Cub Tracks’ shocking blue stripes

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.

The Cubs were going for the sweep Wednesday, behind rising star Adbert Alzolay, fielding a makeshift lineup and fighting the general weirdness in the air. I can see how the umps made that call in the fourth, and yes, the collision was terrible, but that doesn’t mean the third-base coach and the runners need to lose their damn minds. I’m surprised Javy didn’t go out and start directing traffic. If Javy or Willie C. is on first, everybody scores. I mean, isn’t that what Will Craig did the other day, lost his s**t in the heat of battle? It’ll stick with me for a while. And I hope Kim and Pham are okay.

All’s well that ends well, I guess. Rizzo Rizzo’d.

Javy Javy’d.

The Cubs won going away. Swept the Padres outta town. I’m glad to see the back of them. I don’t like them, and last time out, I documented the issues I have with San Diego-local television. It’s a pain in the keister. But worth it for a game like that. And hooray! I get to do it again Monday.

This team is really starting to look like something special. Every day, there’s something that defies logic, beggars the imagination, and probably causes a rift in the space-time continuum. Isn’t it great?

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‘‘I’m kind of to the point where whatever is said, just anything in general out there in the public, it’s not of concern to me. That’s important to kind of get to that point in your career because everybody goes through it. I don’t know if everybody goes through huge successes and then failures, getting to the top of the mountain and then kind of falling down a little bit and working your way back up, but it’s just kind of a natural career arc for me so far.’’ — Kris Bryant.

• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Sources: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox irked with city slow to reopen. “Like many other hospitality-oriented businesses around the country, it’s taking more effort than usual for the White Sox and Cubs to hire stadium workers, sources said.”
• Phil Rosenthal (Chicago Tribune* {$}): MLB introduces Lou Gehrig Day at Wrigley Field and elsewhere. ‘It’s super-personal for me,’ Chicago Cubs announcer Boog Sciambi says. “The first time Lou Gehrig drew notice at Wrigley Field, he was playing for New York’s High School of Commerce and had just turned 17.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): ‘We like happy flights’: Cubs leave Wrigley with good vibes after sweep of Padres. “We had a good homestand,” David Ross said.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs sweep Padres, depart for trip red-hot. “The 6-1 win over the Padres wrapped up a three-game brooming...” Jesse Rogers adds some injury info.
• Kevin Acee (San Diego Union-Tribune* {$}): Padres finish losing trip with ugly loss to Cubs; two more players hurt. “A pleasant spring afternoon on Chicago’s North Side got wild for a while on Wednesday...”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Padres’ Yu Darvish on Cubs: ’Those guys don’t need me’. “I don’t know what they’re thinking,” he said. “But they did it right. They cut the salary by $20 million per year, and they’re still winning and in first place. So I think they’re doing right so far.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): The future is now for Adbert Alzolay, the exuberant Chicago Cubs pitcher fast becoming a fan favorite. “Alzolay wakes up happy and goes to bed happy.”
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald* {$}): Zach Davies offer theory on slow starts by Cubs’ control pitchers. “Especially command guys, the beginning of the year with the cold, a lack of feel with fingers and throwing each pitch, sometimes it’s tough,” Davies said.
• Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru (MLB.com*): Liam Hendriks, Ryan Tepera named May’s top relievers. MVP.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): How Tepera took a breath and became an essential part of the Cubs’ dominant bullpen. “I owe a lot to PJ (Mainville), our trainer,” he said.
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Tommy Nance displaying nasty stuff, could still have room to improve. “The former independent ball hurler has been virtually untouchable over seven appearances this season...” More Nance, with his dad, who has ALS [AUDIO], from NBC Sports.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs’ Hitting Coach offers ‘chapters’ of ideas to boost offense. “I think they should move the mound back to like 75 feet and they should throw underhand,” Kris Bryant said of pitchers.
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs starting to flex their muscles with recent power surge. They have 15 homers in the last eight games.
• Maddie Lee (NBC Sports Chicago*): Rizzo: Wrigley at 60 percent capacity ‘feels like 100’. “It’s an amazing feeling to play behind it. It’s amazing you can just look out and see how happy everyone has been back at the ballpark.”
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): The less Cubs’ Kris Bryant gives a blank what we think, the better off we’ll all be. “The boy next door has a little edge to him...”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): If Chicago Cubs trade Kris Bryant, Tom Ricketts should sell the team. “If Tom Ricketts wants to own a big-market team, he needs to act like it.”
• Sam Fels (Deadspin*): The Chicago Cubs are the real-life team from ‘Major League’. “The ownership tried to handicap this team just enough to keep them from competing.”
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider*): Prospect update: Outfielder Nelson Velazquez showing power to all fields. “Through 14 games, he is hitting .380 with three home runs and a team leading 15 RBI in May.”

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading!