Today’s installment of Cub Tracks, the crème de la crème of link posts. We read everything so you don’t have to and throw out the chaff.
Monday was an off-day for the Cubs before their series with the San Francisco Giants, starting tonight. The Cubs have a fairly solid claim on a wild-card spot and are still not out of the hunt for the division title. Several players are in line for individual honors, but we await October baseball, where the heroes are made.
The Cubs’ schedule is said to be favorable,
with them playing mostly second-division clubs for the rest of the year. As always, any team can beat you, and the good teams will beat you.
Predicting what will happen is probably best done with a Ouija board. There is no scrying in baseball.
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- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Is Cade Horton now the NL Rookie of the Year Favorite? Awesomeness and implications abound. “… as far as the pitching group goes, Horton is definitely in the lead.” Zoe Grossman has more Horton*. Cubs Insider bets on him*.
- Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Kyle Hendricks is a reminder the Cubs will go only as far as their pitching takes them. “Pitching is inherently fragile…“ Maddie Lee has more* {$}. Cubbies Crib talks about it*.
- Zoe Grossman (Marquee Sports Network*): Why Cubs pulled Jameson Taillon after 62 pitches in win vs. Angels. “… due to left groin tightness.”
- Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation*): Can we give it up for Matt Shaw? “… Shaw hasn’t just taken to the position; he’s turned into one of the most valuable defensive third basemen in baseball.“
- Randy Holt (North Side Baseball*): It’s time to bench Ian Happ in favor of Owen Caissie. “When one considers all the factors, it becomes very clear who should cede playing time in the Cubs’ lineup…“
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): How PCA took his elite defense to another level. “Crow-Armstrong credits his coaches for helping him unlock another few feet of coverage.“
- Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Is Kyle Tucker back? Cubs’ reset appears to be working as planned. “This was coming,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “This is the nature of the game.” North Side Baseball has more*.
- Paul Niemiec (North Side Baseball*): 4 Chicago Cubs Minor Leaguers who deserve a look in September. “… these four players have performed well in the minors and could help a Cubs team in desperate need of reinforcements.“
Food for thought:
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