Hey, if you get Marquee* and want to see my face, today will provide you that magical opportunity. I’ll be on Cubs 360 at 7:30pm CT, hopefully saying reasonable and interesting things while my kids are silent in the background for the first time ever …
*(If you are wondering, since it’s the obligatory question: no deal with Comcast yet on a carriage agreement, but Crane Kenney said this morning that those negotiations are pretty hot right now.)
• We know that most or all of the special events this year have already been cancelled or soon will be, but one that remains on the calendar, in theory, is the Field of Dreams Game on August 13. Thanks to the geographic schedule, however, the Yankees and White Sox won’t be playing each other, so that match-up is scrapped. If the event still happens, though, might it be … the Cubs and Cardinals:
The geographical schedule idea for MLB essentially takes out Yankees vs. White Sox. One matchup I’ve heard tossed around as a possible replacement IF the game happens: Cubs vs. Cardinals. https://t.co/uBVVW0rzWP
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) June 24, 2020
• On the one hand, *IF THE GAME CAN BE PULLED OFF*, it would be a nice little substitute this year for the London Series, which was to be between the Cubs and Cardinals and was scrapped. On the other hand, it does make for some additional travel for the Cubs to a geographic location they wouldn’t otherwise go. Since we don’t know where the next viral hot spots will pop up, it does feel like any extra travel injects at least some extra layer of risk.
• Although he didn’t commit to South Bend as the taxi squad location outright this morning on The Score, Cubs President Crane Kenney – in relation to Spring Training Part Two – did talk in a laudatory way about the South Bend Cubs having some of the best facilities in the minor leagues. And South Bend certainly wants the job:
“We are prepared, and we feel optimistic,” said Andrew Berlin, owner of the South Bend Cubs and an investor in the big-league Cubs.https://t.co/IndVFP9JUo
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) June 25, 2020
• You might prefer the taxi squad to be closer to Wrigley Field than South Bend, but it’s still drivable. And the facilities are likely much, much better – and more controllable – than local colleges.
• Ian Happ was on Sports Talk Live last night, and, among other things, he spoke about the likelihood that there will be positive COVID-19 tests for players upon arrival to Spring Training Part Two. That seems to be expected. But where Happ drew a bit of a line was with respect to what has been going on at other facilities and what WILL be going on now that the health and safety protocols are in place: “Spring Training facilities, other places that guys were working out together, it was a lot different than what we’re talking about with these health protocols.”
• Virtual event:
Theo and Paul Epstein's Foundation to Be Named Later is set to hold its virtual Hot Stove Cool Music concert Thursday night. More info at https://t.co/6C2Hy31ELB pic.twitter.com/0FTzAjaAv8
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) June 24, 2020
• Classic:
https://twitter.com/baseballandthe2/status/1276113804942880769
• Merica:
WIN ME!!! Your friends’ favorite 4th of July shirt is now back in stock! Retweet this to enter. We will pick 3 winners on Friday! SHOP: https://t.co/RkAhFcRm8u #obviousshirts pic.twitter.com/Hy7wgQ4EvF
— OBVIOUS SHIRTS® (@obvious_shirts) June 24, 2020