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Building Chicago’s 2026 Batting Order And Reading Spring Signals · Monday Morning Cubs Show

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: And we're clear.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Good morning, good afternoon, and evening, Chicago Cubs fans.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to the Monday Morning Cubs Show.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's your host, Carl.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: I am joined by Mahoney.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Today, at the time of listening, is Monday, February 16th.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: At the time of recording, it's Valentine's Day.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's Saturday.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's good to see you, Mahoney.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: We have some stuff we're going to get into.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Lineup construction preview coming out of pictures.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: I guess we'll just start here.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Happy Valentine's Day, my very good friend Mahoney.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Good to see you, pal.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Carl, happy Valentine's Day to you and yours, as well as all you maniacs out there and all you love birds, just you know having a good old Saturday night.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: But this is for Monday.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: Also, have a nice Monday morning and have a nice good week.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's an important thing.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: That's actually, we I don't know if we've ever done this because we typically almost always exclusively record on Monday mornings.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: And so this is a good test for you, Mahoney, to see how often do you reference.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Is it Saturday night or is it Monday morning?
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's actually Monday morning, my friend.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's Monday morning in my heart and in my mind and in the maniacs' minds and ears.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: And that's all that matters to me.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now we are going to live in the future a little bit here, too, throughout the show.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to predict the lineup.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk about what we think is going to happen this season.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just a good exercise all the way around, my friend.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Just pretend, you know, we're living in the future.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: What's the Dow?
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: What's it, what's the NASDAQ look like?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: You mean you're you're hoping it's up.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's tied to a lot of different 401ks.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Mine, maybe yours.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: And all that said, yeah, I think things are looking up for the stock market.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: And most importantly, Carl, I think they're looking up for the Chicago Cubs.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: How about it, my friend?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: How about it?
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: And and I think I still have some of that.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, last year I was in Miami and I came back.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: I kept saying, my friend, that's my fourth, my friend, to you in under two minutes to start the show.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to keep an F-Word watch.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Lizard Kings on F-Word watch again.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to keep those babies limited.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and remind me by the end of the show, we have a maniac in Australia who reached out.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: We do have to talk about the 2027 lockout.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Before we talk about anything, though, there is no Monday morning cub show without Thirsty Vaquero, a Mexican style soda with the signature spicy finish that's all bite, no rattle.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Mahoney is shaking his head here, going, You have no idea how good it is.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: I see him sipping on a watermelon jalapeno.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: How is it?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's real agave nectar, Carl.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think people understand what they haven't tasted.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where Thirsty Vaquero comes into play.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: Talk about a perfect Saturday night beverage for us, but also a Monday morning beverage for somebody on their way to work.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you want to talk about something that'll just light the palate up.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: You're sitting down for a ham sandwich, maybe you're reheating tacos, you got an extra large thin crust coming to your door.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I don't care what the occasion calls for, I'll just guarantee you this thirsty vaquero is gonna blow your tits clean off your chest.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's so good.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's so good.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: You want to wake up, you don't need energy drinks anymore.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: You want to wake up to tickle your nostriles and get ready to go on Monday morning.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: Have yourself a lemon the drone, and you're gonna be set in caboodles.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh whatever that means.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know, but we're all right.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: Saturday night for Monday morning.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: Here we go.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: Mago Muerte is my favorite for lunch.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: I do like the watermelon jalapeno at night.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: I can't, again, guys, there's no Monday morning cub show without their Shiva Caro.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: So just go support them.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: You can find them on Amazon.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: They'll ship to your front door, 12 packs or four packs.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: I encourage the 12 pack, get a variety mixer, give it to your old lady.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: She's gonna be like, What is this?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Where'd you find?
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: And there's nothing better than giving her something she doesn't know about.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I mean, I'm not, I'm I'm being dead serious here.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: When she reaches in the fridge and she's like, This is actually really I almost did it.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: I almost dropped an F word.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: This is after it's so crisp and light and fresh.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Where did you find this?
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Then you're gonna say, I listened to a guy named Mahoney and he was telling me all about the lemon Lindrone.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then they're gonna ask me, Where'd you hear about it?
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I'll be like, a guy who had COVID told me about it at a party one time.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I just got over my COVID.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: I think last time we recorded healthy episode.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: It always matters, you know.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, if they stay healthy, guess what?
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: We're coming at you guys healthy right now.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: And we're gonna get to the lineup if we do have a healthy lineup.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: But first, make sure again, guys, go check out Thursday on Amazon.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the links in my Twitter profile.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Mahoney's always tweeting about it, and it's important you support the brand, support the show.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: So, uh, okay, intro aside, ads aside, we are gonna build the lineup for the second half of the episode.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's the plan, and that's I want to talk about that because last week we did a lot about the pitchers specific narratives, which is important because there's so much blah blah BS about spring training, and it's very easy to kind of see one guy a different way or kind of just get caught in these in these uh we'll just say social media narratives, or I guess kind of like it's it's kind of like the wild west out there.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you get people starting to get sound bites, you know, people are chirping a little bit, they're getting their quotes in, and you know, good for the players and good for us to be able to consume that.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: But Carl, I think to your point, and what I do think was important about last week is getting that out of the way is because there's way more nuance when it comes to the staff and the pit, you know, who's gonna pitch when.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: How is this six-man rotation gonna shape up if it is?
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, when we get down to the actual like lineup, we kind of know what we're getting, but you know, there's still plenty to talk about.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm happy that you got that out of the way as soon as pitchers and catchers did report.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: And if you haven't listened, go back.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: And a good example, thank you, Mahoney, as I'm thinking about, is Jackson Wiggins, electric arm.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: People love the name, a top prospect, etc.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: You know, like a just a key difference there is like, don't expect this guy to be breaking out of camp in the starting rotation.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Don't put too much on the season.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: He probably won't pitch more than 70 innings this year in the big leagues.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: He should be in triple A to start the season.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: He should be stretched out a little bit.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: He should be working on his fastball command and throwing strike one.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: He should be learning how to throw his breaking ball behind in the count 2-0.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: He should be learning how to put himself in a position to get weak contact and not blow it past everybody.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: So there's a lot of stuff, and I'm just using this as an example because the reports are gonna be he looks fantastic.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, he's gonna get he's gonna blow dudes away.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's gonna be like, man, Jackson Wiggins is we got to be really having a conversation.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: He looks so much better than you know, mix it in.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: Jameis and Teon or say Matt Boyd is a candidate where it's like he, yeah, maybe he has a weak spring training, he's gonna be on the world baseball classic roster.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm just saying, like, you can get lost, especially in a lot of the narratives are on the dude.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: It was a good exercise last week to go through all of them.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: We're not gonna go through all of the position players this week as much as we're just gonna build the what we think is our standard one through nine.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure, Carl.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: And lastly, while you had mentioned, you know, the pitchers and like not diving too too deep, and because of the expectations of this team, and I think expectations might be like a theme of this episode in a way, because I I want to get to that with what some things that Jed had spoken in the media.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: But also, your boy Carter, promise me you're not going to go on a tangent here after I say this.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: But he was like saying, Yeah, it would be great.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: He was answering a question.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: It would be great if Jackson Wiggins is has a year like Kate Horton.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like, no shit, it would.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: And now, and now and I now, but that's the thing that I would read into that a lot of folks would read into, and that would be a narrative when Jackson Wiggins is is performing, because that is our recency bias of oh, we got this dude, Kate, he comes up and he's our number one now.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: So that's just something to keep an eye out, and I'm glad that you had mentioned that, and that's why.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Well, let's just do a quick baller strike, Carter Hawkins check in.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: Baller strike.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: I hate this guy's guts.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think that's a strike, Carl, and it's like high and inside at the chin.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, where it like it looks like it's rising, but it's still catching that corner of the uh the zone.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: That's the most perfect pitch, is something where the guy's nervous, it's coming inside and still catches his own.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: The problem with Carter Hawkins talking about Jackson.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now we're getting in a little bit tangent here.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: That's okay.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: Dude, a random quip.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: I don't, I'm just saying it was a random quip.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: I read, I don't want to read too much into it.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Read away, my friend.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: The tea leaves are there for your interpretation.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a tea leaf guy.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: You always have been.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: And what I want to do, especially, is we have the space carved out on the Monday morning cup show to go down a tangent to be a little bit more nuanced than maybe if this was big stream, mainstream, you know, 670, the score rate.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna get we'll get a little deep here.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'll take it where you need to go.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: And as it pertains to Jackson Wiggins and comparing him to Kate Horton for Carter Hawkins, I mean, you gotta be you gotta be Oh no, no, no, dude.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta be so clueless to the uh subtleties of starting pitching as a Carter Hawkins to say it'd be great for Jackson Wiggins to have that temperature to plant that seed in people's head.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, Cade Horton is a generational talent.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: I think he was just answering a question.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: I think that guy's a you know what that guy's not worth the loose change he's carrying around in his pocket.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: I cannot stand Carter Hawkins and let the record show.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: I express dismay, disgust, and borderline disdain here without once going into the well and pulling out an old classic outfit.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: I just again, we're getting ready at spring training.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'm being a better version of myself.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: You're working on yourself.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: 15 last week, too many.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: So, Carter Hawkins, you get a free pass here.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: What else do you have from the front office?
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: I noticed in the outline you want to talk about, Jed.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_01: And it it really is Jed talk.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, obviously, as guys are getting in front of the microphone, as spring training's getting underway.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we do have to talk about the expectations of the team and what you read about, you know, with Sharma and the athletic, you know, so many guys that were here last year, Jed says, and I think that they feel that they all had a really good season, but it's unfinished business.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: I think in a lot of ways, that's the best kind of spring training where there's hunger.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: All of that's like, yeah, of course, and I couldn't agree more, Jed.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, hunger, we got there.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: Now, but here's where Carl, when I read between the lines, is more important with what Matthew Boyce Boyd said and was quoted in that same article.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: I won't read the whole thing, but he goes, it makes it more exciting when number three comes here and he's got a locker now.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: We got Cabrera.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: Those are the things that make you go, okay, cool.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: We know our mission.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_01: And and lastly, it's because the players did see success.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: It is mostly the same guys in that locker room.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and now they see that the front office is looking to build upon their success.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: So you can't hate it.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: And that's all I got to say about that.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, that's an that's an that's an interpretation.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: I agree with you on that.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a fair broad interpretation.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Sure.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: If you're a professional athlete and it's like, oh, we did it, we didn't just get there.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: That's all.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, if you're prof that's who we are talking about, professional athletes.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: And what I'm saying with, I know, I don't know why you made that distinction.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what are we talking about?
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Darley tonight's a little league here, but we're gonna be like, We're watching on Olympics, so it's like there's a little bit of a boy.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: Man, there is a little bit of the and I got caught up in cross-country skiing today.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sweden, unbelievable finish to get the silver if you didn't see it.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that's a completely different story.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: Right now, what I want to talk about is Bregman.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: When they say it's nice to see three has a locker here, I think that's more, you know, and a lot of people have talked about the impact that he has.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: He's like a hitting coach, he's he's a he's a classic veteran.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: People love this guy across the league.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: He's a very good teammate, he's much different than Kyle Tucker.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I still interpret when they see when they're talking about Bregman positively, I still think there's a a bad taste in the mouth about Kyle Tucker.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: So when it's like they're saying it's great to see Bregman here, yeah.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: I also it's mostly though, it's nice that they're investing, they're bringing in the big guns.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: You know, they spent the money on Bregman.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then hey, don't be afraid to interpret like, is that a shot at Matt Shaw?
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's nice to see three in here.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, is that a shot at like men now that Matt Shaw is off there?
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: I don't I wouldn't look at it like that.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's like you get Bregman and it's a different beast in the locker room like pass the test.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: Edward Cabrera, too.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's a nice it's nice to hear the starting pitching.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's it's nice to hear what the fuck was that?
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: No, you're good.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: It is nice to see starting pitching talk about starting pitching.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's where you bring him in.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: There you go.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Matt Boyd's not being overly competitive.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: He's something that we didn't really get into either.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: You know, in the here's a tangent that we're carving out.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm sorry I didn't bring this up last week.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's just we have a lot of good contract years and guys getting paid.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: Matt Boyd's a good example.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like he pitched well last year.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: He he just needs to repeat.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: He's going into a contract year, showed us on a contract year, Cade Horton's looking for an extension, Justin Steele's been looking for an extension.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: We so we do have good incentives across the starting pitching staff.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'd like to hear Carter Hawkins talk about that.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Probably doesn't have the ability to relate to what a good incentive would be for a starting pitching because he's a robot.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Never mind.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I have a kind of a random question.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: I don't expect you to answer this now.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's something we can dig and look.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: But when a pitcher or a a player in general of Matthew Boyd's nature, for instance, just to use an ex an example, is in that contract year, like what is on the table for him, right?
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: If he performs or if he's you know mediocre or hasn't taken you know an additional step up from last year, which I don't think people expect, he's gonna get paid no matter what.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I don't know though.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: I mean it's it's uh it's a tough question.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: He's in his early 30s.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, he doesn't throw particularly hard.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: You know, he signed a two-year$30 million deal,$29.5 million deal, coming off, you know, injury and not really meeting his potential, but was good when he came back in limited starts in 2024.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: So I I would anticipate if he's you know, if he's great, like last year he was great.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: He was an all-star, he was healthy.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: He did get a little exposed, I suppose, in the fact that like no one kind of trusted him too much when it mattered against the Brewers.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like it wasn't like he was you know a formidable October presence.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: But how much is it worth to have a lefty go out and give you a I suppose if he's healthy, 180 innings, 170 innings, you know, 29 starts, 30 starts.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: He's funky.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: So, like, what's that worth?
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know, five years, 100 million if he's great this year.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like, that's enough for me to be personally motivated, and that's where my question was.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Well, these guys are all motivated.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, and I know they are.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just thinking a little bit outside the box of being like how much money's on the table.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, a lot.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's it's it's a layered question.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: And it certainly matters.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't think it matters to the extent where it's gonna say, like, now they're gonna try real hard.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: These guys are all trying really hard.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think it it's more of like here's a practical difference maker would be like uh say you're working on a pitch, you know, you want to add a sweeper, and you know, it's like it's not, is it good?
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's okay.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's is it average?
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's maybe it's a little bit below average.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: All right, well, contract, you're you're probably less inclined to be on the mound looking to see, like, I wonder how this sweeper is gonna work.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know what I mean?
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: You're probably a little bit more a little bit just more urgency.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: You get those day starts against, you know, you get a young Cincinnati red team in there, you could get like a young Pirates team in there that you know maybe isn't great in cold weather and it's early in the season.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you might have a little bit more urgency there to like throw the fastball early inside, and you know, like well, I'm not saying you don't have that urgency already.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: You're in the big leagues, these guys are incredible, but like there is a capacity to narrow the focus and that's exactly what I was looking for, dude.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: So interesting stuff, you know, and we can analyze that as we move forward, but I don't want to get too off-kilter here.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, Saturday night, my friend, for a Monday morning out of Valentine's Day.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: So we can do whatever we want, you know.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: I've been a bad boy.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: Quick news and notes, Carl.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_01: I you know, no big deal.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: Doesn't impact the 2026 team, but we did sign Shelby Miller to a multi-year contract.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: I believe he is coming off of elbow surgery.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: Sure and um, yeah, we'll see what happens.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: Potential trade chip, you know, maybe, or a future contributor.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, she probably shouldn't probably won't pitch this year.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: Nah, I don't think he's going to.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: I from what I've read and taken in, uh, he's not.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I can't really picture a world where I want Shelby Miller to pitch this year because if he is coming off of UCL Tommy John surgery to to repair a bad UCL, uh, you know, then like what scenario is Shelby Miller pitching meaningful?
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: Baseball that doesn't really exist in my head.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now we could have a huge lead division, which would be great, and let's see what Shelby Miller has the last two weeks of September.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: If that happens, I suppose that's probably not gonna happen.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: We're probably not gonna pitch for this club, and that's okay.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: If he does pitch for this club, it's hopefully because we have a commanding lead, and not because so many bullpen arms have been injured.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, yep, absolutely, Carl.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: I couldn't say that better myself.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: And and speaking of pitchers and with the news and notes, we're gonna extrapolate the Shelby Miller thing, though, forward for a second.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, give it to me.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: He did sign for two years, and historically the front office doesn't sign relievers to two years, but we gave Phil Maton two years, you know, elite swing and miss stuff.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: We've we've shown a capacity we brought, well, I guess it doesn't really matter.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: Tilbar, you know, is only on a one year, but we've brought him back.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh the capacity, I'm just saying, looking ahead on the two-year deals, because they have they haven't signed guys to two-year deals since Brandon Morrow in 2017.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason they're doing that is because the lockout is coming, I suppose.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: That would be an interpretation would just say the reason you want to get Shelby Miller on the books now because he's gonna rehab, he's a veteran, he's gonna come out, he's gonna be great whenever the lockout is over.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we know what we can budget at with him and the in our you know, in tool set.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, yeah, no, whatever.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: Tool set.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: Shut up.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: Shut up, everything's fine.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: One thing I did forget a little bit about until Chris Sales started saying he wasn't gonna be challenging pitches was the fact that ABS is going to be implemented in the major league level across the league.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, obviously, they're not going to test it with the National League and go over the American League, Carl.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: But just something to keep note because I did forget that they're going to be challenging pitches this year.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: How that benefits the Cubs, hopefully good.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_01: What do you mean?
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: How it I think it's it benefits the league.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, they're the challenge systems in play.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't break down like how many pitches the Cubs had that I should have now that I'm thinking about it.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Could have?
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: You could have done that.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: Well, maybe now that I'm thinking about it, I would have if I had a full you know weekend to prepare for Monday.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_01: But that said, that's a joke, gang.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: With that said, no, I it is interesting to look at and what teams would benefit better from challenges than not, and hey, we'll dig into it and deliver it to you guys.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: I can't imagine anybody has an advantage here, dude.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: I I cannot imagine with the number of pitches that are thrown, you know, like who would come out like across the board, collectively on squads.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, you were okay.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: We're splitting here.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think we are.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's I think that would be a marginal, maybe.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: Younger pitchers are gonna be the ones who benefit because they're the ones who get squeezed.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Older pitchers are gonna be the ones who get screwed on this because they're the ones who have bigger strike zones.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: Guys that expand the strike zone, show to Imanaga's a good example.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think he could get hurt by this, but there aren't like it's not it's not an automated strike zone, it's a challenge system.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, so it's not like every pitch.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's not every pitch, it's not every it's not, you know, it's just gonna be in those moments where you use the challenge.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's actually if you're gonna look for an advantage in the challenge system, it's gonna come from the managers, you know.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: And let's yeah, and let's you know, keep the human element in the game.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you on that.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: I like an umpire.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: I do too.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: I mean what is sad, I read that the Harvard of Umpire Schools is closing due to you know budget cuts, but live to see another day.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_00: Do you want to talk about it?
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_01: Not really, because I don't know much else.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: So it's closing.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: Moving along.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I mean, let's I just want to bring up something I don't want to talk about.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's closing.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's an umpire school that's uh I read a headline and I don't I didn't click on the actual article.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: So it said the Harvard of Umpire Schools is closing, and that's all I saw.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: So there it is.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's called the Maniacs.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: If you do know what Moni's talking about, by all means.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe it was on Apple News.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know I was just
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Doing my crossword.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, it's President's Day.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: Baller Strike.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: Abraham Lincoln's your favorite president.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, come on.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: I lived in Lincoln Square, dude.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: I like I practically bowed to him at the statue right in front of the Walgreens.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: Almost daily.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: Lincoln's a good one.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: Tough guy.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: Tough son of a bitch.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, but like anytime you bring up a president now, someone's going to say some scandal or something.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like you didn't know he was in contact with the Russians or something.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: Fuck you.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: There's no probably a lot of shit that he, you know, who knows?
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, I I know honest Abe, and that's where I'm going to keep it in my head.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a big one.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: It is President's Day.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, hopefully, if you're listening, so you have the day off.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, people had a chance to nothing like a three-day weekend after the Super Bowl, Sunday that hits is so great.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: Some do, some don't.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's very 50-50 on if you get President's Day off or not.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: I know my kids are off of school.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: I am not off of work, and my wife is, so there's going to be some balance.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: All that said, Carl, while there is a lot of news and notes, the last thing I want to say is we are getting the little quips and quotes out of the pitchers and players, and Edward Edward Eddie's Cabrera's confidence.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, he thinks he's the best, he'll take it.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_01: When he's on the mound.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's it.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's a good quote, but it's also the same run of the cliche as it can get.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's all I have for recent news and notes, Carl.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: Not a lot, as pitchers and catchers reported, to be quite honest.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's what we thought.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_00: Is that a bit the last one?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: Was that but bitter shtick that you're doing there?
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: You just included the Eddie Cabrera note for any particular reason you're trying to get me going here.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: That was the last it's the last thing I had in front of me on my notes that I think that we should have just moved on from.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but it the thing is I I suppose you're gonna get that attitude.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: He's a big Latin dude, throws 106.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, he's gonna say he's the bad.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like I got I'm just delivering the news.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just I am right now am the conduit.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: That's all I am.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_01: If you haven't seen that, I wanted to let you know he's confident.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: That's all.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: We like it.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully he's healthy too.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: You know, because if he's healthy, then he's got reason to be confident.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, otherwise.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to go back to the lockout um and just talking about because we had signed the relievers.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_00: And that's because there absolutely is a lockout coming.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so and we had a maniac from Australia ask, you know, can you guys just at least touch on this?
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: I suppose, of course.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: And if you guys have questions, where I'm not hard to find, just stuff stuff to talk about, you know, off-season show here.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_00: And the lockout absolutely is gonna come.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: There was news that MLB has been setting aside money from the war chest national$75 million a year or something, Carl.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, something.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's because the public perception when they had to fire so many employees during COVID when there was not baseball being played.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's where maybe the money's being spent.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: I would hope.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I should get more researched on that.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: But my point in saying and bringing that up is it's absolutely coming, you know, with 99% certainty, because they're just on completely different sides about if a salary cap is good for baseball and what to do with the salary floor.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: And if it were up to owners, they they would spend no money at all.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_00: They they want to screw these players every chance that they get, and the players are just smart enough to do this, and they're smart enough to bargain and play ball with these owners, and they don't care if they got to sit out.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_01: So you have to explore your value, period, and that's why these things happen, and that's why players know that they have the power at the end of the day, you know, in comparison when owners can lock them out.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and historically the players have gotten screwed.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: Historically, forever.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm saying going back to they started playing baseball in 1877, 1872, whatever.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: Like they they didn't even want to pay players in the first place in Cincinnati Reds.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like the players have had no rights.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: The reason this matters is because as you get to the bargaining table now, it's gonna be very easy for the owners to influence media and influence opinions and the fan base to say, like, this is unfair, this and that.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: The players are just so jaded.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, they've been abused of decades, centuries plus.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: So when Mac Scherzer is sitting at the table going, no, he's not saying no because he's Mac Scherzer.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: People say, Max Scherzer, you made$500 million in your career.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: Mac Scherzer, this and that.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: Mack Scherzer is not going to be arguing for himself.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: He's arguing for the every single guy that's come before him and after him.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: And it goes very, very deep on the player side, is my point.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just about getting paid, it's not just your traditional labor negotiation.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: These guys are doing it on behalf of the 25,000 players that have come before and got screwed, and they're doing it for the guys that are coming next.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: And that's just the attitude that the players have.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: So they're very difficult to negotiate with.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: And my point is saying good for for good reason, and that the maniac should be siding the players.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: And the big question will be salary cap, salary floor is is really the main argument.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: And people they'll be dressing it up as the Dodgers are this and that, the Dodgers are too good.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: People will be complaining about you know their owners don't spend enough money.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: The number one thing they're gonna be trying to figure out is if they can put in salary cap, salary floor.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll you know, keep your eyes peeled, folks.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of stuff coming, but I here's where I'm at personally on it.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: I don't really care.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: I don't really care.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: We got a 2026 baseball season.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: So everybody we've reported to camp.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: That's the last I'm talking about the lockout.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: And the only thing I'll say is I I want to rephrase, like I mentioned, the players had the power, and I only say like because of the data and stuff at their disposal in this day and age.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_01: What does that mean?
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, the money coming in from maybe particularly television agreements or anything that they have access to where they know how much the league could be made potentially making.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I guarantee that that is what is also at the table.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: It has to be similar to what the MBA did, but in a like different level.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_00: The players want more money from that.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_00: The players want a bigger piece of the media rights.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_00: And that's all.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's all.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: But we're in a shifted landscape with the media too.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: So it'd be interesting to see Major League Baseball is taking over broadcasting rights, I believe, for at least the Cincinnati Reds, I think maybe the Baltimore Orioles or the Nationals or something.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: There's a couple markets that transferred over to the MLB.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll see how that shakes out, Carl.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it should be a shit show.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I gotta say, I gotta mention this.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: The Mets guy, the director, this guy's all over social media.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: He got did he get fired?
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: He got pushed out for banging chicks for touching somebody.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: Did I see that?
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: I could be wrong.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I could be wrong.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of people right now with the Epstein domino effect, and I wouldn't doubt it.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_00: He's Epstein.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I know I did not see any other news about a Mets.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: No, he's not Epstein, but he's the he's the Mets director for the TV broadcast.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: He's the one who's always doing the cool angles, he's the one who's always doing the cool transitions and showing the picture and the banner in the same frame.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_00: And he went viral last year because people are starting to like learn that this guy's a movie director who like had has the movie director touching doing like Quentin Tarantino stuff, and they'd be playing Quentin Tarantino music or old Western music and shit and what have you.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: So, anyways, this guy was like famous and legendary, he just abruptly stepped down and said he was looking for a new job.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: I thought now I'm only asking this because if maniacs know the story on that, please pass it along.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_00: We will be talking a lot this year about our broadcast because Boog Siambi sucks.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_01: That is correct, it has to come up.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_01: And what I hated last year was like, I promise I'm not gonna be talking about the broadcasters, and you can't help yourself.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_00: No, he sucks.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: He sucks.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: JD hates his guts.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: Alex Cohn rocks.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_00: Alex Cohn should get in the booth.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_00: Love his enthusiasm.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: But this is a this is a baller strike.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is a broad this is a podcast that will talk about the broadcast.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_00: Baller strike.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_01: That's it's a strike.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_01: You have to.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: There's just too much.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_01: Too many hours.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: So how are you doing there, pal?
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_00: You want to talk about this lineup?
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: I do.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_01: I would love to get in the lineup.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_01: I have like a bit of the batting lineups that I've seen out there in the predictions and the ones that I would like to take to the table.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: No, we we talked before the show, we're not doing that.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: There we go.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_00: Forget it.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's not let's talk about the lineup.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're building the lineup.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna sit here and listen to what Chat GPT thinks about what the lineup should be.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like we're hey bro, if I ran it through Chat EPT, Christopher Morel's batting number four right now.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_01: So that's not that wasn't a possibility tonight, trust me.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: No, I'm I obviously teasing.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: We did get one right.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think we started.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: I saw what you had sent me as a proposal because what I wanted to do was sit here go one by one and say this is what we agree it should be, as opposed to just reading off what we had, you know.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that this is pretty much an agreement, right?
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_00: Well, who do you have leading off?
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: Michael Bush.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I do too.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when I say this is our lineup, this is just assume a right-handed pitcher.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'll give you tweaks as I see fit for lefties.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: But for the right-handed pitchers, we opening day, we see a righty.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_00: I have Bush leading off.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's the smartest bet.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_01: Highest OPP versus right-handing pitching on the roster last year.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's why the staff, you know, they want him at the top, they flirted with it.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I'd imagine that that's gonna be what we'd see most of over this year.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: So why not have the Bushwhacker sitting at number one?
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll love Bushwhacker.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: How about two?
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: Good point there, Mahoney.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I love I love the research on the OBP.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's interesting to say he spent so much time last year leading off.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like, why wouldn't you want to compound that this year?
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_00: Finding a good leadoff hitter is very difficult.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's something that's kind of plagued the Cubs since Dexter Fowler left.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_00: So, like, if he was competent last year in the role and he had learned, even though I I don't know, he got better in it and got more comfortable in it.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I you should try to build off that would be my biggest argument.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_00: He's already did it last year.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, like there's a comfort level, and that's what you like can expect out of somebody also as a professional as Michael.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_00: The other thing you can do is you can look at the rest of the lineup and say, Dansby can't do it, Ian Hap shouldn't do it, you know, doesn't want to do it.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_00: PCA absolutely shouldn't do it if he's gonna have a 310 OBP, you know, say it can't.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_00: So that gets to my second hitting second, I have Nico Horner, and I think it's just like I want to see him hit second.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, who did you have?
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I had actually Ian Hap, and I think that that's just based off of what I've like traditionally seen, but I don't hate Nico Horner in the in the two-hole at all.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_01: I mean the guy who's gonna be putting the bat on ball, contact, getting on base.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_01: I would I would rather have Nico Horner there than Ian Hap, but I was just looking at it like maybe Nico Horner in the six-hole, only because not a lot of dead at bats then in the end later part of the lineup, but that's not what I need to worry about right now.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_00: I strongly disagree with that, with Ian Hap in the two-hole.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_00: I know a lot of people do.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think Ian Hap, and we'll get into like I think what's unique about this Cubs lineup is we won't have to switch around righty lefty too much.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_00: You know, if Michael Bush is gonna be in the lineup against a lefty, like I can tell you Horner's gonna hit two.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_00: If Horner's gonna hit two, he can hit two against a righty and a lefty.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I think Ian Hap would have give you challenges there in the two-hole, having to hit righty against a lefty.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think he's nearly as good.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_01: He still has some good slug, but I do think the only thing I was thinking was like a switch hitter at the in the two-hole, but I know it may I don't know if you're rolling your eyes.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm rolling my eyes at you.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: We gotta put this on YouTube.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm just telling you like where my thought process was.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, see, this is why I didn't want to hear it.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm like, All right, fair.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_01: Carl has a red button that he holds up and tells me no.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_01: Stop talking.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'm making I'm making that up.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_01: That's totally made up.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_00: No, sometimes I will roll my eyes.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we should we should publish the videos of these.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: It is there are some good moments behind the scenes, but those are our moments behind the scenes.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_01: We'll keep that like sacred for now.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: No, like here's some arguments for Horner.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_00: He's only getting better, he's only gotten better.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_00: He hits the ball the other way extremely well.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_00: If there is a runner on first base, the gap when a first baseman has to hold on Michael Bush, and then you play up the middle for a double play, that gap on the right side, Nico Horner can expose better than anybody else in the Cubs lineup.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I also like the fact he doesn't strike out at all.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I want that at the top of the lineup.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_00: His hard hit rate, and he's just getting better.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_00: So, like if Bush does get out, then like Horner getting on base, he's his dynamic threat to steal second.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_00: Totally.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_00: And he's in a contract year.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_00: So we talked about contract years for pitchers, contract years for position players, you're always looking to swipe a bag.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_00: You this is like perfect for Nico Horner to swipe 50 bags this year.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_00: Had as many stats as you can.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just go get just hungry.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_00: So he's he's just like a very hungry guy in a contract world.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I maybe it's a reach here because the idea is you should have your best hitter hitting two, but he is our best hitter by batting average.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I and it, even if people don't like that statistic, like it still plays for me.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_00: It still plays when you apply it to the rest of the league and you see like there are no there are very few guys, but a handful that are going to hit 300.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: And like Nico Horner's in a category of guys who can hit 300 in the big league.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I feel comfortable with him in the two-hole.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_00: The other thing, too, is that it plays well lefty or righty.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_00: He's a solid person in the two-hole.
• 36:15
  SPEAKER_01: So and let's not forget four or five pitches left the yard last week when there was a little bit of BP that we saw, a little bit of Nico, and I still want to get that analytics on his arm.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_00: I hate you're doing this to piss me off now, and I love that was absolutely because that was trying to piss me off.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_00: I know, and I love you for doing that because you know where we stand on batting practice takes.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, they were they were cookies, I'm sure any big league player can lift one out if they need to.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_00: Every single I think every single guy on a like triple A roster and above can take hacks and BB and hit the ball out of the park.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_00: The funny thing is, I don't know if people know this, but in batting practice, big league batting practice, like during the season, they don't you don't hit home run.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_00: You don't you don't try to hit home.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_00: You're not trying to you're trying to hit the ball uh you know back at the pitcher.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_00: You're trying, you have very specific stuff you're working on.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to hit the ball into right field.
• 37:15
  SPEAKER_00: Barry Bonds used to talk about how he's trying to hit the ball directly down into the ground.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_00: Guys have routine hitting the ball out of the park in batting practice doesn't really accomplish anything because it's not like a game swing.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_00: So it that's part of the reason why it's so funny when people are like, oh dude, he looked great in batting practice, he was hitting it out.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, well, yeah, he just it's it's something that works me up.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_00: So if you see me on the red line going to a Cubs game, you want to piss me off, just be like, he looks great in batting practice.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_01: Fair.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_01: As well as though, I remember as a little kid going to the wanting to go to BP, maybe to see a couple guys run into one.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, dude.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_00: When you're a kid, that's what you want to see.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's not what we're talking.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_01: I think we do agree on one thing, though, is the three-hole, and that's gonna be our boy at third base, Alex Bregman.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_01: Wrong.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_01: What?
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, wrong.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_01: I am Braggman number three.
• 38:13
  SPEAKER_01: It's gotta be Sea.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_00: Saya's a much more thunderous ready.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_00: Bragman doesn't strike out Bragman.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_00: Bragman's gonna be a great five-hole hitter, but say Suzuki, a healthy Say Suzuki, is matured into the three-hitter on this team.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_00: The guy's got unbelievable strength.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_00: Pop is a 140 OPS plus guy.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_00: Bregman's probably closer to 120, 125.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_00: Bragman will probably hit 22 to 25 homers this year.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_00: Say a Suzuki could hit 3540 if he's healthy.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, and say a slugging, I think, does fit him well in that role.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_01: But I I would be remiss if I didn't read my note of why I have Saya at four and Bregman at three.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_01: Please.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_01: And it just all it says is say a slugzuki.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_01: Saya Sugzuki.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_01: Need that.
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_01: I want him batting forth, especially with Bregman in front of him.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: It just says everything that you should shout out to.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_01: And it goes, especially with Bregman in front, having guys like Leon, it could be a perfect spot in our offense to really light a fire early in offense.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_00: Alright.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_00: That doesn't apply.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_00: So no, I know.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_01: It was basically like narrative speak.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_00: But it makes sense what you told me.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think that I think that Bregman should hit fifth.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_00: I think that I mean, who we could be wrong.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_00: Bregman hitting third is not dangerous.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_00: Say is dangerous.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_00: Say has pop.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_00: Bregman doesn't have that pop.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_00: Bregman's a much more tactical hitter.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_01: Driving the ball, yeah.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_01: In the gaps and what have you.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_01: And guys, I also do want to remind you, maniacs, Carl.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_01: I want to remind them we did not go over this, and you said this is not a prediction.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like, no, we're exercising.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_01: So we're just this is an exercise.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_00: Just an exercise to build the lineup together.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm interested in your takes.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't, I mean, you know, I'm I'm interested in them.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_00: Some of them are, you know, maybe well the same one was great.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_00: Your push one was great.
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_00: You opened up with OBP, talked about him against right-hand hitting.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_01: Santa Duke's like, hey, I think we could see some success.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, these are getting worse.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's getting worse.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's what it is.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's getting worse.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_00: So I have Horner 2, I have Say at three, I have PCA four.
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I just do.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_00: I don't he's getting he has to slug.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_01: He was, that's that's who he is, and that's who I think he's going to be.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_01: I choose to see, yeah.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_00: I choose to see PCA as a as a cleanup hitter.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I do.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I think he's gonna try and he was great last year as a as a slugger, even though he fell off a cliff for a little bit, even though he was only supposed to have 15 homers.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_00: So and then I go Bragman five.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_00: So now we're getting into the righty lefty.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_00: Saya, righty, PCA, lefty, bragman five, righty.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_00: Then I'm going half six.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_00: I do because he can flip it around either way.
• 41:07
  SPEAKER_00: So then, but then if you go Moises by a stero seven, now you can go lefty lefty against a righty, or you can you don't understand what I'm saying?
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know, like this is Oh no, I do understand.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_01: I do understand what you're saying.
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_00: This is really juicy stuff.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_01: It is, and look, and like the way that this lineup's built, it is flexible, but at the same token, I love like where your head's at of like lefty righty, lefty, righty, lefty switch it.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_01: What are you gonna do?
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and hap can lead off an inning as a six-hitter.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_00: Bregman is you'll give you you you kind of get down to this bottom, turn it over.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_00: You have high OBP guys.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, people don't love it, whatever.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_00: Ian Hap's gonna be a 340, 350 OBP.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_00: Moises Biastero should be like a 360 OBP.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_00: And then you get to 8-9, and it's kind of rolled the dice however you want to flip it between Dansby Swanson and Carson Kelly.
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_01: I just do do Dansby Carson, have the catcher be the anchor.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_00: I love I mean both of those guys have you know slugs over 420.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_00: So that's huge.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's huge out of your eight-nine hole.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm just going back off the top.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_00: I have Bush leading off into Horner Seya PCA, but probably the only weak part here I'm looking at is like, I don't, and this is crazy because he already did it.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_00: He showed me, but I'm sitting here going, can PCA hit cleanup?
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's that's my honestly biggest concern, too, is like it will he adjust to some of his like fall-off tendencies of last year.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_00: And then you can go to three and say Saya isn't isn't like the elite three hitter in the NL.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, fine, he's not Freddie Freeman.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, okay, fine, he's not, I don't know, fill in the blank.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe he's not as good as some other three hitters.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_00: He's not Manny.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_00: No, Manny Machado had a bad year last year, and I know Fernando Tatis Jr.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_00: is gonna lead off, but like he's not one of those guys, right?
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, fine, whatever.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_00: He's still good.
• 43:01
  SPEAKER_00: He's still very good.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_00: He's probably the best three-hitter in the NL Central.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_01: So I and I hate to say the cliche, like, if they're healthy over and over again, but with Seya, I do feel like if his body is in unison and he he's feeling like good about himself, that's when we see his best baseball.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_01: I know you could say it about a lot of guys, but I think it means a lot more to Suzuki.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_00: No, you're right about that.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_00: He's he's had time on the aisle with the oblique stuff.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_00: When he's healthy and he's happy and he's warm days at Wrigley Field, like that guy's awesome.
• 43:35
  SPEAKER_00: You know, so PCA four, I I I there's maybe there's room to move that around too if he's if he's falling off a cliff, but like I think that's his four spot.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's where you can deal with like, all right, fine, whatever if he strikes out.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_00: He's if if he's striking out with a runner on second base in two outs, I'm okay with that.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm fine with that.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_00: If he's gonna strike out with nobody on base in two outs, I'm also fine.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: With that, if it's a strikeout to get an extra base hit.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I think him in the forehole puts him in a position where he can take big aggressive swings.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to see him move him up into one, two, three, or any of that shit where you start getting in your head about like, you know, drive your OBP high.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'd rather have him say, have your slug over 500 in however you got to get there.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_00: And if if that means your if that means your OBP is only going to be 310, you know, ultimately, I think that's okay.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I also think it's okay for him to run into one and clear the bases too, Carl.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, you're saying like if he misses one, that's one.
• 44:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like, let's not be pessimistic and on the approach.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I know you're looking at the numbers, but if he's in that spot, that's where he'll be in that like literal, you know, position to do some damage.
• 44:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you were saying, like, you know, if he misses here, that sucks.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_01: And then if he does like if he goes this way and has a 310, that blows too.
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm also saying like he'll be in the better situations.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'm talking about him having a 500 slug.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm talking about him having a top 10, 15 slugging percentage in national league, is how I see him.
• 45:09
  SPEAKER_00: I see him as a guy who's a slugger.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_00: And with that, you have to accept that he's gonna swing and miss.
• 45:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now, his best his best months last year.
• 45:19
  SPEAKER_00: I got it.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_00: His best months last year was when his chase rate was highest.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when his chase rate went down, his slug went down.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_00: Now that is directly correlated to him trying to like get a better pitch to hit when really his success is predicated on his athleticism, which means have a bigger strike zone.
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_00: He can hit balls that aren't necessarily strikes, he can hit those authority, you know, author uh what howitatively?
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_00: Authoritely.
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_01: What I think I said it wrong.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think you said it wrong.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's authoritatively.
• 45:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's authoritatively.
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_00: Saturday night, you know, they're all right.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_00: Throwing me for a loop here.
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's I'm at with the lineup.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, a couple just things here against a lefty.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, is there room for Matt Shaw?
• 46:09
  SPEAKER_00: If Moises struggles against lefties, can we then DH say and put Matt Shaw in right field?
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I think Matt Shaw should get as many opportunities in right field as possible to start the season because I think he's a phenomenal ball player.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's a guy who can just adapt immediately.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_00: I want to see him get a ton of playing time.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_00: I love his, I just love him on a baseball field.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's a winner.
• 46:33
  SPEAKER_00: I just I mean, like I I've said this last year.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_00: I can't say it enough.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_00: Just how much I love him as a baseball player.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_00: And there is a positive to the fact that we signed Bregman because now there's a little bit, a of a setback, a leader for him.
• 46:51
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna love playing under Bregman.
• 46:52
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna just enjoy every second of it.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's gonna help him prepare to become a better player.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_00: He has the skills, the tool set.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_00: We haven't talked that much about him.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_01: But how about riding that wave of his success with then a mentor coming on board at the time where he is kind of you know really maturing as a as a ball player?
• 47:12
  SPEAKER_00: I just like him so much on a baseball field.
• 47:15
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's so hard-nosed, tough.
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_00: He wants to get better.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_00: He's such a professional, he's so serious about his craft, and so is Bregman.
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_00: So that's just a perfect combination.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_00: But like, and people talk a lot of shit about Matt Shaw, and like that's totally your you can people can you can do that because Matt Shaw invited people to do that.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_00: That's totally fine.
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_00: We're not talking about that.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_00: Talking in between the lines, and that's in between the lines, and I'll say that the man uh away from the field is doing everything he can to prepare for those moments in between the lines.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't booze, he's not out chasing skirt, you know, like he's he's a settled down, mature guy beyond his years, which is like do I don't know this guy personally, but what I'm saying is that's different than almost every other guy that's gonna be in his shoes as a big young, you know, high profile, I should say like rookie prospect, or not rookie prospect, but like a young guy who's had success in Chicago sports, like yeah, and Chicago, especially, dude.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_01: Imagine like if he was in Kansas City or something, or you know, elsewhere, it would be completely different.
• 48:22
  SPEAKER_01: But the way he's handling his business with his preparation, everything that you just mentioned in this market is nice.
• 48:31
  SPEAKER_00: So that's where we're at with the lineup.
• 48:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'd be interested, Maynax, if you guys have uh you know feedback, how you would do it differently.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_00: What do we what did we say that we hate like what do you hate that we said about the lineup?
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, do people disagree that Bush should lead off?
• 48:46
  SPEAKER_00: Do you want to see him at third?
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_00: Should Seiya move down?
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think Bregman?
• 48:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think I'm pretty comfortable with where I'm at on the Bregman thing, being like, I don't want him to hit the top four, but maybe people maybe people think differently.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_00: So let us know.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_00: This is the Monday morning cub show.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_00: If you guys get a chance, five-star review on Spotify or Apple, we appreciate it.
• 49:03
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this is a day off.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_00: I was just out on Sunday night for the Honor Mountain String Band in Grays Lake.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully that was a great show.
• 49:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, so just just saying like we're getting the show out Friday or Saturday night because we've got big plans and all that bullshit.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_00: So thanks to Mahoney for doing it with me on a Saturday night.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, hey, thank you all for listening to us on Monday.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, Carl, thank you as well for doing it on a Saturday.
• 49:29
  SPEAKER_01: I bet you Yonder Mountain was awesome.
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_01: And you know what?
• 49:33
  SPEAKER_01: To the reviewers out there, yeah, leave us five stars on Apple.
• 49:37
  SPEAKER_01: Our our boy Rick 000 1523.
• 49:41
  SPEAKER_01: Great vibes and Cubs content.
• 49:43
  SPEAKER_01: Rick, you're the man.
• 49:45
  SPEAKER_01: PJ, she miss Irish Oak and Wrigley, so do I.
• 49:49
  SPEAKER_01: And PJ, guess what?
• 49:52
  SPEAKER_01: My wife worked there for a number of years.
• 49:54
  SPEAKER_01: Irish Oak has an absolutely massive part in my heart.
• 49:59
  SPEAKER_01: Happy late Valentine's Day, and go out, review the show.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_01: We love you guys.