Cub Tracks edges toward the ledge

Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we have news for you. The Cubs and Cardinals skirmished on a Saturday. The Cubs celebrated Andre Dawson’s birthday by grounding into double plays and bringing relievers in to give up bombs. Sergio Alcantara spent his birthday at third base watching said bombs fly overhead, ignited by a gawdawful bad nonstrike call.

Hard to watch. I’m sorry, but bringing in Adam Morgan to pitch is as clear a sign of giving up as Theo walking was. We knew what the score was then. And watching a game like this, with this gamethread-wording terrible broadcast crew and their Cardinal luv, just makes it worse.

Not that the standard for national broadcasting is very high. But these tools make the bell curve convex.

Maybe we should learn to like lawn mowers. Here’s to crop circles in the outfield.

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• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Seven years later, the Cubs are again ‘obvious sellers’ at the trade deadline and ready to start over. “This group has had incredibly high highs together,” Jed Hoyer said. “Our troughs have been lower than one would expect.”
• Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): With changes looming, Cubs lose 6-0 to Cardinals. “Rebuild or not, a sell-off would task Cubs manager David Ross with handling an unfamiliar-looking roster.”
• Alfonso Cerna (Fansided*): Is Ross in jeopardy of getting fired after the Cubs’ July meltdown? “The short answer is, no, Ross will not be fired after this season.”
• Ryan Herrera (MLB.com*): No All-Star nod? No worries for Kyle Hendricks. “The team knows what they can expect out of me,” Hendricks said.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Why trade deadline marks bad end for Cubs’ bullpen, games. “... putting the entire back end of the Cubs’ bullpen on the clearance rack.”
• Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): All-star or not, Cubs value Willson Contreras’ contributions. “Contreras has caught 74 games, helping the Cubs deal with a revolving door of backup catchers.”
• John Tomase (NBC Sports Boston*): If Cubs are blowing it up, Red Sox should bring home Anthony Rizzo. “Rizzo could solve two problems at once.”
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald* {$}): Cubs truly focused on best available in first round. “The Cubs farm system isn’t so loaded with talent that they can pick and choose based on need.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): PitchAI puts advanced biomechanical data right to your phone. “This is a biomechanics lab in a box,” Will Carroll told CI.

Food for Thought:

Thanks for reading.