Cub Tracks’ free Mason

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.

You were expecting maybe Mike Mason?

In the interest of clarity, I interviewed ChatGPT about the pitch clock. I found its answer to be edifying, if a tad oversimplified. I don’t think there is an agreement to be found in this controversy.

Q: What do you think of the pitch clock in major league baseball?

A: As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions or preferences. However, I can provide some information on the pitch clock in Major League Baseball (MLB).

The pitch clock is a rule implemented in MLB to speed up the pace of play and prevent games from becoming too long. The clock requires pitchers to deliver the ball within a certain amount of time, typically between 15 and 20 seconds, depending on the situation. If a pitcher fails to deliver the ball within the allotted time, a ball or a strike may be awarded, depending on the circumstances.

Advocates of the pitch clock argue that it helps to speed up the game and makes it more exciting for fans. They also believe that it can help to level the playing field for hitters who face slower pitchers who may use long pauses between pitches to disrupt their rhythm.

Opponents of the pitch clock argue that it disrupts the traditional rhythm of the game and can lead to rushed and sloppy pitches. They also believe that it puts undue pressure on pitchers and can lead to more injuries.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of the pitch clock in MLB is a matter of personal opinion. Some fans and players may enjoy the faster pace of play, while others may prefer a more traditional style of the game.

I really don’t like it, is my knee jerk reaction. But, as with the Manfred Man, I have no power to effect change. Time is not the same for me that it is for people with busier lifestyles, and I think that’s the nut of it. I don’t mind if the games take all day. I don’t have to keep regular hours. Your mileage may vary. But neither ‘side’ is right or wrong.

The players’ adjustments have yet to be made (someone said that Tuesday, and upon reflection, I agree). Let’s see how they manage to game the system. Then there will be more adjustments. Max Scherzer has already been heard from...

The Team Canada/Cubs contest was completely unavailable to YouTube TV subscribers. Nice job, corporate America. Corporate America hates baseball. I see that the game went well for our boys in blue, though, even if some of them were on the other team.

* 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. The powers that be have enabled sarcasm font in the comments.

Tweetstorm coming, better hide.

Linkage:

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Fiery Sampson determined to win rotation spot. “I’m very lucky it’s Spring Training — that’s the biggest thing right now,” Sampson said.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Impossible dream come true: Cubs pitcher Roenis Elías proud to play for Cuba in historic WBC. “I’ve always wanted to play in the Clasico,” Elías said.
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): 23 for ’23: Who will close for the Cubs? “We’re looking for outs,” manager David Ross said.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): First impressions of Cubs’ new catching setup without Willson Contreras. “David Ross also compared Barnhart and Gomes to his setup with Jarrod Saltalamacchia on the Boston Red Sox team that won the 2013 World Series.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times*): Cubs’ David Ross dubs David Bote ‘MVP so far in camp,’ but roster picture more complicated. “I’m going to just put on my working-man boots and show up and go to work,” Bote said.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): What kind of impact will Dansby Swanson have during his first season in Chicago? “He’s always thinking about how to get an edge; it’s a winning mindset,” Ross said. Jake Misener has more Swanson.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): How a ‘gut punch’ conversation helped Chicago Cubs 3rd baseman Patrick Wisdom improve his defense. “The Cubs put it simply to Wisdom: He needs to flush his at-bats and not let them carry over to the field.” Maddie has additional words of Wisdom.
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery*): Cubs position battles: Edwin Rios trending up. “... after a week of spring training games a few players are separating themselves from the rest.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): The update on Cubs extension stuff is that there is no update. “I would love to stay here and I would love to be a part of the next great Cubs team, but we’ll see,” said Ian Happ. Mark Feinsand corroborates that testimony.
• Marquee Sports Network: Cubs Weekly Podcast: Women’s History Month edition.

Food for Thought:

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