Leftover cabbage and potatoes, fried together in a pan. One of my favorite things. Smells as good as it sounds, like brewing coffee or frying bacon.
In this case, we are considering it as a metaphor for decisions which loom over the proceedings like so many gargoyles.
“The last rookie on the roster sat alone in his room. There was a knock at the door.”
With apologies to Fredric Brown. There are spots still to fill and eyes still to be opened.
Here’s Cub Tracks News and Notes. 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 on this page as sarcasm font. (In the comments section, use @ before and after your remarks @ to produce sarcasm font. In the text body. It doesn’t work in the headlines.)
A roster battle pales in comparison to what Ildemaro Vargas had to go through just to reach the majors.
— Andy Martínez (@amartinez_11) March 17, 2021
My feature on the Venezuelan: https://t.co/kSiJf78oHd
Anthony Rizzo loves us. ❤️ #Cubs
— Cubs Zone ™️ (@CubsZone) March 11, 2021
( : @Cubs) @ARizzo44 pic.twitter.com/lwdiy0xJH1
- Bryan Smith (Bleacher Nation*): First impressions of the Cubs prospects in big league camp. “... thoughts on the 14 prospects that were in camp despite not being threats to make the Major League roster.”
- Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): After years in the background, Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks comfortable stepping into leadership role. “Kyle has been the same guy forever in terms of his demeanor, how he carries himself, how he treats people and his work ethic,” right-hander Jake Arrieta said.
- Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): What’s left: Cubs southpaw relief mix clouded by uncertainty. “There’s guys that have put themselves on the radar here,” Cubs manager David Ross said Monday.
- Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Willson Contreras’ work on pitch framing showed progress in 2020. The Chicago Cubs hope their catcher grows more in 2021: ‘Those are all traits I see in elite receiving catchers across MLB.’ “... Contreras wants to give the pitching staff as many tools as possible to be successful.”
- Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Javier Baez ‘not in a rush to extend,’ willing to talk past opener. “I just want to be a baseball player and that’s it.”
- Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Kris Bryant played most of 2020 season with fractured left wrist, torn ligaments in ring finger. “... I want to compete. Good or bad,” he explained. Based on Gordon Wittenmyer article.
- Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Bryant on mark left by World Series core: ‘Legends in Chicago’. “He’s certainly not wrong.”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs’ keys on defense: Data and freedom. “Joc Pederson believes shift in philosophy can elevate his glove work.”
- Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Brennen Davis and the Cubs’ ‘stacked’ 2018 draft class. “It was huge not missing a year,” Davis said.
- AP via ESPN*: Laiah Zuniga, woman struck by foul ball at Wrigley Field, can proceed with lawsuit against MLB, says court. “... the appellate court said the plaintiff was not limited to arbitrating her case with Major League Baseball.”
Food for thought:
Incredible footage shows that the surface of Mars isn't quite as dead and barren as you might think.https://t.co/TDtdCnbvJ3
— Futurism (@futurism) March 17, 2021
How birds of a feather flock together https://t.co/r7Yz5Nrduq pic.twitter.com/gsba5Rphgw
— Popular Science (@PopSci) March 17, 2021
“Nobody knows how it does this, and it’s a great mystery to be solved.” https://t.co/6GTPQWeZaM
— Futurism (@futurism) March 17, 2021