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.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not terribly interested in reviewing 2021, and am just happy its time has passed. However, it’s a common pastime for those who report on America’s pastime, and so we’ll likely have examples of the art for a good little while, given the recent lockout-induced paucity of content... which got me thinking (oh I know, I’m hurting the team):
Baseball doesn’t get that content is king. They do not know how to market — all of us here know this. It’s just too obvious to ignore. The young stars of the game seem to understand, and they get busy marketing themselves on social media.
The people that run the game need to get younger and more integrated in terms of gender and culture, and they need to understand how to sell the sizzle.
Not just home runs, but activity. I’d bet my bottom dollar that younger fans would readily respond to a game that feels more active, with the constant threat of baserunning exploits or novel plays, and I don’t want to see the shift banned. I don’t really want to see the game sped up artificially. I don’t really want the NL DH, but that’ll work in this context as well, so I grudgingly assent. I just want to see the game managed differently — and based on some of his public comments, I think that David Ross wants see do that, too. He grew up in the 1990s-2000s version, with gnats at the top and imposing bats behind, and lots of baserunning. The Cubs have the people to do that, and they’ll likely have to, given their current makeup. They’ll be fun.
It’s the drama. Modern fans don’t feel the weight of each historical play with each pitch, each at-bat. History isn’t really a draw (oh how I know). The one-on-one games within the game, that’s the stuff the field of dreams is made of. Gimme a situational lefty in the crunch, gimme the late-inning defensive replacement with the wheels and some thunder on the bench. Gimme the glowering closer. GIMME ALL OF THAT.
Let the players play. They can save the game by themselves. And end the blackouts. Ask Rocky Wirtz how well that works.
Thanks for coming to my TEDx Talk. Pitchers and catchers report in 45 days, should there be a need for their services.
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). #IStandWithThePlayers.
#Cubs Prospect Focus: Burl Carraway https://t.co/2NZsqnOsCA
— CubsHQ.com (@ChicagoCubsHQ) January 1, 2022
Minor League Spotlight @owen_caissie
— Dingers: A Chicago Cubs Podcast (@Dingercubs) December 30, 2021
Owen Caissie hits for both power and average. The hype train is real. #cubs pic.twitter.com/jCWmXozKF4
- Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): ‘Dollars and sense’ presents the year in Chicago sports media. “How you rate 2021 is obviously dependent on your personal experiences and the relationship you have with society at large.”
- Chicago Tribune* {$}: Chicago sports in 2021: A look back at the biggest stories of the year. “Here’s a look back, month by month, at the year’s events.” Paul Sullivan has the best TV moments {$}.
- Alexander Patt (Cubbies Crib*): Embrace a new era of Cubs baseball. “Scouting and development will be very important...”
- Mark Gonzales (Daily Herald* {$}): Where’s Willson? For now — and perhaps for a long time — with the Cubs. “Ultimately, Contreras’ future will be decided by money.”
- Michael Consolo (Cubbies Crib*): Is Kenley Jansen in the cards this winter? “... he’s currently available on the free agent market.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Old friend Tyler Chatwood headed to Japan. “... maybe the slight difference in baseball and batting styles in the NPB will help him rebound.” Colin Rea is on the same team.
- Bill Chuck (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Enjoy some old baseball trivia for the new year. “... some milestones of baseball seasons past...”
Cubs birthdays: Nick Dumovich, Ray Jacobs, Dave Sappelt
Also notable: José Mendéz HOF, Edgar Martinez HOF
Food for Thought:
— Futurism (@futurism) January 1, 2022
This Is The Only Animal To Go Extinct Twicehttps://t.co/6TRFacotza pic.twitter.com/neHopijvBm
— IFLScience (@IFLScience) January 1, 2022
The universe is stranger than we know.https://t.co/aIQJCMAyoi
— Futurism (@futurism) January 1, 2022
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.