Cub Tracks keeps it real

Welcome to today’s edition of Cub Tracks news and notes™, a greatest-hits from Chicago-style beat writers and bloggers, ground from #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, overheated, and then cold-brewed overnight for maximum flavor.

Shoulda walked Pujols. I was flabbergasted when they didn’t. Am still bemused by the decision to pitch to him. There may be no scrying in baseball but my gut said ‘don’t do it.’

Ah well. What’s a sweep at the hands of your most hated rival, right? Just a small thing. The Cubs should be happy to face the Reds for a set. I mean, they’re 56-46 since 2016. 6-4 this year. That means they have a chance.

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• Mark Saxon (MLB.com*): Cubs’ strategy vs. Pujols doesn’t work. “Attack him with my best stuff, and if I fell behind, he’d put him on,” was how Brandon Hughes recalled it.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): You don’t have to like Cardinals to appreciate Pujols. “Cubs rookie left-hander Brandon Hughes on Sunday became the 451st different pitcher Pujols has homered against...”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): 10 bold predictions for Cubs heading into 2023 season. “... heckle good-naturedly.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): How 2022 Cubs could influence Cardinals, NL history. “In case anyone is wondering, the Cubs are not one of the five NL franchises to claim the top two spots in MVP voting in a season.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Looking back at the 2014 Cubs to separate myth from reality in this rebuild. “Winners get to write their version of history.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Wade Miley finally set to return to the big league Cubs this week. Today, actually, says Evan Altman. Andy Martinez concurs.
• Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs hunting for more power as offseason priorities are already taking shape. “We have to think through how to reconfigure our offense,” Hoyer said.
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Skipper David Ross: If Willson Contreras stays with Cubs, ‘We’re all going to be happy’. “But if Ross really believes the free agent-to-be might be back in the fold in 2023, he didn’t give it away.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Matt Mervis has been a smash in the minors, but the Chicago Cubs are in no hurry to bring the slugger to Wrigley Field. “It’s easy to point out that few players make the jump from Class A to the majors in one season...” Even the Player of the Month.
• Mark Saxon (MLB.com*): Hoerner-Edman parallels go beyond Stanford roots. “The Cubs simply are waiting on Hoerner’s power to blossom as it has for Edman...”

Food for Thought:

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