Cub Tracks’ the Man, the Myth, the Meat Loaf

CUBS WIN!

Previously, Cub Tracks licked the competition, providing several tasty treats from yesteryear in addition to things about taunting with Twinkies, having no magic potions, and the existence of a sixth sense of taste.

Yesterday, the Cubs Schwarbombed the competition, making Cardinal Pie meatloaf out of their opponents, the St. Louis Cardinals, winning the second game of the series, and generally delivering the good-time feels we all know and love. One of those a day oughta keep Kyle Schwarber in the Majors.

The Cubs and Cardinals play again tonight in a nationally-televised contest (ESPN). I can’t wait to hear what David Ross has to say about it. Aaron Boone said nice things to Madeline Kenney.

Are you excited that Bryce Harper told Peter Gammons that he would like to be a Cub? Me neither. “I have people tell me that Bryce Harper really would prefer to play for the Cubs, but somehow, I don’t think that it’s going to be affordable to have Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant on the same team,” Gammons said. Patrick Reddington of Federal Baseball has some thoughts about that. It’s so not a thing.

I’m happy for the future Mrs. Rizzo — I’m sure you are too. Any time is a good time to be young and rich. She can buy another cake.

Jorge Soler got sent down.

Let’s see what else is going on this weekend in Cubs baseball. As always * means autoplay on™ (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

Today in Baseball History:

• 1911 - In a 26-3 win over the Braves at the Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati, thirteen Reds players cross home plate. It is the highest number of different players from one team to score in a single game in major league history.

• 1953 - Pittsburgh trades outfielder Ralph Kiner, catcher Joe Garagiola, Sr., pitcher Howie Pollet, and outfielder Catfish Metkovich to the Cubs for catcher Toby Atwell, pitcher Bob Schultz, first baseman Preston Ward, third baseman George Freese, outfielder Bob Addis, outfielder Gene Hermanski, and 150,000.
• 1964 - At Connie Mack Stadium, Sandy Koufax throws his third no-hitter in three years, blanking the Phillies 3-0. The Dodgers' southpaw, who will add a perfect game to his resume the following season, joins Bob Feller as the only modern major leaguers to pitch three career hitless games.
• 1967 - At Busch Stadium, Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood's errorless streak of 227 games and 568 chances ends when he drops Rich Nye's fifth-inning fly ball. The muff leads to an unearned run, but St. Louis still beats Chicago, 4-3.
• 1972 - The Dodgers retire Roy Campanella's uniform, number 39. Campy, who won the MVP three times catching for Brooklyn in the fifties, joins Jackie Robinson (42) and Sandy Koufax (32) as honorees.
• 1996 - Jacksonville Suns' (Tigers - AA) reliever Pamela Davis throws one scoreless inning of relief and gets the win in a minor league exhibition game against the Australian Olympic team, becoming the first woman to pitch for a major league farm club.
• 2003 - Although his bat may have contained cork in yesterday's game, all five of Sammy Sosa's historic bats housed at the Hall of Fame and the 76 confiscated from his locker by major league baseball reveal no signs of tampering. X-rays and CT scans were used to clear the Cubs slugger's remaining lumber.

Cubs News and Notes:

"I didn't like it [with him] seventh at all," Maddon said before Saturday's game.

"I'm like, 'Hey, at least I'm playing,'" Schwarber said, laughing. "No, actually, I didn't say anything. He told me his reason and I was like, 'All right, I'm going with it.' Whatever the skipper does I'm following it. He's got our back. It's all a process, and it worked out today." — Carrie Muskat

• Ally Marotti (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Toilets, chocolate and lighting: Cubs' official partners get nontraditional. “Let's not forget the team's "Official Water Efficiency Partner.”
• Mary Craig (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Navigating 53 years of darkness at Wrigley Field. “...baseball was meant to be played in the daytime.”

• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com): Viral video fan gets Wrigley VIP treatment. Kolt Kyler had a memorable day.
• Bruce Levine (CBS Chicago*): Kyle Schwarber’s Grand Slam lifts Cubs to come-from-behind win. “It was obviously nice to come up in that spot and help out,” Schwarber said.
• Henry Druschel (Beyond the Box Score): Jon Lester picked a runner off first base. I saw it, too. Plus he picked up a ground ball and underhanded it to Anthony Rizzo. Wait, what’s going on here?
• Tom Musick (Chicago Sun-Times*): Pickoff could pay big dividends for Jon Lester. It puts discouraging thoughts in baserunners’ heads.
• Bruce Miles (Daily Herald {$}): Cubs’ leadoff spot still a work in progress. "I'm trying to read into everything going on with the tea leaves," Maddon said.
• Paul Skrbina (Chicago Tribune* {$}): 'Maybe mode' at plate means extra rest for Addison Russell. "It's not a day off," Maddon said. “...I don't want him to get too many at-bats when ... struggling."
• Scott Spratt (ESPN Insider {$}): Ranking baseball's best defensive outfielders. Number nine, number nine...
• Craig Edwards (Fangraphs): Kyle Schwarber is not bad at baseball. “Schwarber has actually made more contact this season. He’s just done less with it, which somewhat limits his production.”
• Russell Dorsey (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Mind over matter: How Jason Heyward got back to his old self. “...That’s why this is a humbling game. You always take failure and learn from it,” Heyward said.
• ESPN: Fergie Jenkins talks to Dave Kaplan [AUDIO].

sarcasm quote dept:

“It's a few days into June and the Cubs have not yet repeated as World Series champs.

Once again, Theo Epstein has failed Cubs fans.” — Barry Rozner

• Chris Emma (CBS Chicago*): Dexter Fowler will be forever cherished as a champion. “We accomplished something that hadn’t been done in a lifetime,” Fowler said.

“Things are not always going to be perfect. It is all about how you respond.” -- Anthony Rizzo, to Bruce Miles.

• Ashok Selvam (Chicago Eater): Cubs unveil Iron Chef Stephanie Izard’s Wrigley Field Menu. Len and JD were talking about this stuff Saturday. It’s available til the 11th.

Food for thought:

• Sara Fecht (Popular Science): Mars was probably habitable for longer than we thought. “...the red planet had the physical, chemical, and energetic ingredients to support life between 3.8 and 3.1 billion years ago.”
• Sara G. Miller (Live Science): When you eat can 'Reset' your biological clock. "The way the body processes a meal varies over the day," said Jonathon Johnson.
• Jesse Singal (New York magazine): How the Self-Esteem Craze took over America. “...the real point of the message was you’re not okay, you’re all broken inside and need to be fixed...”

I’m not okay, you’re not okay, okay? Thanks for reading. See you Tuesday with more Cubs news and notes.