Cub Tracks Takes The El

Here in the Cell, we lost game one of the 2016 Crosstown Classic. Now, going into game #2 , two things are important. Well, three, ok, four...

1. The World Series
   
2. What's for dinner
3. Aroldis Chapman brings his fastball to Chicago, arriving today
4. We are playing a 4-game series with the White Sox

The Cubs and Chapman have released tweets related to his trajectory, which are referenced in several of the articles below. The White Sox have perhaps become more pitiable than despicable, cut-ups rather than mustache-twirling villains, except on game days or when they're named Melky Cabrera and they brung their glove. We should beat them handily, but that doesn't always happen. We've all seen this train go sideways before.

"I almost don't blame Chris Sale. Those uniforms should have come with Bermuda shorts and a beer." -- probably not Raoul Duke

Indeed. Here's a little infotainment for your Tuesday. As always * means autoplay on (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

Aroldis Chapman car:

• ESPN*: Cubs acquire star closer Aroldis Chapman in trade with Yankees.
• Eric Stephen (SBNation): Yankees trade Aroldis Chapman to Cubs for 4 players. Good summary of events.
• Phil Rogers (MLB.com): Epstein's bold move for Aroldis not surprising. Well, no. It's been bruited about for weeks.
• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com): Cubs acquire Aroldis Chapman from Yankees in blockbuster. Not in the defunct video store, which would have been capitalized, but in trade.
  
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times): Tom Ricketts spoke with Chapman about domestic abuse, approved trade. All a-Twitter about the trade.
  
• Joel Sherman (New York Post): Why Yankees pounced on this Aroldis Chapman trade. "They received an offer they could not refuse. So they didn’t." Also, Theo Epstein boldly accepts his Cubs moment of truth.
  
• Brendan Kuty (NJ.com): Yankees trade Aroldis Chapman to Cubs: What it means. The Yankees-centric view.
  
• Andrew Mearns (Pinstripe Alley): Yankees trade Aroldis Chapman to Cubs for Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren, and two prospects. More from the other side.
• Michael Bauman (The Ringer): The Cubs' trade for Aroldis Chapman trade should make you uncomfortable. Much is made of moral issues. The trade is also discussed.
• David Schoenfield (ESPN*): Addition of Aroldis Chapman makes Cubs the team to beat in National League. The Cubs were already that. Adding Chapman just helps.
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Cubs fill lone weakness -- at steep price -- in acquiring Aroldis Chapman. "Championships take bold moves, and the Cubs just made theirs," says Rogers.
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): What not to say when discussing Aroldis Chapman. Altman entertains a few thoughts.
• Adam Nissen (Sports Mockery): Three things nobody has told you about Aroldis Chapman. Nissen throws a couple of change-ups.
• Sean Sears (Sports Mockery): Theo Epstein gives clear message with Chapman trade: Win The Whole F*ckin Thing. "Sends" might have been a better word, but yes. Why not the best-case scenario?

Alternate tracks:

• ESPN*: Week 16 Power Rankings: Cubs back on top. Let's hope it stays that way.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times): Joe Maddon: When rumor angst rises it can 'cut at the fabric' of a team. Maddon remembers David Price's issues.
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider): How does Cubs system look with Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford gone? There’s a huge gap in talent after the top ten prospects.
  
• Grey Papke (Larry Brown Sports): Joe Maddon wastes no time cracking Chris Sale joke. More cutting remarks.
• Matt Petit (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Grounded: A look at Jason Heyward's disappointing 2016 at the plate. Well-charted course in non-optimal swings.
• Austin Shone (isportsweb): Anthony Rizzo is the heart and soul of the Chicago Cubs. Yes. Yes, he is.
• Jordan Bernfield (Daily Herald): Schwarber-Miller trade just wouldn't add up. That turns out to be a good summary of events.
• Nick Schwartz (Fox Sports): Cubs fan proposes during game at Miller Park. Awwwww *snif* she said yes.
• Larry Scott (Today's Knuckleball): Far too early to consider Jason Heyward signing a bust. Cubs can ride his defense until he remembers how to hit.
  
• Josh Terry (Chicago Tribune): How to be a Cubs fan without being a jerk about it. I like the part about hating the Cardinals.
• Chris Sosa (Chicago Tribune): How to be a White Sox fan without being a jerk about it. I like the part about there being room to express one's displeasure.
• Tim Huwe (The Zygote 59): Gleyber Torres is/was not blocked. Largely untried at other positions, young enough to learn them.
• George Castle (Chicago Baseball Museum): Gentleman Jim Hickman portrait. Nice time capsule about Hickman's low-key demeanor.

Food for thought:

• Robert F. Service (Science): Our last universal common ancestor inhaled hydrogen from underwater volcanoes. Hydro-huffer LUCA lived on the first floor of evolution. He was weird and went prokaryote.
  
• Eric Mack (CNet*): Science worries binge-watching could be killing you. "...the odds that a blood clot from your leg or somewhere else breaks free and then gets re-stuck in your lungs one day seem to go up the more TV you watch each day." I do binge-reading. Not sure it's healthier.
  
• (Astronomy): Here are NASA's near-future plans for our solar system. Some of them are roadmarks toward becoming a Type 1 civilization. Some of them are looking for life, or metals, or water.
  

Fear the beered. Let's win game two.