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Jan 17

The Rundown: CubsCon 2020 Opens Tonight, Fallout Continues in Wake of Astros Scandal, Trout Accused of Using HGH – Cubs Insider

I used to book bands at SXSW in Austin, TX every March, and it was right around this time of year that I would start finalizing deals with the venues on Sixth Street while making sure my bands got the slots that afforded them the most industry attention. Id kick off my annual mid-January ritual with a nod to the quote I have had hanging in my office for a number of years:

Scattered among these things are reminders that sound once existed: a metronome, a drumming pad, a guitar pick, a trumpet mouthpiece, a music stand, a tuning fork, a block of rosinThe older instruments bear the marks of those who have already played them, the scuffs and bites and dents that are the mysterious scars of sound. In their midst the house hangs, tenuous and enveloping, a sounding board waiting to be struck. Geoffrey OBrien

That imagery certainly applies to the 2020 version of the Chicago Cubs.

Usually when Cubs Convention kicks off, its a reminder that the hot stove has basically ended and the team is ready to get the new season started. After all, pitchers and catchers report in 25 days, one would think most of the heavy lifting on roster construction would be done by now. That said, the Cubs may be launching into 2020 by simply pulling up the tarps and dusting off the artifacts they put into storage last October.

Will doing nothing be enough? David Ross certainly thinks so.

Its an exciting time to be [the] Cubs manager because theres a lot of talent, Ross said yesterday. Theres no ceiling for this team. I really think this team can win the World Series. Thats the way Im looking at things.

If anything, Cubs players should be champing at the bit after two disappointing seasons, at least when compared to their magnificent run from 2015-17. Theyll have a lot to prove, not just to the fans or the front office that remains married by hook or by crook to its core, but also to themselves.

We want to win, Anthony Rizzo added. I think winning will take care of every single question that has popped up the last couple years, because we havent won. Its on us to get the culture back, get the winning mentality back. Not making the playoffs last year was not fun. Its not easy to win, but we have the right people to do it.

The mood during tonights opening ceremony should be ravenous to say the least, but for different reasons than years past. Questions from fans about the lack of player movement for a second consecutive season will certainly demand transparency from key members of the organization. It should be a weekend thats revelatory and engaging. Than again, maybe Im being too optimistic.

As for me, Im looking forward to meeting my peers at Lizzie McNeills tonight. Though I dont know many of the other Cubs bloggers personally, I certainly enjoy their work.

While at SXSW, all of the talent providers like myself used to hang out at Gueros Taco Bar or Threadgills, where we would talk about the ups and downs of the music business. Occasionally wed run into performers that included Beck, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, or Stefan Lessard of the Dave Matthews Band, and talk shop. One year I hung out with Ryan Gosling and I didnt know who he was until I came home and showed the girls my pictures from the trip. Ill tell you about that sometime, its actually an hilarious story.

Im hoping a similar vibe exists tonight, even for an awkward introvert like myself.

Cubs News & Notes

Friday Stove

Alyssa Nakken, a former softball star at Sacramento State, will join the Giants coaching staff as the first female full-time assistant in Major League Baseball history.

The fallout from the Astros sign stealing scandal has resulted in the firing of Mets manager Carlos Beltrn, who was originally hired about two weeks before Ken Rosenthal broke the original story.

New Yorks managerial opening could be filled by Eduardo Perez, who was a finalist before Beltrnwas hired.

The Red Sox had every intention of sticking with lexCora despite an ongoing investigation into the teams alleged rules infractions, but eventually decided it had no choice but to let him go.

Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger said that the Astros cheating scandal has completely ruined baseball.

First baseman Ryan Zimmerman is expected to re-sign with the Nationals any day now.

On Deck

Baseball social media was a hot mess yesterday. Recapping:

Apropos of Nothing

In 2015 I booked 217 bands at SXSW. It nearly killed me and I operated at a loss of about $4200 for the week, yet I still miss it a great deal. If youve ever seen the movie This is 40, I was Paul Rudds character, greasing on credit cards to survive, building enormous debt, and burning through what little savings I had. Id do it all over again if I could, which is the kind of crazy that makes legends of some and hot disasters of most others.

Extra Innings

I already miss this guy. Best of luck in Baltimore, Taylor Davis.

They Said It

Friday Walk Up Song

Lucky Now by Ryan Adams Baseball is almost here, and love or hate the way this offseason has played out, you cant help but feel excited. The days are getting longer, the sun a little warmer, and hope springs eternal.

See more here:
The Rundown: CubsCon 2020 Opens Tonight, Fallout Continues in Wake of Astros Scandal, Trout Accused of Using HGH - Cubs Insider

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