Cub Tracks’ after words

#Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news, notes, and commentary, four days a week, rain or shine. The season is over and it sure didn’t work out for the best. Wait ‘til next year!

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. No artificial intelligences were deployed, employed, entranced, or embalmed in the commission of this missive (apparently I might be training some though). Cub Tracks eagerly awaits the advent of robotic umpires and has already amended the three laws. The going is weird. Cub Tracks turned pro a long time ago.

Cub Tracks. Where the great ones run away.

It might not be obvious, but I put a lot of thought into these features, and into what the team and the players and personnel do, and what they’re likely to do, and I have some ideas about the sport itself and the people who run it. Sometimes such things are set in stone, or at least in ‘black and white’.

Winter is the ideal time to express such things as there is no Cubs baseball and a clear timeline of events. The part that is unknown is the results of such events, and baseball statistical analysis to me does a poor job of prediction. Too much noise, or, in my parlance, a streak of the random, the stochastic, means there’s no scrying in baseball. Or is there? Certainly arguable.

Let’s see how CT did according to the 2024 BCB Roundtable.

Record: 83-79 Predicted: 88 wins, lose in NLDS.

Biggest concern: Kyle Hendricks. Hmm. Accurate.

Biggest pleasant surprise: Michael Busch. Outside of Imanaga, yes.

Sara Sanchez: I think Shõta is a Rookie of the Year candidate, and if he keeps the home run rate down, he’s finally the strikeout dude the Cubs have been missing. And I’m calling it a surprise because that deal is so low relative to his potential value.

Well, yes, as it turns out. Good work!

Duane Pesice: Morel is the third base version of Dick Stuart. He’s gonna go 40-40.

Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Safe for another year? Anyway the Cubs have Isaac Paredes now. He should bounce back nicely.

Duane Pesice: Imanaga wins 17 games to lead the staff. (15-3, leads the staff)

Hey, not bad. Nobody predicted 90+ wins by the Brewers. The Cubs were ‘in it’ until the last few games, which must make upper management squeal in delight.

Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

You decide who is who. Continued on next rock.

In the meantime we have post-mortems and Kyle Hendricks and always Bellinger and Imanaga. Hey, maybe David Ross will emulate Buster Posey!

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• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Craig Counsell knows Chicago Cubs fans deserve better than this. “That feeling just doesn’t go away,” Counsell said.
• James Neveau (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs free agency preview: The biggest questions facing the North Siders. “The Cubs have missed the postseason in five of the last six seasons, and only played three total games in the 2018 and 2020 playoffs.” Meghan Montemurro says “there’s work to do”* {$}. Jordan Bastian agrees. Maddie Lee is down with the work.
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): One last history-making statistic from Shota Imanaga’s amazing Cubs rookie season. “His elite control helped his game translate almost seamlessly…”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): More on Kyle Hendricks’ possible final start with the Chicago Cubs. “We don’t know exactly what the future’s gonna hold for Kyle here or elsewhere,” Ian Happ said. Tony Andracki has more. Meghan Montemurro reports* {$}. The Chicago Tribune* {$} has pictures.
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib*): Nico Hoerner has become a model of consistency as Cubs trade rumors will emerge. “Hoerner’s offense will never be the production that can carry a lineup, but the defensive value he brings to the team will outweigh it.”
• James Barton (CNN*): Chicago Cubs player throws beer money to fans in left field stands. “Happ’s message, written on the ball, read: “Thanks for the support all season! Beers for the left field crew on me!””
• Patrick McAvoy (MSN Sporting News): Cubs superstar projected to receive $154 million contract. “… by Spotrac…” They’re also IN on Pete Alonso.

Food for Thought:

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I’m in another book. This one is a charity tribute to Black Sabbath.