Cub Tracks has jokes, everybody has jokes

Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we like to keep things brief on the principle that it makes us appear wise. We don’t always, but we like to. We are aristocrats. There is crying in baseball, but down here, we float. Just like Pagliacci did.

The Cubs split their series with the Cleveland baseball club and will be taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are planning to commence with Walker Buehler on the mound versus Zach Davies. Carson Kelly probably won’t watch. He’ll have time to, unfortunately. Buehler hit him on the right wrist with a pitch last Saturday.

My memory tells me that Buehler has been mostly nasty versus the Cubs, though they’ve lit him up a couple of times. Let’s hope it’s a day off for him. We will now pause for a few words from Andrew Chafin:

Pardon me if you’ve heard this one, but the sporting world isn’t one that is generally known for wisdom. Perhaps it is changing, as seen in a pane of slow glass. A couple of unlikely sources wrestle with that question to lead off today’s selections.

Michael Pineda? {$}

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.)

• Rick Morrissey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): As Ben Zobrist’s sensational lawsuit proves, sticking to sports is hard to do. “To think that sports can be penned up and told to stay put like an obedient pet is ridiculous.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): From Carl Nassib coming out to Becky Hammon being a finalist for an NBA head coaching vacancy, our sports world is ever-changing. And that’s a good thing. “I learned a long time ago what makes a man different is what makes him great,” said Jon Gruden.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): 3 takeaways from the Cubs’ series split with Cleveland, including back-end bullpen dominance and a revealing schedule. “Despite an 11-10 record in June, the Cubs entered Wednesday in first place in the division, sharing the spot with the Milwaukee Brewers.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): The first-place Cubs are riding the ups and downs: Kris Bryant vs. sticky stuff; El Mago benching; Kyle Hendricks, the ace. “You guys know me by now, I try to find the positive in everything,” David Ross said with a laugh. “Except when I take out the star shortstop.”
• Maddie Lee (NBC Sports Chicago*): Ross: June schedule ‘Doesn’t get any easier’. “We’re going through a stretch now that we all knew was going be hard.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation*): Kyle Hendricks is quietly on quite a streak. “It is our duty as Cubs fans to remind the world how good and underrated Hendricks is at pitching.”
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Patrick Wisdom looking to be more than Cubs’ Flavor of the Month. “... he’s gone from relatively unknown to one of the most talked about players on the team.”
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald* {$}): Kris Bryant’s bat finally shows signs of life. “In Kris Bryant’s view, hitting slumps are an essential part of life...”
• Maddie Lee (NBC Sports Chicago*): How Ross predicted Bryant’s hot bat vs. Cleveland. “That’s not going out on a limb,” Ross chuckled after the game, “when you say, a former MVP and the guy that’s got some of the better stats on your team is going to have a good game.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Bryant all for sticky stuff changes: ‘We were so stupid’. “I’ve just seen the umpires getting a little more exercise, running in to check all the pitchers,” Bryant joked Tuesday night. “It’s kind of funny.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): It is our duty as Cubs fans to remind the world how good and underrated Kyle Hendricks is at pitching. Looks like a lot of July rehab assignments.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): The top Cubs Draft pick from every season. “There are All-Stars and October heroes, as well as cup-of-coffee players you probably have forgotten.”
• Keith Law (The Athletic {$}): Are high draft picks getting to the majors faster than ever? “...high school players’ time to the majors hasn’t changed over the last 20 years, while college players’ time has increased from the first decade of the 2000s to the second...”
• PlayUSA*: These are the best MLB uniforms, according to sports fans. “When it comes to the best MLB uniforms, there’s something to be said about the timeless look of classic uniform designs such as the iconic pinstripes on the jerseys of the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs.”
• Nick Kindelsperger (Chicago Tribune* {$}): A South Side comedian and a Jordan-born chef are eating their way through all 77 Chicago neighborhoods in a new podcast. “I’d also love to do some special episodes, like eating at Wrigley Field or Guaranteed Rate. We want to grow with it.”

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.