Welcome to today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™. Here we have material from current beat writers, bloggers, and the occasional in-house habitué, moonlighting. These pieces center around #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, such as they are.
I’ve added a couple of ‘National’ articles as they pertain to the running theme of the CBA negotiations and shed a bit of light on the progress or lack thereof of those talks. Most of the local print/TV media are still on holiday — the last article we printed from the Sun-Times was dated 12/3, for example — but the bloggers and national press are still at whatever it is that they do down there.
Hopefully your holiday season is going well. I myself am on a busman’s holiday, took possession of a brushed blue denim recliner and the rights to a puppy, and spent way too many hard-earned shekels on thoughtful gifts for the very weird people that I know.
After the first, I’ll have to make up for oversteering, but that’s then. This is NOW. I am driving the bus, and there will be no left turns unstoned.
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).
Custom @STR0 @Cubs #bobblehead in the works @HDMHApparel @HDMHFoundation #Chicago #Cubs pic.twitter.com/KIAPYPFqAd
— Daveme Images (@DavemeImages) December 26, 2021
- Tim Dierkes (MLB Trade Rumors*): MLB Lockout Reader Survey. “... we trudge toward the end of the quietest December this website has ever seen.”
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): 2021 rekindled our love for watching sports the way we did in the ‘before’ times. But COVID-19 concerns remained, from variants to vaccines. “... how will we remember 2021?”
- Jayson Stark (The Athletic {$}): The Year in Strange But True: The weirdest games, plays and moments of the 2021 MLB season. “... the reigning MVP struck out against Anthony Rizzo...”
- RJ Anderson (CBS Sports*): Notable MLB free agents are signing in Japan and South Korea during lockout; will bigger names follow? “NPB and KBO teams are getting deals done while MLB’s hot stove is shut down...”
- Jules Posner (Forbes* {$}): MLB’s Lockout is more than just Millionaires Vs. Billionaires. “...it speaks to the larger issue of the ownership class versus the labor class.”
- Phil Rogers (Forbes* {$}): There’s no shortage of post-lockout possibilities if Chicago Cubs take payroll To $150 million. “Will the Cubs get back into the business of trying to win or continue to bide their time after baseball’s lockout ends?”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Obsessive Carlos Correa Watch: The Cubs don’t make sense! Er … the Cubs make total sense! “... our focus will be on the arguments for and against...” Refers to ESPN+ articles: Here {$} and here {$}.
- Michael Brakebill (Cubbies Crib*): 3 big ticket free agents if the Chicago Cubs miss out on Carlos Correa. “... it is important to keep an open mind regarding how aggressive Jed Hoyer and Tom Ricketts are being this winter.”
- Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation*): So, is Trevor Story not a fall-back option for the Chicago Cubs? “... it would be silly to call the Cubs “front-runners” for Carlos Correa at this point.”
- Mia Perlman (Cubbies Crib*): Patrick Wisdom will be a key factor for the 2022 team. “... there is no reason his success can’t continue moving forward.”
- Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider*): Prospect Stock Watch – Quiet buzz building this winter. “... minor league spring training is just around the corner.”
**Today in Cubs and MLB history:
- 1895 - Star Chicago Colts shortstop Bill Dahlen breaks his left arm in a fall.
- 1957 - CBS states that it will not broadcast baseball into any area at the time a minor league game is scheduled.
- 2020 - The Padres continue to be the busiest team this off-season, as two days after landing P Blake Snell, they reportedly pull off another deal for a front-line pitcher, Yu Darvish, acquired from the Cubs alongside C Victor Caratini in return for P Zach Davies and four prospects.
**Cubs birthdays: Scott Effross. Also notable: Ted Lyons HOF.
**From BB-Ref.
Food for Thought:
These ancient marine reptiles got very big, very fast https://t.co/msmzqgn0nP pic.twitter.com/3rqNGuGhbR
— Popular Science (@PopSci) December 27, 2021
Thanks for reading. Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the opinions of writers whose work is linked in this series of articles. We try to present a balanced view, and let the facts speak for themselves.