Big news all over the city
What a Chicago sports day Tuesday was.
In the afternoon on the South Side, the White Sox beat the A's. At night on the North Side, the Cubs beat the Reds.
In both ballparks, Jackie Robinson was celebrated for breaking baseball's color barrier 61 years ago.
Meanwhile, Dusty Baker, returned to Wrigley Field for the first time since being dismissed as Cubs manager.
And all around town the biggest story of all was the Bears' schedule being announced.
As big as baseball is here, the Bears are bigger. If they belch ... stop the presses!
OK, it's time now to peruse in descending order of importance the events of the day.
Bears schedule: Oddly, they play three straight home games twice and three straight road games once.
Overall the schedule doesn't appear daunting, essentially because New England isn't on it. In the NFL if you play the Patriots the schedule is tough; if you don't it isn't.
Forecasting a team's record before the April 26-27 draft is as ludicrous as forecasting a murder trial before the opening arguments. So here goes.
Loss at Indianapolis, loss at Carolina, home victory over Tampa Bay, home loss to Philadelphia, victory at Detroit, victory at Atlanta, home loss to Minnesota, home victory over Detroit, home loss to Tennessee, loss at Green Bay, victory at St. Louis, loss at Minnesota, home loss to Jacksonville, home victory over New Orleans, home victory over Green Gay, loss at Houston.
What's that come to, 7-9? So be it. Of course, if the Bears draft an offensive lineman with all his limbs they'll beat the Texans in the season finale and wind up at 8-8.
You read it here first, folks.
Jackie Robinson Day: Hundreds of players, managers and coaches wore his otherwise retired No. 42.
However, perhaps the greatest honor for Robinson was of the four managers working the games here Tuesday, the Sox' Ozzie Guillen is Venezuelan, the Cubs' Lou Piniella is of Latin descent and the Reds' Baker is black.
"(Robinson is) one of the reasons I have money and am managing on the major-league level," Guillen acknowledged.
He added that he appreciates the history of race in baseball much more after visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and managing in the Civil Rights Game in Memphis over the last few years.
Sox designated hitter Jim Thome said he feels blessed to have played with great black players.
"They were special to me as teammates," he said. "Jackie opened the door for them."
Baker's return: The Dustinator was greeted with a smattering of boos when his name was announced, then a few more when he brought the Reds' lineup card to home plate.
Not many critics were in the stands yet. By the time the crowd reached 39,130, boos resounded when Baker came out to change pitchers in the seventh inning.
Piniella drew a few laughs by saying, "I don't think any manager should be booed."
Whether Baker should be booed in Wrigley Field is debatable. Probably not. It's like blaming the latest driver on a route for a bus being late the last 99 years.
Hopefully, especially, on Jackie Robinson Day, Baker was booed for the quality of his managing and not the color of his skin.
Oh, by the way, Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano strained his calf catching a routine flyball to cap off an eventful sports day in Chicago.