Cub Tracks tl;dr

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 played the San Diego Padres Monday night in the first game of a three-game series. ESPN game. Not my favorite broadcasters (except Doug — I love me some Glanville) but at least not ARod and Jessica. Awkward though. At least Jason Benedetti had the great good sense to mention TOOTBLANs in the bottom of the second. Limiting that inning to two plated runs was good work as Adbert Alzolay threw a lot of PPI**, uncharacteristically walking people, and got himself into a spot of trouble. The third was when he gave up a bomb and threw another 25 pitches. That early shower was because of a blister.

Ryan Weathers is a decent-looking young pitcher. His dad was a little taller but had the same basic build and delivery. It makes me feel old to understand that I saw David’s entire career. The Cubs got three runs off Ryan.

I have to say that I like that outfield configuration against a lefty. I really like KB as an RF. Fits his skillset imo better than third. Those long strides eat up some ground and he has good instincts for the ball. He hits well, into the bargain. Pittsburgh-area native Ian Happ is flat-out better as a left fielder than a center fielder. He has a bat, too.

They tried. Today’s another day. Let’s make it a win.

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• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs reflect on 2020 60-game sprint as their season reaches 60 games. “That’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life,” right fielder Jason Heyward told the Sun-Times.
• The Athletic {$}: State of the NL Central: Brewers, Cubs and Cardinals jockey for first, while trade deadline looms. “What have we learned through these first 60 games?”
• Jeff Passan (ESPN*): The Cubs are actually good! So what should they do at the trade deadline? “Is this a team that can win enough to make a championship push? Or would it be better off looking to retool?”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Anthony Rizzo says the Chicago Cubs can re-sign their ‘Big 3’ impending free agents — ‘If they want to, absolutely they can’. “They are in their position for a reason, and they make their best calculated decisions based on all the information they’ve gathered over the years,” Rizzo said of former Cubs President Theo Epstein and Hoyer. “And they do a real good job of it.”
• David Borges (New Haven Register* {$}): Wallingford’s P.J. Higgins is a Chicago Cub: ‘All that hard work he put in paid off’. “Duke and Kim Higgins were sound asleep in the early hours of May 19 when the phone rang.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Red-hot Wisdom ‘staying in the moment’. “I think it’s just staying in the moment, not trying to worry about what the future holds and what tomorrow holds.” John Grochowski adds on.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Kris Bryant isn’t spending ‘wasted energy’ on whether this is his last year with the Chicago Cubs — he’s enjoying an MVP-caliber season with old and new friends. “I don’t know their financial situation,” he said. “But the Chicago Cubs are doing well. So theoretically, yes, you can sign whoever you want. Rick Telander opines.
• TC Zencka (MLB Trade Rumors*): Cubs Notes: Kimbrel, Baez, Pederson. Injury estimates.
• Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Who are these guys? Meet the Cubs who have stepped up when the team needs them most. The Cubs have tapped into their Triple-A roster so frequently that manager David Ross joked he’s leaving his Iowa counterpart, Marty Pevey, without anyone to play.
• Nick Farrell (wboy.com*): Former Mountaineer Hill named Cubs’ minor league player of the month. “Darius Hill, who broke Jedd Gyorko’s career doubles record at WVU during the 2019 season, has been named the minor league player of the month in the Chicago Cubs’ organization for the month of May.”
• Ryan Dreyer (Cubs Insider*): Clark the Cub Voted Best Mascot by MLB Fans. According to a survey conducted by PlayUSA, the beloved Clark the Cub is MLB royalty.
• Food for thought:

Thanks for reading. **Pitches Per Inning