Cub Tracks’ Cardinal sins

The simCubs broke their winning streak against the simCards at simWrigley Field in the second game of a three-game set Saturday afternoon. Today’s game will resolve the first leg of the season series, which will continue the 13th and 14th of June at their house.

Al will have more information about that game in the game post at 2:30 pm CT, for our 3 p.m. start. I’ll drop the specific URL to the contest in the game thread, but you can lurk at the BCB Media Center and catch it there as well. All past games and highlights reels are available there too, if you want the full #simCubs experience.

And now, here’s Cub Tracks News and Notes, the only links column that really matters. 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.

• Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): Dollars and sense: White Sox, Cubs divvying up their $1 million funds to workers. “... a little help during an unprecedented pandemic.” Evan Altman considers this also. Madeleine Kenney has a few words.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs would welcome 2020 season full of experiments, asterisks. ““I love that people are getting creative and making a strong effort,” Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner said, even with a dose of skepticism ...”
• Vinnie Duber (NBC Sports Chicago*): James McCann is using Ben Zobrist’s barn to practice hitting during quarantine. “I’ve been able to pretty much go there by myself and hit off a tee, a machine and stay in as best shape as possible,” said McCann of Zobrist’s facilities.
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Joe Maddon says Game 4 of 2016 NLDS was ‘linchpin’ to Cubs’ championship run. “That’s the game to me that probably won the World Series for us. I mean that sincerely, from the bottom of my heart,” Maddon told Bruce Levine and Matt Spiegel.
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): In sickness, as in health, Shirley Williams has Hall of Famer husband of 60 years at her side. “Cubs great Billy Williams urges all of us to stay home if we can. That’s what he’s doing — with a heavy heart — as he cares for a wife who’s experiencing late-stage dementia.”
• David O’Brien (The Athletic {$}): My favorite player: Andre Dawson. “... Dawson left such an indelible impression on me that I still think about him frequently today ...”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Sammy Sosa says Dusty Baker gave permission to leave Cubs’ final 2004 game. “Sosa apparently called Baker to clear the air afterwards.”
• Cubs birthdays: Charlie Pick, Trader Horne, Walt Moryn, Woodie Fryman, Justin Ruggiano, Brad Brach. Also notable: Vic Willis HOF, Addie Joss HOF, Charlie Lau.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading. Happy 4/20. Rants and raves at medium.