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HARRISON, N.J. — The Chicago Fire’s Xherdan Shaqiri and the New York Red Bulls’ Patryk Klimala put the finishing touches on a wild 3-3 draw Wednesday.Shaqiri’s third goal of the season came in the 89th minute to give the Fire (2-5-6) a 3-2 lead, but Klimala answered during stoppage time with his fourth goal to grab the tie.AdvertisementThe Red Bulls (5-2-6) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute on a penalty kick by Lewis Morgan. The Fire got goals from Chris Mueller in the 38th minute and Wyatt Omsberg in the 49th to take a 2-1 lead into halftime.Cameron Harper pulled the Red Bulls even with a goal in 58th minute.

An uneasy feeling of anxiety or dread, or maybe both, settled over Citi Field on Wednesday night.Max Scherzer took himself out of his start in the middle of an at-bat against Albert Pujols in the sixth inning of the Mets’ game against the Cardinals. AdvertisementScherzer threw two sliders to Pujols, the latter causing him to pull the plug on his 87-pitch outing.Scherzer motioned to the Mets dugout, and he appeared to repeatedly say, “I’m done. I’m done.” AdvertisementManager Buck Showalter, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and an athletic trainer all approached the mound. The meeting was quick. Scherzer departed with the trainer out of his start and into the clubhouse with an apparent injury.The veteran right-hander allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits with no walks and four strikeouts across 5.2 innings against the Cardinals in his eighth start of the year.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chicago White Sox are a step closer to having a healthy rotation with Lucas Giolito’s return to the mound Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals.Giolito had been out since Friday, when the Sox placed him on the COVID-19-related injured list. His reinstatement was one of three roster moves the team announced.AdvertisementThe Sox optioned Davis Martin to Triple-A Charlotte after the right-hander allowed one run and struck out seven in five innings in his impressive major-league debut in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader. They also transferred starter Lance Lynn to the 60-day IL. Lynn is eligible to be reinstated June 6. If everyone is healthy then, the Sox could have seven starters to choose from.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: Beef between Tim Anderson and Ozzie Guillén? It’s up to the White Sox to make sure it’s not a bigger distraction. ]“We’ll figure that out when that time comes,” pitching coach Ethan Katz said Tuesday. “If you look at a lot of teams, for example last year the (Los Angeles) Dodgers had 10 starting pitchers at the start of the season and they finished in the playoffs with like three.“Having starting depth is really important. You can never have enough and how it shakes out at the end of the day, we’ll see how it goes. But right now it’s nice to have the options we have, and hopefully it becomes a very tough decision. We will not have a seven-man rotation, but hopefully we have some tough decisions to make.”Manager Tony La Russa agreed: “We hope we have that problem.”Katz discussed the state of the staff before Dylan Cease allowed seven hits and struck out nine in 5⅔ scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory in Game 1 of the doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium.White Sox starter Dylan Cease pitches during the first inning Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (Charlie Riedel/AP)Cease improved to 4-1 with a 3.09 ERA and a major-league-leading 67 strikeouts.“He’s definitely taking some big steps,” Katz said. “And what’s exciting is there’s still more steps to be had. That’s kind of expected. He’s still a young pitcher.“He had a great year last year, he’s off to a great start right now, but there’s still things we’re trying to refine, trying to get consistent. But he’s growing every day, his confidence is growing every day, which is ultimately the biggest thing.”Sox starters entered Wednesday’s game with a 3.41 ERA, which ranked fifth in the American League. Michael Kopech’s 1.54 ERA stands out. The right-hander has made a smooth transition back to the rotation after spending most of last year as a reliever. He has 33 strikeouts in 35 innings.AdvertisementKopech is on the paternity leave list but is scheduled to start Saturday in New York against the Yankees.“When you go from relieving to starting, it’s something you’re always paying attention to and want to make sure that you’re not taxing him too hard,” Katz said. “We’ve been very cognizant of all his pitch counts so far, his ups, and we’re going to continue to do that.”White Sox starter Michael Kopech delivers to the Yankees on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Katz has built a connection with Vince Velasquez, who pointed to the coach as a factor when signing with the Sox in March. Velasquez is 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA in six starts. He allowed one run in 10⅔ innings in wins against the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox before giving up seven runs in five innings in his last start Friday against the Yankees.Velasquez starts Thursday’s series finale in Kansas City.“His outings, every day, every time we get to see him work, we talk about some new things,” Katz said. “The challenge we have is we didn’t get a full spring training, we didn’t get an offseason to communicate and do all that. So it’s finding spots to talk, address, watch him throw. Him hearing me talk a little bit more about things and me seeing him work and just adding to everything.“It just takes time. I’m looking forward to (Thursday’s) outing after the last one, kind of building off that. The previous two were really good.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: A crazy week for the White Sox shows off the many moods of manager Tony La Russa ]Dallas Keuchel followed up a solid outing against the Red Sox (two runs in six innings on May 8) with another against the Yankees (five shutout innings Saturday). He’ll start Friday’s series opener in New York.“He came into the spring and him being able to recapture the movement on his pitches, there was some stuff delivery-wise that he battled a little bit last year,” Katz said. “He’s done a nice job this year of repeating that, and when he does that, we know that his stuff moves the way he wants to, the ball gets to where he wants to, which enhances weak contact and mishit balls. “He’s just starting to get some momentum and it’s really nice to see the stuff we saw in spring all come together.”White Sox starter Johnny Cueto points to catcher Yasmani Grandal on Monday, May 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)The Sox added another veteran to the mix Monday when Johnny Cueto made his Sox debut with two hits allowed in six shutout innings.“He was great,” Katz said. “The tempo is there, he attacks the strike zone, he’s going to shimmy, get hitters off balance. It was a lot of fun for the team to be able to see that. He keeps the defense ready to go because of how fast he’s working.“He’s a lot of fun to watch and he’s going to bring a lot of joy to this team.”

If the Chicago Cubs could bottle moments like Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, they wouldn’t have to worry so much about people calling this a rebuild. Christopher Morel’s bat-flipping celebration after homering in his first major-league at-bat, combined with Brandon Hughes’ five strikeouts in 1 ⅔ innings in his big-league debut, provided Cubs fans with hope the future might be brighter than imagined.AdvertisementThat’s what an infusion of youth can do.“It just brings that energy, that new energy,” pitcher Kyle Hendricks said before Wednesday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. “It’s having a good balance of both. We have so many good veteran guys around here now that bring the right energy from that side and that aspect.Advertisement“But seeing these young guys come up, kind of a deer-in-the-headlights (look) a little bit. They don’t know what to expect. They just go out and play and play so wholeheartedly and so natural. It’s just fun to see all that emotion come out of them.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 18The Cubs’ Christopher Morel receives an ice shower while being interviewed after the 7-0 victory over the Pirates on May 17, 2022, at Wrigley Field. Morel hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Morel was in the starting lineup at third base Wednesday, still flying from the electric moment in the eighth inning Tuesday. The 22-year-old call-up from Double-A Tennessee knew when he stepped up that Willson Contreras had homered in his first at-bat in 2016.“I saw it on the scoreboard and I said to him, ‘Hey, I’m going to make my first at-bat a home run just like you,’ ” Morel said.The moment the ball left the bat, Contreras jumped out of the dugout like the Cubs had won the pennant. It was an instant flashback to June 19, 2016, at Wrigley, when he homered in his first major-league at-bat on Father’s Day against the Pirates.“It was amazing,” Contreras recalled Wednesday. “A good introduction for me in the big leagues.”Cubs rookie Christopher Morel hugs teammate Willson Contreras after a victory against the Pirates on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Morel hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of the 7-0 win. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Justin Steele chimed in, recalling watching the shot six years ago when he pitched for Class A South Bend.“Pretty sure me and Adbert (Alzolay) watched that home run together,” Steele told Contreras.Morel’s homer sparked a wild reaction from the crowd at Wrigley, which already was on its feet for the 3-2 pitch. He performed a semi-moonwalk out of the box while flipping his bat for what he insisted was the first time in his career.AdvertisementReally? His first-ever bat flip?“Like this, yes,” he said. “Last year I hit a walk-off and I flipped my bat, but not like this.”Morel became the ninth Cub to homer in his first major-league at-bat and the first since Contreras.Cubs rookie Christopher Morel, center, celebrates with teammates after a 7-0 victory against the Pirates on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Morel hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning in his first major-league at-bat. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“I wasn’t thinking about it until it happened,” Hendricks said of the coincidence. “(Contreras) did it on the first pitch, of course. But we thought about it right away, especially Willson running out there giving him a hug. It was just an awesome, awesome moment for him. Going out there and doing that, it’s so cool to see things like that happen.”Contreras said he was waiting for Morel to “do something positive, either a blooper or a base hit.”Morel did something even better.Advertisement“Hitting a home run is pretty good,” Contreras said. “Almost nobody can do that in the big leagues.”Manager David Ross called it a moment Cubs fans will always remember and said he and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy had “swelling” in their eyes.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“That’s what stories are made of, and I’ll never forget that,” Ross said. “It reminded me of Willson’s first at-bat, that emotion. And then I started laughing when he nearly missed first base, like Mark McGwire (after breaking the home run record).”The Cubs were riding a wave entering Wednesday night’s game, with a four-game winning streak and Marcus Stroman scheduled to return to the mound Thursday after his COVID-19-related IL stint. Closer David Robertson was cleared to return from his COVID-related absence Wednesday.Chicago Cubs player Christopher Morel celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a pinch-hit solo home run in the 8th inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Team President Jed Hoyer doesn’t want his plan labeled a “rebuild,” a term the Cubs embraced a decade ago before it became associated with another word — tanking.But when kids such as Morel, Steele, Hughes and Keegan Thompson enjoy some success, “rebuild” doesn’t sound quite as offensive. Most Cubs fans, in fact, would prefer to watch unproven 22-year-olds develop at Wrigley than former prospects signed on the cheap or 30-something pitchers who can be moved at the trade deadline.Advertisement“We have a lot of good, young talent, and they are hungry,” Contreras said. “They bring a lot of positive energy around the clubhouse, which is always good to have.”Hendricks and Contreras helped establish the winning culture on the North Side in their early years, and both said they hope the younger players understand they’re here to keep that culture alive.“We’re trying to hold on to that,” Hendricks said. “And everybody that comes into this environment, we hope that’s what they feel.”

MIAMI — The specter of COVID and illness continues to be a factor in the Eastern Conference finals series between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.A day after the Celtics big man Al Horford entered the NBA’s heath-and-safety protocols, Boston coach Ime Udoka was unavailable for his team’s Wednesday media session due to what the Celtics said was a non-COVID illness.AdvertisementHowever, ongoing concerns about the pandemic continue to impact the NBA playoffs for a third consecutive year, with the Heat returning to a mask mandate for all media at Wednesday’s interview session.In addition, it is believed that ESPN now will conduct pregame coaching interviews remotely.AdvertisementHorford, as of Wednesday, was not expected to be available for Thursday’s 8:30 Game 2 and FTX Arena.It is not the scenario Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had hoped for by this stage of the pandemic.“It’s disappointing,” he said. “It’s like every single time you think it’s getting beyond this, it’s not.”That had him empathizing with the Celtics.“You want to beat their best with our best,” he said. “It’s just not the world we’re living in.”Heat guard Tyler Herro said Wednesday the return of COVID and illness is just a sign of the times.“I mean, you just control what you can control,” he said. “There’s a lot of sickness going around, but you just try to stay out the way and hope everything goes well, I guess.”While the Celtics offered no updates on Horford, word Wednesday was that guard Marcus Smart, the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, could return Thursday from the mid-foot sprain that had him out for Tuesday’s series opening Heat victory.Advertisement“Obviously, he’s Defensive Player of the Year,” Herro said, “so him being on the floor obviously brings a presence on that side of the ball. He’s a tremendous player, so him being out there, obviously it shifts things a little bit.”Herro said a return by Horford would be similarly series shifting.“I mean, both of those being back, that’s two of their five starters,” he said. “Being at full strength, I’m sure they’ll be a little bit more confident. And we’ll see when those guys get back.”For the Heat, point guard Kyle Lowry remains an unknown, sidelined with a hamstring strain for seven of the past nine games.Spoelstra said Lowry was limited to light shooting Wednesday, with the Heat limited in their court time.“I don’t have a new update,” he said.AdvertisementYes, Herro said, he was surprised that the Heat victory anthem of ‘Pepas’ was played with significant time remaining Tuesday, perhaps a bit prematurely.“It did,” he said. “I was thinking that. I think it was like four minutes on the clock.”The Heat led by 13 with 3:18 to play, with their lead later trimmed to seven with 1:28 remaining.Spoelstra said he was unaware of premature Pepas, but acknowledged being unaware through a significant portion of the Pepas phenomenon at FTX Arena.“You know what? I did not notice it [Tuesday] night,” Spoelstra said. “And it took like probably five games during the regular season to realize when our players were getting all hyped up in the huddle, and I’m looking around like, ‘focus.’ And then everybody told me to get my head out of the sand. And I realized what it was.“I didn’t even know it was played [Tuesday] night. At that point, I thought the game was very much in the balance.”AdvertisementHe then smiled and added, “I will talk to the appropriate people.”

Ozzie Guillén talks too much?In other news, the earth is round.AdvertisementThe former Chicago White Sox player and manager — and current NBC Sports Chicago analyst — once again has been accused of excessive verbiage, this time by shortstop Tim Anderson.After Guillén casually mentioned Tuesday night that Anderson should’ve played in the second game of a doubleheader the Sox lost to the Kansas City Royals, Anderson shot back with: “Ozzie need to stfu sometimes … talk too much!”AdvertisementThe tweet was later deleted, but too late to avoid a Twitter hubbub.Guillén’s son, Ozzie Jr., posted a “special edition” of Guillén’s World on the family’s YouTube channel to discuss the beef. Ozzie Jr. said there were “no hard feelings” with Anderson and said his dad needed to “be a big boy” about the reaction.“He comes from a different time,” Ozzie Jr. said of his father’s outspokenness, while adding he would “pray” for Anderson and his family.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago White Sox get strong starts from Dylan Cease and Davis Martin but split a doubleheader with the Kansas City Royals ]Ozzie Sr. praised Anderson during a Wednesday appearance on WSCR-AM’s “Mully and Haugh Show,” maintaining he was only doing his job.“If you don’t like what I say, I’m sorry,” he said. “But I’m not going to change my thoughts.”Ozzie & Chuck discuss Tony’s lineup in game 2:”We’re babysitting players so much. I understand with Jose, yes. But with TA? When you’re young like that, you gotta play everyday.” pic.twitter.com/wVnIDUuBXO— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) May 18, 2022

Anderson assuredly was not the first person to tell Guillén to be quiet. I’m pretty sure I heard Frank Thomas, Guillén’s TV partner, say it a time or two when they were teammates in the 90′s. Then they’d both laugh. It was indeed a different time.Well before he dreamed of being a manager or TV analyst, Guillén said what he wanted to say and didn’t care if the recipient of his barbs didn’t like it. He once told me I should go work for the New York Post. I took it as a compliment, but he was actually criticizing my writing skills. And again, we both laughed.The only difference between Classic Ozzie and TV Ozzie is he’s now being paid for saying whatever he wants. In fact, his bluntness was a reason for his hiring.AdvertisementAnderson was the first Sox player to publicly respond to criticism by the team-approval TV analyst, bringing back memories of Steve Stone’s battles with the Cubs players in 2004.That one didn’t end too well.Now it will be up to vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn to ensure this beef doesn’t escalate and become a distraction as the Sox try to overcome their early-season malaise.Chicago White Sox’s Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson celebrate after the first game of a doubleheader against the Royals on May 17, 2022. (Charlie Riedel / AP)Guillén was hired by NBC Sports Chicago with the blessing of Williams and Hahn, both of whom he feuded with when he was Sox manager before his stormy exit in 2011. Eventually Guillén buried the hatchet.He was put on TV to provide entertainment value and credibility for the station, which is partially owned by the White Sox. Guillén has succeeded, making the postgame show a must-watch for Sox fans.As recently as the Cubs-Sox series earlier this month at Wrigley Field, Guillén told me he would quit his job if the station tried to censor him. I don’t see that happening. NBC Sports Chicago can’t hire someone like Ozzie Guillén and tell him to be less opinionated.AdvertisementAnd as criticism goes, telling a player he’s too strong and young to be taking games off in May is rather mild. Guillén was only saying the Sox needed Anderson in the lineup, which has been struggling. Manager Tony La Russa said after the game Anderson was ready to pinch-run in the ninth if needed.[ [Don’t miss] Johnny Cueto pitches 6 scoreless innings in his debut for the Chicago White Sox, who blow a 3-run lead before winning in the 10th ]Is there more to Anderson’s pique? On Monday night’s telecast, during an in-game toss to the studio, Guillén briefly criticized Anderson for making a throw on a grounder in the hole by the speedy Michael Taylor. Anderson’s throw had no chance, and Guillén, a great defensive shortstop, correctly suggested Anderson should’ve just eaten the ball.The station quickly threw it back to broadcasters Jason Benetti and Gordon Beckman, who didn’t mention Guillén’s comment. Perhaps Anderson heard about Guillén’s remark and didn’t appreciate being told how to play his position? We can only speculate.Either way, Guillén has heaped plenty of praise on Anderson during his career, so telling the TV analyst to “shut up” after some mild criticism is overly sensitive. If it was Dallas Keuchel ripping on Guillén, no one would care.Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen throws out a first pitch with his granddaughter Adela on July 7, 2019, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)But Anderson is the face of the franchise, the team’s best and most underpaid player. When he talks, Sox fans listen.AdvertisementLa Russa, who knows a thing or two about media criticism, should talk with Anderson about how to ignore it. He also was Guillén’s manager in May 1986 when Guillén blew a potential big inning in an eventual loss by trying to score on a ball that rolled a few feet from the catcher.“Ozzie’s aggressiveness is a big plus,” La Russa said in 1986 after meeting with his shortstop. “We talked about maintaining that aggressiveness with common sense.”Common sense should prevail again.The Sox need Anderson focusing on his game, not the team’s studio analyst.And Ozzie needs to be Ozzie. If Sox players don’t want to hear it, hit the mute button.

The U.S. Soccer Federation reached milestone agreements to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally, making the American national governing body the first in the sport to promise both sexes matching money.The federation announced separate collective bargaining agreements through December 2028 with the unions for both national teams on Wednesday, ending years of often acrimonious negotiations.AdvertisementThe men have been playing under the terms of a CBA that expired in December 2018. The women’s CBA expired at the end of March but talks continued after the federation and the players agreed to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit brought by some of the players in 2019. The settlement was contingent on the federation reaching labor contracts that equalized pay and bonuses between the two teams.“I feel a lot of pride for the girls who are going to see this growing up, and recognize their value rather than having to fight for it. However, my dad always told me that you don’t get rewarded for doing what you’re supposed to do — and paying men and women equally is what you’re supposed to do,” U.S. forward Margaret Purce said. “So I’m not giving out any gold stars, but I’m grateful for this accomplishment and for all the people who came together to make it so.”AdvertisementPerhaps the biggest sticking point was World Cup prize money, which is based on how far a team advances in the tournament. While the U.S. women have been successful on the international stage with back-to-back World Cup titles, differences in FIFA prize money meant they took home far less than the men’s winners.The unions agreed to pool FIFA’s payments for the men’s World Cup later this year and next year’s Women’s World Cup, as well as for the 2026 and 2027 tournaments.Each player will get matching game appearance fees in what the USSF said makes it the first federation to pool FIFA prize money in this manner.“We saw it as an opportunity, an opportunity to be leaders in this front and join in with the women’s side and U.S. Soccer. So we’re just excited that this is how we were able to get the deal done,” said Walker Zimmerman, a defender who is part of the U.S. National Team Players Association leadership group.The federation previously based bonuses on payments from FIFA, which earmarked $400 million for the 2018 men’s tournament, including $38 million to champion France, and $30 million for the 2019 women’s tournament, including $4 million to the champion United States.FIFA has increased the total to $440 million for the 2022 men’s World Cup, and its president, Gianni Infantino, has proposed that FIFA double the women’s prize money to $60 million for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, in which FIFA has increased the teams to 32.For the current World Cup cycles, the USSF will pool the FIFA funds, taking 10% off the top and then splitting the rest equally among 46 players — 23 players on the roster of each team. For the 2026-27 cycle, the USSF cut increases to 20% before the split.After missing the 2018 World Cup, the men qualified for this year’s World Cup in Qatar starting in November. The women’s team will seek to qualify this year for the 2023 World Cup, cohosted by Australia and New Zealand.AdvertisementFor lesser tournaments, such as those run by the governing body of North America, players will earn identical game bonuses. And for exhibition games, players will receive matching appearance fees and performance payments based on the match result and opponent rank. Players who don’t dress will earn a fee that is the equivalent of participating in a national team training camp.The women gave up guaranteed base salaries which had been part of their CBA since 2005. Some players had been guaranteed annual salaries of $100,000.“I think we’ve outgrown some of the conditions that may look like we have lost something, but now our (professional) league is actually strong enough where now we don’t need as many guaranteed contracts, you know, we can be on more of a pay-to-play model,” Purce said.Child care, covered for women for more than 25 years, will be extended to men during national team training camps and matches.The women and men also will receive a portion of commercial revenue from tickets for matches controlled by the USSF, with bonuses for sellouts, and each team will get a portion of broadcast, partner and sponsor revenue.Players will get a 401(k) plan and the USSF will match up to 5% of a player’s compensation, subject to IRS limits. That money will be deducted from the shares of commercial revenue.Advertisement“There were moments when I thought it was all going to fall apart and then it came back together and it’s a real credit to all the different groups coming together, negotiating at one table,” said federation President Cindy Parlow Cone, a former national team player who became head of the governing body in 2020. “I think that’s where the turning point really happened. Before, trying to negotiate a CBA with the women and then turn around and negotiate CBA terms with the men and vice versa, was really challenging. I think the real turning point was when we finally were all in the same room sitting at the same table, working together and collaborating to reach this goal.”Women ended six years of litigation over equal pay in February in a deal calling for the USSF to pay $24 million, a deal contingent on reaching new collective bargaining agreements.As part of the settlement, players will split $22 million, about one-third of what they had sought in damages. The USSF also agreed to establish a fund with $2 million to benefit the players in their post-soccer careers and charitable efforts aimed at growing the sport for women.Mark Levinstein, counsel for the men’s union, said the agreement ended “more than 20 years of federation discrimination against the USWNT players.”“Together with the USWNTPA, the USMNT players achieved what everyone said was impossible — an agreement that provides fair compensation to the USMNT players and equal pay and equal working conditions to the USWNT players,” he said. “The new federation leadership should get tremendous credit for working with the players to achieve these agreements.”

When WGN-Ch. 9 hired Dan Roan as a sports reporter and weekend anchor in December 1983, the station most associated with live local sports in Chicago wasn’t totally committed to it during its nightly newscast.Veteran Bill Frink was the lead sports anchor, well past his years on the popular “Happy Talk” newscasts at WLS-Ch. 7 with Joel Daly, Fahey Flynn and weatherman John Coleman.AdvertisementFamiliarity was key in Chicago newscasts, and WGN seemed perfectly content with Frink narrating a couple of Cubs or Blackhawks highlights before throwing it back to the newscasters or Tom Skilling’s five-day forecast.But news director Paul Davis hired the 30-year-old Roan out of Champaign, taking a chance on a Keokuk, Iowa, native who began as a news correspondent/cameraman in Decatur, Ill., and had no name recognition in Chicago.Advertisement“Everyone should have goals, and working in Chicago is one I set for myself,” Roan told Tribune sports TV/radio columnist Skip Myslenski upon being hired.Roan was on the air by February 1984 and stuck around long enough to report on championship seasons for the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, White Sox, Cubs, Fire and Sky over 38 years at the station. His long run comes to an end May 26, when Roan delivers his final sportscast before heading off to retirement.“I’m 69 and just thought it was time to do it,” Roan said at the WGN studio. “We have three grandkids, and two live five blocks away now. And you don’t want to get home after midnight every night, which I do with the late show.“I do have to say the pandemic wrecked it for me — all those months without any access, doing shows in my basement on a delay with Jarrett (Payton). That kind of set everything in motion.”Even Roan’s traditional jump into a swimming pool after the final spring training report in Arizona had to be scrapped, a sure sign it was time to go after 46 years in the business.The role of the local sports anchor was outsized in the mid-1980s, when there was no internet to get quick updates or watch highlights if your team wasn’t ESPN-worthy. In a town that craved sports like ours, a sports anchor’s job ensured celebrity status in Chicago. And with WGN’s superstation status for much of his career, Roan was a recognizable figure almost anywhere he went.On the day Roan was hired, the big news was who would replace Chet Coppock, who had been fired by WMAQ-Ch. 5. Would it be interim anchor Mark Giangreco or one of the big-name candidates, Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and former Minnesota Vikings star Ahmad Rashad?The competition for stories back then was fierce. Tim Weigel had carved out a niche at Channel 7 with his wry, cerebral take on the sports world, and the “Big Kahuna” was WBBM-Ch. 2′s Johnny Morris, the former Bears receiver and close friend of popular coach Mike Ditka.AdvertisementBut Roan didn’t look at them as rivals and simply focused on getting to know the main characters and teams that provided the daily drama Chicago sports fans devoured.Timing is everything in life, and 1984 — Roan’s first year at WGN — was a turning point in Chicago sports after the Dark Ages of the late 1960s and 1970s.The Bears were emerging under Ditka and beat Washington to advance to the NFC title game, setting the stage for the ’85 championship season. Michael Jordan was drafted by the Bulls and immediately became the team’s brightest star. Tony La Russa’s White Sox were coming off their 1983 division title and added an ace in Tom Seaver. The Cubs were about to change the course of franchise history with Ryne Sandberg and Rick Sutcliffe leading them to their first playoff appearance in 39 years.It was like walking into a dream.“I thought, ‘Hey, what is this?’” Roan said. “But then after the ’85 Bears we had to wait a while before we won anything.”The cast of characters he got to meet along the way was the best part of the journey. Jordan, Ditka, Walter Payton, Harry Caray, Ozzie Guillén, Sammy Sosa, Dusty Baker and Phil Jackson — a who’s who of the last half-century of Chicago sports — were among the hundreds of personalities he interviewed.AdvertisementRoan played hoops at the East Bank Club with President Barack Obama and once set a pick for Jordan in a pickup game. He played golf in Iceland and picked up a couple of Emmys for the story. He subbed for Caray and was in the Cubs booth during the Sosa-Mark McGwire home run race of 1998. Roan’s trip was a trip.The city has changed quite a bit since he arrived in Chicago, and obviously so has the TV news business. We’ve seen sports reporters and anchors come and go with little knowledge of the history or culture of the teams they cover.But Chicagoans can see through the lack of expertise, which makes anchors like Roan all the more valuable. Roan wasn’t a showman or a wise guy and seldom made himself the focus of the story, with the exception of jumping into a swimming pool every spring.He outlasted most of his competitors and never felt the urge to switch jobs after joining WGN in ’84. Though he wanted Chicago teams to succeed, he didn’t sugarcoat their failures. He did his job well without calling attention to himself, which was why Roan was so widely respected by his peers in press boxes and newsrooms.While Roan doesn’t know what the future of local sportscasting holds, he doesn’t believe many up-and-coming anchors will last four decades on the job. One-on-one interviews with players are more difficult to secure since the pandemic limited media access in 2020, and other viewing options — including streaming — have cut into legacy media’s audiences.“The audiences are shrinking because the way people get their information is so much different now,” he said. “When I first got here, everybody watched the news. That’s where they got their info. Now you can get it off your wristwatch.Advertisement“We’re not as immediate as some of the other sources, so that makes it different too. But in sports, Chicago is unique. Everyone cares so much about these teams.”Working for WGN in its sports heyday, Roan was able to work in the booth on Notre Dame football, DePaul and Illinois basketball and Bulls, Cubs and Sox games. Less than an hour before a 1990 White Sox game against Cleveland, he was called upon to fill in on play-by-play for Harrelson, who didn’t show up for work. (“I know now how fast I can get from WGN to Comiskey Park,” Roan said after the game.)For decades WGN was the undisputed sports leader in town, and Roan was often the congenial emcee. Whether hosting a show on the first night game at Wrigley Field in 1988, “The Cubby Awards” after the 1989 season or “Michael Comes Home,” an hourlong pregame show celebrating Jordan’s return to the Bulls in 1995, he frequently was involved in special programming.WGN promoted its reputation as a sports station, knowing anything with a sports theme was gold. Now the station has mostly given up on live sports besides Fire games, cutting ties with the Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks and watching the Cubs move their games to their own network.It’s a new era, like it or not.ESPN can show highlights of your teams but can’t provide the local flavor you’re accustomed to seeing. And sometimes you just want to see a familiar face, someone you’re sure knows what they’re talking about when discussing your favorite teams.AdvertisementRoan said he hasn’t had time to reflect on his final week at Channel 9. But he said he was overwhelmed by the response he received from viewers after news of his pending retirement first leaked.“It’s really humbling to think you’ve touched these people who have been watching you for a long time,” he said. “I went into this out of school at Illinois State just trying to find a job, hoping it would turn into a career but not really knowing.“For someone who grew up in Keokuk, Iowa, listening to Harry Caray and Jack Buck, and then to fill in for Harry when he went into the Hall of Fame and doing games next to him … shoot, I feel lucky.”

When Rick Dawson decided his Kentucky Derby winner, Rich Strike, would skip the Preakness, he reignited a decades-old debate about the spacing of the Triple Crown series, which many horsemen and racing analysts see as out of step with modern practices.Dawson and trainer Eric Reed have said that if they had a month to prepare for the second jewel of the Triple Crown instead of the traditional two weeks, Rich Strike would be on his way to Baltimore. Instead, they opted to give him five weeks to rest for the Belmont Stakes.AdvertisementWith a 94-word statement, Dawson eliminated the possibility for a Triple Crown winner in 2022.Healthy Derby winners typically don’t bypass the Preakness. It had not happened since 1985, when Spend a Buck eschewed the race in favor of the greater riches available on the New Jersey racing circuit of that era.AdvertisementBut students of modern racing said it was only a matter of time until an owner and trainer decided that two weeks was not enough prep time for the Preakness.“Inevitable,” NBC racing analyst Randy Moss said, noting that most current trainers prefer to wait a month or more between races.Preakness contender Simplification is comforted by owner Tami Bobo as he is washed following a morning workout Tuesday. The 147th Preakness Stakes gets underway on Saturday. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)Animal wellness advocates applauded Dawson and Reed’s decision.“Hopefully, this will prompt the racing industry to modernize the demanding Triple Crown schedule by extending the time between the three races to less-inhumane intervals of one month each,” said PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo.That would mean an early-June Preakness and a Belmont Stakes run closer to July 4. But with no overarching authority to mandate reform, such change is easier said than done, and plenty of people in the sport are reluctant to alter a tradition that has elevated some of the greatest champions in history, from Citation to Secretariat to American Pharoah.For the Triple Crown calendar to change, officials from 1/ST Racing, the forward-facing arm of The Stronach Group, which owns and operates Pimlico Race Course, and the New York Racing Association, which operates the Belmont Stakes, would have to agree on a new timeline.Preakness organizers have an incentive; the Preakness field suffers every year because trainers are reluctant to run their Kentucky Derby contenders on two weeks’ rest. But the allure is less obvious for New York racing officials, who annually welcome talented horses that have skipped a trip to Pimlico in favor of resting up for the Belmont Stakes.Though 1/ST Racing offered no formal comment on a possible calendar change, a representative said the company “is looking at this internally and intends to speak with our other Triple Crown partners once we are through Preakness 147.”AdvertisementKentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter a 6-5 morning-line favorite in nine-horse Preakness field; will break from No. 8 post https://t.co/ia5KJER5AU— Baltimore Sun Sports (@BaltSunSports) May 16, 2022

Dave O’Rourke, president and CEO of the New York Racing Association, nodded to tradition in his statement on the issue: “The Triple Crown galvanizes the attention of the sports world precisely because of its difficulty. To sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes requires an extraordinarily talented horse to perform heroically at three different racetracks over a period of just five weeks.“This condensed schedule helps to sustain the excitement and enthusiasm that surrounds a Triple Crown quest and plays a role in the lasting success of each leg of the series. NYRA is always willing to engage in thoughtful conversation around issues that will impact the future of horse racing. Fundamental changes to the sport’s most successful and important institution, however, would demand careful and deliberate consideration among all relevant parties.”Debate around the schedule — three races in five weeks, starting with the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May — intensified during the 37-year gap between Affirmed’s Triple Crown in 1978 and American Pharoah’s Triple Crown in 2015. As the 1970s dominance of Affirmed, Seattle Slew and Secretariat faded deeper into the past, fans wondered if modern thoroughbreds were cut out for the test.Secretariat had raced 12 times — four of those on two weeks’ rest or less — before he reached the Triple Crown series in 1973. Affirmed had raced 13 times — five of those on two weeks’ rest or less — before he entered the starting gate for the 1978 Kentucky Derby.Preakness contender Skippylongstocking is led to the Pimlico Race Course track early Tuesday for a workout in preparation for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)Such early workloads are unheard of for today’s top 3-year-olds. (Rich Strike had raced seven times, usually on at least a month’s rest, going into the Derby.) Thus, many see the Triple Crown schedule as a relic from a bygone era.In 2014, former Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas tried, unsuccessfully, to force discussion of a new calendar.Advertisement“I respect tradition,” he said at the time, “but I also think tradition cannot impede the growth or betterment of the industry.”American Pharoah and Justify put this conversation on hold when they won Triple Crowns in 2015 and 2018, respectively, proving supremely gifted horses still could pull it off.But Rich Strike’s withdrawal from the Preakness revived the same issues in a slightly different context, as Dawson and Reed said they would be uncomfortable rushing their Derby champion back to the starting gate two weeks after the greatest effort of his life.It’s a reservation other Derby-winning trainers such as Todd Pletcher have expressed in recent years, though they bowed to tradition and raced their horses in the Preakness anyway.Trainers who have participated in the Triple Crown series are as divided as fans and track operators on the merits of the traditional schedule.At age 86, D. Wayne Lukas has won the Kentucky Derby four times and the Preakness six times. Though he never minded bringing his Derby champions to Pimlico on two weeks’ rest — “Being old school, I think we can handle it” — he said the Preakness would benefit from a longer lead-up time.AdvertisementAt age 86, trainer D. Wayne Lukas has won the Kentucky Derby four times and the Preakness six times. Though he never minded bringing his Derby champions to Pimlico on two weeks’ rest — “Being old school, I think we can handle it” — he said the Preakness would benefit from a longer lead-up time. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)“I think it would make for a better field here,” Lukas said Tuesday morning, as he prepared his filly, Secret Oath, to run in this year’s Preakness. “More trainers would participate because the two-week turnaround limits some horses making it. You’d get more of the Derby horses in the field if you stretch it out to say, Memorial Day, and then maybe run the Belmont on the Fourth of July. I think it would work.”On the other side, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who was born the year before Lukas won his first Kentucky Derby in 1988, said he’d prefer to see the schedule remain the same.“The reason the Triple Crown is what it is, it’s not supposed to be easy,” Joseph said. “Are we going to lower the bar to make it easier for the horses? No. There’s a reason it’s that way, and it takes a special horse to do it.”If his Derby contender, White Abarrio, had run well in Kentucky (he finished 16th), Joseph said he would not have felt reluctant to take him on to the Preakness.Maryland-based trainer Graham Motion, who won the 2011 Derby with Animal Kingdom, also said “it would be a shame” if the Triple Crown calendar was extended.“It’s not meant to be easy,” Motion wrote on Twitter, adding that he was surprised how much energy Animal Kingdom had going into the Preakness 11 years ago.AdvertisementRegardless of such arguments for the old way, Moss, the NBC analyst, said the Preakness will continue to suffer as an event if the schedule remains the same. He hopes the New York Racing Association will take a long view and consider a change that might not immediately help the Belmont Stakes. Otherwise, he expects to see more cases akin to Rich Strike.“There’s no good reason other than an antiquated desire to cling to history,” Moss said. “Hopefully, this will spur Pimlico to be aggressive about changing the date of the Preakness and spur NYRA to go along with changing the date of the Belmont. Then, things like this could be just a historical blip on the radar.”147th Preakness StakesPimlico Race CourseSaturdayTV: Chs. 11, 4 (coverage begins at 4 p.m.)

Senior pitcher Anthony Johnson has a knack for getting out of jams for Batavia.It’s nothing new, really.Advertisement“I guess I’ve always done that,” Johnson said. “My freshman year, I would always load the bases in the first inning and somehow I would get out of it every time. “I guess it just puts the pressure on me to pitch well and then I pitch well.”AdvertisementBatavia’s Henry Saul (2) and Anthony Johnson (20) look to the dugout during a DuKane Conference game against St. Charles North in St. Charles on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)Johnson went to that well again Tuesday, and his experience in those tense situations came in handy during a 4-0 DuKane Conference win over St. Charles North.While Johnson and reliever Blake Sotir ended up allowing 15 runners, they stranded 14 and the Bulldogs also cut down the other one on the bases.That allowed Batavia (17-10-1, 14-7) to close out the series by taking two of three games from St. Charles North (17-12, 12-8).Kudos to the starter on the mound.“He seemed to be making the pitches at the right time,” Batavia coach Alex Beckmann said of Johnson. “He put himself in those spots and really executed when he needed to. “That was great to see from him. He kind of finds another level of focus when he needs to. He definitely showed that (Tuesday).”Batavia’s Austin Winslow (1) fields a ground ball against St. Charles North during a DuKane Conference game in St. Charles on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)The North Stars left the bases loaded in the second, fifth and sixth innings. Johnson recorded a strikeout to escape the second and induced a fly out to finish off the fifth for Batavia. Sotir got a pop out to end the sixth.Advertisement“I’m just excited to pitch,” Johnson said. “I like to go out there. I like to compete and help my team win as much as possible. I just go out there and pitch.”Johnson only hits the upper 70s with his fastball, but he finds a way to wiggle out of tough situations while working in tandem with catcher Henry Saul.“I like to mix up my pitches with curveballs and sliders,” Johnson said. “I developed a new two-seam (fastball) two weeks ago thanks to my pitching coach. “That helps a lot. My catcher being there, he’s great behind the plate. I love pitching to him.”Batavia’s Jackson Bland (26) applauds after reaching third base against St. Charles North during a DuKane Conference game in St. Charles on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)Johnson went 5 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on three hits and four walks. He struck out five.“This was the hardest I’ve seen him throw,” Beckmann said. “He’s not going to overpower many people, but he’s just a good baseball player. Advertisement“Good hitter, good pitcher, can play the field if we need him.”After taking a series from DuKane Conference champion St. Charles East, the North Stars took a step back in losing to Batavia. Clutch hitting was the main culprit, according to St. Charles North coach Todd Genke.“It was unfortunate,” Genke said. “You come out and your goal is to get guys on base. You try to execute and move those guys across the plate, and for whatever reason, it didn’t happen. “We’ve been having some issues with that. Guys are getting on base and we’re not getting that big hit. We don’t get shut out at home very often. It just happened.”Batavia scratched across runs in the first, second, fourth and sixth to support Johnson. AdvertisementBatavia’s Ryan Boe (21) gets greeted by teammates Jackson Bland (26), Henry Saul (2) and Connor Desmet (14) after scoring a run in the first inning against St. Charles North during a DuKane Conference game in St. Charles on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)Charlie Saul singled in his brother Henry in the first. Eric Newberry singled and scored on an error in the second. Henry Saul doubled in Newberry in the fourth.Alex Taylor singled in Austin Winslow in the sixth to cap the scoring.Johnson also made his case to be in the playoff rotation for the Bulldogs, who have a final nonconference tuneup Friday against Kaneland at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva.“We have some options,” Beckmann said. “We don’t really have one dominant guy. We have to think about that the next few days, what we want to do. “We have some starters for the playoffs, and Anthony is definitely one of them.”Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.