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The Chicago Bears are making progress toward completing their purchase of Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, officials say, with the clock ticking toward a deadline to seal the deal in 2023.Village documents obtained by the Tribune show the highest levels of the team’s administration, including Chairman George McCaskey, have been involved in meetings to make the purchase and subsequent construction of a new football stadium happen. The documents showed that the team deposited $125,000 with the village for studies of the stadium proposal, and they also included a former baseball executive’s proposal to add a minor league baseball complex to the site.AdvertisementIn September 2021, the team announced it had signed a purchase agreement to buy the property from Churchill Downs Inc. for $197 million, pending final approvals by both parties. Churchill Downs Inc. subsequently closed the famed racetrack. The Bears would have to break their lease at Soldier Field to build a new stadium at Arlington.[ [Don’t miss] The Arlington Heights Bears? Here’s what to know about the team’s possible move from Chicago’s Soldier Field. ]The new baseball fields were proposed by William Larsen, former general manager of the Kane County Cougars minor league team. In an email in February to Mayor Tom Hayes, Larsen wrote that the baseball fields would host four to six teams of undrafted college players.AdvertisementLarsen said he had no financial or other formal backing for the proposal, and hadn’t heard back from the Bears, but was told by scouts and others in professional baseball that there is a need for undrafted players to chase their dreams of playing professionally.“I might as well find out if they’re interested,” he said. “I knew it had a lot of potential.”He estimated 10 to 15 acres would be needed for the project on the 326-acre site, but did not cite any financing or backing for the deal.He guessed that the games could draw about 450,000 fans a year.The village forwarded the email to the Bears. Village officials would encourage the team to consider the idea, Hayes said, but it’s up to team officials to decide what to do with the site, within the village’s parameters. Meanwhile, village and team officials have continued meeting to discuss plans for the site, he said.Brandon Faber, Bears vice president of communications, didn’t comment on the baseball proposal, but said the team is still trying to see if the site will work for a football stadium.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 16Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, in Chicago on Sept. 29, 2021. The Chicago Bears have signed a purchase agreement for Arlington International Racecourse, a move that takes the team a step closer toward securing property for a new stadium and leaving their longtime home at Soldier Field. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)“We continue to work through the due diligence process on the Arlington Park property with our accomplished team of land use experts,” Faber said. “While significant progress has been made, we still must do extensive work and analysis to determine the viability of developing the site. Our expectation for a decision on whether we can purchase the property remains late 2022 or early 2023.”The village’s first recorded meeting with Bears representatives was Aug. 26, 2021, followed by meetings in October, February, March, April and June. Bears officials also agreed to attend training sessions this year on stadium security.AdvertisementThe October meeting at the village included McCaskey, Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips, and team attorney Cliff Stein, among others, village emails showed. Mayor Hayes, Village Manager Randy Recklaus and Director of Planning and Development Charles Perkins, among others, attended for the village.[ [Don’t miss] ‘One step at a time’: Chicago Bears remain in a waiting game for a potential new stadium in Arlington Heights ]Afternoon BriefingDailyChicago Tribune editors’ top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon.Hayes wouldn’t talk about specifics of the discussions, but said progress was speeding up due to the Bears’ deadline to finalize the deal by mid-2023.He confirmed that due to the size of the site, its plan likely would include mixed-use development featuring residential, commercial, retail and entertainment.“Things are moving quicker than they had been, as a result of the timeline the Bears are working under,” Hayes said. ”We have been working together with the team to meet their needs and our needs, and things are progressing. We’re doing all we can to make this a reality.”The Bears also deposited $125,000 with the village to pay for necessary consultant studies that the village would conduct regarding the proposal, Recklaus said.Such payments are not uncommon for projects that may require the hiring of a consultant for studies of traffic, security, crowd control or other issues, Recklaus said. A similar arrangement took place when studies were conducted before the former Sheraton Hotel near Arlington Park became apartments known as Arlington Downs. The village hasn’t conducted any such studies for the Bears yet.AdvertisementIn March, the team announced it had hired Manica Architecture, which designed the Las Vegas Raiders’ new stadium. The team also hired stadium development manager CAA Icon and real estate investment firm Jones Lang LaSalle to work on the proposal.rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Tim Anderson and José Abreu singled in the first inning for the Chicago White Sox against Shohei Ohtani.Anderson reached third and Abreu second on a wild pitch. But the Los Angeles Angels two-way star struck out Gavin Sheets to end the threat.AdvertisementThe Sox had another big opportunity in the fourth, loading the bases. But Ohtani struck out Josh Harrison for the third out.The Sox made Ohtani work but they couldn’t cash in Wednesday, falling 4-1 in front of 27,612 at Angel Stadium.Advertisement“We didn’t put the ball in play enough,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “That’s to their credit. Their pitching was good.”The Sox struck out 15 times as they dropped the rubber match of the three-game series.“We got it going, just key times they made a pitch and we didn’t put it in play,” La Russa said.Wednesday was billed as a showcase pitching matchup between Sox starter Michael Kopech and Ohtani. And both had numbers good enough to win.[ [Don’t miss] Andrew Vaughn, back at the site of his big-league debut, is putting up All-Star-caliber numbers for the White Sox ]“Obviously he’s a superstar,” Kopech said of Ohtani. “We have to be prepared coming into that on both sides of the ball with a guy like that. And for the most part, I was able to stay in control of that and work counts with him (Ohtani went 0-for-3 with a walk). I might not have been as efficient as I would have liked, but I was able to stay in the driver’s seat with him there.“He did a great job on the mound tonight. Kind of answered all of his own problems or his team’s own problems that they may have struggled with offensively, and they had a couple of big hits and came through for him. It’s quite a matchup like that, but I would like to see my best stuff on a day like that.”Kopech allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 5⅓ innings.White Sox starter Michael Kopech pitches in the first inning Wednesday, June 29, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (Jae C. Hong/AP)“It was kind of a grind,” he said. “I started off making a few mistakes that got taken advantage of. And then toward the end where I really needed to bear down and make some tough pitches, didn’t make those pitches and I got taken advantage of. I’ve got to do a better job of putting us in control and being in the driver’s seat a little bit.Advertisement“I’ve been putting the team in a position where we have to fight all night long, and I can’t continue to do that.”Ohtani gave up five hits, struck out 11 and walked one in 5⅔ scoreless innings.“I thought we worked the at-bats,” La Russa said. “And then we did a better job of making the at-bats go longer. But he’s got weapons. He’s for real.”The first two Angels batters scored in the first. Taylor Ward singled and Mike Trout drove him in with a double.[ [Don’t miss] Rockford Peaches — 30 years after ‘A League of Their Own’ — live on in a new series: ‘We didn’t know we were part of something bigger’ ]With runners on first and second, Jared Walsh hit a grounder to Abreu. The first baseman threw to second to get an out, but the return throw got past Kopech as he tried to time getting the ball and the bag. Trout scored on the sequence, making it 2-0.Luis Robert and Abreu singled to begin the fourth. Sheets hit the ball hard, but Trout made a running catch in center for the first out. Ohtani struck out AJ Pollock but walked Leury García to load the bases.AdvertisementOhtani then struck out Harrison on five pitches.Abreu collected his third of four hits, a one-out single, in the sixth. Ohtani struck out Sheets and exited, having thrown 108 pitches. Pollock singled against reliever José Quijada, but Leury García hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning.The Angels extended the lead with a two-run homer by Luis Rengifo in the bottom of the sixth. Kopech exited after 99 pitches.“I was talking to Lance (Lynn) a little after my outing and he said it best: The days you don’t have your best stuff and you’re able to grind through five or six and limit damage, that’s what pitching is about,” Kopech said. “Not when you do have your best stuff, things are going easy. You would like to have that every time, but it’s a difficult time and we face really good players.”The Sox scored on a wild pitch in the eighth, but that would be all for the offense. They went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.“Sometimes you strike out that many times and you didn’t do a good job,” La Russa said. “But we did a good job of prolonging at-bats, we had opportunities and they made the pitch to get the outs. Tip your cap to the other side.”

The Orlando Magic didn’t tender a qualifying offer to Mo Bamba by Wednesday, which will make him an unrestricted free agent when free agency officially opens at 12:01 a.m. Friday, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Orlando Sentinel.The Magic not extending the qualifying offer doesn’t mean Bamba won’t return. They still have an interest in bringing him back and are expected to work on negotiating a new deal when the period opens.AdvertisementBamba, the No. 6 pick in the 2018 draft, finished the final season of his 4-year, $24.1 million rookie scale contract in 2021-22.He averaged career-highs across the board, including minutes (25.7), points (10.6), rebounds (8.1), blocks (1.7) and assists (1.2) in 71 games (69 starts).AdvertisementThe Magic had until the close of business Wednesday to tender a 1-year, $10.1 million qualifying offer to Bamba to make him a restricted free agent.The move didn’t come as a surprise. Early Wednesday, it was clear that the Magic were “unlikely” to make the qualifier, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Sentinel.Orlando would have risked diminishing the value of Bamba’s contract on the trade market if it extended the qualifying offer and he opted into it. Players who return to a team on the qualifying offer are no longer extension eligible and become unrestricted free agents the following season. They also have a no-trade clause for that season they’re on the qualifying offer, meaning the team would need the player’s consent for a trade.If the Magic and Bamba agree to a new deal, it’d allow Orlando to retain his Bird rights and have more contract flexibility.Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can retain him by matching the terms of that offer. As an unrestricted free agent, Bamba can sign with any team.There’s also the possibility the Magic sign and trade Bamba.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves are expected to be interested in Bamba, a person told the Sentinel.AdvertisementTeams may communicate with free agents starting at 6 p.m. Thursday before agreeing to terms six hours later.The free agency moratorium is a negotiation period from Friday through July 6 in which teams can come to terms on contracts and other deals while the new salary cap numbers are adjusted after an audit of league finances. Those deals can become official at 12:01 p.m. on July 6.The Magic had three other players who were eligible for 1-year qualifying offers — Bol Bol ($2.7 million) and two-way players Ignas Brazdeikis ($50,000) and Admiral Schofield ($50,000).The Magic extended a two-way qualifying offer to Schofield, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Orlando Sentinel, making him a restricted free agent.The Magic didn’t publicly comment on any of these players.This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.

Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, center, celebrates with center fielder Christopher Morel and third baseman Patrick Wisdom (16) after hitting a two-run homer during the fifth inning on June 29, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Federico Navarro scored in the 68th minute and the Chicago Fire beat the Philadelphia Union 1-0 on Wednesday night at Soldier Field.Gabriel Slonina saved both of the shots he faced for the Fire (4-8-5), who won for the second time in three games after a 10-game winless streak. It was the seventh shutout of the season for Slonina.AdvertisementAndre Blake saved three shots for the Union (7-2-8), who lost for the first time in seven games.Both teams play Sunday. The Fire visit the San Jose Earthquakes and the Union visit the Columbus Crew.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A tribute board hangs near the entrance of the visiting clubhouse at Angel Stadium, acknowledging players who made their major-league debuts at the ballpark since 2020.The list includes Andrew Vaughn.AdvertisementThe Chicago White Sox designated hitter enjoyed returning to Angel Stadium this week.“It’s kind of cool,” Vaughn said before Monday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. “They have a little thing in the clubhouse that has a bunch of (autographed) balls from guys that debuted. I got to be up there, which is kind of special.Advertisement“Brings back a lot of memories.”Back on April 2, 2021, Vaughn went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run in a 12-8 Sox victory.“It was a whirlwind,” Vaughn said. “So many emotions. Nerves. Excitement. It’s tough to put into words how much was going through my head.“Looking back, it’s been a year and a half, but it kind of feels like yesterday. It’s so cliché to say, but you don’t forget things like that.”[ [Don’t miss] Yoán Moncada returns from the IL looking to turn around a frustrating season ]Vaughn said the journey from then to now has been “a learning curve.”“I’ve gotten to improve on so many things because of that moment,” Vaughn said. “I got to just build upon it and learn what it’s like and how this game works and evolve with it.”In that short time, Vaughn has become one of the team’s top hitters. He entered Wednesday’s series finale slashing .307/.360/.465 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs in 56 games. He’s second on the team with 13 doubles.Vaughn has a .798 OPS against right-handers, an improvement from .610 last season.AdvertisementAnd he has been clutch, going 15-for-42 (.357) with runners in scoring position and 7-for-18 (.389) with runners in scoring position and two outs.White Sox designated hitter Andrew Vaughn hits an RBI double against the Blue Jays on June 20, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)He was not in the starting lineup Wednesday, as manager Tony La Russa said the team wanted to give Vaughn two days — including Thursday’s day off — to “refresh his legs.”“Most days if not all days this season, he’s as good as any hitter we have on the team, and that’s a remarkable statement to make,” La Russa said before Wednesday’s game. “He’s smart. He adjusts. He takes instruction well. And he’s a hungry hitter.”Vaughn is slashing .337/.391/.429 (33-for-98) with six doubles, one home run, 11 RBIs, 10 walks and nine multihit performances in his last 23 games. He has reached base safely in 22 of the 23.He’s seventh in the American League in average (.315) since May 1 and tied for ninth in the majors (.345) since May 31.All of that success has led to Vaughn’s name popping up in the All-Star conversation.Advertisement“They are amazing words,” he said when asked about being in the All-Star discussion. “I don’t even know how to explain it. But it’s pretty cool to be in that company. As a kid, you watch the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game and it’s probably the coolest thing to watch during the whole year besides the playoffs.“It would be an extreme honor, but I think the No. 1 goal — and everyone in here is the same way — is to get to the playoffs.”[ [Don’t miss] Rockford Peaches — 30 years after ‘A League of Their Own’ — live on in a new series: ‘We didn’t know we were part of something bigger’ ]Among Vaughn’s favorite All-Star week moments were a couple that occurred in 2007 in San Francisco.“Vlad (Guerrero) Sr.’s Home Run Derby in San Francisco, hitting the glove (well beyond the left-center wall), which was basically thought to be unheard of,” Vaughn said. “The Ichiro (Suzuki) inside-the-park home run in SF (in the fifth inning of the All-Star Game) was insane. Just so many (moments).”Vaughn was born in Santa Rosa, Calif., and played college baseball at California. The Sox selected him with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft.He said his parents and sister were in attendance at Angel Stadium. He’s expecting more friends and family when the Sox play the Giants this weekend at Oracle Park. That three-game series begins Friday.Advertisement“It’s really cool,” he said. “As a kid I was a Giants fan, I went to Giants games. Giants games were where it was at. Fun, a great atmosphere. It’s going to be pretty special to get to play there after sitting in the stands so many times.”

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson, like many GMs before him, believes progress isn’t necessarily “linear.” But Luke Richardson has lived it.AdvertisementThe Montreal Canadiens went from play-in charity chase in 2020 to Stanley Cup Final runner-up in 2021 and back to last-place languisher this past season, and Richardson was along for the ride as an assistant coach.So Richardson appeared unfazed by the word “rebuild” during his introduction as Hawks head coach Wednesday at the Blackhawks Store on Michigan Avenue.Advertisement“I’ve been through — both playing and coaching — rebuilds, teams that are competitive, whether it was two years ago in the Stanley Cup Final. The ultimate challenge is to get there,” Richardson said. “I’m totally comfortable with developing players, having patience with players, but I said right from the start, I am an optimist and I want to go win every game and I’m going to approach every game like that.”[ [Don’t miss] Luke Richardson’s mentors say the new Blackhawks coach has a way with players: ‘Going to command respect right away’ ]But there will be plenty of time for all the heavy lifting — and losing — this team may endure. Wednesday’s introduction christened the honeymoon phase.Richardson held court with a backdrop of the Apple Store and Tribune Tower across the Chicago River, but he might as well have been perched atop Willis Tower.“It’s a real exciting day,” he said. “Right from Day 1 of my NHL career, (Chicago) was such an exciting place to be, and I’m so happy to be on it from this side of it for a change.”The former defenseman alluded to his NHL debut on Oct. 8, 1987, when his Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Hawks 7-5 at Chicago Stadium.Luke Richardson is introduced as the new Blackhawks coach Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)In settling on Richardson as the franchise’s 40th head coach, Davidson chose the person he believed would have credibility with veterans and patience with prospects.“When we started the search, we wanted someone who could lead with authority and hold players accountable,” Davidson said. “In addition we were looking for someone who could develop and coach young talent while also connecting with the veteran players.”AdvertisementRichardson replaces interim coach Derek King, who took the reins after the Hawks fired Jeremy Colliton on Nov. 6. Davidson still envisions a place for King — whom he called “a serious candidate” for the head coaching job — to be determined later this summer“It was a tough spot for Derek to step into (in) his first foray as a head coach, so we thought he did excellent,” Davidson said. “He really helped calm things down and solidify things in the locker room. … We’re looking to bring high-character people into the organization, and Derek is that.”Here are five things we learned about Richardson.Talk to people who know Richardson, and one word keeps coming up: “calm.”Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis told the Tribune, “He’s got a quiet confidence.”Folks once said similar things about Colliton’s demeanor, and we saw how that turned out. So Richardson was asked: Can you get feisty when you need to?Advertisement“Usually the referees do that to me,” he joked. “I have learned I don’t have to do that so much, and you get your point across better. It’s the same with the players.”[ [Don’t miss] 3 things we learned from Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson, including why he hired a ‘baseball guy’ ]When he needed to send a message in practice, especially when he coached the AHL Binghamton Senators, “I’d (bag) skate the players, but I’d skate with them,” Richardson said. “And I would try to beat them. I would hold my breath and pretend I was not out of shape. But I am. I try to let them believe that I can (beat them), and it shapes them into, ‘Wow, we’ve got to pick it up here.’”That’s a case where he needs the players amped up. Richardson wants them also to follow his lead when he needs them to settle down.“A calm demeanor … leads to the players feeling calmness on the bench but aware of their job and what they have to do,” he said. “Not tense or yelling and screaming at the ref but under control. I think that filters into the players in front of you and they lose track of the game plan and get off track.”Luke Richardson on his (mostly) calm demeanor: “If you have to make a point you pick the time to make that point and then you don’t lose the players. … where they’re going to shut you off and not listen to you because you’re yelling more than you’re teaching and coaching.” pic.twitter.com/b9xGgjmki9— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) June 29, 2022

Richardson said it’s not calculated but occasions to be aggressive will come up organically. He thinks back to what he responded to as a player.“It’s not all the time where they’re going to shut you off and not listen to you because you’re yelling more than you’re teaching and coaching,” he said. “Nobody wants to be in an environment like that. I don’t.”AdvertisementRichardson said he first learned of the Hawks’ interest when Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes informed him that the Hawks asked permission to interview him.“The initial reason that Luke’s name popped up was something you’re seeing a lot of over the last couple days: Nobody has a bad word to say about him,” Davidson said. “Everyone’s had a great experience with him, so that was one of the first things that put him on our radar.“Then once we got into the room with Luke, something intangible — it just felt like it clicked. It felt really natural and comfortable.”Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson, left, introduces Luke Richardson as the team’s new head coach Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)The first interview lasted “4½ hours or something, but it didn’t seem that long,” Richardson said. He discussed his philosophies with Hawks management and broke down film.“Once we got a little deeper into how he sees the game and how he views players and his communication styles,” Davidson said, “it really resonated with us and felt like something that would work within the system we’re putting in place here.”The Hawks also interviewed King, Vancouver Canucks associate coach Brad Shaw and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Todd Reirden. They invited Richardson to fly back to Chicago and took him to dinner. Later, he watched a Stanley Cup Final game with Davidson.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] 5 things we heard from Norm Maciver, the Blackhawks associate GM, including his thoughts on tanking for draft picks ]“I felt very comfortable, confident on how things went,” Richardson said, “and Kyle said, ‘I think we’re going to meet one more time tomorrow morning.’ I walked back to the hotel thinking, ‘Well, that’s got to be good.’“Then I started overthinking: ‘Maybe they’re going to call me in and say thanks very much for coming, see ya next time.’ But it worked out and Kyle presented it to me in a way that I felt was the right fit — not a good fit, it was the right fit. Very comfortable with each other in supporting each other going forward on the direction the management and organization want to go, and I feel that I can deliver in that area.”“… I felt was the right fit — not a good fit — it was the right fit.”—new Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson on being offered the job pic.twitter.com/BOpGIlD1x1— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) June 29, 2022

There’s a unique energy at the United Center when Jim Cornelison belts out the national anthem, and that hasn’t been lost on Richardson.“If we can take that passion and excitement and take that right out of the national anthem and play like that, taking the X’s and O’s out of it, just with that passion alone and implementing it into our system, that is what I want,” he said. “I think the people see that.”And there’s a time when the music stops.[ [Don’t miss] Jeff Greenberg brings the system he learned with Theo Epstein’s Cubs to the Blackhawks as he tries to ‘close that gap’ with baseball ]“Obviously sports is a tough business, it’s a win-loss business, and you get there with your play,” he said. “When? I’m not sure. I can’t give a timeline on that, but I know that we’re going to be working toward that every day, and I think that will resonate and show in the product on the ice.”AdvertisementRichardson added this caveat, reminiscent of Davidson’s reluctance to rush the rebuild or put a timeline on it: “We’re going to have to take those steps one, two, three, four. We can’t go one, 10 — we can’t skip anything. We have to do everything right.“It’ll take a little time. I’m not sure how much time, but that’s exciting. I like a challenge and I’m ready for it.”Richardson’s rookie season, 1987-88, also happened to be Hawks great Eddie Olczyk’s first season in Toronto.“I was lucky enough to be roommates with Eddie Olczyk,” Richardson said. “What a great mentor he was both on the ice and off the ice. His personality is so bubbly.Richardson made his NHL debut on Oct. 8, 1987, at Chicago Stadium. Olczyk alleviated any pregame nerves.AdvertisementThe Flyers’ Luke Richardson, right, is sent flying by the Maple Leafs’ Tie Domi on March 29, 2001, in Philadelphia. (MILES KENNEDY / AP)“He took me out for breakfast that morning — because obviously he knows Chicago — at a little diner somewhere,” Richardson said. “And just being with me all day that day. He was like: ‘Just make sure you’re ready for that national anthem. Just make sure you’re ready.’“It didn’t matter how many times the players said that, I was not ready. I was definitely intimidated with the big team, the loud crowd and that organ. Chills on the back of my neck. It was such an exciting game.“Today, every time I come to the United Center, I have that feeling. It brings me back to 1987.”After the news conference, Richardson posed for pictures with his family, flanked by wife Stephanie and daughter Morgan.Earlier he memorialized his daughter Daron, who inspired his family’s cause to raise suicide awareness among young people. Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“Life is tough and 11 years ago we lost our daughter Daron (then 14) to suicide,” Richardson said. “It was devastating obviously for our family, but we wouldn’t be here today, the three of us, without the hockey community, guys like Eddie (Olczyk) reaching out and his wife, Diana. Our house was full of people that I played with, coached with, hockey community, and that’s the only way we got through it.Advertisement“And that’s the way I believe that a hockey team survives. It’s family and it’s support. So I coach like that.”The Richardsons created Do It For Daron (DIFD) to support suicide prevention, and Richardson said he was gratified that as he moved from stop to stop in his hockey career, each community — Ottawa, Binghamton, Montreal, New York — took up the cause.“We bring that movement of mental health awareness with us everywhere we go,” he said, “and that’s why purple is a big part of my wardrobe and our family’s. It’s Daron’s favorite and it’s part of the DIFD movement.” In the wake of the scandal involving the 2010 Blackhawks — in which former prospect Kyle Beach accused a former video coach of sexual assault and the team was found to have suppressed the allegation — the Hawks launched a new department dedicated to players’ mental health.“(The) department that’s in place here is ahead of anybody in the NHL, I can tell you that,” Richardson said. “Very impressed with meeting with everybody and talking about creating an environment where the players feel comfortable going in and having support.“And the coaching staff has got to respect that, support that. (That’s) a great advantage for our organization to have and it’s a very smart step for all teams to follow.”

Willson Contreras wants to remain a Chicago Cub.“This is my house, and it’s been my home for 14 years,” the catcher said Sunday in St. Louis.AdvertisementCubs fans want Contreras to get his extension. He arguably is their most popular player and on his way to his third National League start in the All-Star Game.Team President Jed Hoyer has done nothing but praise Contreras’ play and leadership. During a Q&A with season ticket holders Monday, Hoyer said “everyone loves the way he plays, with so much energy and passion, and he is having a great year.”AdvertisementYet consensus opinion is that Contreras will be dealt by the Aug. 2 trade deadline.It makes no sense to lose your most valuable asset without getting multiple players in return, and last season’s sell-off proved no one is untouchable under Hoyer. It doesn’t have to be that way.If Contreras desperately wants to stay, he should order his agent to get something done before the deadline and sign an extension. Lance Lynn did exactly that last year with the White Sox.It might not be what Contreras would get on the open market, but certainly Hoyer would make Contreras among the highest-paid catchers in the game. He definitely is one of the best hitting catchers, but not among the top defensively.Lynn aside, it’s rare that a player signs only a few months from hitting free agency. So if Contreras desires to test free agency after the season, as is his right, Hoyer needs to do what’s best for the organization and deal him. It’s that simple. Better to get something more than a draft pick for a player of Contreras’ talent.Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman (5) waves as he walks onto the field for his World Series championship ring before the start of a game against the Atlanta Braves, June 24, 2022, in Atlanta. (Butch Dill/AP)But Freddie Freeman’s departure from the Atlanta Braves in March could serve as a cautionary tale for Contreras, or any pending free agent for that matter. Pay attention to what your agent is doing.According to ESPN, Freeman’s agent, Casey Close, “presented two proposals on behalf of Freeman significantly higher than (the Braves’) $135 million offer,” and then gave the Braves an hour to respond. The Braves bumped their offer up by $5 million over the five-year deal, or about $1 million more per year. It wasn’t nearly enough.When the deadline passed without any movement, the Braves decided to move on and acquired Oakland A’s first baseman Matt Olson, whom they signed to an extension. ESPN reported that Freeman contacted former teammates and “expressed shock” that the negotiations ended that way.AdvertisementThree months later, Freeman reportedly is dumping his agency. He had a tearful homecoming last weekend in Atlanta, and perhaps realizes it was better to be the big fish in a little pond that he loved than one of several big fish in a significantly bigger pond in Los Angeles.It happens. It’s baseball.No one needs to feel sorry for Freeman, who signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers. If you let your agent try to pull a power play during one of the biggest career decisions of your life, you get what you deserve. This isn’t tiddlywinks. Agents can overplay their hand.Contreras, who is represented by Octagon, hopefully won’t make that same mistake.Most of us never will understand the stress that goes into turning down an eight or nine-figure contract offer for what a player hopes will be a better deal. Sometimes it backfires, as it seemed to with Anthony Rizzo.Hoyer made a lucrative offer to Rizzo, who, through his agent, declined it. So Hoyer eventually dealt Rizzo to the New York Yankees for prospects. Rizzo signed a lesser two-year deal with the Yankees in the offseason, and seemed happy to be playing on a World Series contender.AdvertisementBut unlike Javier Báez and Kris Bryant, Rizzo already had one nice payday with the Cubs, a seven-year, $41 million deal with two team options signed in 2013 when he was a promising but unproven player.Even after trading Báez to the Mets, Hoyer reportedly hoped to re-sign the shortstop. After all, they came close to an agreement before the pandemic hit. But Báez signed with the Detroit Tigers for six-years and $140 million. Whether the Cubs made an offer is unknown.Again, don’t feel sorry for anyone. Báez got his money, and has struggled in Detroit. He already has been booed for his slow start, seemingly missing the comfort zone he had in Chicago. Though he seems to be recovering at the plate, finally getting over .200, Báez is stuck playing for a team that won’t contend until at least 2023, and probably later.He probably would be in the same situation had he re-signed with the Cubs, who are going nowhere and have no timetable of when they’ll turn the corner. But Báez surely wouldn’t be booed at Wrigley Field. He was the most popular player from the core that won in 2016, and his faults were often overlooked thanks to his energy and entertaining style of play.Perhaps Báez is happier in Detroit than he’d be in Chicago. Maybe Kris Bryant, who has barely played in Colorado because of recurring back issues, is happier being with the Rockies.Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras (40) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field, May 31, 2022. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)AdvertisementBut it might be possible Hoyer lucked out by not signing either. During that Q&A Monday, Hoyer was applauded by one fan for not splurging on Báez and Bryant, whom the fan noted hadn’t lived up to their contracts.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“I appreciate that,” Hoyer replied. “I’d also say … I’ve got a ring in my house because of those guys, and we won a lot of games because of those guys. I’ve really had good relationships with all of them and we did something special together.“It was really difficult to do that, but ultimately everything I do is simply about (trying) to make the right decision for this franchise. This is way bigger than all of us, and that’s my focus.”Hoyer already has taken the hit for the departures of Rizzo, Báez and Bryant, so why should it matter to him if he gets more grief for trading Contreras? Hoyer claims he’s harder on himself than the fans or media members are of him.And would Contreras be happier in another city?He spent many years in Chicago as one of the supporting cast members on Cubs teams before taking the lead role after last summer’s sell-off. He has also become a clubhouse leader, something few could’ve envisioned when he was a rookie constantly letting his emotions get the best of him in 2016.AdvertisementThis is Contreras’ team, at least for one more month.Enjoy him while you can.

Candace Parker had a season-high 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper scored 15 points and Chicago beat the Connecticut Sun 91-83 on Wednesday for the Sky’s fourth straight victory.Parker made a no-look pass to Kahleah Copper with 33.5 seconds left before halftime to become the eighth player in WNBA history to reach 1,500 career assists. Parker is the only player in WNBA history to eclipse 6,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 1,500 assists in a career.AdvertisementThe Sky went on a 31-9 run in the first half and led by as many as 23 points. The Sky shot 83.3% (20 of 24) in the first half, while the Sun shot 30% (12 of 40).[ [Don’t miss] 3 Chicago Sky players chosen as All-Star reserves — joining starter Candace Parker — for the July 10 game at Wintrust Arena ]Connecticut went on a 7-0 run to get within 82-74 with 2:18 left in the fourth quarter. But Rebekah Gardner ended the Sky’s drought with a 3-pointer and Emma Meesseman made two free throws on the Sky’s next possession for an 87-76 lead.AdvertisementAllie Quigley added 13 points for the Sky (14-5), who are off to their best 19-game start in franchise history. Azura Stevens and Gardner each scored 10 points, and Courtney Vandersloot had nine points and six assists.Jonquel Jones had 24 points, 11 rebounds and five steals for her sixth double-double of the season for Connecticut (13-7). Alyssa Thomas added 23 points and Brionna Jones scored 18 points. DeWanna Bonner was held to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting and Courtney Williams was 2 of 10 for six points.

For many of the women and girls playing baseball this summer, the Rockford Peaches — a team that hasn’t played in more than 60 years — remain a source of inspiration. One of the original four teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), the Peaches won the most championships in league history.AdvertisementEven though the team dissolved in 1954, the organization lives again through the efforts of baseball historian Kat Williams and the International Women’s Baseball Center along with the City of Rockford — and of course the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.”The film has allowed the spirit of the Peaches to continue through new generations, and Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara proclaimed Friday and Saturday “A League of Their Own 30th Anniversary Celebration Days” in the city. Both the IWBC and Rockford will honor the movie’s anniversary with a series of events concluding with a premiere of the upcoming Prime Video series that reimagines the beloved baseball film.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Title IX turns 50: Meet 50 women in Illinois who have impacted sports on — and off — the field of play ]“Women have always been part of the game,” said Williams, the IWBC president, whose goal is to commemorate the contributions women have made to the sport throughout the years. “We’ve always played, umpired, coached, tended the fields, kept the stats, owned the teams. We have always been there.“We did not start playing in 1943 and we did not stop in 1954. And internationally, women’s baseball is huge right now. So that is precisely why we at the International Women’s Baseball Center set out to make a home for women’s baseball. You know, men’s baseball has a home in Cooperstown, New York, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Little League Baseball has a home in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where they have all the fields, play games and have a museum. Women’s baseball does not have a home.“Well, they do now and it’s Rockford, Illinois.”Founded in 1943 by Chicago Cubs President and owner P.K. Wrigley and Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey, the AAGPBL featured teams of female baseball players from cities within reasonable driving distance of Chicago.”Rockford Gives Up on Baseball League for Girls” in Chicago Daily Tribune on Nov. 22, 1953, (Chicago Tribune)An announcement in the Chicago Tribune in February 1943 said “the girls will wear dainty raiment instead of the customary mannish attire. They will not be bloomer girls, tho.” Tryouts were held in various cities with spring training at Wrigley Field. It was baseball, not softball, same as the men’s game but with some adjustments. For example, the basepaths were 65 feet instead of 90.For the women chosen, it meant an opportunity to get paid to play, but just like the majors, that did not extend to everyone as the league was segregated. The AAGPBL folded in 1954 but remains an important piece of women’s baseball history. Nearly 600 women played in the league.AdvertisementThe Rockford Peaches — both the real ones and the Hollywood version — are a big part of that legacy. When “A League of Their Own” debuted in theaters in 1992, Penny Marshall’s film reawakened fandom and breathed new life into the long-defunct ballclub.“I saw the movie the day it premiered,” Williams told the Tribune. “I laughed and I cried and I cheered. I was just so overwhelmed. At the end of the movie, the credits started rolling and the old-timers are out there playing a game and Madonna was singing ‘This Used to Be My Playground’ and I lost it. I couldn’t get up.“Eventually the lights came up and I looked around the room. There were about 10 other women sitting in that theater and we couldn’t leave. We had no idea we struggled. I played baseball and softball long before Title IX. And we struggled and we fought and we thought something was wrong with us. We didn’t know we were part of that history. We didn’t know we were part of something bigger.“And so to find that out, it just changed my world. It absolutely changed my life.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Title IX turns 50: A look at how those 37 words have impacted women in sports ]In the movie, Geena Davis played Dottie Hinson, a character loosely based on real-life Peach Dorothy Kamenshek. Kamenshek, who joined the team for its inaugural season, had been a softball player in Cincinnati. She went on to become the AAGPBL’s star player.A two-time batting champion and seven-time All-Star, the left-handed first baseman was known to jump three or four feet in the air and do splits to snag the ball. “Kammie,” as she also was known, was such a big star that the Fort Lauderdale club in the Class B Florida International League attempted to buy her contract, but the AAGPBL’s board of advisers rejected the offer because, according to league President Fred Leo, “women should play among themselves and they could not help but appear inferior in athletic competition with men.”In their first season, the Peaches finished last in the league with a 43-65 record, but Kamensky scored 58 runs and hit .271 with 39 RBIs. With the league’s best player in Kamensky, the Peaches won league championships in 1945, 1948, 1949 and 1950.”File Notice to Dissolve Rockford Peaches Club” in Chicago Daily Tribune on Feb. 26, 1956. (Chicago Tribune)The league’s final season was in 1954, and the Peaches dissolved without much fanfare. The Tribune ran this item in February 1956:“Notice of legal action to dissolve the Rockford Peaches Girls’ Softball Club, Inc., has been served by the attorney general. The corporation, which took over the club in 1954, has failed to file annual reports or pay charges and fees required by corporation laws. Officials in Rockford said no effort has been planned to revive the organization.”It was over. Or so it seemed.AdvertisementBut thanks in large part to “A League of Their Own,” the Peaches live on — as evident in this weekend’s events in Rockford.“The Peaches are an important part of Rockford’s history,” McNamara said in a statement, “and we are honored that Prime Video has not only created a series based upon the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, but is also hosting the series debut right here in Rockford — weeks before it is available to the public.“I’m excited to watch as the launch of this series, as well as the creation of the International Women’s Baseball Center in Rockford, usher in a new era of AAGPBL fans.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement