of victory surpassed 19-0 shutout wins on June, 7 1906, against the New York Giants and on May 13, 1969, against the San Diego Padres.The Cubs’ 21 runs were the most since they scored 26 against the Colorado Rockies on August 18, 1995. And the 21-run win margin marked the team’s largest since a 24-2 win at the Boston Braves on July 3, 1945.Ross called Hoerner, who is hitting .327 and is tied with Suzuki for a team-high 16 hits, a “complete player.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“Defensively as well, he’s starting to feel good,” Ross said. “Timing and the rhythm looks really nice. Feels good at the plate. Feels good physically. He’s a guy that’s going to make some contact. I like that he’s using all fields. Line drives over shortstop.”Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner singles during the second inning against the Pirates on Saturday at Wrigley Field. Hoerner went 4-for-5 with three RBIs in the Cubs’ 21-0 win. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Images)Hoerner said he was pleased to see Rivas rejoin the team.“Just a guy who’s always consistent,” Hoerner said. “Very consistent personality, great defender and someone I believe in a lot. Really happy for him.”AdvertisementRivas was called up after the Cubs placed Clint Frazier on the 10-day injured list. The outfielder underwent an appendectomy Friday.Hendricks made sure to soak in the festive atmosphere while posting his first win in his fourth start of the season.“Today really felt like just a classic Wrigley day,” Hendricks said. “The crowd was amazing, and I think it really fed into our guys. You saw from the start how locked in everybody was.”Gavin Good is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

MINNEAPOLIS — Michael Kopech doesn’t have a win yet in 2022.But plenty of other numbers show how impressive the right-hander has been in his three starts this season for the Chicago White Sox.AdvertisementKopech had his sharpest performance yet Friday against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, allowing three hits while striking out seven and walking one in five scoreless innings. He left with a lead, but the Twins took advantage of two throwing errors on one play to score the go-ahead run in the eighth and beat the Sox 2-1.The late-game miscues wiped out what manager Tony La Russa said was “close to being the kind of win that gets you excited.”AdvertisementAt the top of that list of positives was Kopech’s outing.White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech gestures to the crowd after the final out against the Twins in the fifth inning Friday in Minneapolis. Kopech pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven, but the Sox lost 2-1. (Craig Lassig / AP)“I had better command of my pitches (Friday),” Kopech said. “I was able to feel myself in my body a little bit better than I had my first two (starts). I definitely felt more comfortable out there.”Kopech lowered his ERA to 0.64 — he ranks second in the American League in that category. Kopech has 15 strikeouts in 14 innings and is third in the AL in WHIP (0.79) and sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.6).“Every start he’s improved,” La Russa said. “When you’ve got talent like that and you want it and you’re willing to work and listen, that’s a powerful combination.”Kopech had to navigate through traffic early in his first two starts. That was the case again Friday when he surrendered a single to Luis Arraez in the first, but then he got Carlos Correa to hit into a double play. Kopech walked Jorge Polanco, but catcher Reese McGuire threw him out on a steal attempt.“I think they did a pretty good job laying off some pretty close pitches (in the first),” Kopech said. “I got in my own head a little bit thinking I had some of those calls. Then I went back and looked and I didn’t. Just had to make an adjustment the next few innings. They took some good at-bats, and I just had to settle in after that.”Kopech has shown that ability during each start. He struck out at least one batter in the next four innings, including two in the second and striking out the side in the fourth.“Obviously the goal is to go out there from the first pitch on and ride that wave,” Kopech said. “Sometimes that’s baseball and you’ve got to see how everything’s going before you settle in. I settled in a lot quicker than I had in my first two (starts). I was excited about that.”AdvertisementHe credited McGuire with helping make in-game adjustments.“Reese has caught all three of mine now, and he’s been able to see what’s working and what’s not out of the gate,” Kopech said. “The slider being a pitch that I usually heavily lean on, it hasn’t really been there the past two, so we’ve gone to breaking ball or when we’ve seen myself getting away with fastballs more often than not, we lean heavy on that.“We did that a little bit (Friday). The adjustments are kind of a partnership deal, where if he sees something, we’re going to go with that. If I’m not comfortable with it, then I’m going to throw what I’m comfortable with. It was good (Friday).”White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech delivers against the Twins in the first inning Friday in Minneapolis. (David Berding / Getty Images)Kopech will have to wait until his next start to shoot for that first victory. Friday marked the fifth straight loss for the Sox, but Kopech is confident the team will turn it around.“No one is concerned about this skid that we’re on,” he said. “It sucks. Nobody likes to lose. At the end of the day, we can look around this clubhouse and see what this team is made of and what we’re capable of in the upcoming games, no matter who we’re playing.“I don’t think it’s anything to be really concerned about. We’re going to get our feet back under us.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Chicago White Sox left fielder Eloy Jiménez exited with right hamstring soreness after trying to beat a throw to first base in the second inning Saturday against the Minnesota Twins.He is being evaluated, the Sox said.AdvertisementJiménez hit a grounder to third, stumbled after crossing first base and fell. He got to his feet but was taken off the field on a cart.He is slashing .222/.256/.333 with one home run and seven RBIs in 11 games.AdvertisementJiménez played just 55 games last season after suffering a ruptured left pectoral tendon during a Cactus League game.The Sox already are missing starting center fielder Luis Robert (groin strain) in this series. Robert suffered the injury Thursday in Cleveland. Manager Tony La Russa is hopeful Robert will return Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals. Starting right fielder AJ Pollock returned from the injured list (strained right hamstring) Friday.Chicago White Sox’s Eloy Jimenez, bottom right, gets help up from third base coach Joe McEwing, back, and a staff trainer after falling to the turf on a groundout against the Twins in the second inning Saturday in Minneapolis. Jimenez left the field on a cart. (Bruce Kluckhohn / AP)White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez leaves the field on a cart after suffering a right hamstring injury on a groundout against the Twins in the second inning Saturday in Minneapolis. (Bruce Kluckhohn / AP)

What should have been a joyous celebration after Gleyber Torres’ walk-off hit quickly became an ugly scene at Yankee Stadium, leading Cleveland Guardians outfielder Myles Straw to say the Yankee faithful are “classless” and the “worst fan base on the planet.”Fans in the right field seats responded to the game-winning hit by flinging garbage onto the field in the general vicinity of Cleveland’s outfielders.Advertisement“Obviously, there’s no place for throwing stuff on the field,” Yankee manager Aaron Boone said. “We certainly don’t want to put anyone in danger. We love the intensity, but you can’t be throwing stuff onto the field.”Guardians right fielder Oscar Mercado is restrained after Yankee fans toss trash on the field after the Bombers’ walk-off win. (Frank Franklin II/AP)The incident was brewing from the previous batter. Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s deep fly ball to left field made Steven Kwan crash forcefully into the wall, which left him directly underneath the vitriolic fans, who presumably screamed typical New York pleasantries at him.AdvertisementWhatever was said, it caused Straw to leap onto the wall and confront the fans face-to-face. It was an admirable display of defending a teammate, but the incredibly visible move seemed to only rile up the crowd more.Moments before the final scene in the outfield in the bottom of the ninth, Myles Straw went right back at fans at Yankee Stadium. pic.twitter.com/wegiKxjtIF— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) April 23, 2022

“Kwan is the nicest guy on the planet,” Straw told reporters in the Cleveland clubhouse. “That’s my teammate, that’s my brother, and some of the stuff that was said to him, for me, wasn’t going to fly. My emotions got to me a bit. But a guy went headfirst into a hard wall. If I were to do it again, I’d probably say the same thing.”The Yankees themselves were quick to denounce their fans’ actions on Saturday.“That can’t happen,” said Kiner-Falefa. “I love the atmosphere, I love the fans, I love everything about them. But we win with class. That’s something that this organization is about. We’ll fix it next time, I hope.”“We have amazing fans, but we want to respect the opponent,” Torres added. “That can’t happen again.”Once the winning run crossed the plate for the Yankees, all bets were off, and the more unruly fans let loose. The Yankees then had to go from mobbing Torres to pleading with their fans to stop hurtling garbage on the field.“Beer cans,” right fielder Oscar Mercado said when asked what was thrown in his direction. “They came close. One came right at my face and I caught it. They still had beer inside. You can celebrate and chirp all you want during the game but don’t try to get people hurt. That’s not how things work. We’re human beings as well. I personally am not going to sit there and allow them to throw stuff at me.”Mercado had to be stopped by his teammates from approaching the Yankee fans, and eventually Yankee superstars Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton (who were not made available for comment) went out there and gestured at everyone to cut it out.AdvertisementAll part of the job description when you play for the Yankees.

A gunman opened fire Saturday afternoon, killing one person after a fight Saturday afternoon along a busy stretch of Cottage Grove Avenue lined with businesses.It happened shortly before 1 p.m. in the 4700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood, according to police.AdvertisementThe person shot, only described as male, suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.Police said the gunman fled north from the scene and was not in custody.AdvertisementThe 4700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue is home to several businesses.Detectives were investigating.