April 12, 2016

CSNChicago.com, Before and after: What a difference for red-hot Cubs at Wrigley Field http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/and-after-what-difference-red-hot-cubs-wrigley-field

CSNChicago.com, Late Cubs fireworks turn one-time no-hitter to wild comeback win http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/late-cubs-fireworks-turn-one-time-no-hitter-wild-comeback-win

CSNChicago.com, Life after Schwarber in 2016: 'Grieving period' over for Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/life-after-schwarber-2016-grieving-period-over-cubs

CSNChicago.com, The return of Javier Baez and how Cubs are prepared for next wave of injuries http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/return-javier-baez-and-how-cubs-are-prepared-next-wave-injuries

CSNChicago.com, Cubs: Anthony Rizzo honors Starlin Castro with walk-up song http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-anthony-rizzo-honors-starlin-castro-walk-song

CSNChicago.com, Joe Maddon doesn't think new Wrigley clubhouse will turn Cubs soft http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/joe-maddon-doesnt-think-new-wrigley-clubhouse-will-turn-cubs-soft

Chicago Tribune, Addison Russell's 3-run homer erases slow start for Cubs offense in home opener http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-addison-russell-homer-cubs-reds-spt-0412-20160411-story.html

Chicago Tribune, New look of Cubs' home surroundings matches team's bold, new culture http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-clubhouse-culture-haugh-spt-0412-20160411-column.html

Chicago Tribune, This new Wrigley Field business is going to take some getting used to http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-wrigley-field-changes-sullivan-spt-0412-20160411-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Inside the Cubs' new clubhouse: Dance-party room, air hockey and more http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-clubhouse-wrigley-field-spt-0412-20160411-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs believe new clubhouse can be recruiting tool for free agents http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-clubhouse-free-agents-cubs-bits-spt-0412-20160411-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Addison Russell leading young Cubs' growth spurt http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-addison-russell-maturing-20160412-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Anthony Rizzo pays musical tribute to Starlin Castro http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-20160411-rizzo-castro-walkup-song-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs fans exuberant but cautious at home opener http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-fans-home-opener-met-20160411-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Monday's recap: Cubs 5, Reds 3 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-gameday-cubs-reds-spt-0412-20160411-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ 12-month firework show still bursting in air after comeback http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-12-month-firework-show-still-bursting-in-air-after-comeback/

Chicago Sun-Times, A fun night for the Cubs and a lot of room in which to play http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/a-fun-night-for-the-cubs-and-a-lot-of-room-in-which-to-play/

Chicago Sun-Times, Schwarber isn’t dead, but Cubs’ loss is great http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/schwarber-isnt-dead-but-cubs-loss-is-great/

Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs ‘blown away’ by new digs; Theo talks wait; and other notes http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-blown-away-by-new-digs-theo-talks-wait-and-other-notes/

Daily Herald, 'Absolute insanity' as Cubs win Wrigley opener http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160411/sports/160419735/

Daily Herald, Cubs' faces 'lit up' in new clubhouse http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160411/sports/160419749/

Daily Herald, Rozner: New era can't erase old questions -- yet http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160411/sports/160419728/

Daily Herald, Wrigley security boost: Metal detectors and more netting http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160411/news/160419761/

Daily Herald, Imrem: Schwarber can be replaced on this deep Cubs team http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160411/sports/160419731/

Cubs.com, Addison Muscle: Cubs stout after no-go no-no http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/171788944/addison-russell-lifts-cubs-in-home-opener

Cubs.com, Wrigley roars for Schwarber's on-field intro http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/171715666/kyle-schwarber-introduced-at-wrigley-field

Cubs.com, Russell adds impressive blast to young resume http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/171834702/addison-russell-impresses-cubs-with-huge-homer

Cubs.com, Cubs thrilled by state-of-the-art clubhouse http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/171765338/cubs-impressed-by-new-clubhouse-at-wrigley

Cubs.com, Lackey looks to stay strong against Reds http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/171765338/cubs-impressed-by-new-clubhouse-at-wrigley

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs grind until late home run by Addison Russell sets party in motion http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/37528/cubs-grind-until-late-home-run-by-addison-russell-sets-party-in-motion

ESPNChicago.com, Anthony Rizzo pays tribute to former teammate Starlin Castro http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/37521/anthony-rizzo-pays-tribute-to-former-teammate-starlin-castro

ESPNChicago.com, Addison Russell powers Cubs to late win with three-run homer http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/37508/addison-russell-powers-cubs-to-late-win

ESPNChicago.com, Cubs admit new facilities cushy, but can be catalyst to a championship http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/37503/cubs-admit-new-facilities-cushy-but-can-be-catalyst-to-a-championship

ESPNChicago.com, Week 1 review: Cubs pass all tests http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/37496/week-1-review-cubs-pass-all-tests

-- CSNChicago.com Before and after: What a difference for red-hot Cubs at Wrigley Field By Patrick Mooney Wrigley Field started shaking again once Addison Russell connected on a 95-mph Jumbo Diaz fastball, watching it take flight and disappear into the bleachers in left-center. It felt that way last October, when the Cubs eliminated the St. Louis Cardinals from the playoffs, and that atmosphere left the crowd of 40,882 wanting more late Monday night. Russell emerged from the dugout, raised his blue helmet and twirled around for the curtain call in the eighth inning after that go-ahead three-run homer. With one quick swing from Russell — the 22-year-old shortstop who can dance like Michael Jackson — the Cubs could christen the Celebration Room in their tricked-out new clubhouse. “I knew it was gone,” Russell said after a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. “I normally don’t pimp home runs. But Opening Night, we’re down, the occasion called for it.” What a before-and-after snapshot of this franchise, the comparisons between a locker room that would have felt cramped and out of date for a high school team. Or the ballpark where overhyped prospects used to get buried. Or the stadium operations that became a national joke when enough toilets didn’t work on Opening Night last year. Amid a $600 million construction project and the hum of a scouting-and-player-development machine, Wrigley Field is becoming a place that works and the Cubs have morphed into a team that expects to win every night. Even when Brandon Finnegan takes a no-hitter into the seventh inning. “You’re trying to believe in those promises,” said Jon Lester, who got a quality start no-decision and looks visibly more comfortable in the second season of a six-year, $155 million megadeal. “It was just really trying to listen and believe in the upside of all these guys that have never played in the big leagues.” Lester knew Cubs executives Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod from their time together with the Boston Red Sox and had to take the leap of faith Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward and John Lackey didn’t in joining an instant contender. “I believed Theo,” Lester said. “To get where we were last year — to get to 97 wins — I think kind of panicked Theo a little bit. I don’t think he really expected that. “But to give those guys a winning season — and get to the playoffs and get that experience under their belt — (has) relaxed these guys a little bit and allowed them to just go out and play baseball. “They know how to deal with the expectations now. It’s just about going out and performing.” At this time last year, Russell and eventual National League Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant hadn’t made their big-league debuts yet, meaning they won’t become free agents until after the 2021 season, the same time frame the Cubs have All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo under club control.

Even the layout of the room — with blue mood lighting next to wood-paneled lockers and a Cubbie logo on the ceiling — symbolizes this youth movement. “Being a circle unites teammates, creates a sense of equality,” Epstein said. “There’s no premium locker that’s greater than anyone else’s. There’s no corners to hide in. Everyone’s equal.” Where the Cubs used to drop a net from the ceiling to help get pinch-hitters ready in the middle of a game, they now have a batting cage, The Jake Arrieta Pilates Room, a hyperbaric chamber, infrared/steam saunas, a lunch room stocked with organic food and an NFL-style tunnel leading them onto the field. The end goal isn’t winning the clubhouse arms race and being 6-1 during the second week of the season. But a franchise that used to talk a good game is seeing actual results. Wrigleyville will keep rocking. “The clubhouse fits our identity,” Epstein said. “We believe in young players and the clubhouse has kind of a young, energetic, fun feel to it. But it also has everything that you would ever need to improve yourself. That supports the growth mindset that we try to have for our players. “Every new device under the sun is in there. You want to try to have the best facilities to go along with the best team, which is obviously what we’re trying to build. And there’s only one way you get there. It’s by proving it on the field.” -- CSNChicago.com Late Cubs fireworks turn one-time no-hitter to wild comeback win By Tony Andracki Joe Maddon took off his now-iconic black-framed glasses, looked at them to make sure they weren't rose-colored and flashed a smile to the standing-room-only media crowd on hand in the newly-refurbished press room. The manager had just been boasting about his team for 15 straight minutes, talking up every aspect of the organization — from baserunning to the state-of-the-art clubhouse — before a reporter asked him if there was anything that wasn't rosy with this club right now (besides the obvious Kyle Schwarber injury). Of course Maddon had an amusing response, but hours later, his team almost made the reporter look clairvoyant, needing a late comeback to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 in front of 40,882 fans in the Wrigley Field opener. On a night when both Maddon and Theo Epstein talked up the depth and quality of the lineup, the Cubs didn't pick up their first hit until two outs in the seventh inning when David Ross stroked a two-strike pitch into left-center. Three batters later — after two walks and a pair of pitching changes — a fan set off fireworks on Addison St. beyond the center-field scoreboard, prompting free-agent prize Jason Heyward to ignite some offensive firepower of his own with a two-out, two-run single. "I did see some fireworks when I was on third base," Ross said. "Me and [Cubs third base coach Gary Jones] were trying to figure out what the heck was going on out there." Addison Russell gave the Cubs the lead for good with a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth on the first pitch he saw from Reds reliever Jumbo Diaz. "We had good at-bats the whole game," Maddon said. "I'll give their pitcher a lot of credit - he had an outstanding game. We hit some balls well. Our geometry was bad; early on in the game, itwas at everybody." For the second straight year, Jon Lester got the ball in the first home game of the season and left with the Cubs losing.

Lester pitched well enough to earn the minimum qualifications for a quality start (six innings, three earned runs), striking out five while allowing five hits and a walk on 102 pitches. He surrendered a two-strike homer to light-hitting Billy Hamilton in the third inning and a two-out RBI single to Reds pitcher Brandon Finnegan. "I think I was just a little over-amped in the first, overthrowing a little bit," Lester said. "The ball flattened out on me. Settled in a little bit. I felt like I made a good pitch to Billy Hamilton there and he hit it out. It is what it is. "It was a little bit of a grind. Didn't have a lot to go off of. A lot of 1-0 counts, which is just never good. These guys are swinging the bats really well right now. When you're constantly behind, it just makes you work even harder. "The biggest thing is I kept us in close enough to come back and win. That was huge." The Cubs tallied just three hits on the evening, but found a way to grind out the victory to improve to 6-1 on the season. -- CSNChicago.com Life after Schwarber in 2016: 'Grieving period' over for Cubs By Tony Andracki As the sellout crowd cheered through the frigid Chicago evening, Kyle Schwarber limped toward home plate at Wrigley Field one last time this season. After the Cubs' coaching staff and roster was announced before Monday's home opener, Schwarber slowly crept out of the dugout and walked toward Joe Maddon at the end of the roster lined up alongside the third-base line, using a single crutch as support. The Cubs showed a brief highlight reel of Schwarber's greatest moments — including the monster homer on top of the right-field scoreboard against the Cardinals in the NLDS last season — and announced the "Fast Hulk" last, giving him one more moment in the Wrigley spotlight before he misses the rest of the season with two torn ligaments in his knee. Schwarber's teammates also paid homage to the slugger by blasting his walk-up song ("Thuggish Ruggish Bone") during batting practice. The pregame tributes were something of symbolic moments for the rest of the Cubs, who know they have to move beyond Schwarber's devastating injury. "I still wake up every morning and for a few seconds, I'm not sure it really happened or it was a bad dream and then you realize it did (happen)," Theo Epstein said. "I think it's OK to admit — the team had to go through a little bit of a mourning or greiving period (not to minimize real grief and mourning; this is obviously something different). "And then you move on. We had our worst game (Friday) night after we got the news, and I don't think it was coincidence. Then the guys rallied and recovered, and we moved forward with him. "It's not like we're leaving him behind. He's going to be back next year. He's going to be around as much as he possibly can. I know I started to feel better after chatting with him and spent some time with him last night. That's the type of guy he is — raising other people's spirits. He's still right in the middle of it." Epstein said immediately after the injury, Schwarber's focus was on the team and trying to keep the early good times rolling — a mindset the Cubs president of baseball operations hopes filters through the rest of the clubhouse.

Epstein's front office knows injuries are just a part of the game and added depth all over the field to help counteract potential back-breaking tenants to the team's disabled list. Imagine how much worse the Schwarber injury would look without Dexter Fowler's surprise re-arrival a week into spring training. The St. Louis Cardinals have made it look like an art form to rise above serious injuries in recent years, winning 100 games last season despite major injuries to Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina and Matt Adams, among others. Joe Maddon hates the fact Schwarber won't suit up for the Cubs again in 2016, but he believes there's enough leadership and character in the clubhouse to rise above the loss — both from veterans and the mature young players. "They've been around long enough to know we can survive this. They know that we realize people are going to have to pick each other up," Maddon said, mentioning the early contributions from underrated players like Tommy La Stella and Matt Szczur. "So when these other kids get an opportunity, I really believe you're gonna see a lot of guys (do well). "It's gonna take more guys obviously before the season's over. They're gonna come up from the minor leagues and do equally as well and surprise a lot of people." -- CSNChicago.com The return of Javier Baez and how Cubs are prepared for next wave of injuries By Patrick Mooney The Cubs are looking at internal solutions and hoping for strength in numbers with Kyle Schwarber sidelined for the rest of the season. Javier Baez could be on deck. Baez hit in the middle of Triple-A Iowa’s lineup on Monday night, with Cubs manager Joe Maddon saying the organization would like to see him get around 20 or 25 at-bats before joining the big-league club. That could happen as soon as this week’s opening homestand at Wrigley Field — or once Baez gets his timing down after a left thumb injury prevented him from making the Opening Day roster. The Cubs plan to move Baez around the infield and the outfield with Iowa, grooming another versatile player to help fill the void with Schwarber awaiting surgery to repair the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. That’s how Theo Epstein’s front office built this flexible roster over the years, preparing for worst-case scenarios with a Rookie of the Year who can play third base and all over the outfield (Kris Bryant), an All-Star super-utility guy (Ben Zobrist) and a bullpen stocked with four swingmen (Trevor Cahill, Adam Warren, Clayton Richard, Travis Wood). “Overcoming adversity is really all about character and looking at it the right way,” Epstein said, “instead of sulking and getting down and thinking about what you don’t have. It’s seeing it as an opportunity to overcome something, an opportunity for someone else to step up, an opportunity to really prove your mettle as a club. “Because injuries are not a variable in this game. They’re a constant. You just don’t know who. You don’t know how long. You don’t know what type of injury. But you know you’re going to have injuries. So if you don’t prepare for them, then shame on you.” That’s what the Cubs had in mind when they signed Dexter Fowler to a one-year, $13 million contract in late February — or multiple news cycles after the Baltimore Orioles were supposed to be finalizing a three-year, $35 million deal with Maddon’s you-go, we-go leadoff guy/outfielder.

“Dexter’s pretty much been the guy that’s gotten this whole thing rolling,” Maddon said. “We have so many great guys within our support group. It’s obvious with the guys that came in. You’re talking about Jason (Heyward) and ‘Zo’ and what they’ve already done to this particular group. “These guys (understand) that we can survive. They realize that people are going to have to pick each other up.” The Cubs also look at Iowa and already think Albert Almora could be a plus defender in center field, with Willson Contreras projected to be a frontline catcher in the big leagues. As Maddon said: “I really believe you’re going to see a lot of guys (who) are going to come up from the minor leagues and do equally as well (and) surprise a lot of people.” The Cubs can’t afford to lose Anthony Rizzo, an MVP presence in the middle of their lineup and new clubhouse and a Gold Glove-level defender at first base. Schwarber’s promotion from the minor leagues helped transform the Cubs into a 97-win team last year. He got a loud ovation when he used a crutch to climb the dugout steps and join his teammates on the field before Monday’s home opener against the Cincinnati Reds. Maybe the Cubs will have lightning strike again this summer. “We hate to lose Kyle,” Epstein said. “It changes who we are a little bit, because he’s unique. But we’re built to withstand some injuries and to keep fighting and to have the next guy step up. “That’s why you have depth. That’s why you have talented players waiting for that opportunity. I think our guys will rise to this challenge.” -- CSNChicago.com Cubs: Anthony Rizzo honors Starlin Castro with walk-up song By Tony Andracki Starlin Castro might be in New York, but the Wrigley faithful was still able to clap along to his uber-catchy walk-up song. For the home opener Monday, Anthony Rizzo paid tribute to his former teammate by walking up to the plate with "Ando En La Versace" blaring throughout Chicago's North Side: Rizzo had a different walk-up song for each at-bat of the game last season, but he was mum on his song choice for 2016, refusing to tell even his teammates. He wanted it to be a surprise for everybody and an homage to Castro. "He was part of this organization for a long time," Rizzo said. "He taught me a lot on how to be a big-leaguer. Him getting traded was tough for a lot of us. "Just to be able to get the crowd excited was pretty cool." Rizzo initially planned on just using the song once to recreate the chill-inducing moments from last year when 41,000 people clapped along to the song in unison every time Castro came to the plate. But since it was received so well Monday night, Rizzo might keep it going. "I might have to do a Twitter poll or something," he said.

-- CSNChicago.com Joe Maddon doesn't think new Wrigley clubhouse will turn Cubs soft By Patrick Mooney As interim manager for a going-nowhere California Angels team in 1996, Joe Maddon walked into the clubhouse just before game time and couldn’t believe what he saw. “A guy sleeping on a couch,” Maddon said. “So I had the TVs yanked. The TVs were gone (the next day).” The Cubs have at least nine TVs in their new Wrigley Field locker room, and that’s only a small part of a 30,000 square-foot clubhouse footprint that trails only the New York Yankees for biggest in The Show. The media got its first look — at least at the few sections that aren’t off-limits to reporters — before Monday night’s 5-3 home-opener win over the Cincinnati Reds. “I think I’ve grown as a manager, as a person since then,” Maddon said. “I really have a lot of faith in our guys. If we weren’t to be playing well at home — I don’t think it’s going to be directly related to anything that’s going on in that room. “That’s an easy connection of the dots that I believe has nothing to do with anything. I believe in the professionalism of our guys. I just spoke about how relentless they are in their prep for the first pitch of the game. I anticipate that to (stay) the same. “If anything were to go wrong, everybody’s immediately going to point to the soft nature or whatever you want to call it. I’m here to tell you that would not be the case. The case would be that we’re not catching the ball well or that the other team’s playing better than us.” Or as first baseman Anthony Rizzo said: “At the end of the day, once you step on that line, it doesn’t matter if you’re out there in a parking lot, you got to play baseball. “Now we’re in a country club.” If anything, the state-of-the-art facility could help the Cubs play better and feel more prepared. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein rattled off all the shiny new toys beyond the batting cage and weight room: hyperbaric chamber, cryotherapy, float tank, underwater treadmill, infrared/steam saunas. “It’s everything you could ever imagine to help you get ready for a game,” Epstein said, “and help you recover after a game and on and on and on. When you are surrounded by nice things and high standards, it makes you want to raise your own level. It makes you want to come to work. It makes you want to hang out with your teammates. It’s a wonderful place.” In addition to building The Jake Arrieta Pilates Room, the Cy Young Award winner also requested air-hockey and ping-pong tables and pop-a-shot games. The Cubs also created a Dance Party/Celebration Room for the postgame blowouts that couldn’t have endeared them to visiting clubhouse attendants across the National League last season. “It’s about time,” Maddon said. “We walked in last night, and it was in full force. It was blaring, and the lights were on. It was pretty spectacular. We’ve talked about this, and sometimes people get upset. But I really believe (in it). I love the celebration. “Every win, I think, is a big part of the camaraderie or the unity of the group. You’re not discrediting anybody else. It’s just about your group having a good time. Again, don’t ever permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure of the moment. All of that stuff is encapsulated in that one particular room right there.”

How/when/if the Cubs strike their TV megadeal will probably be the greatest equalizer in their pursuit of free agents. But players are constantly texting each other, and a clubhouse like this should help attract even more talent. “It’s a great recruiting device,” Maddon said. “Beyond the city itself, beyond the organization, the ballpark, the team, (it’s having) this kind of a facility here that speaks — or screams — to the player and also to the players’ families.” -- Chicago Tribune Addison Russell's 3-run homer erases slow start for Cubs offense in home opener By Mark Gonzales The moment was special enough for Addison Russell that he stepped out of his normally calm comfort zone. "Once I hit the ball, I knew it was gone," Russell said of his three-run home run in the eighth inning. "I normally don't pimp home runs, but opening night, we're down, the occasion called for it." Russell's blast capped a remarkable turnaround that vaulted the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Reds before a chilled but thrilled crowd of 40,882 at Wrigley Field. It was the most dramatic of a series of events in the home opener that saw the Cubs' timely offense arrive late. After ceremonies that included a video tribute to injured slugger Kyle Schwarber before he was introduced with his teammates, Anthony Rizzo displayed his appreciation for departed teammate Starlin Castro by having Castro's rhythmic walk-up song played before Rizzo's first at-bat. As late as the sixth inning, manager Joe Maddon started recalling more uncomfortable memories dating to his days with the Rays. "I get no-hit quite often, if you've followed me for the past several years," said Maddon, who saw Mark Buehrle throw a perfect game and Edwin Jackson throw a no-hitter against his Rays teams. "It's not new to me. I was standing there thinking, 'People want to see a no-hitter, come watch a team that I manage.' "But I did have a strong feeling that it would turn around." Left-hander Brandon Finnegan no-hit the Cubs for 62/3 innings, but Maddon's optimism stemmed from the fact Finnegan started to labor after needing only 18 pitches through the first two innings. David Ross snapped Finnegan's no-hit bid with a clean single to left-center, and Jason Heyward capped the rally with a two-run single off left-hander Tony Cingrani on an 0-2 count that Maddon called the turning point. "I didn't hear any quit in that dugout," said left-hander Jon Lester, who was tagged for three runs in six innings. The Cubs took advantage of Cingrani's wildness in the eighth as Ben Zobrist drew a walk and Jorge Soler was hit by a pitch, prompting Reds manager Bryan Price to summon reliever Jumbo Diaz. Russell pounced on a first-pitch fastball that carried well over the left-field fence. "The party room is good and in effect," Russell said of the Cubs' new venue for their post-victory celebrations. Before the game, Maddon and President Theo Epstein expressed varying degrees of pleasure over the Cubs' transformation from a power-dependent, high-strikeout lineup to a cast of relentless batters who drew seven walks Monday.

"It's probably the most potentially prodigious offensive club I've ever had," said Maddon, who made sure not to slight any of his nine teams with the Rays. "I've been around some good pitching and defensive teams. So when I talk about the relentless nature of the group, you're really talking about their at-bats from the first pitch of the game." Said Epstein: "I hate facing those teams like that." -- Chicago Tribune New look of Cubs' home surroundings matches team's bold, new culture By David Haugh A new-carpet aroma greeted visitors at the door. The whiff of fresh paint permeated the hallway. It smelled like success. "I've seen a lot of clubhouses," Cubs President Theo Epstein said Monday before his team rallied to beat the Reds 5-3 in the home opener. "This is, by far, the nicest one I've seen." Walk into the spacious, avant garde clubhouse below Wrigley Field, and the dim blue lighting, combined with the circular design, leaves the impression you are standing in a stylish European nightclub rather than a 102-year-old ballpark. The newest music blares and latest in technology beckons. Welcome to the Trendy Confines. "Spectacular," manager Joe Maddon said, complimenting the architects and construction crew. "There are so many well-done aesthetic sort of things.'' On the day his family bought the team in 2009, Tom Ricketts vowed to do whatever was necessary to make the Cubs the best organization in baseball. Building one of the swankiest, most state-of-the-art clubhouses in the majors, a year after winning 97 games, brought Ricketts another step closer to delivering on that promise. Only the Yankees' is larger. "Now we're in a country club," first baseman Anthony Rizzo kidded. Rizzo and his teammates officially became members of Club Cub late Sunday when they first toured the 30,000-square-foot facility upon returning from their first road trip. The team bus headed straight from O'Hare to Wrigley, and players used to dressing in the cramped quarters of the walk-in closet their old clubhouse was by comparison hardly believed it. "Their faces lit up when they opened the doors," Epstein said. "They were really ecstatic with everything they saw." They saw a place equipped with all the accoutrements to help them win now — and later as a lure for free-agents. They saw classic photographs of Cubs past hanging outside the entry, everything from Ernie Banks and Ron Santo smiling together to Pedro Strop running alongside Kris Bryant on a home-run trot to legendary broadcaster Jack Brickhouse. They saw an expanded strength and conditioning center, a gourmet dining area, a room for steams and saunas and a display full of "Cubs artifacts." They saw a barber shop, a quiet room with three beds, a players lounge Ben Zobrist considered a legitimate late-night hangout and a special area specifically for postgame dance parties. "I know where it's located," shortstop Addison Russell said of the celebration spot. "I just don't know if I should be talking about it."

Everybody else was. Zobrist expressed awe. Asked about a sensory overload, Jason Heyward praised the designer's attention to detail. Jake Arrieta recalled players feeling speechless at first. An enthusiastic Maddon expressed as much joy over the party room as he did for the acoustically enhanced sound system in his office. "I love the celebration ... it's a big part of our camaraderie," Maddon said. "All of that stuff is encapsulated in that particular room." After Russell's game-winning three-run home run in the eighth, the dance-party room "was heating up as I walked by," Maddon said postgame. It figures to stay busy. Now 6-1, the Cubs rightly have expectations as oversized as their dressing quarters. The season-ending injury to slugger Kyle Schwarber hurt — he received a warm ovation when he limped onto the field with a crutch for pregame introductions — but the Cubs have the depth to withstand it. The biggest issue is finding a third catcher, akin to the Blackhawks worrying last spring about their sixth defenseman. Starting a Cubs home opener at night instead of playing day baseball was a little like celebrating Mother's Day on a Monday, but it represented how dramatically change continues at Clark and Addison. The landmark McDonald's across the street is gone, replaced by the footprint of a 180-room hotel and retail building. The giant video boards considered novelties a year ago now blend in seamlessly. The rooftop war is all but over now that Ricketts owns 10 of the 14 surrounding Wrigley. The first home game in April carried a buzz usually not around till October. The clubhouse renovation Ricketts prioritized simply epitomizes that bold, new culture. "It fits our identity as a club and as an organization," Epstein said The Cubs also lost any excuse for playing poorly at home when they turned their 11,000-square-foot former clubhouse into batting cages and moved their lockers into a baseball Shangri-La. Not that Maddon worries the Cubs will lose their edge by gaining so many creature comforts. He knows where the line is and referenced his experience as an Angels interim manager when he removed the televisions in the clubhouse the day after he caught a player sleeping on a comfy couch. "If we weren't to be playing well at home, I don't think it will be related to anything going on in that room," Maddon said. "I believe in the professionalism of our guys. If things go wrong, people will point to the soft nature or however you want to call it, (but) I'm here to tell you that will not be the case." Expect Maddon to keep the Cubs headed in the right direction, even if they occasionally have a hard time navigating the new path from their lockers. Getting to the clubhouse now requires walking down 28 steps below the concourse behind the third-base dugout. Has any other Chicago sports team ever aimed so high from so far below? "How do we get outside?" reliever Neil Ramirez asked a teammate. On the first day, the trip to the field felt far enough away to call Uber and confusing enough to need Mapquest. The Cubs weren't complaining about the distance, not after moving into a clubhouse that illustrated how far the organization has come. -- Chicago Tribune This new Wrigley Field business is going to take some getting used to By Paul Sullivan It takes chutzpah for a team that hasn't won the World Series in 107 years to add a "celebration room" to its new clubhouse digs.

But that's exactly what the Cubs have done, and they feel no need to apologize for wanting a man cave in which to party. "It's about time," said a grinning manager Joe Maddon. It's definitely about time for the Cubs to have something historic to celebrate, and the swanky, new clubhouse look was christened Monday after Addison Russell's three-run, eighth-inning home run fueled a 5-3 comeback win over the Reds. Kris Bryant said it was a "little more high-tech" than last year, and Anthony Rizzo "didn't have to buy the stuff" to celebrate with. "My gosh, it's like a club in there," Bryant said. "We had a little thing we did last year in the clubhouse, but this is unbelievable. We came out a little sluggish because of what we have in here now, but it was nice to get the win in the first game here." First baseman Anthony Rizzo admitted it doesn't matter if you have to get ready in a parking lot once the game starts. "Now we're in a country club," Rizzo said. "So when you step between those lines, you better be ready to go." This country-club life is something no Cubs team has experienced. For generations they lived in a clubhouse as cramped as Ralph Kramden's apartment, and the possibility of a World Series was about as realistic as one of Ralph's get-rich-quick schemes actually succeeding. So perhaps this is just what they needed to get to the promised land — the bigger weight room, the Pilates room, the hyperbaric chamber, the float pod, the underwater treadmills, the infrared sauna, the organic food, the air hockey, pingpong and basketball games. All of life's comforts are now available to the Cubs, not to mention the celebration room Jake Arrieta said was necessary "so we don't trash this place." President Theo Epstein said before the game they already "tested it out" with a simulated celebration. Afterward, it got the Rizzo seal of approval. "It all worked, surprisingly," Rizzo said. "It was a lot of fun." The Cubs even saw some fireworks from behind the bleachers after Reds starter Brandon Finnegan was removed from the game in the seventh, thought it was not club-approved. "Whoever's idea that is, keep it up," Bryant said. As for the rest of the clubhouse, it's basically a giant circle with another circular lounge in the middle. Sounding Zen-like, Epstein said the design "creates equality" because no one has a corner locker. Its size is impressive and there were no holes punched in the walls yet. "The first impression is we're all speechless," Arrieta said. "We saw the drawings. We had the walk-through at the (Cubs) convention. We had a pretty good idea of what it was going to look like, but everybody was blown away. It's kind of overwhelming, coming from where we did. It's special to be a part of it." The Cubs certainly deserve the best that money can buy, especially when it's the owners' money and not Illinois taxpayers footing the bill. Epstein said Chairman Tom Ricketts made the home clubhouse a priority in the renovation plan. "The greatest compliment you can give to anything old or historic that's been renovated is the fit, if (it) seems like it's been there for a long time," Epstein said.

Looks like a good fit. Now if only Ricketts could get the Wi-Fi to work in the press box, he'll be a genius. The Cubs are making a ton of changes at Wrigley, some of which work. Some, unfortunately, are eyewash. Glass cases housing Cubs memorabilia are on display in the bleachers, including the onesie Arrieta wore after his no-hitter at Dodger Stadium and the old Shawon-o-Meter from the 1980s. Looks cool. An obtrusive ad for a trash bag company was on the right-field video board between the teams' lineups for most of the night, screaming, "Hefty, Hefty, Hefty." Looks trashy. Where once Wrigley was a pristine, ad-free place, the Cubs have now crammed ads into every nook and cranny of the ballpark. There were 15 in the outfield visible from the box seats and many more throughout the park. It's still a beautiful place and one of the most iconic ballparks in baseball. But the Cubs don't have to change every aspect of Wrigley in the ongoing renovation to make it better. Some of the old stuff works just as well. -- Chicago Tribune Inside the Cubs' new clubhouse: Dance-party room, air hockey and more By Paul Skrbina The fragrance of freshly painted drywall permeated the air outside the Cubs' new clubhouse Monday afternoon. An oversized photo of Ron Santo and Ernie Banks hung neatly on one wall, staring at its neighbor across the way, a shot of Kris Bryant celebrating during a game last season. Inside, catcher David Ross offered a decorating suggestion to an attendant, whose hands were filled with clocks ticking toward the home opener against the Reds at still-under-construction Wrigley Field. "Hang them over the doors," Ross said before exiting for batting practice. The 30,000-square-foot home away from home — the second-largest clubhouse behind the Yankees' — features nine big-screen TVs, hanging three to a pillar around the circular room. The space is replete with polished chrome and mood lighting, exuding a nightclub feel without the bar. The Cubs have an answer for that, though: the dance-party room, which was not within sight inside the locker room but was not out of mind of the players who occupy it. "That's a must," pitcher Jake Arrieta said after picking through a stack of bats at his new locker. "Jed (Hoyer) and Theo (Epstein) and the guys that were involved in all the construction knew that's something we like to do after wins. They designated the area specifically so we don't trash this place." Arrieta said players were "speechless" when they first laid eyes on the clubhouse during a brief tour late Sunday, and he said it would "take some getting used to." The reigning Cy Young Award winner also noted that his requests for air hockey and pingpong tables and arcade basketball games weren't ignored. First baseman Anthony Rizzo was jazzed about ditching the old clubhouse, an 11,000-square-foot, rectangular bandbox that now is a batting cage. He figures players will spend a lot more time in their new space.

"I don't know how happy Joe's going to be about that," he said of manager Joe Maddon. Maddon quickly tempered Rizzo's concerns. A longtime proponent of players not arriving too early to the park, Maddon said he might have to flip that philosophy thanks to the renovations he described as "a little bit over the top." He said he and his players had pushed for a postgame party palace. "It's about time," he said. "Last year we had our own little corner (in the old clubhouse). We walked in (Sunday) night and it was in full force. The lights were on. It was pretty spectacular." "Sometimes people get upset, but I love the celebration post(game)." With zero World Series celebrations for the home team in the 102-year-old ballpark's history, the Cubs are aiming to change that — and soon. Epstein said the new clubhouse is a reflection of what he envisioned when he began to reconstruct the team. He pointed to the youth and energy this roster brings that go along with state-of-the-art amenities such as saunas, underwater treadmills, hyperbaric oxygen chambers and a Pilates room. "The clubhouse fits our identity as an organization and a club pretty well," Epstein said. "Every device under the sun (is) in there. "You want to have the best facilities to go along with the best team, which is obviously what we're trying to build." -- Chicago Tribune Cubs believe new clubhouse can be recruiting tool for free agents By Mark Gonzales Adam Warren wasn't ready to compare the two biggest home clubhouses in the major leagues. "Give me another day," the pitcher said with a smile Monday as he surveyed the Cubs' spacious and circular clubhouse. "This is first class. They've done a great job with this." Warren came to the Cubs in December from the Yankees, whose larger clubhouse includes touch-screen computers at each locker stall. He noticed that his Cubs teammates were impressed with their upgrades. "They did it right," Warren said, "and for them to make the investment into the players, and where the players will be hanging out, says a lot about ownership and wanting to make players comfortable. It's exciting to see that kind of investment." Manager Joe Maddon believes the clubhouse can be a recruiting tool for free agents. "It's about now, and I'm all about now," Maddon said. "But as you continue on the next several years with the franchise, to be able to attract potential players is a great recruiting device, beyond the city and organization and ballpark and team." First baseman Anthony Rizzo said the new amenities will allow the players to get into a better routine at home. "It's important to play well at home," he said.

Baez's prescription: Javier Baez can expect 20 to 25 at-bats on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Iowa before he's activated. Maddon didn't rule out the possibility of Baez rejoining the Cubs during this homestand. "We're looking for 20 solid plate appearances where he feels good and the people watching him say he looks good, he looks ready," Maddon said. Baez started at third base Monday night against New Orleans and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a strikeout. Epstein contract update: President Theo Epstein remains optimistic about a contract extension. "We haven't talked a lot about it, but the few talks we've had have been very amicable and productive, and it's moving in the right direction," said Epstein, who is in the final year of a five-year contract. "When things stabilize and we get through this injury situation and in the rhythm of the season, I'm sure we'll pick up talks and get something done. But it's not really a concern." Lefty acquired: The Cubs acquired left-handed reliever Giovanni Soto from the Indians for a cash consideration. Soto, 24, was optioned to Iowa. Kyle Schwarber was transferred from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. -- Chicago Tribune Addison Russell leading young Cubs' growth spurt By Mark Gonzales Addison Russell is batting only .160 with a team-high nine strikeouts. But like a protective father, manager Joe Maddon reminded reporters Monday night that Russell is 22 and will continue his ascent with special moments like his three-run home run that vaulted the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds before an energized sellout crowd at Wrigley Field. “He’s going to keep getting better,” Maddon said. “A lot of our guys, they’re major league players. They’re going to be critiqued very highly. But understand, he’s going to keep getting better. Just wait to see what he looks like when he’s 25.” Russell hit six home runs in spring training and is showing more of a willingness to take his walks, as was evidenced by his leadoff walk to start the fifth inning while left-hander Brandon Finnegan was in the midst of a no-hit bid. “To be able to take a walk, to power a ball to the left field stands in the bottom of the eighth inning, down by a couple of runs and put you on top, he’s going to do all that,” Maddon said. “He’s going to keep getting better. His whole game is going to keep improving because he’s strong and cares and works very hard. Just appreciate the fact he’s only 22 and what he’s doing right now.” Left-hander Jon Lester has a greater appreciation for how far the organization has come since he arrived prior to the 2015 season, primarily because of the ascent of youngsters like third baseman Kris Bryant and Russell. “Coming off the 2014 season (with a 73-89 record), it wasn’t too good and I was just really trying to hear and listen and believe in the upside of all these guys who had never played in the big leagues,” Lester said. I believe Theo (Epstein), Jed (Hoyer) and Jason (McLeod) and these guys that drafted these young guys who came up like Addi and Kris and trade for (Anthony) Rizzo. You try to believe in those promises. “And to get where we were last year, to get to 97 wins, I think kind of panicked Theo a little bit. I don’t think he expected that. But to give those guys a winning season and get to the playoffs and get that experience and get that under their belt has only relaxed these guys a little bit and allowed them to just go out and play baseball.

“They know how to deal with the expectations now. It’s about going out and performing and having a game plan and trying to execute that, and these guys have done a really good job of that. (Jason) Heyward and (Ben) Zobrist on the field with them has only made them better.” -- Chicago Tribune Anthony Rizzo pays musical tribute to Starlin Castro By Paul Sullivan Anthony Rizzo pulled a fast one on his teammates before his first at-bat in Monday’s 5-3 win over the Reds in the home opener. “I asked him what his (walk-up) song was, and he told me it was going to be the same as last year,” third baseman Kris Bryant said. “And then he came out to that.” That would be “Ando En La Versace," the catchy song by Omega that makes the players and crowd at Wrigley burst into rhythmic clapping. It was Starlin Castro’s walk-up music last year, and Rizzo borrowed it as a tribute to his former teammate. “I don’t think any of the guys knew,” Rizzo said. “I said ‘Hey, heads up for my first walk-up song.'” Will he do it again? “Did people like it?” Rizzo asked. The answer was a resounding "yes." “I think with respect with him, I’ll probably just do it that one time,” Rizzo said. “But who knows? Maybe I’ll keep it. He was part of this organization a long time and taught me a lot about how to be a big leaguer. Him being traded was tough for a lot of us. To just be able to get the crowd into was pretty good.” Rizzo, who usually plays some kind of club music as his walk-up song, later said he might do a fan poll on his Twitter to ask if he should keep the Castro song or not, “because it went so crazy.” There’s little doubt he already knows the answer he'll receive. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs fans exuberant but cautious at home opener By Patrick M. O’Connell Fans flocked to Wrigley Field for the Cubs' home opener Monday, arriving at the freshly painted old ballpark toting warm blankets and a cautious optimism for a promising season. Even while some fans expressed disappointment about the season-ending injury to slugger Kyle Schwarber, many dismissed it as being a sinister omen for the season, especially because the team has capable replacements. "The team we have is so stacked. We've got the players who can do the job," said Selvin Sanchez, 37, of Edgewater, as he waited for a friend who brought a bag to the game to make his way through the security line. Sanchez said the Cubs have the ability to win 100 games, and while he's readying for big things, "this year, just like last year, I'm going to take it game by game."

The corner of Clark and Addison streets was abuzz hours before the first pitch against the Reds. Fans lined up at the newly installed metal detectors outside the ballpark gates, eager to be among the first into the stadium. Savannah Bramlett, of Loveland, Colo., was one of the first to enter the park at the left-field grandstand. It was Savannah's 13th birthday, and the present from her dad was a trip to her first game at Wrigley Field. "I'm very excited. I'm hoping they make it to the World Series this year because they were so close last year," said Savannah, who had fingernails painted red, white and blue and wore an Anthony Rizzo jersey. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts signed the right shoulder of her jersey as he mingled with fans before the game. "I hope they win it, because it's been a long time," said Savannah's dad, Andrew, who bought tickets for the plane and ballpark in part because his daughter had received good grades in school. "I think if it's meant to be, it's going to happen, right?" The metal detectors at the entrance to each ballpark gate made for lengthy but orderly lines as the first pitch approached. Fans were required to take cellphones, cameras and keys out of their pockets before entering the detectors. Fans obliged, dropping their items — including boxes of Altoids, packs of cigarettes, money clips, earbuds and wallets — into plastic trays. Police on horseback helped corral the crowd at peak congestion about a half-hour before the game, keeping fans out of the street. Most fans waited about 10 minutes or less to enter the park, and by the middle of the first inning the congestion at most gates was gone. Fans cheered wildly as their team was introduced and lined up along the third-base line, manager Joe Maddon hugging national anthem singer Wayne Messmer after his rendition. "Let's hope they win," said longtime fan Frank Ruiz, 84, who lives near the ballpark. "It's about time." In the grandstand, friends took selfies with the "Opening Night" logo on the scoreboard in the background. In the packed concourses, fans lugged around helmet nachos, swigged draft beers and made their way to the grandstand wrapped in Cubs blankets and winter hats. The red-and-blue-dyed beards of last postseason reappeared. Many fans didn't hold back on their expectations, convinced this group of Cubs will finally be the one to end a title drought at the storied but upgraded old ballpark. Addison Russell's eighth-inning three-run home run set off grandstand-wide pandemonium, fans screaming, hugging and jumping with joy, only strengthening that belief with the 5-3 victory. Season ticket-holder Elizabeth Hampton, 58, of Hobart, Ind., set the bar as high as it goes: "We're going all the way." -- Chicago Tribune Monday's recap: Cubs 5, Reds 3 By Mark Gonzales Before a chilly but festive opening night crowd of 40,882, the Cubs erased a 3-0 deficit in the seventh and eighth innings Monday night to steal a 5-3 win from the Reds at Wrigley Field. Addison Russell capped the comeback with a three-run home run off reliever Jumbo Diaz in the eighth. Brandon Finnegan had no-hit the Cubs for 6 2/3 innings. At the plate

After receiving rave reviews from manager Joe Maddon for their patience, the Cubs’ batters showed plenty of aggressiveness in making quick outs against Finnegan, who was traded from the Royals in the Johnny Cueto trade last summer. But Jason Heyward came through with a two-run single in the seven off Finnegan. On the mound Jon Lester allowed a home run to Billy Hamilton on a 1-2 pitch that landed in the left field basket in the third, and Finnegan poked a two-out single to score Brandon Phillips in the fourth. In the field Lester, not known for his fielding prowess, handled grounders by Jay Bruce and Zack Cozart flawlessly and each time made underhanded throws to first. But left fielder Jorge Soler threw to third base instead of second that allowed Joey Votto to take second base in the first. Key number 15 – Games in which the Cubs played the Reds in their home opener at Wrigley Field. The quote “Whether we’re going good or bad, we got to come in every day and get the job done.” -- Heyward Up next vs. Reds, Wednesday, 7:05, CSN+ -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ 12-month firework show still bursting in air after comeback By Gordon Wittenmyer The Cubs didn’t get a hit Monday night until their 26th batter of the game singled softly up the middle in the seventh inning. Two batters later, fireworks went off over the center field scoreboard — and the Cubs still hadn’t scored a run against the Cincinnati Reds. “I thought somebody was having a party and didn’t invite us,” David Ross said. So the Cubs did what they’ve been doing for the last 13 months. They didn’t wait for an invitation. And started their own party instead. A two-out, two-run single by Jason Heyward in the seventh and three-run homer by shortstop Addison Russell in the eighth turned Brandon Finnegan’s no-hit bid into a footnote and the Cubs’ into the team with the best record in the National League – with a 5-3 victory over the Reds in their home opener. On a day they unveiled a luxurious, spacious new clubhouse and christened a fully-loaded dance-party room off the main dressing area, the Cubs continued a 2016 fireworks-like launch to their season that has all but obliterated any memories of just how far this team has come in the last 12 months. Unless you’re Jon Lester, Monday night’s starter for the Cubs, who opened last season with a loss, when he was backed by a lineup that did not include Russell or Heyward – much less Kris Bryant or Ben Zobrist.

“For me it’s a little bit different than maybe Zo and Heyward and [Wednesday’s starter John Lackey],” said Lester, who became the Cubs’ watershed signing when he agreed to a six-year, $155 million deal coming off five consecutive fifth-place Cub finishes. “Coming off the 2014 season, where it wasn’t too good and just really trying to listen and believe in the upside of all these guys that had never played in the big leagues,” Lester said of the visions Cub executives pitched during the free agency process. “You’re trying to believe in those promises.” And then Kris Bryant debuts and wins the Rookie of the Year award. And Addison Russell breaks in and winds up as the starting shortstop. And Kyle Schwarber debuts in midseason and starts hitting home runs. And they win 97 games. And they go to the playoffs. And they beat the Cardinals in October. And they sign Heyward and Zobrist and Lackey. And they beat the Reds with five runs in their final eight plate appearances Monday after failing to get a hit in their first 25. And Wrigley Field is as chilled and loud as October. “And they know how to deal with the expectations now,” Lester said. “We’re only seven games in but I think it has relaxed these guys a little bit. And allowed them to just go out and play baseball.” Relaxed? Even the level-headed, understated Russell broke character for a brief display of airplane-wing celebration when he hit his big first-pitch homer off Jumbo Diaz – before composing himself again. “I usually don’t pimp homers, but opening night, we were down – the situation called for it,” Russell said with a smile. It’s just one week into a 162-game season. “You’ve got to keep the pedal down,” manager Joe Maddon said. But from where this group has come in barely a year – from the way the team on the field looks to the way the sparkling, mood-lit new clubhouse looks – the vision Lester was forced to trust seems as visible as the rocket’s red glare over the scoreboard in the seventh. “Jon saw it first hand in Boston [with this front office],” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “So he knows what these guys are capable of. “And even all this,” he added, gesturing to the clubhouse. “They showed us the blueprints, they showed us the 3D mockup, and you say, `It’s going to be nice, but we’ll see.’ It’s just unbelievable.” As for those fireworks that went off in the seventh? Maybe a little premature? Maybe as premature as thinking about October in April? “They should continue to do it,” Bryant said. “Whoever that is, keep it going.” -- Chicago Sun-Times A fun night for the Cubs and a lot of room in which to play By Rick Morrissey The Cubs have a new training room at Wrigley Field that will aid players and, apparently, advance the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life.

“Hyperbaric chamber, cryotherapy, float pod, underwater treadmill, infrared sauna and steam sauna,’’ president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. “It’s everything you could ever imagine to help you get ready for a game and help you recover after a game.’’ The new clubhouse has everything but a hookah bar, and not having gotten a tour of the entire 30,000-square-foot facility, I can’t swear to the lack of one. Having been exposed over the years to enough rust and leaking pipes at Wrigley to make me a walking Superfund site, I was almost brought to my knees by the modernity I saw before the Cubs’ home opener Monday night. The clubhouse itself is spacious and circular. The old clubhouse wasn’t circular, but it was the size of a thimble, which is circular. See? The past and the present clasping hands. The new clubhouse has a dance party room for the players to celebrate in after each victory. The past just fainted. “I’ve seen a lot of clubhouses,’’ Epstein said. “This is by far the nicest one I’ve ever seen.’’ I don’t know if great facilities translate into a great baseball team. If that were the case, the Cubs wouldn’t have won 97 games last season. Or if it is the case, the Cubs are going to win 150 games this season. But enough about David Kaplan’s 2016 prediction. The Cubs returned home for the first time since last season’s National League Championship Series. It was a chance for fans to thank the team one more time and to ask again how many months until October. Then the game started, and the Cubs’ offense was temporarily closed for repairs. Reds pitcher Brandon Finnegan had a no-hitter through 6 2/3 innings before David Ross singled to center. The offense woke up in earnest, with a three-run homer by Addison Russell in the eighth helping the Cubs to a 5-3 victory. For a crowd of 40,882, order was restored to the universe. What the fans won’t see might be the best part of the $500 million renovation at Wrigley. The new clubhouse is beautiful. Recessed blue lighting. A cool, calming atmosphere. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, it makes you want to order a martini. The old clubhouse is now a batting cage. The proper thing to do would have been to bury it, entombing the evil thing in cement casing. But I quibble. The old interview room, where Joe Maddon and other Cubs managers met often with media members, was about as big as a broom closet. To get to it, you walked in a hall past rakes and bags of dirt that groundskeepers used. The new interview room has about 30 chairs, compared to 12 in the old one. It’s almost as if the Cubs care about the media now! The new interview room is where Maddon met us Monday, and he talked about the facilities as a recruiting tool for free agents. “Last year, I was perfectly happy in my cubicle,’’ he said. “… I was perfectly happy stretching before every game out in that little, dusty weight room. I was fine with even meeting you (media) guys in that little whatever-that-was. If you’re really a baseball freak, you can be happy almost anywhere. “But moving forward, the way the world’s spinning right now … having this facility now for our players is going to make it even more attractive.’’ As for the rest of the construction, there are still many more hardhats inside Wrigley than batting helmets. Five hours before Monday’s game, workers were drilling holes in concession areas. But those of us who for years called Wrigley a dump finally are getting some satisfaction via those renovations. The ballpark has always been beautiful when looking from the seats toward the field itself. Now it’s starting to look a little more like the shrine it’s supposed to be.

Some of the ugly chain-link fencing on the outside is gone, replaced by more elegant steel grillwork. The sooner the hideous concrete panels still hanging in some areas on the outside of the stadium are removed, the better. Inside, the old centerfield scoreboard still needs better lighting. The massive video board drowns it out with pixels. For the history of the park to matter, or for the Cubs to pretend it matters, that needs to be addressed. But all in all, there’s not much to complain about. They tore down the McDonald’s across the street from Wrigley in anticipation of a planned boutique hotel, and some people are upset. Sorry. It doesn’t exactly reach the threshold of, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.’’ -- Chicago Sun-Times Schwarber isn’t dead, but Cubs’ loss is great By Rick Telander You see this at NFL games, but not on home Opening Day in baseball: the beloved, injured player hobbling onto the field during pregame ceremonies, crutch under arm, to wild cheering from the fans. That was young, left-handed slugger Kyle Schwarber on Monday night as the Cubs lined up along the third-base line after the visiting Cincinnati Reds had lined up along the first-base line at Wrigley Field. It was a touching moment, reminiscent in an archival, lesser way of Babe Ruth staggering onto the field at Yankee Stadium in 1948 to say goodbye, or even Lou Gehrig, the Ironman, saying in 1939, “Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got — yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” The difference is Schwarbs is only 23, he hurt just his knee five days ago, he is lost only for the season (we hope), and he didn’t say anything to the standing-room-only crowd. All he did was tip his cap. There is lots of rehab work ahead for this second-year kid who took the Cub Nation by storm last year and made the whole army love him for his vicious, snake-tongue-fast lefty swing that put baseballs out of the park in stunning fashion. But he’ll be back. He’s not dying, ma! He’s only adjusting to the unfairness of life. Yet the huge video board in left field showed a brief, ominously scored video of Schwarber from last season, crushing a ball to right, as if perhaps the young man and his skill had flown off to join the angels and would never be seen on earth again. The video, of course, showed the most stunning of the Schwarber rocket shots, the one that came during Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the seventh off pitcher Kevin Siegrist. That ball seemed to disappear into the night sky. It was discovered later on the roof of the scoreboard down the right-field line. The ball was encased in plastic, where it landed, by Cubs management. Thus did the huge red “Budweiser’ scroll atop the scoreboard become part of the secular shrine to Saint Schwarbs. The revered ball was removed by the Cubs after the season, to prevent thieves from scaling the sign and stealing it. But it has been put back. And, like Schwarber himself — out for at least this season with all kinds of torn ligaments in his left knee — the ball can only be nodded at in gratitude.

Just when the Cubs were seemingly on the way to great things, the Schwarber-Dexter Fowler collision happened, blowing up the kid’s leg in the process. To lose a player like Schwarber after four games, both for his talent and his attitude, is crushing. Symbolic thoughts of goats, black cats and reaching fans flash to mind. The ceremony reminded Cubs fans of just that. Still, the team has a lot of talent, and, fortunately, a bunch of lefty bats. So the former Ohio high school linebacker won’t be missed horribly right away. But in time — as the long season rolls on — he will be. Badly. “He is a huge part of our identity,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said before the game. “The way he plays the game, the way he treats people, the way he interacts with his teammates. So it was devastating for a lot of people to lose him.” Schwarber is feisty and gritty. But “only in a great, tough way,” Epstein said. “He’s everyone’s favorite guy. There isn’t a player that doesn’t love him.” The poor man hasn’t even had surgery yet. Doctors say they need to wait for the knee swelling to go down first. Though he was in left field when he was injured, Schwarber considers himself a catcher, and catchers’ knees need to be sturdy. So his toughness in rehab will be essential. Epstein and crew “fell in love with him during the scouting process,” the president says. “Then we’re in the room deciding on drafting him or a starting pitcher first — and he says, ‘Well, starting pitchers only go once every five days — they can’t impact your culture the way an every-day player with a big personality, who is a ‘connector,’ can.’ ’’ Feisty, honest. Done deal. Indeed, when Theo questioned Schwarber as to whether he thought he would be a big-league catcher or play another position, the then-Indiana junior roared, “I’m tired of people saying I can’t [expletive] catch!” You can build your team around a guy like that. Oops. Every time Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel threw, Schwarbs was going to be his catcher. Then, likely, he’d catch more and more. That’s what he was going to do. -- Chicago Sun-Times Cubs ‘blown away’ by new digs; Theo talks wait; and other notes By Gordon Wittenmyer Cubs manager Joe Maddon said it was so late when the team got in Sunday night, and the scene so unfamiliar, that “I was bumping off walls a bit.” But mostly what happened when the Cubs got their first look at their new clubhouse and work facilities at Wrigley Field, said Jake Arrieta, was “we were all speechless.”

The second-largest clubhouse in the majors – and possibly the most luxurious – greeted the Cubs as they arrived from their season-opening, 5-1 road trip for Monday’s home opener. It replaced what for years was easily the smallest and worst home clubhouse in the majors. “We had an idea what it was going to look like, but I think everybody was blown away,” Arrieta said. “It’s kind of overwhelming coming from where we did. This organization’s come a long way. It’s special to be a part of it right now.” A plush, circular dressing room with blue mood lighting, included in adjacent rooms state-of-the-art training facilities, a large weight room, batting cage where the old clubhouse existed, a game room (with air hockey, ping-pong table and hoops), an Arrieta inspired/requested Pilates studio and, yes, a dance-party room for postgame celebrations. “It’s about time. We’ve been preaching for that for years,” Maddon said of the unique, Rizzo-inspired party corner. Rizzo downplayed the competitive effects such amenities can have. “If you’ve got to go to a parking lot you’ve still got to play baseball,” he said. “Now we’re in a country club. So when we step on those lines we’d better be ready to play.” No extension tension Another opener has passed without the contract extension for team president Theo Epstein that he and others suggested might naturally get done by the end of spring training. But what’s expected to be the largest contract for a baseball executive in the game still appears to be a matter of when, not if. “We haven’t talked about it [since asked a week earlier],” Epstein said before Monday’s home opener. “But the few talked we’ve had have been very amicable, productive and gone in a real good direction. When things stabilize, and we get through this injury situation and get into the rhythm of the season, I’m sure we’ll pick up talks again sometime. “I’m not really concerned.” Epstein is in the final year of a five-year, $18.5-million deal. Chairman Tom Ricketts said during spring training he considers Epstein the best in his business and expects to pay him accordingly. Sources say they expect a five-year extension in the range of $45 million. Notes: Utility man Javy Baez (thumb) started an injury rehab assignment with Class AAA Iowa on Monday. Maddon said before considering activating Baez from the DL he wants to see “about 20 solid plate appearances where he feels good and the people that are watching him say he looks ready.” … The Cubs added left-handed pitching depth Monday when they acquired reliever Giovanni Soto from the Indians for cash and optioned him to AAA Iowa. Kyle Schwarber (knee) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster. -- Daily Herald 'Absolute insanity' as Cubs win Wrigley opener By Bruce Miles Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon made a prediction on what the atmosphere would be at Wrigley Field Monday night.

"Craziness," Maddon said. "Absolute insanity. It's wonderful. Coming back last night, coming back to my place, there's a lot of buzz." Maddon turned out to be right about the 40,882 fans in attendance for the home opener. It just took a little time. Addison Russell hit a 3-run home run off Jumbo Diaz in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Cubs a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs rallied from an early 3-0 deficit. "Once I hit the ball, I kind of knew it was gone," said Russell, who hit his first homer of the regular season after hitting 6 in the spring. "I normally don't hit home runs, but Opening Night, we're down, the occasion called for it." Even though it's early, there's starting to become a sense of inevitability with these Cubs, who have won six of their first seven games. Sooner or later, it seems, they're going to get you. That buzz Maddon predicted settled into a low hum and stayed that way most of the night as a Cubs lineup that looked relentless in the warmth of the West Coast went cold against Reds left-hander Brandon Finnegan. The Cubs did not pick up their first hit of the game until David Ross singled with two outs in the seventh. By that time, the Reds had a 3-0 lead against lefty Jon Lester. After Ross kept the inning alive, pinch-hitter Matt Szczur walked, chasing Finnegan. Dexter Fowler walked against reliever Caleb Cotham, and Reds manager Bryan Price brought in lefty Tony Cingrani. Jason Heyward lined a single to right, making it a 3-2 game. "We had good at-bats the whole game," Maddon said. "I'll give their pitcher a lot of credit. He did an outstanding job. We hit some balls hard. Our geometry was bad early on in the game. It was at everybody. "Again, I like to use the word 'relentless' with our offensive group. Finally David breaks through with a basehit to left field. After that, we gained a little more confidence." The good feeling in the ballpark was a carry-over from the road trip and the anticipation after last year's 97-win season and a trip to the National League championship series. "You look what the team did on this past road trip, obviously you could not be happier," Maddon said. "We played really good baseball. There was not a component or a part of the game we did not do well. We pitched well. We caught the ball. We had great at-bats. It's great. It's wonderful. Our fans are so involved. It's definitely a relationship that works both ways. We really love our fans, also." It was a mixed-bag outing for Lester, who was dominant last week against the Angels. He worked 6 innings of 5-hit, 3-run ball against Cincinnati. The Reds put across a single run in the first, thanks in part to a poor decision in left field by Jorge Soler. With Zack Cozart on first and one out, Joey Votto singled to left-center. Cozart had third made easily, but Soler threw that way, and Votto went into second base easily. With the double play out of the picture, Brandon Phillips picked up an RBI single to short. Billy Hamilton, the Reds' No. 9 hitter, homered to the basket in left field to lead off the third. Lester gave up a run in the fourth, giving up an RBI single to Finnegan. "It was a little bit of a grind," Lester said. "I didn't have a lot to go off of. A lot of 1-0 counts, which is never good. These guys (the Reds) are swinging the bats really well right now. When you're constantly behind, it just makes you work even harder. The biggest thing was I kept us in close enough to come back and win." --

Daily Herald Cubs' faces 'lit up' in new clubhouse By Bruce Miles Cubs president Theo Epstein looked the part of the proud papa as he welcomed the Chicago Cubs and the media into the spacious new home clubhouse at Wrigley Field Monday. Actually, the Cubs got a first look at their new digs Sunday night after arriving in town from their road trip to Anaheim and Arizona. The new locker room is the second-largest home clubhouse (the Yankees' is larger) in Major League Baseball, and it looks especially huge in contrast to the cramped quarters the Cubs occupied for many years. "It was a lot of fun, to see the looks on their faces when they came in," Epstein said before Monday night's home opener. "Their faces lit up when they opened the doors and saw their new home. "It's a special place. I'e seen a lot of clubhouses. This is by far the nicest one I've ever seen." For players such as Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey, who joined the Cubs for the first time in the off-season, this is all they'll know as a home Cubs clubhouse. But for players such as first baseman Anthony Rizzo, a young veteran, it's a huge upgrade. "It is really nice," Rizzo said. "It's going to be nice in the dog days, too. You can come in here and just relax." The Cubs did get some initial walk-throughs during the January fan convention, when the clubhouse was still quite unfinished. But that, along with the artist's renderings, prevented a total shock to the system. "To see it live, we've seen all the demos and everything, but to see it live, it blew all our expectations away," Rizzo said. In addition to the locker space, the new clubhouse, which is underground, features all new medical and training facilities. The old clubhouse now serves as a batting cage. There's also a little "party room" to celebrate what the Cubs hope will be many victories. "I think the clubhouse fits our identity as an organization and as a club pretty well. We believe in youth, young players. The clubhouse has kind of a young, energetic, fun feel to it. It also has everything you could ever need to improve yourself." The media will get a full tour on Tuesday. The clubhouse is part of the multiyear renovation of 102-year-old Wrigley Field. Epstein gave a nod toward team chairman Tom Ricketts. "Tom did make the clubhouse a priority," Epstein said. Cubs trade for a pitcher: The Cubs acquired left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto from the Cleveland Indians on Monday and optioned him to Class AAA Iowa. To make room on the 40-man roster for Soto, the team transferred catcher-outfielder Kyle Schwarber from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. Schwarber is awaiting surgery and rehab to repair torn knee ligaments. Schwarber was the last Cub to be introduced during pregame ceremonies. He came out of the dugout using one crutch.

His injury is the first piece of adversity the Cubs must deal with this season. "Overcoming adversity is really all about character, looking at it the right way instead of sulking and getting down and thinking about what you don't have, seeing it as an opportunity to overcome something, an opportunity for someone else to step up," Theo Epstein said. "Injuries are not a variable in this game. They're a constant. "You don't know who. You don't know how long. You don't know what type of injury. But you know you're going to have injuries. So if you don't prepare for them, shame on you. We hate to lose Kyle. We're hurting for Kyle. It changes who we are a little bit because he's unique. But we're built to withstand some injuries. Status quo on Theo: There was no opening-day surprise announcement that Theo Epstein had signed a contract extension. Epstein is in the final season of his original five-year contract. Last week in Anaheim, both he and Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said talks were progressing fine. "We haven't talked a lot about it," Epstein said Monday. "The few talks that we've had have been very amicable, productive. It's moving in the right direction. When things stabilize, when we get through this injury situation and we get into a bit of the season, I'm sure we'll pick up talks and get something done. But it's not really a concern." -- Daily Herald Rozner: New era can't erase old questions -- yet By Barry Rozner Cubs fans are naturally resistant to change. Some of it's inherent, especially the fear of believing something good could actually happen. Some of it is personal history, having witnessed tragedy after tragedy, mistake after mistake, failure after failure. Some of it's that you don't want to believe it's possible because any time you've bought in you've been hurt -- and don't want to get hurt again. That line of thinking is understandable. A bad relationship will do that to someone. It can haunt a person for decades. So even those who understand the plan and embrace it are susceptible to the irrational, brought on by waves of overwhelming positives. "It was the same way in Boston," said Cubs president Theo Epstein, before the home opener Monday night. "Any time you have a vacuum, it's usually filled with the more neurotic elements of people's collective personalities. That's just true. That's just a human thing. "The players do a great job of filling their vacuum with hard work, with preparation, with focus on that night's game. And so that's what drives them. That's their world. Their narrative is about that night's game, about getting ready to face that starting pitcher. "But when you're just observing -- or when you're paid to present what's going on with the team -- there's a lot more space, a lot more air to fill, and so it's filled with worry and drama and narrative and things like that. It doesn't surprise me.

"If we win, that space will be filled with testaments to the players and toasts and the kind of stuff that everyone likes reading. We just have to go out and win and then people won't be fretting anymore." For a Cub fan, fretting is as ordinary as breathing, but the incompetence of the past has been replaced with a professionalism that includes an explanation. Management describes how it will execute a plan, and then goes about doing it. Imagine that. Win or lose, they are always moving forward, and those who witnessed Opening Night at Wrigley Field on Monday had no choice but to concede the difference 12 months can make. The opener a year ago featured a half-baked ballpark and a half-built team. There was a toilet shortage, shuttered bleachers and a very expensive pitcher on the mound who probably wasn't ready to pitch after a dead-arm phase arrived late in spring training. There was a hint of what was on the way, but it had the look of a team-in-training and a rehab-in-progress. Welcome to 2016. The bleachers are open, the ballpark sparkling, the washrooms working and a brand new clubhouse greeted a team that arrived home after a brilliant road trip to start the season, a confounding result for those still trying to understand -- or accept -- Epstein's plan. The confines are now so friendly that Cubs manager Joe Maddon and his bosses faced questions about whether the Cubs would go soft because they have professional training facilities, decent bathrooms and indoor batting cages. "Yeah, we moved into a new house and it really took the edge off," Epstein chuckled. "My work ethic hasn't been the same since." Maddon, meanwhile, could only laugh at the suggestion that the Cubs' good start was hard for lifelong Chicagoans to understand. "I anticipate the good to continue," Maddon said. "I don't vibrate on that negative frequency. I wasn't here when all the bad things happened and I don't get caught up in all that minutia." Regardless of how this season progresses, the Cubs will have to deal with the endless array of bizarre questions dealing with goats, curses and foul balls. It's a tired story and a tiring storyline, but Epstein knows that until the Cubs win the only prize that matters, a lazy narrative is the easy narrative. At least in that sense, 2016 doesn't feel any different at all. -- Daily Herald Wrigley security boost: Metal detectors and more netting By Burt Constable The new metal detectors outside Wrigley Field should protect happy Chicago Cubs fans from deranged gunmen and terrorists aiming to launch attacks inside the ballpark. But the more useful protective device might be the new netting designed to save the lives of fans sitting close to the action. Well, the lives of some fans. "I'm glad that Mr. Ricketts is protected," says Kenneth R. Given, a Glen

Ellyn attorney sitting directly behind the Cubs dugout at Monday's home opener, one section over from the seats of the team's owner and just beyond the new protective netting that will shield the fans in Ricketts' section from screaming foul balls or thrown baseball bats. "I thought the net would extend farther," says Given, 63, who says his seat, just beyond the netting extension, makes him the most endangered fan at Wrigley. "These are the death seats." Last July, during a game against the White Sox, Given was sitting in that seat when a foul ball rocketed off the bat of Cubs leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler. Given stuck out his hand in an attempt to shield one of his adult sons, and the son did the same. "It broke my hand," Given says of the wicked liner. "Sitting here, you don't try to catch a ball," Given says, explaining how he was glad he reacted quickly enough to keep the ball from hitting someone in the face. "I tell people, 'Don't sit here on your cellphone. You need to pay attention.' Anyone who has a kid sitting here is an idiot." Last August, a Wrigley fan was carried out on a stretcher after she was hit by a Kyle Schwarber line drive. Similar injuries to fans in Detroit and Boston led Major League Baseball to look at the issue, and Wrigley is among several ballparks with more safety netting this year. Given, who also has season tickets to Chicago Blackhawks games, notes that the National Hockey League installed netting for the 2003-04 season after a 13-year-old girl was killed by a flying puck. He's not about to try to catch a foul ball at Wrigley. But the Cubs fan sitting next to him says the risk is worth the "once in a lifetime" chance to sit in the front row at a Cubs game. "I'm an advocate of not having the screen," says Norm Tolle, 59, a barber at the Busy Bee Barber Shop in Glen Ellyn who was a good enough baseball player in his youth to make as far as a rookie league for the Los Angeles Dodgers. "If people aren't looking, you run that danger," says Tolle, who lives in Wheaton. Unlike last year's Opening Night, which was marred by a lack of working bathrooms, this year's first game at Wrigley features plenty of new aesthetic touches, such as antique grill work, artistic arches and terra cotta tiles. Fans complain about some slow lines at concession stands and the lack of a single Cubs hit until the 7th. But a late rally capped by an Addison Russell homer in the 8th gives the Cubs an amazing 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and sends fans home happy. Fans aren't as thrilled with the metal detectors outside Wrigley, but they accept them. "I'm OK with it," says Chuck Bosworth, 37, who grew up in Ingleside and now lives in Springfield. "Major League Baseball is trying to keep people safe." "I've gone through metal detectors at airports and theme parks," says fan Roger Schumacher, 23, of Fox Lake. "Just make sure your pockets are empty." That's not a problem for season-ticket holder Wally Scott, 53, of Palatine. A pilot for United Airlines, Scott deals with security at the airports in places such as Tel Aviv, Israel, and Mumbai, India. "It's something we have to live with," Scott says. Most ballparks added the metal detectors last year, and Scott says the process will become routine. "It worked quickly at Pittsburgh," says Scott, who went through the metal detector before watching the Cubs win the wild-card game at the start of last season's playoffs. When a team hasn't won a World Series since 1908, fans are willing to put up with some inconveniences. If the Cubs make it to the World Series this season, giddy Cubs fans gladly would submit to strip-searches.

-- Daily Herald Imrem: Schwarber can be replaced on this deep Cubs team By Mike Imrem It speaks volumes about the Cubs that they expect to absorb the loss of injured Kyle Schwarber without missing a beat. The best Schwarber can do is be a presence around the team, like on a crutch Monday night when he was introduced to a thunderous ovation before the Cubs' home opener victory over the Reds. A little while earlier, Joe Maddon was rattling off different aspects of his team: This was good, that was great, something else was better, so on, so forth. Finally, the Cubs' manager was asked with everything so rosy … (Maddon took off his eyeglasses and playfully checked to see how rose-colored they were.) … other than injuries, what concerns you? The answer was that he isn't looking past that night's game, you know, one game at a time without worrying about the long term. In other words, not really anything is of much concern right now. The Cubs looked like they needed Schwarber on this night until they broke through for 2 runs in the seventh inning and Addison Russell hit a 3-run homer in the eighth for a 5-3 victory. The impression persists that the Cubs are so deep that Schwarber is more expendable than some of his teammates. Here's a quickie ranking of the hardest Cubs to replace: 1. First baseman Anthony Rizzo: It would be nearly impossible to make up what he provides at bat, on defense and as a leader. 2. Ace starting pitcher Jake Arrieta: The Cubs wouldn't have made the playoffs without him last year and wouldn't this year. 3. Maddon: The manager created a winning culture last season and will make sure the Cubs maintain it this year. 4. Third baseman/outfielder Kris Bryant: The reigning NL Rookie of the Year remains a force in the middle of the lineup. 5. Shortstop Addison Russell: One of baseball's most graceful young players at bat, on the bases and in the field. 6. Starting pitcher Jon Lester: Last year's high-priced free agent was good, not great, and the Cubs need him to be better this year. 7. Center fielder/leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler: As Maddon keeps telling him, "You go, we go" as the man on base for the run producers. 8. Right fielder Jason Heyward: The $184-million man gives the Cubs an imposing athlete who does just about everything well.

9. Pitching coach Chris Bosio: Over a variety of managerial regimes, he has taken what management gives him and makes it better. 10. Left fielder/catcher Schwarber: Finally we get around to his home-run power and as a member of the Reds' traveling party said, "They're going to miss him." Special mention -- just a guess here -- No. 5 starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks is going to have such a big year that he would be difficult to replace. Honorable mentions go to closer Hector Rondon, second baseman Ben Zobrist and Montero. The Cubs must be really deep if all those players are mentioned before getting to the likes of John Lackey, Adam Warren and Travis Wood. Schwarber will move up the list once he is healthy, settles into one position on defense and improves against left-handed pitching. For now, though, the Cubs can cover for Schwarber's absence but not as easily for, say, Rizzo. "We have a deep team," Heyward said. No wonder Joe Maddon doesn't have much to worry about as long as Rizzo and the rest are around. -- Cubs.com Addison Muscle: Cubs stout after no-go no-no By Carrie Muskat and Mark Sheldon CHICAGO -- The Cubs got to christen their new party room Monday night. Addison Russell smacked a three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Cubs to a 5-3 victory over the Reds in the home opener in front of 40,882 at Wrigley Field. "Once I hit the ball, I kind of knew it was gone," Russell said. "I normally don't pimp home runs but it's Opening Night, we're down, and the occasion called for it." Reds starter Brandon Finnegan held the Cubs hitless over 6 2/3 innings and hit his first career RBI single, but the Cubs rallied with one out in the eighth against Tony Cingrani. Ben Zobrist walked and Cingrani hit Jorge Soler with a pitch before being pulled in favor of Jumbo Diaz. Russell launched the first pitch, a 95-mph fastball, into the left-field bleachers for his first home run of the season. "We really struggled with the first batter for each pitcher, a walk, a two-strike hit and a three-run homer for the first batters that our bullpens faced," Reds manager Bryan Price said of his bullpen, which lost both games so far for the 5-2 club. "They'll be better. It just wasn't a great night." Jason Heyward had hit a two-run single in the Cubs' seventh to close to 3-2. Monday marked the Cubs' unveiling of their new clubhouse, which includes a designated party room for postgame celebrations. "The party room is good and it's in effect," Russell said. Billy Hamilton smacked a solo home run in the third that opened a 2-0 lead. He connected off Chicago starter Jon Lester, for one of five hits off the lefty, who lasted six innings in his second start of the season. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Duv-all out effort: During Finnegan's four-pitch bottom of the first inning, the second out came via a spectacular play. Heyward hit a fly to left-center field, where Adam Duvall ran to his left and made a diving catch. It was the second-straight game of nice defense from Duvall, who helped win Sunday's game vs. the Pirates with a good throw to the plate that prevented the go-ahead run from scoring. Start me up: The bottom of the Reds batting order hurt Lester. Hamilton homered and Finnegan hit an RBI single off the Cubs lefty. Lester admitted he was a little "over-amped" at the start of the game and overthrowing. The Reds were aggressive and made Lester work. "The biggest thing is I kept us in close enough to come back and win, so that was huge," Lester said. Finnegan takes no-hitter into 7th: Finnegan, in the sixth Major League start of his career, flirted with a no-hitter for the first time and threw a career-high 111 pitches. Besides the one hit, he set a career high with five walks. While pleased with his overall effort, he wished he hadn't issued so many free bases. "Five walks isn't good," he said. "I'm definitely not happy with that. They held me up with a lot of pitches and they took a lot of good pitches I threw too. Everything was working tonight. I didn't have the life I had in the first game but everything was working well." Walk this way: The Cubs drew at least seven walks for the third time this season. They began the day leading the Major Leagues in walks with 31. The patience at the plate has paid off. "I think in the long run, if you take your walks, it will help you in the long run," Russell said. "You'll see more pitches, you'll be more familiar with the pitches the pitchers have." QUOTABLE "It was almost like playoff baseball, being a little cold and the way the fans were into it. We were fortunate enough to give them what they wanted and send them home happy." -- Lester SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS • Finnegan was the first Reds starter to allow no more than one hit over at least 6 2/3 innings since Mat Latos gave up one hit over seven innings on June 30, 2014, at San Diego. • Hamilton records fastest HR trot • Wrigley roars for Schwarber's on-field intro INJURY EXIT Reds shortstop Zack Cozart exited before the bottom of the fourth inning as a precaution when he felt tightness in his lower right quadriceps and was replaced by Ivan De Jesus. Cozart, who had reconstructive surgery on his right knee last season, will get treatment on Tuesday's off-day and be re-evaluated Wednesday. WHAT'S NEXT Reds: Alfredo Simon will get the start when the series at Wrigley Field resumes Wednesday at 8:05 p.m. ET. Simon will take a 1.66 career ERA vs. the Cubs, including a 1.04 ERA at the Friendly Confines. Cubs: After an off-day Tuesday, John Lackey will make his second start of the season and first at home for the Cubs on Wednesday. Lackey got the win in his debut against the D-backs, but it wasn't pretty. He has a career 2.75 ERA in nine career starts against the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. --

Cubs.com Wrigley roars for Schwarber's on-field intro By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Kyle Schwarber, out for the season after tearing two ligaments in his left knee, received a standing ovation Monday night when he joined his teammates on the field for pregame introductions, using one crutch to go from the dugout to home plate. The Cubs played a short video of Schwarber's highlights from last season, his rookie year, and he was the last Cubs player introduced. Schwarber stood next to manager Joe Maddon near home plate for the singing of "God Bless America" and the national anthem before watching the Cubs rally for a 5-3 victory. The 23-year-old outfielder tore his ACL and LCL ligaments and sprained his left ankle last Thursday in Arizona when he collided with teammate Dexter Fowler in left-center field. Schwarber was to be examined in Chicago by team orthopedic specialist Dr. Stephen Gryzlo. No date for surgery has been set, but it will be within the next three weeks. • In his first rehab game with Triple-A Iowa on Monday night, Javier Baez went 1-for-3 with a home run. He started at third base, and the plan is for Baez to play some outfield and shortstop as well. Baez jammed his left thumb sliding headfirst into first base March 16 in a Spring Training game. Maddon said Baez needs at least 20 at-bats before he will be activated from the disabled list. • Anthony Rizzo surprised his teammates and Cubs fans in his first at-bat in the second inning Monday night. Rizzo's used Starlin Castro's walk-up music, "Ando en la Versace" by Omega. At the end of last season, fans would clap along to the lively song. "It was more to honor him, to be honest," said Rizzo, who wasn't sure if he'd keep the song for more than one at-bat. "Maybe I'll have to re-evaluate that because everyone went crazy. Maybe I'll do a Twitter poll." Castro was traded last December to the Yankees for pitcher Adam Warren. "He's been part of this organization for a long time," Rizzo said of Castro, who made his Major League debut in May 2010 at the age of 20. "He taught me a lot, how to be a big leaguer. Trading him was tough for a lot of us. To get the crowd excited like that was pretty cool." Rizzo didn't tell anyone he was going to use the song. "I don't know if you saw me, but I was smiling when I walked up to the plate," Rizzo said. • Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Monday there is no update regarding a contract extension. Epstein's five-year deal ends after this season. "We haven't talked a lot about it, but the few talks we've had have been very amicable and productive and it's moving in the right direction," Epstein said. "When things stabilize and we get through this injury situation [with Schwarber] and into the rhythm of the season, I'm sure we'll pick up talks and get something done, but it's not really a concern." • The Cubs acquired left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto from the Indians on Monday for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, Schwarber was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Soto, 24, who was optioned to Triple-A Iowa, made his Major League debut with the Indians last season and threw six scoreless relief appearances, covering 3 1/3 innings. He held opponents to a .231 batting average. At Triple-A Columbus last year, Soto went 2-1 with two saves and a 2.68 ERA in 46 appearances, all but one in relief.

Soto was originally selected by the Tigers in the 21st round of the 2009 Draft and was acquired by the Indians for Jhonny Peralta a year later. -- Cubs.com Russell adds impressive blast to young resume By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Addison Russell is 22 years old, and the third-youngest player in the National League. Cubs manager Joe Maddon can't wait to see what the young shortstop is like when he grows up. "He's going to keep getting better," Maddon said of Russell, who delivered a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning Monday night to lift the Cubs to a 5-3 win over the Reds. "Just wait to see what he looks like when he's 25. "To be able to take a walk, power a ball into the left-field stands, his whole game is going to keep improving because he's strong and he cares and he works pretty hard," Maddon said. "Just appreciate that he's only 22 and what he's doing now." Jason Heyward, who made his big league debut at the age of 20, definitely appreciates what Russell is doing. "He's got great talent," Heyward said. "He's young. I've been there. I've been in his position. He plays a tough position on the diamond. He never takes a play off and that's huge, and that says a lot about his character. I've told him, many of us have told him, we're going to be fine, we're going to be good. It was a huge at-bat there." The Cubs trailed 3-2 in the eighth, and had two on and one out when Jumbo Diaz entered the game. He threw a 95 mph fastball to Russell, and he launched it into the left-field bleachers. "I just wanted to go up there and see something straight and make hard contact, and he threw me a fastball and I hit it out," Russell said. The win in the Cubs' home opener gave the players a chance to officially christen the postgame party room in the new clubhouse. "The party room is good and it's in effect," Russell said with a smile. He was smiling after the home run, too. "Once I hit the ball, I kind of knew it was gone," Russell said. "I normally don't pimp home runs but it's opening night, we're down, and the occasion called for it." He didn't do too much to offend Diaz or the Reds after hitting the homer, his first of the season. Once he got to the Cubs dugout, Russell was overwhelmed by hugs from his teammates. His three RBIs tied a career high, which he has done five times, most recently on Sept. 7. "I was just smiling, and trying to soak it in as much as I could, and trying to round the bases slow," Russell said of his home run trot. "My heart was beating a lot. Once I stepped on the plate, it was an awesome feeling to see [Jorge] Soler and [Ben Zobrist] there. It was a great game for all of us tonight." -- Cubs.com Cubs thrilled by state-of-the-art clubhouse By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Jake Arrieta, Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell and even Joe Maddon admitted they got lost in the Cubs' new clubhouse on Monday, but there were no complaints. The players welcomed the sparkly new 30,000-square foot clubhouse, which replaces a cramped 10,000-square foot space. "It exceeds expectations," Maddon said. The media will get an official tour on Tuesday, but Maddon pointed out some highlights, such as the tributes to former Cubs, and the photos on the wall, which include one of the players in his onesie at Dodger Stadium after Arrieta's no-hitter last August. The clubhouse even features a party room for the post-win celebrations, which may be a first in the Major Leagues. "It's about time," Maddon said. "This team, after we win, it's fun," Zobrist said. The clubhouse has the lockers in a circle around a lounge area, and that design was on purpose. "Being a circle kind of unites teammates, creates a sense of equality," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "There's no premium locker that's greater than anyone else's, no corners to hide in. Everyone's equal." But the space is about more than just lights and a great sound system. "It is comfortable but it's also very useful," Maddon said. "It's just so complete in regard to the training component." Arrieta picked the Pilates reformers, which are designed to handle larger athletes like himself, Jon Lester and Jason Heyward. There is an underwater treadmill, steam sauna, hyperbaric chamber -- everything the players need. "I think when you are surrounded by nice things and high standards, it makes you want to raise your own level," Epstein said. "It makes you want to come to work. It makes you want to hang around your teammates. It's a wonderful place, man." Epstein also feels the new facilities fit the identity of the team well. "You want to have the best facilities to go along with the best team, which is obviously what we're trying to build," Epstein said. And while Zobrist was excited about the players' lounge that he described as someplace you'd want to hang out in, and Russell liked having a speaker above his cubicle, the purpose of the space is to help the players prepare for the game. They may need some signs taped onto the wall to help direct them to the right space. "Today, I got lost," Russell said. "I was looking for the trainer's room, and it's back there somewhere." He'll find it somehow. -- Cubs.com Lackey looks to stay strong against Reds By Mark Sheldon

Following a day off, the Cubs and Reds will resume their three-game series on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field. Based on the track records of the starting pitchers in their history against these teams, it could be quite a duel. Cubs right-hander John Lackey, who is making his second start with his new club, is 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA over nine career starts vs. Cincinnati. It was a 2.91 ERA over five starts last season while pitching for the Cardinals and included an eight-inning, one-run outing on July 29 when he was a 1-0 loser. Lackey gave up six runs and eight hits last Wednesday in his Cubs debut, a 14-6 win over the D-backs. He did hold Arizona scoreless over his final three innings. For the Reds, Alfredo Simon has a 1.66 ERA over his career vs. the Cubs -- his second-lowest career ERA against an opponent. He made five starts vs. Chicago during his last tour with the Reds in 2014 and went 3-0. His best showing was his last one at Wrigley Field on Sept. 15, 2014, when he worked seven scoreless innings with five hits allowed for a no-decision. Simon gave up two runs, one earned, and five hits over five innings for a no-decision in his 2016 debut, a 6-5 loss to the Pirates on Friday. Things to know about this game • As is often the case, the Cubs hitter Simon will need to watch carefully is Anthony Rizzo. The first baseman is 5-for-15 with two homers lifetime against Simon. • This is the fourth time in the last three seasons that an entire Reds-Cubs series is being played at night. It's the sixth time ever since Wrigley Field installed lights in 1988. The Cubs won the series opener, 5-3, Monday night. • Jason Heyward is three home runs shy of 100 for his career. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs grind until late home run by Addison Russell sets party in motion By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- When you build a brand-new party room to celebrate victories, why not go ahead and use it the first chance you get? For nearly seven innings on Monday the Chicago Cubs were thinking about anything but dancing after the game, as Cincinnati Reds starter Brandon Finnegan held them hitless most of the night. But that doesn’t mean he held them off the base paths. Finnegan walked five to add to the Cubs league-leading total -- which eventually led to his dismissal from the game. “I like to use the word 'relentless' with our offensive group,” manager Joe Maddon said after the come-from-behind, 5-3 win. “I saw his [Finnegan] pitch numbers were high. If you do the math, I thought it would be hard for him to throw a complete game. The point was to get to the next guy.” The Cubs eventually got to the “next guy” when Addison Russell belted a three-run home run off of reliever Jumbo Diaz in the bottom of the eighth inning. It erased a 3-2 deficit and sent Wrigley Field into a frenzy. “Once I hit the ball I kind of knew it was gone,” Russell said. “I normally don’t pimp home runs, but opening night, we’re down, the occasion called for it.” Russell didn’t actually do much pimping; he’s not that kind of a player. What he has been doing is hitting home runs, at least in spring training, where he led the Cubs with five. But now he’s adding a new element to his game that has become part of the Cubs' DNA on offense. Russell walked for the fourth time in seven games on Monday, not long before hitting his first home run of the season.

“If you take your walks it’s going to help you out in the long run,” Russell said. “You’re going to see more pitches.” That’s not a statement he would have made last season, when he walked 8 percent of the time. This year his walk percentage is over 15 percent. Those numbers translate to the whole team, which has taken 38 walks in seven games. “I was trying to soak it in,” Russell said. “My heart was beating a lot ... The fans have a lot of faith in us. And we have a lot of faith in each other.” Anthony Rizzo added: “We didn’t get many hits tonight, but we worked at-bats, we grinded. Ooh, what a moment for him [Russell]. The dugout erupted. The whole stadium erupted.” And this is just Game 1 of 81 in renovated Wrigley Field. The outside looks the same, but down underneath the formerly cramped quarters, players are living in a whole new world. It includes every modern amenity, including a party room where a disco ball, fog machine and who knows what else has been added for post-win celebrations. Some might think they act pretty hokey after wins, but Maddon is adamant about enjoying them -- just not necessarily with the players. “I try to stay out of that,” Maddon said, shaking his head with a smile. “It [party room] was heating up as I walked by, which is a good thing.” The Cubs are getting used to these celebrations. They began early last season, grew in numbers in the second half and then exploded when they made the playoffs. Now they have a new room and a new season and new things to celebrate. An eighth-inning blast by one of their sophomore stars set everything in motion. “I wanted to go up there and see something straight and make hard contact,” Russell said. Then he smiled, remembering what took place just a few minutes before he talked with reporters. “The party room is good and in effect,” Russell said. -- ESPNChicago.com Anthony Rizzo pays tribute to former teammate Starlin Castro By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo surprised his teammates and over 40,000 fans in attendance at Wrigley Field when he approached the plate for the first time in Monday's home opener against the Cincinnati Reds to the walk-up song used by former teammate Starlin Castro. The catchy "Ando En La Versace" by Omega always had fans and players clapping along, but Castro was traded to the New York Yankees in the offseason and the song presumably went with him -- or so everyone thought. "He was part of this organization for a long time and taught me a lot," Rizzo said after the Cubs' 5-3 win. "Out of respect to him I'll probably just do it that one time." But after discussing it with reporters for a few minutes, Rizzo started to change his mind. Initially he just wanted to pay tribute to a good friend who had been a big part of the Cubs organization over the previous five years. "I said, 'Heads up for my first walk-up song,'" Rizzo recalled. "If you guys saw me, I was smiling walking up to the plate." When pressed, Rizzo said he might take a Twitter poll to see if fans want him to continue playing the song at least once a game.

"Maybe I'll have to re-evaluate that because everyone went so crazy," he said. -- ESPNChicago.com Addison Russell powers Cubs to late win with three-run homer By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- He’s been doing it all spring. But now Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell flashed his newfound power in his biggest moment of the young season, hitting Cincinnati Reds reliever Jumbo Diaz's first pitch into the left-center field bleachers for a go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning of the Cubs' 5-3 victory Monday. It didn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has watched Russell since mid-February. He hit everything in Cubs camp, carried that over to the Cactus League and has taken a professional approach now that the season has started. Russell wasn’t always the patient type at the plate, but patience brings good pitches, and maybe his four walks over the first seven games led to this moment. He hammered a fastball out of the park and then tipped his cap to the crowd when they called him out for a curtain call. The Cubs walked seven times, which kept them in the game, as they didn’t have a hit until two outs in the seventh inning. They scored five times over the next two innings, winning for the sixth time in seven games. -- ESPNChicago.com Cubs admit new facilities cushy, but can be catalyst to a championship By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs unveiled their new state-of-the-art underground facilities at Wrigley Field on Monday, including a new circular clubhouse, which looks part nightclub -- it has the lighting for it -- and part spaceship. The team believes it has built something unmatched in baseball. “You want to have the best facilities to go along with the best team, which is obviously what we’re trying to build,” Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said in advance of his team’s home opener on Monday. “Their faces lit up when they opened the doors and saw their new home and were ecstatic with everything they saw.” It has the amenities of a “country club,” according to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, while its workout and training rooms will cater to every player’s needs. Manager Joe Maddon insisted that the Cubs' new facilities, complete with player lounges and a game room, will help his players grow. "It is comfortable. ... But I think it's very useful," he said. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh “First impression, we were all speechless,” Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta said. “We had an idea of what it was going to look like, but I think everyone is blown away. It’s kind of overwhelming coming from where we did.” The Cubs used to be housed in a tiny clubhouse with antiquated training and workout facilities. In fact, as recently as last season, Arrieta did Pilates in the same room and at the same time in which manager Joe Maddon held daily news briefings. Now, Arrieta has his own “Pilates room.” Hitters have been taken care of, too. They used to hit into a net in the old clubhouse that extended down from the ceiling. A player could be sitting at his locker stall while another was taking swings just feet away. Now players have a real hitting cage where the clubhouse used to be. But that’s just the start. There’s much, much more.

“Hyperbaric chamber, cryotherapy, float pod, underwater treadmill,” Epstein listed. “Infrared sauna and steam sauna … the training room has to be the biggest in the league … lunch room full of healthy, organic food. “Everything you could ever imagine to help you get ready for a game and help you recover from a game.” As for relaxing, there’s plenty for that as well. “My requests were for air hockey, ping pong and two hot shots [basketball hoops],” Arrieta said. “We got that back there. The only thing is we’ll have to limit the amount of times guys are on it.” Maddon is acutely aware of that last point. He knows if the Cubs falter, fingers will point at the game rooms and lounges -- but even in advance, he refuses to go there. “If we weren’t to be playing well at home, I don’t think it’s directly related to anything going on in that [lounge] room,” Maddon stated. “That’s an easy connection of the dots that I believe has nothing to do with anything. I believe in the professionalism of our guys. “If anything is to go wrong, everyone is going to point to the soft nature. I’m here to tell you that would not be the case.” Besides, the Cubs say the amenities are offset by the state-of-the art technology they’ll use to prepare for 81 home games. “It’s just so complete regarding the training component of things,” Maddon said. “All that stuff should aid a player to become a better major league baseball player. “I’m probably going to have to step back from my statement about guys coming here too early or too soon in the day. You might want to encourage that from now on.” The Cubs hope their “party room” gets the most use. They’ve set up their disco ball, music system and fog machine for post-win celebrations. Yes, the Cubs have a separate room just to celebrate a victory. “It’s a little bit over the top,” Maddon admitted, smiling. “You hear about all this stuff, but it exceeds expectations immediately.” Everyone is still getting used to their new surroundings -- Maddon got lost trying to find his way around on Sunday night -- while some aren’t even aware of all the new toys and gadgets. One thing is for sure: The Cubs won’t be afraid to bring prospective free agents into their facility anymore. Wrigley Field has maintained its nostalgic beauty on the field and now has magnificent player facilities below it. After 100 years, it’s a whole new world for the Cubs. “It is comfortable,” Maddon said. “There is no question about it. But I think it’s very useful.” -- ESPNChicago.com Week 1 review: Cubs pass all tests By Jesse Rogers CHICAGO -- As a whole, there were two bad moments in Week 1 of the Chicago Cubs' highly anticipated 2016 season. One was devastating. Seeing Kyle Schwarber collide with Dexter Fowler on Thursday night changed the team's dynamic in an instant, but it doesn't have to change the outcome of the season. It simply makes the road a little more difficult. Still, his attitude afterward is what makes him such a favorite among fans and teammates alike. "I'd rather get hurt playing hard than not get hurt not playing hard," Schwarber said.

The second moment doesn't nearly have the far-reaching implications that the loss of Schwarber could. Still, if manager Joe Maddon simply elects to walk Paul Goldschmidt on Friday night, the Cubs are probably 6-0 going into Monday's home opener. That's about the only noninjury negative of Week 1. It was that good. Arrieta/starting staff: His second start wasn't as good as his first, but call me when Jake Arrieta doesn't produce a quality outing. He's 2-0, and the zip is back in his fastball. The rest of the staff was fine save for a few moments early for John Lackey in Game 3. He didn't seem locked in, which looked like a carryover from the spring, but once he started pitching and not just throwing, he fared better. Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks also fared better in Games 4 and 5 than they did many times in the second half last year. Hendricks thinks he figured some things out; let's see how that plays in the early portion of the season. And Jon Lester simply looks like a different pitcher and person in his second year with the Cubs. It's not like he was all that bad last year, but he could be in line for an even better Year 2. The offense: The add-on ability was missing from this team in years past. How many times would the Cubs score a first- or second-inning run or two for Jeff Samardzija, for example, only to end the scoring there? Even as recently as a year ago at this time, the Cubs would lose games such as Sunday's in which Arrieta was a little off. But after the Arizona Diamondbacks tied the score, the Cubs had runs in innings six through eight. Game over. Hitters have been great showing patience at the plate -- the Cubs lead baseball in walks. They've also gotten a few big hits. Has anyone noticed Miguel Montero? He could have about five home runs by now if not for a high wall at Chase Field. I could go on, but if Fowler's first week isn't the major highlight at the plate, I don't know what is. His .640 on-base percentage leads all regulars in baseball. The offense is as devastating as we thought it would be. The bullpen: Hector Rondon was magnificent in his only save opportunity, striking out Goldschmidt on Sunday with the nastiest stuff he's thrown all spring. Run down the rest of the relievers from newcomer Adam Warren (four straight retired) to Justin Grimm to rebound guy Neil Ramirez (1-2-3 inning) and there were no issues. It helps to pitch with comfortable leads, but right now the bullpen is picking up where it left off last season. Remember, pitchers were throwing in favorable hitting conditions all week. That's going to change. Coming home: More than one player felt as though the Cubs were on a two-month road trip, as if spring training never ended and it just continued on into April. At least that's what it has felt like since the trip out West. Now the real season begins. The Cubs will have to grind their way to wins using the aforementioned patience at the plate and a highly undervalued running game on the base paths. The Cubs steal bases on hits to the outfield not on pitchers and catchers. 'First to third' might become their team motto. At some point, they'll need to hit in the colder temperatures just as the opposition has to. Jorge Soler says he's done donning the ski mask on colder days. It's one thing to say it in Mesa, Arizona, in March; it's another to follow through in April. We'll find out soon enough how Soler and the rest of the team fare. So the Cubs passed every test in Week 1 mostly by dominating the opposition at the plate. Consider their victory margins: 9, 5, 8, 2 and 4. It's just six games, but the Cubs have so far proved to be everything we thought they were in the offseason. And they haven't even played a home game yet. That comes next -- and so do colder conditions. --