Cub Tracks Dispenses Wisdom

In our Xmas Edition, we denied the Sanity Clause, rediscovered some of what makes baseball fun, provided an example of how the Cubs are always working on this or that, and closed with the world’s tiniest radio receiver. Today we’re going to bug you about some other stuff.

Cub Tracks hopes you and yours continue to enjoy health and prosperity this holiday season. If you lack these things, it is said that strong drink can remedy that lack, at least on a temporary basis. I recommend Cubbie Blue Kool-Aid, a libation I invented. The formerly-secret recipe mixes two ounces chilled vodka, one ounce blue Curacao, a dash of lime juice, a teaspoon of sugar (or your preferred substitute), and serves it all over ice, garnished with blueberries. The Cubbie Azul version subs tequila. It looks like the picture if you have a glass like that. Please enjoy in moderation.

Here are all of the Cubs’ home runs from last year, including the postseason. It takes about an hour to watch. We’ll wait. Oh... make it easier, you say... your wish is my command. That should keep ya for a little bit and allow Google’s bots to gather significant data. Advertisers will be pleased to have more specific targeting information, and the re-greased wheels of progress will continue to turn.

Thank you in advance for doing your part. You CAN catch more flies with money, honey.

That was fun. Let’s move on, shall we? Or you can watch it again...

Today in Baseball History:

• 1906 - NL umpire and future HOF'er Hank O'Day suggested that the batter's box be outlined with white rubber strips rather than chalk, making it impossible for hitters to erase the lines.
• 1919 - Although it will not be officially announced until January, the Yankees buy Babe Ruth from financially pressed Harry Frazee, paying $100,000 (one-fourth cash, plus $25,000 a year at 6 percent) plus guaranteeing a $300,000 loan with Fenway Park as collateral.
• 1934 - Matsutaro Shoriki, head of Yomiuri Newspapers, announces the official formation of Japan's first professional team, the Tokyo-based Yomiuri Giants. The team is made up of players signed to compete against the American all-star team. Professional league play, with six teams, does not begin until 1936.
• 1990 - The Senior Professional Baseball Association folds in the middle of its second season when the Fort Myers Sun Sox franchise collapses due to a financial dispute among club owners.
• 1995 - The Associated Press selected Cal Ripken, Jr. as the top sports story of the year, followed by the death of Mickey Mantle.

I love that stuff. I didn’t know there was a Senior Professional Baseball Association. Did you? Fenway Park as collateral? That’s Wile E. Coyote-level genius, that is. The last one is relevant to today’s news, because The Cubs’ World Series title run was voted as the top story THIS YEAR. Michael Cerami would seem to agree. There are many other examples — I’m guessing most of them copied it off the AP, where it debuted Christmas night. Hivemind, amirite?

Below are a few more items designed to fill your Cubs infotainment needs. As always * means autoplay on (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

• Jay Jaffe (Sports Illustrated): JAWS and the 2017 Hall of Fame ballot: Sammy Sosa. “Despite his 609 career home runs and his starring role in the 1998 home run chase, Sammy Sosa's PED-tainted past and poor advanced numbers have led to little to no support on the Hall of Fame ballot. Will that change this year?”
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN): Wade Davis Q&A: Thoughts on coming to the Cubs and more. “I’m not against Ninja turtles. I kind of like them.”
• Michael Sneed (Chicago Sun-Times): Another miracle for Cubs fan who lost ring. Tommy Poreda got his wedding ring back. The Cubs ticket czar, Brian Garza, made it happen.
• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com): How will Cubs restock rotation depth? Checking the inbox.
• Michael Cerami (Baseball Is Fun): High-Fiving fans mid-play was just one of the many reasons we let Manny be Manny. “...that rare combination of fun and talent may have never burned as brightly as it did with Manny Ramirez.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Remember when Javier Baez was a magical ninja on the basepaths? Repeatedly? Whole lotta glove, too.
• Kerry Lester (Daily Herald): Former Cubs pitcher says IHSA pitch count only part of equation. Dave Otto says “it's only part of the equation to give young arms the necessary rest to prevent injuries.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): The Cubs have achieved the ultimate goal, now comes the hard part. Staying power.
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider): Draft Profile # 2: Tall tales of a pair of high-upside high school arms. Sit right back and Johnson will spin a yarn about two kids that might be worth looking at down the road a piece.
• CSN Chicago*: Jed Hoyer, Joe Maddon, and David Ross on Lester’s Game Seven appearance [VIDEO]. Joe Maddon on Jake Arrieta’s Game Two [VIDEO]. CSN has a lot more video of this type.
• Ryan Davis (Cheat Sheet): Starting lineup for the National League All Under-25 Team. Corey Seager beats Addison Russell. Nobody beats Kris Bryant. Willson Contreras figures prominently.
• Chuck Goudie (ABC-TV): Cook County police official tried to get into World Series with credentials. Deputy Chief Mike Anton allegedly tried to get a teenage relative into the park.
• Mark Whicker (LA Daily News): Mike Montgomery brought victory to Chicago Cubs and a raft of emotions. Awkward. I didn’t know that there was literally a raft of emotions, or that it could win things. The article is better than the title, though.
• John Viril (Fansided*): Royals Rumors: Could another deal with Chicago Cubs be brewing? “...both front offices will have to work through a lot of issues.”

Food for thought:

• Bethy Squires (Broadly): How storytelling changes the way you think about science. Or anything else, really. The idea can be extended or extrapolated in many different directions. Spin is in. Change the wrapper, change the perception, Richard Bachman.
• Avaneesh Pandi (Yahoo News): Scientists create Wolverine-inspired self-healing material. Developed in part by the University of California at Riverside, the material is reputed to be low-cost and easy to produce.
• Elizabeth Pennisi (Science): Radar spots trillions of unseen insects migrating above us. THEM. TRILLIONS OF THEM. THINK ABOUT IT, JOBA CHAMBERLAIN. YOU TOO, CARLOS CARRASCO.

Keep your nose to the grindstone and your shoulder to the wheel. We’ll see you Thursday with more idle speculation, soft news, and hardball.