Desipio Cubs Podcast

The Cubs magic number is dwindling, and while Marquee and the Score couldn't figure out how to calculate it properly, our podcast does. It's the Cubs pod with Oleg and Praz and Mike has done the math. And while the Brewers wait to win the division to celebrate, the Cubs should just go ahead. No need to wait for those losers to have a party. There's a lot to talk about, like Marquee's coverage of Ian Happ's retirement...we mean, Anthony Rizzo's retirement co-starring Ian Happ, and what were the odds of Moises Ballesteros hitting a homer right to Rizzo in the bleachers? Well, if you think that was cool, we have a Richie Ashburn story that will blow your mind. We talk about what other players would get a celebration like Rizzo did, why Boog can't pronounce Horwitz and why he kept saying Owen Caissie hit his face on some ivy when we're pretty sure the brick wall behind it did the damage. We talk about the return of injured Cubs, most notably Kyle Tucker and where Moises fits if Kyle comes back. Is Cade or Shōta the game one starter? Plus, why can't anyone who wears number one for the Cubs actually hit? All that, and much more.

The ReKrap is back with instant reaction and analysis to the Bears narrow 31 point defeat in Detroit. As always, the ReKrap is brought to you by Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet and the Benkowski Sports Spectacular. Sure, the Bears are 0-2, but the greatest coach of our lifetimes also started 0-2 and one of those was an embarrassing loss to Detroit. So, it's all part of the process.

The season is in it's final weeks and it's time for David Brown to help us decide what races are real and who still has a chance to force their way into the playoffs. They look at the closest races and the remaining schedules to see who might have a chance (Giants?) and who's already screwed (Texas?) Then they take a look a the incredible second half of Cade Horton and how he's clearly the best rookie pitcher (and player) and not that skinny giraffe in Milwaukee. They break down the list of guys with numbers retired by more than one team (thanks, Ian Happ for the idea!) They also ponder Anthony Rizzo's retirement, what a baseball ambassador does, and why the Cubs keep burying their Utility Tunnel of Fame induction during football's first big Sunday. All that, and more.

Your favorite overreaction podcast is back, it's the REKRAP, not to be confused with that other one of a similar name. We've got big time sponsors, and we're ready to tell it like it is, even if it makes you terribly uncomfortable! The Bears played their first game on Monday night and we'll break it down as loudly as possible!

With the Cubs tumbling towards the playoffs and the Bears ready to kick off it's a perfect time to catch up with The Athletic's Jon Greenberg. We talk about Boog skipping out on the Yeti Yard, Jed signing old guys to make up for whatever that was at the trade deadline, Carter looking forward to 2032, and whether the Cubs are more or less likely to sign Kyle Tucker now that his asking price is bound to come down. We also talk Petecrow's lack of rest, Tucker's calf and the glorious return of Billy Hamilton. And, Jon says Ben Johnson is "pretty normal for a football coach," and a redass with a heart of gold, realistic expectations for Caleb, and how much less awkward every press conference is. Is Ryan Poles the weak link, and we joke about Kevin Warren doing...anything. All that, and more.

With Praz off the continent it's up to Andy and Oleg to man the Cubs podcast and they really hit everything you want to know about your favorite team. Topic include: Ozzie Albies Hall of Fame numbers against the Cubs and at Wrigley, Carlos Santana's role on the team and his three Grammys, how Aaron Civale saved the season, when not to warn your sons that one of the women in the receiving line at a funeral has a beard, how to prep for your Bar Mitzvah readings, throwing up on a tree before your wedding, why teams need to get back to hiring more scouts, moving the trade deadline back. why Ryan Poles should have pulled a Ricky Renteria on Matt Eberflus, what to expect from the Bears this year but the media won't let you. All that, and more. More? Yes, more!

The baseball podcast is back with David Brown and we take a look around the league to see what races have been run and there's really anything left to decide. Are the Dodgers more or less vulnerable the longer they go through the playoffs? Why are the Brewers not a real rival, and will they ever be one? Can anybody in the American League realistically win the World Series. Would radical realignment make things better, or would we all just get even more tired of Cubs-White Sox matchups? All that, and more.

The Cubs Podcast returns with the suddenly red hot Cubs (they've won four of five!) taking on those pesky Brewers. Praz fills us in on getting tossed from the bleachers for (get this) being too negative about the team. If that was really a thing, nobody would have been allowed out there for most of the 90s. Should the team take the players' oven mitts away? Why are they bunting? Ever? Is giving Kyle Tucker a timeout really going to help. Is Owen Caissie the greatest player ever? What playoff seed should the Cubs be shooting for with the division seemingly out of reach? They even take a break in the middle of the podcast to watch an old "You Make The Call" which takes an unexpected twist, and you'll never guess what Johnny Bench could do with the entire Cubs starting rotation. I mean, you really can't guess it. All that, and more.

Things are pretty bad for the Cubs these days. They've lost 17 straight games when they have trailed at any point, they have lost seven games to the Brewers in the standings since August 1 and haven't gained a single game on them on any day since July 30. Kyle Tucker's so desperate to turn his awful slump around that he's (gasp!) taking batting practice? Petecrow's struggling. Ian Happ just sucks. Michael Busch is only good ten games a year. It's a pretty sad situation. So let's take a look at how they got there, what two fallacies Jed Hoyer keeps hiding behind (they don't have to be stacked very high to hide him), and why it's risky to bring Owen Caissie up, and not just because he probably blows. All that, and more.

The longest running franchise in the history of crap podcasting returns with Andy and Mike D. breaking down 150 years of great, good, and awful Cubs' second basemen. Do you know who Ross Barnes is? Of course you don't, but you are about to. From Ryne Sandberg to Mike Tyson, from Glenn Beckert to Jiggs Parrott, from Rogers Hornsby to Rey Sanchez and so many others, enjoy a century and a half of Cubs second sackers. You know, they've had some pretty damned good ones.

Jed Hoyer make a few solid moves at the deadline but botched any chance of fixing the Cubs biggest pitching problem, and so his Cubs find themselves staring up at the Brewers and their pocket pancake loving manager Mat Purphy...or Pat Murphy, whatever. Oleg and Praz are here to talk about it, and we provide a much better name than "pocket pancake." We discuss if there are any Brewers position players who would start on the Cubs, and give Praz some bad news about Justin Turner. We also learn that Turner and Petecrow did a very nice thing for some Japanese newlyweds they met in Tokyo back in March. We make fun of Thumbo and complain about how Marquee fails to cover key moments in games, and how the Cubs came so close to flawlessly pulling off their weekend of tributes to Ryne Sandberg only to completely fuck up the thing they promoted the most. All that, and more.

With the trade deadline mere tens of hours away (is that a thing?) David Brown and Andy discuss the risks of showcasing players you are trying to trade in the final games before the deadline, the costs of trading for rental players, trying to win and sell at the same time, and the varied personalities of GMs and how that affects trades. They also discuss Jed Hoyer's new contract, the chicken and egg of sports betting scandals and the passing of Cubs icon Ryne Sandberg.

The Cubs fell out of first place for the first time since April and who was there to catch them? Not us. Oleg and Praz join the podcast to talk about possible Cubs trade targets, why Rich Hill sucks, Andy feeling bad about agreeing with Adam Wainwright, why the DH rule changed so MLB could kiss Shohei's ass, lemonade stand scams, Tom House, towel drills, trading the Carjacker, MLB TV rights, James Acaster on Taskmaster and much, much more.  

We keep talking about who the Cubs should trade for, but what kind of trade currency do they actually have? Plus, how Nico and Happ make an imperfect leadoff platoon. A brief history lesson on the real curse of the Bears, and a few bobblehead stories. Really. All that, and more.

The Home Run Derby included a homer robbery, a dad hitting his son and measurement controversies, so David Brown is here to break it all down. The guys also discuss Pat McAfee completely botching the pitchers and starters press conference when a reporter dared to ask a real question. They also talk about the first round of the MLB Draft and how the son of a former big leaguer went first overall but it wasn't the one everybody thought would, plus the Cubs drafted a kid with his throwing arm in a sling. Plus, MLB's TV plans and much more.

The podcast finally concedes to the video age and not only can you see Andy, Oleg and Praz, but did you know the open and close have video? Well, now you do. They take a look at how the Cubs rank on offense and get some pretty good clues as to why they're so good. They lament Seiya and Busch not making the All-Star Game, but one of them has a brilliant idea about how to get Seiya there. They discuss possible trades, British comedies and much, more. Check out this not all AI created rundown of episode. 00:00Holy crap, look at that open!02:11Discussion on MLB Trades and Player Movement04:53Cubs' Performance and Statistics07:41Analysis of Cubs' Offensive Strategies10:25Cubs' Defensive Strengths and Pitching Staff13:26All-Star Selections and Player Snubs16:22Closing Thoughts and Future Predictions43:28The All-Star Game Anecdote45:39Catcher Performance Analysis48:28The Catcher Position Dynamics52:23Trade Deadline Speculations57:08Pitching Strategies and Future Prospects01:03:04British Comedy and Cultural References

It's time to take a look around baseball and tell the cold, hard, truth about whose season is already irredeemably in the crapper. David Brown joins the podcast to help decide what teams can be crossed off and can toss their players into the for sale bin. You might be surprised at the two teams who survived the axe, for now. They also go through Jim Bowden's handy list of players who are most likely to be traded (the Cubs can use them all!), some of which makes sense. Maybe. Dave gives a few first-hand observations about the Dodgers, what Mookie says is wrong with Mookie's swing, Shohei's cute little on deck stool and more. Then they try to take Rob Manfred's sad little outreacharound to the lowest paid players, seriously. All that, and more.

The trade deadline is still five weeks away, but Oleg and Praz join the podcast to helpfully give Jed Hoyer a shopping list of players he should trade for. They also wonder just what the hell Nate Pearson's purpose is, recoil in horror at the stats from Porter Hodge's way too brief (and way too bad) rehab assignment. They say nasty things about the Cardinals, St. Louis and their awful stadium, and somehow get derailed to talking the old St. Louis football Cardinals for a few minutes. It's another typically tightly focused podcast. So tune in for all that, and more.

With Dave Brown day to day, it's up to Andy to entertain you, but thankfully Jim Bowden and an insane trade proposal helps pass the time. What does Jimbo think Sandy Alcantara is worth? And how much more would it be if Sandy's ERA wasn't nearly a touchdown? Take a look at the rest of the NL Central and how well positioned the Cubs are, and then enjoy Rafael Devers completely sticking it to the Red Sox on his way out of town. All that, and more.

It's early June, the Cubs are in first place by five games and so naturally, Andy asks Praz and Oleg if they have enough to win anything important. All of the hot topics are covered like Evan Longoria's connection to the World Series Cubs, Rey Ordonez crying in the dugout, Bob Brenly's hot takes on grand slams and diving for the bag at first, Andy's dog's Brant Brown moment, and OK, some things that actually concern the current Cubs. Like, Ian Happ finally showing up, misleading Marquee Sport Network statistics, Michael Busch getting all of his stats in two hot streaks, and much, much, more.

Remember This Crap's tour around the diamond has reached shortstop. Huey is back to help talk about the greatest (and Larry Bowa) Cubs shortstops in history. As always, the guys go all the way back to the 19th century and work their way up to the modern day. The Cubs, of course, have one of the greatest shortstops in baseball history to their credit, and they have another Hall of Famer who owes most of it a poem. The Cubs have had some really good shortstops and long stretches of bad. Recent years have been pretty good. Let's dive and remember some shortstop crap.

After pondering when a new century actually starts, Andy and David Brown discuss the Cubs' All-Quarter Century team, and Andy explains his reasoning for so much Javy. They also wonder if the Corbin Burnes injury will turn the D'bags into sellers and if Zach Gallen is struggling or cooked. Where's Jac Caglianone going to play for the Royals? Why is cement falling on Dodgers fans? What's up with a drunk, overseas gambler hassling Lance McCullers? Seattke gets a prospect promotion video right. Somebody looks like the Tall Man. And baseball goes softball. All that, and more.

Oleg, Praz and Andy discuss all of the hot topics, like: can you bat Petecrow and Busch back to back, is Seiya a star, does Jed already have a contract extension, why doesn't Tommy Hottovy get more crap, and would you rather have the Dodgers' offense or the Cubs'? Plus they assign a new nickname to Reese McGuire, make fun of Ian Happ, blame one team for the lack of pitching trade candidates, mock a Mark DeRosa hot take and tell you which Michael Mann movie character Brad Keller looks like. All that, and more.

Matt Shaw is back and playing well, Cade Horton is looking good, Petecrow's on an MVP pace, Kyle Tucker is even better than we thought and Tom Loxas is here to talk about all of it. What could go wrong? Plus more announcer talk (groan, I know), what's up with the Bears these days and so much more.

The Cubs had a very thoughtful plan to fix Matt Shaw's leg kick. They apparently forgot to tell him about it until last Saturday. David Brown is here to talk about the Cubs third base situation, the Orioles firing Brandon Hyde and hiring Doug Mansolino's kid, Kyle Schwarber hitting bombs at an incredible rate, the Dodgers finding the guy with the perfect name for their pitching staff, Earl Weaver's smoke pouch, John Lowenstein's stretcher prank, Jose Alvarado testing positive for not wanting to be fat, the many reasons to shun Pete Rose, the White Sox still being terrible, and more.

It's the 400th Pointless Exercise Podcast! Either it's a huge hit, or we can't take a hint. What should the Cubs do with Cade Horton and Moises Ballesteros when Ian Happ and Shōta come back? Why was Pat treating Ron Coomer like a meterologist the other night? Do we need to chip in for Boog's healthcare? Will either paper do the hack All-Chicago team before this weekend's series and would any White Sock actually be on it? Wouldn't it be great if George McCasey started dating a 24 year old beauty pageant sixth runner up? And did we know that George went to college at a party school? Are we really supposed to be surprised that Caleb and his dad weren't all that thrilled about being drafted by the Bears with the Flus at the helm? And don't get too excited about the McCaskey's selling some shares in the team to pay their inheritance tax. All that, and more.

Oleg and Praz join the podcast to discuss the arrivals of Cade Horton and Moises Ballesteros on the Cubs roster and discuss other great 22s and 25s in Cubs history. They talk about Cade's impressive debut against the Mets and try to figure out how to keep Moises on the roster long-term--before he even gets his first big league hit. I mean, how hard could it be for Michael Busch to relearn third base? They make fun of Vidal Brujan's oven mitts, take a look at some disturbing Baseball Savant profiles, where they even find somebody worse than Ryan Pressly. Andy celebrates the reinstatement of a baseball great from the suspended list, and it's not Pete Rose. And, they discuss Curb Your Enthusiasm and how it kept a guy off death row once. All that, and more.

It's time again to talk baseball with David Brown, and in this scintillating episode we discuss how the D'bags won the Paul Goldschmidt seven years after the fact! (Kind of.) Why math and common sense tells you that if the Cubs don't call Cade Horton up to make some Shōta replacement starts right now they might miss their window for the whole season. Is the Javier Baez rejuvenation a real thing? How do his current metrics stack up against his best year as a Cub? Could he recast the final years of his career as the greatest utility man of all-time? Are the Tigers actually really good? Let's make fun of a bunch of way too early Jim Bowden trade proposals and much more.

An intrepid reader searched for Neifi Perez the other day and was horrified and amused at what they found. They shared the results with Andy and in this podcast you'll get a dramatic retelling of the events surrounding Neifi and the rosin bag. Plus, Dansby's fixed! Well, at least his offense. A prospect pervert has the completely wrong take on Alex Cohen's "talents," we look at the Cubs' upcoming schedule, discuss why it's too early to scoreboard watch, and enjoy the return to form of one of our favorite Cubs of all-time. All that, and more.

Craig Counsell clearly read the newsletter and listened to the podcast and came to the conclusion that dropping Dansby Swanson in the order was a good idea. Oleg, Praz and Andy discuss reordering things, Shōta dodging a major injury (though with the Cubs you never know), how this hot start is different than last year's hot start and more fun with Petecrow Armstrong. Praz talks about the Cubs trying to disrobe him. They ponder the veracity of Dave Kaplan's report that the Cubs are willing to spend what it takes to keep Kyle Tucker. All that, and much, much more.

With the NFL Draft going on, Andy and Dave look back at when the Kansas City Royals just kept drafting Hall of Fame football players. Plus, fun with official scoring, when is a save a win, what happens when you try to send your Rule V "star" to the minors, why was it legal for a double-A player to hit the ball twice with one swing, gender reveals do not belong in the batter's box, who do the Yankees have to blame for dinky foul poles, backup catchers are the best hitters in the world right now, and what to expect from Drew Pomeranz (other than a need for Metamucil?)

The Cubs are trying to bolster their bullpen with Drew Pomeranz? Hey, nobody's gotten a hit off of him in four years! Bruce Levine says that Jed's out looking for a starter and a "lock down" reliever and that would be great if this was November of last year when he should have been trying to the same damned thing. We look back at the crazy Friday win over the D'bags and two equally nutty games in Cubs history. The Cubs are almost finally done with the Dodgers and almost done with the toughest part of their schedule. And, an explanation for the Cubs awful backup TV announcer as to why Ryan Pressly got the win and not the save on Friday. All that, and more.

Matt Shaw is taking his leg kick on the road to Iowa, the great Vidal Brujan has returned, the Cubs are going to have to find a way without Justin Steele for a while and half the lineup is struggling. And yet, the Cubs are in first place. Oleg and Praz are on hand to talk about all of it. What's the future hold for Tater Workman, is it in Chicago or Detroit or Erie, Pennslvania and do we have to watch it? Do the Cubs have enough to swing a trade for a big pitcher, and do they have to re-sign Kyle Tucker first? Plus, why Shaw shouldn't let Nate Pearson drive. All that, and more.

You get teased with a big celebrity guest, but it falls through, so instead you'll have to settle for Andy talking about upcoming books on the 2003 and 2016 Cubs, a pathetic plea for more paid newsletter subscribers and then actual sports talk about Justin Steele's elbow, Kyle Tucker cooling off and only leading the NL in six statistical categories, Petecrow being productive without really hitting yet, Matt Shaw's f'd up batting stance,  just how bad the old guys in the Cubs' bullpen have been, and why do the Cubs have to play so many west coast night games? Will baseball try to ram a salary cap down the players' throats, more fun with Thumbo, shopping tips for the new power/baby blue jerseys, and why Crane sucks so much. All that and more.

David Brown joins the pod to talk about a really weird early season baseball stat, jump to conclusions based on small sample sizes and run differentials, Vlad Guerrero Jr's big new deal, the Cubs chances of keeping Kyle Tucker, why torpedo bats aren't for everyone and the Pirates stepping in a big pile of iced tea and vodka. All that, and more.

As the Cubs prepare for opening day 3.0 let's take a look at how things are going through the season's first nine games. The bullpen stinks, Big Jimmy Taillon's no great shakes, but most everything else is pretty good. Kyle Tucker's awesome, the catchers are playing out of their minds, Dansby and Petecrow are catching everything in sight and Shōta's still great. Seiya had to waddle through the field to go take an interpreter-assisted poop and he's been hitting ever since. Justin Steele will figure it out, Ryan Pressly can't be this bad (right?) and the schedule softens up...in a month. So things are going pretty well all things considered.

Carson Kelly has joined an elite group of Cubs hitters...OK, well, he's certainly joined a group of Cubs hitters...who have hit for a cycle. Oleg and Praz are here to talk about every Cubs cycle in history, why the bullpen still blows, how the Garbage Family That Owns The Cubs™ suck this time, why Kikè Hernandez is apparently more popular than every Cubs player and how MLB can fix their TV problem. Then they get distracted, talk about the Desipio archives and Dave Kaplan living in a van, fun TV shows to binge and get ready for Opening Day 3.0. All that, and more.

It's opening day 2.0 and the Cubs still aren't playing when the sun's out. Oh well, everything can't be perfect. Let's take a look at some big keys to the season like Matt Shaw being good, Petecrow taking the next step and Michael Busch hopefully proving he's more than just a guy. Let's discuss what Jed said to our good friend Jon Greenberg about his future and Kyle Tucker's, what the Cubs had to do to make room for Tater and for Brad Keller's huge dome and how phantom injuries helped keep all the guys they wanted to. We'll make fun of CHSN for still not being anywhere were anybody can see them and revisit Andy's sure to be perfect baseball predictions. And then a little bonus, some TV shows you should be watching and a book or two. All that, and more.

Opening Day part deux is on the way and David Brown is on hand to discuss all of the important things you need to hear before the season restarts anew. Did the Cubs feel any shame losing two games in Tokyo to a third of the Dodgers' best players? Why did the Dodgers make Mookie Betts fly halfway around the world twice when things were spewing out of him at both ends? Did anybody have to try to use the airplane bathroom after him? Who is your fourth favorite Seattke Mariner of all-time? Andy walks us through his incredibly well thought out baseball draft process that has resulted in him having zero active players at one position. Will the West Sacramento A's actually have a very cool home atmosphere? What happens if the A's and Rays make the ALCS and an entire round of playoffs is played in minor league stadiums? Who's gonna be the NEXT Elly de la Cruz? Listen and find out. Follow the train of thought that goes from Zack Wheeler being traded to the Mets many years ago to an MLB inspector looking at a bare wall with an empty TV mounting bracket on it. And fun with teams that can't find anybody to hit 30 homers. All that, and more.

Worlds collide as both Pointless Exercise baseball podcasts join forces to preview the 2025 season. David Brown, Oleg, Praz and Andy sit around and yak about who's going to the playoffs, who's going to be MVP, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and Manager of the Year. No tangent is too wild to stray off on and somehow amidst all the serious baseball talk they discuss choosing one award by firing the leading candidates out of a cannon, they wonder why all the good Japanese players have names that start with s, and whether or not you can bet on one MVP candidate to get hit in the nuts with a pitch to lead off the season. There is gambling advice that you really don't want to take and a good time is had by all. The world may suck, but baseball's back, so that's something. Right?

Sure, the Dodgers might have the best player of his generation and two other Japanese fireballers, but there's no dispute that the Cubs' Japanese players returning home to play in next week's games are more fun. Seiya's hitting baseballs with a samurai sword, Shōta's making fun of his manager's batting stance. That has to be worth something, right? Tom Loxas is on hand to discuss this, why the Cubs are bothering with Lance Lynn, PCA's emergence, what do the Cubs see in Brad Keller, and the future of Tater Workman. Plus, the Bears moves make a lot more sense than we're used to. All that, and more

Baseball's hat designers learned the hard way that there are many, many words for breasts all over the world. David Brown is on hand to talk about that, about his upcoming train ride to spring training, the Cubs departure for Japan, dumb things said on sports radio, Mo Vaughn's interesting PED routine, where Yadi lives now, is Dave Roberts really a good manager, injured pitchers and much, much more.

The Remember This Crap tour around the diamond remembering the greatest (and other) Cubs players at each position has reached the hot corner. Andy and Huey are on hand to tell you more than you'd ever like to know about every regular third baseman (and some irregular ones) from the Hall of Famer who first played the position in 1876 all the way to the current day including a theory as to why Matt Shaw wears his number. The Cubs have had some legitimately great players including two World Series heroes (one we actually were alive to see play), several Utility Tunnel of Famers, some real Hall of Famers and Leo Gomez! You'll hear us opine as to why our generation grew up with the myth that Ron Santo was the last great third sacker and why that was nothing more than propaganda. Third base has been a shockingly good position for this club with some really fun guys.

Oleg is back from a whirlwind trip to Cubs spring training, Innings Festival and his first look at Toilet Flapper Field and he has stories to tell. Praz tries to guess who Gary Clark Jr's favorite Cub is, and Andy is relieved that Petecrow's leg is in one piece and that Matt Shaw's batting stance seems to be in working order. They discuss Cole Wright's play by play efforts, a juicy rumor about Boog and Japan and celebrate the return of everybody's favorite Cubs legend, Yency Almonte. Plus, for some reason they briefly talk about the upcoming F1 season, Nico Hoerner's token IL visit and fall down a Damon Buford sized hole remembering some crap about the 2000 Cubs team that went to Japan. All that, and more.

Spring Training is in full swing and enough of it has passed that Sammy Sosa showed up, so Tom Loxas is here to talk about it. Sammy's there passing along his wisdom to the young players ("Don't take $80,000 to a hotel lobby in a towel") and a guy only slightly younger than him is taking grounders at third base. But Matt Shaw is nearing his return while Nico Hoerner has already been ruled out of the games in Japan. Marquee got some expected bad news from Comcast, and their right-wing broadcast partner is trying to sue them to get out of their deal, how will this impact the Cubs cash flow? Meanwhile, ESPN and MLB have broken up, which means this is the last year of Sunday Night Baseball. Thank God. The guys also talk about the SNL 50th special and underrated cast members. And they finish up talking Bears free agency and the always exciting NFL Combine. All that and more. 

Thankfully ABS stands for Automated Balls and Strikes and not what Andy thought it did. David Brown joins the podcast to talk about the early days of testing the system and if there's a chance it could come to a big league ballpark near you this year. They also discuss bearded Yankees, the passing of Andy's pretend grandfather, how Justin Ishbia bailing on the Twins to buy more Sox shares will impact the AL Central, but also how it might force the Cubs to actually spend real money. They also chat about Petecrow's number change, where the middle class of baseball players has gone and why Anthony Rizzo is screwed and the Cubs relying on Matt Shaw at third base. All that and more.

The Cubs are banking on some marked improvements from some of their young players (and Michael Busch) but how realistic is that? Justin Turner's contract terms show the Cubs will spare no length to save a buck. A deep dive into the psychology that makes the Garbage Family That Owns The Cubs™ the way that they are--the kids at least. Is the local blog media finally catching on to the fact that the Cubs don't really know what they're doing? Should the Cubs trade for Vlad Guerrero Jr.? Of course, but the Jays aren't going to trade him. ESPN and MLB sever their relationship while it's discussed on this very podcast. Plus, why the Bears don't have to worry about raising their ticket prices. All that, and more.

The Cubs have a new right handed hitter and the guys try to not confuse Justin Turner with NFL massage enthusiast Justin Tucker, and they remember the time Justin Turner tried to kill everybody during the Dodgers 2020 World Series celebration. Oleg, Praz and Andy discuss whether Jed was being passive aggressive in thanking Tom and the rest of The Garbage Family That Owns The Cubs™ for giving him almost enough money to sign Alex Bregman, the national media being tired of the Cubs being so cheap, what Turner's role should be with his new team, how the bench is shaping up, who's going to pitch opening day in Japan and why Bruce Levine keeps making Craig Counsell's press conferences so weird. They also discuss if Nolan Arenado makes any sense for the Cubs and if the Cardinals would even trade him to them if they wanted him. All that and more.

The longest running half-assed historical podcast on the Cubs (probably) is back, and this time Andy and Huey are taking a look at the long, distinguished history of Cubs' right fielders. And we don't just mean Nate Schierholtz. Who were the best ever? Who were the worst? The Cubs have a storied history at the position dating back to a Hall of Famer who played in the '80s. The 1880s. Check it out.

Alex Bregman took the higher offer and picked the Red Sox over the Cubs. Tom Loxas is on hand to discuss whether that's a blessing in disguise for the Cubs, and the guys try to figure out why Jed was thanking the Omaha Hillbillies for letting him make an offer but also seemingly decrying the fact he couldn't go even higher. They discuss if the Cubs have another move in them, especially for a pitcher. And then it's uniform talk! All that and more.

Is Alex Bregman worth signing even in the short term? Would it even make sense if the Cubs signed him and traded Nico Hoerner to save a few bucks? Who was a bigger prick, Jim Edmonds, Curt Schilling or Troy Glaus? The answer of course is Trevor Bauer. Does Shohei count as a pitcher on the Dodgers' roster? Why would anybody trade for Nolan Arenado and not have him play third? Does Justin Turner have anything left...and we don't only mean hair. Does Jed really think he can't talk about free agents? Why did the Cardinals fall apart and why is it so fun to watch? David Brown is here to answer all these questions, hear the best Charles Barkley story and more.