On Saturday, the Cubs won one and lost one. In the one they lost, Anthony Rizzo found some power (probably thanks to the thin air in the Las Vegas desert, but still…GONE x2):
Back in Arizona, Brett Jackson is still finding his way back to the form that made him one of the best prospects in the Cubs system just a couple seasons ago. Jackson got some timely hits, including a three-run homer and a two-run go-ahead single that proved to be the winning hit in the game against the Royals.
Sunday, the Cubs continue split-squad-ing it, with the Cubs acting as the away team in Vegas this time and the other half hosting an Indians split squad in Mesa. The Mesa game will be broadcast commercial free on CSN Chicago at 3 PM Central Time.
#Cubs vs. Indians in Mesa: Bonifacio SS, Lake CF, Valbuena 2B, Olt DH, Baker C, Roberts 1B, Valaika 3B, Vitters LF, Jackson RF, Wood P
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) March 16, 2014
Look, Jake Arrieta is throwing!
Arrieta v Vitters https://t.co/tWr6IDiKKS
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) March 16, 2014
We’ll find the Vegas lineup sometime closer to first pitch. Oh here’s the Mets’ beat writer with the goods:
Sunday #Cubs vs. #Mets:
Cubs
Barney ss
Kalish rf
Sweeney dh
Murphy 2b
Kottaras c
Bryant 3b
Coghlan lf
Vogelbach 1b
Szczur cf
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) March 16, 2014
Our countdown lineup to Opening Day continues…
Following the Rebuild
The Cubs had won back-to-back division titles in 2007 and 2008, and competed for a bit before fading in 2009. They sucked in 2010, under the stewardship of the Ricketts Family who had just purchased the team the previous year, and sucked even more in 2011. We had been arguing for a rebuild since about mid-2010 when the Cubs really could have gotten some sweet deals from a fire sale. The problem was that just about everyone who could be traded either had a no-trade clause built in to their contract, or 10-5 rights that essentially gave them no-trade protection. The new owners were also keeping the team in a holding pattern, so it seemed that the Cubs were stuck in a rut.
Then, at the end of 2011, Tom Ricketts was able to recruit Theo Epstein to head up a new, modern Cubs front office. Theo Epstein promptly hired his former colleagues, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod, to be the new general manager and scouting director, respectively. In just two short years, the farm system has transformed from one of the most barren to one of the best in Major League Baseball. The Cubs started making moves that made us say, “Wow, that makes sense” rather than having us rip our hairs out due to frustration. Despite an apparent money crunch that precluded ludicrous spending in free agency, the Cubs actually got better in the long term, assuming the prospect-heavy plan works out. Even if some of the prospects flame out, there is so much depth built up now that it’s like a mutual fund; if one stock falls, the rest of the stocks can mitigate the losses.
A new, intelligent, competent and plan-oriented front office was foreign to Cubs fans, but I think we’re starting to see the method to the madness. When the money actually starts flowing, we might actually see some fireworks…assuming there are any worthy free agents to pick up.
I liken this to my job, where I am a teacher at a relatively new charter school. We are building from a ground up, trying to establish a positive culture for disadvantaged youth, and making incremental steps every day to improve the lives and educations of everyone who steps through the doors of our classrooms. So it is with the Cubs, and consider how rewarding it is to see something that you’ve worked hard on for so long and supported finally bear fruit. When the winning happens, the growing pains will not be forgotten but will be appreciated. There is a process that has been followed from day one, and the reward will more than justify our patience.
15 more days.