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When Chicago Cubs reliever Scott Effross first learned his sidearm delivery, he watched a lot of hitting videos.Because he uses more lower-half load than a conventional pitching delivery, his process more closely resembles a hitter’s. Dissecting those hitting videos became a valuable tool, helping him tap into his lower half more while using his hips and core to get down the mound and keep his arm path consistent.Advertisement“I’d see how guys would stay on their back legs and drive through,” Effross told the Tribune. “Obviously pitchers use their lower half really well regardless, but for me, that was probably the biggest adjustment, learning how to use that in a completely different way.”Nearly three years ago, during the Double-A Tennessee All-Star break, Effross committed to the new sidearm delivery in hopes of changing his career trajectory. Effross, 28, has quickly become a versatile bullpen option for manager David Ross. Effross leads the Cubs with 19 appearances, owning a 2.04 ERA, team-high 11.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 203 ERA+. His 17⅔ innings are most among their relievers aside from the multi-inning, spot-start work of Keegan Thompson.AdvertisementNone of his 10 inherited runners scored. Only 14 MLB relievers had a higher WAR than Effross’ 0.5. He gives the Cubs a different look: Effross has the seventh-lowest average release point — 3.67 feet above the ground — in the majors. The average is 5.82 feet.Cubs reliever Scott Effross delivers during the fifth inning against the Pirates on April 24, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)“If you were to ask me three years ago this is where I’d be now, I’d say that’s better than best-case scenario,” Effross said. “I still feel like I have a long way to go. There’s still things I’m learning every single day about the motion and how to attack hitters and just being a big-league pitcher in general.”Through the first 2½ years of his new delivery and arm slot, Effross thought about his mechanics and how the process felt every time he threw the baseball. Now he’s at the point of fine-tuning, establishing better consistency and making adjustments.Effross credited assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos for helping implement small mechanical adjustments. Early in spring training, Effross’ posture became too bent and didn’t have enough lower-half load. It was caught quickly, and Effross got on track heading into the season. Repeating his release point has been a big part of Effross replicating mechanics.The Cubs have been willing to use him in spots ranging from one batter (four times) to pitching in two innings (four).“He can do so many different things, he’s not fazed by the moment,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said. “He can do a lot of different things. But it all comes back to just the consistency of the work for him and him being able to be himself no matter what that situation is.”[ Column: Fergie Jenkins soaks up the adoration as the Chicago Cubs unveil his statue outside Wrigley Field ]Figuring out how to balance platoon splits for a low arm slot is important, especially with the three-batter-minimum rule in place. Being competitive against left-handed hitters is a must. Effross’ changeup has become an important piece to his four-pitch mix. He averages 47 inches of vertical movement with his changeup, according to Baseball Savant; the league average is 31 inches.His success against left-handed hitters this season — 0-for-18 with eight strikeouts and one walk — marks a big step in his development.AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“What’s unique about his is just the amount of depth that it gets,” Moskos said of his changeup. “If you compare movement profiles, it’s like a left-handed slurve. It’s moving like a left-handed breaking ball, not like a right-handed changeup, which left-on-left breaking balls tend to perform pretty well. So it’s something that is really unique to the arm slot, and the pitch moves a ton. It’s really sharp, and that’s why he’s had success with it.”The more Effross throws his changeup, the more comfortable the right-hander has become with going to it on any count and utilizing the pitch off his four-seam fastball. He has not given up a hit off his changeup (or fastball) this season, an offspeed pitch he has predominately used against left-handed hitters.Veteran catchers Willson Contreras and Yan Gomes have helped Effross know when to best incorporate certain pitches given the situation.“At the end of the day, these are big-league hitters, but you’ve got to look and see what they’re giving you and judging swing to swing,” Effross said. “Willie and Yan have been huge for me. They see something in a swing and they’re like, oh, we can capitalize on this and take a little bit of the thinking out of it for me.”[ Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer is confident his long-term game plan is working: ‘We’re on the right track’ ]Baseball is a game of constant adjustments. With more data and information on Effross, look for hitters to adjust in the coming weeks to his delivery and how he uses his pitches. At least that’s what should happen. But Moskos noted that teams typically don’t game plan their lineups for an outlier reliever, which Effross and his low arm slot present.There aren’t many big-league pitchers who give the same look as Effross, further making him an important bullpen option for the Cubs.Advertisement“Most teams are trying to adjust by just not swinging, but he throws strikes so that you can’t take that route with him,” Moskos said. “That’s the hard part, like, he’s just coming right after you. So it will be interesting to see because obviously the league makes adjustments to you, but I’m not sure what the adjustments are going to be just yet.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 10The unveiling of the Fergie Jenkins statue takes place outside Wrigley Field, May 20, 2022. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

A newspaper is not, of course, a living thing.AdvertisementIt is, by its humblest definition, ink on paper, and that is the way it has been for a very long time. For the Chicago Tribune, that time began June 10, 1847, and over the next several Sundays, we will chart the 175-year history of this newspaper.That is, of course, a lot to bite off, for it is a story that has unfolded against the backdrop of this remarkable city. Chronicling Chicago, as well as the “outside” world, has made for a colossal pile of Tribune pages, full of triumphs and tragedies, oddities and oddballs, events and people both wonderful and wild.Advertisement[ [Read more] Chicago Tribune’s 175th anniversary ]I hope to surprise you with some things you might never have known, enlighten you and even amuse you. Curious about how the paper covered the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre? The first White Sox game? Would you like to know, for instance, the part the Tribune played in creating “Little Orphan Annie” or how the infamous “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline happened?Who coined the phrase “World’s Greatest Newspaper” after previously calling the Tribune merely “Chicago’s Greatest Daily”? When did the famous “Injun Summer” appear and when, and why did it vanish? What did the paper call “the world’s most beautiful office building”?I hope some of you will be reminded of headlines past and of writers and photographers once part of your daily lives, along with those still laboring to bring you the news today. Others, we hope, will be reminded that a newspaper plays a vital role in building community, fostering debate on important issues and political decisions.Larry Fein, foreground, and colleagues work in the fourth floor Chicago Tribune newsroom at Tribune Tower in the 1970s. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page in the newsroom in the 1970s. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)Journalism is, it has been said to the point of cliche, the first rough draft of history. There have been other definitions, of course, one offered by the city’s 48th mayor, Richard J. Daley, who said, “A newspaper is the lowest thing there is.”AdvertisementWhen the Tribune was born, Chicago was in its infancy, having been incorporated as a city just a decade before. Its streets were clamorous and raucous, but many of its 17,000 or so citizens could see that the city was building rapidly, though none could foretell its future.On the day of the newspaper’s birth, 400 copies were printed and sold for three cents each. The four-page publication contained little news and a few opinions, and those basically existed to take up space between advertisements.[ [Don’t miss] Vintage Voices: A look back at Chicago Tribune columns through the years ]The streets are now paved (no less noisy), but the essence of how news is gathered and delivered, even in the face of stunning technological leaps, remains the same as it has always been: get the story and get it to the readers.The ways in which this has been accomplished have changed through the decades — though always with an emphasis on speed — and so have the means by which news is gathered. Indeed, even the notion of what constitutes news has undergone frequent redefinition. But the Tribune’s birth coincided neatly with an era in which the world was rapidly shrinking, making news of people and events more readily available and more rapidly transmitted.The Chicago Tribune’s Action Express, a mobile newsroom, was equipped with ultra-modern communications equipment and comfortable facilities for interviews, circa 1968. The Tribune reported, “Action Express, a mobile newspaper office capable of pulling up to any street corner in any neighborhood, will be introduced to the city and suburbs Sunday by The Chicago Tribune.” (Chicago Tribune historical photo)The Tribune has shared this city’s history and, in ways that might surprise, it has also helped to shape that history and you will read about how. You will learn of some of the strong personalities who guided the newspaper — among them Joseph Medill, William Bross, Joseph Petterson and the larger-than-life Robert R. McCormick — and see how the newspaper covered the city’s world fairs and bloody gangsters, mayors and madams, the birth of the skyscraper and the flights of Michael Jordan. Surely, the city would exist without the Tribune, but I’m glad the newspaper has been here, and remains here, to tell its tales.I have been selected to write these stories, I suppose, because I have written many stories about the city’s past. As well, my history with newspapers, and this newspaper specifically, goes deep. I have worked here for more than three decades, but every member of my family called this publication home.AdvertisementMy mother, then Marilew Cavanagh, walked into this building for the first time in the summer of 1937. She had just turned 18. She did many things at the paper, working in the travel department, the fashion department, writing synopses of movie reviews, writing memos and handling many chores for various section editors.[ [Don’t miss] From canoes to skyscrapers: A newspaper is born, and Chicago is catapulted to the world’s stage ]She also got to know the boss at the time, Col. Robert R. McCormick, who took a liking to her and often asked her to walk the dog — a German shepherd, Lotta, so named because she had a lot of puppies — that he brought with him to Tribune Tower each day. “The colonel was a presence,” she told me. “And he scared everybody half to death.”She left the tower shortly after marrying her first husband in 1940. When she did, an in-house publication devoted half a page to the event. Under a headline that read “Marriage of Marilew Saddens the Boys in Editorial” were the signatures of dozens of editors and reporters.One signature not on that page was that of my father, Herman Kogan, who had started working nights as a rewrite man at the tower in 1939 and thus didn’t meet the woman who would be his wife and my mother until years later. He left the paper and the city to fight in World War II as a Marine Corps correspondent, and then he worked for the Sun-Times and Daily News.Rick Kogan’s father, Herman, left, is shown in the Pacific as a young Marine correspondent, circa 1943. Rick’s mother, Marilew Cavanagh, right, is shown in a Chicago Tribune advertisement in 1940. Cavanagh started working at the paper in 1937 when she was 18 years old. (Rick Kogan and Chicago Tribune archive)My younger brother Mark worked here as an intern and copy editor for three summers in the early 1970s while attending Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.I grew up in a home and in an era in which newspapers were held in high, almost holy, regard. That was reflected by what I would see and read walking into the lobby of the Tribune’s former home in the tower by the river, a quote from playwright Arthur Miller carved into the wall: “A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.”AdvertisementMy first story appeared in this paper on Jan 21, 1973. I started regularly contributing stories in 1985 and was a few years later hired as a full-time employee. I have written thousands of stories for the paper, and through this series I will attempt, with the considerable collaborative efforts of colleagues Marianne Mather, Kori Rumore and Jocelyn Allison, to fight the urge to self-indulgence, self-aggrandizing and chest-thumping. I will strive for something that is not hagiography but rather offers you subjective highlights (and some lowlights) from the paper’s past.As Lloyd Wendt, a distinguished newspaperman and collaborator with my father on many books about Chicago history, wrote in his magisterial 1979 book, “Chicago Tribune: The Rise of a Great American Newspaper,” “The metropolitan newspaper never sleeps, never rests, but writes its autobiography in daily book-length segments.”[ [Don’t miss] Were you a Tribune newspaper carrier? Share your story. ]Before coming to the Tribune, I worked for the Daily News and the Sun-Times, and the Daily News comes to mind now. The great writer/editor M.W. Newman wrote the eulogy for the paper, a lyrical piece of journalism that started on the paper’s final front page on March 4, 1978, and ended like this: “The writer’s newspaper ends as it began — a momentous Book of Life. But that story isn’t over, just the Daily News’ part of it. A newspaper dies, but newspapering goes on. Life goes on, the sequel and all the tomorrows after that.”You may be reading this on a computer or a phone or perhaps the old fashioned way of ink on paper. In whatever way this is coming to you, it is brought by the latest gathering of hundreds of people working every day to give you various forms of the Tribune, and hundreds of thousands of you are still reading it. That’s a story worth telling. The point, I suppose, is that solid and energetic journalism is not a luxury but an essential, no matter how delivered.Newman was correct, of course. Tomorrows await, but now it’s time to revisit the yesterdays.Follow along with all of our 175th anniversary coverage and sign up to receive a special edition of Daywatch in your inbox with anniversary coverage.

When you’ve watch enough baseball in Chicago, you soon realize what goes around comes around.The angst accompanying the early-season travails of the White Sox is not unfamiliar. Neither is fan anxiety over the trade status of a popular Cubs player.AdvertisementHere’s a look at how two Sox and Cubs seasons from the past relate to the present.Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa in the dugout, May 15, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Been there. Done that.AdvertisementIt’s not happening.If you’re old enough to remember what happened all those years ago in a ballpark that has since been demolished and replaced by a parking lot, you know this question has been discussed a time or two, even by Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, who eventually pulled the trigger.The 2022 White Sox have followed the same basic trajectory of the 1983 White Sox, with one common denominator — the manager. Or two, if you count Reinsdorf.Despite an abundance of talent, the Sox started 8-10 in April 1983 and followed with a 12-15 record in May. La Russa’s team is 19-20 heading into Sunday’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees.Before Saturday’s 7-5 loss to the Yankees, the Sox ranked near the bottom in the majors in hitting and defense while the pitching was middle of the pack.Almost no one believes La Russa’s team is incapable of turning things around and cruising to an American League Central title. But until the Sox do take off, it’s only an educated guess.The blame has mostly fallen on the shoulders of La Russa, whom Reinsdorf brought in to take the Sox from Point B to Point C. Whether La Russa could have done anything differently to avoid the mediocre start seems irrelevant. White Sox Twitter has made up its mind.The response has been eerily similar to the vocal cries of disgruntled fans in 1983. You might have tweeted your displeasure with the current manager to a few hundred followers, but your grandfather probably shouted it during games at half-filled Comiskey Park in the early 1980s.AdvertisementBut the 1983 Sox moved into first place in the AL West on July 18, went on a 59-26 second-half run and won the division by 20 games before losing to the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series.Years later, La Russa in a Tribune interview recalled the skepticism fans and media displayed during that “Winning Ugly” summer.“When I was here, they hadn’t won anything since ’59,” La Russa said. “As soon as you’d lose two or three games in a row, they’re like, ‘It’s the beginning of the swoon!’ In ’83 it was kind of a rallying cry with us.“We had lost two of three to Baltimore in August, and we were going to New York on a trip. Everyone was saying, ‘Oh, the wheels are coming off.’ I think that’s one reason we won by 20 games.”The Sox swept the Yankees from Aug. 15-17 in the Bronx and clinched the division on Sept. 17, cruising through a 22-6 September.“We didn’t cruise,” La Russa said, disputing the narrative. “We just kept kicking butt. We refused to get our foot off of their necks. Part of it was to prove people wrong.”AdvertisementAnd here we are again with the Sox in New York playing an important series against the league’s best team with a chance to prove people wrong.None of La Russa’s current players was born in 1983. Only a few media members who were eyewitnesses remain. La Russa already was a polarizing figure by then and had been on the managerial hot seat since July 29, 1982, when Reinsdorf admitted during a postgame news conference the Sox were thinking about firing him.“This is a critical time,” Reinsdorf said. “If we keep playing like this, we’ll be dead.”Reinsdorf didn’t blame La Russa for the record or poor play. But he said expectations clearly were not being met.“If Tony La Russa was fired, we’d be firing a good manager,” Reinsdorf said. “A decision like that would be made because the team is going so badly and you can’t fire the team, you fire the leader.”La Russa remained the manager until GM Ken “Hawk” Harrelson fired him in 1986 after another slow start. Reinsdorf repeatedly said it was the worst baseball decision of his tenure as Sox chairman, and he rectified the alleged mistake by rehiring La Russa in 2020.AdvertisementHe still can’t fire the team. But, sorry Twitter, he won’t fire the manager either.Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras celebrates after scoring on a double by teammate Yan Gomes in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field, May 19, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)The biggest question for Cubs President Jed Hoyer in 2022 is whether to extend the contract of the popular catcher, who becomes a free agent after the season. If he doesn’t feel a deal is possible, Hoyer could trade Contreras for prospects to continue restocking the farm system.The Cubs already appear out of contention in the National League Central with a 15-24 record after Saturday’s 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field. A wild-card bid also appears unlikely.Contreras is off to a great start, entering Saturday leading all catchers with a .391 OBP and an .865 OPS. He exited in the third inning Saturday with right hamstring tightness after stealing a base in the third inning.Contreras also is the heart and soul of the team and one of only three players remaining — along with Kyle Hendricks and Jason Heyward — from the 2016 champions.The game’s highest-paid catcher is the Philadelphia Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto, who signed a five-year, $115 million deal in 2021, breaking the record for catchers with a $23.1 million per-year average. Contreras figures to be in that $23 million per year range if the Cubs let him walk, even though he just turned 30 and has some wear and tear on his knees after nearly 600 games behind the plate.AdvertisementCubs President Andy MacPhail faced a similar dilemma during the summer of 1997 with another team out of contention. Would he trade outfielder Sammy Sosa or potentially let him walk as a free agent after the season?MacPhail answered that question on June 27, 1997, signing Sosa to a four-year, $42.5 million extension and making him the fourth $10 million per-year player along with Albert Belle, Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield.After the news was announced, MacPhail conceded Sheffield’s six-year, $61 million deal was a “key measuring stick” for Sosa’s extension. Some fans questioned whether Sosa deserved to be in the same category as Bonds, who was then an all-around player.“If we didn’t feel that way, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” MacPhail said.Sosa’s agent, Adam Katz, said Sosa took less money to stay a Cub.“I let it be known to Andy, ‘We’re not looking for a home run, we’re looking for a double,’” Katz said.AdvertisementSosa’s contract turned out to be a bargain for the Cubs. He turned into one of the game’s greatest sluggers in 1998, helping to fill Wrigley Field and make the team a goldmine for Tribune Co., which then owned the team. Sosa’s accomplishments were later put into question by steroid allegations, but the tens of millions he made the Cubs owners from 1998-2004 already was in the bank.Sosa remains persona non grata with the current owners, the Ricketts family, and he hasn’t returned to Wrigley since being dealt after the ‘04 season. Whether Contreras has Sosa’s star power or charismais debatable, but he’s undisputedly one of the game’s best catchers.Like Sosa he wants to remain a Cub. What is unknown is whether he’d settle for a “double” instead of a home run, giving the Rickettses a hometown discount. Asked about Contreras on Thursday, Hoyer said “our relationship is good” while declining to discuss the catcher’s future.Cubs fans have made their feelings about Contreras known. Now they wait for Hoyer’s answer.

Rowan Wick zipped a couple of fastballs past Daulton Varsho before he settled in to a high-pressure at-bat Saturday with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs knotted at 4 in the top of the 10th inning at Wrigley Field.“All I told myself was, ‘Can’t get beat again,’ ” Varsho said.AdvertisementHe didn’t.Varsho drilled a two-out, three-run double off Wick, then scored on Andrelton Simmons’ throwing error to lift the Diamondbacks to a 7-6 comeback win, handing the Cubs their fourth loss in a row. Advertisement“I just knew I had an opportunity (on the throw) to get to third and still give us a chance to score another run there,” Varsho said. “When it got by (Yan Gomes) and hit the brick (behind home plate), I was like I’m just going to keep going. It’s kind of a pinball machine back there with all the bricks.”The Diamondbacks had only one hit off Cubs starter Justin Steele but came to life against the bullpen, riding a three-run eighth inning into extras after falling behind 4-0 through three.“Our guys didn’t shut down,” Diamondbacks manager Terry Lovullo said. “They had every right to. It’s a team that has a great heartbeat. I’ve been talking about that this whole road trip, it’s a common denominator for us.”Relievers Joe Mantiply, J.B. Wendelken and Ian Kennedy combined for a pair of scoreless innings before Mark Melancon pitched the 10th for his ninth save.The Cubs scored twice in the 10th as Simmons singled to shortstop to score Christopher Morel. Simmons moved into scoring position by stealing second with Ian Happ representing the tying run at the plate.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Melancon fanned Happ before Jonathan Villar doubled to score Simmons, then Seiya Suzuki struck out to end it.Alek Thomas brought the Diamondbacks to life in the seventh with a two-out single to center to score Jake McCarthy. Then Pavin Smith led of the eight with the first pinch-hit homer of his career to cut the deficit to two. That snapped Cubs reliever Scott Effross’ streak of 14 appearances without allowing an earned run.“That was an electric moment for us,” Varsho said. “Gained some confidence back and just good for our whole lineup.”AdvertisementMcCarthy then doubled off David Robertson with two outs, scoring Ketel Marte to close the gap before Varsho’s single to center brought McCarthy home to tie it at four.Steele threw five scoreless innings and fanned nine, coming up one strikeout short of matching his career-high. He allowed one hit and walked two.Frank Schwindel and Patrick Wisdom hit back-to-back home runs in the second to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. Willson Contreras singled and stole second, then left the game in the third inning with right hamstring tightness. Suzuki then doubled to left, scoring pinch runner Rafael Ortega. Gomes followed with a single to center to score Suzuki and stretch the lead to 4-0.

They pulled it off again.Five years after trainer Chad Brown and owner Seth Klarman took the 2017 Preakness with Cloud Computing, a horse that would never win another race, they targeted the 2022 edition with another fresh but lightly tested contender, Early Voting.AdvertisementTheir horse earned enough qualifying points to run in the Kentucky Derby, but they skipped it, figuring he’d have a better chance in Baltimore against a smaller, more fatigued field. They calculated correctly as Early Voting swept to victory in the 147th Preakness, his fourth career race.“It’s beautiful when a plan comes together,” Brown said afterward.AdvertisementEarly Voting with jockey Jose L. Ortiz leads Epicenter to the finish line for victory in the 147th Preakness, his fourth career race. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)The win was a cherished 65th birthday present for Klarman, who grew up three blocks from Pimlico Race Course before he went on to his lucrative career as a Boston-based hedge fund manager. It was the second Triple Crown victory for Brown, a four-time Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top trainer.“Cloud Computing was a once in a lifetime,” Klarman said. “And now I have it twice in a lifetime, which is really hard to believe it could happen.”The bookish, media-shy owner and the prolific trainer have become close as they’ve built a mutually beneficial partnership, and the Preakness has turned out to be their brightest stage.“I just want to say how happy I am to deliver a classic victory to one of my best friends, Seth Klarman, on his birthday today,” Brown said. “It’s really memorable for me.”Jockey Jose L. Ortiz reacts after winning the Preakness Stakes on Early Voting on Saturday at Pimlico. (KENNETH K. LAM/Baltimore Sun)Early Voting was known as a front-runner coming into the race, and he ran out of steam late in the April 9 Wood Memorial, where Mo Donegal passed him. But jockey Jose Ortiz coaxed him to sit behind early leader Armagnac in the Preakness, and his patience paid off. He passed Armagnac at the top of the stretch, with plenty of fuel still in his tank. Epicenter, the 6-5 favorite, tried to move up along the rail to catch Early Voting, but Ortiz closed off his path and held on to win by 1 1/4 lengths.“Whoever was coming had to come around me,” Ortiz said.Brown was not surprised to see Early Voting hold off the more experienced and lauded Epicenter. “I said the other day to somebody, he is like a bar fighter,” he said. “He has a good mind on him, but he is going to step into you if you get in his face, this horse.”Ortiz, a first-time Preakness winner, broke down in his postrace interview, thanking Brown and Klarman for supporting his career and praising their wisdom in looking past the Derby. He felt Early Voting, whom he’s ridden in each of his four career starts, was “not seasoned enough” for the 20-horse field at Churchill Downs.Advertisement“It’s very hard to get an owner to pass on the Derby,” Ortiz said. “They made the right choice for the horse.”Klarman said Early Voting likely would not have reacted well to the torrid early pace in the Derby. “We thought he needed a little more seasoning,” he said. “We thought the extra rest would help him.”He credited Brown’s “extraordinary” ability for taking in data and feeling his way to the correct plan for a horse.Owner Seth Klarman holds a trophy after his horse, Early Voting, won the 147th Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico. His wife, Beth Schultz Klarman, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, left, and Governor Larry Hogan are also there to celebrate the victory. (Kim Hairston)At first glance, Klarman said the 1 1/2-mile distance of the Belmont Stakes would probably be a stretch for his horse, but he had yet to discuss future plans for Early Voting with Brown, who said the Travers Stakes at New York’s Saratoga Race Course might be a target this summer.Early Voting won in 1 minute, 54.54 seconds and paid $13.40 on a $2 bet to win, $4.60 on a $2 bet to place and $3.60 on a $2 bet to show. Runner-up Epicenter paid $2.80 on a $2 bet to place and $2.40 on a $2 bet to show. Third-place finisher Creative Minister paid $4.20 on a $2 bet to show.Epicenter’s trainer, Steve Asmussen, could not believe his horse started so sluggishly, falling to eighth place and leaving himself too much work to do at the end. “I was past surprised,” he said. “I was disappointed. You’ve got to leave the gates to have any position whatsoever.”Advertisement“I had to go to another plan, which was to be inside the whole race,” Epicenter’s jockey, Joel Rosario, said. “He was fine with it, but if I had another opportunity, I wouldn’t have been inside. It’s not what I wanted, but he dealt with it, and we were making up ground. … Turning for home, I just couldn’t get to the winner.”Asmussen said Early Voting deserved all credit for his perfect trip, adding that he would take some solace because the Preakness winner is a son of Gun Runner, one of the trainer’s greatest horses.There was no Triple Crown bid on the line Saturday. That went out the window nine days before the Preakness, when Rich Strike’s owner, Rick Dawson, pulled him from the field, preferring to rest him for future races.The Derby champ was 600 miles away on Preakness morning, breezing a brisk half-mile at Churchill Downs as he continued his preparations for a possible run in the Belmont Stakes. Rich Strike was the first healthy Derby winner to skip the second leg of the Triple Crown since 1985.As if his absence was not enough, the Orioles did their part to upstage the Preakness, announcing Saturday morning that the best prospect in baseball, Adley Rutschman, would make his first career start at Camden Yards at 7:05 p.m., four minutes after post time for the main event at Pimlico.While the trainers and owners of the nine Preakness horses surely did not care about Adley mania, they did care about the boiling weather in Baltimore, with the high temperature surpassing 90 degrees for the first time in at least 20 Preakness Stakes.AdvertisementAsmussen said he was “as concerned as you can be” about the sticky heat, noting that it was a variable his powerfully built colt had never confronted.The weather was far from Klarman’s mind, however, as he processed another victory in his former hometown. He used to walk to Pimlico from his family’s home and watched Secretariat win the 1973 Preakness, two years before he graduated from Poly and moved away. He had no thought that he would return to the race someday with a horse of his own.“It was not a dream,” he said. “I didn’t think about that. I didn’t think anybody could realistically imagine they would own horses. Horses are expensive, and I didn’t grow up with a lot of resources.”Could he and Brown pull off their Preakness gambit one more time to go with their wins from 2017 and 2022? “See you in five years,” Klarman joked.154th BELMONT STAKESFinal leg of Triple Crown seriesAdvertisementElmont, New YorkJune 11TV: Chs. 11, 4 (coverage begins 5 p.m.)

NEW YORK — New York Yankees designated hitter Josh Donaldson ran between second and third base after Isiah Kiner-Falefa ended the third inning by flying out to right Saturday at Yankee Stadium.That’s when Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said Donaldson “made a disrespectful comment.”Advertisement“Basically tried to call me Jackie Robinson, ‘What’s up, Jackie?’ ” Anderson said after the Sox’s 7-5 loss. “I don’t play like that.“He made the comment and it was disrespectful. I don’t think it was called for.Advertisement“It happened the first time he got on (in the second inning) and I spared him that time. And it happened again. And it was just uncalled for.”NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 21: umpire Nick Mahrley #48 attempts to separate Yasmani Grandal #24 of the Chicago White Sox and Josh Donaldson #28 of the New York Yankees during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium on May 21, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) ** OUTS – ELSENT, FPG, CM – OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)Two innings later the benches and bullpens cleared.As Donaldson came to the plate in the fifth, he and Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal exchanged words. Moments later, both dugouts and bullpens emptied.“What sparked it was a comment he made,” Grandal said. “This game went through a period of time where a lot of those comments were made and I think we’re way past that. It’s just unacceptable.“Thought it was a low blow and I’m going to make sure I’ve got my team’s back. There’s no way you’re allowed to say something like that. It’s unacceptable.”Added Sox manager Tony La Russa: “He made a racist comment, Donaldson. And that’s all I’m going to say.”White Sox manager Tony La Russa looks on after a benches-clearing dispute during the fifth inning against the Yankees on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)Anderson had to be restrained by teammates José Abreu and Gavin Sheets. There were no ejections after the benches cleared.White Sox designated hitter Jose Abreu (79) holds back shortstop Tim Anderson during a benches-clearing dispute in a game against the Yankees on Saturday in New York. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)Donaldson told New York reporters: “First inning, I called him ‘Jackie.’ Let me you give a little context. 2019, he came out with an interview that he said he was the new Jackie Robinson of baseball, he’s going to bring back fun for the game, right? In 2019 when I played for Atlanta, we actually joked about that on the game. I don’t know what’s changed from (then) and I’ve said it to him from years past, not in any manner than just joking around. So the fact that he called himself Jackie Robinson.Advertisement“If something has changed from that, my meaning of that is not any term trying to be racist by any fact of the matter. It was just off of an interview of what he called himself and when we said that before, we joked about it, he laughed. As you can tell in our series that we’ve played, there are times when I’ve tried to diffuse the situation. I took responsibility for the tag (on May 13 at Guaranteed Rate Field). I wasn’t trying to do anything there. Today just trying to diffuse it like make light, like, hey, we’re not trying to start any brawls or anything like that. Obviously he deemed that it was disrespectful, and if he did, I apologize. That’s not what I was trying to do by any manner.”It was the second time this season the teams had a benches-clearing incident.On May 13 at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Sox loaded the bases with one out in the first.Sheets struck out and Yankees catcher Jose Trevino threw to third to try to get Anderson. The shortstop made it safely by diving, but Donaldson, playing third, tried to nudge him off the base.Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson, left, and White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson share words in the first inning on May 13 at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)The benches and bullpens briefly cleared.Anderson appreciated the support from his teammates.Advertisement“We’re a family here,” Anderson said. “We take care of each other. It’s all love in our locker room. We don’t really deal with crazy things like that. We try to keep that away from our vibes and what’s going on. It shows how connected we are.”Added Grandal: “I’m sure any other team would have reacted the same way. Like I said, a comment like that is just unacceptable. It should not be allowed. I’m sure, not only us, but anybody else would have reacted the same way. Maybe even worse.”White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal looks on after a dispute with Yankees designated hitter Josh Donaldson, not pictured, during the fifth inning Saturday at Yankee Stadium. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)When the game resumed, reliever Reynaldo López struck out Donaldson. The Sox trailed 6-3 at the time. They pulled within a run at 6-5 but couldn’t complete the comeback to fall in the opener of the three-game series.The Yankees scored five runs in the second against starter Dallas Keuchel, with DJ LeMahieu’s two-out grand slam to right serving as the big hit.Keuchel allowed six runs on six hits with three walks (one intentional) and no strikeouts in four innings.Yankees starter Nestor Cortes allowed three runs on six hits (two from Anderson) with seven strikeouts and no walks in five innings. Abreu hit a three-run homer off Cortes with two outs in the third.AdvertisementThe Sox scored twice against reliever Michael King in the sixth. Leury García had an RBI double and scored on a Josh Harrison double to cut the Yankees lead to 6-5.The Yankees responded with a run in the sixth and held on for the win, their fourth victory in five meetings against the Sox.

TURIN, Italy — Lyon earned a record-extending eighth Women’s Champions League trophy after beating defending champion and favorite Barcelona 3-1 in the final on Saturday.Lyon was 3-0 up after just 33 minutes and cruised home.AdvertisementThe French side has taken eight of the past 12 editions of the Women’s Champions League. Captain Wendie Renard, Sarah Bouhaddi and Eugénie Le Sommer have been part of all those successes.But Barcelona went into the final the favorite in Turin after one loss all season.AdvertisementThen Lyon stunned with goals by Amandine Henry, a header from Ada Hegerberg — the league’s all-time leading scorer — and a tap-in from Catarina Macario.Barcelona captain and Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas pulled one back shortly before halftime, but they ended up repeating their 2019 loss to Lyon in the final.A fantastic solo effort got Lyon rolling in the sixth minute. Henry slid into a tackle and swiftly got up to collect the ball, cut inside, and curl a 30-yard shot into the top right corner.Just when Barcelona looked in charge, Lyon scored again after Selma Bacha worked her way down the left flank and crossed in for the unmarked Hegerberg to head in for her 59th goal in 60 league matches.It was a fitting way for Hegerberg to crown her comeback season. She returned in October after almost two years on the sidelines with injuries.Lyon was running rampant against a shellshocked Barcelona — which had won all of its matches in the Spanish league — and stretched its lead still further in the 33rd.The Barcelona defence made a mess of clearing the ball in its own box and Hegerberg rolled it across to Macario for the easiest of shots.Just before halftime, Putellas put Barcelona on the board to rekindle some hope.AdvertisementPatricia Guijarro almost scored a spectacular goal in the 58th when she spotted Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler off her line, but the audacious lob from just inside the Lyon half came off the crossbar.The post was also hit by Hegerberg deep in stoppage time.

Kylian Mbappé is set to stay at Paris Saint-Germain after again turning down the chance to join Real Madrid.The France forward has agreed to a three-year contract extension that is close to being signed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the contract talks publicly.AdvertisementThe 23-year-old Mbappé’s contract is expiring in June and he would have been available on a free transfer.Instead of joining 13-time European champion Madrid, which has chased him for so long, Mbappé is staying to try to deliver PSG its first Champions League title.AdvertisementMadrid managed to beat PSG in the Champions League this season but not in the transfer market once again.The Spanish giant’s failure to sign Mbappé is a significant blow for its president, Florentino Pérez, who has been trying to get the transfer over the line for a year.PSG turned down Madrid’s official bid of 180 million euros ($190 million) — the same amount it signed Mbappé for from Monaco in 2017 — and even another reported amount of 200 million euros ($211 million) was not enough to sell its star despite him having only a year remaining on his contract. Mbappé said wanted to leave at the end of last season, but only on the right terms for PSG.The wealth of the club’s Qatar sovereign wealth fund ownership linked to the emir allows PSG to resist bids that could prove irresistible to other clubs without state funding.The non-transfer reflects the shifting power dynamics in European football. Pérez was one of the architects of the European Super League breakaway from the UEFA Champions League that imploded within 48 hours in April 2021.PSG opted out of joining the 12 Super League founders, allowing its president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, to gain one of the most powerful roles in the game as head of the European Club Association.Pérez is still pursuing his Super League dream in conflict with UEFA.Signing Mbappé would have provided a statement signing for Pérez from a team that only emerged as a rival in the last decade through its Qatari funding.AdvertisementBut the energy expended in pursuing the transfer, and optimism from Madrid, which is chasing its record-extending 14th European Cup win when it meets Liverpool in next Saturday’s Champions League final in Paris, has come to nothing.The tension between the clubs was evident when PSG was knocked out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 by Madrid in March — despite leading 2-0 overall with two Mbappé goals — and Al-Khelaifi remains under UEFA investigation for allegedly confronting match officials after the loss.Madrid is being thwarted yet again, having tried to sign Mbappé after he left Monaco in 2017 — and even before that.He visited Madrid’s facilities aged 14, and was greeted by France great Zinedine Zidane, but he instead chose to launch his stellar career at Monaco.Mbappé’s first professional goal came at the age of 17 years, 62 days, which beat the Monaco club record held by Thierry Henry.Henry’s is France’s record scorer with 51 goals. Mbappé is already on 26 and may well overtake him as a PSG player.AdvertisementHe is PSG’s second-highest scorer with 168 goals and could surpass Edinson Cavani’s record of 200 next season.However, Mbappe misses out on the chance to play alongside France teammate Karim Benzema for Madrid in what would have been a devastating partnership and the envy of Europe.Over the past year they have been prolific together for Les Bleus and both netted when France won the Nations League final.But when France defends its World Cup title later this year in Qatar, they’ll only be teammates on the national team.___Harris reported from Manchester, England.

WNBA roster spots are so scant that every opportunity a player receives is vital to continuing a domestic career.To put that harsh reality into perspective, 108 prospects entered this year’s draft. As of Thursday, only 136 active players are on WNBA rosters.AdvertisementSo when Chicago Sky coach/general manager James Wade decided to retain 31-year-old rookie Rebekah Gardner over players with league experience, some were surprised. Through three games, all questions about Gardner’s capability of handling life in the WNBA have been silenced.“I feel like we hit the lottery,” Wade said. “She definitely completes us for what we want to be and it’s been good so far. She’s proven she is a WNBA player.”AdvertisementAfter playing 10 years overseas, Gardner scored 14 points in her WNBA debut against the New York Liberty. She is averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists through three games, and opponents have had no answer for her scoring off the dribble.For Gardner, a shot in the WNBA was a long time coming.“I would say, ‘Yes,’ ” Gardner said when asked if she thought she wasn’t ever going to make it in the league. “I just love basketball. I made the decision if an opportunity comes my way, I’ll take it. There’s a lot of great players who aren’t in the WNBA, but I used this opportunity to come out and take it.”Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor, left, peers around the defense of Chicago Sky guard Rebekah Gardner, center, during the second half, May 18, 2022, in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren/AP)Gardner’s 10-year odyssey to crack a WNBA roster started in 2012 at UCLA. The Bruins went 14-16 her senior year and didn’t make the NCAA Tournament. Gardner felt her draft stock fell by not being on the national stage, and she ultimately went undrafted.At 22, Gardner played in Israel for a year before Atlanta Dream coach Michael Cooper invited her to training camp. She was in camp for only two weeks before pulling both quads.In 2017, the Sky brought her in but didn’t have room on the roster. She admitted she didn’t play her best during that training camp but had a revelation about what she wanted out of her career.“I decided after those two experiences I would only go to camp if there was a real opportunity to make the team,” Gardner said. “If somebody liked me or was interested in me, they would reach out. I just love basketball, kept playing overseas and if something were to come up, I would go — like what happened with this situation.”The Sky on March 9 waived recently signed forward Crystal Bradford after she suffered a right foot injury during the offseason. It was a brutal hit for the Sky from on-court and financial standpoints: WNBA players with more than three years of league experience make a minimum of $72,141 per season, but those with two years or fewer make a minimum of $60,471.AdvertisementBradford played two seasons in the WNBA and would’ve commanded a higher contract if it wasn’t for an off-the-court incident last May. Dealing with the league’s hard cap, Wade had to search for an effective wing to back up Kahleah Copper at a low price.Wade lives in Southern France in the offseason and was located only 1 hour, 45 minutes from Gardner’s overseas team, Spar Girona, in Spain. He routinely travels around Europe to check up on players, something that allows him to find hidden gems.Wade said he doesn’t remember the exact game in which he first saw Gardner but was impressed enough to go see her two more times. He immediately was impressed with her quickness going against WNBA players such as Copper, Gabby Williams, Arike Ogunbowale and former Sky All-Star Diamond DeShields.“My whole mindset going into free agency knowing we probably couldn’t afford to keep Diamond was, ‘How do we replace that speed and athleticism?’ ” Wade said. “I saw (Gardner) once and a light bulb went off. I knew we had something there. The wing market was only dried out depending on where you were looking.”Chicago Sky guard Rebekah Gardner, right, is defended by Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd during the first half, May 18, 2022, in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren/AP)Wade has been known for taking gambles in the past. He detonated mock drafts when he selected Katie Lou Samuelson with the fourth pick in 2019 and 19-year-old Shyla Heal with the eighth pick in 2021. Despite the criticism of those moves, Wade’s big swings as general manager have paid off. He took risks in acquiring often-injured Azurá Stevens in 2020, traded Heal for guard Dana Evans in the middle of last season and signed Kahleah Copper to a max contract the year before she evolved into an All-Star and Finals MVP.Wade swung for the fences again and told Gardner if she came to the United States she would have a spot on the roster. Her $60,141 salary this season fit neatly into the cap, and the early returns on Wade’s investment have been promising. She has a comparable skill set to Copper as a slasher who can initiate offense. In what was a gaping hole behind the Sky’s All-Star backcourt, they have found their centerpiece off the bench.Advertisement“She fit in so well with us right from the beginning,” guard Courtney Vandersloot said. “Right off the plane, she came in, knew what she was good at and was able to do it. It was huge for us for her to step in. We rely a lot on her, and she makes the right play all of the time. She’s been playing professional basketball for a very long time and fits perfectly within our system.”It’s one thing to make the league and another to stay in it. Gardner knows that as well as anyone, and she’s relishing every moment with the Sky.“It’s been 10 long years,” she said after her May 11 debut. “It’s nice when your hard work begins to pay off.”James Kay is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

Scotty Pippen Jr. knows the power that comes with a name — especially at the NBA combine this week in Chicago.In his early days playing basketball in Highland Park, Pippen said it was a challenge to carry the family name of Scottie Pippen, the other half of the legendary duo who lifted the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships.AdvertisementEvery time he lined up on the court, Pippen said parents pointed him out to their kids, encouraging them to bring their toughest game against the Hall of Famer’s son.“Growing up, I’ve always had the name,” Pippen said. “It always was a pressure on me, even being a little kid growing up in Chicago. I’m just used to it. I’m my own person. … I go out there and I compete. My dad’s not out there with me. At the end of the day, it’s my own legacy.”AdvertisementPippen isn’t the same player as his father — at 6-foot-3, he stands 5 inches shorter, playing shooting guard rather than small forward — but he said his father’s guidance has been a key as he prepares for the NBA draft.Scotty Pippen Jr. of Team Curry (40) aims for the basket as Terquavion Smith of Team Weaver (5) defends during a scrimmage at the NBA Draft Combine at Wintrust Arena Thursday, May 19, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)And Pippen still feels a connection to his father’s legacy despite potentially becoming a second-generation NBA player.“We were both underdogs,” Pippen said. “Even though I led the SEC in scoring, I’m still not highly scouted (and) I wasn’t highly talked about.”With plenty of attention on his family lineage, Pippen declined to dive into the most common debate for casual and die-hard NBA fans alike — who is the greatest player of all time?Despite the longtime partnership and rivalry between his father and Michael Jordan, Pippen said his favorite player has always been Kobe Bryant. But without seeing the Chicago legend play in person, Pippen said he couldn’t offer a verdict on the GOAT debate.“I can’t answer that,” Pippen said. “I haven’t seen Michael Jordan play.”It’s become increasingly common for players projected to be selected in the top tiers of the draft to opt out of the combine to avoid the risk of injury.This year’s opt-out list included some of the top talent entering the draft: Paolo Banchero (Duke), Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga), Jabari Smith Jr. (Auburn), Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky) and Ochai Agbaji (Kansas).AdvertisementExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 34Scotty Pippen Jr., right, of Team Curry defends Marcus Sasser of Team Weaver during a scrimmage at the NBA draft combine on May 19, 2022, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)The combine began Wednesday with a series of workouts to test players’ physical capacity. Here are the top athletes from measurements and drills.Height: Mark Williams, Duke, 7-foot-2Wingspan: Williams, 7-6.5Maximum vertical leap: Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee, 41.5 Standing reach: Williams, 9-9Standing vertical leap: E.J. Liddell, Ohio State, 35.5 AdvertisementLane agility test: Julian Strawther, Gonzaga, 10.3 secondsShuttle run: Dyson Daniels, Ignite (G League), 2.81 secondsChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Three-quarter sprint: Ryan Rollins, Toledo, 3.07 secondsWith top players opting out of scrimmages, Thursday and Friday allowed players surrounded by less hype to make their case to jockey for spots in the draft. Here are a few players to watch after impactful outings at the combine.Terquavion Smith, North Carolina State: Smith did enough on the first day of scrimmaging — scoring 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting — to feel comfortable sitting out the second day. His shot-making and decision-making in the pick-and-roll showed promise, which paired well with measurements such as a 38.5-inch vertical leap.Trevion Williams, Purdue: It’s easy to get lost in the mix when playing next to Jaden Ivey, who is projected as a top-five pick. But with Ivey opting out, Williams excelled at the combine. Despite struggling with shooting — going 6-for-24 in two days of scrimmages — Williams racked up 23 rebounds and 13 assists with a facilitating style that could fit well in an NBA offense.AdvertisementJalen Williams, Santa Clara: At 6-6 with a wingspan just over 7-2, Williams’ length creates an intriguing prospect as a versatile player who can switch between guard and forward. He scored 19 points in Friday’s scrimmage with decisive playmaking that popped.Christian Braun, Kansas: Despite being labeled as deceptively athletic when he entered the draft, Braun showcased strength and bounce in Wednesday’s drills. But the scrimmages allowed him to stand out, creating a profile as a utility player who can score from anywhere on the court while providing a defensive boost.Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga: Despite sitting out Thursday with a quad injury, Nembhard made the most of Friday’s scrimmages with a 26-point, 11-assist performance.