Cub Tracks sleighs me

Relevant to continuing discussion: A brief history of labor relations in baseball, from Cot’s. 1968-2021 inclusive. I don’t think we need to concern ourselves much with previous years unless something comes up. If you really want to get serious, Cornell has most pro sports.

Baseball’s numbers game threatens to strangle the sport, say Kelly Candaele and Peter Dreier. That article is particularly instructive in view of comments by such luminaries as Jon Lester, who cares not for data, and is indicative of the undercurrent of dissension that has been surfacing more and more as 2021 draws nearer.

The MLB labor board is stocked with people who have labor relations as a career specialty (Rob Manfred is one of these), and the players have distressingly few — otherwise Marvin Miller would have been a Hall-of-Famer long ago. Bud Selig helped write this. Yes, Al. It’s a bad sign. Selig teaches a class on the history of MLB since WWII.

I harbor grave doubts about Tony Clark’s abilities as a representative and labor negotiator and am bearish on the players’ chances of achieving any significant concessions, especially as the membership themselves seem to be torn about what they want, and I am beginning to suspect that the game I love is slowly being swept out to sea as surely as Shannon, and that the outcomes are manipulated as surely as WWE matches, if the WWE were run by Bene Gesserit.

Kris Bryant is the Cubs’ player rep.

Sorry about the homework, Termell Sledge. 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.

• Daniel R Epstein (Beyond the Box Score): Don’t let MLB insult you. “Money is simple for small children because denominations don’t exist.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Measuring the potential impact of David Ross’ 2020 coaching staff. “... they are going to have to rely on internal improvements, a different clubhouse atmosphere and a revamped coaching staff.”
• Doug Glanville (The Athletic {$}): Why major league players haven’t done more for minor leaguers — and why they should. “I was just waiting for a different kind of graduation.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Why we’re probably going to see Jose Quintana’s name suddenly all over the trade rumor circuit. “... there’s little doubt that several teams out there would love to have Quintana for 2020 at $11.5 million.”
• Rick Tarsitano and Lauren Magiera (WGN-9): Rachel Folden ready to lead Cubs hitting lab as first female coach. “Folden’s comfort zone is in a batting cage.”
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider*): Cubs Organizational Breakdown, Pt. 4 – Shortstop once again deepest position group. “Outside of Nico Hoerner, however, most are nowhere near fully formed prospects.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Money is why the Cubs would trade Kris Bryant. But there are other factors holding up a decision. “There hasn’t been much talk about possibly extending Bryant...”
• Phil Rosenthal (Chicago Tribune* {$}): The Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network will launch in 2 months. And we still have many unanswered questions. “... don’t be surprised if there’s some posturing and foot-dragging.”
• Cubs birthdays: Del Howard, Ernie Groth, James Norwood.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading. Happy holidays.