Well, there’s no shortage of news now. Every day the gods throw thunderbolts, and woe to those who didn’t attend the duck and cover drills. Even the crumbs that fall from the table are nourishing after a lean winter. With any luck, Rob Manfred will fall off the edge of the earth.
I never thought I’d miss Bowie Kuhn. I understand that Manfred can appear in public only in semi-darkness, in order to conceal the strings. Indicting him would indict the entire owner class ... which is an enticing prospect to be sure, but even I don’t have drugs good enough to convince me that there’s any possibility of that happening. The money men frown on it.
Here’s today’s episode of Cub Tracks 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.
“What Joe created here was really healthy,” David Ross said. “But there also created a little bit of accountability on the players’ part when you have a lot of freedom. And it’s nice that Javy recognizes what he needs. That’s a powerful message.” — Gordon Wittenmyer.
“Sometimes when you hear so many voices,” Ross said, “you don’t know who you are.” — Jordan Bastian.
- Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Nick Castellanos on 2019 Cubs: ‘If you have a math final and you fail, did you study hard enough?’ Javier Baez is quoted in this medicine ball. Kaboom. Jordan Bastian has better examples. Jesse Rogers was there yesterday. Sahadev Sharma {$} weighs in.
- Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): David Ross eagerly awaits Chairman Tom Ricketts’ speech before the Cubs’ 1st full spring training workout. “Ricketts is scheduled to meet with reporters after the players session ...” Brett Taylor reports on this. Cam Ellis restores the competitive balance. Jordan Bastian has remarks.
Tom Ricketts meets the media from spring training https://t.co/XKYBwjoGfI
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) February 17, 2020
- Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Have the Cubs done enough to return to the playoffs? Tom Ricketts thinks so. “But that doesn’t mean everyone’s optimistic.”
- Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Cubs players seem to be on board with the idea that Ross was the change the team needed. The eternal management style taffy pull. Good cop, bad cop kinda thing but not really.
- Ryan Davis (Forbes*): Six Cubs candidates for the final rotation spot. “... the team has already admitted that Tyler Chatwood has the early advantage, but there are still several options for manager Ross to choose from.”
- Mike Axisa (CBS Sports*): Cubs’ Yu Darvish feels ‘weird’ that Astros still have 2017 World Series title. “Commissioner Rob Manfred said he wouldn’t ask the Astros for a ‘piece of metal back’.”
- Yu talks about it to ESPN [VIDEO].
- Cam Ellis (NBC Sports Chicago*): Jason Kipnis comes home looking to write one final chapter of his career. “I think I didn’t fully understand it until it was announced and my phone started blowing up...’”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Kipnis eager to work with Nico Hoerner in Cubs camp. “I’d like to work with him and kind of teach him what I know, too, and hopefully, both of us become better from it,” Kipnis said.
- Larry Hawley (WGN-9): Javier Baez looks for improvement from himself & the Cubs in 2020. “Dan Roan caught up with the shortstop at spring training in Mesa, and you can see his report on Baez in the video...”
- Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Are the Cubs heading toward a Báez vs. Bryant decision? “I hope we both stay here,” said Baez.
- Shawn Childs (Sports Illustrated*): 2020 Fantasy Baseball: Chicago Cubs team preview. “Chicago should have a competitive offense with a bounce-back in their bullpen.”
- Jim Walsh (The Mesa Tribune): Cubs fans due for a surprise at Sloan Park. “About 800 spots have vanished from the stadium’s largest parking lot as some once-popular soccer fields make way for The Union, a massive office park billed by the city as an important source of new high paying jobs.”
- Cubs birthdays: Walter Thornton, Zip Zabel, Cal Neeman, Bob Miller, Jerry Morales, Kevin Tapani, Shawn Estes, Brian Bogusevic. Also notable: Joe Gordon (HoF).
Food for thought:
In some cases, precooling could lead to exponentially faster heating.https://t.co/WRDsP6uGcu
— Science News (@ScienceNews) February 17, 2020
See how birds change their tunes to fit their surroundings https://t.co/RZRIXOzLHi pic.twitter.com/j28sU7rb1j
— Popular Science (@PopSci) February 17, 2020
Even if you avoid the tentacles, some jellyfish can still sting you.https://t.co/l6KijREKwo
— Science News (@ScienceNews) February 17, 2020
Thanks for reading.