Cub Tracks shows up

Welcome back, my friends. Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we like to keep things brief on the principle that it makes us appear wise. Unless we feel a rant. But we don’t mind a little informing with the entertaining. We are in the best shape of our lives (round), tanned, rested, ready (to go back to sleep at a moment’s notice unless there is plenty of coffee), and it’s time for baseball again.

Only time and Nostradamus know what’s coming, and only time will tell. I do wish to explain, though, that my lightly edited comments in the BCB Roundtable included the assertion that the Cubs will play the Padres, who will win the wild-card game over the Nationals. And they will lose ... or so goes the scenario. That means that the Braves, Cubs, and Dodgers are division winners in 2021. And I will continue to hate the Padres.

I have my Cubs gear on, Vienna Beef dogs ready for the grill, and I’m ready for THE SHOW.

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.)

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Opening Day FAQ: Pirates vs. Cubs. “Opening Day will be a study of contrasts on Thursday afternoon at the Friendly Confines.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Expectations, a championship culture and the 2021 Cubs. “... the outside expectations are still serving as bulletin board material for this team.”
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Hot takes? Cold takes? On Opening Day, you get to see the Cubs however you want. “Are the stands 80% empty or 20% full? It depends how you look at it.”
• Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): What the Cubs’ transition from Theo Epstein to Jed Hoyer looks like: ‘Just try to keep it going’. “... Hoyer has a cheerier disposition.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs President Jed Hoyer is “Very Confident” an extension will get done with Anthony Rizzo. “... I kinda want to see more of the context surrounding Hoyer’s comments ...” Evan Altman reports on this. Gordon Wittenmyer thinks it costly.
• NBC Sports Chicago*: Cubs 2021 bold predictions: Eric Sogard leads in 2B starts, more. Tim Stebbins adds a Sogard story.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Ildemaro Vargas clears waivers, will head to Cubs alternate site. “... if a need pops up, he’ll come up.” He’ll join Andrew Romine, newly-signed.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Jason Heyward hasn’t put up the offensive numbers expected with the Chicago Cubs. But he’s become a vocal leader on the team — and around the city: ‘I feel like it’s just my time, my responsibility.’ “Heyward now lives in Chicago year-round and is getting involved with community initiatives.”
• Madeleine Buckley (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Wrigleyville rooftops will be open for baseball season, but with restrictions due to COVID-19. “A spokesman for the city said the rooftops can operate at 50% capacity or 50 people within one space.”
• Ryan Dreyer (Cubs Insider*): The Net Result of MLB’s indifference: How league has failed to protect fans. “MLB doesn’t seem to want to do anything on their own,” said Monte Hoskey.

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