Cub Tracks supports the leg

In Saturday’s tilt, the simCubs got a leg up on the simBacks 8-4 before a crowd of thousands of cyberpeople and a few score of actual meat people. Jose Quintana was effective for a while, but this manager has a quick hook and Alec Mills was brought in to do an effective job of long relief after the D-Backs kicked a field goal.

The two Jasons (Jason Heyward and Jason Kipnis) provided early runs with doubles and the Cubs never gave up the lead after that, with Kyle Schwarber clouting an oppo shot and Ian Happ powering one out to straight-center. Javier Baez topped off the Cubs’ offensive statement with a wallbanger to left for an rbi and Brad Wieck pitched a scoreless ninth to nail the victory down and give Mills his first win of the year.

The simCubs have brought the lumber so far this year, scoring 53 runs in eight games, third in MLB behind the A’s (66) and the Indians (55), and first in the NL. The Cubs’ 23 doubles lead all of MLB and their 15 home runs tie them for third with the Blue Jays. The A’s lead the AL with 21 and the Braves lead the NL with 18. The Cubs’ slugging percentage of .530 is also first in baseball and their 151 total bases are fifth. And they’re in first place in the NL Central:

Context Hitter

“I saw the ump ring Willie (Willson Contreras) up, but that pitch looked a little high. I was talking with Tony, and he yells out at the ump ‘more mercy!’” said simBryant.

“So the ump makes with the glare, and then Jason has to chop at pitches on his laces. Willie by then is sitting in the dugout telling the story, and Happer is on deck.

“Happ proceeds to drive in a run with a single up the middle.

“I was thinking more Cobra Kai than Koala Kai,” he hollers back at the home plate ump. “We’re all on the bench dying, and then Kip hits his pitch, real aggressive, and I’m on deck just wondering what’s next, and Happer scores and pops up and winks at the ump and bows.

“I get up to bat, and the pitches are tough. Up in my eyes, strike one, shoetops, strike two, a foot outside, see ya. I’m out of there in a heartbeat. I start chirping a little, and the ump starts laughing.”

“Sweep the leg,” he says.

“I coulda died right there,” simBryant finished. “Heh.”

Al will have more information about today’s contest in the game post, which will be up at 2:30 CT for our 3 p.m. Cubs series finale against the simBacks.

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.

• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): MLB considering starting season with all Teams in AZ, Florida Man meeting with sports commissioners. Ken Rosenthal {$} started it. “... there are just too many people involved to create a truly sterile ecosystem.” Brett Taylor chimes in.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune*{$}): Cubs Q&A: What would the Cubs look like with Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease? And is there any urgency for a Marquee-Comcast agreement? And many other questions.
• Sam Miller (ESPN*): We’ll miss MLB’s London Series, which gave us the weirdest game of 2019. But we’ll have our own, only it won’t be in London.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Not quite a classic: Why a Cubs-Padres game with 11 errors in 1989 is known as the David Letterman Game. “It surely was a comedy of errors, with a famous comedian taking it in.”
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): At last, baseball was played — very briefly, and very poorly — at Wrigley Field. “For a couple of minutes, it was almost fun.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): How Ian Happ promotes mental health and other things to know about Cubs outfielder. “Happ is an avid golfer and is a 2 handicap, according to Golf Digest.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): These 5 pitchers are budding NL Central aces. Brailyn Marquez is the Cubs entry.
• Herb Gould (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): A novel approach to Cubs history. “Former Sun-Times writer Gould tells story from team’s heyday through batboy.”
• Kent Garrison (The Athletic {$}): Rookie of the Year: the secrets of Rowengartner’s fastball with the film’s stars. “... the film still holds a special place in the hearts of many fans of the game and players who ended up making it to the Majors.”
• Cubs birthdays: Chuck Lauer, Jimmie Schaffer, Don Prince, Ron Campbell, Greg Smith, Ross Gload, Ian Stewart, Steve Clevenger. Also notable: Sugar Cain, Rennie Stennett.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading. Rants and raves at medium.