The Chicago White Sox have welcomed back a former groundskeeper who spent 23 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that DNA evidence led prosecutors last year to vacate the conviction of 49-year-old Nevest Coleman. He'd been convicted in a 1994 rape and murder.
The body of a 20-year-old woman was found in the basement of a home on Chicago's South Side where Coleman lived. Coleman had initially confessed but later recanted the confession.
He was released from prison in November, after DNA tests linked the crime to a serial rapist. A Cook County judge granted him a certificate of innocence this month, which eliminates the rape and murder charges from his record.
Coleman's friends and family reached out to the White Sox after his release. Coleman had frequently talked about his desire to return to work once he was released.
"His first wish, before he wished for a hamburger, was to work for the White Sox," said Coleman's cousin, Richard Coleman. "That's exactly what I told them."
The team offered him a job interview and then welcomed him back.
Coleman returned to the baseball field Monday. He began his first shift by reuniting with his old work friends. He then donned a yellow rubber suit, gloves and goggles before taking a power washer to clean the ground.
The team said its grateful "justice has been carried out" and thrilled to welcome Coleman "back to the White Sox family."
Cap not so bad
Sid Hartman of the Star-Tribune in Minneapolis believes the Minnesota Vikings invested wisely in signing quarterback Kirk Cousins.
"For all the talk of the Vikings giving Kirk Cousins a three-year guaranteed $84 million contract, with $24 million for 2018, it's worth noting that the Vikings will be spending only $4 million more on quarterbacks in 2018 than in 2017.
"That total doesn't include a potential $2 million bonus he could earn if the Vikings reach the Super Bowl.
"The cap hit for the quarterback position will land somewhere around $26.5 million between Cousins, newly traded backup Trevor Siemian and third stringer Kyle Sloter.
"In 2017, the Vikings entered the season with $22.5 million in payroll at the quarterback position with $18 million for Sam Bradford, $2.2 million for Teddy Bridgewater, $1.9 million for Case Keenum and $438,000 for Sloter.
"That means that for the Vikings to secure Cousins, who they believe can become a foundational quarterback, their cap hit will be just $4 million more for quarterbacks in 2018.
"General Manager Rick Spielman said that the Vikings knew they had great options at quarterback, and great cap flexibility, which allowed them to chase the player they wanted."
Surprise firing
John Farrell was suprised to be fired by the Boston Red Sox in October after leading the team to the American League East title.
Farrell, who is now at ESPN as a baseball analyst, was among three managers who got fired after making the playoffs -- Joe Girardi of the New York Yankees and Dusty Baker of the Washington Nationals also were let go.
"This has been a unique offseason in many ways, whether it's been managerial changes, the free agency situation, and we find ourselves still on the outside looking in," Farrell said during a conference call. "If you finished in first place last year, you were twice as likely as to be fired as if you finished in last place. So from that perspective, yeah, a little bit surprised a change was made."
Sports on 03/27/2018