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The accusations have been frequent and startling: more than two dozen women have said football star Deshaun Watson harassed or assaulted them during massage appointments that Watson and his lawyers insist were innocuous.Two grand juries in Texas this year declined to charge him criminally and, while the NFL considers whether to discipline him, he has gotten another job, signing a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract to play quarterback for the Cleveland Browns this coming season.AdvertisementIt is time, Watson and his representatives say, for everyone to move on.Yet a New York Times examination of records, including depositions and evidence for civil lawsuits as well as interviews of some of the women, showed that Watson engaged in more questionable behavior than previously known.AdvertisementThe Times’ review also showed that Watson’s conduct was enabled — knowingly or not — by the team he played for at the time, the Houston Texans, which provided the venue Watson used for some of the appointments. A team representative also furnished him with a nondisclosure agreement after a woman who is now suing him threatened online to expose his behavior.Rusty Hardin, Watson’s lawyer, said his client “continues to vehemently deny” the allegations in the lawsuits. He declined to respond in detail to the Times’ questions, but said in a statement, “We can say when the real facts are known this issue will appear in a different light.”The Texans did not respond to specific questions about Watson’s use of team resources. They said in a statement that they first learned of the allegations against him in March 2021, have cooperated with investigators and “will continue to do so.”A spokesperson for the Browns said the team had no immediate comment. An NFL spokesman declined to comment, saying the Watson matter is under review.Watson has said publicly that he hired about 40 different therapists across his five seasons in Houston, but the Times’ reporting found that he booked appointments with at least 66 different women in just the 17 months from fall 2019 through spring 2021. A few of these additional women, speaking publicly for the first time, described experiences that undercut Watson’s insistence that he was only seeking professional massage therapy.The football star Deshaun Watson speaks to reporters after a grand jury declined to indict the Texans quarterback on criminal charges in Houston on March 11, 2022. (Callaghan O’Hare/The New York Times)One woman, who did not sue Watson or complain to police, told the Times that he was persistent in his requests for sexual acts during their massage, including “begging” her to put her mouth on his penis.“I specifically had to say, ‘No, I can’t do that,’” said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her family’s privacy. “And that’s when I went into asking him, ‘What is it like being famous? Like, what’s going on? You’re about to mess up everything.’ “Before Watson was drafted by the Texans 12th overall in 2017, he was a championship-winning quarterback at Gainesville (Georgia) High School and Clemson University.AdvertisementNFL teams widely viewed him as a prospective franchise quarterback with no known character issues, and he seemed to be living up to his billing. When Hurricane Harvey walloped Houston in August 2017, before Watson’s rookie season, he donated his first game check to stadium cafeteria employees who were affected by the storm.Since the first wave of suits were filed against Watson last year, the main allegations against him have become familiar. Women complained that Watson turned massages sexual without their consent, including purposely touching them with his penis and coercing sexual acts.It’s not clear when he began looking for so many different women to give him massages. Hardin has said his client needed to book appointments “ad hoc” when the coronavirus pandemic began, though Watson began working with numerous women before then.Not all of the women who gave Watson massages between October 2019 and March 2021 have detailed their interactions with him. Some who have shared their experiences say they had no problems with him. Others describe troubling — and similar — behaviors.The 66 women are:— The 24 who have sued him, including two who filed suits within the past week. In the most recent suit, the woman said Watson masturbated during the massage.Advertisement— A woman who sued but then withdrew the complaint because of “privacy and security concerns.”— Two women who filed criminal complaints against Watson but did not sue him.— At least 15 therapists who issued statements of support for Watson at the request of his lawyers and gave him massages during that period.— At least four therapists from Genuine Touch, the massage therapy group contracted with the Texans.— Five women identified by the plaintiffs’ lawyers during the investigation for their civil suits.— At least 15 other women whose appointments with Watson were confirmed through interviews and records reviewed by the Times.AdvertisementA deeper look at the lawsuits, including a review of private messages entered as evidence, shows the lengthy efforts by Watson to book massages and the methods he used to assure women that he could be trusted.One woman who sued Watson was a flight attendant who began taking massage therapy classes during the pandemic. She and Watson were in the same social circle, but Watson acknowledged in a deposition that they had never really spoken except to say hello.In November 2020, after a friendly exchange on Instagram, Watson saw that the woman was a massage therapist and sent a message asking for an appointment. As they struggled to work out a time, Watson told her, “Just tryna support black businesses,” a message he repeated later.Watson regularly presented himself as an ally to businesswomen. In a lawsuit filed this week, the therapist alleged that he told her that he “really wanted to support” Black businesses, and on another occasion, he left a woman perplexed when he purchased 30 bottles of her $40 skin cleanser.In messages to the woman whom he knew from his social circle, Watson asked to meet at The Houstonian, an upscale hotel and club where the Texans had secured a membership for him. She said she wasn’t comfortable going to a hotel because she knew Watson’s girlfriend — and indeed had once babysat her and her younger brother. The woman told Watson she wanted to keep things “professional and respectful.”“Oh most definitely always professional,” he texted. “I even have a NDA I have therapist sign too.” He was referring to the nondisclosure agreement he had received just days earlier from a member of the Texans’ security staff. Watson didn’t explain in the text how the woman would benefit from signing a document meant to protect him.AdvertisementFinally, the woman suggested they meet at her mother’s home in Manvel, a 30-minute drive for Watson. He responded, “Damn thats far,” but agreed to make the trip.In a lawsuit the woman filed against Watson last year, she said she was uneasy with his directions to “get up in there” during the massage, but chalked it up to her inexperience and agreed to work with him again. When he ejaculated during the second appointment and then asked her for another massage later that day at the Houstonian, she first agreed, then told him she could not make it. She eventually blocked his number.Most of the women Watson saw for massages did not sue or call police. But even some who did not complain said Watson came looking for sex.The woman who sold bottles of cleanser to Watson had a few appointments with him during the summer of 2020. This aesthetician, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her privacy, told Watson when he booked an appointment that she was licensed only to give him a back facial. But she said in an interview with the Times that he got fully undressed and directed her toward his groin. While she said there was no sexual contact, she believed that he was seeking more than a professional massage.Watson and his lawyers have said he was only seeking massages. The lawyers have acknowledged that Watson had sexual contact with three of the women who have sued him. But the sexual acts took place after the massages, they said, and were initiated by the women. Asked whether he was asserting that Watson never had sexual contact with any other massage therapists, Hardin didn’t respond.Another woman who spoke to the Times, a physical therapist who did not sue Watson, said he initiated sexual contact in all three of their appointments.AdvertisementThis woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her privacy, said she began by working on Watson’s back. But when he flipped over, she said his demeanor and voice changed, and he began aggressively dictating where he wanted her to touch him. In their first session, she said he got into the happy baby yoga pose — on his back with his feet in his hands — and asked her to massage between his testicles and anus. She laughed off the request but said he grabbed her wrist and put her hand there.The woman said Watson twice initiated sexual intercourse, once by pulling down the scrubs she was wearing. She and Watson knew each other from around town and were on friendly terms, and she admitted she let him proceed with these sexual acts. “I just didn’t know how to tell him no,” she said.Hardin said in a statement: “It would be irresponsible and premature for us to comment on vague details put forth by anonymous individuals.”In June 2020, Watson began frequenting a spa in a strip mall off Interstate 45, at least a 30-minute drive from his home or work. He had found A New U Spa on Instagram and sent a message. The owner, Dionne Louis, became a resource for Watson, able to connect him with multiple women for massages.A strip mall on March 12, 2022, in Houston, Texas, formerly the site of A New U Spa, which was patronized by the football star Deshaun Watson. (Callaghan O’Hare/The New York Times)She looked out for him, she said in a deposition, sometimes arranging for a security guard when Watson came in, concerned the expensive cars he drove might make him a target for a robbery. She also got things from him. In November 2020, Watson paid her $5,000 through an app, she said, to buy spa equipment. Louis told one of her employees in a text, “I told you I’ll show you how to get money from men that’s my specialty.”Louis and her lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.AdvertisementDuring the months Louis and Watson worked together, she set up appointments for him with several women who worked there, none of whom was licensed in Texas to perform massages.One was the woman who said Watson begged her for oral sex.She described how he tried to build up to sexual acts, starting with his request that she work on his behind and go higher up on his inner thighs, which put her hands uncomfortably close to his testicles. When he flipped over, she said, he was exposed with an erection, but she refused his requests for oral sex.That woman did not sue Watson, but four other employees of A New U Spa did. They all said in their lawsuits that Louis gave him special attention.In June 2020, one woman said in her suit, Louis drove her to a hotel to meet Watson for a massage, during which he groped her and touched her hand with his penis. Louis was not in the room, but in text messages she later sent to this woman, she appeared to refer to Watson treating her employees poorly: “I been talking to Deshaun I just told his ass off he got it now.” Louis added in a second message, “I told him he can’t treat us black women any kind of way.” (In her deposition, Louis denied sending these messages, though evidence in the lawsuits indicates they were sent from her number.)Nia Smith, who also worked at A New U Spa, filed a lawsuit against Watson last week, the 23rd of 24 civil cases. Smith said that during their first massage, Watson asked her to put her fingers inside his anus, a request she said she told Louis about afterward. She said in the second session he asked her if she wanted his penis in her mouth, and that he repeatedly requested sex in their third and final massage. Smith also claimed that Louis knew Watson was seeking sex and told her she needed to keep Watson happy. In a deposition, Louis denied she knew anything about Watson’s sexual desires.AdvertisementIn early November 2020, after Smith stopped working at A New U Spa, she posted text messages from Watson along with his phone number and his Cash App receipts on Instagram. She included the message, “I could really expose you,” adding an expletive.Days later, when Watson went to work at the Texans’ stadium, he found an NDA in his locker. He later said in a deposition that Brent Naccara, a former Secret Service agent who is the Texans’ director of security, put it there after Watson told him about Smith’s Instagram posts.Watson began taking the NDA to massages that same week, giving one to the woman in Manvel, who signed it, and another to a woman who said in her lawsuit that she ended the session after he suggested a sexual act. Watson told her she had to sign in order for him to pay, so she did, according to her filing. Watson said in a deposition that he used this NDA only for massage appointments because he had lawyers and agents who handled his other business.It’s unclear whether the Texans knew how many massages Watson was getting or who was providing them. But their resources helped support his massage habit away from the team. Watson acknowledged in a deposition that the Texans arranged for him to have “a place” at The Houstonian. He used the fitness club, dined there and also set up massages in hotel rooms.At least seven women met him at the hotel for appointments, according to interviews and records, including two who filed lawsuits and two who complained to police.The Texans weren’t aware of the massage appointments at the hotel “that I know of,” Watson said. He also said that his access to the property was not under his name. One woman who gave Watson a massage at The Houstonian said she was told the room was registered to a member of the Texans’ training staff.AdvertisementTo preserve his reputation, his career and possibly his freedom, Watson hired Hardin, now 80, a veteran defense lawyer whose clients have included former pitcher Roger Clemens, evangelist Joel Osteen and, in the Enron case, accounting firm Arthur Andersen.Hardin has said the women who have accused Watson of sexual misconduct are lying. He had ample opportunity to make his case to the district attorney’s office. Through a public records request, the Times reviewed the communications between Hardin and the prosecutors in Watson’s criminal cases. These messages revealed extensive communication between the two sides and demonstrated, at the least, the value of a well paid and well connected lawyer.In early 2022, Hardin, a former prosecutor himself, began a regular dialogue with Johna Stallings, the Harris County sex crimes prosecutor handling the Watson investigation. In the two months before two different Texas grand juries heard the criminal cases against Watson, Stallings and Hardin met at Hardin’s office, spoke over the phone 12 times and exchanged more than two dozen text messages, according to public records.Some of their exchanges were peppered with congenial remarks about cases they were trying. Others were more opaque. One day, Stallings asked Hardin if he could chat. He said he was in trial, then asked, “Any problems?” They spoke over the phone twice that day.The amount of contact between the prosecutor and the defense was noteworthy, said Njeri Mathis Rutledge, a former Harris County prosecutor who is now a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston.“There are some well-known defense attorneys like a Rusty Hardin that may have gotten a little extra real estate in terms of time, but even given the fact that it was Rusty, that’s still a lot of time,” Rutledge said.AdvertisementThe Times also reviewed communications between prosecutors and the lawyers for the women suing Watson. There was just one exchange: In March 2021, Tony Buzbee, the plaintiffs’ attorney, alerted the district attorney’s office to the allegations in the civil suits. The DA asked if his clients had made police reports, and eight of Buzbee’s clients soon did. The prosecutors had some direct contact with these women, rather than going through Buzbee.In a statement, Hardin said it is “a standard practice” for lawyers to work directly with law enforcement and prosecutors.The Harris County DA’s office did not respond to specific questions about their prosecutors’ contacts with Hardin and lawyers for the women. In a statement, a spokesperson for Kim Ogg, the district attorney, said prosecutors “vigorously examined all the evidence and spoke at great length with accusers.”In March 2021, Stallings prepared to present her cases against Watson to the Harris County grand jury. She and Hardin exchanged more than a dozen calls and messages during the week of the hearing. Instead of putting his client in front of the grand jury, Hardin created a slide presentation arguing for Watson’s innocence and gave it to Stallings along with other documents he deemed important.“We will let our submissions to you on our client’s behalf serve as our presentation to the grand jury,” Hardin told her in an email. The grand jury declined to charge Watson, and a Brazoria County panel followed suit.Amanda Peters, a former Harris County prosecutor who teaches law at South Texas College of Law in Houston, said such submissions, known as grand jury packets, are not the norm for the average person facing charges. They are more commonly introduced in high-profile cases in which the client can afford an elaborate and costly defense.AdvertisementThe NFL’s discipline is likely the next step. Watson has been shuttling between Cleveland, where he is training with his new team, and Houston, where he met with NFL investigators and is giving depositions in the lawsuits. The civil cases, if not settled, will be tried after the football season. Through it all, Watson has been adamant that he did nothing wrong.In a deposition on May 13, Watson was asked about the text message he sent to Ashley Solis, one of his accusers, immediately after their appointment in March 2020. “Sorry about you feeling uncomfortable,” he wrote to her. Watson acknowledged that Solis was “teary-eyed” at the end of their session, but testified under oath that he still does not understand why.“I don’t know,” Watson said. “Like I told you at the beginning of this depo, I’m still trying to figure out why we in the situation we are in right now, why I’m talking to you guys, why you guys are interviewing me. I don’t know. Do not know.”c.2022 The New York Times Company

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa had a long talk during batting practice Tuesday with the man who controls his fate.General manager Rick Hahn was there too.AdvertisementThe strange dynamic that brought La Russa back to the Sox after 34 years is the same reason he doesn’t have to worry about being fired, no matter how much his team struggles to live up to expectations.Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is one of La Russa’s best friends. La Russa is not going anywhere.AdvertisementHahn knows it. La Russa knows it. And Sox fans know it.Reinsdorf didn’t fire Rick Renteria to rectify what he once called “the biggest mistake” of his baseball career — allowing Hawk Harrelson to fire La Russa in 1986 — just so he could fire La Russa two months into his second season.But that hasn’t stopped Sox fans from tweeting about it or talk-radio hosts from yakking about it or newspaper columnists from writing about it.And unless the Sox show some consistency, the subject is not going away, so La Russa should be resigned to hearing about it for the time being.[ Rick Hahn admits the 1st 2 months have tested his patience, but the White Sox GM also sees ‘reasons for optimism’ ]Every time a manager gets fired, as Joe Maddon was Tuesday by the Los Angeles Angels, the obvious question around baseball is “Who’s next?” And as manager of a sub-.500 team expected to compete for a championship, La Russa knows he’s a person of interest.In truth, La Russa doesn’t deserve to be fired after 53 games. The Philadelphia Phillies’ Joe Girardi and Maddon were fired for a collective inability to win over the last two-plus seasons. La Russa’s team has underachieved, but injuries and a lack of hitting by key players — including Yasmani Grandal, Yoán Moncada and Josh Harrison — have been the root causes of the Sox malaise.But La Russa is the perfect punching bag for disgruntled Sox fans, and 90% of them seemingly have blogs. Just Google “Fire La Russa” and you’ll get the following headlines from various blogs:“Tony La Russa Tries His Best to Get Fired, As the White Sox Beat the Rays.”Advertisement“Tony La Russa Should Be Fired Immediately.”“ChiSox Should Fire Out-Of-Touch Manager Tony La Russa.”“Woke Mob Wants La Russa Canceled for Patriotic Stance on Anthem.”(OK, I made up that last one, but you get the picture.)Some of the “Fire La Russa” stories were from last season, but the Google algorithm still keeps them near the top, along with a change.org petition from 2020 calling on La Russa to resign.Hahn was asked before Tuesday’s 4-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers if the Sox philosophy is not to fire managers during the season, a roundabout way of asking him whether La Russa is on the hot seat.AdvertisementWhite Sox manager Tony La Russa has a laugh with Steve Stone as Stone is honored for his 40th year in broadcasting before the Sox-Dodgers game at Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“Uh, no,” Hahn replied. “I’m trying to come up with a counterpoint to show my ‘no’ is appropriate and I can’t come up with one immediately in my couple of decades I’ve been here. Gene Lamont. I think I was in high school (in 1995), so I can’t take responsibility for Gene Lamont.”Fortunately, I was covering the White Sox when Lamont was fired 31 games into the 1995 season. Like La Russa, he was coming off a season in which the Sox were in first place, though Lamont’s ‘94 team was denied a chance to go to the playoffs when the players strike ended the season in August.General manager Ron Schueler blamed the players for Lamont’s exit, saying the team lacked fire during a showdown with Cleveland.“I gave them the benefit of the doubt,” Schueler said. “But if the team can’t get up for a series like the Cleveland series, obviously I thought I’d have to do something to change the atmosphere.”Trying to shake up a team usually is a good excuse to fire any manager, but this team doesn’t need shaking up. It needs better performances by talented players — and for Tim Anderson, Lance Lynn and Eloy Jiménez to return healthy and stay off the IL the rest of the season.The Minnesota Twins are a .500 team playing over their heads. When the real Sox show up, they should catch the Twins by the All-Star break and put them in the rearview mirror by Labor Day.AdvertisementOf course, waiting for the real Sox to show up has been agonizingly difficult, which is why the bandwagon has been much lighter in 2022 and why La Russa has borne the brunt of the criticism. It’s part of the job, which he knew coming in.[ [Don’t miss] 40 years in the booth: White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone celebrates his anniversary with an unplugged conversation ]Managers are hired to be fired, except perhaps managers who were hired 34 years after they were fired by the same owner who let him be fired in the first place. They have to leave on their own.It’s good to remember why the Sox let La Russa leave in the first place. Harrelson, whose one-year reign as general manager in 1986 set the franchise back five years, had a well-known rift with La Russa when he decided to pull the trigger in June.“The club has not responded,” Harrelson said that day. “It’s a baseball decision. He understood it. It was the overall standings and the performance of the club. We’re not talking about a personality conflict.”No one believed Harrelson then or now. Reinsdorf quickly regretted the decision and no doubt also regretted replacing the great Roland Hemond with Harrelson — who also fired vice president Dave Dombrowski, the bright, young talent who went on to win championships with the Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox. Fortunately Reinsdorf also fired Harrelson after the season, saving the franchise from a total brain drain.La Russa was discussing his return to managing Sunday in Tampa with Sox beat writers, joking that if he had any business sense, he would’ve started a business after he retired from managing to keep busy.Advertisement“But this is the only thing I know how to do,” La Russa said with a grin. “Kind of. We’ll see if I still know how to do it or not.”This always was a World Series-or-bust season for La Russa and the Sox, and they still have four months to right the ship.“Whether it’s Jerry, Kenny (Williams), myself, the coaches, any White Sox fan — we’ve all had our patience tested,” Hahn said. “But the fundamentals of who this team is remain. We’re fortunate that baseball is a long season, and over the course of a long season, things tend to play out the way the talent permits. And we feel good about this talent.”But it’s going to be a turbulent voyage, so everyone should get used to the occasional tidal wave along the way.

Mundelein resident Kevin Minor was more than just a suburban dad with a sharp, analytical mind and a deep devotion to his wife and three daughters, who were NCAA Division 1 college tennis players. He was also a respected mentor in the local tennis community who tried to expand access to tennis for underprivileged youth interested in playing competitively.When the Indianapolis native died suddenly last month at age 54, his wife, Michelle, and daughters Kristina, Jasmine and Brienne said they instantly knew how to honor his legacy while carrying on the work he did as a member of the Chicago District Tennis Association. A GoFundMe raised $10,000 in half a day, rising to $25,000 after two days.AdvertisementA funeral service program for Kevin Minor included a family portrait, including his wife, Michelle, from left, and their daughters, Kristina, Brienne and Jasmine. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)The family’s plan is to pay the expenses of young players who cannot afford the mounting cost of having a tennis coach or traveling to tournaments across the country. The family hopes to create an endowment or scholarship fund to aid young tennis players.Tennis had been a staple in Black middle-class households going back to the late 19th century, but rising costs have made it tenable.AdvertisementA 2015 article in Bloomberg estimated the annual cost of attending tournaments and equipment at about $40,000. This was before the pandemic made open space more valuable and the rising costs of travel.“It’s a very expensive sport, even if you’re from an affluent background,” said Minor’s wife, Michelle, an auditor in the automotive industry. Her husband, having earned a degree in computer and electrical engineering, worked at Motorola for 30 years, according to his family.The scholarship idea has been a labor of love for Michelle Minor and her daughters, who used tennis to reach their goals academically and professionally. The eldest daughter, Kristina, is an associate athletic director at Northwestern University, while Jasmine is an Emmy Award-winning television reporter in Indianapolis. Brienne won the NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships in 2017, becoming the first Black woman to win the singles title.Michigan’s Brienne Minor returns to Florida’s Belinda Woolcock in the final match of the NCAA women’s tennis championship May 29, 2017 in Athens, Georgia. (Richard Hamm / AP)Although Kevin Minor was an avid fan of the sport, his family said he wasn’t an overbearing sports parent who stressed winning over all else. He mostly supported his daughters, only acting as a coach in a few instances.“I never really saw him as a ‘King Richard’ type,” said Kristina Minor, referring to the Academy Award-winning film starring Will Smith as the father and coach of Venus and Serena Williams. Minor left the coaching to his daughter’s coach while showing support from the stands.“For the most part, I think he tried to strike a healthy balance between ‘I’m here to support and coach when needed,’ but also not to be a helicopter (parent),” Kristina Minor added. “He was whatever I needed, whenever I needed it. It was never a fear of, ‘if I lose, he’s going to be mad.’ He was just so proud that I wanted to keep making him proud.”Friends and colleagues of Kevin Minor said he was a role model in Chicago’s tennis community; a shining example of how to raise competitive, well-adjusted children; and an indispensable tennis dad who could usher new parents into the fold of travel league sports and tutor them in the ways of affordably transporting their children to tournaments.“One of the things that Kevin was really involved with was the other parents,” his wife recalled. “When everybody started out, everybody’s trying to figure out what tournaments do you need to go to and what kind of hotels do you get? Do you drive? Do you fly? Everybody was trying to (figure out) what’s the best way to get our kids to the tournament so that the coaches could see them.”AdvertisementMichelle Minor displays a trophy given to her family for their involvement in tennis at their home on June 3, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Midwestern players are at a disadvantage, as they only have spring through fall to play outdoors and must bear the costs of playing indoors. Travel is also an essential part of competitive tennis, as players are building up their ranks to receive invitations to important contests.“That was kind of his focus. How can we make it easier for kids to have access to be able to get to those tournaments where the college coaches will see them,” Michelle Minor said.Veteran tennis coach Mark Bey called Kevin Minor an uncommon man who somehow found a way to lend a hand despite the demands of his busy life. “He took care of his own business at work, as a family man, at church and all of the tennis committees he was on and still had time to help others,” said Bey, whose clients over his 32-year career included all of Minor’s daughters. “The guy had a capacity for helping and serving others that is … more than abnormal — it’s kind of a unicorn type of behavior of giving.”Tennis had been a passion for both Michelle Minor and Kevin Minor, who each played tennis in high school. Coincidentally, both Kevin and Michelle’s father played tennis while attending Purdue University. “Me and my sisters played in high school. We didn’t have the money to play a lot of tournaments, to get training and that type of thing.”But the couple had a plan about carefully ushering their daughters into extracurricular activities and left the choice to them. “One of the things that we wanted our kids to do was to have a passion for something other than academics because we knew that academics would always be important but we wanted something that, when they woke up in the morning that it was important to them to work at it and not something where we had to push them,” Michelle said.In a statement, the CDTA called Kevin Minor “an invaluable member of the CDTA board” who was president for a year, in 2015. “He was a strong advocate for junior players in the Chicago district, wanting to help give them opportunities to enrich their own lives through the camaraderie and community that came from competition on the junior tennis circuit. His family’s creation of the scholarship fund is a powerful continuation of his spirit in the Chicago tennis community.”Advertisement“I cannot begin to estimate the number of hours Kevin spent contributing work not only to our organization but to other families who were navigating junior tennis themselves. His untimely death leaves a huge void,” CDTA Executive Director Jill Siegel told the Tribune in an email.Kristina Minor said her family was overcome by the generosity of people who donated $10,000 in less than 12 hours. She learned of all the people her father had strongly affected during the funeral. She said she spoke to people who said her dad tutored them, helped them with computer tech issues, or received advice or guidance.“I always knew what he did for me and my family, and I guess I never really was tracking on the fact that he was the same way with everybody. The pace at which the GoFundMe is going and just the incredible outpouring of support and love and condolences … is a testament to that.”wlee@chicagotribune.comTwitter @Midnoircowboy

Michael Kopech wasn’t sure how he would feel in the first inning of Tuesday’s start against the Los Angeles Dodgers after a less-than-stellar bullpen session before the game.Turns out, Kopech said, “there was really no correlation there.”AdvertisementThe Chicago White Sox right-hander was sharp from the start, shutting down one of the most dangerous offenses in the majors.Kopech allowed one hit while striking out eight and walking one in six innings, leading the Sox to a 4-0 victory in front of 25,625 at Guaranteed Rate Field.Advertisement“I felt good in the first and I was able to carry that throughout the start,” Kopech said.The offensive support came in the sixth, when the Sox scored four runs against the Dodgers bullpen.[ [Don’t miss] Rick Hahn admits the 1st 2 months have tested his patience, but the White Sox GM also sees ‘reasons for optimism’ ]AJ Pollock knocked in two with a pinch-hit double. He scored on Jake Burger’s double, and Burger scored on a single by Reese McGuire. All four runs came with two outs as the Sox won their third straight.The big inning put Kopech (2-2) in line for the win. He had at least one strikeout in each of the first five innings and lowered his ERA to 1.94.“He rises to the occasion,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “Today, he’s pitching like he’s pitched most of his starts. Everything direct to the plate, good stuff, good location, good command.”Kopech bounced back after allowing a season-high five runs in his last start June 1 in Toronto.“Kind of got away from what I do preparing for Toronto’s game, and it showed,” Kopech said. “Then I got back to that and I got back on track. That’s a big step in the right direction.”He executed Tuesday like the pitcher who allowed one hit in seven shutout innings against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of a May 22 doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.AdvertisementIn that game, Kopech retired the first 17 batters before Rob Brantly broke up the perfect game with a two-out double in the sixth.He retired the first eight batters Tuesday before walking Gavin Lux with two outs in the third. The Dodgers collected their first hit when Will Smith singled with two outs in the fourth.[ [Don’t miss] 40 years in the booth: White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone celebrates his anniversary with an unplugged conversation ]“There were a few times that I lost a little bit of focus,” Kopech said. “That hit that I gave up, I just wasn’t there for that third pitch. I don’t know what the velocity was or anything like that, but in my mind that’s a lazy pitch.“That four-pitch, two-out walk, I just lost the focus there. But for the most part there were just small moments like that. Throughout the rest of the game I was able to stay focused. I think that helps me.”Both starters kept putting up zeroes. The Dodgers’ Mitch White retired the first 12 batters before José Abreu singled to center leading off the fifth.“I was present for almost every pitch today and I account for the times it bit me in the butt to not be present,” Kopech said. “But there’s definitely an extra factor, a little extra blood going knowing that the other guy is putting up zeroes every inning with you. Ultimately we’re here to win a game.”AdvertisementThe Sox loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but White struck out McGuire looking and Josh Harrison swinging. The Sox are 4-for-39 with the bases loaded this season.White exited after allowing two hits and striking out five in five scoreless innings.Pollock, acquired in a trade with the Dodgers for Craig Kimbrel during spring training, hit for Gavin Sheets with two outs and two on in the sixth. He hit David Price’s first pitch to right for the two-run double. Burger drove him in on the next pitch with a double.The Dodgers intentionally walked Yoán Moncada to pitch to McGuire. He made them pay with his RBI single.“Nothing was going on for a while,” Pollock said. “The pitching was great. Both offenses are explosive. Either offense could open the gate and put up a bunch of runs. We did a good job of staying patient, staying calm and got some guys on and we were able to get some hits.”[ [Don’t miss] Jake Burger — ‘a hungry hitter’ — has been clutch recently for the White Sox: ‘I’ve been smiling a ton’ ]Sox relievers induced double plays in the seventh and eighth. And closer Liam Hendriks worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth as the Dodgers were blanked for just the second time this season.Advertisement“These are teams that are very capable of being playoff teams, more than likely going to be playoff teams,” Kopech said. “So for us to compete well against them, it goes a long way.”

The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers were popular preseason picks to contend for the World Series.As the teams began a three-game series Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Dodgers have indeed started strong and lead the National League West in early June.AdvertisementThe Sox, however, began the day in third place in the American League Central and two games under .500.General manager Rick Hahn said the first couple of months have tested his patience.Advertisement“But I think that makes me no different from any White Sox fan or ardent follower of this club,” Hahn said before Tuesday’s game. “We’ve all been tested over the last few months here. I get the benefit of being inside those meetings and those conversations, being able to see the progress on some of the injured players, being able to see some of the things we’re working on to get some of the guys who have struggled out of their ruts.“So I’m able to have not only the ability to address some of these things personally, but also feel like the reasons for optimism are legitimate and make me feel better and make me give it a little longer, perhaps, before my patience runs out.”[ 40 years in the booth: White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone celebrates his anniversary with an unplugged conversation ]Hahn added: “All of us — whether it’s (Chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf), (executive vice president) Kenny (Williams), myself, the coaches, any White Sox fan — we’ve all had our patience tested. But the fundamentals of who this team is remain. We’re fortunate that baseball is a long season, and over the course of a long season, things tend to play out the way the talent permits. And we feel good about this talent.”The offense has been inconsistent. And for the second straight season, injuries have hit the Sox hard.Left fielder Eloy Jiménez (torn right hamstring tendon) and starting pitcher Lance Lynn (right knee surgery) are rehabbing at Triple-A Charlotte.“(Jiménez is) progressing well physically,” Hahn said. “It’s really, frankly, a matter of getting his legs completely under him and getting his timing at the plate and rhythm back. I don’t have an exact time to project his return, but it’s getting closer, knock on wood.”Lynn is scheduled to make his third rehab start Wednesday. The plan is for five innings and between 70 and 80 pitches.“If that goes smoothly, we’ll then have a conversation about next steps for him, which could well include being activated in Chicago,” Hahn said.AdvertisementWhite Sox shortstop Tim Anderson (7) sits on the turf after being injured against the Cubs on May 29, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)Shortstop Tim Anderson has been doing drills with the Sox to help with his recovery from a right groin strain.“Tim had a good weekend in Tampa in terms of his healing and progression toward rehabilitation,” Hahn said. “I don’t have a timeline just yet on a potential rehab assignment for Tim. If things continue on this path, hopefully sometime when we’re on the next road trip we’re able to get Tim on a rehabilitation assignment and then go from there for his return.”Anderson went on the injured list retroactive to May 30.“I believe the original projection on him was three weeks,” Hahn said, “and we remain on that path.”Hahn said pitchers Joe Kelly (left hamstring strain) and Vince Velasquez (left groin strain) might be in position to throw off a mound during the homestand with the possibility of both being activated by the end of the month.“I feel like we’ve endured what will hopefully be our toughest part of the schedule, certainly from an opponent standpoint,” Hahn said, “but more importantly from a manpower standpoint where we have been from, ‘Who’s been available?’ We expect that to improve here over the coming weeks.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Jake Burger — ‘a hungry hitter’ — has been clutch recently for the White Sox: ‘I’ve been smiling a ton’ ]“Certainly there are segments of the past two months that we can be proud of. Going 11-8 against the (New York) Yankees, (Boston) Red Sox and Tampa (Bay Rays) is pretty good and something that certainly answers some of the concerns about our ability to match up with good teams.“Obviously there have been some stretches that have been pretty disappointing, ruts that — on the positive side we’ve been able to pull ourselves out of — but on the negative you don’t ever want to endure. I think right now in that clubhouse and that coaches room, there’s a lot of optimism and excitement to get some of these guys back and build on some of the momentum from this past weekend.”The Sox won two of three against the Rays at Tropicana Field. The Dodgers provide another test. Sox manager Tony La Russa said “yes and no” when asked whether he looks at the series as a measuring stick.“(The) yes is (the Dodgers are) really good,” La Russa said. “When we’re at our best offensively, we do what they do. Very aggressive, go a lot at the strike zone, just put the ball in play, don’t strike out much. And that’s when we’re at our best, so hopefully that’s what we show.“The no is whatever we do to get ready, we better do the same against Texas (in the next series). Because you’ve got to get wins in this league. Whoever you play, you’ve got to get wins. We want to have a real consistent will for it every day. And they’re capable of doing that.”

BALTIMORE — Alec Mills’ rehab process had him building up for a starter’s workload.But for now, the right-hander is back in the Chicago Cubs bullpen. The Cubs activated Mills from the 60-day injured list before Tuesday’s series opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. Right-hander Anderson Espinoza was optioned to Double-A Tennessee.AdvertisementManager David Ross called Mills a “Swiss Army knife” who could be used in a variety of roles out of the bullpen.“I‘ve said that probably a million times, he can do a lot for us,” Ross said. “He’ll be getting back on the bump back up here. We’ll have to watch him and see, but he can give me one (inning), he can give me multiples. He’ll be a valuable piece down there.”AdvertisementMonday represented the first day players on the 60-day IL could return. The Cubs’ day off shifted that opportunity to Tuesday.[ [Don’t miss] The story behind Frank Schwindel’s bond with a 7-year-old Cubs fan — and the quest to raise awareness of an unnamed disease ]Infielder David Bote appeared to be another candidate to rejoin the team. However, Bote has been pulled from his rehab assignment. He was experiencing bouts of dizziness and is getting checked out. Bote was working back from offseason surgery on his left shoulder.A trio of players on the IL — Seiya Suzuki, Yan Gomes and Jonathan Villar — took early batting practice Tuesday, getting in on-field work before rain forced the remaining pregame work inside. Ross wants to make sure Suzuki (sprained left ring finger) and Gomes (left oblique strain) in particular get enough reps before returning.If they make it through Thursday’s day off feeling good, they could return for the weekend series in New York against the Yankees.“We’ve got some off days here we should take advantage of just to make sure they’re 100%,” Ross said.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 35Seiya Suzuki celebrates in the Cubs dugout after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of the game against the Brewers at Wrigley Field on April 10, 2022. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Suzuki still has some swelling in his finger, but he could play through that if it lingers. As Ross put it: “Everybody plays through a little bit.”Ross, though, wants to make sure Suzuki feels 100% comfortable swinging the bat. A big factor in Suzuki going on the IL was the painful vibrations on non-barreled balls when hitting in the cage.“He still feels it, and there’s a little bit of hesitation there,” Ross said. “We want to make sure we get that out of there before it just lingers.”AdvertisementWhile Ross’ focus was on getting the Cubs off to a strong start on the five-game trip, he felt for his former manager Joe Maddon, whom the Los Angeles Angels fired Tuesday. Ross, who played for Maddon with the Cubs in 2015 and 2016, texted him after hearing the news and told Maddon he was thinking of him.[ [Don’t miss] How Matt Swarmer’s unique slider is bringing the 28-year-old Cubs rookie big-league success ]“That’s a sucky thing to hear,” Ross said. “I love Joe. He has done a lot for me and was a great manager for me. I don’t know what’s going on in Anaheim from that standpoint, but thoughts go out to him.”Maddon, 68, was 130-148 in his third year with the Angels. He led the Cubs to the postseason in four of his five seasons on the North Side, with the 2016 World Series title his crowning achievement.“I have a ton of respect for Joe, another man that I’ve learned a lot of baseball from,” Ross said. “A lot of my managerial philosophies and the way I handle things are a lot of the example he set when he was my manager.”

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