Beers and Beat Guys Podcast

Tom is joined by Matt Trueblood of Northside Baseball and Baseball Prospectus.Matt gives us his first impressions of Cade Horton. They break down the challenge of adding a front-line starter. Wonder if adding a "guy" in the pen for Craig Counsell to trust is the move. Discuss Ben Brown's best role.

Cubs On Deck's Greg Huss discusses the current state of the Chicago Cubs prospects. Cade Horton, Matt Shaw, and Moises Ballesteros are the focus. They delve into the dynamics of the Cubs' defense, the impact of PCA on the team's performance, and the potential asks from other teams in trades.

ESPN college hoops broadcaster, formerly of WGN and WSCR 670 Jordan Bernfield talks Chicago Cubs' surprising start to the season and sustainability.The impact of Kyle Tucker on the ownership decisions for Tom Ricketts. David Kaplan's report on Cubs willingness to sign Tucker. They explore the dynamics of mega contracts in the current market and Jed Hoyer's performance.

The Athletic's Jon Greenberg discusses the landscape of Chicago sports management. The impact of Ben Johnson on Ryan Poles and the draft. How Jed Hoyer has put the onus on Tom Ricketts. The comparison of game experiences between the Cubs and White Sox. They also touch on the implications of Dan Bernstein's departure from the Score.

CHGO's Cody Delmendo talks Chicago Cubs.PCA's fun ride and realistic expectations for this year?How do the Cubs replace Justin Steele?Who is currently in Cody's circle of trust in the bullpen?Why Rick Sutcliffe is an occasional needed jolt to the booth. Chapters00:00 Craft Beer Conversations: A Taste of New Glarus02:59 Cubs Nostalgia: Reflecting on Past Teams06:12 2023 Cubs: Expectations and Surprises09:02 Player Spotlights: Emerging Stars and Comparisons12:00 Bullpen Blues: Analyzing the Relief Pitching14:50 Looking Ahead: Future Prospects and Team Strategy23:42 Assessing Player Performance and Team Dynamics25:28 Injury Impacts and Roster Adjustments29:34 Trade Strategies and Future Prospects32:37 Ownership Decisions and Team Direction38:40 Broadcasting Styles and Fan Engagement

Tom and Evan discuss a variety of topics ranging from craft beer and concert experiences to the current state of the Chicago Cubs and their prospects for the season. They share personal anecdotes about their favorite hip hop groups, the excitement surrounding the Wu-Tang concert, and delve into some fun examples of music sampling. The discussion shifts to baseball, focusing on the Cubs' stellar offensive performance, Justin Steele injury concerns, and the obvious impact of Kyle Tucker.

Tom is joined by Andy Dolan of The Pointless Exercise Podcast, and formerly of The Athletic. They discuss the return of the podcast, favorite beers, and insights into the weird opening road trip for the Chicago Cubs, including some very questionable ballparks. They delve into recent speculation regarding the Cubs revenue/payroll disparity. The chance Tom Ricketts sees the value in resigning Kyle Tucker and Jed Hoyer's future. They also touch on various TV shows, sharing recommendations and personal favorites, creating a blend of sports and entertainment discussions.Chapters00:00 Welcome Back to Beers and Beat02:05 Baseball Season Insights05:06 Beer Talk and Personal Stories08:03 Pitch Lab and Player Performance09:27 Pitching Strategies and Player Analysis11:30 Bregman Discussion13:00 Rotation and Starting Pitchers15:10 Injury Management and Player Development17:50 Lineup Dynamics and Player Contributions19:50 Contract Talks and Future Prospects27:46 Cubs vs. Boston: Payroll Comparisons30:11 Cubs' Spending Strategy and Luxury Tax Concerns32:49 Jed Hoyer's Performance and Future36:44 Ownership Decisions and Team Management38:11 Revenue Generation and Fan Expectations41:11 Player Development and Team Dynamics46:23 Television Shows and Cultural Commentary

Andy Dolan of Pointless Exercise Podcast -Justin Fields is tired of the same shit we all are.-Cubs staying in the news cycle without making moves.-Ricketts drawing wrong conclusion from Diamondbacks.

Matt Clapp of The Comeback & Awful Announcing talks Bears/Cubs.-Media handling of the Bears QB storylines.-Washington/Caleb just smoke?- Potential fits for Fields?-Cubs moving on from Bellinger?

Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic talks Cubs offseason.Is Jed Hoyer too conservative for the FA market?What could a blockbuster trade look like?Surprising Jung Hoo Lee  interest.Christopher Morel interest around the league.  Plan for PCA this season?

Craig Counsell insight from Matthew Trueblood. -What immediate contrast will Counsell provide?-Jed not afraid of uncomfortable moves.-Cubs offseason most critical move.-

Andy drops in to take in the shocking Craig Counsell move. - Jed Hoyer pulls one out of the old playbook.-Does Counsell hire lead to bigger offseason moves?-Cubs paying Counsell at top of market inspire confidence?-Market for Bellinger, Stroman, Soto, etc.-Renteria or Ross dismissal more unjust? 

Offseason preview with Evan Altman of Cubs Insider.-Living vicariously through the Phillies.-Cubs seemingly moving on from Cody Bellinger?-Hendricks a Cub beyond playing days?-Can Stroman put a wrench in plans?-Cubs seeking power on both ends/possible targets.-

Cubs desert collapse talk with Andy.-What a difference a week makes.- Is this PCA's fault?- Tired or exposed offense?- Ross stubborn? 

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic and Michael Ernst formerly of Cubs Den talk PCA and the state of the Cubs.How/will David Ross actually use PCA?Did Cubs Twitter out do itself recently?Cubs in better shape than 2018?How fast is Matt Shaw coming?

Evan and Tom talk about the big Cubs news of the day and Tom's recent recording blunder. -How does Alexander Canario factor in?-Do we still see PCA soon?-Who would be back up plans to Ohtani/Bellinger?-Jordan Wicks just the beginning of the wave?

CHGO's Brendan Miller talks Cubs from his "perfect weather" location.  Concern on over taxed pitching staff?Help on the way in Jordan Wicks?Too much angst over David Ross line ups/in game management?Jed Hoyer's huge offseason ahead. 

David Haugh, Co-Host of "Mully and Haugh" of 670 The Score with big picture Cubs talk.Have Cubs turned the corner as an organization?Juggling the Ohtani sweepstakes and Cody Bellinger in FA.Will Jed Hoyer abandon "intelligent spending"? Is the "Stro-Show cancelled?

Jon Greenberg, Founding editor of The Athletic on the surging Cubs. Hot streak or playing up to expectations?Winning puts more focus on Ross?Bellinger the off-season priority?Bloggers breaking news.

Regular guest Andy Dolan returns to break down the Cubs options at the trade deadline.-Buyers and Sellers?-Bellinger worth the risk of no return.-Would 2011 Ricketts keep Hoyer around?-Introducing Tales from the restaurant biz: "Theo and The Flying Garlic" - Some mild (guest star) SPOILERS for The Bear Season 2 (55:48)-

Evan Altman of Cubsinsider.com gives his thoughts on the Cubs heading into the trade deadline.- Cubs facing 3rd straight sell off.-How much more time does Jed Hoyer deserve?-Can the Cubs both Buy and Sell?-Can Jed pull off a bold move?-

Bryan Smith of Bleacher Nation talks some hot Cubs and organization summer storylines to watch.-Reworked pen key to resurgence, more help on the way?-Miguel Amaya's role/development-What does PCA's summer look like?-What's next for Matt Mervis?- 

Andy Dolan (Desipio) returns to figure out how bad this Cubs thing is.-*SPOILER ALERTS (Succession and Barry talk) up to 15:42.-Bad bullpen or just bad team?-How bad will Sell Off Part 3 be?-Will anyone's seat get hot?

Marc Silverman of "Waddle and Silvy" (ESPN AM1000) talks State of the Cubs. -Would you have taken 20-26 at beginning of the season?-The Christopher Morel saga-The Good/Bad/Filthy -Cubs Twitter any different than Chicago Sports Twitter?

Chicago beat guy royalty Mark Gonzales graces the pod.  - Memorable takeaways from covering the Cubs.-Jed Hoyer chemistry lessons learned. -What is Christopher Morel?

Jordan Bernfield of ESPN/WGN drops in to discuss…-Marquee Network presentation disconnected? -David Ross angst growing.-Cubs can't afford Seiya Suzuki to be mid.

Ryan Herrera of CHGO helps wrap an exciting series with the Marlins.-The calvary arrives (Mervis/Amaya).-Did Wesneski save his rotation spot?-Ok, NOW it's safe to proclaim Steele an Ace.-Is there a Closer in the building?

Matt Clapp of The Comeback & Awful Announcing: Cubs/Dodgers series reaction and more.- What is the real hold up with Matt Mervis?-Is Cody Bellinger really back, but not for long haul?-Nico Hoerner becoming one of the best lead off men in game?-What does the Cubs optimal bullpen  look like? 

Matthew Trueblood of Northsidebaseball.com drops by to talk Cubs.-Ian Happ extension reaction.-Breaking down Hayden Wesneski's rough start.-Dansby Swanson better than advertised.-Justin Steele is for real.-Will Jed's model be more sustainable than original rebuild?

Tom gets into some more uniform talk with Bud Parks, contributor at Uni-watch.com.  They discuss Bud's post about the visiting Seattle Mariners ditching their road greys, and which other teams could follow suit.  -Should Cubs drop their road grey uniform?-What teams could use a uniform reboot?-Which City Connect unis stand out?

Tom and Evan Altman talk with Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic about the takeaways from the first week of the Cubs season.-David Ross scrutiny.-Hayden Wesneski's first start takeaways.  -Line up looking legit with return of Seiya Suzuki?-Nick Madrigal looking like odd man out.

Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network on the Cubs as camp winds down.-Steele stellar in tune up.-Wesneski trade a catalyst?-Thompson/Assad/Hughes latest.-Suzuki news affects final roster spots?

Co-Founder and Host of "Cubs On Deck" Podcast Greg Huss joins Tom for a beer and Cubs prospect talk.  - How soon will we see PCA in a Cubs uniform and is he the answer at the top of the order?- Haden Wesneski locked down a rotation spot and upside higher than previously thought?- Kevin "Jaguar" Alcantara the fun lynchpin of system?- Are the Cubs developing a dangerous bullpen?

Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune talks early Cubs camp storylines.- Being a Cubs Twitter OG and a decorated rebuild veteran.- Where does Christopher Morel fit?- Nico Hoerner extension a must for Jed Hoyer?- Favorites in roster spot battles.

Paul Lukas of Uni-Watch.com talks Cubs uniforms current and past.  Evan Altman and Tom run through some Spring Training story lines.- Paul breaks down the current set of Cubs uniforms.-Cubs history of groundbreaking uniforms.- Evan's Top 3 spring storylines to watch.  -Tom's Top 3 spring storylines to ignore.   

-Josh Noel,  Author, former long-time Chicago Tribune writer, and beer authority talks beer, restaurant industry and Cubs.  -How some smaller breweries survived during Covid lockdowns.-Marquee Network making it challenging to be a Cubs fan.-Favorite drinking spot and standout local breweries.

Andy Dolan (Desipio) of PointlessExcercise.com talks Cubs.-Will the Cubs play meaningful games in September?-The inevitable return of Sammy Sosa (What would he wear?)-Favorite Cubs teams that didn't win anything-Rondell White, Brian Dayett, and other Cubs greats -Andy and Kap record a 2 hour long podcast

Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago talks about Jed Hoyer's pivotal season ahead in his reshaping  of the Cubs. How does Hoyer operate differently from Theo Epstein?Does Hoyer have the big move in him?Hayden Wesneski a key to competing in 2023?Gordon's memorable Wrigley Field/White Castle introductions. 

Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation joins Tom and Evan for a beer and discusses the path to the next great Cubs team.What does next contending team look like?  How any current players are on it?Jed being over analytical and too conservative?Can the Cubs pull off a Cardinals like move?Will the Cubs use their financial resources or are they trying to rely too much on player development?

Tom Loxas and Evan Altman talk Cubs offseason over some beer/bourbon.   Former talent evaluator gives his takes on Correa and Swanson.Swanson deal give the Cubs more flexibility?What other moves can put the Cubs back in contention?Cubs trying to be Rays North?