Cubs Leadoff Spot, Urgent Urgency, Hendricks Prediction, Full Press Conference, and Other Bullets

It was an interesting time to drop enormous news – about 6:15 am in Chicago – but the Cubs have officially announced the new regional sports network, the Marquee Sports Network. Mild details are out so far, and we’ll have much more as it becomes available.

Among the details yet to be revealed:

-Terms of relationship btw MSN and Cubs (i.e., revenue to the org)
-Precise role of Sinclair
-What other local sports?
-Carriage options/details
-Other media elements of MSN
-Streaming options

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) February 13, 2019

Otherwise, Bullets …

• Joe Maddon was of course asked about the leadoff spot yesterday, but he demurred, saying only that it’s a good question, and the Cubs will go through the process during Spring Training, give guys opportunities, and figure it out from there. I tend to think we’ll once again see a mix and match approach depending on who is in the lineup, and who the Cubs are facing. Ben Zobrist will see time up there. Albert Almora (against lefties) will see time up there. Anthony Rizzo may even see more time up there.
• Maddon also said that Yu Darvish is looking really good right now, well on the path to full health. Maddon believes Darvish looks better now than he did at this time last year, which was also something Darvish, himself, has suggested.
• A word you’ll probably hear a lot this Spring – and not ironically – is “urgency.” It’s something of a counterweight to “complacency,” which is how the last couple years have been described at times. Folks will make jokes about an organization that mostly sat on the sidelines this offseason preaching “urgency,” but when it comes to the games and the coaches and the players, I sure hope it resonates. I’m tired of hearing about how it’s no big deal when the Cubs lose a very winnable early-season game, because there’s still plenty of time. The wins in April count just as much in the standings as the wins in September, and the only game you can win or lose is the game in front of you that day. No, you don’t have to HANG ONTO a loss after it happens, but you DO have to play that day with a sense of urgency. You need that win. That day. You never know whether it might wind up costing you the division five months later.
• Own It Now is the slogan for the year:

Joe Maddon explains what "Own it Now" means for his 2019 @Cubs squad: pic.twitter.com/geKsDCcaP2

— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) February 13, 2019

• The full context of Theo Epstein’s comments on the disgusting contents of emails sent to and by Joe Ricketts:

Here is Theo Epstein, speaking on the recently-leaked e-mails of Joe Ricketts (father of Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts) from Tuesday’s press conference in Arizona… pic.twitter.com/pwLsrOBZyq

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) February 13, 2019

Theo Epstein: "We do stand for 'Everybody In'." pic.twitter.com/yKs2BrM3Vq

— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) February 13, 2019

• If you missed any of the opening press conference, you can watch the whole thing right here:

• For those counting:

During the Cubs’ welcome-to-camp press conference, Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Joe Maddon spent nine-plus minutes on Addison Russell’s domestic violence suspension, almost eight minutes on Joe Ricketts’ toxic email account and roughly five minutes on the game’s labor tensions.

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) February 12, 2019

• Adbert Alzolay is behind the other pitchers after feeling something in his side.
• The Professor is professing:

Kyle Hendricks is calling his shot for 2019! pic.twitter.com/UCxz4LPV67

— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) February 13, 2019

• This remains something the Cubs will have to work on in a very visible way this year:

“What we’re attempting to do is mend fences.”

Tom Ricketts and Julian Green, Cubs vice president of communications, met with the Council on American-Islamic Relations last week.https://t.co/7FNX474LRh pic.twitter.com/Di9yrMfiFU

— Chicago Sports (@ChicagoSports) February 11, 2019

• Burton Rocks, a real agent, gets dunked on:

Is "analytics" some sort of code word for the luxury tax functioning like a salary cap? Or for owners crying poverty? Because I'm pretty sure actual analytics say go sign Bryce Harper https://t.co/UT571kLJ79

— keithlaw (@keithlaw) February 13, 2019

• Baby clothes, speakers, and building blocks are among the Deals of the Day at Amazon today.
• Well, this would certainly be wild:

Hmm: Are the Bears a “Team to Watch” in the Le’Veon Bell Sweepstakes? https://t.co/kg5cRR2gsi pic.twitter.com/QjdiEDPMA8

— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) February 12, 2019