Hall of Fame pitcher has a new heart, new outlook
Lee Smith knew something was wrong.
Shortness of breath, lost weight.
“I thought I had cancer,” said Smith, who spent most of his Hall of Fame career as a closer with the Chicago Cubs. Turns out it was his heart, pumping only about five percent of the blood that it should have. And on July 4, 2024, Lee Arthur Smith underwent a […]
Sosa touches all the bases during his return to Chicago
The chants emanating from the lower level of Club 400 sounded eerily familiar for longtime Chicago Cubs fans.
“Sammy! Sammy! Sammy!”
Former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa made a rare appearance in the Chicago area last weekend, visiting hospitals, greeting fans on the street and signing autographs for some of his most ardent fans from a quarter of a century ago. The father […]
Mitchell among 6 inductees to Gary Sports Hall of Fame
By CAROLE CARLSON
The Gary Sports Hall of Fame grew by six new members, including a former NBA player, two MLB players and a woman who spent 20 years as a leader of the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
The Class of 2024 inductees include NBA player Winston Garland, baseball players Wallace Johnson and Nick Strincevich, girls’ sports advocate Mildred Morgan Ball, […]
McMichael grateful for his Hall of Fame honor
Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Steve “Mongo” McMichael realized a life-long dream when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 3.
Suffering from the ravages of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, McMichael is unable to walk or talk.
A member of the […]
Sandberg statue highlights ’84 Cubs reunion
Without the names and numbers on their uniforms, some of the members of the 1984 Cubs found it difficult initially to recognize all of their former teammates.
Yet soon the memories and recognition returned during last weekend’s 40-year celebration of one of the franchise’s most iconic seasons. The ’84 Cubs won 96 games en route to a division title and came […]
Singletary and Moorehead among 2024 Gridiron Greats inductees
Two former members of the Super Bowl champion 1985 Chicago Bears were among the inductees to the Gridiron Greats 2024 Hall of Fame.
Mike Singletary, a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker, and stellar tight end Emery Moorehead joined former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent in the select fraternity during a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare […]
Former Fred Mitchell Award winner named co-chairman
Congratulations to Matt Cotiguala for becoming co-chairman of the Fred Mitchell Award selection committee, joining incumbent Rob Perry.
Matt was the 2015 winner of the Fred Mitchell Award for his kicking exploits and exceptional community involvement. As co-chairman of the FMA Selection Committee, Cotiguala will assist Perry with the daunting task of identifying worthy candidates for the preseason Watch […]
Lifetime Achievement Award: Fred Mitchell
Fred Mitchell is an award-winning sportswriter and columnist who spent over 41 years with the Chicago Tribune. He is the author of 12 books, including biographies with Bears Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and Richard Dent and Cubs Hall of Farmers Billy Williams and Ryan Sandberg.
Hired in 1974 as the Tribune’s first African-American sportswriter, Mitchell’s stack of accolades encompass the […]
Ottawa’s Reeves 2023 Fred Mitchell Award winner
The road to glory and success often includes a few potholes and detours.
Landon Reeves of Ottawa University in Arizona has experienced that journey on the way to winning the 2023 Fred Mitchell Award as the best kicker among more than 750 non-FBS colleges in America.
Landon Reeves is […]
Pro Football Hall of Fame writer named to Fred Mitchell Award panel
Esteemed veteran pro football writer Dan Pompei has been added to the Selection Committee of the Fred Mitchell Award.
“It is an honor and a privilege,” said Pompei, who is a member of the writers’ wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now a senior writer for The Athletic, Pompei previously wrote for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago […]