Cub Tracks’ the hard way

Welcome to your Sunday, and today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™, featuring material from current beat writers, bloggers, and the occasional in-house habitué, moonlighting. These pieces center around #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball. Scroll down for the links or linger for the potentially inappropriate commentary and the inevitable tweetstorm.

The Brewers objecting so strenuously to an HBP entails so much irony that I am having difficulty maintaining. Cutch was cool enough, said his piece and trotted to first, but Brewer butts needed to stay on the pine. It’s dumb old-school baseball but there’s really not a great effort to police it. Hitting Ian Happ was one thing — let’s hope he’s okay, but...

What they need to do is to stop hitting Willson Contreras. Then there’s no escalation because there’s no there there. That’s the EASY way.

Otherwise, early-season and all that but this team looks good right now. Exhibiting patience at the plate, location on the mound, focus all around. If there’s an award for chemistry, Cubs’ team management should be winning it. This group clearly believes whatever message they’ve been given. Maybe an honorary doctorate for David Ross... we’ll see how that goes after some adversity. But let’s enjoy it while it lasts. I’d like to think that this is the Cubs serving notice that they are contenders, but that remains to be seen.

Speaking of remaining to be seen, MLB.TV cut out with an out still to go. Nice one.

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• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs, Brewers benches clear after McCutchen HBP. “McCutchen was hit on his front hip, after the previous pitch from Thompson sailed behind him.”
• Chris Emma (670 The Score*): Cubs, Brewers clear benches as beanballs continue. “No punches were thrown and the two sides were ultimately separated.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Why Cubs, Ross in no rush to name a closer. “I tell all the relievers I just like outs,” Cubs manager David Ross said Saturday.
• Richard Johnson (Cubbies Crib*): Why do the Brewers keep drilling Willson Contreras? “The best way to avenge Contreras isn’t to drill Milwaukee’s hitters, but to drill Milwaukee’s pitches in the general direction of Kalamazoo.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Nico Hoerner proving to Cubs he’s up for the challenge. “... Hoerner has grabbed the shortstop job and run with it.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs pitching prospect Caleb Kilian was dominant in his Triple-A debut. “Kilian faced 10 batters … and he struck out SIX(!) of them.”
• Jim Callis (MLB.com*): Here’s where Cubs Top 30 prospects are starting ‘22. “High-A South Bend is the home to many of Chicago’s best pitching prospects...”
• Alexander Patt (Cubbies Crib*): Cubs affiliate in South Bend is dripping with high-ceiling talent. “ While this includes a mix of both position players and pitchers, it is the arms that are really worth keeping track of on the team.”
• Patrick Mooney and Scott Powers (The Athletic {$}): How the Blackhawks almost went outside the box and hired Cubs executive Jeff Greenberg as their new GM. “The Blackhawks were a lot closer to hiring a baseball executive than many people, including those involved in the process, could ever have expected going into it.”

Food for Thought:

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