Cub Tracks’ Yu who?

After the game, the simCubs held a brief ceremony. Jose Quintana reached deep into his locker, removed a little box, and reverently handed the parcel to Yu Darvish.

“Mister Yu,” he said. “I do believe this belongs to you now.” And he handed over the box, reverently. He had gotten it recently, a gift from Bryzzo. “I want you to have it.”

“I don’t know what to say,” said Yu. “I have no words.”

“Open it,” urged his teammates. “Open it now.”

“What is it?” asked Yu in his best Mike Patton, taking the top off the box. Inside were two tiny fuzzy spheres attached to a thin chain. “What are these?” He asked, holding them to the light. “They’re very small.”

“Tell me,” said Anthony Rizzo. “Tell me how you hold them.” He smirked.

“Tell me what they are,” Yu insisted, though in truth he knew.

“Those,” pronounced Kyle Schwarber. “Are gopher balls.

Yeah, it was that kinda game. The Cubs’ entire scoring offense was a 6th-inning laser beam by Jason Heyward, whose batting average has sunk into the .230s. Aaron Nola had them beat even though they forced him out of the game in the seventh after he had thrown 115 pitches. The Phillies’ heretofore porous bullpen righted their collective ship and the Phils hoisted the flag over the first game of the series. The Cubs will have to do better today as Zack Wheeler (2-1, 3.26) faces Kyle Hendricks (4-0, 1.78), who has been the team’s stopper so far this year.

I also hear that the trade winds have been blowing around Wrigley. Al will have more information about that in a standalone article at 1 p.m. CT, and also info on the upcoming sim game, in the game post at 2:30 p.m. 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.

• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs executive Crane Kenney on the start of the 2020 season: ‘The virus will tell us when we can play’. “It won’t be the commissioner (Rob Manfred). It won’t be the players association. And it certainly won’t be me. The virus is going to tell us when we can play.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Zero Cubs major or minor league players, coaches have contracted coronavirus. Let’s keep it that way.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): How the coronavirus impacts Cubs draft plans under new leadership. “... Matt Dorey sees the good news in some of the changes and the prep work that already was done.”
• Jay Cohen (Las Vegas Sun*): Cubs foursome sharing house, experiences awaiting baseball. “When the coronavirus pandemic stopped spring training last month, Ian Happ offered Nico Hoerner, Zack Short and Dakota Mekkes a place to stay if they wanted to remain in Arizona.”
• Bryan Smith (Bleacher Nation): Thinking back on some Cubs prospects who broke my heart. “Corey Patterson was the first one ...” Mike Harkey for me. Maybe Carlos Lezcano ...
• Dawn Klemish (MLB.com*): Best pure hitters in NL Central? Here are 5. “I just hate striking out,” Anthony Rizzo said last year about his two-strike approach.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Last Dance, the sequel: Can Cubs avoid trap of 1997-98 Bulls? “Call it a de facto rebuild, a bridge period or take that any other way you want.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Mark Grace is waiting for his next at-bat with Marquee Sports Network and the Chicago Cubs: ‘Who knows what’s going to happen?’ “I think when I go to Chicago, it will sink in,” Grace said.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Why MLB’s plan to eliminate minor-league teams won’t impact Cubs. “None of the Cubs’ six affiliates are on a leaked list of 42 teams to be cut.”
• Luis Torres (Beyond the Box Score): Trade retrospective: Cubs take advantage of the Diamondbacks selling low on Miguel Montero. “The Dbacks preferred money to talent, opting to save the $40 million on Montero’s contract and accept two low level prospects in Jeferson Mejía and Zack Godley.”
• MiLB.com*: South Bend Cubs to offer curbside concessions. “Fans missing their favorite Four Winds Field foods will now be able to bring a taste of the ballpark home ...”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): 2020 NFL Draft: Bears second round pick Cole Kmet is a noted Cubs ‘fan’. “Kmet, a Lake Barrington native and St. Viator alumnus, seems to be a big Cubs fan.”
• Cubs birthdays: Pete Standridge, Fred Haney, Marty Shay, Red Thomas, Roy Parmelee, Dave Owen, Erik Pappas, Jacque Jones.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading!