Cub Tracks occupies a shady spot

Well, the Cubs still don’t have a manager and the stinkin’ Cardinals played last night and I’m not into hate-watching. Call me crazy if you like. I’ll watch if I see that the score is 15-1 Nationals or something like that, just to dig the schaedenfreude but otherwise nah. I just can’t bring myself to care, let alone change the channel to the one the game is on. I thought about it and maybe my fingers twitched or something, and Moe slapped me.

He really likes the Talking Kitty Cat videos. Sylvester is the best.

Here’s today’s Cubs News and Notes. As always, * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used here as sarcasm font.

2011 - The Chicago Cubs agree on a five-year contract with Theo Epstein to be their new team President. Epstein built the Boston Red Sox team that won two World Series in 2004 and 2007, but was shaken by the team’s brutal September collapse this season, following manager Terry Francona’s departure by a few days. The deal won’t be made official for another two weeks, and Boston and Chicago will need to agree on compensation as Epstein still has a year to go on his contract.

2015 - The Cubs hit six homers in defeating the Cardinals, 8-6, in Game 3 of the other NLDS. The hitters are Kyle Schwarber, Starlin Castro, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler and Dexter Fowler. Jake Arrieta is not his usually dominant self, but still strikes out nine in 5⅔ innings to earn the win over Michael Wacha, who gives up three of the long balls.

• David Baumgarten (The Atlantic* {$}): Joe Maddon was doomed by his own success. “... once Maddon showed the Cubs what it felt like to shed their “lovable losers” label, they were loath to relapse.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Will one of these four be next Cubs manager? “Interview process begins with Ross, Loretta, Venable, Girardi.” Gordon Wittenmyer addresses this. Brendan Miller reads between the lines. Mark Gonzales reconsiders. Paul Sullivan holds up his end.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): If David Ross is the next Cubs manager, he won’t just be extending the Joe Maddon era. “Ross played along with the Grandpa Rossy stuff, sharing his insights and sense of humor with the media surrounding his locker, but that didn’t stop him from screaming at teammates in the dugout.”
• Phil Rogers (Forbes*): Cubs’ list of roster headaches includes a projected $22 million in raises for arbitration-eligible players. “... it would give the Cubs a total of $187.35 million already on the books for next season for only 18 players.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Jose Quintana’s option and the Cubs 2020 rotation. “... the peripheral numbers show he was a victim of some bad luck in 2019.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): As he hits free agency, Brandon Kintzler proved his value to Cubs in 2019. “It’s just crazy how baseball is, as far as having a bounce back year after getting traded here,” he said.
• Sean Holland (Cubs Insider*): Nico Hoerner demonstrated elite bat-to-ball skills in first crack at MLB level. “Hoerner doesn’t just strike out less than the average hitter, he also makes a lot more overall contact.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$): Is Javier Baez too valuable to trade? 3 questions about the Cubs shortstop heading into 2020. “... the return would have to be greater than the loss of Baez for two seasons before he’s eligible for free agency.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Kris Bryant reflects on comeback, aims to get better. “... there’s always going to be things that I want to do better. That’s how I’m always going to answer that question, whether it’s an MVP year or the worst year in my career. I’m always going to say I want to be better until I’m done playing this game.” Mark Gonzales adds on.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$): Will Kyle Schwarber be with the Cubs long term? “I’m a pretty simple human,” Schwarber said. Gonzales considers Kris Bryant as part of this series.
• Cubs birthdays: Malachi Kittridge, Dick Cotter, Walter Signer, Lou Novikoff, Glenn Beckert, Jorge Pedre, Derrick White, Tanyon Sturtze, Casey McGehee. Also notable: Rick Ferrell (HoF), Joe Cronin (HoF).

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.