Brett Ballantini has written about baseball, basketball and sometimes hockey for the NBA, MLB, NHL, and Slam, Hoop, Sporting News, the Athletic, Sports Illustrated, South Side Hit Pen, Sox Populi, SB Nation and others. He was CSN Chicago’s Blackhawks beat writer when their 49-year Stanley Cup drought ended in 2009-10, and moved to the White Sox beat after that. Brett has run South Side Sox since 2018.
Some startling news as the holidays approach, Christmas baby Rickey Henderson, born in Chicago 66 years ago, has passed away from pneumonia.
Henderson was a force on the field for 25 seasons, playing until age 44 in a position and with a skill set that players 20 years younger struggle to maintain.