Cub Tracks’ one that got away

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

A lot of you don’t know this, but Jesus Luzardo was a Cub in 2020. A simCub, that is. He won 17 games as a long reliever on BCB’s Playstation 4 team that lost to the Dodgers for the League Championship. He was traded for Daniel Descalso, who the A’s wanted for some unknown reason.

He was nails. You knew the game was over when he came in, no matter what inning it was. That team is now broken up, sold for spare parts. Brandon Palmer has a sad.

It didn’t work out for Luzardo with the real-life Oakland A’s, either, and he is now starting for the Miami Marlins, who are essentially the East Coast equivalent of the A’s, constantly shedding stars for no real purpose, perennially rebuilding toward some shadowy goal that probably only cats can see.

Haha watch out for the curse. I might profile anyone! Muhuhahahahahaha! You get a profile! YOU get a profile! You get a profile!

Nelson Velazquez doesn’t like zeroes.

Stroman with another quality start. Cubs play some D. Cubs unable to hold lead. Al will have details. Go get ‘em today, boys.

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• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Mr. Consistent: Justin Steele has become one of best pitchers in baseball. “Steele’s run of 12 starts allowing 2 or fewer earned runs is the second-longest active streak in baseball, tied with Shohei Ohtani and trailing only Atlanta’s Max Fried.”
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery*): Jed Hoyer confirms Prospect is coming up Friday. “... right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian is going to ... start for the Cubs...” Today.
• Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): How did Kyle Hendricks do in his start with the Iowa Cubs? “I felt healthy,” Hendricks said following the outing.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs pitching notes: Michael Fulmer making tweaks, Keegan Thompson’s usage and more. “Ultimately, Fulmer might not be closing games over the next few weeks, but the Cubs aren’t overly concerned about him just yet.” More Fulmer from Maddie Lee.

• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): After recent extensions, the Cubs now have a new core in place. “You can see a situation where the top four guys in the lineup are all prime age, they’re all signed through at least 2026,” Hoyer said. “I’m really thrilled to have that stability. This was certainly a priority to get these deals done.”
• (Cubs Insider*): Eric Hosmer not looking over shoulder at Matt Mervis, vows to ‘Help him any way I can’. “This is my 13th year in the league. I’m not going to sit here and be bitter about a young kid coming up,” Hosmer told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Jordan Bastian has more Mervis.

• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib*): Nelson Velazquez making case to remain with Major League team. “Through his first 13 plate appearances with the Major League team this season, Velazquez is slashing .500/.615/1.000 with a 317 wRC+ and .650 wOBA.” Andy Martinez has more.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs reinstate OF Cody Bellinger from paternity list, designate C Luis Torrens for assignment. As noted on the front page, the curse is alive.
• Todd Johnson (North Side Bound): Looking back — what prospects did the Cubs let down in ther development over the last 11 years? “... some guys that the Cubs should have developed either differently or better.”
• Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): Iowa Cubs hitting coach John Mallee happy to be back in Cubs organization. “Coming here has been exciting because of the talent and the level of talent of the position players,” Mallee said.
• MLB.com*: Tom Morello talks Cubs fandom [VIDEO].
• Maura Johnson (ABC57*): Cub Reporter Zoey ‘catches’ up with South Bend Cubs catcher [VIDEO].
• Kori Rumore (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Lee Elia’s rant, 40 years later: How the Cubs manager’s 3-minute tirade became one of the most infamous speeches in history. “I guess I lost it,” Chicago Cubs manager Lee Elia told reporters.

Food for Thought:

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