Cub Tracks’ symptomatic

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.

Game one:

Wow, that was a TOOTBLAN to beat all TOOTBLANS, Nico. Straight out of the Ryan Theriot book of bad baserunning. I’m trying to decide whether I dislike the Yankees or the Dodgers more. The answer of course, is Cardinals, but still, I mull it over. The Mets and Padres are in the mix also.

I’m terribly sorry, but a good ballclub would suit me way better than a cool hotel across the street. We’ll be paying for that one Series win forever. I am unconvinced that they’re even trying to win another. Patrick Mooney addresses this feeling, below.

Game two:

Let’s try not to be all gloom and doom here. There are bright spots to this team.

They serve to enhance the long periods of darkness, like the classical pieces on Black Sabbath albums. But all that jazz only points up the colossal job of mismanagement the Cubs’ braintrust has foisted off on us as progress.

This is precisely why I hate the Dodgers and Yankees and Cardinals. They rarely shop for clown shoes.

Right now, I don’t think Daniel Norris is the answer. Chuck Norris probably isn’t up to it. I’m not sure that the Norris Division could do the job.

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• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Chicago Cubs continue to show they’re not ready for prime time in a 7-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. “There are only so many ways to talk about Wrigley before admitting the obvious...”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Getting lapped by the Dodgers and more Cubs notes on Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and Nelson Velázquez. “... it’s obvious that the Dodgers are the type of super-team that Cubs fans expected to see at Wrigley Field in the years following the 2016 World Series...” Steve Greenberg had similar thoughts.
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Sun-Times*): Manager David Ross looking forward to having Wade Miley in Cubs’ rotation. ‘‘He’s a guy who knows how to compete,’’ Ross said of Miley. Tim Stebbins adds on.
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Hoerner mistake vs. Dodgers ‘one of those tough lessons’. “It’s a tricky one over there,” Ross said of the Hoerner play. “I think a good lesson just to let the umpire tell you to go to second.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs shortstop Andrelton Simmons begins rehab assignment. “Simmons joined Triple-A Iowa on Saturday...”
• Peyton Havermann (Cubbies Crib*): Does an Ian Happ extension make sense for the Cubs? “The switch-hitting outfielder currently is striking out the least he ever has in his career by a long shot.”
• Bernie Pleskoff (Forbes* {$}): Chicago Cubs need patience with dynamic outfielder Seiya Suzuki. “Suzuki’s current challenge is to counter those adjustments with his own hitting refinements.”
• Vincent Parise (Da Windy City*): 3 players the Chicago Cubs should have traded before 2022. “... they don’t manage their assets right anymore.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): ‘Winning Time’ was great junk food TV. Now how about a series on the 2004 Chicago Cubs? “The possibilities are endless.”

Food for Thought:

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