Cub Tracks keeps the home fires burning

It’s an even 100° F as I write this, and that reminds me that the Chicago White Stockings began a three-year absence from the National Association on this date in 1871. Mrs O’Leary declined to be interviewed, but Michael Ahearn was not cowed and ran the story. In 1908, the Cubs won the pennant behind Three-Finger Brown, and in 2016, Travis Wood went deep.

These and other burning questions remain as the Cubs’ conflagration is kindling: Who will emerge to fill one of the seven current manager spots (the fate of Gabe Kapler isn’t decided yet)? Which players go where? Who’s zoomin’ who? And what about that baseball? What’s a net worth? Was Craig Kimbrel’s inability to get major-league hitters out due to injury? Or was it lack of spring training? Or both?

Cole Hamels, Gerrit Cole, or none of the above? Did the Braves do us all a favor and turn the Cardinals’ season to ash?

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.

• NBC Sports Chicago*: Cubs free agency 2019-2020 [VIDEOS].
• RJ Anderson (CBS Sports*): Angels interviewing ex-Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who reportedly is the favorite among candidates for the job. “Maddon seems likely to rejoin the Angels, with whom he spent decades as a player and coach.” Just an apostrophe away from Punky Meadows. CBS manager tracker. Cassidy Thornburg (NBC Sports Chicago*) adds on.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Who will be the Chicago Cubs’ next manager? Probably not. Who’s on first. But there are other candidates.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): As the Cubs look to get younger in the rotation, Hamels will make his pitch as a free agent. “The Cubs played too tight on the field and acted too loose in the clubhouse.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Kimbrel planning to use new data to improve over the winter. “Kimbrel’s inability to keep the ball in the yard cost his team games and weakened the shaky bullpen his mid-season addition was supposed to solidify.”
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider*): Dakota Mekkes decision early barometer for Cubs’ new developmental strategy. “If they don’t protect Mekkes, someone else is going to put him on their big-league roster.”
• David Woods (Indianapolis Star* {$}): Kyle Schwarber’s slugging season for Cubs was best by a Hoosier since Kluszewski. “ He was seventh in the National League in homers, 18th in RBI and 15th in slugging percentage (.531). His OPS (on-base plus slugging) was .871.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): With Cubs at a crossroads, Ian Happ looms as an intriguing piece this winter. “Do you trade the 25-year-old switch-hitter who can play six defensive positions, has four years of team control left and loads of potential?”
• Mohammad Samra (The Torch): Five things the Chicago Cubs should do to stay relevant. “5.) Trade Kris Bryant.”
• Cubs birthdays: George Metkovich, Rick Stelmaszek, Mike Morgan, Sandy Martinez,

Food for thought:

Stay hydrated, my friends. Thanks for reading.