Weekend begins with shootings citywide

Shootings throughout the city have hospitalized at least 10 people late Friday through early Saturday. None of the victims, as of early Saturday, however, appeared to have been seriously wounded. Just before 10 p.m. Friday, a 17-year-old man was in the 400 block of North Laramie Avenue when two men, believed to be 19 and 20 years old, approached him and fired shots, police said.

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Judge bars media from R. Kelly files

Concerned that singer R. Kelly won't get a fair trial, a judge Friday denied a media request to get access to sealed documents in the case. "Of paramount concern is that the defendant gets a fair trial," Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan wrote.

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Chicago rockers OK Go meet up with fans

Chicago's own treadmill-boogying band OK Go performed a different sort of exercise Friday when they stopped by the campus of Northwestern University to talk about songwriting. The Grammy-winning quartet also took questions from a surprisingly sparse but enthusiastic audience, who asked about the band's favorite tunes, the recording process and whether bad reviews affected artistry.

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Off-duty officer involved in shooting

One person is in police custody following a shooting on the Far South Side Thursday night that involved an off-duty Chicago police officer.

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Multiple killings push April homicides to 47

April was a deadly month in Chicago -- 47 people were murdered.

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Teen's death probed as murder by neglect

The death of a South Chicago boy with cerebral palsy who succumbed to infected bed sores is being investigated as a murder by neglect.

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Daley's 'not angry' about summer home arson

 Mayor Daley said today he’s not angry about the fire intentionally set outside his Michigan summer home, but he couldn’t understand the hatred behind it.

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City cleared in E2 disaster

Two days after paying $50 million to the families of those killed in a fire, City of Chicago officials got some good news Friday: They are off the hook in the E2 nightclub stampede that killed 29 people in 2003. For now.

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9th DUI conviction gets man 20 yrs. in prison

A Bensenville man convicted of drunken driving for the ninth time was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison -- the longest rap for DUI that DuPage County authorities can recall.

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June fund-raiser set to seal '16 Olympic bid

Chicago 2016 spent $9.2 million to complete the first leg of Mayor Daley's Olympic journey -- with $22.4 million left in the bank. And officials plan a July 14 Millennium Park fund-raiser for needed funds to get to the finish line.

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Fire injures elderly woman

An elderly woman was being treated Saturday for second degree burns to her arms and upper body and smoke inhalation after a fire in her home on the 3400 block of West Berteau Avenue.

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Daley's neighbors' house destroyed

Brad Griffith was suspicious early on about the fire that destroyed his $2 million-plus home in Grand Beach, Mich., last month.

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Man sentenced to 23 years in child abuse case

A Lombard man was sentenced today to 23 years in prison for shaking his infant son so severely he left the child permanently disabled — then the judge sentenced the man to five more years for fathering the child with an underage girl.

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More pain at the pump: Shoe prices jump

Everyone knows gas prices are skyrocketing. But get ready for a new problem nipping at your heels: Shoe prices are going up after 10 years of declining or steady prices.

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Man convicted of 9 DUI gets 20 years in prison

A Bensenville man convicted of drunken driving for the ninth time was sentenced today to 20 years in prison.

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Red-hot Soriano homers twice, Cubs fall to Pirates

Nate McLouth hit a tie-breaking two-run homer off Carlos Marmol (1-1) in the ninth to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-6 victory over the Cubs on Saturday even though Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs for the second straight day.

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Briggs' disturbing twist: Too much baby-mama drama

Jay Mariotti: Laughing in the Wrigley Field press box, thrilled that he didn't sink to Tony Romo-like horrors as a seventh-inning singer, Lance Briggs is trying to help a worthy cause on a sunny afternoon. He's hosting 10 kids from the Boys Hope, Girls Hope Center of Chicago.

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Avery Johnson no longer in Bulls' plans

The Bulls believe Avery Johnson is not interested in becoming their next head coach and the team has no plans to further pursue him. Bulls general manager John Paxson has scheduled interviews next week with coaches currently on the staffs of playoff teams, including Utah Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin.

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Ramirez's first career homer lifts White Sox

Ozzie Guillen explained to rookie Alexei Ramirez his transition from Cuban baseball to the big leagues could take time and the challenges would be great. Filling in for injured second baseman Juan Uribe, Ramirez provided the hit of the game.

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Stars beat Red Wings 2-1, force Game 6

DETROIT -- Marty Turco picked the perfect time for his first NHL victory at Joe Louis Arena.

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Big Brown cruises to another easy victory in Preakness

BALTIMORE -- Big Brown charged to the lead turning for home and then cruised down the stretch to win the Preakness on Saturday, still perfect and squarely pointed toward thoroughbred racing's first Triple Crown in 30 years.

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Belichick rips Walsh, admits wrongdoing

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick lashed out at the team's former video assistant Friday, saying in a televised interview that Matt Walsh was a low-level staffer who was fired for ''poor job performance''

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Candace Parker scores 34 in Sparks debut

PHOENIX -- Candace Parker scored 34 points, the most ever in a WNBA debut, and added 12 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the defending champion Phoenix Mercury 99-94 on Saturday.

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Pint-sized Busch coming up big for Fire

At 5-10, the Fire's Jon Busch is the shortest goalkeeper in Major League Soccer, but he's standing tall this season.

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On the air today

Time Sport TV/radio

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Ramirez's first career homer lifts White Sox

Ozzie Guillen explained to rookie Alexei Ramirez his transition from Cuban baseball to the big leagues could take time and the challenges would be great. Filling in for injured second baseman Juan Uribe, Ramirez provided the hit of the game.

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Red-hot Soriano homers twice, Cubs fall to Pirates

Nate McLouth hit a tie-breaking two-run homer off Carlos Marmol (1-1) in the ninth to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-6 victory over the Cubs on Saturday even though Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs for the second straight day.

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Shoulder giving Prior more fits

Oft-injured pitcher Mark Prior has another shoulder problem, delaying his debut with the San Diego Padres.

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Crede: California dreamin'

Between hugs with best friend Aaron Rowand, getting a good look at scenic AT&T Park and hearing how the San Francisco Giants have a direction -- as confusing as it may seem right now -- in again becoming a winner, White Sox third baseman Joe Crede could see himself playing the hot corner there next season.

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Werth watching: 3 HRs, 8 RBI

Jayson Werth homered in his first three at-bats and tied a Philadelphia Phillies record with eight RBI in a 10-3 victory over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

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Hudson has new single, role in 'Sex and the City'

South Side native Jennifer Hudson has pursued acting and singing with equal zeal since winning an Oscar for her role in "Dreamgirls." She is working on her first solo album, due Sept. 30. Her first single, ‘‘Spotlight,’’ arrives this month. Then she appears in the big-screen debut of "Sex and the City."

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CSO, Haitink revel in Carnegie's warmth

Andrew Patner: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was the talk of New York this week. First, the CSO came to Carnegie Hall for two concerts on a short tour. Then it was the subject of continued press and industry fallout over the announcement that Riccardo Muti, who had had a long relationship with the New York Philharmonic, would become the CSO's next music director in 2010-11.

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Michael Moore says next film is not a sequel

With his follow-up to ‘‘Fahrenheit 9/11,’’ Michael Moore wants to examine America as an empire, study its standing since the Sept. 11 attacks and present revelations to surprise audiences as much as the first film did. But he doesn’t want to make a sequel.

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'GTA IV,' Wii help video game sales spike

Americans spent $1.23 billion on video games, hardware and accessories in April, up 47 percent from a year earlier, even as the price of more essential items like food and gasoline soared. Nintendo Co. again took the crown in hardware sales, with its Wii console selling more units than Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 combined, according to data from market researcher NPD Group, released late Thursday.

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Eddie Izzard sums up world history in laughter

Review: Against a backdrop that looks like an ancient Egyptian tomb replete with hieroglyphics, Izzard announces in his charming accent: "I thought tonight I'd talk about everything that's ever happened in the world." And in the nearly two-hour show, he does just that.

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On the street where they live: 'Avenue Q'

For almost 40 years, kids the world over have been spending sunny days chasing the clouds away on a street called Sesame. Eventually, those kids grew up and migrated to a decidedly less kid-friendly place called "Avenue Q," where puppets and humans alike face real-world issues like low-paying jobs, personal debt, sex and racism. Watch the video!

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Chicago rockers OK Go meet up with fans

Chicago's own treadmill-boogying band OK Go performed a different sort of exercise Friday when they stopped by the campus of Northwestern University to talk about songwriting. The Grammy-winning quartet also took questions from a surprisingly sparse but enthusiastic audience, who asked about the band's favorite tunes, the recording process and whether bad reviews affected artistry.

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Daily Bridge Clus

''I'm giving up preempts,'' Cy the Cynic told me. ''They're losers.''

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Hudson has new single, role in 'Sex and the City'

South Side native Jennifer Hudson has pursued acting and singing with equal zeal since winning an Oscar for her role in "Dreamgirls." She is working on her first solo album, due Sept. 30. Her first single, ‘‘Spotlight,’’ arrives this month. Then she appears in the big-screen debut of "Sex and the City."

Read Full Article

Michael Moore says next film is not a sequel

With his follow-up to ‘‘Fahrenheit 9/11,’’ Michael Moore wants to examine America as an empire, study its standing since the Sept. 11 attacks and present revelations to surprise audiences as much as the first film did. But he doesn’t want to make a sequel.

Read Full Article

Hudson has new single, role in 'Sex and the City'

South Side native Jennifer Hudson has pursued acting and singing with equal zeal since winning an Oscar for her role in "Dreamgirls." She is working on her first solo album, due Sept. 30. Her first single, ‘‘Spotlight,’’ arrives this month. Then she appears in the big-screen debut of "Sex and the City."

Read Full Article

CSO, Haitink revel in Carnegie's warmth

Andrew Patner: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was the talk of New York this week. First, the CSO came to Carnegie Hall for two concerts on a short tour. Then it was the subject of continued press and industry fallout over the announcement that Riccardo Muti, who had had a long relationship with the New York Philharmonic, would become the CSO's next music director in 2010-11.

Read Full Article

'GTA IV,' Wii help video game sales spike

Americans spent $1.23 billion on video games, hardware and accessories in April, up 47 percent from a year earlier, even as the price of more essential items like food and gasoline soared. Nintendo Co. again took the crown in hardware sales, with its Wii console selling more units than Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 combined, according to data from market researcher NPD Group, released late Thursday.

Read Full Article

Chicago rockers OK Go meet up with fans

Chicago's own treadmill-boogying band OK Go performed a different sort of exercise Friday when they stopped by the campus of Northwestern University to talk about songwriting. The Grammy-winning quartet also took questions from a surprisingly sparse but enthusiastic audience, who asked about the band's favorite tunes, the recording process and whether bad reviews affected artistry.

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Healthy victims can survive up to 2 weeks

How long can people survive trapped under piles of rubble? A nurse survived eight days in the wreckage of a Turkish hospital destroyed by an earthquake in 1992. A newborn was rescued after more than a week in the rubble of Mexico City's 1985 quake. In China, rescuers are still pulling out victims buried by Monday's powerful earthquake.

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No futures at Wacker

Never doubt that Chicago futures traders can be sentimental. Friday, on the last day of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange's trading floor operation on Wacker Drive, traders and exchange employees brought their own cameras to record the historic occasion. There were manful hugs as the traders in livestock and pork bellies prepared to reopen for business Monday in a new home at the Chicago Board of Trade.

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US Airways pilots union disapproves of possible United combo

If US Airways and United Airlines decide to combine, they'll bring along a number of reluctant employee groups that would rather remain separate. US Airways pilots on Friday joined a chorus of criticism about a possible tie-up. The US Airline Pilots Association said United parent UAL Corp. is financially weak, and that mixing the carriers is a bad idea. Chicago-based UAL lost $537 million in the first quarter.

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More pain at the pump: Shoe prices jump

Everyone knows gas prices are skyrocketing. But get ready for a new problem nipping at your heels: Shoe prices are going up after 10 years of declining or steady prices.

Read Full Article

Oil sets record near $128; pump price at high, too

News that Saudi Arabia had boosted its oil output by 300,000 barrels a day was greeted as a non-event on oil markets -- the move wasn't anywhere near the kind of production increase needed to bring prices down on Friday.

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Rice futures fall on improved supply outlook

Rice futures sank to a six-week low Friday, falling for a fifth day on hopes that exports from Pakistan and Japan will ease fears of a shortage of the staple consumed by half the world's population.

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Yahoo seeks to conceal parts of shareholder suit

Yahoo Inc. is seeking to conceal large portions of a shareholder lawsuit alleging the Internet company's board improperly thwarted Microsoft Corp.'s $47.5 billion takeover offer, raising shareholder questions over the motives for the secrecy.

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Surprise rebound in housing, outlook still shaky

Construction of new homes increased by the biggest percentage in more than two years in April, a rare spot of good news amid the worst downturn in housing in more than two decades.

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Scruggs ordered to turn over some records to State Farm

A federal judge has ordered attorney Richard ''Dickie'' Scruggs to turn over policyholder records to State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. within 15 days.

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AOL sheds its brand to draw specialty audiences

Unless you're looking carefully, you'll likely miss the fact that the new Asylum Web site for young men is a creation of Time Warner Inc.'s AOL. Same for WalletPop on personal finance, Spinner on indie music and StyleList on fashion.

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Bad news overshadows good

Wall Street capped a week of big gains with modest moves Friday as investors grappled with surging energy prices that overshadowed news of a surprise increase in home construction. Investors hoping for an economic rebound in the second half of the year and searching for signs that the housing market is bottoming got some relief before the market opened: the Commerce Department's report that home construction jumped 8.2 percent in April.

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Striking the right chord

Erika Gonzalez is not one to take no for an answer, especially when it comes to her children. The 25-year-old mother of three camped outside the People's Music School in Uptown for three days -- through rain and cold temperatures -- because she knows what having a music education could mean for her kids.

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'GTA IV,' Wii help video game sales spike

Americans spent $1.23 billion on video games, hardware and accessories in April, up 47 percent from a year earlier, even as the price of more essential items like food and gasoline soared. Nintendo Co. again took the crown in hardware sales, with its Wii console selling more units than Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 combined, according to data from market researcher NPD Group, released late Thursday.

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CBOT shrugs off wheat threat

Wheat has been the killjoy at the commodities party. Wheat futures at the Chicago Board of Trade are down by 40 percent since March as traders have adjusted to huge incoming supplies from an inordinate amount of planting last fall.

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Bush: Saudi oil boost doesn't solve U.S. problem

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt---- President Bush said Saturday that the Saudis' modest increase in oil production is ''something but it doesn't solve our problem'' of soaring gas prices.

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Stock spotlight

Shares of Pharmacopeia Inc. (PCOP) jumped 27 percent, a record gain, to $4.04. The biotechnology company focused on developing small-molecule treatments said its experimental blood-pressure drug worked in a study.

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Can Obama, McCain get by on $84 mil. each?

Carol Marin: Going green. It's the rage these days. Particularly for Barack Obama. Forget all the talk about white (trouble attracting certain white votes). Forget about black (winning overwhelmingly among blacks). Think green. The Obama campaign is one mean, green, cash-collecting machine. Can he give it up?

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CBOT shrugs off wheat threat

Wheat has been the killjoy at the commodities party. Wheat futures at the Chicago Board of Trade are down by 40 percent since March as traders have adjusted to huge incoming supplies from an inordinate amount of planting last fall.

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Speedy bill diagnosis

Imagine no more bills from insurance companies, hospitals and offices months after you've been to the doctor.

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Briggs' disturbing twist: Too much baby-mama drama

Jay Mariotti: Laughing in the Wrigley Field press box, thrilled that he didn't sink to Tony Romo-like horrors as a seventh-inning singer, Lance Briggs is trying to help a worthy cause on a sunny afternoon. He's hosting 10 kids from the Boys Hope, Girls Hope Center of Chicago.

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Briggs gets behind Urlacher

Bears linebacker Lance Briggs threw his support behind teammate Brian Urlacher in the latter's standoff with the team over a new contract.

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Avery Johnson no longer in Bulls' plans

The Bulls believe Avery Johnson is not interested in becoming their next head coach and the team has no plans to further pursue him. Bulls general manager John Paxson has scheduled interviews next week with coaches currently on the staffs of playoff teams, including Utah Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin.

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Pax asks to interview Corbin

The Bulls have asked the Utah Jazz for permission to interview assistant coach Tyrone Corbin for their vacant head-coaching position, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

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Red-hot Soriano homers twice, Cubs fall to Pirates

Nate McLouth hit a tie-breaking two-run homer off Carlos Marmol (1-1) in the ninth to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-6 victory over the Cubs on Saturday even though Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs for the second straight day.

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Pitching plus power = W

As well as the Cubs' offense is performing -- from leadoff man Alfonso Soriano's extraordinary week to rookie catcher Geovany Soto's matching power display -- manager Lou Piniella might be happiest about what he saw Friday from a rookie starting pitcher.

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Pitchers' at-bats worth scouting

The Cubs' pitching staff is among the best in the National League not only on the mound, but also at the plate. It signifies a trend manager Lou Piniella has sensed is true throughout the league -- so much so that he has asked the team's advance scouts to start tracking the hitting tendencies of opposing pitchers.

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Cubs recap

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Ramirez's first career homer lifts White Sox

Ozzie Guillen explained to rookie Alexei Ramirez his transition from Cuban baseball to the big leagues could take time and the challenges would be great. Filling in for injured second baseman Juan Uribe, Ramirez provided the hit of the game.

Read Full Article

Crede: California dreamin'

Between hugs with best friend Aaron Rowand, getting a good look at scenic AT&T Park and hearing how the San Francisco Giants have a direction -- as confusing as it may seem right now -- in again becoming a winner, White Sox third baseman Joe Crede could see himself playing the hot corner there next season.

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Wilder, scouts axed after probe

SAN FRANCISCO -- The White Sox announced before Friday's game with the San Francisco Giants that they have fired three members of their Latin American scouting staff, including David Wilder, senior director of player personnel.

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Sox recap

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