Cub Tracks was saying Yuuuuu

Sometimes my tongue is so far in my cheek that it comes out like the spring in a piece of crunchy frog. This may or may not be one of those times. The same wags that defined insanity say a picture is worth a thousand words.

My publisher has other ideas, but I digress. Several thousand words’ worth of baseball poetry below:

The bloggers are all covering the convention, so we mostly have beats for breakfast. The season looms, and Cub Tracks is way out in front. In fact, we could be said to be in midseason form.

The greatest shape of our lives.

Round!

Yes, that’s right. Thanks to the discovery of pie, we have achieved circumference.

Here’s today’s episode of Cubs News and Notes, the only links column that really matters. As always, * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used here as sarcasm font.

• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): The 2020 Cubs: Insanity, the elephant in the room at Cubs Convention.

“It’s been written,” the fan continued, “that the definition of insanity is trying to do the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Yet we’re probably gonna have a very similar lineup this year to what we had last year. Can you articulate what we should expect differently and why we should get different results from that?”

• Phil Rosenthal (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs’ Marquee TV network will launch on Feb. 22 with new on-air talent, but still no deal with Comcast. “Some cable, satellite and streaming carriers may balk at the expense out of concern it cannot afford to pass the expense to customers.” Madeleine Kenney talks about this.
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs announce plans for extended protective netting at Wrigley Field for 2020. “... the extensions will be ready by Opening Day.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts on fans’ reaction at convention: ‘I’m not sure I was being booed’. “While die-hard fans have seldom booed players at the annual event since Sammy Sosa left, they booed Ricketts at the opening of the convention.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Theo Epstein to anxious Cubs fans: ‘Bear with us’. “I know there hasn’t been much for you guys to cling on to this winter,” Epstein said in his opening remarks.
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs in World Series? David Ross triples down. “Maybe it should be Grandpa Rosy.”
• Russell Dorsey (MLB.com*): Ross relies on staff: ‘I don’t believe in autonomy’. “... the new Cubs skipper has made it no secret that he will rely heavily on his coaching staff.”
• Tim Stebbins (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Willson Contreras, expert at going viral, tells hilarious profanity-laced story from 2019. “... just ‘Shut up,” or something.”

• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs’ never-ending search for a leadoff hitter continues: ‘For whatever reason, we’ve struggled’. “Candidly, I don’t think we ever imagined that finding a guy who could hit in the leadoff spot would be a struggle,” general manager Jed Hoyer said.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): All eyes on Javier Baez as Cubs approach spring with possibility of long-term deal in play. “When the right deal comes we’ll be ready for it,” said Baez.
• Madeleine Kenney (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Fergie Jenkins says it’s time Cubs welcome Sammy Sosa back. “He hopes that the two parties can find some common ground in the near future.”

Food for thought:

Cthulhu knows. That’s him calling.

Sure we do. It’s rubber, Sven.

Almost caused mine. Thanks for reading.