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Peter Angelos’ wife Georgia on Wednesday became the latest and arguably most crucial voice to weigh in on the side of her son, John Angelos, as the head of the Orioles, pushing back against a lawsuit filed last week by her other son.With family patriarch and Os owner Peter Angelos ailing and no longer managing his holdings, Louis Angelos, 52, sued his younger brother and mother last week over what he said were John Angelos’ efforts to seize control of the team.AdvertisementBut in a statement the Orioles released Wednesday, Georgia Kousouris Angelos asserted her role as the voice of her husband and cast support to older son John, 54.“I, alone, have the authority to manage the family’s assets and make decisions,” Georgia Angelos said.Advertisement“Since I appointed John Angelos as chairman and CEO of the Orioles in 2020, he has led the organization thoughtfully and effectively, including through unprecedentedly challenging times,” she said. “John has my full faith, as well as the trust and confidence of Major League Baseball.”Peter Angelos, now 92, had designated his wife to act on his behalf, according to a power of attorney transfer that was among the documents Louis Angelos included when he filed his lawsuit. The document, signed in October 2017 as Peter Angelos’ health began deteriorating, said that should his wife no longer be capable of managing her affairs, the power of attorney would go to the couple’s two sons, acting “jointly or separately.”In the lawsuit filed in Baltimore County Circuit Court last Thursday, Louis Angelos said his mother wanted to sell the Orioles, adding credence to a rumor that has long swirled around the team, particularly in the wake of Peter Angelos’ exit from its helm. The lawsuit said John Angelos “has done everything in his power to stall and, ultimately, to stall and, ultimately, thwart plans to sell the club,” single-handedly torpedoing “one highly credible group of buyers.”The suit reinforced another rumor with an inference that John Angelos’ consolidation of control over the team could allow him to move the team to Tennessee, where he lives in Nashville with his country music singer-songwriter wife.But on Monday, John Angelos denied the Orioles were going anywhere. In a statement also released by the team, John Angelos repeated a prior assertion that the Os will remain in Baltimore “as long as Fort McHenry is standing watch over the Inner Harbor.” The statement was silent on the subject of selling the team, as it was on the fact that his brother had sued him.But Georgia Angelos’ statement began by denouncing “the false and painful claims that have been alleged in the lawsuit that my son, Louis, has brought against me and my older son, John.“I want to set the record straight,” she said.Additionally, the Maryland Stadium Authority, the team’s landlord at Camden Yards, told The Baltimore Sun that it recognized John Angelos as the team’s CEO. Citing their “excellent working relationship,” the authority said it was continuing negotiations with John Angelos on a new lease to keep the Orioles in town.AdvertisementThe team is in its final year of a lease that includes a clause that expressly bars “the relocation of the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball Team from Baltimore, Maryland,” sweet words in a city haunted by its loss on a snowy night in 1984 of their beloved Colts football team.At issue is $600 million in bonds that the General Assembly authorized and Gov. Larry Hogan signed into law for improvements to Camden Yards, along with the same amount for Ravens Stadium. The bonds cannot be issued without a lease, and the lease must run long enough to pay off the bonds with the longest term.While there is no guarantee a new lease would contain the same no-relocation clause in the current one, the stadium authority says such clauses are common in similar agreements. The lease terms would apply to the new owner should the club be sold, according to the authority.The family fireworks have generated much attention, as Orioles Nation speculated on what it means for the team, who for all their losing ways in recent years manages to keep its grip on local hearts.Georgia Angelos noted her deep roots in town, saying she was “born and raised in Northeast Baltimore, within walking distance of Memorial Stadium, and attending city public schools: PS 50, PS 49 and Eastern High School.“I attended the first Orioles Opening Day in 1954,” she said, going on to credit her husband and his partners for restoring local ownership when they bought the team four decades later. That avoided, she said, “the constant threat of relocation that had taken the Colts away from Baltimore.Advertisement“Any suggestion that Peter, John, or I would explore moving the club is false and intentionally divisive,” she said.Fans should feel reassured by the statement, said Alan M. Rifkin, the former outside counsel to the Orioles.“She is and always has been a pillar of honesty and sincerity,” he told The Sun. “The public and Orioles fans should take great comfort in her continuing commitment to the city.”Georgia Angelos’ statement rejects the allegations made by Louis Angelos in his suit. He describes his brother as plotting to get rid of lawyers and team officials who were loyal to his father and replacing them with “yes men” that would allow him to exert total control. To do that, he intimidated and confused his mother and got her to agree to amendments to the trust that Peter Angelos created for his holdings.Louis Angelos’ attorney, Jeffrey E. Nusinov, previously decried John Angelos’ statement, in which John Angelos said he “was appointed Chairman and CEO according to my parents’ expressed wishes.” Nusinov could not be reached Wednesday for comment.The suit also claimed John Angelos co-opted a lawyer, Chris Jones, into working solely for his rather than the family’s interests. John Angelos’ wife, Margaret Valentine, took Jones’ daughter, an aspiring country-singer, under her wing, which resulted in her getting her gigs to perform in Camden Yards.AdvertisementBut Georgia Angelos defended Jones’ “professionalism and integrity,” saying he was a friend and invaluable in estate and Orioles planning.“Chris and his family as well as my son, John, and his family are owed an apology,” she said.She also expressed regret to the Orioles staff and, “most importantly, devoted Orioles’ fans,” over the public airing of a battle within her normally private family.“I have always believed,” she said, “that family disputes and concerns should remain among family members.“I look forward to putting this matter behind us all.”Sun reporter Jeff Barker contributed to this article.

Right-hander Kyle Hendricks’ changeup has been a staple of his big-league success.So it’s not a coincidence that the pitch was at the root of shutting down the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night after nearly two-week layoff for the pitcher.AdvertisementA dead arm and shoulder fatigue had sidelined Hendricks, but time off resolved the issue. After nearing a shutout last month against San Diego, Hendricks went five-plus innings and allowed one run while not walking a batter and striking out six batters.[ [Don’t miss] How a new slider helped Glen Ellyn native Eric Stout earn a call up to his childhood-favorite Chicago Cubs ]But the Cubs squandered Hendricks’ outing in a 12-5 loss, which was a season-high eight straight defeat. The bullpen imploded after his departure, allowing all 12 runs to score over the final four innings. Manager David Ross needed three pitchers to get through the seventh inning when the Padres loaded the bases twice with nobody out as they sent 12 batters to the plate in the six-run, go-ahead inning.Advertisement“I feel back to 100% normal,” Hendricks said. “Fatigued a little bit for sure, maybe a little bit at the end. I left that pitch up and that was maybe the one bad pitch for me. But overall I felt healthwise great and stamina-wise real good there for a while. My stuff and my mechanics felt really good so I’ve got to get back into a routine now and get that pitch count back up.”Right-hander Caleb Kilian will start Wednesday against the Padres, Ross announced after the loss. The Cubs will need to put someone on the injured list to recall the rookie since Kilian hasn’t spent the minimum 15 days in the minors since the team optioned him.Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks during the sixth inning against the Padres on June 14, 2022. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)The Cubs’ scuffling offense wasted Willson Contreras’ stellar performance, which featured a double and his 10th career multi-home run game.Hendricks surrendered a leadoff double in the sixth, prompting a mound visit from Ross. Prior to the inning, they had discussed in the dugout that Hendricks would be going batter-to-batter in the inning. Coming into the game, Hendricks and the Cubs felt comfortable letting him throw in the 85-pitch range. But, at 78 pitches and with a five-run lead, Ross went to the bullpen following the double.“I was watching and it looked like he was running out of gas,” Ross said.The bullpen’s meltdown thwarted Hendricks’ momentum-building start. Of the five relievers used — Chris Martin, Scott Effross, Mychal Givens, Brandon Hughes and Eric Stout — only Hughes did not allow a run. Givens failed to record an out in the seventh, walking three Padres and was charged with four runs allowed.“It’s hard to hard to put my finger on it and sometimes they have a bad night,” Ross said of the bullpen. “They’d been really good. I’m not going to sit up here and make some excuse or something. They weren’t good. They’ll be back in there tomorrow night.”[ [Don’t miss] A bruised finger doesn’t stop Justin Steele in a much-needed start for the Chicago Cubs: ‘The pain was manageable’ ]Getting Hendricks right is important after his ups and downs dating to the start of last season.Advertisement“Kyle was fantastic, I couldn’t ask for more,” Contreras said. “He battled. He execute every pitch that was called.”His changeup appears to be the key to unlocking better consistency, and the Cubs need that to carry over. He threw 40% changeups Tuesday, his highest Pitch% in 12 starts this year. He hadn’t thrown a higher percentage in a start since Sept. 16. Hendricks tallied nine whiffs on the Padres’ 17 swings against his changeup.“There’s some things that we tried to identify in his downtime of getting back to what he is,” Ross said. “I want him to continue to do that and let the other teams figure out what the difference is, but I thought he got back to a lot of the ways that he’s had success this year.”Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks delivers during the first inning against the Padres on June 14, 2022. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Hendricks is known for how frequently he throws in between starts and values getting work in off a mound. But “for a guy that wants to throw a lot, it’s kind of hard at times,” to take the proper rest needed, Hottovy said. Based on the off days last week, the Cubs had targeted Hendricks to return Tuesday while also considering Sunday’s series finale at Yankee Stadium.The Cubs opted to not put Hendricks on the injured list because of rotation flexibility with scheduled off days and optimism he wouldn’t need to be sidelined too long. If they had needed his active roster spot, maybe the Cubs would have taken a different path to getting Hendricks the rest he needed for his arm and shoulder to bounce back.“Once we hit that point where he felt like he was recovering well and it wasn’t taking as much to get loose, then we were ready to push it with some bullpens and stuff,” Hottovy said. “And once he got to the bullpens, we can get pitch data or you can get more information to kind of get a clearer picture of where he is.Advertisement“We were holding out hope that there was a chance he’d be back a little bit sooner but, in the end, I think we made the right decisions with getting him ready.”[ [Don’t miss] 3 thoughts on the Chicago Cubs, including being ‘patient’ with Seiya Suzuki’s slow recovery and the Jason Heyward roster conundrum ]Getting Hendricks back is a boost after the loss of three veteran starters to the IL. Wade Miley’s left shoulder was examined Monday and he’s been prescribed rest. He will then be reevaluated and given a throwing program. The Cubs felt confident he had fully healed from the shoulder strain when he came off the IL Friday and he felt good until one pitch to Josh Donaldson.Hottovy said the Cubs should have a better timetable for Miley’s return next week. He anticipates Miley will need a deliberate ramp up to hit all the checkpoints. Hottovy called it a “blurred line” as to whether Miley reaggravated his previous shoulder injury or suffered a new injury elsewhere in his shoulder.“It’s in a similar area, but he feels it at different points,” Hottovy said. “One he felt it in his extension and then one might be when he’s going into layback external rotation. So, we’ve got to let that area calm down and figure out what we’re actually dealing with.”

DETROIT — Chicago White Sox third-base coach Joe McEwing wanted to make something clear Tuesday at Comerica Park.“First things first, I’m a pescatarian, so I don’t eat meat,” McEwing said. “I don’t eat ribeye or fillet, … I eat fish.”AdvertisementMcEwing was referencing Lance Lynn’s reasoning after the pitcher was asked after Monday night’s game about a lively discussion caught on camera between the two during a game against the Detroit Tigers.“He was trying to get me going,” Lynn said after the game. “He kept telling me that fillets are better than ribeye. I’m more of a ribeye and potatoes guy. He’s a fillet and Caesar salad. I just told him was wrong.Advertisement“And then he went back to coaching third.”McEwing said the situation was a miscommunication.“Let it be known I love Lance to death,” McEwing said. “We have the same personalities. We’re both competitors and we both care so much about how much work goes into a daily game. It was a miscommunication between us. And we took care of it, we hugged each other. I was thinking something else that he was thinking internally and mentally. And we hugged it out and we’re good.”The Tigers had seven hits in the first two innings. The discussion was before the third. The assumption was the conversation centered on positioning of players.“And that’s the miscommunication part, that’s what I assumed,” McEwing said. “And it was more or less about him not making pitches. He wasn’t making pitches. He was leaving balls in the middle of the zone, and that’s what he was feeling internally.“My assumption was that it was about something else. And that’s where the miscommunication comes. And it happens. When you’re out there competing and both sides care about their job and winning and losing and things like that may happen. But that’s part of the game. … We have the same fiery personalities and that’s where it came out. But we talked about it and moved on.”Lynn allowed three runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and no walks in 4⅓ innings in the 9-5 victory.“Lance battled and perhaps most importantly told me after the game he feels good,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “He feels really good. Location might have shown a little bit of rust. I know he got frustrated because he didn’t make a couple of pitches that he is normally used to making.Advertisement“But he battled through with his stuff, without his best stuff like the veteran that he is and gave us what we needed to get a win (Monday). That was good to have him back from a performance standpoint, and it’s just fantastic having him back in that (clubhouse) giving his presence.”Hahn didn’t make much of what was shown on camera between Lynn and McEwing.“I viewed it as two competitors having a conversation,” Hahn said. “Now the fact that Joe doesn’t eat meat makes me a little dubious of the explanation that you all reported that the conversation was about, but I’m not going to question your sources. (Lynn’s explanation) was impressive, but you’ve got to check your sources on that one.“That’s a nothing burger. No pun intended.”

The Chicago Bears kicked off their mandatory minicamp Tuesday at Halas Hall — the final piece to the first offseason for a new regime — and it was another bumpy performance for the offense with cornerback Jaylon Johnson and rookie safety Jaquan Brisker coming away with interceptions.Here are four things we heard and saw.AdvertisementBears outside linebacker Robert Quinn celebrates after sacking Giants quarterback Mike Glennon, setting set the franchise’s single-season sacks record on Jan. 2, 2022, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Since the voluntary offseason program opened in April, coach Matt Eberflus has been mindful to thank players just about every time he has spoken about the development of the team.When mandatory minicamp kicked off Tuesday morning at Halas Hall, there was one significant absence. Quinn, the outside linebacker who set a franchise record with 18 ½ sacks last season, was not in attendance after choosing to take a pass on the voluntary portion of the offseason as well.AdvertisementQuinn, the highest earner on the roster at $12.9 million, is subject to a fine for each day he misses.“We’re not talking about that as an organization,” Eberflus said. “We hoped he would be here. (GM) Ryan (Poles) and his staff are going to work through that. I really don’t have any other comment other than that about Robert Quinn.“Yeah, I’ve talked to him. Wished him happy birthday a few weeks ago. … In terms of being here, not being here, I’m going to leave that up to Ryan.”The absence of Quinn, 32, only fuels speculation that the best move for both parties could be a trade. He’s well-traveled and might invite the chance to play with a contender. Quinn is an asset for Poles who will have diminished value by the time the Bears are ready to contend again. The Bears might have to settle for a Day 3 pick in return for Quinn — and they’ll need to find a trade partner with ample salary-cap space — but that’s how it goes for a player over 30 making a lot of money. The Bears don’t have a lot of experience at defensive end after Quinn, but they like Al Quadin-Muhammad, who was on the sideline during practice, and Trevis Gipson is ready for an expanded role after notching seven sacks in 2021. Without Quinn, it would be easier for the coaching staff to get rookie Dominique Robinson on the field to evaluate him.Offensive lineman Dakota Dozier (78) works out during Bears OTAs on May 17, 2022, at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Dozier went down at the end of a play late in practice when the ball came loose. After the training staff evaluated him, Dozier was helped onto a cart and taken to the locker room. Eberflus has consistently declined to address injuries. It appeared Dozier suffered a left leg injury, potentially his left knee.The injury is noteworthy considering Dozier, a backup throughout his eight-year with the exception of 2020 when he started 16 games at left guard for the Minnesota Vikings, has been in the mix with the first team. Dozier and Sam Mustipher have gotten the vast majority of reps with the starters at right guard, and it appeared that competition could carry into training camp.If Dozier’s injury is serious, the Bears would have to proceed with Mustipher as the starter, reshuffle the deck with players under contract or perhaps look outside the building for help.AdvertisementEberflus said the team was sticking with its plan of splitting the first half of OTAs and minicamp practices with one group and then the second half with a few changes. That means rookie Braxton Jones remains with the starters at left tackle. Larry Borom is still at right tackle and Teven Jenkins, last year’s second-round pick, is playing right tackle with the second team.“All combinations are open, I’ll just say that,” Eberflus said. “I’m not going to comment on is it yes or no but I’ll say that we have an open lens of all combinations are open. And we’re just trying to find the best five.”Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli during their first training camp practice on April 6, 2019, at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune)Eberflus considers Marinelli a good friend and mentor after the pair coached together with the Dallas Cowboys from 2013-17. Eberflus said Marinelli, who was the Detroit Lions coach for three years and spent four seasons with the Bears, including three as defensive coordinator, taught him about player-coach relationships.“To be able to show the player that you care through action and to prepare the player to play his best on Sunday,” Eberflus said. “And then you’re able to challenge them and push them past the point they can’t take themselves, and that’s what I learned from Rod. And players, everybody who talks about him just loves him to death. And man, I know when he was here he pushed the guys past the point they couldn’t take themselves.”Marinelli, whom Eberflus called “a dynamic speaker,” will address the Bears at a team meeting Wednesday. Marinelli recently retired from coaching after spending two seasons as the Las Vegas Raiders defensive line coach.Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, who helped the Bears during their search for new general manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus in January, also watched practice Tuesday.AdvertisementVideos of quarterback Justin Fields and tight end Cole Kmet hitting home runs at Wrigley dominated social media Thursday afternoon.At a team meeting that morning on the final day of OTAs, Eberflus told players he was bringing them to the ballpark and then showed them the Bears’ history playing there from 1921-70.When the Bears arrived at the field, players were split into teams for a multi-event competition that included a home run derby. Fields, who played baseball in high school in Georgia, hit two home runs.“I honestly didn’t think I could hit a home run, but I got a couple out, so I was surprised by that,” Fields said. “Actually, once I saw a few guys go before me and they got close, I was like, ‘All right, this is possible.’ It was awesome. I think everyone had a good time. It was definitely a great team-bonding event.”However, Fields didn’t win the event. Kmet, who played baseball and football at Notre Dame, hit three homers to win the derby, the Bears reported.“I was happy when we were picking teams,” said wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who was on Kmet’s team. “I was like, as long as I get Cole, it doesn’t matter what team I’m on.”

Eighty-nine days before the Chicago Bears kick off the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field, quarterback Justin Fields was asked if he was itching for the season to start, if his eagerness to test his growth and see the team’s new-look offense in action was eroding his patience.Fields just chuckled.Advertisement“No,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “I’m not ready for the season to start.”The response was firm and emphatic.Advertisement“I’m just being honest,” he said. “We’re not ready to play a game right now.”Quarterback Justin Fields speaks at Bears minicamp Tuesday at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Nor should they be. Not in mid-June, not after the massive overhauls the team made this offseason to the front office, coaching staff and roster. This is a one-step-at-a-time reboot, and the Bears starting quarterback is aware enough to understand the hard work has only just begun.The Bears are engrossed in their mandatory minicamp this week at Halas Hall, another stage to continue molding their offense and another chance for Fields to work on his footwork, timing and overall comfort in coordinator Luke Getsy’s system. Still, it’s clear the offense as a whole is a major work in progress and immersed in a trial-and-error phase that is obviously rough around the edges.Fields, for example, occasionally might be a touch late or a tad off with a throw, just like he was late in team drills Tuesday when cornerback Jaylon Johnson jumped a pass to Tajae Sharpe along the left sideline, picked it off and raced to the north end zone of Field 1.Costly mistake. Defensive celebration.Still, that’s also the type of error Fields can reflect on in meetings and post-practice film study, looking to diagnose what exactly went wrong and how he can fix it.“Right now, the coaches are throwing a lot at us,” Fields said. “They’re pretty much throwing the whole playbook at us — which is good. Of course there are going to be mistakes. But we’d rather have the mistakes come right now than later in the fall or in camp.”Fields, as has been well-documented, likely will be climbing uphill for the foreseeable future, particularly with an unproven receiving corps and an unsettled line around him. To the latter point, the Bears continue to move pieces around up front. On Tuesday, their first-unit offensive line consisted of left tackle Braxton Jones, right tackle Larry Borom and interior linemen Sam Mustipher, Lucas Patrick and Cody Whitehair.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: Chicago Bears offensive line still has big questions — and moving parts — as shown by Teven Jenkins and Braxton Jones ]Bears coaches are working to find the best grouping for what they want to do and might continue to fiddle with things into training camp in July and August.“All combinations are open,” coach Matt Eberflus said.Fields, you would think, would value continuity in his offensive line as soon as possible, wanting to develop a feel for how to operate within the pocket and learning how to distribute his trust. But as of this week, he said he has little anxiety about the fluid nature of the depth chart.“I’m not in a rush,” Fields said. “We still have a lot of time. And at the end of the day, whoever does the job the best is going to be the best fit for us.”Quarterback Justin Fields stretches Tuesday during Bears minicamp at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Fields also spoke positively of his glowing connection with Getsy, eager to see that evolve in the months ahead.In the bridge between the end of minicamp Thursday and the opening of training camp next month, Fields stressed his need to continue learning the details of his new playbook and the push to further his connection with his receivers.AdvertisementEberflus has emphasized the same things with his young quarterback and hopes off-campus throwing sessions with teammates will continue to be a part of Fields’ routine during the summer break.“It’s an important factor for timing, to be able to work with each other,” Eberflus said.Receiver Darnell Mooney might be the most dialed in with Fields at this point. And even with the growing pains the offense is enduring, Mooney is encouraged by Fields’ mindset.“He’s just locking in and knowing what he wants to do with this offense, with this team,” Mooney said. “As a quarterback in this league, he wants to take over the league. He’s already Justin Fields. He wants to be the best quarterback in the league. And he’s taken the strides to get there.”That brand of grand rhetoric is expected, of course. And soon it will have to be backed up by high-level on-field production that is consistent and undeniable. To this point, though, the bumps in the road remain obvious.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bears sign nose tackle Mike Pennel and release veteran Jeremiah Attaochu on the eve of minicamp ]Eventually, the patience many of the Bears have in working through the rough patches that are inevitable when installing a new offense with a young quarterback will give way to an urgency to start ramping up for Week 1. Balancing that patience and urgency properly will require effort.Advertisement“For me it’s just not making the same mistake twice,” Fields said. “If you make that one mistake on a play, just don’t do it again. And if you ultimately keep getting better growing, there will be (fewer) mistakes each and every day. And, of course, you’ll be right where you want to be.”Tuesday was another reminder that where the Bears want to be offensively is still a long way away. The offense still needs significant time to get there. But the effort needed to pave that road will be substantial.At the start of practice Wednesday, the Bears will be 88 days out from their opener as the countdown to their bigger tests continues.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 15New Bears coach Matt Eberflus speaks after being introduced on Jan. 31, 2022, at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

DETROIT — The Chicago White Sox placed closer Liam Hendriks on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain.Hendriks is 1-2 with a 2.81 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 16 saves in 25 appearances this season. He is tied for the American League-lead in saves.AdvertisementThe move, retroactive to Sunday, was one of four announced by the Sox Tuesday. They also reinstated reliever Joe Kelly from the 15-day injured list, recalled pitcher Davis Martin from Triple-A Charlotte and optioned Bennett Sousa to Charlotte.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Another day, another Chicago White Sox controversy they avoid addressing ]Kelly was placed on the injured list on May 26 with a strained left hamstring. He is 0-1 with a 9.53 ERA, six holds and eight strikeouts in seven relief outings.AdvertisementMartin is 0-2 with a 4.11 ERA and 14 strikeouts in three games (two starts) with the Sox. Sousa is 3-0 with an 8.41 ERA and one save in 25 relief appearances.

The Lance Lynn-Joe McEwing dugout incident during Monday’s Chicago White Sox game in Detroit brought back some vivid memories of a similar incident in 1996.Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura, two of the biggest stars on the ‘96 Sox, engaged in a heated dugout spat on a hot August afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Thomas shoved Ventura in the chest in the seventh inning after Ventura tried to prevent him from getting ejected for arguing with the home plate umpire. Teammates Dave Martinez and Lyle Mouton quickly intervened before things got out of hand.AdvertisementBut a WGN camera caught the incident, and Sox manager Terry Bevington called the players together after the Sox’s 8-4 loss to tell them not to comment because he’d handle everything.“Both of those guys respect each other,” Bevington told reporters. “Both of those guys like each other. Little disagreements happen on teams. It’s really nothing.”AdvertisementBut Martinez ignored Bevington’s directive.“(Ventura) was just speaking honestly in the dugout, and (Thomas) snapped,” Martinez said. “When a guy 275 pounds snaps, look out.”Ventura politely said he couldn’t talk about what happened, but then was informed Martinez already had given us a blow-by-blow account.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Tony La Russa isn’t worried about Chicago White Sox fan discontent — he’ll ignore it like he did in his 1st South Side stint ]“I talked to him afterward. I have nothing against Frank,” Ventura said.So he was just trying to keep Thomas from getting ejected?“Evidently,” he said.Thomas, unaware his teammates had spoken, brushed past reporters and barked: “I have nothing to say.”The incident was the talk of the town. “Frank flips, Sox Flop” read the Chicago Tribune headline. But it quickly blew over, as most controversies do over the course of a long baseball season.AdvertisementThe Lynn-McEwing kerfuffle Monday was one of those things that happen when two headstrong individuals disagree. Unfortunately for them, it was shown on the NBC Sports Chicago broadcast and the video quickly spread on Twitter.Manager Tony La Russa told reporters afterward that Lynn was mad at himself for making a bad pitch. Lynn joked he and McEwing were debating what kind of steak was the best. McEwing was not made available for comment.Honesty may be the best policy, but silence is golden. The Sox didn’t feel it was necessary to explain the details of the spat, which is their prerogative. But the lack of accountability from La Russa and Lynn came on the heels of another controversy — La Russa’s intentional walk call on a 1-2 count to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Trea Turner last week — a decision that not only backfired but made the Sox a national story.On a replay of the game, NBC Sports Chicago edited the inning that included the Turner at-bat out, a decision seen by many as a team interfering with its regional station’s editorial integrity to avoid making La Russa look worse than he already did.La Russa’s relationship with Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is well known. The Sox are part-owners of NBC Sports Chicago. Conspiracy theories abounded, especially after Marquee Sports Network’s censorship of a show that contained criticism of Cubs president Jed Hoyer.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Mood turns ugly for the Chicago White Sox as ‘Fire Tony’ chants ring out in a loss at home ]So NBC Sports Chicago took its lumps, and deservedly so.AdvertisementKevin Cross, president and general manager of the three NBC stations in Chicago, said Tuesday the company in New Jersey hired to edit games down to a three-hour window erred by not leaving the fateful inning in the final edit.“There was no conspiracy,” Cross said. “We had to cut an hour and 13 minutes out of the game, and the person that did it didn’t know the nuance of that intentional walk. They are not from this market and didn’t know the nuance of Tony La Russa’s decision.“Where we messed up (is) we should’ve talked to (the company) and said ‘Whatever you do, don’t cut out this ending … That inning is untouchable.’ The fact it did get cut makes us look bad.”Accountability matters.White Sox manager Tony La Russa watches from the dugout during a game against the Tigers on June 13, 2022. (Duane Burleson /AP)NBC Sports Chicago accepted blame for the editing mistake. La Russa needs to heed the station’s example and be upfront about the Lynn-McEwing spat.Whether the disagreement was over defensive positioning doesn’t matter as much as the attempt to obfuscate and avoid the subject afterward. McEwing obviously stood his ground against a popular player who has much more job security than a third base coach.AdvertisementLa Russa had an opportunity to defend his coach. Instead he chose to make up a story. La Russa sat back in his chair in the visitors’ office with his pants undone as if he’d just finished Thanksgiving dinner and praised Lynn for always being “accountable.” Lynn then made his joke to reporters about the steak dinner.No accountability here.What happened between Lynn and McEwing might soon be forgotten, just as the Ventura-Thomas spat was by the end of ‘96. But throwing McEwing under the bus, as La Russa and Lynn did, will linger.The 2022 Sox still have a long way to go to match the wacky episodes of ‘96, when Tony Phillips was arrested for punching a Milwaukee Brewers fan, Bevington got into an altercation with umpire Rich Garcia at a downtown restaurant and the Thomas-Ventura incident at Yankee Stadium.The ‘22 Sox have 102 games left after Tuesday’s game in Detroit. Someone could flip. Someone could flop.Rest assured it’s a story that gets more interesting by the day.

Apple’s foray into live sports took a big step forward Tuesday.Apple and Major League Soccer have announced a 10-year partnership on a streaming service that will allow fans to watch every game without local blackouts or restrictions. The service will be available exclusively through the Apple TV app beginning next year.AdvertisementThe deal is Apple’s second venture into streaming professional sports. In April, it began airing “Friday Night Baseball,” an exclusive weekly doubleheader of Major League Baseball games.“The opportunity to partner with a sports league, and truly build the product together with them is very, very unique,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services. “We can bring the things that we do really well with the things that they do really well and really make the product, which I think will be significantly better for the fans. We want to create a great experience for fans to be able to watch and experience MLS like they’ve never had before.”AdvertisementThe details of the streaming service will be announced in the coming months. The package will be included for fans who have full-season ticket packages for their club.Some MLS and Leagues Cup matches will be available at no additional cost to Apple TV+ subscribers, with a limited number of matches also available for free.“We really couldn’t have found a better partner to embark on this new journey together to capitalize on the momentum that exists in MLS today,” league Commissioner Don Garber said. “We can use this deal as rocket fuel as we build towards the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico in 2026 and thinking about what the sport of soccer, what Major League Soccer could look like, in the years beyond.”Currently, most MLS games are streamed on ESPN+, but there are blackout restrictions due to some local rights agreements. The league’s deals with Fox Sports and ESPN expire at the end of the year, but Garber is hoping the league can reach a deal with a broadcast partner.Even with the Apple deal, MLS does have the opportunity to simulcast some games nationally.Streaming is already built into soccer fans’ DNA. The league said it has found in various studies that 83% of MLS fans watch sports on streaming devices or recorded TV in a typical week, much higher than the general average of 52% for all TV viewers.What also makes the deal intriguing for Apple is that MLS has the youngest and most diverse audience compared to the other four major professional North American sports leagues.Besides all regular-season and postseason matches, the package includes all Leagues Cup matches — the competition between MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX — as well as select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches.AdvertisementApple will also partner with MLS on presentation of the matches as the league takes over production. This is another step forward for the league, but is similar to the way European soccer leagues do business. All matches will be called in English and Spanish while those involving Canadian clubs will also be available in French.All matches will also be available in Full HD (1080p) for the first time. Previously, matches were broadcast in 1080i or 720p.Garber said the league will have a more streamlined schedule beginning next season, with most matches taking place on Saturday evenings and some on Wednesdays. The only time that might change is for a national broadcast or stadium conflict. The league will expand to 29 teams in 2023 with the debut of St. Louis CITY SC.The deal comes as Apple is also exploring opportunities with other sports. The company has been pursuing streaming NFL games when the league’s “Sunday Ticket” expires at the end of the upcoming season.

WNBA star Brittney Griner will remain in custody for at least 18 more days, according to Russian media.A Russian court extended Griner’s detention through at least July 2, ABC News reported citing Russian state media outlet TASS.AdvertisementThe seven-time WNBA All-Star center for the Phoenix Mercury was arrested by Russian authorities in February after hashish oil was allegedly found in her luggage at an airport in Moscow.She was accused of smuggling large quantities of a narcotic substance, an offense that can carry a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars.AdvertisementBrittney Griner (Rick Scuteri/AP)In May, the U.S. State Department determined that Griner was being “wrongfully detained by the Russian government.”On Monday, State Department officials met with Mercury officials to discuss Griner’s detention.“There is a lot involved in getting her back home and safe, they’re working relentlessly,” Mercury star Diana Taurasi said after the meeting, according to The Associated Press.“We’re here to do whatever we can to amplify and keep BG at the forefront, which is more important than any basketball game and anything else that’s going on in our lives. We want BG to come home as soon as possible, it’s number one on our list,” she added.A social media campaign has been pushing the White House to “please free your friend,” as the player’s family, friends, fellow players and fans post messages on Twitter using the hashtags #WeAreBG and #FreeBittneyGriner.Despite all efforts, however, the openly gay athlete will remain in Russia — a notoriously anti-LGBTQ country, where public discussions or positive messages about LGBTQ issues are illegal — until at least early next month.

Serena Williams is going to play at Wimbledon this year, after all. The All England Club announced via Twitter on Tuesday that Williams was awarded a wild-card entry for singles.Williams has not competed anywhere since getting injured during the first set of her first-round match at the All England Club a year ago. And her name did not appear on the women’s singles entry list released by the grass-court Grand Slam tournament earlier this month.AdvertisementBut Williams was among six women given a spot in the singles draw on Tuesday.Earlier in the day, Williams posted a photo of her white shoes on what appears to be a grass court and the message: “SW and SW19. It’s a date. 2022. See you there. Let’s Go.”Advertisement“SW” are her initials, of course, and “SW19″ is the postal code for Wimbledon.The 40-year-old American has won seven of her Open era-record 23 major singles championships at Wimbledon, most recently in 2016.Williams was the runner-up there in 2018 and 2019 (the tournament was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic).In 2021, Williams lost her footing on the slick grass and then her right leg buckled, leading to just the second mid-match retirement at any Grand Slam tournament of her career and first since 1998.