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Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman does not shy away from sharing his thoughts.Stroman, a fixture on Twitter with more than 513,000 followers, fervently voices his opinions and beliefs. So when the Supreme Court controversially overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case Friday morning, Stroman publicly expressed his feelings.AdvertisementOn Saturday, about 24 hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, Stroman tweeted:“The strength of our women is unmatched. We must protect them all at costs. Unimaginable to see their rights taken away. Men should never be allowed to make laws about women’s bodies. Those of you who disagree need to realize you’re a direct part of the problem. Change is needed!”AdvertisementThe strength of our women is unmatched. We must protect them all at costs. Unimaginable to see their rights taken away. Men should never be allowed to make laws about women’s bodies. Those of you who disagree need to realize you’re a direct part of the problem. Change is needed!— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) June 25, 2022

Between Friday morning and Tuesday evening, Stroman shared about 18 retweets on his timeline relating to Roe v. Wade being overturned. Among them were thoughts from NBA star Kyrie Irving and former Cy Young Award winner David Price.“I was gutted when that decision came out,” Stroman told the Tribune on Tuesday. “So, yeah, I’m siding with the females and the ones out there who truly believe that we should never be in the position to take away any types of rights from females.“It’s their body, it’s their choice until the day I die. That’s how I’ll always believe.”[ [Don’t miss] What makes Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman tick? Mindfulness, mental well-being and an endless amount of outside interests. ]Stroman believes supporting Roe v. Wade, abortion rights and, by extension, human rights is “common sense and how everyone should think, but unfortunately it’s not.” He mentioned important women in his life — including his mother, his personal trainer and his chef — and the strength he sees from them.Stroman’s comments are notable. He is one of only a few male professional athletes to publicly criticize the Supreme Court’s ruling and its societal impact, and the 31-year-old plays a sport that tends to skew more conservative within clubhouses. Stroman said his tweets did not elicit any reaction from his Cubs teammates or spark conversations.Cubs starter Marcus Stroman pitches against the White Sox on May 29, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)“My personal opinion on it is we fall into some really tricky areas when you start telling people what to do with their bodies, right?” manager David Ross told the Tribune. “I’m definitely not the person that makes all these political stances, but I do feel pretty strongly that guys that have a platform like Stro and use that to voice their opinion and the things that are important to them, I think that’s great.”White Sox closer Liam Hendriks also spoke out publicly after the Roe reversal.“Obviously, today is a terrible, terrible day for women’s rights,” Hendriks said Friday on WSCR-AM 670’s “Parkins & Spiegel Show.” “I mean, what’s next? Are they going to take voting for women as well now? It’s just something that is absurd in the fact that they thought that this is their thing.Advertisement“If this had anything to do with men, there’d be no chance that this would be overturned. And that’s something that’s disgraceful in this day and age.”Instead of clubhouse conversations, Stroman has talked with his family and those close to him but “not many baseball individuals.” Stroman, who did not want to call out specific people, recalled being told in the past by front-office personnel to get off Twitter and stop sharing his opinions.[ [Don’t miss] ‘We’re doing a disservice to an entire generation’: How Chicago athletes and teams reacted to Roe being overturned ]“I suppose it’s the slowest sport when it comes to change, and when it comes to speaking out against any inequalities, baseball’s usually very, very, very slow,” Stroman said. “That’s why I said I’m always going to put my piece out. I don’t care how baseball is going to handle it.”Stroman would like to see other male athletes speak up; however, he thinks a lot are afraid to be vocal.“The reactions to my tweet are not going to change how I live life or change my happiness,” Stroman said. “I know there are a lot of people out there who are pretty affected by this and who are damaged by this decision. I‘m always going to be someone who stands up for females, who stands up for inequalities, who stands up for those people who don’t get treated right in America because I’m a minority, so I fall into that category as well.”Stroman can understand why some male athletes could be hesitant. In the first year or two of his major-league career, Stroman, now in his ninth season, acknowledges he might not have felt as comfortable speaking out — “unfortunately,” he noted.AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“Before you get to your free agency, you don’t want to do anything that will kind of push you the wrong way, which is terrible to even say, but it’s like that in baseball,” Stroman said.[ [Don’t miss] Title IX turns 50: Meet 50 women in Illinois who have impacted sports on — and off — the field of play ]Stroman understands the faith-based anti-abortion perspective, stating he has the utmost respect for anybody who is religious. While everybody is entitled to their opinion, Stroman said, that shouldn’t mean people can impose their religious beliefs on others and dictate how someone lives their life.“It’s their body, their choice,” Stroman said. “I think that’s the only way people should view it, but in America that’s not even close to a common reaction.”Amid the expected angry responses to his tweets, Stroman said he has received countless messages from women worldwide, and even some men, thanking him for speaking up.As an African American/Puerto Rican star in Major League Baseball, Stroman occupies a rare space. He hopes his voice can amplify and support those who need it.“When it comes to how I think and how I process things, I’m a minority. The things that I’ve been through, I see life from a whole different angle,” Stroman said. “No matter what way you go with, there’s going to be people to bash you. You just have to be greater than that and stronger than that and realize that I’m speaking out confidently in how I actually believe in things and what I truly believe in.Advertisement“I would hope that at some point this world would start to change towards it, but I truly feel like we’re going backwards.”

ANAHEIM, Calif. — It was the definition of a no-doubter.Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert crushed Oliver Ortega’s fifth-inning fastball, sending it 448 feet for a two-run home run.AdvertisementThe blast gave the Sox the lead on the way to an 11-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in front of 23,979 at Angel Stadium.“It wasn’t as important for the distance, it was important because of the moment of the game,” Robert said through an interpreter.AdvertisementThe Sox scored five runs in the fifth and five more in the seventh. They finished with 17 hits, three by Robert.He hit the second two-run homer in the fifth after Josh Harrison’s shot against Angels starter Chase Silseth tied the game at 3.“Got into a good count, 3-1, saw the ball pretty well and just got a pitch (and) didn’t miss it,” Harrison said. “Been feeling pretty good at the plate, getting my rhythm and timing. Putting good swings on good pitches.”Ortega entered and allowed a single to Tim Anderson, the fourth straight Sox hit in the inning. Two batters later, Robert smashed the first pitch he saw from Ortega over the center-field wall, putting the Sox ahead 5-3.“We were confident enough to come back in the game and that’s what we did,” Robert said. “The game is nine innings and we played nine innings and gave our best.”The Sox overcame three Angels homers in the third inning.“We’re down three and everybody said we’re not doing this to (Sox starter) Johnny (Cueto) again,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “He gives it up early and he shuts them down. We had to do something. Our guys were relentless. That’s baseball. Shows what we can do.”After Andrew Velazquez hit a solo home run with one out in the third against Cueto, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani went back-to-back with two outs.AdvertisementTrout’s homer to left had an exit velocity of 106.2 mph. Ohtani’s 420-foot homer to center had an exit velocity of 107.1 mph.Cueto (2-4) bounced back, allowing one hit and one walk in his final three innings. He exited with three runs allowed on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk in six innings.“Those homers just got me going,” Cueto said through an interpreter. “I was able to execute and that was what I needed to get it going.”Cueto was coming off of his shortest start of the season, allowing three runs on seven hits in 5⅓ innings on June 24 against the Baltimore Orioles at Guaranteed Rate Field.The right-hander continues to be a solid addition, going at least six innings for the seventh time in eight starts.“He’s really a pro,” La Russa said. “And he’s a smart pro.”AdvertisementThe Sox also saw some positives offensively, as seven hitters had at least two hits.That included third baseman Yoán Moncada, who singled, doubled and drove in two in his return from the injured list. Anderson and José Abreu joined Robert with three hits.Harrison had two hits, a walk and three RBIs.“A lot of clutch at-bats, with a walk, before Timmy got up there,” La Russa said of Harrison, the No. 9 hitter. “He’s looking like himself and that’s a boost for us because he has winning all over him.”Harrison added: “(We) kept the line moving, one through nine (in the order), tough (at-bats). That’s typically a recipe for success.”It was also a sign of the team’s potential at the plate.Advertisement“The game of baseball is a very difficult one,” Robert said. “And we always try to do our best every day and to have a day like today is good for everybody. That doesn’t mean we’ll have a day like that tomorrow, but we’re going to try.”

Keegan Thompson’s self-assessment, shortly after pitching the deepest into a start in his big-league career, took on a big-picture vibe.The right-hander threw a career-high 6⅓ innings in the Chicago Cubs’ 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, relying on early-innings efficiency. However, he wasn’t satisfied with how his outing ended. Manager David Ross went to the bullpen once Thompson surrendered back-to-back one-out singles in the seventh.AdvertisementTwo batters later, Jonathan India connected for a three-run homer off reliever Rowan Wick to extend the Reds lead to 5-0. It began a stretch of three consecutive hits Wick allowed, ending his night after only one out.For Thompson, it was the second time in three starts he pitched into the seventh. He was on the verge of tallying his third straight quality start. He has 24 strikeouts and only three walks over 24⅓ innings in that stretch.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Rafael Ortega’s playing time on the Cubs is increasing. But will he be around after the trade deadline? ]Next up: figuring out how to close out the seventh.“I felt good tonight, but late I got maybe a little tired there,” Thompson said. “But I’ve got to find a way to dig down and make those pitches there at the end and get through that inning.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Thompson’s plan to make that a reality focuses on conditioning, recovery and continuing his work in the days between starts. Closing out later innings is one of the next steps in Thompson’s development as a big-league starter.Ross said the goal was to get Thompson through the seventh. He entered the inning at 81 pitches.Cubs starter Keegan Thompson delivers against the Reds during the first inning Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Matt Marton/AP)“Whether he was running out of gas a little bit, you could see at the back end of the sixth where his stuff was starting to tick off,” Ross said. “He got the rest (between innings) and got that first-pitch out in the seventh and then just wasn’t able to close it out. I tried to help him out with that.“Just continue to be able to be efficient and finish that goal to go even deeper — tonight was a career high for him, so I don’t want to be negative in that. But, yeah, there’s always growth and I’ve seen him continue to grow every time he takes the mound.”Thompson’s efficiency started with his fastball command before incorporating his secondary stuff as he faced the Reds hitters for a second and third time. He finished with 11 called strikes on fastballs. He also flashed a slider he has been working on between starts in bullpen sessions the last three to four weeks, getting three whiffs on the Reds’ three swings against it.Advertisement“Tempo is confidence,” Ross said. “When you’re coming right at guys, the rhythm at which he’s established that fastball, like, here I come. I think it’s always on the attack. … Pace really puts you on your heels as an opposing offense.”

The NFL insisted on an indefinite suspension while Deshaun Watson’s legal team argued there’s no basis for that punishment as both sides presented their cases in front of a retired judge in Delaware on Tuesday, two people in attendance told The Associated Press.The hearing will continue Wednesday, and Watson is scheduled to be there for the duration, according to one person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the hearing isn’t public. It’s expected to conclude Thursday, but it’s not known when a ruling will be made.AdvertisementFormer U.S. District Judge Sue Robinson, who was jointly appointed by the league and the NFL Players Association, will determine whether Watson violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy and whether to impose discipline.Watson agreed to settle 20 of 24 civil lawsuits for sexual misconduct, but the league is seeking at least a one-year suspension, one of the people told the AP. Watson’s side, led by attorneys Jeffrey Kessler and Rusty Hardin, wants the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback to play this season for the Cleveland Browns.AdvertisementTwo separate Texas grand juries declined to indict Watson on criminal complaints stemming from the allegations.Watson has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to clear his name.This is the first hearing for Robinson, who was the first female Chief Judge for the District of Delaware. Previously, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had the authority to impose discipline for violations of the personal conduct policy.Still, Goodell holds considerable power. If either the union or league appeals Robinson’s decision, Goodell or his designee “will issue a written decision that will constitute full, final and complete disposition of the dispute,” per terms of Article 46 in the collective bargaining agreement.That means Goodell could ultimately overrule Robinson’s decision and suspend Watson for one year or even indefinitely due to the potential for more cases.However, an appeal would prolong the process for both sides.The NFL has punished several players for violating the league’s personal conduct policy without criminal charges. In 2010, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger received a six-game suspension after being accused of sexual assault by two women. Goodell later reduced the suspension to four games. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott got six games in 2017 for domestic violence.On Monday, a woman who previously sued Watson filed a lawsuit against the Houston Texans, alleging Watson’s former team provided him with resources to enable his actions and “turned a blind eye” to his behavior.AdvertisementIt’s unknown how long it will take Robinson to make a decision, but the Browns should know Watson’s availability before training camp. NFL discipline typically begins the week leading into the first regular-season game, so Watson would be eligible for camp unless a potential punishment stipulates otherwise.The Browns traded a slew of draft picks to acquire Watson and gave him a five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract in March.The Browns, who open training camp July 27, are eager to find out how long they will be without Watson or if they will have him at all next season.They signed veteran Jacoby Brissett to be Watson’s backup, but the team might be inclined to find a more high-profile starter should Watson be suspended for a significant period. Josh Dobbs is also on the Browns roster, but he never has started an NFL game.Any reconciliation with Baker Mayfield seems unlikely. The No. 1 pick in 2018, Mayfield was essentially pushed aside when the Browns persuaded Watson to come to Cleveland.At a youth camp in Oklahoma on Tuesday, Mayfield said there would need to be “some reaching out” for him and the Browns to repair their relationship.Advertisement“But we’re ready to move on, I think, on both sides,” he said.AP’s Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed.

WIMBLEDON, England — This is not what one thinks of when pondering the supposedly genteel roots of tennis and the purportedly proper atmosphere at Wimbledon, a country-club sport contested at a place officially called the All England Lawn Tennis Club: A player, Nick Kyrgios, capping a first-round victory Tuesday by spitting in the direction of a spectator he said was hassling him.Advertisement“I’ve been dealing with hate and negativity for a long time, so I don’t feel like I owed that person anything‚” Kyrgios said after beating Britain’s Paul Jubb 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 7-5. “Like, he literally came to the match to literally just not even support anyone, really. It was more just to stir up and disrespect.“That’s fine. But if I give it back to you, then that’s just how it is.”AdvertisementDuring the match, which filled the stands at 1,980-seat Court No. 3 — and attracted lengthy lines of folks hoping to be let in, likely owing to the popularity of the anything-can-happen Kyrgios, a 27-year-old from Australia, and the involvement of a local player — Kyrgios asked, without success, to have the fan removed for cursing and sending other verbal abuse his way.[ [Don’t miss] Serena Williams loses in her return to Wimbledon, a 1st-round defeat to Harmony Tan ]This comes less than three weeks after organizers at a tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, investigated when Kyrgios said he heard racist insults from the crowd during a match, and it raises questions about when unruly behavior is too unruly and whether more should, or even can, be done to shield athletes from inappropriate comments from the stands.“I’ve grown up in Australia, so I definitely know what racism is,” Kyrgios said. “I feel like it’s a battle, constant battle, coming from that place and dealing with it. … I don’t think it’s got anything to do with that.“I just think spectators, in general, think there’s just no line there anymore. They can just say something and they film it and then they laugh about it. It’s like that could actually hurt someone’s feelings. Do you know what I mean?”Australia’s Nick Kyrgios complains about an umpire decision during a singles match against Britain’s Paul Jubb on Day 2 of the Wimbledon tennis championships Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP)Tennis players long have dealt with online abuse, particularly from gamblers angry about a match’s outcome. Negative interaction among athletes and the people paying to watch them is gaining more attention in real life too.At a tournament in Indian Wells, California, in March, Naomi Osaka cried after a spectator shouted, “Osaka, you suck!”The four-time Grand Slam champion explained the episode dredged up thoughts of when Serena and Venus Williams were jeered at that event in 2001 after Venus withdrew, citing an injury, before the sisters were supposed to play each other. Their father, Richard, said racial slurs were sent his way; his daughters stayed away from that tournament for years.“Personally, I’ve never experienced any type of heckling on the court (and) I’m very lucky because I know other players have experienced it,” said Coco Gauff, an 18-year-old Floridian who was the runner-up at this year’s French Open and won her Wimbledon match Tuesday. “Definitely online, I have the experience a lot, but that’s different. I definitely think there is a line that you shouldn’t cross.”AdvertisementGauff mentioned what she called the “obvious” examples of racial or sexual comments.“That’s definitely way past the line,” she said. “There are some things that you do have to deal with as an athlete. That’s just a part of the sport. Particularly in tennis, it’s not very common. It’s not in the tennis culture, especially let alone at Wimbledon. “I think the line definitely is a lot closer to being crossed than I would say than other sports because that’s just the culture of tennis. For me, personal attacks — that kind of crosses the line, really.”An All England Club spokesperson said no fans were removed from Kyrgios’ match, but there could be a review of what went on, including what he said at his news conference.As for the sorts of things he is hearing from people during his matches, Kyrgios concluded: “I’m just starting to think that it’s normal, when it’s really not.”

WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams has lost her first singles match in nearly a year, getting beat by 115th-ranked Harmony Tan of France in a third-set tiebreaker at Wimbledon.Williams was two points from victory but could not finish the job and bowed out with a 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) defeat on Tuesday night.AdvertisementThey played at Centre Court with the arena’s retractable roof closed after the first set.Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam champion but the 40-year-old American had not competed in singles since she got injured in the first set of her first-round match at the All England Club on June 29, 2021.AdvertisementShe has won Wimbledon seven times. This was only the third first-round exit in 80 career Grand Slam appearances for Williams. One came at the French Open in 2012 and one at Wimbledon a year ago when she had to stop playing because of an injured leg.This was Tan’s Wimbledon debut.

“Pivot, slide, slow on recovery … we’re pulling all the way into our rib cage. We don’t want to pull into our hipbones or our stomachs. We want it nice and high.”More than a dozen people listened to the instructions from Chicago Rowing Union’s (CRU) head coach Mollie Halvorsen while sitting on Concept 2 ERG Rowers during a learn to row class at Dammrich Rowing Center in Skokie. Sequencing is important to learn, she reiterates.Advertisement“When you pivot over or bend at the waist, we do not want our hands to dive down. We want them to be nice and flat. Arms away first, then body over,” she said.The mantra becomes “arms, body, body, arms … arms up, body over, body back, arms in” while the hum of the ERGs try to turn in unison. Repetitive, yes, but this crash course is supposed to help everyone learn the rudimentary lessons of rowing crew and what to expect when on the water in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River with seven of their classmates.AdvertisementChicago Rowing Union members lean a shell into the water at Dammrich Rowing Center in Skokie. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)One crew of Chicago Rowing Union rowers waits for another before a session at Dammrich Rowing Center on June 8, 2022, in Skokie. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)What started as a group created by members of the LGBTQ+ community in 2005 to row in the Gay Games in 2006, is now an inclusive competitive and recreational rowing club focused on promoting diversity in the sport of rowing, according to CRU’s President Simone Azure. The sport is historically pricey and known to be a predominately white one, per Azure — one of CRU’s eight-person boats cost $13,000, and that was used.“It’s just like a Mercedes to a Toyota to a Fiat,” Azure said. “Resolutes are more expensive boats, but they have a tendency to last longer.”Newer boats cost more and equipment prices, regatta fees and transportation costs also add up, making the sport less accessible. Halvorsen said recognizing the accessibility and diversity gap is why CRU partnered with the Skokie Park District to hold its learn-to-row camps.“We are trying very hard to create an inclusive community within sports rowing and give access to members of the community that haven’t had exposure to the sport in the past,” she said.Azure recalls rowing for another ream and paying annual dues in the $4,500 range. The Skokie Park District charges $200 for people to learn sweep rowing with CRU. Sweep rowing is where each rower uses one oar in boats of four or eight people. For a rowing season of seven months, CRU’s recreation rowing team rows twice a week and charges $108/month; CRU’s competitive team rows three times a week for $148/month. CRU also holds fundraisers, has a scholarship program and has reduced rates in the past for individuals to attract all sorts of people to the sport. The pandemic impacted CRU’s membership numbers, but Azure’s recruiting has membership back in the double digits.“Our learn-to-row program, that’s how we build our program,” said the Edgebrook resident. “Now, there’s more spaces for gay people and the LGBTQ+ community, my big push is targeting diverse as possible. It’s not just a gay team. I want to stress the inclusivity on our team because we focus in on that. We have lots of allies and we’re happy as hell to have all of those guys, too.”Azure and Halvorsen pride themselves on making sure camaraderie and friendly competition is a part of CRU. The rowing community is a tight one. Azure, a member of the Turtle Mountain Ojibwe tribe who identifies as Two-Spirit, competed and medaled in a recent regatta in Washington, D.C., to support the DC Strokes Rowing Club, an LGBTQ+ rowing club. They are protesting the U.S. Rowing’s decision to hold its Masters National Championships in Sarasota, Florida, in August. DC Strokes is boycotting the event as long as the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law remains in effect. CRU, a master’s group of adults 27 years and older, signed their petition in support.“We try to be really supportive of one another,” Azure said. “The point is to have a place where people of all genders, colors and whatever feel included and they feel safe within this organization.”AdvertisementAt the learn-to-row class held June 11, a mother joined her daughter, a student at St. Ignatius who is considering joining the school’s crew team. A young man participated in the same class because he is thinking about trying out for Loyola’s crew team. CRU members helped participants through the hourslong session that began with rowing machines, transitioned to indoor sweep rowing tanks and ended with rowing an eight-person boat on the North Channel complete with a coxswain, person in charge of the boat’s navigation and steering. The coxswain gives directions of when and how to move the equipment, including the 200-pound boat, and when to board the boat. Assignments on where everyone will sit is given before launch, so you know if you’ll be port or starboard while on the boat.Things to remember:Don’t step just anywhere on the boat. You can poke a hole in it. Step on the strongest part of the boat to get in.Boarding and disembarking the boat is done in unison with others, not as a single person, so the boat doesn’t tip.And the shoes that you put your feet in, are anchored to the boat itself. In case of emergency, pull the release cord to free your feet to swim out.Also, try not to catch a crab — aka do a faulty stroke where the oar is under water too long becoming jammed.“A big part of the stroke is timing,” Halvorsen said. “When we’re in the boat, we’re tied to seven other people. We need to make sure that we are putting the blades in the water together, out of the water together. We want to make sure that we’re touching at the same time and that we’re finishing at the same time. It seems like a super easy thing, but it trips people up when they’re learning because of the sequencing. The tendency is to want to bring the knees up before our hands get out. On the ERG, it’s easier to lift the hands over the knees, but when you’re on the water, you cannot lift your hands over the knees with the oar in front of you.”An exercise in team building, Azure says rowing crew is a sport where you can tell who’s doing the work, who’s not, and who is distracted. While on the launch boat — one that trails the boats with the coxswains — Azure jokes, encourages and inspires those rowing making the experience engaging while learning. The hard part is remembering all the steps taught in the classroom and translating them to the water in real time.“I’ve met many people through rowing here in Chicago and around the world really, that have helped me advance and have been very generous with their time and energy while teaching me a new sport,” she said. One can tell she tries to do the same for those in each learn-to-row class.Members of CRU all have their own stories as to how they came to rowing. Some picked it up at college when their friends were doing it and picked it back up with CRU. Azure was walking in Andersonville when she was approached by a gentleman who is now one of her really good friends. He handed her a card and said come and try to learn to row. She said OK. And Halvorsen went to her first learn-to-row camp in middle school. She was hooked after her first time, she’s never looked back. This year marks 21 years in the sport for her. CRU member Fiona Nolan says the act of rowing crew as the closest thing to heaven on Earth that they have found when everyone is rowing at the same time.AdvertisementCoxswain Merri Furlong said a person new to rowing crew can be good within a year and within two years be great — something she’s seen.Chicago Rowing Union members Joseph Edmonds and Fiona Nolan walk to a shed to retrieve a coach’s boat at Dammrich Rowing Center on June 8, 2022, in Skokie. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Morton Grove resident Jamie Edwards attended the June 11 class. Upon its completion, she said she was excited to come back for the second part on Sunday. A lover of water sports, she said her uncle is a competitive rower and she was curious about what the sport entailed.“I was looking for where I could get involved and came across Chicago Rowing Union,” she said. “It was tougher than I expected having worked on a stationary exercise rower before, although that kind of makes me want to do it even more, like a challenge.”Edwards left knowing that getting better takes practice — something she’s willing to do with CRU.“I’m sure it gets easier once you get more in sync,” she said. “I really want to get better.”With a smile on her face, Edwards left wondering about what her aura app on her Apple watch says post rowing.Advertisement“The thing I love about rowing is it’s a low impact, full body workout, which is really nice,” Edwards said. “There was this moment being on the water where you’re just connected and it just feels really good … there’s something about being on the water.”Chicago Rowing Union’s next Learn to Row session is slated for July 19. The group will also be at the 42nd Annual Chicago Sprints at the Lincoln Park Lagoon July 8-10.drockett@chicagotribune.com

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Yoán Moncada was just starting to heat up before he landed on the injured list.The Chicago White Sox reinstated the third baseman from the 10-day IL Tuesday and optioned infielder Lenyn Sosa to Triple-A Charlotte.AdvertisementMoncada was placed on the IL retroactive to June 18 with a strained right hamstring after he left in the third inning of a June 17 game in Houston. He talked with the training staff in the dugout after grounding out in the second, then remained in the game for the bottom of the second. Josh Harrison replaced him in the third.Moncada is slashing .179/.230/.292 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 29 games while dealing with a variety of injuries for much of this season.AdvertisementHe began the season on the IL with a right oblique strain and played his first game May 9. He experienced quadriceps discomfort that limited his playing time in late May.[ [Don’t miss] Lucas Giolito’s strong start goes to waste in the White Sox’s 4-3 loss ]Moncada had a career-high five hits in a 13-0 victory against the Detroit Tigers on June 15 at Comerica Park. He suffered the hamstring injury in the team’s next game.Sosa joined the Sox from Double-A Birmingham on Thursday and went 1-for-12 (.083) with a double in four games. He collected his first major-league hit in Sunday’s 4-3 victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Guaranteed Rate Field.He led the Southern League in several offensive categories — including hits (85) and batting average (.331) — at the time of his promotion.

NEW YORK — Courtney Vandersloot, Kahleah Copper and Emma Meesseman will get a chance to play in front of their home fans as the trio was selected as reserves for the WNBA All-Star Game on July 10 at Wintrust Arena.The Chicago Sky stars will join Candace Parker, who was voted in as a starter last week.AdvertisementOther reserve guards picked Tuesday included the Washington Mystics’ Ariel Atkins, Phoenix Mercury’s Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale and Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd, a Niles West alumna. Atlanta Dream rookie Rhyne Howard also was picked by the league’s 12 coaches, who voted for three guards, five frontcourt players and four players at either position regardless of conference.Coaches were not able to vote for their own players.AdvertisementThe Las Vegas Aces’ Dearica Hamby, New York Liberty’s Natasha Howard and Connecticut Sun’s Brionna Jones and Alyssa Thomas also were chosen in the frontcourt. Jones is the only player to make the All-Star Game this season while coming off the bench.[ [Don’t miss] ‘We’re doing a disservice to an entire generation’: How Chicago athletes and teams reacted to Roe being overturned ]The Sky’s James Wade will coach one team while the Aces’ Becky Hammon will lead the other. The league announced last week Breanna Stewart and Sylvia Fowles will co-captain one squad and Sue Bird and A’ja Wilson will draft for the other. All four were chosen as starters. Fowles and Bird announced earlier this year they will retire after the season.The All-Star teams will be drafted Saturday.Howard, who played with Bird and Stewart in Seattle before coming over to the Liberty, put in a pitch to play with her former guard.“I would love to play with Sue one more time,” she said after practice Tuesday. “It’s her last All-Star Game.”[ [Don’t miss] As Brittney Griner’s detention nears 130 days, WNBA fans and activists want action ]The other starters announced last week were the Los Angeles Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike, the Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, the Sun’s Jonquel Jones and the Aces’ Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young.The Indiana Fever is the only team without an All-Star.

All Rafael Ortega could do was wait.Consistent at-bats in the Chicago Cubs lineup weren’t available for the outfielder through the first five weeks of the season. With Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki entrenched in left and right field, respectively, Ortega’s opportunities were limited to occasional starts in center and at designated hitter.AdvertisementGetting in an offensive rhythm posed a challenge, contributing to a .204/.304/.286 slash line through April. Within the context of his big-league career — in which extended playing time has been limited during parts of six seasons spanning 10 years — it wasn’t an unfamiliar spot for Ortega. However, he took advantage of the Cubs’ post-trade-deadline roster situation last year and thrived as one of their best hitters.But the start of the 2022 season put Ortega in a familiar position.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: How Tony La Russa and David Ross are trying to change the script during Chicago’s summer of baseball discontent ]“For me it’s more mentally right now — I’m trying to be more mentally positive because I haven’t been playing every day,” Ortega told the Tribune during the Cubs’ road trip last week. “I have been telling myself: Just wait for your opportunity and then when you get the opportunity, just do what you have to do.”Between Jason Heyward dealing with COVID-19 in mid-May and Suzuki remaining sidelined by a sprained left ring finger, Ortega’s extended look over the last six weeks is paying off for the 31-year-old Venezuelan.Since May 17, when Heyward went on the COVID-related injured list, Ortega is hitting .293 with a .377 on-base percentage and .801 OPS in 33 games. He owns a .321/.387/.500 line in June with six of his 18 hits going for extra bases. That includes his game-tying two-run homer Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals and a two-run double in the Cubs’ comeback win Sunday.The Cubs’ David Bote (13) and Rafael Ortega celebrate after scoring during the fourth inning against the Cardinals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in St. Louis. (Jeff Roberson/AP)Ortega says his production comes down to consistency — with his approach, decision making and playing time.“It’s mostly about just being relaxed at the plate, my body feeling relaxed,” Ortega said through an interpreter. “When I tighten up a little bit and have that pressure, I don’t make good decisions. So it’s really just about being relaxed with my body and with my swing. Load up and I’m able to have a good swing.”Fifteen of Ortega’s 44 starts have come at DH, a role he continues to adjust to. As part of his in-game preparation, Ortega will come inside to hit in the cage or prepare as if he were heading out on the field to play defense.“It’s just about making sure that I’m not overswinging when getting ready for a pitcher or maybe taking it too easy,” Ortega said. “It’s finding that right balance.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Ortega is maintaining a focus on what he can control each day. He has seen how the Cubs roster has evolved over the past year and is grateful for his first real shot to stick in the majors.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: Cubs aren’t the same as a decade ago — but they keep trotting out the same old narrative to fans ]As to whether he fits in the Cubs’ longer-term vision as the organization tries to build its next contender, Ortega said he “hopes that I can be a part of that. I would love to be part of the championship-winning team.”It’s not guaranteed Ortega will be on the roster past the Aug. 2 trade deadline. He likely will see his playing time diminish when Suzuki returns from the IL, but he could be an attractive left-handed bat off the bench for a playoff contender.Even beyond the last six weeks, Ortega has shown he can be a valuable big-league hitter. Since the Cubs called him up in May 2021 — a stretch covering 165 games and 529 plate appearances — Ortega has hit .283, slugged .439 with a .359 on-base percentage and tallied 15 home runs, 24 doubles, 66 runs scored, a 118 OPS+ and 2.6 WAR.Ortega is prepared for anything that might happen leading up to the trade deadline.“When I was growing up, trying to get into the big leagues,” he said, “we’re told there’s 30 teams out there. You might not necessarily get to play for the same team for a long time or even throughout your whole caree.“So if there’s a team out there that might think that my skill set would work for the team — I mean, my mentality is to come in and try to do good job.”