Cub Tracks remembers

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.

Cub Tracks isn’t quite as old as Pepperidge Farm, though it may seem so at times, and some of our jokes are definitely older. But we do get off some good ones, periodically, you have to admit. Okay, you don’t HAVE TO, but it would be infinitely preferable to being disagreeable. I can do that part myself.

We’re not going to be doing a best-of. Seriously. We try to use more of the page than that would require.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the lockdown continues. The beat writers are mostly still hibernating. Don’t bet the farm on all of them returning.

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).

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): MLB Lockout Day 27: How the pandemic impacts the CBA talks, who has to step up next, more. Elaboration of Gordon Wittenmyer article, included in the last episode. “It would be nice if some adults stepped up...”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): A hot stove league without a hot stove? Give baseball what it deserves during the lockout — and ignore the rumors. “The problem with having a hot stove league without the hot stove is it doesn’t deter baseball fans from pretending the stove still exists.”
• Jared Wyllys (Forbes* {$}): Can The Chicago Cubs be contenders in 2022? “The Cubs’ 2021 campaign was a tale of two seasons.”
• Duane Pesice (Cubbies Crib*): Building out the Cubs with a strict $150 million payroll. “... it might as well be Monopoly money...”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Did Adbert Alzolay quietly develop a better cutter late in the year? “It wasn’t just about match-ups.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Frank Schwindel could be key to Cubs’ turnaround. “... Schwindel is still under club control for six seasons.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): Cubs need to seriously consider making a run at Jeff McNeil. “... the revamped New York Mets plan on putting utilityman Jeff McNeil on the trade block as soon as possible...”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): 5 predictions for the 2022 Chicago Cubs. “What could go wrong?”
• 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:

• 1907 - The Mills Commission on the origins of baseball reports that the game was invented by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839. The Commission is convinced by the testimony of Abner Graves, who claimed to be a childhood companion of Doubleday’s. Grave’s story is later “verified” when an old, rotting ball is found among his personal effects; the ball is now in the Hall of Fame. The Commission ignores the fact that Doubleday did not graduate from West Point until 1842. (2)
• 1926 - The Chicago Tribune breaks a story that the Detroit Tigers have thrown a four-game series to the Chicago White Sox in 1917 to help Chicago win the pennant. Responding to the publicity, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis convenes a hearing on the matter, but dismisses all charges. Landis can find no witnesses to confirm any part of Swede Risberg’s claim. (2)
• 2004 - Aid originally destined for Nicaragua in memory of the anniversary of Roberto Clemente’s tragic flight 32 years ago, will be sent instead to the earthquake and tsunami victims of Southern Asia. Roberto Clemente Jr., who with the help of the Project Club Clemente, collected two tons of supplies and raised nearly $20,000 dollars in efforts to reenact his father’s unfinished mission, decides to postpone the ceremonial flight and divert the relief to help those in most desperate need right now. (2)

**Cubs birthdays: Clarence Currie, Ray Prim, Steve Davis, Sean Gallagher. Also notable: Sandy Koufax HOF

**From BB-Ref.

Food for Thought:

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.