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The back injury to Chicago Cubs top prospect Brennen Davis is more serious than initially thought.Davis had back surgery in Los Angeles Thursday, sources told the Chicago Tribune. The 22-year-old outfielder went on the Triple-A Iowa injured list May 12 after he had been bothered by low back stiffness that traces back to spring training. The surgery revealed a cluster of blood vessels that caused back and leg pain. The vascular malformation pushed against a nerve, not dissimilar to sciatica.AdvertisementThe blood vessels were cauterized during the surgery, and Davis has a follow-up appointment with the surgeon next week. It’s a best-case scenario given the situation for Davis, who does not have any disc or structural issues in his back.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Cubs minor-league notes: Yohendrick Piñango’s swing, a new setup to challenge hitters and 2 pitchers to watch at Triple A ]He is expected to make a full recovery. However, there is no timetable for when Davis will return to baseball activities. It is too soon to say how much of his season will be impacted by the surgery.AdvertisementThe ailment initially manifested as a back injury, but the pain migrated to his legs. Davis received an epidural, which was expected to help resolve the issue. The pain, though, continued to worsen through his back and legs. Going into Thursday’s surgery, the thought was Davis had been dealing with a potential disc issue in his back.Davis had a .195/.286/.299 slash line with two doubles and two home runs in 22 games at Triple A before landing on the injured list. Heading into the season, he was a candidate to join the Cubs at some point this season. That is now on pause as he works back from the surgery.

Florida threatened to fine Special Olympics International $27.5 million for requiring 5,500 participants at the USA Games in Orlando to be vaccinated against COVID, prompting the organization to drop the mandate.“There needs to be a choice in this regard,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at an event in Orlando surrounded by a cheering crowd that included athletes for the games set to begin Sunday. “Let them compete. We want everyone to be able to compete.”AdvertisementNews of the dispute was first reported by Jay O’Brien of ABC News.In a letter sent to the Special Olympics International on Thursday, the state Department of Health said the organization’s requirement that athletes show proof of vaccination violated state law. It said there had been several attempts by health officials to avoid imposing fines and bring the event into compliance by not requiring proof of vaccination.AdvertisementSurgeon General Joseph Ladapo said he had been negotiating with the organization for the past six months to resolve the issue “not for our sake but for the sake of these athletes.”A statement from the Special Olympics said Friday it had lifted its vaccination rule.[ Special Olympics brings 5,500 athletes to Orlando ]“Delegates who were registered for the games but unable to participate due to the prior vaccine requirement, now have the option to attend,” the organization said in a released statement.“We don’t want to fight,” the statement said. “We want to play.”The conflict arose after DeSantis signed an executive order last April banning so-called “vaccine passports,” preventing businesses and state and local governments from requiring proof of vaccination. A month later, the Florida Legislature passed a bill, signed into law by DeSantis, imposing a $5,000 fine for each violation.A Sarasota business owner sued to have the law blocked, but Leon Circuit Judge Layne Smith rejected the argument that it violated the business owner’s First Amendment rights.Judi Hayes, an Orlando attorney whose 11-year-old son has Down’s syndrome and sued DeSantis after he banned schools from requiring masks, said she was disappointed that the Special Olympics caved to the governor. She said she would boycott the upcoming games.“We were planning on attending as spectators,” said Hayes, whose lawsuit against the governor was voluntarily dismissed. “If they won’t stand up for us, we won’t participate.”AdvertisementPeople with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities, are more susceptible to getting COVID-19 and more vulnerable to poor outcomes, Hayes said.“The only reason we are alive to discuss this issue is because [the] vaccines work,” she said. “But he wants to curry favor with the anti-science troglodytes and bullies the Special Olympics. Who does that?”Rubbing salt into the wound, she said, the organization is rewarding him by allowing DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis to continue serving as honorary chairs of the 2022 Special Olympics games.But there are others in the disability community who are adamantly opposed to vaccines because of potential side effects.Elaine Valle, of Belle Isle, wants her 25-year-old daughter Isabella, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and uses a wheelchair, to participate in the games despite not being vaccinated.Valle said her daughter’s neurologist advised against her being vaccinated because she could get a fever that could cause other complications. She added that the entire family has previously gotten COVID and had antibodies.Advertisement“We just found out this morning that she will be participating,” Valle said at the DeSantis event. “Isabella has from the age of 7 competed in swimming, golfing … and cycling as part of Special Olympics Florida … And then they tell us you’ve got to have these vaccine mandates.”The vaccine protocols were put into effect in June 2020 and updated a year later, according to the Special Olympics website.Joe Dzaluk, president and CEO of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, said the threatened fines have had no impact on the event itself.“The games will proceed as planned, and we are happy to welcome any and all athletes,” he said.Dzaluk, who had no part in the vaccine mandate or the decision to drop it, said only a small percentage of athletes dropped out of the games after having qualified.“The attrition level, compared to previous games, is actually down,” he said. “It’s been in the single digits.”

Charles Small was introduced in May as the next athletic director at Valparaiso University and will begin July 1, succeeding Mark LaBarbera.A former basketball player at Pittsburgh, Small has been the senior associate athletic director for student services at Iowa State for the past four years and will be VU’s first Black athletic director.AdvertisementSmall spoke with the Post-Tribune on Wednesday regarding the challenges that await him in his new role.Q: Has anything stood out or surprised you in the days and weeks since you were hired?AdvertisementA: The greatest part is that there’s been a lot of confirmation that people are really passionate about Valpo being successful. When I did the introductory press conference and was going through the interview process, it just confirmed that people really care about this institution. The things that were said in those beginning stages are holding to be true, so that’s really exciting for me.Q: How did you get started on the path toward becoming an athletic director?A: I started off as a student-athlete at the University of Pittsburgh, and I was a walk-on. I got some offers from Division II schools, but I decided that I wanted some academic pursuits but to also have that Division I experience. When I did an internship in my senior year with the compliance office and also student life — where I was doing a lot of the community service for student-athletes — it opened up my eyes to working in sports.When I was a graduate assistant, that really opened my eyes for working in college athletics. It’s evolved over time, and my philosophy has been to do the best that I can in the space that I occupy, really trying to be a thought leader and a leader in general. Professionally, as my roles have expanded, the natural progression has been toward athletic director.Q: How did Valparaiso end up on your radar?A: They’re in the really good Missouri Valley Conference, and there’s a history there, particularly with basketball. I’m all about comprehensive excellence and all of the sports doing well. But for my skill set, it’s always been on my radar with the basketball history there. So a lot of it is aligning it with the skills and experiences that I bring.When you have a faith-based institution that’s really grounded in values of playing in a high-level conference in all sports, it checked a lot of the boxes.Valparaiso University President José Padilla, left, presents a jersey to incoming athletic director Charles Small on Thursday, May 19, 2022. (Jon Hendricks / Valparaiso University)Q: There’s been an ongoing discussion in the sports world about the lack of Black coaches and executives in college and pro sports. What does it mean to you to be the first Black athletic director at Valparaiso?AdvertisementA: It’s a big responsibility. I think it speaks volumes that our industries in pro and college sports are continuing to make movements in those spaces. It’s all about equity of opportunity, making sure that people have equitable opportunities for leadership-type positions. It’s a big responsibility that I take seriously, and I think it’s moving in the right direction.But I also think diversity, equity and inclusion encompasses more than just race. There are people from different backgrounds and different worldviews that expand beyond race.Q: With such an opportunity, how could you influence the athletic department?A: The way I’d influence it is having us embrace, as a department, cultural humility — the idea that we should all have the humility to have self-reflection and also embrace and celebrate people who come from different walks of life and how that makes us all better.Q: What’s the one thing you’re most excited to do?A: No. 1 is meet the student-athletes. I’m pumped about getting the opportunity to meet them. The timing of it, with this being in the summer, we may do some virtual things initially. But once the fall starts and everyone is there, meeting the faculty, the student-athletes and also understanding what our coaches are building — the cultures within their sports — those are the things that really excite me.AdvertisementPost TribuneTwice-weeklyNews updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and WednesdayAnd getting out into the community. I think that Valparaiso is an awesome community with our supporters and donors. Just meeting people is what excites me right now.Q: Speaking of the community, Valparaiso High School and other high schools in Northwest Indiana have been producing Division I student-athletes. But many of them go elsewhere. Is attracting more local student-athletes part of the plan?A: Yeah, I think we should put a strategy together to get the best talent that fits the institution, our mission and what we’re trying to build — us having that consistency and the clarity of knowing who we are and what we’re trying to build in finding and recruiting student-athletes who are going to thrive and flourish in that environment.If they’re at Valparaiso High School, that’s great. But also in the surrounding region, I think we’re in a really good spot with a lot of talent.Q: Does anything stand out as the biggest challenge or the biggest goal or the biggest project for you as the athletic director at Valparaiso?A: We’re going to engage in a process to define that as a department. I think that’s important for our department — to define it collaboratively. I don’t want to point out anything specific yet because I want us to get there together. But I will say that there are four pillars we’re going to focus on: the student-athlete experience, creating an enduring culture, earning trust and achieving eminence through a national brand. How we tailor that to really fit Valpo is something we’ll decide, but those four pillars will guide us.AdvertisementDave Melton is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

PHILADELPHIA — Joe Girardi was fired by the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday after his team’s terrible start, becoming the first major league manager to lose his job this season.Philadelphia said bench coach Rob Thomson will become interim manager for the rest of the season.AdvertisementExpected to contend for an NL East title, the Phillies are 22-29 and 12 games behind the first-place New York Mets.“It has been a frustrating season for us up until this point, as we feel that our club has not played up to its capabilities,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement. “While all of us share the responsibility for the shortcomings, I felt that a change was needed and that a new voice in the clubhouse would give us the best chance to turn things around. I believe we have a talented group that can get back on track, and I am confident that Rob, with his experience and familiarity with our club, is the right man to lead us going forward.”AdvertisementGirardi’s first year with Philadelphia was the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Phillies went 82-80 last year and he ends his tenure with a 132-141 record. Girardi managed the New York Yankees from 2008-17 and the Florida Marlins in 2006.

Former Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace and his wife, Stephanie, sold their house in Lake Bluff for $1.4 million in an off-market deal, according to public records.Now a senior personnel executive with the Atlanta Falcons, Pace was the Bears’ general manager from 2015 until the team fired him in January. Pace and his wife sold the home on April 28.AdvertisementIn Lake Bluff, Pace and his wife paid $1.3 million in 2015 for the 3,726-square-foot house on East Center Avenue. Built in 2015, the two-and-a-half-story house is about six blocks to the northwest of the Lake Bluff mansion owned by the Bears’ now-former head coach Matt Nagy, which currently is on the market for $5.95 million. Nagy was fired in January along with Pace.Because the Paces never publicly placed the home on the market, details are spare about the features in the house that he recently sold.AdvertisementThe Paces’ now-former house had a $23,440 property tax bill in the 2020 tax year.Goldsborough is a freelance writer.Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.

If the Chicago Sky learned one lesson last season, it was the importance of taking care of business early.After starting out 2-7 a year ago, the Sky are 5-3 and fourth in the Eastern Conference standings entering weekend games against the Atlanta Dream (6-3) on Friday and Washington Mystics (7-3) on Sunday. One loss can make the difference in having home-court advantage come playoff time.AdvertisementHere are three takeaways from the Sky’s first eight games and what they need to keep doing — and what they should avoid — heading into this important two-game stretch.In the first five games, the Sky didn’t look like the team that has thrived playing up-tempo the last three years. They ranked last in pace (93.31 possessions per 40 minutes), partly due to waiting on Kahleah Copper to return from overseas. Coach/general manager James Wade went with a lineup featuring three bigs in Emma Meesseman, Candace Parker and Azurá Stevens, which also stalled the Sky’s ability to get out on the break.AdvertisementOnce Copper returned from her season in Spain, that all changed.The Sky have turned up the jets in the last three games, ranking second in the WNBA in fast-break points per game and pace during that stretch. Adding Copper back to the starting lineup has helped the Sky score before the defense sets up. She averaged the second-most fast-break points per game last year on a Sky team that was first in transition points per possession.Sky guard Kahleah Copper dribbles along the baseline while Indiana Fever guard Victoria Vivians defends May 24, 2022, at Wintrust Arena. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)Her presence has already been felt.“We just got Kah back, which is huge,” point guard Courtney Vandersloot said last week. “We are still trying to get our flow and rhythm, but mostly we need to rebound to get out in transition.”The Sky will be tested in getting out on the break against the Dream and Mystics. Both teams rank in the top five in fast-break points allowed per game. However, it’s encouraging that the Sky have returned to what they do best: scoring in transition.[ [Don’t miss] It took 10 years, but the Chicago Sky’s Rebekah Gardner is relishing her 1st WNBA chance as a 31-year-old rookie ]The Sky have had a reputation the last three years for making things interesting at the end of games. From losing double-digit leads to crawling back into games that seemed out of reach, the Sky’s proclivity for not taking care of business early in games has reared its head in 2022. Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot calls out to teammates May 6, 2022, at Wintrust Arena. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)Vandersloot, however, has come to the rescue multiple times.Six of the Sky’s eight games have been clutch games, defined by a team trailing or leading by five points or fewer in the last five minutes of regulation. Vandersloot has 49 fourth-quarter points this season and is first in the league with 26 clutch points. She has been the steady force the offense has needed when it becomes stagnant.AdvertisementWade has preached urgency, but it hasn’t arrived yet.“These games that we play in that we’re winning in the fourth quarter will get you old quick,” Wade said. “I’m trying to stay young, but it feels like my birthday is tomorrow.”The Mystics let the Sky bully them in the second half on May 22 in Washington, but they might be getting defensive anchor Alysha Clark back after she missed the first meeting. The Sky can’t keep relying on Vandersloot’s last-minute efforts if they are going to beat one of the best teams in the league.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago sports teams have won at least 14 championships since 1985. Here’s a look at all their rings. ]When Meesseman signed with the Sky in the offseason, all of the talk was about the team’s offensive upside. The 2019 WNBA Finals MVP has played with Vandersloot and Allie Quigley the last four years in Russia with UMMC Ekaterinburg, where Wade was an assistant before the Sky hired him.However, the offense still hasn’t quite clicked the last three games. The Sky have shot a league-worst 24.6% from beyond the 3-point arc and have the ninth-best offensive rating (97.2) in that span.Meesseman told the Tribune two weeks ago it has been “a process” learning to play in this style of offense with Vandersloot and Quigley. Vandersloot echoed a similar sentiment after the Sky’s win over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday. AdvertisementSky forward Emma Meesseman shoots against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 6, 2022, at Wintrust Arena. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AP)“It’s a different style of basketball,” Vandersloot said. “She’s European and we play in Europe together, so it’s just different. I think we underestimated that going into the season. The coverages and athleticism are different. They’re switching a lot with us and overseas they don’t switch, so we have to adjust.“It’s taken us a little bit of time, but I’m willing to bet on us that we’ll figure it out because she is one of the best players in the world.”The Sky have been unselfish almost to a fault. Wade pointed to the team passing up open shots, leading to contested attempts at the end of the shot clock. Only eight games into the season, the Sky have time to get back on track.“We are talented enough to figure it out,” Wade said.

In the pecking order of professional sports, is being a scout considered an undesirable gig? I have no idea. General managers probably take all the credit when the team lands a star in the making, and lay all the blame on scouts when a sure thing flames out. These kinds of grievances are true of any number of professions that don’t have anything near the sex appeal of being able to say you work for an NBA team, but the Netflix movie “Hustle,” starring Adam Sandler and his beard, takes it as a given that the job blows.Look, maybe it does. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to move up the ladder, as Sandler’s Stanley Sugerman so clearly does. A longtime and exhausted scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, he gets bumped to assistant coach for half a second before getting bumped back down when the team’s owner dies (a blink-or-you’ll-miss-him Robert Duvall) and his insufferable son (Ben Foster) takes over and sends Stanley out on the road to find that clichéd “missing piece” the team so desperately needs.AdvertisementIf a long sigh were a person, he would be Stanley Sugerman. He’s burned out and his dreams have been dashed. Or as tells his wife (Queen Latifah): “Guys in their 50s don’t have dreams, they have nightmares. And eczema.” So he swallows his pride and drags his suitcase through Europe, looking for potential international draft picks. When he arrives in Spain, he spies a 6′9″ ringer in Timberlands (Utah Jazz power forward Juancho Hernangómez) crushing it in a street game and walking away with a fistful of cash.That’s one kind of hustle the title is referring to.AdvertisementFrom left: Juancho Hernangómez as Bo Cruz and Adam Sandler as Stanley Sugerman in “Hustle.” (Scott Yamano/Netflix)There’s another — of a man past his prime who perks up when he spots a diamond in the rough. Stanley is convinced this humble construction worker named Bo Cruz is his next great find. His boss says no way, the guy’s a nobody, so Stanley brings the kid back to the States anyway, against the team’s objections — and on his own dime. “Philadelphia baby, you’re gonna love it,” Stanley says, filling the awkward silence as they drive to Bo’s hotel. “Best sports fans in the world. Actually, the worst, but that’s what makes them the best.”But wait, there’s another kind of hustle at play — of the drive needed to compete at the NBA level. Bo is quiet and inexperienced and sometimes rattled by trash talk. There’s an assault charge from his past that complicates matters. But he has Stanley in his corner. Poor beaten-down Stanley, who believes in this kid. And friends, you have yourselves a sports drama.Sandler’s own interest in basketball is well known and he’s a producer here alongside LeBron James and James’ longtime business partner Maverick Carter. The NBA bona fides extend to the end credits, which are an array of “as himself” appearances (these are barely even cameos so don’t get your hopes up) and yet the movie, directed by Philly native Jeremiah Zagar, feels like the opposite of an insider’s take on the sport.Screenwriters Taylor Materne and Will Fetters hit the expected signposts. Do You Love The Game? Triumph Over Adversity. Will We Make It To The Big Tryout In Time? A training montage, of course there’s a training montage. I don’t have a problem with tropes because they’re proven elements of a genre that exist for a reason: They are reliably satisfying and they work. And yet the stakes in “Hustle” feel nonexistent. The worst that can happen? Bo goes back to working construction in Spain and Stanley takes that generous sports agent job offered to him early in the film.From left: Juancho Hernangómez is the diamond in the rough and Adam Sandler is the guy committed to getting him signed to a team. (Cassy Athena/Netflix)But Stanley is doing his best to ensure that doesn’t happen. Here’s how he attempts to drum up interest in Bo: “The kid is like if Scottie Pippen and a wolf had a baby.” I don’t know jack about basketball but I know who Pippen is and the line sort of just sort of sits there, willing itself to be more than it is, but you’ll forgive me if even I’m baffled to learn that Stanley’s own daughter is more clueless than I. Would a basketball obsessive who lives in Philly, employed by the Sixers no less, raise a child who would refer to Dr. J, aka Julius Erving, as “your doctor friend” with a straight face? C’mon now, that’s just clunky, whether it’s meant to be funny or a version of “kids these days!”Whatever. Visually there’s not much to grab your eye, but the bigger issues lie with the writing. There aren’t really any characters, it’s kind of remarkable. It’s a film that doesn’t even rely on archetypes, it simply populates the screen with people, some of whom occasionally say things. Why waste a talent like Queen Latifah on a role that’s little more than half a dozen lines? And whatever charisma Hernangómez may have in real life as a player on the court doesn’t carry over onscreen. As an actor, he struggles to fill in the script’s gaps — not that he should be asked to, anyway. He’s likable company, which goes a long way, but he’s not the sort of talent who can compensate for a halfhearted script. That’s more Sandler’s area, and his performance is refreshingly free of anything extraneous, playing a schleppy guy who allowed himself to get a little too bored with things, before putting it all on the line for a late-in-life attempt at something meaningful.I appreciate that “Hustle” even exists in a Hollywood landscape that doesn’t presently know what to do with movies that aren’t about life-or-death or saving the world. It’s not quite an airball; you won’t find yourself returning to it again and again, either. But there’s a part of me that’s just happy to see non-blockbuster movies about human-scaled dilemmas still getting made.“Hustle” — 2 stars (out of 4)AdvertisementWhere to watch: In theaters June 3; on Netflix June 8Queen Latifah and Adam Sandler play husband and wife in “Hustle.” (Scott Yamano/Netflix)Nina Metz is a Tribune criticnmetz@chicagotribune.comWhat to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life … now. Sign up for our Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here.

Beneath sunny skies at Mount Greenwood Park, Special Olympics athletes Karyn Mrotek and Matthew Buck shared the limelight at an impressive send-off for their upcoming competition in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. Competitions start Monday and wrap up June 11 in Orlando, Florida.Led by police escort, Mrotek and Buck arrived in a top-down convertible, accompanied by their coach Lisa Wisniewski. Friends, family, local politicians and even members of the Chicago Fire and Police Departments cheered and applauded their arrival.AdvertisementFor decades, Mrotek, of Palos Heights, had participated in Special Olympics activities, including gymnastics, basketball and swimming, but was never chosen to compete nationally.Now at 43, having survived two heart surgeries and now wearing a pacemaker, she will compete as one of four members of Illinois’ Special Olympics boccie ball team.AdvertisementMrotek, who has Down syndrome, worked for 15 years at the Marcus Orland Park Cinema, keeping the lobby tidy and snack station stocked with napkins and cup lids. Now she works in a similar capacity, helping to keep things running smoothly at A.C.E. Therapies in Merrionette Park, which provides therapies for children with disabilities.Karyn Mrotek and Matthew Buck stand on stage as Special Olympics ambassadors assemble to show their support for the two local athletes competing in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games during a special send-off Wednesday at Mt. Greenwood Park in Chicago. (Susan DeGrane / Daily Southtown)Since age 5, she has participated in Mount Greenwood special recreation classes three days a week.“I think this has been an outlet for Karyn’s athleticism, but more of a social outlet,” said her mother, Donna Mrotek, who retired five years ago from a career in information technology at Palos Community Hospital.Both women have made lifelong friends through Mt. Greenwood’s Special Recreation program, which knows no community boundaries and is open to children and adults with mental disabilities. “It’s been more of our own little community,” Donna Mrotek said.Along with Mrotek’s mom, a few close members of that “community” will be staying at Disney World to cheer Mrotek on.Buck, 23, of Tinley Park, has not let autism hold him back either. He has participated in the Mt. Greenwood Special Recreation program since age 8 and taken up a variety of sports, including gymnastics, bowling, weightlifting, basketball, boccie ball, kayaking, golf, snow shoeing, archery, softball and swimming.In Orlando, Buck will compete in three swimming events: the 4×50 medley relay, 100-meter breast stroke and 100-meter freestyle.Buck attended the special needs program at Clissold Elementary in Beverly and graduated from Lincoln-Way East High School after his family moved to Tinley Park. He’s now enrolled in the adult transition program at Lincoln-Way Central.AdvertisementLike Mrotek, he also works and has held part-time jobs at Hickory Farms, Alsip Nursery and T.J. Maxx. His dream job would be to work at Imagine Theatre near his home, according to his mother, Kathleen Buck.Buck’s mother, father, brother and two sisters will be going to Orlando to cheer him on.Wednesday’s special send-off ceremony kicked off with Special Olympics gold medalist Sibohan Clancy enthusiastically delivering the national anthem in a voice that quavered on high notes but never wavered in volume.Later in the ceremony, Clancy also wowed the crowd with an enthusiastic wolf cry of support. She was one of 10 Special Olympics ambassadors who addressed the crowd and wore a bright green shirt as a show of support.Among the ambassadors were medalists and ribbon holders, figure skaters, skiers, gymnasts, archers, swimmers, softball players and boccie ballplayers who had traveled to competitions in American cities and destinations beyond, including Graz, Austria.Daily SouthtownTwice-weeklyNews updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and WednesdayAfter congratulatory remarks from Chicago 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea, state Rep. Fran Hurley, state Sen. Bill Cunningham and Special Olympics and Mt. Greenwood Park officials, Mrotek and Buck addressed the crowd.Advertisement“Thanks for being here to wish me luck,” Mrotek said.“I want to cheer on other athletes and athletes in the past,” Buck said. “Thank you coaches for cheering me on as well.”Mementos presented to Mrotek and Buck included commemorative plaques, 21 Pineapples Hawaiian shirts created by fellow Special Olympics athlete Nate Simon, state of Illinois flags, and swim caps autographed by Olympic Gold medalist Michael Phelps.Coach Wisniewski also came away with a special token of appreciation — a wooden cutting board shaped like the state of Illinois.The crowd stuck around for refreshments while Mrotek and Buck sat at a table autographing photos.Susan DeGrane is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

Keegan Thompson is not switching up his routine.No matter how the Chicago Cubs have used the right-hander this year, he maintains the same warmup process — even before starts. Forget the typical pregame long tossing in the outfield by the starting pitcher. Thompson has found a setup that works, and he isn’t abandoning it just because the Cubs are giving him a chance to start.AdvertisementJust as he does during games before multi-inning relief appearances, Thompson heads to the bullpen mound and goes through his pitches, avoiding a prolonged warmup.“I’m still sticking with that routine until it doesn’t work,” he said.AdvertisementPitching coach Tommy Hottovy has seen Thompson learn what works best for him to prepare for a game, regardless of the situation.“Every routine is different, and maybe he’s found that his routine is more of a reliever-type routine,” Hottovy told the Tribune on Wednesday. “But we say ‘as a reliever’ — it’s not, it’s just your routine.“It’s funny, like, everybody sees him as a starter and you have to have a certain throwing routine. You don’t. Your routine is your routine if it’s working. Obviously something’s good there.”[ [Don’t miss] Christopher Morel continues to be a ‘spark’ and highlight for the Cubs ]Thompson delivered the longest start of his young career Thursday night, going 5⅓ innings in the Cubs’ 7-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. He allowed three runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.Two of those walks came against the last two Cardinals he faced in the sixth as his command wavered. He was “very disappointed” by that sequence but satisfied overall with his start.“Everything’s been mechanical adjustments,” Thompson said. “When I go wrong, that’s pulling my head off and a little too early coming out of it. So when I do that, I know what I’m doing wrong. It’s just getting back in there.”Cubs starter Keegan Thompson pitches during the first inning against the Cardinals on Thursday, June 2, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Through 12 appearances (four starts), Thompson owns a 1.99 ERA, second-best on the Cubs pitching staff. The 27-year-old former third-round pick is trying not to think about his stellar beginning to the season.“It’s easier said than done, and I probably don’t do a great job of it,” Thompson said. “But just trying to keep those jitters and the anxious feeling building up to the start day and trying to keep those in check.”AdvertisementWith his sixth win of the season — tied for most in the majors — Thompson is the 10th Cubs pitcher since 1916 to start a season at least 6-0. The last to do it was Jake Arrieta in 2016.“We tried to push him a little bit longer, but a really nice outing,” manager David Ross said. “Consistent as we’ve had. A guy that continues to impress for sure.”Beyond putting the Cubs in position to beat the Cardinals in the teams’ first meeting of the season, two elements of Thompson’s start were notable: his ability to maintain his fastball velocity into the sixth and how he incorporated his changeup.[ [Don’t miss] Record aside, the Cubs enter June with a feeling of optimism. Here are 5 reasons why. ]Ross liked seeing Thompson utilize the changeup against the Cardinals’ right-handed hitters to generate weak contact. Thompson, who threw 10 changeups, wants teams to have the pitch on their scouting reports to keep them off balance.“We had to switch it up and mix in the curveball and changeup later in the game, which was really effective,” catcher P.J. Higgins said. “I‘ve known him for a while and he’s pretty adaptable.”That adaptability is clearly present on a big and small scale with Thompson. Right-hander Alec Mills understands what goes into a swing role, something the Cubs have harnessed with Mills over the last four years.AdvertisementCount Mills, 30, among those wowed by Thompson’s performance this year as a multi-use pitcher.“I mean, that’s special, obviously,” Mills said Thursday. “He’s making it look easy. I promise you (it’s not). I don’t know, maybe I made it look hard. … He’s a weapon.”Mills believes he could learn from how Thompson relies on the same warmup routine. If he were to go through the swing role again, Mills said he would attack it differently. “There’s some things that I definitely regret doing when I was in that role,” he said. “I was sometimes kind of scared to throw off the mound that day, thinking, oh, maybe I need to go three or four (innings) today. Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“But you can throw eight or 10 (pitches) off the mound and be fine to go that day. And that’s something I think I need to get over with. But for (Thompson), that’s something that’s good for him.”Cubs starter Keegan Thompson walks to the dugout after being taken out during the sixth inning against the Cardinals on Thursday, June 2, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Hottovy told the Tribune that Thompson will be in the rotation “for at least the foreseeable future.” But how the Cubs use Thompson during their upcoming five-game trip remains to be seen. His next start would align with a day off Monday ahead of a two-game set in Baltimore, and the Cubs get another day off Thursday before three games against the New York Yankees.AdvertisementThe Cubs might not have the same type of dynamic multi-inning reliever as Thompson for however long they keep him in the rotation. They still have long relief options, though. Right-hander Michael Rucker can offer length, as can Mark Leiter Jr. when he’s on the roster. Mills, who is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list Monday, is scheduled to make another Triple-A rehab start Tuesday.“(Mills) has proven over his career to be able to bounce back and forth with that role too,” Hottovy said.The health of the rotation likely will dictate Thompson’s role. Hottovy expressed optimism Wednesday that Wade Miley could rejoin the rotation when he is eligible to come off the 15-day IL on June 10 in New York. Drew Smyly’s return from a right oblique strain, however, is not imminent.Smyly said there is no timetable for when he can resume baseball activities. He needs to have pain-free range of motion before progressing.“It’s probably going to be a little while, like a month, before I can start to really have an idea of how close I am,” Smyly said Thursday. “If you try to push it and come back too early, you’re just going to reinjure it. It’s not something you can push through.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Jaylen Brown fueled a comeback charge and scored 24 points, Al Horford hit six 3-pointers and the Boston Celtics rode the most lopsided fourth quarter in NBA Finals history to a 120-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 on Thursday night.Horford finished with 26 points and the Celtics outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the final 12 minutes after trailing by 15 late in the third quarter.AdvertisementThe Celtics made their first seven tries from long distance in the fourth and wound up 9 of 12 beyond the arc over the final 12 minutes as almost everybody got involved in the 3-point flurry. Jayson Tatum was the lone Celtics regular who struggled offensively, finishing 3 for 17.Stephen Curry scored 34 points in his return to the NBA’s big stage for the first time in three years, but the Warriors couldn’t sustain momentum from a 38-point third quarter that put them ahead 92-80 going into the fourth.AdvertisementGame 2 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night back at Chase Center.The Celtics comeback was the biggest in the finals after three quarters since Michael Jordan’s Bulls overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 in 1992.Derrick White’s 3-pointer over Curry with 5:40 remaining tied the game at 103, then Horford hit from deep the next time down as the Celtics took their first lead since halftime.The Celtics are looking to capture their record-breaking 18th title, which would move them past the Lakers, and now are three wins from doing it.Brown, who starred at nearby California for one college season, made consecutive baskets that tied the game at 47 with 5:03 left before halftime, and the Celtics led 56-54 at the break. The Warriors then used a signature third-quarter spurt, pouring in 38 points to build a big lead.Brown scored five quick points early in the fourth and assisted on an alley-oop dunk to Robert Williams III as the Celtics pulled back within 92-87 with 9:35 remaining. Brown’s 3 at 8:22 made it 94-92 before Klay Thompson answered with a 3.Andrew Wiggins scored six of the Warriors’ first 14 points and wound up with 20 in his finals debut, Draymond Green grabbed 11 rebounds before fouling out with 48.3 seconds left. Thompson contributed 15 points as the Warriors began their sixth finals in eight years after making five straight trips from 2015-19 and winning three championships.They’ll have to win this one from behind after being 21-2 in their previous Game 1s under Steve Kerr.Advertisement“It’s a different feeling,” Kerr said. “You obviously go into Game 2 with more of a sense of desperation. That’s all part of this stuff. We’ve been in this position before. Boston played a brilliant quarter. They came in and earned the win.”Curry scored a smooth 21 points in the first quarter on 7-for-8 shooting, including 6 of 8 3s — missing a half-court heave at the buzzer. And the Celtics struggled to keep up with the Warriors’ snappy ball movement and shooters at every spot on the floor.Otto Porter Jr. returned from a two-game absence to score 12 points off the bench for the well-rested Warriors. They ended the Western Conference finals in Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks a week earlier at home, while the Celtics were pushed to the limit with a Game 7 victory Sunday in Miami.The Warriors dropped to 9-1 this postseason at home, where a sellout crowd in yellow finals T-shirts chanted “M-V-P!” for Curry at every chance.Marcus Smart scored 18 points with four 3s for the Celtics. Smart star took criticism from Kerr for what the Warriors coach called “a dangerous play” lunging at Curry’s left foot on March 16 in a 110-88 Boston rout that sidelined the 2021 scoring champion for a month before his return in Game 1 of the first round against the Denver Nuggets.Now the hard work starts for a Warriors team that went a league-worst 15-50 during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season two years ago and lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in game last year before eliminating the Grizzlies in the first round this season.AdvertisementCurry’s six 3s in the opening 12 minutes were the most in any quarter of the NBA Finals. In addition, the 21 points were the most since Jordan’s 22 in the fourth quarter of Game 4 versus the Phoenix Suns in 1993.The Celtics and Warriors combined for 20 first-half 3s, an NBA Finals first-half record.Celtics: Williams started after being listed as questionable with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee and finished with eight points in 24 minutes. Coach Ime Udoka expected him to be limited to about 20 minutes, as has been the recent pattern. … The Celtics and Warriors were even on the boards at 39. … Tatum was 2 for 9 in the first half and 3 for 17 overall for 12 points.Warriors: F Andre Iguodala (injured disc in neck), G Gary Payton II (broken left elbow) and Porter (left foot soreness) all were back. Iguodala, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP, checked in with 2:36 left in the first to huge cheers after he missed 12 games. … The Warriors are 21-3 in postseason Game 1s dating to the 2014-15 season, when they won the franchise’s first championship in 40 years. And they had won 13 straight playoff series openers at home, the third-longest streak in NBA history.