Cub Tracks’ it’s all too much

Welcome to today’s edition of Cub Tracks news and notes™, a greatest-hits collection of Chicago-style beat writers and bloggers, ground from #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, overheated, steeped in writers’ tears, and then cold-brewed overnight for maximum flavor.

Diamond Sports has officially filed for bankruptcy, and the repercussions are still echoing. We don’t yet have final wisdom but when we do there will be total coverage. Here’s Al’s article on this topic from Monday.

John Smoltz seems to have gotten over his acyrologia, or at the very least, made the jargon somewhat less ostentatious, which is good, and he has morphed into a passable broadcaster with a specialty in divining pitch sequences. I for one am in favor of the new Smoltz, who is much more direct and to the point. He very nearly enhances the shows he is part of. Hopefully we won’t catch him at the art of catachresis so often, anymore.

David Bote continues to mash. I don’t see where he really benefits the Cubs’ MLB team but he would look good in about 25 other sets of colors. If I were him I wouldn’t be made happy with a Triple A assignment and I imagine that’s motive enough for now. But after?

Happy birthday, Hee-Seop Choi.

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• Chicago Tribune*: Photos: The 2023 Chicago Cubs. Player portraits.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): REPORT: Chicago Cubs valuation Has climbed to $4.69 billion. “... the 4th most valuable franchise in baseball...”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Marquee Sports Network to air 40 Cubs-affiliated MiLB games this season. From press release.
• Tony Andracki and Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): 23 for ’23: What can we expect from Kyle Hendricks this season when he returns to Cubs? “The most important thing is getting him back to pitching like Kyle Hendricks,” Jed Hoyer said.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): 23 for ‘23: What does the Cubs Opening Day bullpen look like? “We’ll break down some of the candidates for the Opening Day bullpen below.”
• Meghan Montemurro and LaMond Pope (Chicago Tribune*): Cactus League report: Julian Merryweather’s comfort with new slider — and Leury García’s hustle impresses new manager. “Count right-hander Merryweather in the sweeping slider club among the Cubs pitchers.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Early guesswork on how the Chicago Cubs will handle the closer spot. “... the Cubs have a large number of guys who’ll be in the bullpen about whom you can make a convincing closer argument.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): How the Cubs made their pitch to Michael Fulmer, who might become their next closer. “Fulmer’s path reminds Tommy Hottovy of the way that Wade Davis reinvented himself.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib*): When will Matt Mervis make his Chicago Cubs Major League Debut? “May seems like an ideal month to circle for when Mervis will make his Major League debut with the Cubs.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times*): How Cubs helped infielder Zach McKinstry optimize his strong arm. “In his first spring training with the Cubs, McKinstry has a shot to make the Opening Day roster.” Aldo Soto has thoughts.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune*): Billy Williams wants to be a resource for Chicago Cubs players — and it’s all thanks to Buck O’Neil’s influence 60 years ago. “O’Neil had known Williams since high school when O’Neil worked as a regional scout in the South for the Cubs.”
• Chad Jennings (The Athletic {$}): For MLB broadcasters, pitch clocks mean adjusting to a whole new ballgame. “It takes too much time for nothing to happen,” Cubs and ESPN broadcaster Jon “Boog” Sciambi said.

Food for Thought:

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