Cub Tracks gets over the hump

The game has yet to happen, but Cub Tracks News and Notes isn’t necessarily tied to current events, so here are some reads that should survive a game day. Let’s assume that nobody’s arm falls off or anything like that, and the the Cubs will send the Mariners’ hopes of victory to Davy Jones’ locker. Al will have his writeup of the game, concurrent with the publication of this missive.

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Enjoy. And Saturday we’ll stop trying to resist the constant temptation and bring you another Cub Tracks weekend.

• Jose M. Osorio (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Wrigley Field and COVID-19 safety measures: What experience should fans expect? Phtogallery: “a look at how it will work.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): MLB plans to use pitch data to try to bust illegal substance cheaters. “... we’re talking about using above-and-beyond grip substances to artificially increase spin rate...”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Now that Kyle Hendricks has been named the Chicago Cubs opening-day starter, how will the rest of the rotation align? To the surprise of exactly nobody, Ross named Hendricks for the opener. Jordan Bastian discusses the rotation also. Hendricks, Arrieta, Davies, Williams, Mr. X. Cubs Talk has Hendricks on their podcast.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): How Hendricks went from overshadowed to reluctant ace. “He’s the leader of our staff in my opinion,” manager David Ross said.
• Sagadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): How the Cubs are helping Trevor Williams regain his 2018 form. “... getting his mechanics right was just the first step.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Free and easy: Craig Kimbrel feels like he’s rounding into form as season approaches. “This normal spring training may make all the difference for Kimbrel.”
• Anthony Castrovince (MLB.com*): ‘A lot of good players’ battle for 2B job. “After seeing [Sogard] there a little bit and talking to Andy [Green], who is on top of the infield guys, there’s a lot of confidence in him as well as Vargy as well as Nico at short,” Ross said. “We’ve got some depth there.” Maddie Lee has thoughts.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Why Javier Báez sees second choice as key in free agency. “I won my Gold Glove as a shortstop, but I’ve been playing other positions.” More on Baez by Wittenmyer.

Food for Thought:

Thanks for reading.