First place Sox, Cubs, to Jackie Robinson, Rose

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Both Chicago Major League Baseball (MLB) teams moved into first place earlier this week. Fans can revel in success. The season gives a sense of just starting, however, it is more than half over. The White Sox, with several recent winning streaks moved their won-loss record past the Cubs. The Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit Monday evening against perennial American League Central leader Minnesota Twins with big hits, two by exciting rookie center fielder Luis Robert for an 8-5 victory. The Sox improved to a won-loss record of 22-13, one game ahead of second place Cleveland Indians and 2.5 ahead of Minnesota. The Cubs, who started with a 13-3 record for the best record in the National League, was 20-14 through Monday and three games ahead of St. Louis.

With a dramatic change in the schedule this season, teams will play 60 regular-season games if they can find a way to overcome COVID-19 and play those games. Both teams, barring a complete collapse, will qualify for the expanded postseason this season.

We see the variations in baseball this season, and part of the beat is shedding any minor league games. The Kane County Cougars, Joliet Slammers, and the Schaumburg Boomers all are idle this season. It does not count that Schaumburg is the site for the White Sox minor league players this season with no games played in the independent Frontier League.

Wait till next year. We just want to know games will be played next year at all levels of baseball. St. Louis fell behind in the number of games played this year because of COVID-19 cancellations. St. Louis was 13-13 through Monday, eight games fewer played than the Cubs and nine games fewer played than the White Sox. We are cheering for all of the teams to find a way to play 60 games. The Cubs and St. Louis will play five games in four days, Friday, Sept. 4 through Monday, Sept. 7 in Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The teams will play seven-inning doubleheader games Saturday, Sept. 5.

• High school Fall sports are under way in a light method with limited schedules in boys and girls cross country, boys and girls golf, girls tennis, and girls swimming. With football postponed in Illinois to February 15-May 1, the schedule can be described as awkward, or, missing. Nonetheless, there will be conference competition, city meets, and likely some showdown matches in all Fall sports We all will do our best, and eventually remember the necessary and health-oriented reasons for the construction of this year’s Fall seasons. Enjoy what we can enjoy!

• There are two baseball references to follow: References to two well-known MLB players from the past, Jackie Robinson and Pete Rose.

There are two immediate reasons to think of Jackie Robinson. First, the recent and untimely death of 43-year-old actor, Chadwick Boseman, who played the role of Jackie Robinson in a recent movie, among other starring roles. The other Robinson memory was derived last weekend when all of Major League Baseball wore uniform No. 42, in Robinson’s memory. Every player on every team wore uniform No. 42. He broke the color line in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, played 1947-1956, as the first black player following decades of the door shut on black athletes.

Robinson’s struggles and successes are well known. What is of interest to point out here is that in his two years of competition at UCLA on the West Coast prior to U.S. Army duty during World War II is his wide success athletically. Baseball as the shortstop for UCLA was not his best sport. He was an exciting running back for the UCLA football team, easily the school’s best basketball player, record-holder in track and field, and little known record-holder in national swimming competition. His focal time was in baseball with his dazzling and daring baserunning, his competitiveness, and his promise to Dodgers’ executive Branch Rickey, not to vocally object to racist treatment. The outspoken Robinson succeeded.

Pete Rose? According to information from Tom Siebert, a three-act play was held at the Naper Settlement and at the Aurora Tap House on a trial of Pete Rose, who still holds the MLB record for most career hits, 4,265, and was banned from baseball in 1989 for betting on games in which he was involved.

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