Cub Tracks Has A Big Week Ahead

Am I the only one who finds it somewhat hard to believe that there are only 20 games left in the regular season?

From Comcast SportsNet Chicago:

• If playing in Philadelphia might have dulled the Cubs' senses, Patrick Mooney writes that they will feel a shot of adrenaline with four games in three days against the Pirates.
• Mooney writes that the Cubs shouldn't take their window to contend for granted.
• Will the bullpen be able to hold up down the stretch? Joe Maddon's view: "I think physically we're there... we just [have] to get their confidence right."
• Maddon is definitely a fan of seeing Kris Bryant in clutch situations, saying that Bryant "does his best work for me when it really matters."
• Starlin Castro isn't worrying about what might happen after this season; right now, he's just enjoying the rush of the playoff race.
• Mooney also writes when it comes to the catcher position, Willson Contreras could play his way into the team's nucleus next season.
• Anthony Rizzo was named this year's Cubs nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.

From Cubs.com:

• The big focus for Joe Maddon in the upcoming series against the Pirates: Take it one game at a time.
• Just how rare was Chris Coghlan's performance on Sunday? The last time that a Cub hit two triples and a home run in a single game was 65 years ago on June 20, 1950.
• One reason to keep Kris Bryant at third base: He's a terrible hitter when he's in the outfield. Or at least that's the joke.

From ESPN Chicago:

• Jesse Rogers puts together his version of a Cubs' wild-card roster.
• When it comes to the rotation for the remainder of the season, Rogers writes that Clayton Richard would be a better option than Dan Haren for the rotation spot.

From CBS Chicago:

• Does playing at home in a one-game playoff give a team an advantage? Joe Maddon doesn't know that it does.

From the Chicago Tribune:

• The Cubs have used 101 batting orders and 73 defensive lineups this season, which is part of the style of Joe Maddon as a manager that demands unselfishness from anybody and everybody, writes David Haugh.
• There's something to be said for returning to something familiar, to which Addison Russell can certainly attest since returning to shortstop.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

• While the Cubs seem to be locked in for the second wild card spot in the playoff race, the fact that they could still move up despite the odds against it are what make the upcoming week so fun and so dramatic, writes Rick Morrissey.
• Are the Cubs ready for October baseball? Gordon Wittenmyer writes that they're about to find out fast.
• Jorge Soler is still hoping to return to the Cubs before the playoffs start.
• With AC/DC coming to Wrigley Field for a concert on Tuesday, what does a Cubs-themed AC/DC jersey look like?  Something like this.

From the Daily Herald:

• Bruce Miles looks at the reasons why the Cubs could be the team that no one would want to face in the playoffs.
• Connor McKnight looks at the Cubs' potential for success in the future, starting with making a long-term deal with Jake Arrieta.

From Cubs Den:

• John Arguello presents his list of the six prospects that he feels will be considered for the 40-man roster to protect them from being taken in the Rule 5 draft.

From Bleacher Nation:

• After not paying much attention to Willson Contreras in the past, Brett Taylor writes that it's time to start looking more at him now.
• From the "That's still an issue?" files: The MLB Players Association is reportedly still considering whether to file a grievance against the Cubs over the two-week delay in calling up Kris Bryant at the beginning of the season.
• More fun facts from Baseball Reference: The 2015 Cubs will be the youngest Cubs team to post a winning record in just over 50 years.

From Chicago Cubs Online:

• Baseball America recently released an article showing how the players taken in the first 10 rounds of the 2015 draft fared this season.

From Cubs Insider:

• Evan Altman makes his case for Anthony Rizzo as this year's National League Most Valuable Player.
• In a two-part series, Todd Johnson looks at the high-average hitters and the high-power hitters in the Cubs' farm system.

Miscellaneous:

• The Red Sox beat the Rays on Sunday, September 13, by a final score of 2-0. If you're wondering why I'm mentioning that here, it's because it was the first major-league start in six years for former Cub starter Rich Hill.
• How did Jake Arrieta become the ace he is now? A lot of it has to do with his release point, as detailed by FiveThirtyEight's Rob Arthur.

Today's food for thought:

• Tornadoes are scary enough as it is. Just try to imagine what they're like when they're also filled with fire.
• It's the South Pole!  On Mars, that is.