Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / David Kaplan talks Cubs & Bears, Randy Wehofer on the upcoming Home Run Derby at Principal Park & Trent's Picks presented by Circa Sports

Transcript

David Kaplan talks Cubs & Bears, Randy Wehofer on the upcoming Home Run Derby at Principal Park & Trent's Picks presented by Circa Sports · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

• 0:00
  I'm Miller Condon, Welcome back Iowa Sports Radio Network.
• 0:03
  Trent Condon, Ken Miller with you until the top of the hour.
• 0:06
  Coming up bottom of the hour, Randy Weihofer is going to join
• 0:09
  us. What's going on with this former
• 0:11
  Major League Baseball players Home Run Derby of some of some
• 0:15
  sort it principal park in late August.
• 0:17
  Mandy Ramirez going to be there, Zobrist going to be there, Jay
• 0:20
  Carrietta, Adam Wainwright, Rick and Keel, amongst others.
• 0:24
  So we'll talk to Randy Wayhofer about that and who's behind it
• 0:28
  right now. To our buddies, the cap man
• 0:30
  centuring Stone of Iowa sponsors this weekly segment.
• 0:33
  Hello, Capper. Trenton Ken, how are you?
• 0:36
  What's up gentlemen? How we doing doing?
• 0:38
  Well, appreciate it as always you finding time for us here.
• 0:41
  I guess we got to start with the with the Cubs and just the
• 0:44
  offensive numbers they're putting up on par with what the
• 0:47
  Dodgers are doing and and cap last night it was the youth that
• 0:51
  was served right. It was Kate Horton quality
• 0:53
  start. It was PCA swiping bags and
• 0:57
  scoring the the game-winning run.
• 0:59
  It was Matt Shaw knocking in the game winner with that little
• 1:03
  flare out the right field. This team is so much fun to
• 1:06
  watch. Cap, I get it was the Rockies,
• 1:08
  but you know what? It's a win.
• 1:09
  Who cares at the end of the day? 34 and 21 and another exciting
• 1:14
  one for the Cubs fans. Yeah, it was super cool watching
• 1:18
  that game last night to see they fall behind.
• 1:22
  They were up to zip. They fall behind three to two in
• 1:26
  the 11th and you get a break. Baseball God said we got you
• 1:31
  here. PCA is the guy on second base as
• 1:34
  your ghost runner, he swipes third, Michael Bush drives him
• 1:39
  in and then Craig Council with a really smart move, pinch runs
• 1:43
  John Birdie for Michael Bush, he swipes second and Matt Bush
• 1:48
  deliver. Matt Shaw delivers the
• 1:50
  game-winning hit. So yeah, things are going really
• 1:53
  well for the Cubs right now 6. Stolen bases alone last night,
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  right? And four of the six stolen bases
• 1:59
  came around to score. Unbelievable.
• 2:01
  Incredible, Fun, entertaining, exciting, yet there's still the
• 2:06
  lingering questions. Then it goes to the staff and a
• 2:08
  little bit of the bullpen. So Ken and I were having this
• 2:11
  conversation a little bit earlier and I want to get your
• 2:13
  perspective. We know what ownership says the
• 2:15
  Ricketts are going to, yes, we'll open up the how much?
• 2:18
  Like, if it gets to a point where we see a real window of
• 2:21
  opportunity, we get to late July and the Dodgers maybe more
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  injuries have beset them and that pitching staff or Otani
• 2:28
  has. Whatever it is that there is an
• 2:30
  opportunity right now to win a World Series, Do you see the
• 2:34
  Cubs in 2025 pushing their chips to the middle of the table and
• 2:37
  going all in? What does all in mean?
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  I mean, do I? Getting rid of top prospects,
• 2:44
  bringing in multiple, a big time closer and a big time arm and
• 2:49
  maybe even another bat if Shaw starts to step.
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  Like everything, if it comes to that point in that opportunity,
• 2:54
  what is there any willingness for them to spend to do that?
• 2:58
  Yeah, I think there is. I actually do believe that they
• 3:03
  will spend. Now, does that mean that if
• 3:05
  Jacob degrom is willing to waive his no trade clause, they're
• 3:08
  going to take on the 90 million that he's still owed?
• 3:12
  I would doubt highly that that would happen.
• 3:15
  I'm not sure he would even waive his no trade clause.
• 3:18
  But if you said, all right, you got to give up Kevin Alcantara
• 3:23
  or you got to give up, you know, some really Owen Casey or
• 3:28
  Moises, just buy a steroid, pick whoever the best guys are in
• 3:31
  your system and you can make a deal where you're going to go
• 3:34
  get that reliever and you're going to get that starter and
• 3:38
  that bench bet. Yeah, I think they would
• 3:41
  absolutely do it. I'm pretty convinced they would.
• 3:45
  I do think they're trying to get PCA locked up on a multi year
• 3:49
  deal. And then I do think I've been
• 3:52
  our record. I believe they'll sign Kyle
• 3:54
  Tucker. I do now.
• 3:56
  They could offer him $500 million and the Dodgers go,
• 4:00
  we'll offer 502 and he says I've always wanted to be a Dodger.
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  Well, there's nothing you could do about that.
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  I don't believe money will be the factor that keeps Kyle
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  Tucker from resigning with the cops.
• 4:11
  What about a team like Toronto Cap?
• 4:13
  I read a lot of Canadian media and they're they're they're
• 4:17
  seemingly linking Kevin Gossman as much as anywhere to the Cubs
• 4:21
  right-hander. I know that the lefties I I saw,
• 4:24
  who do we have yesterday to talk about left?
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  Oh, Matt, Matt Snyder from CBS Sports saying that the new with
• 4:29
  the new scoreboard right and right field seemingly benefits
• 4:32
  left-handed pitchers at Wrigley Field.
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  Gossman's a righty. Have you heard his name at all,
• 4:37
  Kathy? Because I think that'd be a
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  great pick up. Yeah, I have heard his name.
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  Now Toronto has to be willing to move on from him and if he's
• 4:47
  going to be available, there's going to be other teams that
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  need starting pitching like the Dodgers or whoever.
• 4:52
  So you have to make a really good deal.
• 4:55
  And this is going back to my when I was in the NBA scouting,
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  I remember one of the GM's I worked with said that's why you
• 5:03
  cannot always try to win every single deal.
• 5:07
  I said, what do you mean, you want to come out on top and
• 5:10
  every deal? He said, no, you want to make a
• 5:13
  fair deal. You want what you want, but you
• 5:17
  can't kill the other guy. Or there's going to come a time
• 5:21
  where the other guy's going to be like, I'm done dealing with
• 5:23
  you and there'll be somebody you want and he's going to send them
• 5:26
  to your arrival simply because you don't make fair deals.
• 5:30
  He said that's just the way it is.
• 5:31
  You've got to make a good deal, make it fair.
• 5:35
  If it works out in your favor, great.
• 5:37
  But he said you cannot try to kill the other guy all the time
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  or you're going to pay for it down the road when you need
• 5:43
  something. So let's see what you know.
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  Jed has really good relationships around the game.
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  And, you know, if you look back when teams are up the track and
• 5:53
  you see them make a deal and you're, like, wonder why they
• 5:55
  did that? Because when they're in position
• 5:58
  to get to a playoff, that other guy might help you.
• 6:03
  Tuesday we heard from Jed Hoyer talking about an extension with
• 6:07
  PCA. They each had thrown out a
• 6:10
  number before they went over to Tokyo.
• 6:12
  Of course, there was no contract that was signed.
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  And that one, how much more expensive would it be right now?
• 6:17
  Every day, too. Price goes up, yes.
• 6:19
  Compared to what? How?
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  Long are we going? He's 23.
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  You're buying out arbitration years.
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  You're about eight years. You're going to do an 8 year
• 6:29
  deal, so you're buying out three years of free agency and that
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  would get him back to free agency at age 31, which is, you
• 6:40
  know, dicey. I would think they would try and
• 6:43
  buy out, let's see, he's got five years of control left and
• 6:49
  then buy out two years of free agency.
• 6:52
  I would think that probably would do like a seven-year deal.
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  There would be some potential opt outs in there and I think it
• 7:01
  would probably cost you 150 million, something like that.
• 7:06
  Seems like a bargain. Send it in, out, Yeah.
• 7:08
  It seems like a bargain. I mean it.
• 7:10
  Seems like a bargain until you go, God, that guy looks so good.
• 7:14
  And what happened? I mean, Luis, Robert, Eloy
• 7:17
  Jimenez, go back through a different team.
• 7:21
  Look at guys who took big contracts and you thought, well,
• 7:24
  we just swindled him. And in the end, Aloy Jimenez is
• 7:27
  down in AAA and Luis Robert can't hit his weight.
• 7:30
  Fairpoint say a Suzuki cap. This was a guy that didn't want
• 7:34
  to give up playing right field, did not want to be full time DH.
• 7:38
  Ian Hap goes down, he's plugged into left field, look like a
• 7:41
  Gold Glover out there for crying out loud.
• 7:43
  I thought he was great and is leading the league in RBI.
• 7:47
  What are your say a Suzuki is having?
• 7:49
  What's behind this gap? I mean, this is who I think the
• 7:54
  Cubs thought he could and would be when they signed him.
• 7:58
  But, you know, let's imagine that they picked you up and they
• 8:02
  dropped you into a foreign country where you don't speak
• 8:05
  the language. You're treated as royalty
• 8:08
  because you paid this guy a fortune of money.
• 8:11
  And they're like, I don't understand how this Ken Miller
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  can't just assimilate himself into whatever the culture is
• 8:18
  somewhere that doesn't speak the language that you speak.
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  I think it's a tougher transition that people realize.
• 8:24
  He had injuries that he had to deal with what he pulling
• 8:27
  oblique, he had a wrist thing. He's all he's had something, but
• 8:31
  he's healthy now and this dude is putting up monster numbers.
• 8:36
  Monster numbers. Matt Shaw is coming back.
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  What did you hear about the work?
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  We saw it here. Tommy Birch, who you know,
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  Cappy, this young man was putting in the work.
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  He didn't go down here and hang his head.
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  He didn't pout, he didn't whine why he got set down.
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  He put in the work. What have you heard from the
• 8:53
  people inside the organization of how he's come back to
• 8:56
  Chicago? Yeah, I've heard that they were
• 8:59
  thrilled with the attitude that he displayed.
• 9:02
  And then I watched an interview that he did and he said, you
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  know, when I went down there, sure, nobody wants to get sent
• 9:08
  back down to the minor leagues. But he said, I just said, I'm
• 9:12
  going to go down there. I'm going to make the necessary
• 9:14
  corrections and I'm going to have a different mindset when I
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  come back to the big leagues and play for the Cubs.
• 9:20
  And that's exactly what he's done.
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  And he think he's hitting 360 something since he's been
• 9:25
  recalled. Two hits last night, the game
• 9:27
  winner on a really nasty slider and couldn't be happier for him
• 9:33
  because I hear nothing but wonderful things about him as a
• 9:37
  person. And if I if you get a guy who
• 9:40
  assimilates himself into your clubhouse and is just beloved
• 9:44
  because he's a good guy, I want to see good guys succeed.
• 9:48
  I remember Lou Pinella saying to me one day, you know your
• 9:51
  problem is around here. What's that?
• 9:53
  You want to like all your players?
• 9:55
  Just give me 9 SOB's that want to win baseball games.
• 9:58
  That's all well and fine. It's tough to be around 9 and so
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  be 162 * a year. And it's his defense cap.
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  I mean, played, made a play last night in the third inning, made
• 10:08
  a play over the weekend in Cincinnati.
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  Weren't sure about his. One where he.
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  Fell back. It was unbelievable.
• 10:14
  I don't know how he got it. There, I'm with you.
• 10:17
  And we were told he might not have the arm strength to play
• 10:19
  third base BS. That's unbelievable what he
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  does. Hey Cap, I'm not asking you to
• 10:25
  divulge anything that that you don't want.
• 10:28
  I'm a huge Boog Shombi fan. I am I love the broadcast team.
• 10:32
  It seems as though Boog is going to work home series Cohen's been
• 10:35
  filling in on the road. Is that kind of what we can
• 10:38
  expect going forward and and feel free not to answer the
• 10:41
  question if if you know something you.
• 10:42
  Should, I'll be honest with you, I have texted with Boog because
• 10:46
  I really like the guy. And all I said to him was, I
• 10:50
  hope you're OK. If there's anything I can do in
• 10:53
  any way, shape or form, all you got to do is ask.
• 10:56
  And he texted me back. I really appreciate it.
• 10:58
  Thanks for being a good friend. And I'll be at the ballpark.
• 11:01
  This was, I don't know, a week ago.
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  I'll be at the ballpark tomorrow.
• 11:04
  And that was it. So if there's a health thing
• 11:07
  going on, I don't know about it. Obviously there's something
• 11:12
  because we don't see him each and every day, so I hope he's
• 11:16
  all right. But I I really like the guy.
• 11:18
  I think he's a quality human. Yeah, I do too.
• 11:20
  White Sox. Playing.
• 11:22
  Better playing better, yeah. Got a series win against a good
• 11:26
  talented Rangers team. I don't know good, but talented
• 11:28
  Rangers team. What's the buzz like on the
• 11:30
  South Side? That they're a more professional
• 11:35
  outfit than they were when they set the Major League record for
• 11:39
  losses last year. And that's all well and fine and
• 11:43
  I'm happy that that's what I'm seeing, that they look like
• 11:47
  they're at least better managed and that they are more
• 11:51
  competitive. But they're bullpens, horrible.
• 11:54
  And like the other day, they had the 1 nothing lead against the
• 11:58
  Mets into the 8th inning that I said my business partner said,
• 12:03
  hey man, there's no way that the one runs going to hold up.
• 12:06
  And of course it didn't. Lindor got a SAC fly to win the
• 12:09
  game. And it's just disappointing.
• 12:13
  The Rockies are a whole other special breed of horrible.
• 12:17
  Whether they beat the Cubs tonight or not, they're a
• 12:19
  horrible baseball team. The White Sox are not as bad as
• 12:24
  the Rockies. I think the Rockies will
• 12:26
  obliterate the Major League record that was set a year ago.
• 12:30
  But it's just disappointing that in this market, in Chicago,
• 12:34
  that's what I got to watch every day.
• 12:36
  That sucks. Cap OTAs are going on with the
• 12:40
  Bears. I'm surprised, and I know you
• 12:42
  are too because I follow you on Twitter, that this Caleb
• 12:45
  Williams, when's he going to talk thing?
• 12:46
  When's he going to address the story that came out?
• 12:49
  Was it Wicks? Wicks, whatever.
• 12:50
  The author's always. Seth Wickersham.
• 12:52
  Wickersham, right? Is this really a topic in
• 12:56
  Chicago or is it an offseason topic?
• 12:58
  Are there people that really want to know what's behind this
• 13:01
  still 2 weeks later? Yeah, it's the polyester suit
• 13:06
  Club. The media, that's who wants to
• 13:08
  know. They're like, he's got to speak.
• 13:11
  He's got. I did a poll question and it got
• 13:14
  almost 4000 votes. And I would say my followers are
• 13:19
  pretty good representation of Chicago sports fans.
• 13:22
  You're not following me for any reason, not giving out financial
• 13:26
  advice. It's for sports, almost 4000
• 13:30
  followers, 83% do not care. They don't.
• 13:36
  And the responses to that poll question.
• 13:40
  Hey, Cap, thank you for saying that because most of the media
• 13:44
  expects him like demands him to speak.
• 13:47
  And I said to a couple people I was doing shows with when Hoodie
• 13:50
  was on vacation last week, he said, do you think he should
• 13:53
  speak? Oh, yeah.
• 13:54
  I said, yeah, You're saying that because you think you're a
• 13:57
  journalist and he owes it to speak about what happened.
• 14:02
  No, he doesn't. I would tell him if he was
• 14:04
  sitting right here right now. Caleb, if they ask you about the
• 14:09
  article, you should say I'm on to 20/25/2024 was a learning
• 14:14
  experience for all of us. I'm on to 25.
• 14:16
  You want to talk about the 2025 Bears?
• 14:19
  I'll stay here all day with you. You want to talk about last
• 14:21
  season, I'm leaving. The defensive end, other side of
• 14:25
  Sweat, they needed somebody. They go out free, Andrew C, they
• 14:28
  bring in Dio Dango from Indianapolis, had eight sacks a
• 14:32
  couple years ago, didn't have that production this past year.
• 14:35
  Is he just a guy or is there a chance not to be an elite level
• 14:38
  pass rusher? But the other side of Sweat, a
• 14:40
  guy that can get to the quarterback 6-8, maybe 10 * a
• 14:43
  season. They like him and they should.
• 14:47
  They paid him $48 million. But I was talking to a Bears
• 14:51
  player, current player last night and he said to me, he's
• 14:56
  like, I know everyone wants to go get Trey Hendrickson or go do
• 14:59
  this or go do that. He said, I believe that the most
• 15:03
  important part of AD line is not your rush edges.
• 15:06
  He goes, look, if you have TJ Watt, great, you've got one of
• 15:10
  the best in the game. But he said rather than throwing
• 15:12
  assets there, he believes that the best way to good pass rush
• 15:16
  is by collapsing the pocket through the middle.
• 15:19
  And he thinks they're going to be better because of Grady
• 15:21
  period. Irvine, Dexter, Andrew Billings
• 15:25
  back from injury. He said, I think Dio is going to
• 15:29
  be a guy who is utilized inside and on the edge.
• 15:33
  He goes, Montez wasn't healthy last year.
• 15:36
  So let's see where it all goes. And with the new D coordinator
• 15:38
  and a new scheme, they'll very rare, very rarely do you see
• 15:43
  teams in base defense. You can tell me we run a 3 four,
• 15:47
  we run a four, three. We run 90% of the time you're
• 15:51
  either in nickel or you're in some type of an exotic coverage.
• 15:56
  And so I'm not giving up. I'll give up the draft pick.
• 16:01
  If you told me Trey Hendrickson's coming here on his
• 16:03
  existing deal, he's not. He's looking to get $35 million
• 16:07
  a year. I'm not blowing up my cap like
• 16:09
  that. Nope, Capra.
• 16:11
  Great stuff buddy. Are you following the NBA and
• 16:13
  does OKC just look like they're home free to you?
• 16:15
  Are you even following the playoffs?
• 16:18
  Oh God I'm watching every night. Didn't everybody have OG Ananovi
• 16:22
  over 15 1/2 points last? Night.
• 16:24
  Well done. Yeah, every day, my guy, Ryan
• 16:28
  Mcguffey, he does on our YouTube channel, does the lunch hour
• 16:32
  with guff and every single day, Monday through Friday, he does
• 16:36
  guffs Better the Day and the dudes been red hot.
• 16:39
  So yeah, every day it's on our channel, it's on demand or it's
• 16:43
  live 12:30 to 1. So pull it up, you'll see the
• 16:47
  Better the day. Dudes really good.
• 16:49
  So we'll see what he's got cooked up for today.
• 16:51
  Good stuff, Capra. Thank you, buddy.
• 16:52
  We'll talk to you in seven days. Thanks, Cap.
• 16:54
  Have a great day. Yep, see buddy David Kaplan as
• 16:57
  we check in our weekly segment with our buddy from Chicago
• 17:00
  talking Chicago sports with that cap man centurion stone of Iowa.
• 17:05
  They sponsor this weekly segment with Cappy Centurion stone of
• 17:08
  iowa.com. That's the website.
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• 17:43
  CAPI Weekly. So there's been a little bit of
• 17:45
  news since we said CAPI on. I don't know if Brian Kelly said
• 17:48
  this this morning, but apparently said something along
• 17:52
  these lines at some point, and I'm not sure he's speaking for
• 17:55
  all SEC coaches, but he said that we want to play Big 10
• 17:59
  schools, we want to play 9 SEC games, one Big 10 matchup and
• 18:04
  two non cons. Know what that means?
• 18:08
  Cyhawk, bye bye. That's what he wants, though.
• 18:11
  That's what he that's what he wants, yes.
• 18:14
  And it's not just IY with state, that also means that we no.
• 18:17
  Longer would get South Carolina. South Carolina.
• 18:21
  Kentucky. Louisville.
• 18:24
  Florida. Florida State.
• 18:25
  Another one, but those don't matter you.
• 18:28
  Think those are going away? I don't and I don't want them
• 18:31
  to. I don't think they are.
• 18:33
  I want. Them to play 9 games.
• 18:34
  I like the idea of the Big 10, the crossover.
• 18:37
  Oh yes. Absolutely.
• 18:38
  If you don't have an Iowa or an Iowa State, or in this case Iowa
• 18:42
  State on Iowa schedule or Louisville on Kentucky's dot dot
• 18:46
  dot find a dance partner in the Big 10.
• 18:50
  I think it's great. But if you're playing from an
• 18:52
  Iowa perspective, Mississippi State, you're playing South
• 18:57
  Carolina, if that's what you're replacing it with.
• 19:01
  Because I know there are a lot of Hawkeye fans that don't want
• 19:02
  to play the Iowa State game anymore.
• 19:05
  But if you're replacing with that because you get these
• 19:07
  illusions of grandeur, right, then you're going to be playing
• 19:09
  Georgia, they're going to be playing LSU or he comes Alabama.
• 19:12
  Yeah, Yes, those are the things that you're thinking about which
• 19:14
  yes, of course would be incredible and it would be.
• 19:17
  For it comes Vandy. But it's Vanderbilt.
• 19:20
  Yeah, A trip to Nashville's fun? Sure, and better than a trip to
• 19:24
  games, let's be honest. Or Hattiesburg.
• 19:27
  Yeah, but you go the other direction.
• 19:29
  Stark Vegas. Yeah, it's a joking moniker.
• 19:33
  It's not really a Vegas down there in Starksville.
• 19:35
  It's a dump. Right.
• 19:37
  And that's also the reality. Yeah, Oxford's nice.
• 19:39
  Oxford's a beautiful place and a beautiful campus.
• 19:42
  You don't know if you're getting that.
• 19:44
  There's a lot of other directions that you could go, so
• 19:47
  that's what you also have to keep in the back of your mind.
• 19:49
  I've long proposed not for it to go away, but they're to be
• 19:52
  hiatuses. Though now we're in a different
• 19:55
  era than when I was proposing that too.
• 19:57
  This is back when there were four non conference games.
• 19:59
  That's not the case. That unless you're the SEC.
• 20:02
  When did the television contracts through?
• 20:03
  I think Bussey wrote about that. Did he?
• 20:05
  Is it through 27 or 26? Which contracts the Seahawk?
• 20:10
  I believe there's two years left on it.
• 20:12
  Two years left on it. Yeah, including this year.
• 20:17
  Maybe two more after this year. OK, well I can see future Iowa
• 20:23
  football schedules because it's listed on that FBS schedule.
• 20:26
  Oh, right. Future schedules.
• 20:27
  Yeah, yeah. And it is through 2027 that is
• 20:33
  the end of. This year and two more.
• 20:34
  Yep. Before it has to get
• 20:36
  renegotiated and who knows what it'll look like at that point
• 20:39
  and how far the contract will be extended out.
• 20:42
  I still think 2030 is the year that.
• 20:44
  Boy, it all falls apart. I hate to put it that way, but
• 20:48
  it certainly feels like it could be.
• 20:51
  It could be. We'll take your time out, come
• 20:52
  back going to head to Principal Park.
• 20:54
  Randy Weihofer is going to fill us in and what this event is
• 20:57
  going to be coming up at Principal.
• 20:59
  See advertising on KX and O Works.
• 21:01
  It absolutely. Does these two hosts attention?
• 21:04
  We had, we had no idea about this.
• 21:06
  We're talking about the Home Run Derby with former Major League
• 21:09
  players that is coming to Principal Park in August.
• 21:12
  Miller and Condon are on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
• 21:21
  I'm Millie Condon. Welcome back, Iowa Sports Radio
• 21:24
  Network. Trent Condon, Ken Miller playing
• 21:27
  baseball down at Principal Park. Randy Weihofer from the Iowa
• 21:30
  Cubs takes a few minutes out of his day to join us and help shed
• 21:35
  some light on what we were. Well, we're listening to the
• 21:37
  radio yesterday. Randy Weihofer.
• 21:39
  So your advertising works as both Trent and I had no idea
• 21:43
  what this was till we heard the ad.
• 21:45
  And there's a Home Run Derby this coming to Principal Park
• 21:49
  with some big names. Manny Ramirez, Nick Swisher,
• 21:53
  Adam Rain Wainwright, Arietta Zobras.
• 21:56
  So. What is this event?
• 21:57
  This Home Run Derby event taking place on August the 30th at
• 22:02
  Principal Park. What more can you tell us?
• 22:04
  Good to talk to you. Good to talk to you guys.
• 22:07
  It's called Home Run Derby X. It's a It's part of a series of
• 22:12
  events this summer. It's an official MLB program run
• 22:18
  out of the Commissioner's Office.
• 22:19
  They've done, I think this is the third or fourth year it
• 22:23
  started as an international event as a way to spread
• 22:25
  baseball in, in other countries. They started doing it in the
• 22:30
  United States two years ago. Albuquerque was one of the host
• 22:35
  sites last year and it went over really well there.
• 22:39
  And, and I was, I think their market and ours in AAA and
• 22:45
  behave pretty similarly, even though we're made-up very
• 22:48
  differently. And, and so we were eager to try
• 22:52
  to host this event. We were fortunate to be
• 22:54
  selected. So it is four teams of three
• 22:58
  that compete in this fast-paced Home Run Derby.
• 23:02
  Two former Major League players and and a female player, a
• 23:05
  college softball star are make up the teams.
• 23:09
  And so 2 semifinals and a final. The winner advances to the
• 23:13
  finals in Salt Lake, which is a new wrinkle this year.
• 23:17
  But in addition to hitting home runs, there's kind of the MTV
• 23:21
  rock and jock softball feature where there's targets to hit
• 23:24
  that are worth points. I think you can rob home runs
• 23:29
  and make catches to get points on defense.
• 23:32
  And so it's a really unique event and certainly driven by
• 23:35
  the star power of the former major leaguers and the Cub
• 23:38
  Cardinal theme and the former World Series champs is kind of
• 23:42
  how they've put together the rosters for this with those
• 23:45
  names that you mentioned. And we're really excited to be
• 23:48
  hosting and I think this is going to be a lot of fun.
• 23:51
  So Des Moines gets the opportunity to host this.
• 23:54
  What does it mean for you guys with the Iowa Cubs?
• 23:56
  Is this something where they rent the building?
• 23:58
  You guys get some concessions? I know you can't talk about all
• 24:01
  the contract details that are involved, but how does this work
• 24:04
  for you guys in the Iowa Cubs? Yeah, it works really similar to
• 24:08
  the Savannah bananas or some of the other things we we've done
• 24:11
  where it's a ticketed event for the host and then we're getting
• 24:15
  concessions and parking and and all the ancillary things that go
• 24:18
  with it. And we cooperate on the premium
• 24:21
  opportunities because sweets and the Bud Club and lounge and all
• 24:24
  those kinds of things will be in play for this too.
• 24:27
  So our folks will will help people with that locally to have
• 24:31
  plus the ballpark experiences as part of this like they do during
• 24:35
  our games. So it's a, it's a win win for
• 24:38
  everybody. We are we are a great strategic
• 24:42
  geographic market for these kinds of events because we're
• 24:45
  easy to get to from lots of places and we provide a great
• 24:49
  sized stadium where you can get a really good crowd in, but
• 24:52
  you're not trying to manage 30,000 people at a Major League
• 24:55
  stadium and some of the challenges that go along with
• 24:58
  all of that. So and I think we've got a good
• 25:01
  a good track record from the Bananas and University of Iowa
• 25:06
  series and these things that we've done over time that we are
• 25:10
  definitely in the on the radar for a good destination to host
• 25:14
  these for all of those. And our staff is it is amazing.
• 25:17
  Our OPS team is terrific and and we try to make it as easy for
• 25:22
  those folks coming in to use our ballpark for their event catch.
• 25:26
  Des Moines does a great job helping out to support with
• 25:28
  these kinds of things as well knowing it's a regional draw.
• 25:31
  So it's it's a team effort for sure.
• 25:33
  Two-part question are the are they regular baseballs?
• 25:36
  And then as far as seating goes, would you want to be out in the
• 25:40
  right field bleachers that might afford you your best opportunity
• 25:44
  to catch a ball? Yeah, so the the the seating
• 25:48
  map, if you go to Iowa Cubs, the tickets are on sale through
• 25:51
  iowacubs.com and there's a seating map.
• 25:53
  So they set up a stage that'll be between home plate and third
• 25:57
  base where you hit from. So and then the home run zone is
• 26:04
  the right field Bleacher. So the foul pole, the right
• 26:06
  field foul pole and then probably the Iowa State Bank
• 26:09
  sign on that right around there that my pole left the center.
• 26:13
  So that's your home run zone. So behind home plate is
• 26:17
  technically behind the dugout. There's no such thing as a bad
• 26:19
  seat. The principal part, you know,
• 26:21
  but yes, the the Bleacher area is called the home run zone and
• 26:27
  there is a capped amount of tickets to get out there.
• 26:32
  The Bleacher seats are available or to be on the deck.
• 26:35
  The tents will still be up. So you can be out there but be
• 26:37
  protected. If you take your kid to watch
• 26:39
  baseball's flying, but you don't want to catch one with your
• 26:42
  head, the tents will be there too, because you got to be aware
• 26:45
  this is an event meant for the ball to fly over the fence.
• 26:49
  But the left field suites, you know, guys will be coming in and
• 26:52
  out of the locker room area right below.
• 26:54
  There'll be a different kind of experience there too.
• 26:56
  So it is slightly skewed from a seating chart standpoint and all
• 27:00
  that is there on the the seating manifest if you go to
• 27:04
  thetheticketpage@iowacubs.com to be part of the event and you'll
• 27:07
  be able to picture that visually is if you can't imagine it from
• 27:11
  the way I'm describing. No, and I'm on the site now.
• 27:14
  You've described it accurately and it is easy to follow with
• 27:17
  the right fields, but are they the same size baseballs?
• 27:20
  Because doesn't Home Run Derby? Don't they have?
• 27:22
  Well, they're the gold ones that yeah.
• 27:24
  That's right. Yeah, they've not told me that
• 27:27
  it's any different. And I think the softball players
• 27:29
  are hitting baseballs and that's why you hit off the stage and
• 27:32
  you skew the you skew the he mentions a little bit to make
• 27:37
  sure guys that are still in great shape but in retirement
• 27:42
  from her Major League career are still putting on a good show.
• 27:45
  You know, I think Rick Inky amongst it on the best show of
• 27:49
  all when they made from a guy that had the most interesting
• 27:53
  career, maybe not the most fruitful, but the most
• 27:56
  interesting career out all those guys.
• 27:57
  I remember him hitting some home runs here when he was Omaha,
• 28:01
  coming back as a position player after his pitching got derailed
• 28:07
  and and coming back. So and we know Arietta, I mean,
• 28:11
  Arietta hit home runs, an actual playoff in World Series games.
• 28:14
  He was he was a terrific hitter and Manny can hit home runs in
• 28:19
  his sleep. So he'll put on a good show, I'm
• 28:21
  sure as part of that. I think this is the names are
• 28:25
  intriguing. Their talent is intriguing.
• 28:28
  The the theme of the Cubs and Cardinals and Yankees and Red
• 28:30
  Sox all all of that. They've put together a wonderful
• 28:33
  event for us and we're really pleased to be to be able to
• 28:36
  host. MLB Home Run Derby X you can
• 28:39
  find all the details Iowa Cubs on the website there and should
• 28:42
  be a fun event there at the end of August.
• 28:44
  So Randy got ball games going on today, a doubleheader.
• 28:48
  Logistically, how difficult is you guys in the operation side
• 28:51
  of things with the doubleheader making up for lost time with the
• 28:54
  rain out? How difficult is that for not
• 28:57
  the ball players, but the people, actually the guts of the
• 29:00
  the team, What you guys do with the Iowa Cubs?
• 29:04
  Today isn't terrible when we're able to put a double header.
• 29:08
  These noon starts where we don't have to rearrange what was
• 29:12
  happening today, we just add more baseball on to the end.
• 29:15
  That makes it a little bit more straightforward.
• 29:18
  We didn't have to tell everybody that the gates are opening
• 29:20
  sooner, that your picnic will start in the middle of the
• 29:23
  second inning. All the things that go on and
• 29:26
  you know, like when we have to start a game at 4:30 on a
• 29:29
  Thursday for a double header, so you're not playing till 2:00 AM
• 29:32
  for 6:30 start. So today isn't today is if you
• 29:37
  got to play a doubleheader. This is the, the most
• 29:39
  straightforward way for us to be able to execute that.
• 29:43
  But we, we, it is challenging. We, we're going to add a bonus
• 29:46
  game since we're talking about doubleheaders.
• 29:49
  Thursday, June 12th is listed on all of your schedules as a
• 29:53
  single game against Louisville. We lost the game in Louisville
• 29:57
  at the end of April that we have to make up here.
• 30:00
  So we're going to do day night doubleheader, play a 1238 game,
• 30:05
  close the doors, clean up and reopen for a 638 game.
• 30:10
  Season ticket holders and suite holders get their seats loaded
• 30:12
  and all that kind of thing. But it's a bonus game for all
• 30:15
  the folks that wish they were at the game today and enjoy doing
• 30:18
  the sweets and all those things for the day games.
• 30:21
  There's a bonus day on your on your calendar that and that will
• 30:24
  be more challenging to put together to turn the stadium
• 30:28
  around. But we since we have the
• 30:30
  opportunity to get a bonus game from Louis, we wanted to try to
• 30:35
  make the most of it. This last night was our third
• 30:37
  game rained out this season. So it allows us to give
• 30:41
  something back to the season ticket holders and the sponsors
• 30:43
  and and a bonus game in the any inventory for fans.
• 30:47
  So that's Thursday, June 12th. Good stuff.
• 30:49
  Last, last thing for me, I guess I want to we got to talk about
• 30:53
  Matt Shaw and what he's doing now that he's got his
• 30:55
  opportunity. And we saw Birchy, Birchy covers
• 30:59
  as you know, the cub, the club as close as anybody and he was
• 31:03
  reporting on Matt Shaw when he was down here.
• 31:05
  We saw pictures on X etcetera, saw Ian Hapwa 2019 Trent, I
• 31:09
  think was 19. He was down here and and look at
• 31:13
  the results from his stint down here.
• 31:14
  But Shaw wasn't here anywhere near as long as Hap.
• 31:17
  He's gone back. Looks like a different player
• 31:19
  both at the plate and on and defensively, some of the place
• 31:23
  he's making at third base. Are you surprised that Matt
• 31:26
  Shaw's having the impact in his return to the majors as quickly
• 31:29
  as he is Randy Wahofer? I don't.
• 31:33
  I wouldn't go so far as surprised.
• 31:37
  I think he was so red hot when he was here.
• 31:41
  To have a game where you have a lead off home run and a walk off
• 31:43
  home run, I think you have back-to-back games with two home
• 31:45
  runs. There's something about that
• 31:47
  confidence that can carry over in the short term.
• 31:51
  The quality of competition that the cuts are facing right now is
• 31:54
  slightly different than at the beginning of the season against
• 31:56
  the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks.
• 31:59
  And I don't want to take anything away from Matt, but
• 32:01
  there are some context there that's that's important.
• 32:04
  And I give him all of the credit for mentally being tough enough
• 32:08
  to come back, make a small adjustment, realize that it
• 32:12
  wasn't a big adjustment. He had made some small
• 32:15
  adjustments. Maybe there's some things about
• 32:17
  the big leagues, you know, some kids have to learn that the
• 32:20
  stove is hot by touching it. Matt Shaw has never failed in
• 32:24
  his life. And so to struggle a little bit
• 32:26
  at the big league level gave him a chance to understand maybe
• 32:31
  what some of the things they were telling him he would need
• 32:33
  to change, he was reluctant to do because it had always worked
• 32:36
  for him that. And so I gave him all the credit
• 32:41
  in the world. And you're right.
• 32:42
  Hap, Schwarber, the guys that came back and had better Major
• 32:46
  League careers than the guys who didn't and maybe should have
• 32:50
  overtime. That is not it is not an insult.
• 32:53
  Not everybody has to be Mozart and figure it out as a child
• 32:56
  prodigy in order to be great. And I hope that Shaw has the the
• 33:00
  same kind of careers as those guys going forward.
• 33:02
  Another young name I want to get your thoughts on and that is
• 33:05
  Jonathan Young along the first baseman, a longs hit.
• 33:08
  Everywhere that he's been in the minors so far, it's still a
• 33:10
  young career. He just 23rd.
• 33:13
  Is he ready if they need somebody to be a corner, be a
• 33:16
  first base? It's been injury hit something
• 33:18
  like that. Is Long ready to jump up with
• 33:21
  the big league squad? And do some of those things.
• 33:28
  I think the only thing that differentiates Jonathan Long for
• 33:32
  some of the other guys rated ahead of them is he's an older
• 33:35
  guy that went to college that has a normal body.
• 33:39
  You know, he's 61190 and strong as can be and hits the ball
• 33:44
  hard. But he's not 63.
• 33:46
  Doesn't look like Solaire and Eloy Jimenez and the guys that
• 33:49
  are just kind of freaking 8 there that get pushed on the
• 33:52
  prospect list because of potential rather than results.
• 33:56
  Jonathan Long is a professional hitter and he's proven that and
• 34:00
  I think he will do that. And I think the probably the
• 34:03
  reason that you don't hear more about him is the scouting power
• 34:07
  profile for being a corner guy maybe isn't as projectable as
• 34:12
  some others. You know, Shaw came up as a
• 34:13
  shortstop, not a third basemate. And that's a little bit
• 34:17
  different because there's similar body types and and
• 34:19
  similar kinds of kinds of hitters.
• 34:22
  But there is an expectation when you're not a guy who can play
• 34:25
  shortstop of what you're supposed to bring to the table
• 34:29
  with your skill set offensively. So if he keeps doing what he's
• 34:32
  doing, they're going to somebody's going to have to give
• 34:35
  them a chance. One of the 30 teams is going to
• 34:39
  find a space for that bat if he continues doing what he's doing.
• 34:41
  And I think that's probably the slight difference.
• 34:44
  He's a little bit older because he's Shaw was a college guy too,
• 34:48
  but as the number one pick as opposed to a guy that didn't set
• 34:54
  ascend to that status coming out of college to be that top pick
• 34:57
  guy. You know, Long is more of a
• 35:00
  David Bodie kind of guy, and I'll take that kind of guy on my
• 35:03
  team all the time. Absolutely.
• 35:05
  Well, looking at the schedule, wondering if Caglione's still
• 35:08
  going to be with Omaha when they get here in early, early July.
• 35:11
  My God, he's just. Derby X might start.
• 35:14
  There you go. Hey, excited about that Home Run
• 35:18
  Derby X. We heard the commercial with
• 35:20
  Trent and I both looked at each other.
• 35:21
  What the, what is this? I wanted to get you on and talk
• 35:24
  more about it. Sounds like an exciting event.
• 35:26
  Randy, way over from the Iowa Cubs.
• 35:28
  Randy, thanks for popping on. Appreciate it again.
• 35:30
  Iowacubs.com more information on the Iowa Cubs schedule and Home
• 35:34
  Run Derby X featuring Manny Ramirez.
• 35:36
  Now Tommy Birch can finally answer the question if you
• 35:38
  spotted Randy Manny down at the ballpark as he gets seemingly
• 35:42
  gets that on his Twitter feed periodically throughout the
• 35:45
  year. Good stuff, Randy.
• 35:46
  Thank you buddy. Always a pleasure talking
• 35:49
  baseball with you. Thanks.
• 35:50
  Guys, Ditto Randy Waho from the Iowa Cubs.
• 35:52
  All right, good stuff. Come back, Trance plays the day
• 35:54
  or next. Miller and Condon are on the
• 35:56
  Iowa Sport. My final segment for us coming
• 35:58
  up to the top of the hour of the drive.
• 35:59
  Heather and Lucas take you until 5:00 and then overtime.
• 36:03
  Iowa 5 to 6 here on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
• 36:07
  This is Toad the Wet sprocket. This is what.
• 36:09
  That's who I was looking for earlier.
• 36:11
  The 90s band. Oh, this was like a band in
• 36:13
  Milwaukee. In Milwaukee, I heard.
• 36:15
  Of this song yes that's not worth 150 bucks a year I'm.
• 36:18
  Saying no, I did find some tickets.
• 36:20
  It's not a big venue. For, so they haven't.
• 36:22
  Been yet it's in it's in the fall, early, late like late
• 36:25
  September or something like that.
• 36:26
  Yeah, I know the. Football season.
• 36:29
  It's true. I don't think it was time for a
• 36:30
  concert. Well, you know, I got to wine
• 36:33
  and dine a little bit, you know, do some nice things for.
• 36:36
  Yeah, but you do that before September.
• 36:38
  Oh. You put the.
• 36:39
  Hand in the barn. That.
• 36:41
  Uh huh. Get that Goodwill bank account
• 36:43
  bursting at the scene. And then?
• 36:45
  See the planet? Shit, Yeah.
• 36:47
  We'll see you next spring, right?
• 36:50
  That's how you do it. All right.
• 36:51
  I like the like, I like the theory.
• 36:53
  Yes, absolutely. All right, what are you betting
• 36:55
  on? You got any theories on on what
• 36:57
  the how these games are going to take take shape?
• 37:01
  I only got 2 plays remaining. I was on the Tampa Bay Rays.
• 37:05
  Rasmussen's been really good for them.
• 37:07
  He was a guy that was kind of is he going to be a starter?
• 37:09
  Does he have enough pitch mix? He's the.
• 37:11
  Top of the Twins. 4 Nothing. They leave that one in the end
• 37:14
  of the six. I'm on your Blue Jays plus 1/20.
• 37:17
  A dangerous proposition. Two of the most disappointing
• 37:21
  teams this side of Baltimore, the Rangers and the Blue Jays.
• 37:24
  Yeah. For sure first, but yeah, I
• 37:26
  think so. Definitely have to be up there
• 37:29
  more than anything. I just I don't believe that
• 37:31
  Molly can continue what he has done to this point.
• 37:34
  It's kind of a fade on him more than anything and I'm going to
• 37:36
  grab the points with the Timberwolves tonight.
• 37:38
  Call me a Homer. 8 1/2. It seems like now we know this
• 37:42
  thing could get out. It's the NBA.
• 37:44
  It easily could be 30. Cat is gone.
• 37:49
  Anthony Edwards, this is your team.
• 37:51
  The time is now. You have.
• 37:53
  To show up, shoot more than twice in the.
• 37:55
  First half. That would be a great start.
• 37:56
  No, he does. He needs to Trent.
• 37:58
  It's on him. I agree with you, the Florida
• 38:00
  Panthers will in there seriously tonight with the with the
• 38:02
  Hurricanes as well. That'll do it for us.
• 38:04
  We'll be back tomorrow. The drive coming up, Heather and
• 38:06
  Lucas take you until 5:00. We're Miller and Condon.
• 38:09
  Trent and I talk sports with you every Monday through Friday from
• 38:11
  noon until 2 right here on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
• 38:16
  Sports Radio Network.