Cub Tracks’ at first you succeed

It was a beautiful day in southern Arizona. I went for a walk and listened to the game. I was kinda missing Chicago — I moved away eighteen years ago, and somehow, during my walk, I acquired the makings for a quartet of Italian beefs. Didn’t have the true Anthony Rizzo specials — I don’t care for the red gravy on that sammich. But hots and mozz, toasted and dipped, that’s for me. On garlic bread.

I have those red and yellow plastic baskets to serve my sammiches in, and wax paper and foil, and a deep fryer for the hand-cut fries, so it’s like an authentic experience, especially for my dinner companions, who have never even been to Chicago, let alone had a Buona beef, or one from my preferred venues, Paul’s Pizza or Uncle Pete’s.

Good enough that beefs are in the starting lineup and the regular rotation.

I don’t think it’s a secret that Rizzo is my favorite player (I tend to like first basemen despite having been a relief pitcher). I love me some Javier Baez, and I love me some Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber, but Rizzo’s heart and perspective and gamesmanship won me over long ago (like during a certain game in Cincinnati). I’m all for him being in Chicago as long as he wants to.

Let’s make that happen, Cubs. Respect him.

Here’s today’s Cubs News and Notes. As always * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

• Michel Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Four Chicago Cubs land on Sports Illustrated’s Top-100 MLB players. “Bryant – 17th, Rizzo – 33rd, Baez – 39th, and Kyle Hendricks – 53rd.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): What’s cooking in the Cubs’ Pitch Lab? Come with me and you’ll see…”Staffers like pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, associate pitching, catching and strategy coach Mike Borzello and minor league pitching coordinator Brendan Sagara are all adept at utilizing this technology in various ways.”
• Rick Morrissey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Waiting for Jon Lester’s imminent demise is a fool’s game. “Lester isn’t a rock star. He’s a rock.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): ‘You don’t win 95 with a horseshit bullpen.’ Why Joe Maddon is so confident about this year’s Cubs team. “Relief pitchers are held to an impossible standard,” Maddon said.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Why Cubs’ Pedro Strop is an anomaly among relievers. “Strop might be the most consistent relief pitcher in the big leagues.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Strop shows promise in bid for save chances. “He doesn’t get near the due that he is due,” Joe Maddon said.
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Brad Brach’s restructured deal leads 4 intriguing storylines from Cubs relievers. “...everything is understandably murky.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): The forgotten man in the Cubs bullpen is hitting the reset button. “Don’t forget about Brandon Kintzler.”
• AP via Texarkana Gazette: Kendall Graveman gets used to Cubs while rehabbing. “To get close to these guys by talking pitching and then also working hard and letting those guys know that whenever I come back and pitch I want to help this team win,” he said.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): No karaoke. No animals. No bounce house. Is it the end of an era at Cubs spring training camp? “Every party ends sometime, and maybe the more serious tone will lead to a bigger and better party come October.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): How Cubs’ roster is shaping up so far. “I’m seeing the most open group I’ve worked with in a long time. Really open,” Maddon said. “I’ve always had good exchanges -- no question. It’s just, it’s another level right now.”
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): Extensions are MLB’s new normal. Are Bryant, other Cubs next? “...young players are beginning to see the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Theo Epstein says Cubs will be prepared to sell If the team does not play well. “...the Cubs would have a ton of theoretically movable pieces at that point if things went bad.” Evan Altman adds to the pile.
• Ryan Fagen (The Sporting News): Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo on Harry Potter, T-ball and valet parking.

“If you were MLB commissioner for a day, what’s one thing you would do?

“Rizzo: For the day? No idea. I have no idea. Probably sit back and kick my feet up on the desk.”

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Rizzo hopes to complete his career with the Cubs: ‘We’ve been through a lot together’. “...I could never see myself playing anywhere else, at least by my choice,” he said.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): After Hollywood-esque rookie season, David Bote breaks down swing adjustments and fear of failure. “...this winter, he had to figure out how to hold up over a larger sample, especially now that the league had caught on to his weaknesses.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Albert Almora Jr has everyday player mentality. “Joe’s got a hard job with a bunch of talent that we have here. It’s a good problem to have,” he said.
• Jeffrey Greenblatt (Jambase): Eddie Vedder talks Cubs World Series Victory & more on ‘Off The Mound’ [VIDEO].

Cubs birthdays: Merwin Jacobson, Ed Bouchee, Jimmie Hall, Randy Stein, Joe Carter,

Food for thought: