Success in sports should be enjoyed and never taken for granted.
Through Tuesday this week First place residents in the Chicago area professional sports included White Sox, Cubs, Bears and Sky.
Cubs and Sox were in first place in each Central Division, National League and American League, respectively. The Cubs were five games ahead of St. Louis and the Sox were three games in front of Minnesota. With the end of the regular season in view Sunday, Sept. 27, through Tuesday, Sept. 15 the Sox were the top team in the American League eight-team seeding system for the playoffs which will begin Tuesday, Sept. 29. The Cubs second in the order in the National League, just behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, the latter owners of the best record in Major League Baseball.
It has been enjoyable to have a vision of first place for both teams. Nonetheless, past is only prologue for playoffs. Good teams will report to the playoffs. Both the Sox and the Cubs have provided goo pitching, timely hitting, and downright slugging by the Sox and good support (defense). We remind to enjoy whatever happens.
First place Bears started strong Sunday with a comeback victory over host Detroit. Playing time is 60 minutes. The Sky has risen to the occasion with first place in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Eastern Division two games ahead of Connecticut. Nonetheless, Connecticut won the first game of the playoffs, 94-81. Comeback strategy next.
• No-hit baseball for both Chicago teams has visited our enjoyment. Alec Mills completed the Cubs’ no-hit game Sunday, Sept. 13 and Lucas Giolito did the job for Sox’s first one August 25 since 2012. See the list of each team’s last 10 on page 8. The Cubs own 16 no-hit pitching games and the Sox have 19. The early gems for the Sox, in reverse order: Vern Kennedy, 1935; Ted Lyons, 1926; Charlie Robertson, 1922; Eddie Cicotte, 1917; Joe Benz, 1914; Ed Walsh, 1911; Frank Smith, 1908; Nixey Callahan, 1902. Cubs: Jimmy Lavender, 1915; Walter Thornton, 1898; John Clarkson, 1885; Larry Corcoran, 1884; Corcoran, 1882; Corcoran, 1880. The Cubs started playing in 1870. The Sox started in 1901.
• The East Aurora Football Older Timers president Steve (Benny) Kenyon reports the death of Harry Munos, East Aurora Class of 1978.
• One notable casualty of the Notre Dame shift in schedule because of COVID-19 is Navy. The teams had played each year since 1927.