Cub Tracks’ Sox have holes in them

Dennis Franz in a Bud commercial: “What’s a Met?”

Mike Royko had no answer.

That ain’t the way to have fun, no.

The New York Metropolitans, one of my least-favorite teams, are in town. Probably nobody under 50 feels similarly. 1969 cannot be exorcised for me. I want them to lose 52-0 or somesuch, always. Sorry, Jay (Jay Rivera is a friend of mine, a Mets fan from way back).

It’s a darned shame. But it is what it is.

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.

• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs won’t give Chili Davis the cold shoulder when the Mets come to town. “I like Chili,” left fielder Kyle Schwarber said.
• Deesa Thosar (NY Daily News* {$}): Walker Lockett will make Mets debut in series opener against Cubs. “He will earn one or two spot-starts for the Mets while Noah Syndergaard recovers from a right hamstring strain.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs ignoring ‘Production Over Talent’ mantra with various personnel decisions. “Whether these are nice guys or nor, it all comes down to what is actually happening on the field.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs refuse to push the panic button on inconsistent offense. “... the Cubs know they need to get the offense on a more consistent trajectory and find ways to score beyond just the longball.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs need an offensive spark, but there’s not much on the farm to bring to the table. “That they’re still just a half-game back while not playing their best baseball for much of the year gives them hope.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Jon Lester is more concerned about winning the NL Central than the Cubs’ rivalry with the White Sox. “I got to worry about my opponent, not the atmosphere,” Lester said.
• Bruce Miles (Daily Herald* {$}): Chicago Cubs’ Chatwood ‘excited for opportunity’ to start. “Tyler Chatwood has maintained since spring training that last year’s woes are well behind him.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): As Craig Kimbrel takes another step forward, Cubs know he won’t be their savior. “We want him to come in and join us and help us win,” said Cole Hamels.
• Abigail Adams (NESN*): What Jason Heyward told Craig Kimbrel on night he signed with Cubs. “I just told him he deserved to play in a place like this,” Heyward said. Patrick Mooney {$} elaborates.
• Brendan Miller (Cubs Insider): Schwarber’s hot stretch fueled by aggressive approach. “... it’s undeniable that Schwarber has implemented a conscious adjustment to ambush more pitches early.” Jesse Rogers moves the runners over.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Maddon: CarGo ‘brought in here for a reason’. “The Cubs brought in veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez with the hope that he could turn the page on his tough Cleveland tenure...”
• Jerry Davich (Chicago Tribune* {$}): How the death of Bill Buckner, my Cubs hero, reminded me of my fandom. “Baseball stayed with me even though I didn’t stay with baseball.”
• Cubs birthdays: Jim Delahanty, Rip Hagerman, Wayland Dean, Art Schult, Cuno Barragan, Ray Newman, Gary Varsho, Paul Bako, Kevin Gregg.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.