Cub Tracks’ pride and the profane

Welcome to your Sunday, and today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™, featuring material from current beat writers, bloggers, and the occasional in-house habitué, moonlighting. These pieces center around #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball and are not brought to you by the Limu Emu.

<insert random gamethread word>!! That was great!

This has been a stressful week and that was just what the vet ordered. The Professor returned to the podium Saturday afternoon, and all was well in Cubdom, if only for a moment. The ledges were retracted. The world sang in perfect harmony.

Maybe the Cubs just needed a real crowd and some sunshine. It’s the real thing. I like Pittsburgh-area native Ian Happ’s bat in the 4-hole. If he can hit .250 with 25 HR and 75 RBI, I’d be pleased, and that’s doable. I like Alfonso Rivas’ bat big time. His glove ain’t bad, either. I bet he’d be good for .280 and 15 HR and 80 RBI over 500 at-bats, but his lifetime SLG of .418 won’t play over Frank the Tank (.532). Still, it’s higher than I would have thought, given Happ’s MLB SLG of .465.

I like Jonathan Villar’s glove on the bench, but his bat (not brought to you by Valencia orange peel) plays. I prescribe once-weekly starts and a lot of DH time. I wonder about David Bote, on the 60-day IL. He was spotted playing catch the other day by Scott Changnon. I like his power bat and defense. Andrelton Simmons did a batting practice round, says Andy Martinez. Clint Frazier will be back fairly soon. Roster jenga approaching.

How did it all turn out? Turn to Al’s recap for your answers. Here we have the uncoverage, not brought to you by Geoffrey Holder. It’s the real thing.

Final score and box from Gameday.

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• Karli Bell (Marquee Sports Network*): Bears coach Matt Eberflus throws out first pitch, sings stretch at Wrigley Field. “I can tell he’s been working at it, which always makes me laugh,” Kerry Wood said.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs notes: David Robertson, closer; Sean Newcomb’s post-trade fresh start; Clint Frazier sidelined; Ian Happ’s momentum. “... actions speak louder than words...”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Keegan Thompson ‘in total command of everything’. “... manager David Ross believes the young righty is currently a “weapon” for the team out of the bullpen.” Andy Martinez concurs. Jake Misener has a few words. Evan Altman brings up the rear.
• Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): How has the shortened spring training impacted Cubs hitters? “David Ross said the Cubs bats started off great, though things have tailed off during the current homestand.”
• Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Alfonso Rivas makes the most out of return to Cubs. “Rivas didn’t pout when he was optioned to Triple-A Iowa following the Cubs’ game April 15, and responded by hitting a three-run homer Saturday.” Alexander Patt has more.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Frazier ‘ready to rake’ after appendectomy Friday. “... he’s already lobbying to get in the lineup.”
• Joey Polizze (MLB.com*): Michael Hermosillo breaks through for big 1st hit. “To do that in that moment was big for us, and I know it’s big for him,” said manager David Ross.
• Andrew Baggarly (The Athletic {$}): The Giants would’ve loved to sign Seiya Suzuki, so why didn’t they? “It wasn’t for a lack of trying.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs Prospect Notes: Homers, Homers everywhere – Also some great pitching! “They were everywhere, all within a really small window of time!”
• Sam Dykstra (MLB.com*): NEW: Watch Minor League games on MLB.TV. “... you can get a taste of what you’re missing with select Minor League Baseball games featuring some of MLB’s top prospects coming to the MLB.TV streaming platform.”

Food for Thought:

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