Cub Tracks’ weird scenes inside the gold mine

Mmm I love me a pitcher’s duel. Or is it more properly pitchers’ duel? Dual pitchers, yes? English is weird. So is pandemic playoff baseball. Just wish the game could have ended better. I hate the Marlins.

We may never pass this way again. I’m enjoying it despite my reservations —it is after all ‘the human drama of athletic competition’. Thank you, Jim McKay. And thank you, too, Joe Posnanski:

Yep. Enthusiastically seconded. But that’s a left turn at Albuquerque, and we’ll keep on the straight and narrow today. The Cubs broadcast (ABC) wasn’t horrible, just bad. They talked about the game periodically. Okay, they were horrible.

Also, did I mention that I hate the Marlins? Please don’t go all 2007/2008 on us, Cubs.

Here’s Cub Tracks 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.

• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): The Cubs’ playoff advantage that nobody will see in October — literally. “This is exciting. This is the fun part. This is where you make history.” Also — For Cubs in October, it’s World Series or bust ‘em up.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Kyle Hendricks cracks late as Cubs drop Game 1. “No panic,” Hendricks said. “We’ve got the guy we want on the mound tomorrow for us, for sure.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): With Cubs in playoff mode, how did David Ross make the Kyle Hendricks decision? “You trust in the guy that got you there. I trusted him all year long and he’s done nothing but perform.” Maddie Lee has this one.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs hand Yu Darvish the ball with the season on the line Thursday: ‘We’ve got the guy we want on the mound’. “We were very confident coming in,” Anthony Rizzo said. “We’ve got to score early for Darvish and try to get a lead so he can pitch comfortably.” Tony Andracki writes about this also.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): As playoffs begins, Craig Kimbrel is ready to be dominant in a Cubs postseason run. First they need to have a lead.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): ‘We’re still trying to find it’: Cubs’ bats stay silent in playoff-opening loss. “For a team loaded with talent up and down the lineup, the North Siders have struggled to generate any sort of consistent attack.” Russell Dorsey addresses this. So does Steve Greenberg.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cemented in leadoff role, Ian Happ goes deep. “Find a way to get on base twice a day for the team,” Happ said. “That’s my goal every day.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): A permanent DH in the NL? 7-inning doubleheaders? Cubs player rep Happ can see 2020’s rule changes becoming permanent. “I think the (designated hitter), first and foremost, I think both sides have liked,” Happ said Wednesday on a conference call.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): That 9th inning pitch broke Starling Marte’s pinkie. “... the fracture is in his left hand, rather than his throwing hand ...”
• Josh Frydman, Rick Tarsitano (WGN-9*): Wrigley ballhawks keep Cubs tradition alive during pandemic. “It’s not just the baseballs. It’s the friendships and hanging out every day and being a part of the game.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): MLB planning to sell 11,500 tickets to NLCS, World Series Games in Arlington. “Masks will be mandatory for fans unless eating or drinking, and all concessions and parking fees will be cashless. Cue the conspiracy theories.”
• Cubs birthdays: Bill Bonham, Vance Law, Chuck McElroy, Mitch Atkins. Also notable: Rod Carew HOF.

SimNews:

Saturday’s simCubs™ playoff game will ‘air’ at eleven a.m. CT. Stephen Strasburg vs. Kyle Hendricks. Let’s hope the RealCubs™ are still in the hunt. All game video and related material is available commercial-free, 24/7, at the BCB Media Center.

Food for thought: