WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF APRIL 5, 2016 “Sale fans 8 as White Sox edge A’s” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Sale navigates early hiccup like a true ace” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Rollins returns home for Opening Day” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Hot start propels White Sox past A’s in season opener” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox elect to start Dioner Navarro after Sonny Gray is scratched” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox send Miguel Gonzalez to Triple-A to start” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Bovada: White Sox World Series odds improve” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox hope fun approach to tedious work pays off” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Monday’s recap: White Sox 4, A’s 3” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox, Chris Sale get off to start they wanted with 4-3 win over A’s” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox shortstop Jimmy Rollins gets to enjoy a ‘home’ opener” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Cubs, White Sox enjoying the promise of a fresh new year” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “White Sox, Sale defeat A’s 4-3 in season opener” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Chris Sale keeps firing, and he’s not about to stop” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Baseball by the numbers: Sox’ newcomers should be upgrade” … John Grochowski, Chicago Sun-Times “Chicago White Sox hang on to win opener” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Signing Gonzalez gives White Sox much-needed pitching depth” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Rozner: White Sox can’t be as bad as last year” … Barry Rozner, Daily Herald “Home-school leader: LaRoche’s son gaining invaluable lessons outside of class” … Kerry Lester, Daily Herald “White Sox edge A’s in third inning to grab Opening Day win” … Paul Gutierrez, ESPN.com “Sale pitches White Sox to 4-3 win at Oakland in opener” … Associated Press “Spring Sale looks good for possibly fashionable White Sox” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic HEADLINES OF JERRY REINSDORF’S BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCEMENT “Iverson, Shaq, Yao and Swoopes headline iconic class” … NBA Release “Shaq, Iverson, Yao lead 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class” … Fran Blinebury “Jerry Reinsdorf named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame” … Chicago Bulls “Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf named inductee of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016” … Sam Smith, Bulls.com “Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf named to basketball Hall of Fame” … Staff, CSN Chicago “Bulls: Jerry Reinsdorf humble in response to Hall of Fame inclusion” … Vincent Goodwill, CSN Chicago “Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf elected to Basketball Hall of Fame” … K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune “Jerry Reinsdorf gets into Hall of Fame, but other Jerry deserves it too” … David Haugh, Chicago Tribune “White Sox eager to send Reinsdorf off with one more title” … Chris De Luca, Chicago Sun-Times “Bulls owner Reinsdorf to be enshrined in Basketball Hall of Fame” … Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times “Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame” … Larry Hawley, WGN TV “Reinsdorf makes Hoops Hall” … Mike McGraw, Daily Herald “Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf elected to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame” … CBS Chciago “Jerry Reinsdorf elected to 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame Class” … James Neveau, NBC Chicago “Bulls’ Reinsdorf among group elected into Hall of Fame” … Kristie Rieken, Associated Press

WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF APRIL 5, 2016

Sale fans 8 as White Sox edge A’s By Scott Merkin and Jane Lee / MLB.com | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND -- White Sox ace Chris Sale christened the 2016 season with eight strikeouts on Monday night, holding the A's to three runs across seven innings to help Chicago pull out a 4-3 victory on Opening Day at the Coliseum. Run-scoring hits from Adam Eaton and Jimmy Rollins highlighted a four-run third inning for the White Sox, who gave three right back in the bottom half when Jed Lowrie notched a two-run single and Danny Valencia tacked on an RBI base hit, but Chicago held on the rest of the way to secure the opener of the four-game series. "That's part of going through this. These guys have been battle-tested, as far as the bullpen," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "They've always had close games. We haven't had a real big offense in the last few years, so they're used to it. They're used to real close games." "It was a hard-fought game, it really was," Sale said. "It was a battle the whole time. It was just nice to start off with a win." A's left-hander Rich Hill, pitching in place of an ill Sonny Gray, endured a forgettable debut in the green and gold, lasting just 2 2/3 innings while allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits, one walk and two hit batters. Oakland's bullpen combined for 6 1/3 scoreless innings thereafter. "It was just the deep counts I got myself into and the inability to go deep in the game," Hill said. "That's disappointing for myself and obviously the reason why we lost the game." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Third is the word: The White Sox made the most of their offense in Game 1 behind a four-run third inning. They knocked out four hits in the frame, including a run-scoring single from Rollins, who was playing in his hometown of Oakland. Through six, the White Sox had the one explosive frame and five hitless innings. Two-out trouble: Hill should've been out of the third inning, and with only two runs to his name, but a potential inning-ending ground ball resulted in two runs when first baseman Mark Canha couldn't haul in a high throw from shortstop Marcus Semien. The error went to Canha, and Hill was promptly removed from the game with his pitch count sitting at 66. "That's what happens when you give extra outs. Can't do that," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "We learned that last year. We've learned it this spring. In close games, it typically ends up being a play like that, a play or two defensively that you should make. We've talked about the routine plays ... and we don't execute the one play that cost us two runs, cost us the game." Abreu with the D: Jose Abreu has carved out a niche as one of the American League's better hitters, and he knocked out a double during the Chicago's four-run third. But he also flashed some leather at first base on Monday, including a play on Stephen Vogt down the line to prevent extra bases to open the seventh. Relief in sight: Hill's short outing afforded the A's a chance to get a long look at their reconstructed bullpen, which responded with fantastic work to keep the club in the game -- highlighted by Ryan Dull's two perfect innings. Dull, Fernando Rodriguez, John Axford, Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle limited the White Sox to four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

QUOTABLE "You bring in those guys, Petey and Duke and Jonesy and D-Rob, they've got big arms. It's fun to watch. I'm glad they're on my side." -- Sale, on the bullpen work over the final two innings EATON DOESN'T WAIT Eaton didn't drive in a run last season until his 109th plate appearance. He waited all the way until his second at-bat in 2016, when the right fielder tripled home Austin Jackson. It also was the White Sox first hit of the season. "To start the season with a win on the road is special. It's good to see," Eaton said. "We got off on the right foot the right way, with a big inning. And to have solid pitching toward the tail end, it's a good sign for us." AFTER FURTHER REVIEW The White Sox challenged a ninth-inning ruling that Brett Lawrie was out at second after he was picked off at first by Doolittle. After video replay, the call was confirmed, ending the top of the ninth. WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: One of the most underrated players in the game, Jose Quintana, begins his fourth season as part of the White Sox starting rotation and fifth season with the team overall. Quintana holds the dubious honor of 52 no-decisions since 2012, ranking tops in the Majors. He'll make his 2016 debut on Tuesday in a 9:05 p.m. CT matchup with the A's. A's: The A's could have their ace, Gray, back on the mound for Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. PT matchup. Gray was scheduled to start Opening Day but was scratched because of food poisoning. If he's held out another day, right-hander Chris Bassitt will likely draw the start at the Coliseum. Watch every out-of-market regular season game live on MLB.TV.

Sale navigates early hiccup like a true ace By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND -- Chris Sale has been known to give up a run or two over the course of a game. During a 4-3 White Sox victory over the A's Monday night at the Coliseum, the left-handed ace actually yielded a trio on four hits in the third inning alone. But one of the keys to sitting atop a rotation is having the ability to limit the damage and get back on track after a misstep. Sale accomplished that goal by allowing two Billy Butler doubles and a Billy Burns single over his final four innings, improving to 3-0 in his career on Opening Day. Oakland scored its three in the bottom half of a frame after the White Sox scored four off last-minute Opening Day starter Rich Hill, who was moved up from Tuesday due to Sonny Gray's food poisoning. So it was up to Sale to settle himself and stop the A's moving forward. "You put some runs on the board and try to go out there for that shutdown inning and try to do a little bit too much. That kind of stuff just got away from me," said Sale, who fanned eight, walked one and threw 67 of his 104 pitches for strikes over seven innings. "Held it together, and thankfully we got out of it." "He was cranking it up there," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You know when he's missing high, he's just going to rear back and let it go. I thought he settled down."

Per Brooks Baseball, Sale averaged 96.4 mph on his two-seam fastball, 87.6 on his changeup and 80 on his slider. He relied a little more on the slider, which he threw 23 times, after the third-inning struggles, and the lefty also trusted in catcher Dioner Navarro, who caught him twice during Spring Training. Alex Avila was scheduled to start Opening Day behind the plate, but with the A's moving to the left-hander Hill, the switch-hitting Navarro got the call and successfully took Sale out of his comfort zone. "Just throwing two-seamers in to righties, I don't know if I've ever done that," Sale said. "Really focusing on getting the ball down, too. He was trying to calm me down as well out there, try not to get too hot when things started rolling for the other team a little bit. I think we have something good going." Monday's win already matched the White Sox high-water mark for games over .500 from 2015, which they achieved once at 18-17. It's also a sort of game the South Siders might not have won in '15. "It's refreshing, isn't it?" said a smiling White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton. "Most of the time, especially last year, Sale would give up that inning and something would go wrong and we wouldn't end up winning. But Sailor finished really strong."

Rollins returns home for Opening Day Former NL MVP Award winner grew up idolizing Oakland outfielder Henderson By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND -- Jimmy Rollins' first Opening Day start with the White Sox marks the shortstop's 16th overall. But starting in Oakland, Rollins' hometown, has a little extra meaning for the veteran. It's also the place where Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson established himself over 14 seasons as one of the more dynamic presences in the game's history. Henderson was in attendance Monday for a 4-3 White Sox victory, during which Rollins singled, drove in a run and scored a run. "That was my favorite player to this day," the 37-year-old Rollins said. "I've got to meet him a number of times and talk to him. Hounded him for about five years and finally got a jersey. It's going up on my wall in about two weeks. "He was entertaining. Obviously he was a baseball player because he put on a uniform. ... Him being an entertainer, popping the collar, ran to left field, the way he would snatch the ball on a routine fly ball, the way he would steal and mess with the pitchers. "Other times he wouldn't steal, doing the walking lead and I couldn't take my eyes off him and I liked that value. The field is full of baseball players when the game is going on, but he brought that extra entertainment package." Rollins had a similar awe-inducing effect on White Sox teammates Tim Anderson and Tyler Saladino, who knew of his Most Valuable Player Award-winning status when the switch-hitter arrived on a Minor League deal. There was plenty to learn from and watch with Rollins and his young charges, but they are working for the same common goal as they take the field Monday night. There's just a special side note for Rollins, who is a .182 hitter over eight previous games in Oakland. "The very first time I came here, just being back, that was pretty special," Rollins said. "You want do something special. Family, cousins, everybody's coming out; haven't had a chance to see me play since I was in high school. "After that, just doing the job and coming up playing baseball, trying to win. Wanted to do something special always -- just getting a hit is special enough, like, 'Ok, I got the hit.' That's the pressure. But whether you get a hit or not, if your team wins, everybody's happy and that's the goal is to come out with the victory and go on to the next day."

Hot start propels White Sox past A’s in season opener By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. — The 4-3 White Sox victory over the Oakland A’s on Monday night wasn’t without its warts. They ran into outs on the bases, failed to get a sac bunt down and consecutive relief pitchers issued leadoff walks late in a one-run contest. But it was what the White Sox did around those plays that had them victorious instead of lamenting a close loss. Chris Sale overcame a shaky early inning and took advantage of four early runs before his defense and bullpen did just enough to secure a victory. Sale struck out eight in seven innings and David Robertson pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save. “It wasn’t pretty,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Good to get this one out of the way. “We got a win, and we’ll take it.” Given Sale nearly surrendered a 4-0 lead in the third, the White Sox have to be pleased to have pulled this one out. Making his third Opening Day start in four seasons, Sale appeared to entirely lose his rhythm in a 34-pitch frame. He retired the first seven batters he faced before yielding a one-out infield single to Stephen Vogt and Oakland’s offense woke up. Sale said he tried to do too much and walked Marcus Semien. One out later, Jed Lowrie lined a 96-mph fastball up and away into right field for a two-run single to make it a 4-2 game. Sale missed high with several fastballs in the inning. Josh Reddick and Danny Valencia followed with singles, the latter driving in another run to make it 4-3. But Sale struck out Khris Davis to strand runners on the corners and leave Billy Butler — who doubled twice — in the on-deck circle. “Held it together and thankfully we got out of it,” Sale said. “I don’t know if I was overthrowing. Maybe just trying to do a little too much. That’s a tough team. This is a great atmosphere, really. “They feed off of it. You just have to take that into consideration and try to not get overwhelmed.” The sellout crowd had more to cheer in the eighth and ninth innings. Jake Petricka took over for Sale — who allowed three earned runs and seven hits in seven innings — and walked Lowrie. But Zach Duke retired Josh Reddick on a comebacker and Nate Jones got two batters, including a strikeout of Davis to strand the tying run at second. Robertson also started his inning with a walk of the speedy Coco Crisp. But he bounced back with a strikeout of Chris Coghlan and Brett Lawrie ended the game with a nice sliding stop in right field, throwing out Yonder Alonso at first with Robertson on the cover. The White Sox had a handful of nice defensive efforts. Jose Abreu smothered two grounders at first, Sale made a nice play on a comebacker in the fifth and catcher Dioner Navarro picked off Billy Burns at first base to end the seventh inning. “We put the preparation in spring training, work hard and we put ourselves in a position to win and it showed tonight,” said leadoff man Adam Eaton. “We’ll continue to believe in our preparation and allow our preparation to instill confidence in everybody and play a good brand of baseball.”

Sale dominated Oakland’s offense on both sides of the third inning. He blew 97-mph fastballs by Lowrie and Davis in the first two innings for strikeouts. And after Butler opened the fourth with a double, Sale retired 11 of the last 12 he faced. That made a four-run rally in the third hold up. Eaton jump-started the offense against Oakland replacement starter Rich Hill. With a man on third, Eaton — who didn’t have an RBI until his 109th plate appearance last season — tripled to deep center to make it 1-0. Jimmy Rollins followed Eaton with a bloop RBI single to right to give the White Sox a two-run cushion. He advanced to third on Abreu’s double and both scored on a two-out error by first baseman Mark Canha. But that was all the White Sox would get. Oakland relievers retired 11 straight White Sox hitters into the seventh. Austin Jackson, who scored on the triple, and Eaton singled. But reliever John Axford won an 11-pitch battle against Abreu to strand the runners. The White Sox didn’t help themselves on the bases, either. Eaton was picked off in the first inning after Hill hit him with a pitch (the A’s starter also hit Abreu in the frame). Navarro popped out on a ninth-inning bunt attempt after Lawrie led off with a single. Lawrie was then picked off by Sean Doolittle to end the ninth. But the White Sox prevailed anyway and that’s plenty for Sale and Ventura. “It’s like the first strike of the game, once you get the first strike of the game, once you get the first win of the year, you kind of exhale a little bit and just go from there,” Sale said. “Business as usual.”

White Sox elect to start Dioner Navarro after Sonny Gray is scratched By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. — Dioner Navarro gets another Opening Day opportunity courtesy of Sonny Gray’s food poisoning. The White Sox catcher awoke to the news Monday he would start the regular season opener against the Oakland A’s after word surfaced that Gray had been scratched. Billy Russo, the team’s Spanish Communications Manager, texted Navarro to inform him he would get the nod over Alex Avila with Gray out. This is the seventh Opening Day assignment and third in a row for Navarro, who signed a one-year deal with the club in December. “I was getting ready to come over and it kind of pumped me up a little,” Navarro said. “I didn’t know who was going to be in the lineup.” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said the change isn’t drastic. The team had to hold an additional hitters meeting Monday to discuss Gray’s replacement, Rich Hill. The team went over Gray after Sunday’s workout. But Navarro would have caught Tuesday’s game when the White Sox were originally scheduled to face Hill.

Navarro is 2-for-3 with a homer against Hill. Jimmy Rollins is 3-for-11 against Hill but few other White Sox have much experience against the veteran lefty. While Ventura isn’t defining exactly how he’ll use the veteran catchers, it sounds as if he plans to go with the best matchup overall. Ventura also said health would factor into the daily decisions. Both catchers worked with every pitcher during spring training and there aren’t necessarily any personal catchers. Navarro caught two of Sale’s games this spring, including one minor-league start. Because both catchers are experienced, Ventura thinks they’re better-suited to handle a platoon. “There’s no the older guy and the younger guy and the ego that goes with that,” Ventura said. “Both of these guys know they’re going to be switching in and out of there. It’s an honor to be playing Opening Day, but it doesn’t mean you’re not going to play any less or any more the rest of the season.” Navarro didn’t seem to be shocked by the news and said it reflects his mindset of how he’ll be used. With the way Ventura plans to employ him and Avila, Navarro said he has to be alert for each and every game. “Just come ready every day,” Navarro said. “That’s what my mentality has been my whole career. You have to be ready. You never know when your name is going to be called and you have to be ready when it is. That’s the way I approach every day.” The White Sox are using a similar method to Tuesday’s game. Oakland’s starting pitcher is up in the air and Gray — who had to go to the emergency room Monday for intravenous fluids — could make the start. A’s trainer Nick Paparesta told the Associated Press there’s an “outside chance” Gray could play Tuesday. But, the A’s plan to “err on the side of caution and be intelligent about what we're doing here instead of sending a guy out there with an empty stomach that hasn't been able to keep anything down for 24 hours and expect him to perform, A, and obviously fatigue is the precursor to potential further injury.”

White Sox send Miguel Gonzalez to Triple-A to start By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. — The White Sox aren’t concerned about Miguel Gonzalez’s fastball velocity after the way he finished the spring. General manager Rick Hahn said on Monday that Gonzalez — who signed a minor-league deal with the club on Sunday after he had been released by the Baltimore Orioles — would start the season at Triple-A Charlotte. Though financial terms of the deal for Gonzalez were not disclosed, Hahn said the agreement doesn’t include an opt-out date. But starting at Charlotte allows the White Sox an opportunity to see what they have in Gonzalez, who struggled last season, going 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA. “We had sort of mixed reports on the velocity,” Hahn said. “Some of it was down early and then it was back to its normal form in the later starts, from what our scouts saw. We’ll get to know him a little bit and see if there are certain things we can do to get him back on track. Obviously it’s a guy with a pretty solid record of success between 12-14. 15 went a little bit sideways, and this spring was not his norm. We’ll find out together what we’ve got and put him in the mix to potentially help us down the road.” If there’s one area the White Sox could use an extra body or two, it's starting pitching. Mat Latos is coming off two straight seasons of injuries. And while the team has started to see progress from the right-hander, he still hasn’t pitched past beyond the fifth inning in any start.

Hahn said he believes the team still hasn’t seen the best from Latos, who pitched four scoreless innings in San Diego on Friday before he allowed three runs in his final frame. Beyond Latos and John Danks, the White Sox don’t have a lot of proven arms. You could make a strong case for Carson Fulmer — whom was drafted with the eighth pick in last June — as the team’s best minor-league option to pitch. Fulmer made big strides in spring camp with the addition of a cut-fastball and an alteration to his changeup grip. But ideally, the White Sox would like to give him more time to develop at Double-A Birmingham. Gonzalez has a strong track record of success in the majors. From 2012-14, he went 30-21 with a 3.45 ERA. The White Sox would love to first turn to Gonzalez if they needed another arm. “If he gets it right, he's a pretty good pitcher,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “You've seen in the past do that. I think everybody's looking for pitching and he's got a chance if he pitches well. If something happens up here we'll use him. “Everybody would like to have some depth.”

Bovada: White Sox World Series odds improve By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. -- The White Sox odds of winning the World Series have improved by November, but not by a whole bunch. An offseason in which the club added Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie, Austin Jackson, Alex Avila, Dioner Navarro, Jimmy Rollins and Mat Latos apparently hasn’t impressed bettors. Whereas the White Sox were at 50-1 to win the 2016 Fall Classic on Nov. 2, 2015, now they’re at 33-1, according to Bovada. At 5-1, the Cubs are seen as the favorite to hoist the championship trophy come this postseason. The White Sox are 16-1 to win the pennant, which is ninth-best in the American League. Toronto is 11-2 to reach the World Series. The White Sox are only fourth to win their own division, coming in at 6-1. The defending champion Kansas City Royals are 8-5 followed by Cleveland (2-1) and Detroit (15-4). Individually, the over/under line for Jose Abreu’s home runs has been established at 33.5 along with 100.5 RBIs. Todd Frazier’s homer line is 29.5 with 89.5 RBIs while Brett Lawrie’s homer line is at 16.5. The site has Chris Sale’s over/under for victories listed at 14.5, his ERA at 2.99 and his strikeout total at 249.5. The over/under for Carlos Rodon victories is 9 and its 35.5 for David Robertson saves.

White Sox hope fun approach to tedious work pays off By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. - Even as spring training lingered in its final week, the White Sox continued to make noise on Camelback Ranch’s backfields in their morning workouts. Rather than simply go through the motions of yet another practice, players hollered or cheered each other on in friendly skills-based competitions.

Team A faced off against Team B to see which could make more plays during infield drills. Or the outfielders might see who could come closest to landing a throw in the ball bin just beyond second base. The stakes normally ranged from the losers fetching the victors a Gatorade from the refrigerator or serving them lunch. Another competition resulted a championship wrestling belt being awarded. In the process, a group of veteran White Sox players encouraged their teammates to remain engaged in what is normally a monotonous part of camp. Whether fueled by the desire to win or avoid the payoff, players focused on producing quality work and forging important bonds. There’s also a hope those sessions created a foundation that helps the White Sox - who open the 2016 season at 9:05 p.m. CST on Monday at the Oakland A’s - get back on track after three consecutive losing seasons. “You’ve got to find some way,” third baseman Todd Frazier said. “Whether you miss a ball you do 15 pushups, or you get my Gatorade today. Something as simple as that. You owe me a Wendy’s burger later on or something. “It makes for a little more competition, and it builds character and builds game-ready situations.” The White Sox added plenty of character this offseason. Before Sunday’s workout, manager Robin Ventura described his team as a “saltier” bunch with much more experience than in the past. In an attempt to fill in the holes around a talented young core, the White Sox added veterans wherever they could. Free agents Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila were the first to join. Frazier arrived next from Cincinnati in a December trade. Jimmy Rollins joined the club in late February and Austin Jackson soon followed. Collectively, the group has played for 21 division winning teams and made 23 postseason appearances. The White Sox are intrigued to combine a veteran group of winners with a hungry young core that includes Chris Sale, Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton and Jose Quintana. “That’s the kind of formula it takes to do special things,” pitcher Zack Duke said. “You have superstar players in their prime and you build around that, you complement those guys, to give them a situation where they can be best equipped to succeed. They’ve done a great job of that. It’s pretty nice to see the way its shaping up here. It gives us a lot of hope and motivation to go out there and make it happen.” General manager Rick Hahn said he hoped to add some experience when the front office constructed its offseason plan. He didn’t expect to land Rollins and Jackson when he did. But, they fit the bill, as Hahn desired players with postseason experience. “There is an element of what guys bring to the clubhouse and guys who do have a history of being integral parts on winning teams bring a little something extra,” Hahn said. “Being able to add guys with that much experience is a big positive.” The group’s collective know-how helped sooner than the White Sox originally expected and perhaps in a way they never could have foreseen after the mid-March retirement of Adam LaRoche. In the days after LaRoche abruptly quit, Ventura felt as if his club would be better-suited to handle the tumult. Soon thereafter, the White Sox were back to their boisterous ways and they haven’t slowed down. Rollins said he senses a winning vibe. “I don’t know what it was like last year, but I hear we’re in a better place already and we have guys that have played on winning teams and you need that,” Rollins said. “It’s important to have guys that know what it’s like to win. When you know what its like to win, when someone or things are going the other way, when you’re not doing things that are conducive to winning, it stands out and you make a correction because you know better.”

Avila has played on winning teams in each season of his career until 2015. He said an attitude and belief that the Tigers would win persisted from the first day - they just knew how to carry themselves - in each of the five winning seasons. While that same feel wasn’t there last season, Avila senses it once again with the White Sox. “You have to have a business attitude when you come in every single day,” Avila said. “You have fun, you have a good time, you’re playing a game. But it’s only fun when you win. So when the guys come in, you’ve got to get your work in. You’ve got to make sure you prepare because if you’re not, you’re going to get eaten alive in the league. This is a very professional group right now and that’s half the battle.” They’re a tight-knit group, too. Duke credits Hahn for investigating the all-around package of each player. He said the combination of players has led to positive attitudes and “crisp” work. Sale has noticed that many of his new teammates have brought a winning attitude to the mix, that they act as if they’ve been there before. “They know how to handle it,” Sale said. “They know what it takes to get there.” Eaton said that confidence and attitude made a big difference at the end of camp, a time of the spring where things get stale. The daily competitions have allowed players to stay upbeat and have fun while they remain focused on improving as a club. “It’ll allow spring training to go by a little bit quicker, but at the same time you’re getting good work in,” Eaton said. And that’s all that matters in Frazier’s mind. With six weeks of pitcher’s fielding practice, grounders to take or fly balls to track, things can get tiresome. But the White Sox found a way to make it enjoyable when they recently had to go through rundown drills again after several mishaps on the field. If they can take their work seriously yet still have fun, the belief is that will carry over when the results really start to matter - as if they haven’t already. “We won a competition (last Sunday),” Frazier said when asked about the wrestling belt above his locker. “The corner infielders and catchers beat out the middle infielders and outfielders in this agility game. It was fun. I don’t know how we did it, but we came out on top. It was concentration.” Frazier admitted infield work is tedious. But he and his teammates found an engaging way to take it seriously, knowing that it'll pay off when the season starts Monday. “We’ve got something to prove.”

Monday’s recap: White Sox 4, A’s 3 By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 5th, 2016 White Sox left-hander Chris Sale gave up three earned runs over seven innings to help the Sox to a 4-3 victory over the Athletics in the season opener Monday night at Oakland Coliseum. Adam Eaton recorded the first Sox hit and RBI of 2016, when his triple off A’s left-hander Rich Hill in the third inning drove in Austin Jackson.

Two A’s errors helped the Sox score four runs in the inning, and they led 4-3 after three innings. Jackson walked and reached third on Hill’s throwing error. Jimmy Rollins’ bloop single to right field drove in Eaton. After a Jose Abreu double, Mark Canha’s missed catch error at first allowed two more runs to score. Hill left the game after 66 pitches. He gave up four runs – two earned – on three hits with a walk, three strikeouts and two hit batters. Jed Lowrie’s two-run single and Danny Valencia’s RBI single off Sale cut the Sox lead to 4-3. Sox closer David Robertson picked up the save after issuing a leadoff walk in the ninth. Those ready for an opening-day matchup between Sale and Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray were disappointed Monday. Gray was scratched with food poisoning Monday afternoon, and Hill started in his place against the Sox. Hill, who was slated to start Tuesday’s game against Sox left-hander Jose Quintana, made four starts with the Red Sox last season, going 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA. It was the first opening-day start for the 36-year-old. Gray went 14-7 with a 2.73 ERA in 2015 on the way to finishing third in American League Cy Young voting, ahead of Sale, who was fourth.

White Sox, Chris Sale get off to start they wanted with 4-3 win over A’s By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 4th, 2016 When White Sox manager Robin Ventura heard Monday that Athletics ace Sonny Gray would miss the opening-day matchup with Sox pitcher Chris Sale because of food poisoning, his mind wandered to a worst-case scenario. "I was first wanting to make sure Chris didn't go eat lunch with him," Ventura said. The Sox played without Sale in the 2015 opener because of a fractured foot, and they were happy they didn't have to do it again Monday. Matched against A's left-hander Rich Hill instead, Sale turned in a solid outing to help push the Sox to a 4-3 victory. He gave up three earned runs on seven hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in seven innings. Closer David Robertson picked up the save. "After (the third inning), I thought he settled down," Ventura said of Sale. "You could tell he was throwing hard. The opening-day atmosphere, the adrenaline, he had it going. Everybody seemed to be throwing hard tonight. That's part of the excitement of opening the season up." The Sox are bent on jumping out to a good start for the first time in years, so not having to face Gray, an American League Cy Young Award candidate, made that task in the opener a little easier. But the Sox won't miss Gray altogether. A's manager Bob Melvin told reporters after the game that Gray will pitch Wednesday, with Chris Bassitt facing Sox left-hander Jose Quintana on Tuesday. "It would have been fun," Sale said of a matchup with Gray. "You roll with the punches and go with what you have. Opening day is going to bring energy in itself. The matchup might not have been as big of a deal today as it would have been otherwise." Hill lasted just 2 2/3 innings as the Sox drove him from the game after he allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk.

Two A's errors helped the Sox score four runs in the third. Adam Eaton started the scoring with an RBI triple, and Jimmy Rollins added a bloop RBI single to right. After a Jose Abreu double, Mark Canha's missed catch at first base allowed two more runs to score. Sale gave up three runs on four hits and a walk in the third but allowed just three other hits. Jed Lowrie's two-run single and Danny Valencia's RBI single provided the A's runs. "I was maybe just trying to do a little too much," Sale said of the third. "That's a tough team. This is a great atmosphere, really. They feed off of it. You just have to take that into consideration and try to not get overwhelmed." White Sox's Chris Sale on performance against A's White Sox pitcher Chris Sale reacts to his performance in the team's 4-3 win against the A's. At SoxFest in January, Ventura stated that starting well this season was key. It could help a team with eight new players jell quicker, end talk about how the Adam LaRoche controversy has affected the clubhouse and prevent questions about Ventura's future in the final year of his contract from popping up too quickly. The Sox have finished April below .500 the last three seasons, combining for a 32-41 record in March and April since 2013. Their four-game losing streak to start last season and 8-11 record in April struck a sour note for a team that thought it was going to be much improved. "We noticed last year how important it can be to get off to a good start," Ventura said. "I like the vibe they have. I like the energy and the confidence they come out of spring training with." The Sox had good and bad to draw from Monday. The defense and baserunning weren't perfect. Austin Jackson was charged with a fielding error, Eaton was caught stealing in the first and Brett Lawrie was caught at second base to end the ninth. But the Sox also benefited from A's mistakes. Catcher Dioner Navarro, put in the lineup Monday afternoon to match up against Hill, picked Billy Burns off first base to end the seventh and Sale's night. The Sox don't have an easy opening month. They play 10 of their first 13 games on the road and 16 of 26 overall in April. They also have only one day off — April 12 — through May 1 and will play 19 straight games in between. But Sale said having little rest this month isn't necessarily a bad thing. "That can work in our favor because if we do start off hot and we get rolling, sometimes you don't want an off day," Sale said. "You just want to keep going, so hopefully that's the case for us. Get off on the right foot starting (Monday) and just never look back."

White Sox shortstop Jimmy Rollins gets to enjoy a ‘home’ opener By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 4th, 2016 White Sox shortstop Jimmy Rollins made his 16th consecutive opening-day start Monday against the Athletics, but this one was unique. Rollins, who is from the Oakland area, opened for the first time at the Oakland Coliseum. He had played eight games there before Monday, including two last year with the Dodgers, and had hit .182 with two homers and five RBIs there in his career. He also has played 50 games in the Bay Area against the Giants.

Rollins, 37, is tied with Albert Pujols for the longest active opening-day starting streak. He said there's always a little pressure to get a hit in front of family and friends. "The first time I came here, just being back, that was pretty special," Rollins said. "You want do something special. ... After that, it's just doing the job, playing baseball, trying to win." Rollins' favorite player was Rickey Henderson, the Hall of Famer and all-time stolen bases leader who played with the A's for 14 of his 25 seasons. Rollins said he met Henderson several times and hounded him for five years for a jersey that he will soon hang on his wall. "The way he would snatch the ball on a routine fly ball, the way he would steal and mess with the pitchers, I couldn't take my eyes off him," Rollins said. "The field is full of baseball players when the game is going on, but he brought that extra entertainment package." Gonzalez to Charlotte: General manager Rick Hahn said right-hander Miguel Gonzalez will join the Triple-A Charlotte rotation after the Sox signed him to a minor-league deal without an opt-out Sunday. Hahn said Gonzalez provides depth in case of injury or underperformance in the Sox rotation. The Sox received mixed reports about Gonzalez's velocity during spring training. He posted a 9.78 ERA in six exhibition starts before the Orioles released him. "We'll get to know him a little bit and see if there are certain things we can do to get him back on track," Hahn said. "We'll find out together what we've got and put him in the mix to potentially help us down the road." On the court: Hahn said Sox and Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf was likely to downplay how deserving he is of being elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday, but Hahn was thrilled to see him honored. "For someone like me growing up a Bulls fan, who got to experience the six championships and everything he did for the city and for the league and the way that franchise grew under his stewardship," Hahn said, "I think I'm in a better position than he is to appreciate how deserving he is of that honor."

Cubs, White Sox enjoying the promise of a fresh new year By Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune | April 4th, 2016 At the end of last season, Cubs Hall of Famer Billy Williams sat in the home dugout at Wrigley Field and marveled about how much fun 2015 had been. For the first time in years, the ballpark was alive again, singing and clapping, screaming and crying, catching foul balls in their beer cups and with babies in their arms. “When I look around, I look at the laughter of the fans, how much they’re enjoying themselves, it gives me a great thrill to see that,” Williams said. “And when I go in the clubhouse I see the players down there just having a ball. We’ve got a lot of young players that are having a lot of fun playing the game. “This is how it should be. I think the manager brought that to the organization, and to the players in the clubhouse. ‘Let’s go out and have fun.’ They say ‘Play ball,’ not ‘Work ball.’” That beloved phrase, ‘Play ball,’ will ring out again tonight as the Cubs and White Sox begin their 2016 seasons on the West Coast. Jake Arrieta faces the Angels in Anaheim, while the Sox send Chris Sale out against the A’s in Oakland.

As has been mentioned a time or two, the Cubs have to live up to the hype that’s surrounded the team since their unexpected 97-win season, an exciting playoff run and the free-agent signings of Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey. “You’re going to hear all this noise coming from without to within -- a lot of really nice things,” manager Joe Maddon said. “There’s nothing to be upset about. People are saying really nice things about us. That’s good. But at the end of the day we have to take care of our own business, and that’s about utilizing the process as an anchor on a daily basis. I really believe that. I mean that sincerely.” The Sox? They had a lot of expectations on them in 2015, and started out with a thud. Now they’ll be able to fly under the radar, hoping to blossom with a new group led by third baseman Todd Frazier, perhaps their best third baseman since Robin Ventura and a new leader in the clubhouse. “I don’t think he necessarily goes out of his way to say ‘I’m a leader,’” Ventura said. “It just naturally flows to him.” The Cubs doubled-down during spring training, bringing back center fielder Dexter Fowler to give them a true leadoff man and allow Maddon to move Heyward back to right field, where he earned a Gold Glove. President Theo Epstein gave kudos to Chairman Tom Ricketts for “finding a few extra million bucks to make this happen.” According to USA Today’s payroll rankings, the Cubs are seventh in the majors at a $154.6 million. The Cubs have plenty of talent, but now the young players have to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke, and highly-paid veterans must play to their potential. “It’s not about how much you spend, it’s about how much talent you can put on the field and how well they perform,” Ricketts said during spring training. The Sox rank 16th in payroll at $121 million, and should be able to add to payroll at the trading deadline if they’re in contention after saving $13 million due to Adam LaRoche’s retirement. While the Sox obviously have to improve their hitting and defense, they also have to become a smarter team if they intend on hanging with the world champion Royals. “There is some truth to that,” Ventura said. “We do have a more veteran-ish group, and with that you’d expect that to be a little bit brighter in playing the game and reactionary stuff.” Whatever the future brings, at least the long winter wait for baseball is over. Opening day is here, and the difference between the Cactus League and the regular season is night and day. “If you can only be in a dugout on opening day after being in the dugout the whole spring training, and feel the incredible difference in the day,” Maddon said. “It’s so hard to describe how different those two feelings are and how this all plays. “If you’re good, if you have a good bunch of players, you’ll be good. And if you don’t, you won’t be good when the bell rings. “I’m very confident we’ll be good.”

White Sox, Sale defeat A’s 4-3 in season opener By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Tribune | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. — The White Sox scored all four runs of their runs in the third inning against the Oakland Athletics Monday night, and that was all they needed to win their season opener.

Barely. After jumping on 36-year-old left-hander Rich Hill for a four-spot — including two unearned runs thanks to a two-run error that should have ended the Sox’ damage at two runs, ace Chris Sale gave up three in the bottom of the third. But that was it for the A’s. Sale regrouped, put four zeros on the board and let the bullpen salt away a 4-3 victory. “I think it’s huge, really,” Sale (1-0) said of snagging a win on Opening Day. “You have music playing, you have smiles. We are having fun. So, any time you get the first one out of the gate, it’s like the first strike of the game, once you get the first strike, once you get the first win of the year, you kind of exhale a little bit and just go from there. Business as usual.” Sale was business as usual with seven innings, eight strikeouts and one walk while allowing one seven hits. Zach Duke and Nate Jones took care of the outs in the eighth inning and David Robertson, after issuing a leadoff walk to Coco Crisp, got three straight outs for the save. Jake Petricka also gave up a leadoff walk in the eighth, which is no way to preserve leads. The Sox, who also had two runners caught stealing on left-hander pickoff moves (Adam Eaton, Brett Lawrie) committed an error (center fielder Austin Jackson on a bobble charging a base hit), popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt (Dioner Navarro) and had a near collision in short center field (Jackson and Lawrie) on a pop fly. “It wasn’t pretty, but offensively we got something going [in the one inning],” manager Robin Ventura said. “Good to get this one out of the way. [Sale] got a win. We got a win, and we’ll take it.” In the third, Eaton tripled home Jackson with the Sox’ first run of 2016 and scored on Jimmy Rollins’ bloop single to right. After Jose Abreu doubled Rollins to third, Hill (who last 2 2/3 innings) struck out Todd Frazier (0-for-4) for the second time but the Sox were gifted two more runs on an infield error. A’s shortstop Marcus Semien ranged behind second base to glove Melky Cabrera’s ground ball, but Semien’s throw pulled first baseman Mark Canha off the bag, deflected off his glove, and two runs scored. Canha was charged with the error. Sale opened his season by pitching two perfect innings before Jed Lowrie poked a two-run single to right with two outs and Danny Valencia’s RBI single scored Lowrie. Hill, scheduled to start Tuesday, was pressed into service when A’s ace Sonny Gray was scratched because of food poisoning. That made switch-hitting Dioner Navarro the starting Sox catcher instead of lefty hitting Alex Avila. Sale, who had a comfortable working relationship with the departed Tyler Flowers, said working with Navarro “went great.” “Same page. I liked it a lot,” Sale said. “He actually got me doing some things that … kind of stepping outside of the box. But I’m looking forward to making that a good thing.” Sale said Navarro had him throwing two-seamers in to righties, which he doesn’t normally do. “Really focusing on getting the ball down, too,” Sale said. “He was trying to calm me down as well out there, try not to get too hot when things started rolling for the other team a little bit. I think we have something good going.”

Chris Sale keeps firing, and he’s not about to stop By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. – Chris Sale has a short fuse. He knows it, and his White Sox bosses know it. His fans know it, too, and for the most part, everyone is cool with Sale getting hot. It’s part of what makes the perennial Cy Young contending left-hander click. “I get passionate about what I believe in and care about,’’ said Sale, who made his third Opening Day start in Monday’s late game against the Oakland Athletics. “Things I care about and I believe are true, I’m going to get fired up about it.’’ Winning is first. Team is huge. And perfecting his craft is right up there for the Sox’ 27-year old ace. When stuff interferes with those, look out. Sale has blown up before, and he’ll more than likely fire away again, adding to this series of notable events: *In 2012, after experiencing forearm issues during his first go as a starter, the Sox decided to move Sale back to the bullpen. In an intense face-to-face with Sox general manager Ken Williams, the 23-year-old Sale talked himself back into the rotation. “He was adamant about it to the point to where he almost crossed the line,” Williams said then. *In June 2014, after cruising through seven innings and then giving up a grand slam to the Angels’ Mike Trout in Anaheim, Sale was seen on camera taking a bat to things in the walkway from the dugout to the visitors clubhouse. *In September 2014, Sale caused a bench-clearing scene on the field when he accused Victor Martinez (16-for-34 against him in his career) of having stealing signs from the outfield stands. The whole episode resulted in a heated discussion and disagreement with manager Robin Ventura. *After a bench clearing brawl with the Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field last April, Sale, who had been ejected from the game, left the Sox clubhouse and went looking for Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura in the visitors clubhouse, only to be steered away by former teammate Alex Rios. *And this spring, after Williams, now the team vice president, asked Adam LaRoche to scale back his son’s time in the clubhouse, Sale unloaded on Williams in front of teammates. The next day he spent 14 minutes talking to media, pulling no punches in blasting Williams. Don’t mess with my teammates, Sale was saying. “These guys are my teammates, my brothers, the guys who are fighting with me,’’ Sale said a few days ago. “It’s the respect we have for each other in here and the camaraderie that comes with it.’’ Sale is well aware of his short fuse. His father, a former college swimmer and race car driver who has similar competitive fires, often says to his son, ‘You’d probably have more friends if you were like your mom, but you wouldn’t have a job if you weren’t like me.’ ’’ He isn’t about to change any time soon. “You don’t break new ground without pushing lines and boundaries, you know?’’ Sale said. “If you stay where you’re at the whole time, that might be a good thing for you but for me, it might get stagnant.’’ General manager Rick Hahn isn’t about to ask Sale to reel it in. He says if Sale hadn’t stood up to Williams in 2012, he very well could still be a relief pitcher, and the Sox would have no ace.

“When you see his aggressiveness or assertiveness outside the white lines, it probably becomes a bigger story than we view it,’’ Hahn said. “We know that desire to compete, that edge and stand up for himself is part of what makes him a No. 1 starter. Most all of them have that chip. It’s part of what makes Chris great.’’ “It’s just one of the things that makes people who they are, what they do and how they act,’’ Sale said. “It’s really how I’ve always been.’’

Baseball by the numbers: Sox’ newcomers should be upgrade By John Grochowski / Chicago Sun-Times | April 4th, 2016 An active offseason has the White Sox hopeful of being better both on offense and defense, with third baseman Todd Frazier (.806 OPS, six defensive runs saved in 2016) leading the acquisitions. How much will the newcomers help? Let’s take a by-the-numbers look at the Sox’ new position players: Frazier: A first-half power surge fueled Frazier to career highs with 35 home runs and 43 doubles. His 4.4 wins above replacement as listed at Fangraphs.com would have led Sox position players last season, topping Adam Eaton’s 3.6 and Jose Abreu’s 3.0. Third base was one of the Sox’ better defensive positions in 2015, with five runs saved (zero is average). Six were by Gordon Beckham in part-time play. However, four Sox third basemen managed only 13 home runs and a dismal .622 OPS last season, so Frazier’s bat is a big potential gain. Jimmy Rollins: As the Dodgers’ shortstop, Rollins’ .224 batting average and .643 OPS were far below his career norms of .265 and .745. He also slid to minus-7 runs saved after being plus-4 in 2014. Rollins, 37, replaces Alexei Ramirez, who also struggled last season with a .249 batting average, .642 OPS and minus-6 runs saved. By fWAR, Rollins’ 0.2 was a tad better than Ramirez’s -0.5. Brett Lawrie: Lawrie, who will play second base, has a reputation as a defensive whiz, but he slipped to minus-3 runs saved at third for the Athletics last season. In brief stays at second totaling 80 games, he was minus-1 for the Blue Jays in 2013, plus-1 for the Blue Jays in 2014 and minus-3 for the A’s last season. Carlos Sanchez was minus-1 as the Sox’ most frequent second baseman last season. Lawrie (16 home runs, .706 OPS) likely will be a big offensive leap from Sanchez (five homers, .595 OPS). Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro: Avila’s OPS was below .700 in each of the last three seasons for the Tigers, including .626 with four homers while hindered by a knee injury last season. He and Navarro (five homers, .682 OPS for the Blue Jays last season) were near the same level as Sox catchers Tyler Flowers (nine homers, .652) and Geo Soto (nine homers, .708). Avila (minus-7 runs saved) and Navarro (minus-1) lagged behind Flowers (plus-14) and Soto (plus-2) on defense. For the catching change to be a gain, the Sox need Avila to hit something closer to his .742 career OPS. Austin Jackson: In 448 plate appearances for the Mariners and 79 for the Cubs, Jackson had nine homers and a .696 OPS. Still, if the person he’s replacing in the lineup is Adam LaRoche (12 homers, .634 OPS), he’s a net gain on offense. Jackson was essentially average defensively in 129 games in center field last season (minus-1 runs saved). Avisail Garcia was minus-11 in right and Eaton minus-14 in center, so there are gains to be made.

Chicago White Sox hang on to win opener By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. -- Pretty? Nope. Ravaged by a litany mistakes last year, let's be honest, the last three years, the Chicago White Sox still were sloppy in Monday night's season opener at Oakland Coliseum. But they were able to overcome baserunning mistakes by Adam Eaton and Brett Lawrie, an error by defensive specialist Austin Jackson and dangerous leadoff walks by relievers Jake Petricka in the eighth inning and closer David Robertson in the ninth. The White Sox also survived a shaky third inning by ace starter Chris Sale while hanging on to defeat the A's 4-3. "It wasn't pretty," manager Robin Ventura said. "But they came through. It's not always pretty." The Sox were looking great in the top of the third inning after taking a 4-0 lead against Rich Hill, Oakland's fill-in starter on Opening Day. Hill, who was moved up a day in the rotation after A's ace Sonny Gary was scratched with food poisoning, looked shaky early when he hit Adam Eaton with the first pitch of the game and also hit Jose Abreu in the first inning. Hill was able to work out of the jam, but the Sox hit him hard in the third inning. After Jackson drew a one-out walk, the Sox' new center fielder advanced to third base on Hill's throwing error. Eaton tripled to score Jackson, and Jimmy Rollins singled to score Eaton. Jose Abreu followed with a double, and after Todd Frazier struck out for the second time in as many at-bats, Melky Cabrera reached on first baseman Mark Canha's error, with Rollins and Abreu scoring to make it 4-0. Sale (1-0) rarely pitched with big leads last season, so maybe that explains the bottom of the third. With two on and two out, Oakland's Jed Lowrie laced a 2-run single to right field, and Danny Valencia followed with an RBI single to center. "You put some runs on the board and you try to go out there in that shutdown inning and try to do a little bit too much," Sale said. "It got away from me, but I held it together and thankfully, we got out of it. Sale wound up going 7 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits while striking out eight and throwing 104 pitches. "I don't know if I was overthrowing," Sale said of the third. "Maybe just trying to do a little bit too much. This is a great atmosphere and they feed off it, so you have to take that into consideration and try to not get overwhelmed."

Signing Gonzalez gives White Sox needed pitching depth By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. -- In a perfect world, Chicago White Sox Nos. 4 and 5 starters Mat Latos and John Danks stay healthy, take the baseball every turn and deliver quality outings.

In the real world, Latos and/or Danks might stumble out of the gate and never recover. That's why the Sox will be keeping a close eye on Erik Johnson and Jacob Turner at Class AAA Charlotte. And that's why the White Sox agreed to a minor-league contract with Miguel Gonzalez before opening the regular season Monday night against the Athletics. "We've talked about it a few times, wanting to make sure we have enough depth and enough reinforcements in various positions, and certainly starting pitching is of the utmost priority in terms of having that depth," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "In Miguel, who will report to Charlotte and be part of the Charlotte rotation to begin the year, we get a guy who is proven successful at the big-league level, pitched well in a difficult ballpark in a difficult division for a number of years and potentially gives us another option should one of our guys either have a health issue or underperform." Gonzalez was released by the Orioles last week. The right-hander was 30-21 with a 3.45 ERA from 2012-14, but he dropped to 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA last year while dealing with elbow, shoulder and groin issues. Still struggling with fastball velocity this spring, Gonzalez was released and the Orioles reportedly paid $1.1 million of his $5.1 million salary. "We had sort of mixed reports on the velocity," Hahn said. "Some of it was down early and then it was back to its normal form in the later starts, from what our scouts saw. We'll get to know him a little bit and see if there are certain things we can do to get him back on track." DH doings: After posting a disappointing .257/.309/.365 hitting line with 13 homers and 59 RBI last season as the White Sox' regular right fielder, Avisail Garcia was the designated hitter in Monday night's season opener against the A's. "I don't care where they use me," Garcia said. "I'll DH, play right field, I'll catch or pitch if I have to. I just want to play the way I know I can to thank the White Sox for believing in me." With Adam LaRoche retired, the Sox will rotate the DH spot. "(Garcia's) not going to be a set DH," manager Robin Ventura said. "For the first night, that's where we put him. He's going to get shots at playing right field. We'll move Adam (Eaton) around a little more. But everybody's going to go through their periods where they're going to DH. I think it's going to be better for them physically if we can rotate that around." Catching up: The White Sox have two new veteran catchers, Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila. Navarro, a switch-hitter, figures to get the bulk of playing time against left-handed starting pitchers. Avila, a left-handed hitter, figures to play against right-handed starters. When A's ace righty Sonny Gray was scratched with food poisoning Monday and replaced by lefty Rich Hill, Navarro got the nod. "We know they were going to switch their pitcher, we were ready for that," manager Robin Ventura said. "You're trying to find the best spot for those guys to go in there. Some of it is going to be that (opposing starters), some of it is going to be physically how they're doing. We just want to make them fresh and get in there."

Navarro and Avila are team-first guys, so don't expect them to complain about playing time. "Just come ready every day," Navarro said. "That's what my mentality has been my whole career. You have to be ready. You never know when your name is going to be called and you have to be ready when it is."

Rozner: White Sox can’t be as bad as last year By Barry Rozner / Daily Herald | April 4th, 2016 You don't always get to choose your formula for winning baseball games. Unless you've got unlimited time to rebuild a team in your image, or unlimited funds to spend in your owner's image, you mix and match and let player development dictate whether you try to dominate with pitching or scoring. Drafts are a crapshoot, kids improve or they don't, free agents work out or bust out, and pitchers stay healthy or ruin your season. But there are some certainties. If you're going to rely on pitching, you better be able to pick it up and throw it to first. You better have outfielders who can run down balls in the gap. You better be flawless on the bases. Fail in any of those areas and you are destined for six months of misery. Which brings us to the 2015 White Sox. They were middle of the pack in the American League in pitching and good enough to compete if they had been any good on defense or on the bases. They were not. They were the absolute worst in the league attempting to catch the ball, and they were clowns on the bases for long stretches of the season. Adding to the unwatchable play was the offense, which was dead last in the American League in runs scored, home runs, OPS, extra basehits, stolen base percentage and offensive WAR. So, yeah, if you thought last season was about as bad as it gets, you were right. It was awful. And that brings us to the winter of Rick Hahn, the general manager who knew he had to make significant changes. He knew he had to get Adam Eaton out of center field, Avy Garcia out of right field as often as possible and Melky Cabrera out of left. He needed a new third baseman, shortstop and second baseman. He has done that by adding Austin Jackson to the outfield mix and acquiring Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie and Jimmy Rollins, not to mention giving Tyler Saladino a bigger role. His biggest break was Adam LaRoche walking away and opening up a spot at designated hitter for all the designated hitters who were butchering the baseball last season.

Spring training is worth little more than a snapshot, but the Sox offered a picture of a significantly improved offense and a defense that seemed more alert and willing to throw to the right base and hit a cutoff man. So based on the upgrades and the assumption that some of the really bad performances from new players a year ago gets a little bit better, the Sox should improve considerably off a 76-86 mark a year ago. They could be a .500 team this season and, depending on the play of teams like Cleveland and Minnesota, the Sox might just jump up further and hang around the division race all year. Kansas City will continue to play well because the things they excel at are easy to repeat. They shorten games with their bullpen, play great defense, run the bases well and manufacture runs better than any team in the game. But the pick here is the Sox finishing second, ahead of the rest in the Central Division, mostly because Detroit depends heavily on the health of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez in order to have a big season. If nothing else, the Sox should be easier on the eyes this season, scoring more runs and hopefully playing better defense with better baserunning. As bad as 2015 was on the South Side, this season has to be better. Basically, if the Sox can tie their shoes this year, 2016 will be an improvement.

Home-school leader: LaRoche’s son gaining invaluable lessons outside of classroom By Kerry Lester / Daily Herald | April 4th, 2016 Former White Sox designated hitter Adam LaRoche's decision to walk away from a $13 million contract instead of limiting the time his home-schooled 14-year-old son spends around the team has sparked a national conversation. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's wondered how it's possible to provide enough schooling to a student who's also balancing a 162-game professional baseball season, which formally kicks off today. So, I approached Christian Liberty Academy's Michael McHugh -- a national leader in the home-school movement -- for his perspective. McHugh, a Palatine resident, has overseen the Arlington Heights school's roughly 4,000-student home-school program for more than 30 years. He and wife Karla also home-schooled their seven children. "We had the desire to have our children see us as more than physical providers," he says. Channeling Edison LaRoche has said he believes there are life lessons to be gleaned outside the classroom. McHugh agrees. While he doesn't know the details of Drake LaRoche's schedule, McHugh says he's confident proper schooling could take place in "a couple of good, solid sustained hours" on game days paired with more rigorous teaching on nongame days. "This young boy has had that chance to get out in the real world and see what it's like and see how his dad handles himself," McHugh said. "He learns all the good and the bad and the ups and downs of life and living, and those are things you can't learn in a book."

'You can see the game' Among those looking forward to a new White Sox season is former Gov. Pat Quinn, who's held nosebleed upper deck seats at U.S. Cellular Field for 16 years. "You can see the game from here," he famously noted in a 2014 campaign ad in his unsuccessful re-election bid against Winnetka Republican Bruce Rauner. Goodbye, Pumpkin Gov. Rauner said goodbye last week to his beloved hunting dog Pumpkin, a yellow lab who had been a member of the family for 17 years. Pumpkin and her counterpart, Stella, quickly acclimated to life in the governor's mansion after Rauner's inauguration in January 2015. Rauner has been known to place frozen dead birds throughout the mansion grounds for his dogs to practice retrieving, I learned during my time in Springfield. Extended hours The Arlington Heights Memorial Library is extending its hours as part of a pilot project, I noticed this week in a rush to return a book. The library will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Librarians tell me the changes -- which began two weeks ago -- came following a survey sent to patrons. Hours will be extended through December, when the board will gauge how popular the change was and whether to make it permanent. Fan of politics or not, you have to laugh at this snap sent in by state Rep. Tom Morrison of Palatine of the Dakota K Auto Repair sign at Wilke and Northwest Highway in Arlington Heights. The sign reads "Politicians and diapers should be changed for the same reason." "Ha, this resonates on a couple of levels," texted Morrison, a three-term lawmaker and father of three. Fan of politics or not, you have to laugh at this snap sent in by state Rep. Tom Morrison of Palatine of the Dakota K Auto Repair sign at Wilke and Northwest Highway in Arlington Heights. The sign reads "Politicians and diapers should be changed for the same reason." "Ha, this resonates on a couple of levels," texted Morrison, a three-term lawmaker and father of three. - Courtesy of Tom Morrison Today's snap Fan of politics or not, you have to laugh at this snap sent in by state Rep. Tom Morrison of Palatine of the Dakota K Auto Repair sign at Wilke and Northwest Highway in Arlington Heights. The sign reads "Politicians and diapers should be changed for the same reason." "Ha, this resonates on a couple of levels," texted Morrison, a three-term lawmaker and father of three. Tommy's comeback I wrote a few weeks ago about Tommy Zbikowski, a standout Buffalo Grove High School football player who went on to play at Notre Dame and in the NFL, but later changed career paths. He became a Chicago firefighter last year after spending some time in rehab to deal with binge drinking. He's kept up an intense boxing training regimen on the side. His dad, Ed Zbikowksi of Arlington Heights, tells me Tommy will square off in a boxing match at the Belvedere in Elk Grove Village at 7 p.m. on April 22, with the proceeds going to benefit the family of fallen Chicago firefighter Dan Capuano. Tickets can be purchased at hitzboxing.com and range from $50 to $110.

White Sox edge A’s in third inning to grab Opening Day win By Paul Gutierrez / ESPN.com | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND -- In a decidedly non-traditional Opening Day matchup, the Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 before a sellout crowd of 35,067 on Monday night in a game in which every run was scored in the third inning.

Turning point: Rich Hill was cruising with one out in the third, having not allowed a run, before walking Austin Jackson. Hill's overthrow on a pickoff attempt rolled forever in the expansive foul territory of the Oakland Coliseum, allowing Jackson to advance to third. The flood gates opened, and by the time the A’s got their third out, the White Sox had scored four times. What it means: White Sox ace Chris Sale, who has finished in the top 6 in voting for the American League Cy Young Award all five years he has been a starter, remains one of the nastiest and savviest lefties in the game. He retired the first seven batters he faced in dominant fashion before giving up three runs in the fourth inning. Sale settled down and earned the victory after going seven innings, striking out eight while giving up seven hits and a walk. He threw 104 pitches, 67 for strikes. Thumbs down: A’s emergency starter Hill made his major league debut in 2005, but this was his first Opening Night start. It was mostly forgettable -- he hit Adam Eaton with the first pitch of the season, plunked Jose Abreu two batters later and threw away the pickoff attempt of Jackson. Hill took the loss after lasting just 2 2/3 innings and needing 66 pitches (33 for strikes) to give up four runs, two earned, with three strikeouts and a walk. What's next: The A’s, and White Sox, will find out if ace Sonny Gray, who had been slated to make his third straight Opening Day start but was felled by food poisoning, will be healthy enough to start Game 2. The right-handed Gray had to be hooked up to IV bags Monday and could only keep down water and orange juice before the game.

Sale pitches White Sox to 4-3 win at Oakland in opener Associated Press | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. -- Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox might have lost this kind of game last season. There were many close ones they couldn't quite pull out. "It's refreshing, isn't it?" quipped Adam Eaton, a fresh mark on his right elbow from being hit by the first pitch on opening night. "I'm just ecstatic for us to get a win. The year we had last year starting off, it's good to get a `W' right off the bat." Sale struck out eight in a solid season debut to build off his franchise record last year, and the White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Monday. Eaton hit an RBI triple and Jimmy Rollins drove in a run during a four-run third inning in his first game with the White Sox playing back home in the East Bay. What had been planned as a marquee matchup between two American League aces never happened. Oakland right-hander Sonny Gray was scratched because of food poisoning that sent him to the emergency room. Sale didn't get his opening day start last season, when Jeff Samardzija took the ball after Sale was slowed by a broken right foot. The left-hander went on to finish 13-11 with a team-record 274 strikeouts. He didn't allow a runner Monday until Stephen Vogt beat out an infield single with one out in the third. Sale (1-0) went seven innings. He gave up three runs and seven hits with one walk. White Sox closer David Robertson allowed Coco Crisp's leadoff walk in the ninth and then finished with three straight outs for the save, preserving Sale's first victory at the Oakland Coliseum in five outings and three starts.

"It's huge, really," Sale said of winning the opener. "We've got music playing, we've got smiles, we're having fun." Jed Lowrie hit a two-run single and Billy Butler had a pair of doubles for the A's. Lowrie drew a leadoff walk in the eighth and advanced when Zach Duke came in and induced Josh Reddick's groundout before Nate Jones got the final two outs of the inning. "We got it done. It wasn't pretty," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. A's lefty Rich Hill (0-1) made a forgettable Oakland debut in his first career opening day start. It lasted just 2 2/3 innings after he replaced Gray. Hill plunked Eaton with his first pitch and hit Jose Abreu two batters later, but escaped unscathed with a pickoff of Eaton at second. The 36-year-old Hill, going on regular rest and the 10th A's pitcher to start the opener in the past 11 years, threw 36 strikes among his 66 pitches. He had started just four games in the majors since 2009. Hill went 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA in four starts last September for Boston. He signed a $6 million, one-year deal with Oakland in the offseason. The third inning lasted 41 minutes with 80 pitches, eight hits, seven runs and three errors. "That's what happens when you give extra outs," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Can't do that. We learned that last year, we've learned it this spring. In close games it typically ends up being a play like that, a play or two defensively that you should make." MOMENT OF SILENCE A moment of silence was held in the memory of two late A's players who died in recent months, Dave Henderson and Tony Phillips. Both were members of Oakland's last World Series championship team in 1989. Henderson died in late December at age 57, and Phillips passed away in February at 56. Their family members threw out the ceremonial first pitches, with Hall of Famer and ex-teammate Rickey Henderson handling catching duties. TRAINER'S ROOM White Sox: Ventura plans to mix up his designated hitter to keep players fresh, with Avisail Garcia getting the nod in the opener. Garcia will play some right field to spell Eaton, too. "It's going to be better for them physically if we can rotate that around," Ventura said. Athletics: LHP Felix Doubront was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left elbow after he lasted just one inning Saturday against San Francisco. He will travel to Cincinnati to receive a second opinion next Monday from Dr. Timothy Kremchek to determine whether he might need Tommy John surgery. The A's recalled OF Andrew Lambo from Triple-A Nashville to fill the roster spot. ... INF Eric Sogard, on the disabled list with a neck strain, is scheduled to hit Wednesday against Henderson Alvarez, who will face live batters as he works his way back from right shoulder surgery. UP NEXT White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana has never had a decision against the A's, including his only outing in Oakland on June 1, 2013.

Athletics: RHP Chris Bassitt will pitch Tuesday night and Gray will start Wednesday.

Spring Sale looks good for possibly fashionable White Sox By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic | April 4th, 2016 In Day 2 of Opening Day, at 12:04 a.m. local time, sleepy Chicago fans got their first “This ballgame is ovah!” of the season as the visiting White Sox finished off the Oakland A’s 4-3 to earn their first win of the season. A happy Hawk Harrelson is better than a quiet one, right? Don’t answer that. Hawk called the game nearly three hours after his first “He gone!” which came in the second at-bat of the game when Chris Sale struck out Jed Lowrie. In his first start, Sale faced 28 batters and struck out eight of them, for a 28.5 percent strikeout rate. He walked one, giving him a 3.6 percent walkout rate. Last season, Sale was one of three pitchers ever to post a strikeout rate above 30 percent and a walk rate under five percent. The other two are Clayton Kershaw and Pedro Martinez, who did it twice. So he’s right on pace. For comparison’s sake, in Sale’s first start last year, which didn’t come until April 12 because of a foot injury, he struck out eight and walked one in six innings as the Sox beat the Twins, 6-2. In this one, he gave up three runs and four of his seven hits in the third inning. (The Sox scored all four of their runs in the top half of the inning.) But, like with any true ace, it didn’t bother him. Sale came back out in the fourth and worked a 1-2-3 inning. Sale pitched seven innings and four relievers combined to pitch two hitless, scoreless innings. Sale’s defense only committed one error, by centerfielder Austin Jackson and while it came in a critical time, it didn’t cost the team any runs. Jackson’s fielding miscue allowed the A’s to get runners at the corners in their three-run third inning. But Sale ended the inning by striking out Khris Davis with an 89 mph high changeup, which was set up by a too-high 97 mph fastball. It was no surprise. Sale’s changeup is one of the best pitches in baseball. According to Brooks Baseball, of Sale’s 104 pitches, 16 of them were changeups, 13 of were strikes and four were whiffs. Sale’s fastball velocity was 96.4 mph (he cranked it up to 99.4) while his changeup was clocked at 87.6. He also was throwing his nasty 81 mph slider. He uses it less often than he used to, but he still tossed 23 of them on Monday. He gave up seven hits, two were doubles by Billy Butler. In his three-run inning, the damage came off an infield single, a walk, a hard-hit, opposite field single and two singles up the middle. With everything working, Sale got the much-needed team win. Was this a harbinger of things to come, or just a game? “It seems like last year and the year prior to that, in ’14, Chris Sale would have not got a decision,” Harrelson said. “He would have not got a decision. It’s a good sign.” Anything that leads to a win in the opener is a good sign and not just to the Hawk. That’s how we play the Opening Day game. It’s all good until it’s not. It was tough to write a preview column for the White Sox without just asking a bunch of rhetorical questions. Will they play better defense? Will Carson Fulmer be needed? Can Todd Frazier give Jose Abreu that mythical lineup protection?

When you’re a team predicted to win around 80 games, it’s tough to get a handle on your fortunes based on spring training. You tend to have a wait-and-see attitude. At least you can say the Sox are off to a better start than last year. In 2015, they lost their first four games by a combined 27-7. Kansas City won the teams’ opener 10-1. Talk about an omen. The Sox were only above .500 once last year, when they were 18-17 on May 18. They went on to lose three straight and seven of eight. Sometimes I think back to 2015 and wonder how this team won 76 games. There was plenty of good in the opener, from Sale’s performance to the top three hitters in the order contributing in the Sox’s four-run inning — Adam Eaton and Jimmy Rollins had RBIs with a single to deep center and a “Kansas City Special” in shallow right — to catcher Dioner Navarro picking off Billy Burns from first late in the game to the bullpen throwing zeroes for Sale. The Sox caught an early break avoiding future trade bait starter Sonny Gray, who missed the game after a bout of food poisoning. Former Cub Rich Hill took his place and he couldn’t get out of the third inning. Hill’s early exit brought to mind Ozzie Guillen’s old rant about Hill.

But really Hill, who has a very heart-warming comeback story, was victimized by a rushed throw from ex-Sox prospect Marcus Semien, which scored two runs. It wasn’t a perfect game, but the Sox caught some breaks Monday night and they made their own when it counted. Most importantly, they had Chris Sale. His goal is to pitch deep in October and it’s never too soon for Sox fans to dream about that day. Even in the wee hours of an early morning victory.

HEADLINES OF JERRY REINSDORF’S BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCEMENT

Iverson, Shaq, Yao and Swoopes headline iconic class NBA Release | April 4th, 2016 HOUSTON — Today, at a press event presented by Haggar Clothing Company, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 10 members of the Class of 2016 to be honored September 8-10, 2016 during this year's Enshrinement festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Class Announcement was made in Houston, the site of the 2016 NCAA Men's Final Four, and televised live on ESPN SportsCenter. This year's class includes 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson, eleven-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, two-time NABC Coach of the Year Tom Izzo, the first African-American coach in a professional league John McLendon, three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal and four-time WNBA Champion Sheryl Swoopes. Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected four directly elected members. They include Zelmo Beaty from the Veterans Committee, Yao Ming from the International Committee, Cumberland Posey from the Early African American Pioneers Committee and Jerry Reinsdorf from the Contributor Committee. "The impact the Class of 2016 has had on the game of basketball is gigantic," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "To have several icons of the game be recognized in the same year makes this class one of the most memorable to date. We look forward to honoring each of these inductees during Enshrinement in September." To be elected, North American and Women's Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Direct elect committees are incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball. "The Class of 2016 is big in stature, personality and impact," said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board. "These ten inductees have each contributed to the game in their own meaningful way and we are very pleased to honor them in Springfield." The Class of 2016 will be enshrined at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday, September 9. Ticket packages to the 2016 Enshrinement Ceremony presented by NIKE and all Enshrinement Events are on sale now and available online at www.hoophall.com by calling the Basketball Hall of Fame at (413) 231-5540. Premium Sponsors of Enshrinement 2016 include Haggar Clothing Company, Zales, Nike, Mohegan Sun and Panini. THE NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2016: North American Committee: DARELL GARRETSON [Referee] -- Garretson, a native of Long Point, Illionois, served as an NBA official for 27 years, officiating 1,798 regular season games, 269 playoff games, 41 Finals games and five All-Star games. He was instrumental in organizing and heading the first union for referees, the National Association of Basketball Referees. He is widely considered the individual who shaped modern basketball officiating with a three-person crew and a focus on "refereeing the defense". He served as NBA Chief of Officiating Staff and Director of Officials (1981-98) and is the only person to have served as a staff referee and Chief of Staff simultaneously. ALLEN IVERSON [Player] -- An 11-time NBA All-Star (2000-06, 2008, 2009), Iverson played 14 NBA seasons averaging 26.7 points and 6.2 assists per game. A three-time All-NBA First Team selection (1999, 2001, 2005), he led the league in scoring average four times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2005), steals per game three times (2001-03) and minutes per game seven times (1999, 2001-04, 2006-08). Iverson was

named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1997 and NBA MVP in 2001. The Hampton, Virginia native attended Georgetown University (1994-1996) where he set the school record for career scoring average and earned consensus First Team All-America honors (1996). TOM IZZO [Coach] -- A native of Iron Mountain, Michigan, Izzo has led Michigan State to seven NCAA Final Four appearances (1999-01, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015). With 18 consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament, his team won the NCAA National Championship in 2000. Izzo has coached Michigan State to seven Big Ten regular season championships (1998-2001, 2009, 2010, 2012), five Big Ten Tournament championships (1999, 2000, 2012, 2014, 2016), and 13 Sweet Sixteen appearances. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year three times (1998, 2009, 2012), NABC Coach of the Year twice (2001, 2012), Clair Bee Coach of the Year (2005) and Associated Press National Coach of the Year (1998). JOHN MCLENDON [Coach] -- A native of Hiawatha, Kansas, McLendon was the first coach to win three consecutive national championships, leading Tennessee State to NAIA National Championships in 1957, 1958 and 1959. He compiled a collegiate coaching record of 522-165 (.760) and was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1958. He was the first African-American coach to accomplish many feats including winning a national tournament (1954), winning a national championship (1957) and winning an AAU national championship (1961). He was the first African-American coach to coach in a professional league, the ABL. Already enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a "Contributor," he will now also be enshrined as a coach. SHAQUILLE O'NEAL [Player] - A four-time NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006), O'Neal played 19 years in the NBA averaging 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. A 15-time NBA All-Star (1993-98, 2000-07, 2009), O'Neal led the league in field goal percentage for 10 seasons (1994, 1998-2002, 2004-06, 2009) and ranks seventh on the NBA All-Time scoring list. He was named NBA MVP (2000), NBA Finals MVP three times (2000-02) and NBA Rookie of the Year (1993). At Louisiana State University (1989-92), O'Neal led the country in rebounding (1991) and blocked shots (1992) while earning unanimous First-Team All America honors (1991-92). O'Neal is an Olympic gold medalist (1996) and a member of the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Women's Committee: SHERYL SWOOPES [Player] - A six-time WNBA All-Star (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006), Swoopes played 12 WNBA seasons averaging 15 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. A five-time All-WNBA First Team selection (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005), she was also named Defensive Player of the Year three times (2000, 2002, 2003) and WNBA MVP three times (2000, 2002, 2005). As a member of the Houston Comets, Swoopes won four WNBA Championships (1997-2000). While setting an NCCA championship record for points scored with 47, the Brownfield, Texas native won an NCAA Championship with Texas Tech (1993). Swoopes is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000, 2004) and a member of the WNBA All-Decade Team. THE NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME DIRECT ELECT MEMBERS: Contributor Direct Election Committee: JERRY REINSDORF [Contributor] -- Reinsdorf is a remarkably successful lawyer and businessman who followed his love of sports to purchase the Chicago White Sox and in 1985, the Chicago Bulls. Under his leadership, the Bulls won six world championships and became one of the most iconic teams in the history of sports. Reinsdorf has done extensive charitable work to benefit the Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Park District and was awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service for leading the philanthropic outreach of the White Sox and CharitaBulls Charities. Early African American Pioneers Committee: CUMBERLAND POSEY [Player] -- Posey was an exceptional multisport athlete recognized as the greatest African American basketball player of his time, playing from the early 1900s to mid-1920s. After leading Duquesne University in scoring for three seasons, he created, managed and played for the

legendary "Loendi Big Five." His team was the most dominant of the black fives era winning four straight Colored Basketball World Championships. Upon retirement from basketball, Posey switched his focus to baseball where he excelled for 35 years as a player and businessman. Posey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. International Committee: YAO MING [Player] -- Yao Ming changed the face of global basketball as a respected player and ambassador of the game. He led his hometown Shanghai Sharks to a CBA Championship in 2002 and was the #1 pick in the NBA Draft the same year. As a member for the Houston Rockets, he earned All-Rookie honors (2003) and was named to the All-NBA Team five times (2004, 2006-2009). As an eight-time NBA All-Star (2003-2009, 2011), he broke the record for most All-Star votes, previously held by Michael Jordan in 2005. As the anchor of the Chinese National Team, Yao was named a three-time FIBA Asian Championship MVP. Veterans Committee: ZELMO BEATY [Player] -- Zelmo "Big Z" Beaty was a powerful force for Prairie View A&M averaging 25 points and 20 rebounds per game (1958-62). He led them to the 1962 NAIA Championship while earning the Chuck Taylor MVP Award. As a pro, he was a standout for the St. Louis Hawks and the ABA Utah Stars as an undersized center with a strong inside game and fierce rebounding ability. As a two-time NBA All-Star (1966, 1968) and three-time ABA All-Star, he averaged a double-double in scoring and rebounding for his career. Beaty won an ABA Championship in 1971 with the Stars and was awarded the ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award. Beaty was named to the ABA All-Time Team and inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. -- About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level -- professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.

Shaq, Iverson, Yao lead 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class Fran Blinebury / NBA.com | April 4th, 2016 HOUSTON — For so many years they were the long and short of excellence in the NBA, so it was only fitting that Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson led the way together for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016. The 7-foot-1 O’Neal played 19 seasons in the NBA, averaging 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds. He was MVP in 2000 and a three-time MVP of the NBA Finals. The 6-foot Iverson played 14 seasons, averaging 26.7 points and 6.2 assists. He was named MVP in 2001. O’Neal and Iverson are among 10 new inductees for 2016. They were joined by” Yao Ming, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2002 NBA draft and spent his entire career with the Houston Rockets before it as cut short by injuries in 2010. Jerry Reinsdorf, long-time owner of the Chicago Bulls, whose team dominated the NBA by winning six championships in the 1990s. Sheryl Swoopes, three-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist, four-time WNBA champion and three-time WNBA MVP.

Tom Izzo, head coach at Michigan State, where he has led the Spartans to the 2000 NCAA title and seven trips to the Final Four. There are four posthumous inductees: Zelmo Beatty, who spent most of his career in the ABA, averaging 17.1 points and 10.9 rebounds. Darell Garretson, former referee. John McLendon, former coach who won three NAIA championships. Cumberland Posey, a star in the early 1900s, who is also in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jerry Reinsdorf named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Chicago Bulls Release | April 4th, 2016 The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced earlier today that Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has been inducted into the Class of 2016 by the Hall of Fame’s Contributor Committee. Reinsdorf headed a group that purchased the Bulls on March 13, 1985. During his tenure as Chairman of the franchise, the team has won six NBA Championships (1991-93, 1996-98), advanced to the postseason 24 times, reached the Eastern Conference Finals seven times, claimed eight Central Division titles and won .552 (1,384-1,122) of its games. The Reinsdorf-era Bulls have featured six NBA MVPs (five by Michael Jordan and one for Derrick Rose), three Rookie of the Year winners, three Executive of the Year winners and two Coach of the Year honorees. The Bulls also own the two best single-season victory totals in NBA history, topped by the 1995-96 team’s record 72 wins. Under his ownership, the Bulls have led the NBA in attendance 10 times, including the last six straight seasons, and currently own a sellout streak of 250 consecutive games. “It is a very humbling honor to be selected as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame,” said Reinsdorf on his induction. “Making the Hall of Fame has long been considered the top individual honor that one can achieve in any sport, but for me, I feel it is a culmination of all the input and effort afforded me from so many other people over the years, that put me in this position today. It’s an exciting honor and a day I won’t soon forget.” Off of the court, Reinsdorf and the team’s charity arm, Chicago Bulls Charities, have supported the Chicago area community through a variety of efforts. Chicago Bulls Charities places particular giving emphasis on youth education, health and wellness, and violence prevention, and has supported worthy organizations throughout Chicagoland including: Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; the James Jordan Boys & Girls Club and Chicago Bulls Family Life Center; Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center; City Year Chicago; Youth Guidance; Mercy Home for Boys & Girls; Ronald McDonald House Charities; Bright Pink; and Gilda’s Club Chicago. The Bulls, under Reinsdorf’s leadership, provided funding to help establish Chicago Bulls College Prep School on the west side of Chicago in 2009. A Noble Street Charter School, CBCP’s first graduating class walked in June 2013, and 100% of the 165 seniors graduated and were accepted to a four-year college. The franchise also promotes sports to thousands of children each year through the programs and outreach provided by the Bulls/Sox Training Academy, which opened in 2001. Reinsdorf has been widely recognized for his professional, civic, and charitable contributions. In 2015, the Bulls were named the inaugural ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. The award celebrates and recognizes how members of the sports industry use sport to serve communities and make a positive impact. In 2013, he received the SportsBusiness Daily/Journal Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing his record of business and philanthropic success. In 2012, Reinsdorf, also Chairman of the Chicago White Sox, and the White Sox received the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in sports philanthropy,

while in 2011, he received the Jefferson Award, one of the nation’s top honors for community service and volunteerism, Major League Baseball’s Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence, and the Barnes and Thornburg Jackie Robinson Award for diversity in the workplace. Reinsdorf was the 1997 recipient of the Order of Lincoln Award, the State of Illinois’ highest award. He has also been honored by such organizations as: Keshet, Interfaith Organizing Project, American Academy of Achievement, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Trial Lawyers Club of Chicago, Chicago Historical Society, Chicago Jewish Sporting Hall of Fame, National Jewish Sporting Hall of Fame and Chicago Sports Hall of Fame. He has been awarded the Chicago Park District’s 1990 Chicagoan of the Year Award, the PUSH Bridgebuilder Award, National Italian-American Friendship Award, Northwestern University’s Award of Merit, U.S. Air Force American Spirit Award, Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Mayor’s Medal of Honor, Guardian of Children Award from the Jewish Council of Youth Services, Sports Lawyers Award of Excellence and an honorary degree in Humane Letters from Illinois College. Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities has twice conferred its Hallmark Award to Reinsdorf in recognition of his efforts. In addition to Reinsdorf, the Class of 2016 also includes Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal, Yao Ming, Sheryl Swoopes, Tom Izzo, John McLendon, Zelmo Beaty, Cumberland Posey and longtime NBA referee Darell Garretson. The Class of 2016 will be enshrined on Sept. 9 at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf named inductee of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Reinsdorf joins Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and Yao Ming in this year’s honored class Sam Smith / Bulls.com | April 4th, 2016 Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf Monday was named to be part of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016, one that will likely be regarded significantly in NBA history. That’s because Reinsdorf will be inducted along with storied NBA figures, including Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Yao Ming. Also among the honorees are Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, referee Darrel Garretson, WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes, ABA star Zelmo Beaty, pioneering coach John McLendon, baseball Negro leagues star Cumberland Posey, who played basketball at Duquesne and 10-time AAU National Champions Wayland Baptist University. In a TV interview in Houston, where the announcement was made at the Final Four weekend, Reinsdorf said, “It’s very humbling. When I first found out I wasn’t sure why. I’m still not sure because I have been helped by so many people. “This is really a tribute more to the people who have done things for me along the way, and a lot of luck that I had,” Reinsdorf said. “An awful lot of people, including Jerry Krause and Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson and a fellow named Jordan, but an awful lot of friends, friends in my personal life who were mentors to me. I think it’s a culmination of all the things I got from other people that has put me where I am today. “It has to be humbling,” Reinsdorf said. “I didn’t play the game, I didn’t coach the game, I didn’t referee the game, so I’m really on the periphery of it. The Hall of Fame is the top individual honor you can get in any sport. It’s exciting, it’s thrilling.” Though, as Reinsdorf said, he wasn’t an active participant in the game, he has been the leader with a Bulls franchise that has become under his direction one of the most successful in the history of the NBA and has been a starting point for some of the top figures in the game. The Bulls under Reinsdorf’s tenure won six NBA championships, the third most in NBA history with Reisndorf currently the senior ownership figure in the NBA after having put together a group to purchase the Bulls in 1985. They had never been to the NBA Finals previously.

Reinsdorf’s Bulls, in partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, also financed and built the United Center, one of the few privately financed NBA arenas. They also have built two team-owned practice facilities with the Sheri Berto Center one of the first such in the NBA. Under Reinsdorf, top NBA coaches like Jackson, Doug Collins and Tom Thibodeau got their start as NBA head coaches with their first jobs. The Bulls also created the CharitaBulls foundation, which donated $4.5 million for the construction of the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club near the United Center in memory of Michael Jordans father. The club is part of the Chicago West Side redevelopment inspired by the United Center construction. It includes a Bulls College Prep School and more than $1 million to the Chicago Park District. Reinsdorf received the 2012 Steve Patterson Award for sports philanthropy. In response to President Obama’s 2009 inauguration call to service, Reinsdorf created a volunteer corps in which players and staff help in schools and parks. Reinsdorf in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. was among 18 honorees in 2011 including Ruth Bader Ginsburg to receive the Jefferson Award, which is regarded as the Nobel Prize of public service. Under Reinsdorf, his teams started the Bulls/Sox Academy for sports instruction. Reinsdorf also has been honored by the Chicago Jewish Sporting Hall of Fame, National Jewish Sporting Hall of Fame, Chicago Sports Hall of Fame, Chicago Historical Society, Operation PUSH, Chicago Park District and with the Chicago Mayor’s Medal of Honor. Reinsdorf comes from humble roots, born in Brooklyn, the son of a sewing machine salesman. He attended George Washington U., in Washington D.C. He left Brooklyn in 1957 and studied law at Northwestern U. He worked for the Internal Revenue Service and eventually went into the real estate investment business. Eventually, he sold his Balcor company and put together a partnership to purchase the Chicago White Sox baseball team in 1981. He still is managing partner and they ended a long title drought in 2005 by winning the World Series. Reinsdorf’s success with championships in two major American team sports is rare in the sports world. When the Reinsdorf group assumed ownership of the Bulls in 1985, they were among the most disorganized in the NBA. They had made the playoffs just one time in the previous seven years and were among the lowest in the league in attendance. With the drafting of Michael Jordan, which came the spring before the Reinsdorf group assumed ownership, the Bulls went on to make the playoffs from 1985 through 1998 and win six NBA championship and become the premier franchise in American sports. After sustaining a down period through 2004 after Jordan’s retirement, the Bulls have made the playoffs 10 of the last 11 seasons going into the 2015-16 season. Jackson, Jordan, Pippen and Dennis Rodman previously were enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Among the inductees O'Neal was a four-time NBA champion, the 1992-93 Rookie of the Year, the 1999-2000 league MVP, a three-time NBA Finals MVP, a two-time scoring champion and a 15-time All-Star. Iverson was the 1996-97 Rookie of the Year, the 2000-01 league MVP, a four-time scoring champion and an 11-time All-Star selection. Yao was an eight-time NBA All-Star and remains one of China's most decorated and famous athletes. Michigan State head coach Izzo has a 524-205 record and has led them to 19 straight NCAA tournament appearances. The school won the national championship in the 1999-2000 season and has reached an seven Final Fours under Izzo. Swoopes was a four-time WNBA champion, three-time league MVP, a two-time scoring champion and a six-time All-Star selection. Beaty was a three-time ABA All-Star and two-time NBA All-Star and was an ABA champion in 1971 with the Utah Stars. Garretson was an NBA referee for 27 seasons and the NBA supervisor of officials for 17 years. Posey was considered the top African-American player of his time, playing from the 1900s through the 1920s. McLendon was an African-American coach who broke barriers at the college and professional levels.

Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf named to basketball Hall of Fame By Staff / CSN Chicago | April 4th, 2016 The NBA announced the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Monday and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is among the electees. Reinsdorf joins Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming, Tom Izzo and Sheryl Swoopes in the Class of 2016. Reinsdorf - who also owns the White Sox - has run the Bulls organization since purchasing it in 1985. He oversaw the dominant Bulls teams of the 1990s that won six NBA titles with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The Class of 2016 will be honored in enshrinement festivities Sept. 8-10 in Springfield, Mass.

Bulls: Jerry Reinsdorf humble in response to Hall of Fame inclusion By Vincent Goodwill / CSN Chicago | April 4th, 2016 Humbled and a bit surprised, Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf took his induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in stride when news was announced Monday afternoon in Houston, the site of the Final Four. Ranking it as “just a personal accomplishment” when asked where the highest honor the sport of basketball can bestow upon an individual, the owner of the Chicago Bulls took more pride in the championships he helped steward and the way the franchise has become a national brand in the past 20 years. “On an individual level, this would be the highest,” Reinsdorf said in a television interview. “But the important thing about being in sports is to win championships. So I’d say the World Series (with the White Sox in 2005) and six championships would be tied for number one and this would come behind it because it’s just a personal accomplishment.” Being inducted along with larger than life personalities such as Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo, along with one of the greatest female basketball players of all time, Sheryl Swoopes, and former NBA player Yao Ming, Reinsdorf’s inclusion into basketball mortality will likely take a backseat in September as the focus will be on the aforementioned. But his importance to Chicago and the Bulls franchise hasn’t gone unnoticed by the decision makers, as Reinsdorf has seen more NBA titles since taking ownership of the Bulls in 1985 than any NBA owner not named Dr. Jerry Buss, who oversaw the Lakers win eight NBA championships. “I was able to put together a great organization with great people. Jerry Krause (former Bulls GM) is really the architect of the championships, Phil (Jackson) and Michael (Jordan) and Scottie (Pippen),” Reinsdorf said. “Then turning everything over to my son Michael to run in the last couple years. Then John Paxson and Gar Forman, wonderful people, really talented. I’m just proud of the people I have with the Bulls.” Since the NBA/ABA merger, only the late William Davidson (Pistons), Jerry Colangelo (Suns) and Buss have been let into the Basketball Hall of Fame as owners. Reinsdorf makes no bones about it, that taking over in Chicago at the same time a kid from North Carolina was in a star-studded rookie year had plenty of do with his success. “Well having Michael Jordan was having Babe Ruth, I mean, the greatest player of all time in his sport and it was something I tried to appreciate and enjoy all of those years,” Reinsdorf said. “That was just

luck. I can’t take any credit for acquiring Michael Jordan. He just fell into our laps. It was an incredible experience.” An experience Reinsdorf helped foster and turn into six NBA titles in an eight year span by hiring Krause, whom he’ll likely mention at his induction speech months from now as someone who deserves the honor as much. He hired Krause and allowed his basketball executives make the decisions, including the one that enabled Krause to hire Phil Jackson in 1989 after firing Doug Collins. The trio of Krause, Jackson and Jordan helped the Bulls elevate themselves to the NBA mountaintop, enduring controversy, retirement and attrition at a time when the NBA’s popularity was exploding across the world. Reinsdorf was low-key, preferring to let those outstretched personalities have the glory. “I don’t know if I’m impressed but I’m proud,” said Reinsdorf of building the Bulls brand. “Proud of the fact the Bulls are a worldwide brand and wherever you go around the world, you see Bulls merchandise. It used to be, you traveled abroad, you say you were from Chicago, they’d say Al Capone. Now they say Chicago Bulls. I am proud of that.” Come September, for as long as he so chooses while on that stage, Reinsdorf will have the stage all to himself.

Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf elected to Basketball Hall of Fame By K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune | April 4th, 2016 In an interview with ESPN shortly after the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame opened its doors for him, Jerry Reinsdorf agreed with Scottie Pippen's recent boast that the 1995-96 Bulls would beat this year's Warriors in a playoff series. Translated: There's a little competitiveness underneath that business acumen, which is partly why Reinsdorf is headed to Springfield, Mass., for a September enshrinement ceremony via the contributor committee. "It is a very humbling honor to be selected as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame," Reinsdorf said in a statement. "Making the Hall of Fame has long been considered the top individual honor that one can achieve in any sport, but for me, I feel it is a culmination of all the input and effort afforded me from so many other people over the years that put me in this position today. It's an exciting honor and a day I won't soon forget." Reinsdorf is joined in the Class of 2016 by Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming, Sheryl Swoopes, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, longtime official Darell Garretson, John McLendon, Zelmo Beaty and Cumberland Posey. Reinsdorf headed an ownership group that bought the Bulls in March 1985. During his tenure as Bulls chairman, the franchise has won six NBA championships and — thanks to previous Hall of Fame inductees Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Phil Jackson — became one of the world's most recognizable sporting brands. The Bulls have produced six MVP awards (five for Jordan and one for Derrick Rose), three Rookie of the Year winners, three Executive of the Year honorees and two Coach of the Year winners during Reinsdorf's run. They also have led the NBA in attendance 10 times. "I'm happy for Jerry," said former general manager Jerry Krause, who represented one of Reinsdorf's first hires and one of the Executive of the Year awards. "He's a great owner and a great person. He's the most loyal person I know."

"We had a shared plan," Krause said. "And he let me do what I had to do. He didn't interfere." Reinsdorf, who also has been heavily involved in charitable work during his tenure, detailed that plan in a recent interview with the Tribune. "I had a vision of how basketball should be played. And the vision was the Knicks teams that won the championship in 1970 and 1973," Reinsdorf said in a phone interview last month. "I wanted a team that emphasized defense. I wanted a team that on offense had a system where players moved off the ball and the ball moved. The way (Krause) thought you built a winning team was exactly what I wanted to do." Krause took the high road when asked about being bypassed again. He and Johnny "Red" Kerr, the franchise's first coach and longtime broadcaster, also were finalists in the contributor category that elected Reinsdorf. In fact, Krause said Reinsdorf was more upset about Krause's omission than he was. "He called me and said I should be in there," Krause said. "The record speaks for itself."

Jerry Reinsdorf gets into Hall of Fame, but other Jerry deserves it too By David Haugh / Chicago Tribune | April 4th, 2016 Lgitimate surprise accompanied Monday's announcement that Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf was among the newest class that will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. As much credit as Reinsdorf deserves for presiding over six Bulls championships, he was not the next Jerry I expected to enter the shrine. Jerry Krause was. If Reinsdorf belongs in the basketball Hall of Fame, so does Krause. Reinsdorf arguably will go down as the best owner in Chicago sports history with seven titles between the Bulls and White Sox, but I always figured Krause should beat him to the basketball hall. Krause, the longtime Bulls general manager, dealt more directly with the day-to-day and season-to-season dynamics of the dynasty. The amount of credit Krause received always was obscured by his unpopularity among fans and many notable people he worked with, namely Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. Both Jerrys benefited from "some fella named Jordan," as Reinsdorf kidded during an ESPN interview Monday, but the guy who made roster decisions deserves as much credit as the one who wrote the checks. Hopefully, as early as next year at this time, Krause finally will get it. Alas, Krause keeps waiting for the call while Reinsdorf officially received word he will join a 10-member class Sept. 9 in Springfield, Mass., for induction. The man who once famously said he would trade all six Bulls championships for one White Sox World Series trophy now will ride off into basketball immortality on the momentum of all those titles. "It's very humbling, (and) when I first found out, I wasn't sure why," Reinsdorf told ESPN. "I'm still not sure." Reinsdorf showed graciousness and mentioned Krause first among people he thanked. He sounded genuine recalling how he was caught off guard when Hall of Fame Chairman Jerry Colangelo called recently to welcome him to the exclusive club.

"I don't understand why I deserve this," Reinsdorf said. "I didn't play the game, didn't coach or referee the game. I am really on the periphery." The honor comes near the end of a Bulls season that hardly exemplifies shrewd executive management by Reinsdorf or his front office. Replacing Tom Thibodeau with hand-picked coach Fred Hoiberg hasn't gone as anybody planned with the Bulls two games out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture with five to play. Reinsdorf has passed along much of the power to his son, Michael, the Bulls president, but put his stamp on the Thibodeau firing last May with a terse statement that aired complaints bordering on petty and unprofessional. Almost a year later, it will require all of Reinsdorf's business acumen to address the problems that go deeper than the Bulls' disappointing record. Tough decisions await the Hall of Famer. So Reinsdorf and Bulls fans should savor Monday's news. History might record it as the highlight of their season.

White Sox eager to send Reinsdorf off with one more title By Chris De Luca / Chicago Sun-Times | April 4th, 2016 OAKLAND, Calif. — Jerry Reinsdorf was finally welcomed into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday, and after six NBA titles, it’s an overdue tribute. Reinsdorf said all the right things in his prepared statement — his preferred method of speaking to the public these days — calling it a “humbling honor.” That’s where Reinsdorf would love a permanent spot of glory. His true love has always been baseball. But one World Series title doesn’t stamp your ticket to Cooperstown. And that brings us to the current state of the White Sox. Reinsdorf has had a financial stake on the South Side for 35 years. The Sox quickly reached the postseason in1983 and even though Chicago celebrated as if a World Series had been won, the only official title during the Reinsdorf era came in 2005. In terms of Chicago baseball title droughts, 10 years is nothing. But there has been a different sense of urgency around the Sox the last two seasons. Maybe everyone is feeling a little … antsy? “Antsy is probably a decent way of describing most all of us around the club the last few years,” general manager Rick Hahn said with a chuckle before the Sox opened the 2016 season with a 4-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics. “None of us really have the best patience streak in us, and Jerry is certainly no exception.” This seems more than just impatience. Reinsdorf turned 80 in February and there have been whispers since the winter of 2014 that he is ready to step away from his baseball business. Soon. Soon would have been 2015. That’s when the White Sox had one of baseball’s best offseasons, stockpiling talent for that big push for Jerry. Then they lost 86 games and put on the worst offensive show in the American League.

Hahn double-downed this winter, adding power-hitting third baseman Todd Frazier — among others — to fill a need since Joe Crede left. There is a feeling in some circles that a World Series run would be Reinsdorf’s Peyton Manning-style exit. That’s why he is sticking with beloved Robin Ventura as manager. No need for a dugout shakeup at this advanced stage of the Reinsdorf era. Jerry seems to have long ago grown tired of the nonsense side of baseball — the kind of nonsense that dragged him into the middle of the Adam and Drake LaRoche Drama. It was a spring training sideshow that gave the Sox the wrong kind of international fame. It was an episode completely mishandled by vice president Ken Williams that Reinsdorf had to intervene. This is not the kind of lifestyle an 80-year-old craves. So the first pitch of the 2016 season was delivered Monday by ace Chris Sale. There is talent, starting with Sale, continuing with first baseman Jose Abreu, who has MVP skills, right on to the sweet-swinging Frazier. The Sox are second bananas in a Cubs-crazy town. Sadly, 2005 did nothing to change that dynamic. But as the 2016 season got under way Monday night in Oakland, that antsy feeling was palpable. “We’ve been going through a process here that began mid-way through 2013 in terms of retooling this club and getting ourselves back in a position to contend,” Hahn said. “We still realize this was going to be a process, one which hopefully here in the coming months is coming to an end as we take that next step.”

Bulls owner Reinsdorf to be enshrined in Basketball Hall of Fame By Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun-Times | April 4th, 2016 Six NBA championships carry a lot of weight. Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf found out just how much Monday, when it was announced that he would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Reinsdorf was part of the 10-member class that also includes Allen Iverson, coach Tom Izzo, Shaquille O’Neal, Sheryl Swoopes, referee Darrel Garretson, coach John McLendon, Zelmo Beaty, Cumberland Posey and Yao Ming, as Reinsdorf was the only owner of an NBA franchise included in the group. “It’s very humbling,’’ Reinsdorf said in a TV interview in Houston, where the announcement was made. “When I first found out I wasn’t sure why. I’m still not sure because I have been helped by so many people. “This is really a tribute more to the people who have done things for me along the way, and a lot of luck that I had. An awful lot of people, including Jerry Krause and Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson and a fellow named Jordan, but an awful lot of friends, friends in my personal life who were mentors to me. I think it’s a culmination of all the things I got from other people that has put me where I am today. “It has to be humbling. I didn’t play the game, I didn’t coach the game, I didn’t referee the game, so I’m really on the periphery of it. The Hall of Fame is the top individual honor you can get in any sport. It’s exciting, it’s thrilling.” Born in Brooklyn, Reinsdorf arrived on the Chicago sports scene in 1981, when he bought the White Sox. Reinsdorf bought the Bulls in 1985 and watched them turn into a national brand in the 1990s, thanks to six titles with Michael Jordan leading the way.

Though Reinsdorf, 80, took delight in each NBA title, it wasn’t a secret that baseball was his first love. Reinsdorf often would talk about going to Ebbets Field and watching his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. So when the Sox delivered him a World Series trophy in 2005, Reinsdorf insisted he had a new prized possession. His role with the Bulls has diminished somewhat, with his son, Michael, taking over the title of team president and chief operating officer. However, the elder Reinsdorf still is the face of the organization.

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame By Larry Hawley / WGN-TV | April 4th, 2016 HOUSTON – A few of the players that have played for his franchise have been enshrined into basketballs’ most prestigious hall. Now the boss is going to go in too. At the Final Four in Houston on Monday it was announced that Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2016. He is one of a class of ten for this year and his election came from the contributor committee. He’ll be enshrined in September joining in a class that includes former NBA players Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming. “It is a very humbling honor to be selected as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame,” said Reinsdorf in a statement released by the team. “Making the Hall of Fame has long been considered the top individual honor that one can achieve in any sport, but for me, I feel it is a culmination of all the input and effort afforded me from so many other people over the years, that put me in this position today. It’s an exciting honor and a day I won’t soon forget.” Reinsdorf has owned the Bulls since 1985 and in the 1990s oversaw one of the greatest dynasties in North American sports history. Led by future Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the Bulls won six championships over an eight year span from 1990-1998. In the 1995-1996 season the Bulls won an NBA record 72 games en route to their fourth championship in six seasons. The owner also saw the changing of venues during his time as owner as the Bulls moved from Chicago Stadium to the United Center in November of 1994. By being elected to the Hall of Fame, Reinsdorf becomes the 13th member of the franchise to receive the honor. Jordan, Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Nate Thurmond, Robert Parish, Artis Gilmore, Chet Walker and Guy Rodgers all played for the Bulls during Hall of Fame careers. Phil Jackson and Jerry Sloan were elected as coaches while former team president Jerry Colangelo was elected as a contributor. Reinsdorf is also the owner of the Chicago White Sox, which he purchased four years before buying the Bulls. Like the NBA team he also saw the transition of the team to a new ballpark in 1991 and helped them to a World Series title in 2005.

Reinsdorf makes Hoops Hall By Mike McGraw / Daily Herald | April 4th, 2016 The Hall of Fame train ridden by the championship-era Bulls rolled to a stop in recent years. The Bulls helped send Phil Jackson to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2007. Michael Jordan was inducted in 2009, Scottie Pippen in 2010, followed by Dennis Rodman and Tex Winter in 2011.

The dry spell ended when Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf was announced as a member of the 2016 Hall of Fame class as a contributor. Reinsdorf is joined by another person with local ties, Loyola women's basketball coach Sheryl Swoopes, a legendary player for Texas Tech and the WNBA's Houston Comets. Others in this year's class are Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, former referee Darell Garretson, Zelmo Beatty, NAIA coach John McLendon and early 1900s player Cumberland Posey. McLendon was already in the Hall as a contributor, now he's in as a coach. "It is a very humbling honor to be selected as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame," Reinsdorf said in a statement released by the Bulls. "Making the Hall of Fame has long been considered the top individual honor that one can achieve in any sport, but for me, I feel it is a culmination of all the input and effort afforded me from so many other people over the years, that put me in this position today. It's an exciting honor and a day I won't soon forget." The honor does raise a couple of questions: First of all, does Reinsdorf deserve to be in the basketball Hall? He's been a baseball owner longer than a basketball owner and he's not in baseball's Hall of Fame. Reinsdorf's Bulls won six NBA championships in the 1990s, but is buying a team with Michael Jordan already on the roster reason to make the Hall of Fame? The other question is why Reinsdorf and not former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause? When it comes to assigning responsibility for the Bulls' championship run, credit begins with Jordan and Pippen. It would seem like Jackson and Krause are more worthy than Reinsdorf, who lived in Arizona during most of the basketball season. When looking at Reinsdorf's credentials, it's worth mentioning that the Naismith Hall of Fame has been very inclusive. I'd say they induct too many people. Several NBA owners are in the Hoops Hall, including the Lakers' Jerry Buss, Pistons' William Davidson, Suns' Jerry Colangelo and Walter A. Brown, founder of the Celtics. I'd argue the only owner that belongs in the Hall is former Syracuse Nationals boss Danny Biasone, who is credited for introducing the 24-second clock in 1954. If you're looking for Reinsdorf's basketball achievements, you could point to how the Bulls were front-runners in transforming the NBA game atmosphere. Every NBA game is now wall-to-wall entertainment, which the Bulls helped pioneer in the 1980s. Is Reinsdorf responsible for developing the modern game atmosphere or did he just hire good people? Hard to say with certainty. Another achievement was partnering with the Blackhawks to build the United Center with private funds. Anyone who attended Bulls games at Chicago Stadium knows the new arena helped revitalize Chicago's West Side. The Bulls have also been very active in charitable contributions during Reinsdorf's tenure. As for why not Krause, there aren't many team executives in the Hall of Fame. There are certainly some odd choices in the contributor category, such as Dick Vitale, former deputy commissioner Russ Granik and Nike founder Phil Knight. Meanwhile, player, coach and broadcaster Johnny "Red" Kerr is still left out. Krause claimed he promised to boycott the Hall of Fame until Winter was inducted. So maybe that has something to do with it.

But the bottom line, and I've written this before, is the Naismith Hall of Fame has its priorities mixed up. It takes too many active college coaches and indirect contributors, which is a big reason so few people pay attention to the induction ceremonies. How much more effective would it be if this year's class included Iverson, O'Neal, Swoopes, and no one else? We'll never know the answer. Bulls still hurting: Badly in need of a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Bulls are calling Derrick Rose (hyperextended left elbow) questionable for Tuesday's game at Memphis. Taj Gibson (fractured rib) is doubtful and E'Twaun Moore (hamstring) probable. Rose has missed the last two games.

Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf elected to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame By K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune | April 4th, 2016 (CBS) Chicago Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has been selected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, it was announced Monday. Reinsdorf, 80, has owned the Bulls since 1985. He’s also the primary owner of the Chicago White Sox. @Hoophall: His love for the city of Chicago and making the @chicagobulls into a premier franchise @Hoophall welcomes Jerry Reinsdorf. #16HoopClass Under Reinsdorf’s ownership, the Bulls have won six championships — in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 — made the playoffs 24 times and compiled a winning percentage of .552. His tenure in charge of the franchise also saw the undertaking of the United Center in 1994 and continued renovations to the Bulls’ home. “It is a very humbling honor to be selected as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame,” Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Making the Hall of Fame has long been considered the top individual honor that one can achieve in any sport, but for me, I feel it is a culmination of all the input and effort afforded me from so many other people over the years, that put me in this position today. It’s an exciting honor and a day I won’t soon forget.” The Bulls have also led the NBA in attendance 10 times in the Reinsdorf era and have a sellout streak of 250 straight games. Reinsdorf joins a Hall of Fame class that includes Allen Iverson, Tom Izzo, Shaquille O’Neil, Sheryl Swoopes, Darrel Garretson, John McLendon, Zelmo Beaty, Cumberland Posey and Yao Ming. The Naismith Hall of Fame induction will be held Dec. 21 from the site in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Jerry Reinsdorf elected to 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame class The Bulls owner is among 10 notable figures going into the Hall of Fame this year By James Neveau / NBC Chicago | April 4th, 2016 Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf has been in charge of the team for over 30 years, and on Monday he was recognized for his accomplishments and named as part of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016. Reinsdorf, who purchased the Bulls in 1985, has overseen the franchise through good times and bad, but his crowning achievement came during the 1990’s when the team won six championships, thanks to players like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

The Bulls owner is among 10 notable figures going into the Hall of Fame this year. Former players Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson were both selected into the Hall in their first year of eligibility, and Chinese standout Yao Ming was also tabbed for induction on Monday. Reinsdorf has overseen many of the biggest advances in the history of the Bulls’ organization, including the decision to hire Jerry Krause as the team’s General Manager in the 1980’s and the joint venture with the Chicago Blackhawks to build the United Center in 1994. That arena, where the Bulls still play, was the largest in America at the time of its completion, and has seen the Bulls sell out most of their games since it opened for the 1994-95 season. Reinsdorf also owns the Chicago White Sox, having purchased the team from Bill Veeck in 1981. The team also built a new stadium under his guidance, and they’ve also won a championship with him at the helm, capturing the 2005 World Series title.

Bulls’ Reinsdorf among group elected into Hall of Fame By Kristie Rieken / Associated Press | April 4th, 2016 HOUSTON — Despite being elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday, Allen Iverson knows he still won't be able to shake his infamous rant about practice. "I'm in the Hall of Fame and I can go outside today and go to a restaurant or whatever and somebody will say to me: 'Practice? We talking about practice,'" he said with a laugh, adding that even his children mock him for the 2002 news conference in which he repeated the phrase about 20 times. "Man, I am a Hall of Famer and that's all you can think about — me saying practice." Along with Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming, Sheryl Swoopes, Tom Izzo and Jerry Reinsdorf were elected to the Hall of Fame on Monday. Posthumous honorees this year include 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson; John McLendon, the first African-American coach in a professional league; Cumberland Posey, who also is in the Baseball Hall of Fame; and Zelmo Beaty, who led Prairie View to an NAIA title in 1962. The selections were announced in Houston in advance of Monday night's NCAA Tournament championship game between North Carolina and Villanova. Reinsdorf has been the owner of the Bulls and White Sox for more than two decades. ''An award like this has to be the most important accomplishment you can have," he said. "The fact is I'm here because of what a lot of other people did." Iverson, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, was named rookie of the year and went on to become an 11-time All-Star. John Thompson, his coach at Georgetown, was there to celebrate the latest honor with his former player. "I'm proud of the fact of knowing him as a person and knowing the challenges he's had to overcome," Thompson said. "Allen is legitimate. There's a lot of impersonators of what he is. But he is a kid who came from basically nothing and had to be thrust into a whole different way of life and been successful as he has been in his profession." Iverson was asked to reminisce on the impressive dunking he did in his career despite being only 6-feet tall. "I can't even touch the backboard now," the 40-year-old lamented. "I ain't lying. Like I can't even touch the backboard. It is over."

O'Neal, the top overall pick in the 1992 draft by the Orlando Magic, was the NBA MVP in 2000, a three-time NBA Finals MVP and 15-time All-Star. When he was introduced Monday at the media event, the jokester scolded the announcer for not mentioning his work in the 1996 movie "Kazaam," in which he played a genie. The man who has a plethora of nicknames was asked if he hopes to get a new one when he's inducted into the hall in September. "No, just Hall of Famer," he said. O'Neal had a simple mindset when he entered the NBA, one that he got from his love of karate movies. "In all your karate movies, you've got the young karate warrior and he goes all these places and he sees all these masters and he has to take them out," O'Neal said. "So I was gunning for everybody. I was gunning for all the superstars, I was gunning for all the big guys, because I wanted their spot and that was my motivation." Yao, the top overall pick in 2002 by the Houston Rockets, was an eight-time All-Star. He did not attend the event because he was in Shanghai. Swoopes helped Texas Tech to a national title, won four WNBA titles with the Houston Comets, was a three-time WNBA MVP and won three Olympic gold medals. She grew up in the small West Texas town of Brownfield and hopes that her election can be an inspiration to children from small towns everywhere. "For me to be sitting here today as a Hall of Famer I hope that all those kids out there that have ever doubted that things like this can happen to you, I'm a living example and living proof that if you trust in God and you work hard and believe in yourself and you surround yourself with the right people, anything can happen," she said. Izzo, Michigan's State coach, won a national title in 2000 and has taken the Spartans to the Final Four seven times. "This is the biggest thrill of my life," Izzo said. "I needed a lot of other guys to help me get here."