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Cub Tracks will appear as scheduled on Thursday, but you can probably expect a rather slight version as few of these writers will be "working" on New Year's Eve or Day.
From Comcast SportsNet
- Reasonably sure CSN is on Cubs vacation.
From Cubs Den
- Paring down payroll has given (or necessitated, depending on your stance) the Cubs new ways of acquiring long-term talent.
- Here's a book review of "Wrigley Field: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Chicago Cubs."
- A collection of notes looks at Javier Baez leading a big wave of Cub prospects, some underrated defense, and, of course, Masahiro Tanaka.
From Cubs.com
- From the "no kidding" file: The Cubs' rebuild has endured many growing pains.
From ESPNChicago.com
- A review of the impact of NL offseason moves on team defense suggests the Cubs haven't done much. I'm sure this is no surprise to many of you.
- The Cubs earned a mention in Jayson Stark's "Strange But True" column.
- What is the Cubs' next move? I don't know since I'm no longer an "Insider", but based on the photo, I'm guessing it involves a certain Japanese pitcher. That move is also, apparently, a step toward the playoffs in 2015.
From the Dead Tree Folks
- Nothing. Hibernating for the winter, I suppose.
Miscellaneous
- Baseball America thinks Dallas Beeler is making a beeline to the majors (subscription).
Today's food for thought
- Plutonium is a joke.
- You could spend hours clicking through this animated atlas of America in the 1930s.