Cub Tracks Gets A New Nickname

I need to come up with a nickname of my own. Maybe it's "Mr. Links." Or "Mr. WPA." Or just "Mr. Unoriginal."

From Comcast SportsNet Chicago:

• Starlin Castro is earning himself a new nickname: Mr. Walk-Off.
• Part of learning how to win is learning how to win in walk-off situations, according to Chris Coghlan.
• Jon Lester was much happier about his outing on Sunday, saying that the seven-inning performance was "back to being me." Now he just has to stop being whoever that other guy is and all will be well.
• When it comes to offense, Joe Maddon has one simple request: Don't look at it. Well, not just it.
• During the rain delay on Saturday, the Cubs showed the Stanley Cup game between the Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning but chose to stop due to... lightning in the area. I guess it's good that they weren't playing the Boston Bruins then.

From Cubs.com:

• The Reds' Billy Hamilton stole five bases on Sunday night, and Joe Maddon and Jon Lester were definitely impressed.
• Kris Bryant is also impressing people with his baserunning skills. He's apparently also on the verge of becoming "clumpy". I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love Maddonisms.
• It took 60 games for the Cubs to do it, but they finally got a sacrifice bunt from a pitcher when Kyle Hendricks laid one down on Saturday night.
• Cubs' eighth-round pick Preston Morrison picked up his first postseason win on Sunday as Texas Christian beat Louisiana State 10-3 in the NCAA Tournament. It was his first postseason win in 10 attempts.

From ESPN Chicago:

• Addison Russell knows that he has the physical ability to play second base on an everyday basis.

From CBS Chicago:

• This week's "Behind the Plate" focuses on Rick Fuhs, the Cubs' scoreboard operator who's known around Wrigley Field as "Quick Rick" for his ability to post balls and strikes almost immediately. The score console that he uses is truly a sight.
• It's also time for the latest installment of Mark Grote's five observations about the Cubs.
• Sunday's seven-inning outing from Jon Lester broke a rut from the starting pitching in which the rotation pitched less than 29 innings in six starts.

From the Chicago Tribune:

• Mark Gonzales takes another plunge into his Cubs mailbag.
• Kris Bryant wants to be known as a complete player and not just a slugger.
• With his first-inning single on Saturday night, Bryant began his second hitting streak this season of 10 or more games, becoming the first Cubs rookie to accomplish the feat since Bill Madlock did it in 1974.
• This just in: If the Cubs are planning to contend this season they will need Jon Lester to deliver on a consistent basis, writes Fred Mitchell.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

• Joe Maddon on Addison Russell at second base: "He's been outstanding."
• Both Russell and Kris Bryant are contenders to win the Rookie of the Year award for 2015, according to Jeff Passan.
• One of the big keys from Saturday's victory for Maddon: The setbacks in the game did not break the Cubs' will to win.
• Apparently ESPN got bored during Sunday's game and found this guy in the stands with crazy sideburns. Heck, I'd just like to have that much hair on my head anymore.
• Not to be outdone by sideburns-man, here's bullpen catcher Chad Noble with a magic trick of his own.

From the Daily Herald:

• Connor McKnight writes that with the National League sitting there for the taking, the fun for Cubs fans in the next month or so will be to see what moves are made by the front office in an attempt to make the playoffs.

From Cubs Den:

• In his Monday morning musings, John Arguello ponders topics including Kyle Schwarber and "the best 25 guys".
• Arguello also looks at a possible market inefficiency: the value of defense at the college level and how it impacts the draft.

From Bleacher Nation:

• [VIDEO] From the "things you'll probably never see again" files: Here's a double-steal from Double-A Tennessee pulled off by... Kyle Schwarber and Dan Vogelbach.

From Chicago Cubs Online:

• More All-Star news from the minors, as three Cubs prospects from High-A Myrtle Beach will be playing in the California-Carolina League All-Star Game on June 23.

From Cubs Insider:

• Todd Johnson took a trip to Burlington, Iowa to watch the South Bend Cubs play the Burlington Bees and came back with this report.

Miscellaneous:

• Anthony Rizzo has been a beast this season. Ryan Monsevalles at numberFire looks at why this is the case.

Today's food for thought:

• An unlikely cure for scurvy before citrus was widely available: Fresh horse meat.
• And from the wonders of technology: A plan is in place to build a 24-foot steel pedestrian bridge in Amsterdam in 2017. No big deal, other than the fact that the bridge is planned to be built by a six-axis robot that can craft molten metal in mid-air.