Cub Tracks is catching

This has been a DAY. My kitten went in for his dongle removal, I woke up with the flu, there was no hot water, and my computer ate 1000 of the 1250 words of the first of a series of articles I’m doing at another venue because my oldest cat jumped on the laptop at a crucial moment and butt-dialed some unknown series of commands. Fortunately I have plenty of medicine, vitamin C, and chicken broth, and Mo is back slappin’ away. I remembered most of the article, happily. Thats MY story. I’m going to let the Cubs tell their own story. 51 days til Opening Day.

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.

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs spring training is only a week away. So is everybody still in? “... despite the back-to-back collapses that defined the endings of the 2018 and 2019 seasons, everybody is presumably in for another wild ride in 2020.” (italics mine)
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs Spring Training FAQs, important dates. “... the time has come to think warm thoughts.” And how!
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Yu Darvish leads 5 Cubs ranked in Top 175 starting pitchers, Adbert Alzolay earns final spot. “It’s a list aimed more at fantasy drafts...
• Bruce Levine (670 The Score*): Cubs pitching preview: Bullpen a question mark. “The Cubs need Craig Kimbrel to find his strong form again in 2020.”
• Adam Lichtenstein (South Florida Sun Sentinel*): Stoneman Douglas names baseball field after Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo after premiering field’s new lights. “It’s crazy, especially with all that’s happened the last couple of years,” Rizzo said.
• Joe Giglio (NJ.com*): MLB rumors: Cubs’ Kris Bryant to Yankees in out-of-nowhere trade?
• Evan Drellich (The Athletic {$}): After Bryant loses landmark grievance, players may push to change service-time system. “This was a necessary step to really allow for a substantial movement in this area in bargaining. Because the excuse (that a grievance can solve the matter) is gone,” one player agent said of the Bryant case.
• Jack Grossman (Indiana Daily Student*): Opinion: MLB’s service time system is broken. “While the Cubs participated in a shady practice and are morally wrong in the Bryant case, they are just one team in a long list to skew the rules in their favor.
• Jason Lieser (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Is a Wrigley Field visit in Patrick Mahomes’ future? Not imminent.
• Cubs birthdays: Germany Schaefer, Doc Miller, Pat Perry, Dan Plesac,

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.