Cub Tracks digests the news

Cubs Win!

The frog was in Tuesday and had another Old Style. I think I’ll join him and drink to a Cubs victory and first place. This article is a little short as I moved the last box into my new apartment at 10 p.m. and my body wants to bathe in Icy Hot, but I don’t guess most of you will miss my thoughts anyway. I’ll never neglect the links. I still wish somebody could explain why the Tribune crashes MLB.TV on my PS3 stream. As always * means autoplay on™ (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

Cubs news and notes:

This doesn’t mean that the Mets want to deal Lugo. Just that people are interested in acquiring him. Buster Olney (Insider-$) wants Justin Verlander in Chicago, Dan Szymborski (Insider-$) wants AJ Ramos in a deadline deal. The rumor mill says Rene Rivera. Grant Brisbee writes about Lugo, too.

"He's full of sh*t, and you can print that," Harrelson told the Tribune's Colleen Kane. "He's full of it. He always has been."

• Barry Rozner (Daily Herald {$}): Will Chicago Cubs make another move as trade deadline approaches? “...much has changed since the all-star break.”
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Jake Arrieta is proving Cubs have enough in their rotation to win. “Another quality start...further cements the notion that his team isn’t in any desperate need of a trade-deadline hurler to complete its rotation.”

• Brendan Miller (Cubs Insider): Jake Arrieta’s using his sinker at (maybe) unsustainably high rates. It’s working, so far.
• Patrick Mooney (CSN Chicago*): What happened between John Lackey and Anthony Rizzo in Cubs dugout? 'None of your business'. “Just two men talking,” Lackey said.
• CSN Chicago: Hawk Harrelson goes off on Lackey [VIDEO].
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): The myth of Lackey’s improved performance. “He might not be as bad he looked earlier in the season, but he’s not as good as some of the recent results are making him seem.”
• Zack Moser (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Justin Grimm’s decline. “... this year he’s striking out fewer hitters, walking more, and giving up a lot more home runs.”
• Jessica Kleinschmidt, Carrie Muskat (Cut Four): Willson Contreras one young Cubs fan a birthday surprise he will never forget. Daniel Rodriguez connected with Contreras after the two met during a hospital visit Contreras made.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Victor Caratini makes most of rare start as Cubs pursue backup catcher. “Unfortunately for Caratini, there is no shortage of available backup catchers.”

• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com): Cubs give Javier Baez breather after 5-K game. “Joe Maddon had planned on giving the infielder a day off. It might be good timing.”
• Tony Andracki (CSN Chicago*): Cubs can live with Javier Baez being out of control. "In spite of the John Daly hack on occasion, you look at his two-strike numbers, they're outstanding,” Maddon said.
• Tony Andracki (CSN Chicago*): How Addison Russell saved the Cubs' season...for now. "That first night still, giving up that lead and then that home run by Addy (in Baltimore), that was a real seminal moment potentially for the entire season," Maddon said.
• Randy Holt (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Kyle Schwarber’s battle with BABIP. “Schwarber is not as bad as the bulk of his numbers this season would seem to indicate.”
• Bradford Doolittle (ESPN): A Cubs-White Sox World Series could come sooner than you think. “If the White Sox can rebuild as quickly as the Cubs did, we could see an all-Chicago World Series as soon as 2020 or 2021.”

"The ordinance governing evening activities inside Wrigley Field was negotiated by the Cubs, the community, myself and the mayor's office and has another seven years before it expires," Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) said. "The Cubs have chosen to schedule concerts instead of night games."

“You operate a baseball field in the middle of a neighborhood,” Emanuel said. “But I ask of you to be a good neighbor in Wrigleyville. And more night games is not a good neighbor attitude.”

per DNAinfo.

Food for thought:

• Mitch Leslie (Science): The breakdown of this brain region may accelerate aging. All about the hypothalamus.
• Jason Bittel (The Washington Post {$}): This $10 sex toy is helping scientists study turtles. “...the mockery machine is starting to churn.”
• Mary Beth Griggs (Popular Science): NASA needs your help during the August eclipse. “By observing changes in cloud cover and/or taking temperature measurements and uploading the data to GLOBE via their app, you can help NASA researchers determine exactly how cool this spectacle really is.”

I still have SETI@Home on my pc. Might give the above a whirl. Thanks for reading. Cub Tracks will return, unpacked, Sunday.