Cub Tracks fights for air

Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we have #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB news for you. We’re getting close to making the stuff up already. The beats and bloggers apparently have the weekend off. Today’s gummie seems like it isn’t as good as yesterday’s gummie as I am fresh out of jokes, so I dunno what to do. Perhaps we should individually break down Jed Hoyer’s press conference as an assignment or something. We could swap recipes or trade scar stories... it’s just sad, y’all. So sad that MY articles are higher in the Google rankings than the originals I repeat. I suppose no news is good news...

For the second year in a row, I sent an angry letter to MLB.TV. I paid by the month these last two years as I didn’t really KNOW that there would be a full season and my cash flow is often stopped up (ah, the life of a freelancer), and they charged me on September 1 both years, even though that wasn’t my due-date, in order to ‘ensure’ postseason viewing, even though the games are blacked out on the channel.

Got my damn money back, too, and promptly spent it on next week’s supply and some booze. Raoul Duke was some role model.

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 on this page as sarcasm font. (In the comments section, use @ before and after your remarks @ to produce sarcasm font. In the text body. It doesn’t work in the headlines.)

• Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs president Jed Hoyer narrows search for next GM as finalists emerge. “... sources confirmed that these four are among the finalists.” Evan Altman interprets.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): 4 takeaways from Jed Hoyer’s season wrap-up: David Ross’ contract situation, the Chicago Cubs’ No. 1 offseason priority and building another contending lineup. “We’re trying to build a roster that can compete but we’re also trying to do it not looking to win the offseason.” Mike McGraw has thoughts. I had thoughts too.
• Ryan O’Rourke (Cubbies Crib*): It’s time Chicago Cubs move on from Tommy Hottovy as pitching coach. “... massive regression to some of the Cubs’ key arms and a lack of development signal Hottovy is not the guy for the job.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): By the end, yes, Kris Bryant wanted to be traded. “... he felt Jed Hoyer did right by the traded players...”
• Alexander Patt (Cubbies Crib*): Chicago Cubs History: How the Great Fire played a role in team’s past. “While the Great Chicago Fire is remembered for many reasons, baseball is rarely one of them.”

Food for Thought: