#Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news, notes, and commentary, four days a week, rain or shine. The Cubs dropped another game, and the regulars played very little. Domestic Opening Day looms.
WELCOME to today’s episode 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. No artificial intelligences were deployed, employed, entranced, or embalmed in the commission of this missive (apparently I might be training some though). Cub Tracks eagerly awaits the advent of robotic umpires and has already amended the three laws. The going is weird. Cub Tracks turned pro a long time ago.
Cub Tracks. Where the great ones run away.
As we’ve learned from the Baseball history series, the game has always been like this. C’est plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Rob hates baseball. The shame is that what he does counts.
Saturday’s game, which didn’t count, was between the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies, at Chicago’s Spring Training home, Sloan Park. Jameson Taillon was slated to open for the Cubs, and Austin Gomber for the Rockies. It didn’t go well for our Cubs, who are “getting over jet lag.” 7-3 Saturday. May today be better. Three more games in Spring Training, then the games count. Again.
Justin Steele has been tabbed to start stateside Opening Day. Nico Hoerner was off, with Jon Berti in his stead. Hoerner sounds ready to go, though. Taillon would follow Steele.
Matt Shaw: X_Factor?
All games should be on TV, in this day and age.
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- Mark Gonzales (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Sluggish Cubs feeling the effects of Tokyo trip, from Craig Counsell on down. “Guys are battling various levels of jet lag,” Counsell said, less than 60 hours after returning from an eight-day trip to Japan. MLB insider agrees.
- Chuck Murr (Forbes* {$}): Moises Ballesteros a prospect due to catch on with Chicago Cubs. “We know he can hit,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He needs experience in all areas and he’s a willing worker. That’s a good start.”
- Rich Eberwein (Cubbies Crib*): Ranking the 5 Chicago Cubs players most likely to have a breakout season. “As the Chicago Cubs look to meaningfully compete this year, several young players are poised to take a step forward in 2025.”
- Matt Danielowicz (Marquee Sports Network*): Under-the-radar players who could make major impact on 2025 Cubs. Includes Cubs Weekly podcast.
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Nico Hoerner returns to the Chicago Cubs lineup while players from the Tokyo Series recover from jet lag. “Let everybody kind of recover on a case-by-case basis,” Counsell said. MLB.com has more Hoerner.
“He’s passed all the tests so far,” Counsell said. “The seven or eight days that we were gone were good for him to just be consistent with his work and do a little more each day, and now we’re ready to go.”
Food for thought:
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