Cub Tracks Appeals To A Higher Authority

We need our own dark magic. Danged Cardinals.

Why choose the lesser of two evils? Cthulhu for head of the Umpires' Union.
How does WAR work in non-Euclidean math? Would that affect the Pythagorean projections?

Was it Boston Theo and Co. fled? Or was it Innsmouth? What part of fhtagn do you not understand?

* autoplay warning.

Answering the Call.

• Jesse Rogers (ESPN): Joe Maddon confused by out-of-base call on Javier Baez. Asked what kind of explanation he received from Dana DeMuth, Maddon didn’t hesitate. "A bad one," he said.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): About that bad call on Javier Baez. "Baez pretty clearly should not have been called out." Agreed.
• Austin Shone (Isportsweb): Ben Zobrist making big impact for Cubs. "On a Chicago Cubs team stacked with so much talent, Ben Zobrist is a clubhouse leader with a sweet swing and World Series experience."
• Liam McGuire (the Comeback): Joe Maddon wants to take 'Try Not To Suck' nationwide. When you bad...
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider): Trade fever: What the Cubs might have to give up to acquire various players. "You want that ring, you have to pay the price and give up the players to get it."
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery): Joe Maddon explains questionable roster move. "The organization simply doesn’t want to rush Contreras up if they have other options available."
• Tommy Birch (The Des Moines Register): Shane Victorino's tenure with the Iowa Cubs comes to a close. Veteran released by the Cubs.

A mountain walked.

• Patrick Mooney: (CSN Chicago*): What Kris Bryant's versatility means for the Cubs. "...everyone assumed he would inevitably become one of the best players in the game." It's happening.
• CBS Chicago: Jon Lester is quite generous in his giving to John Lackey. Mmm. That's a mouthful. It is reported that Lester and Lackey have the same size feet.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times): Why-do-everything Bryant is Cubs' MVP at quarter mark of season. "Bryant’s skill in the outfield – and willingness to move around – has made an impact for the first-place Cubs."
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Say, is Anthony Rizzo's slump even a slump? "...I’m not entirely convinced that this "slump," is anything more than just a flukey, luckless week."
• Luis Medina (Bleacher Nation): Strike zone changes are coming and they could affect the Cubs. Changes in the rules could be implemented as soon as 2017.
• David Haugh (Chicago Tribune): Cubs' slump reinforces need for Theo Epstein to 'October-proof' the offense. "This is all part of embracing the target."
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN): No panic, only small frustration as Cubs drop another series. "Throughout the season you’re going to see that time from time," Addison Russell said after the game. "The best thing we can do is keep our confidence high and go get them next time."
• Danny Ecker (Crain's Chicago Business): Selling stuff outside Wrigley? Court says no -- even to the Cubs. The sidewalks next to Wrigley Field are about to get a little less crowded thanks to a decision by a federal appeals court on peddlers outside the stadium.

The Colour Man Out Of Space.

• John Arguello (Cubs Den): Being a good team doesn't mean being good for every stretch of a 162-game season. Over the past few years, it seems some Cubs fans have gone from having no expectations to completely unrealistic expectations.
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN Chicago): Slumping Cubs need to find ways to grind out wins against St. Louis. And everyone else right now. That's what slumping is. "I’ll so take that. It’s only acceptable because you got off to a good start," says Joe Maddon.
• Stephen Cohn (isportsweb): Chicago Cubs: How worried should fans be? Not at all worried. Shut the window. The ledge is not calling.
• (AP): Mike Matheny on Cubs' series: It will be fun playing them. "There seems to be an extra little edge buzzing through the stadium when the Cubs come into town," Matheny said.
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): My simple plan to fix baseball's 'millenial problem'. "MLB needs to keep pushing to get the names and faces of more than just Harper and Trout into the eyes, ears, and hearts of younger fans."
• Isaac Bennett (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Albert Almora, Jr.: Captain of the next wave. He's getting closer to his home.
• Tank McNamara looks at Wrigleyville.

Food for thought:

• Emily Conover (Science News): The center of the earth is younger than its outer surface. Time is slower at planet’s core.
  
• Kacey Deamer (LiveScience): Ugliest to most rock n'n roll: Top newfound species of 2016 named.
  
• Patrick Monahan (Science): World octopus and squid species are booming. Scientists have noticed a growth in cephalopod catches around the world since the late 1990s.

  (c) 2016 Luis Duarte

ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu  R'lyeh wgah'nagl World Series fhtagn

"In his house at R'Lyeh, Cthulhu lies World Series Dreaming."

Go get 'em, boys.