1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: And he fell off a cliff, and if they hoped 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: that it would happen, it wouldn't happen this year. But 3 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: it's happened, and now it's it's a major issue. Welcome 4 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: into North Side Territory, your Cubs podcast with the Foel 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Territory Network. I'm Sahadev Sharma with my co host Patrick Mooney, 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: where the Cubs beat writers at the Athletic. Thank you 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: for listening, Patrick. Cubs finally got a win against the 8 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: Cincinnati Reds after a really rough weekend in Cincinnati. Just 9 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: I mean, that was they needed to come away with that. 10 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: But it's not even one of those wins where you 11 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: can like feel like I'm not sure how many fans 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: feel good. You know, when you like lose two of 13 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 1: three and you win the last one, sometimes fans fans 14 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: feel kind of good. 15 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: This was losers of three of four. 16 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: I highly doubt anyone's celebrating any Cubs fans are celebrating 17 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: after that victory. 18 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 2: But I'm gonna start with the positive. 19 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: There's there's a big positive here because after two rough starts, 20 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: showed him Managa looked really good on Sunday. And that's 21 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,199 Speaker 1: that says something because The Reds have been red hot 22 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: offensively since about like the middle of May, if not 23 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: a little before that. They're the second best offense by 24 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: certain metrics in baseball. Uh, just playing good baseball offensively. 25 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 2: Uh. And Shoda looked. 26 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: Good, he he Uh, you know, he got the flyouts, 27 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: he kept them off balanced. They never really mounted a 28 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: threat until the seventh inning. Uh. 29 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 2: And and he. 30 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: He was able to wriggle out of that jam with 31 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: help from his defense and Mark Leider finishing off the 32 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: finishing off inning. But that's they needed that. They needed 33 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: that win. They needed that performance from Shoda and uh 34 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: and that's, you know, a nice way to end what 35 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: was a dreadful week that frankly, they were lucky to 36 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: get the three wins that they did. 37 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 3: I mean, as great as Shoda has been, he has 38 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 3: not been able to cover up everything else. I Mean, 39 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 3: I'm not a big math guy, but I think they're 40 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 3: ten and two in Shoda games and twenty two and 41 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,119 Speaker 3: thirty two when he does not pitch, I mean ten 42 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 3: games under five hundred and it's still like early mid June. Like, 43 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 3: I mean, this guy's come up huge. I think we 44 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 3: both circled this start as a hitters, ballpark, ad day 45 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 3: to hit, you know, interesting offense, a team that likes 46 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 3: to run wild, and for Shoda to do that today, 47 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 3: I think just reinforces that. You know, this is a 48 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 3: guy who could start an All Star Game, a guy 49 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 3: who will get cy Young votes. And I don't know 50 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 3: if he pitches, like at a decent level the rest 51 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 3: of the way, like someone who might be in an 52 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 3: MVP conversation, if the rest of the team can kind 53 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 3: of catch up to where he's been. You know, the 54 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 3: idea that struck me this weekend was just like, shouldn't 55 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 3: the Cubs be better by now? Like at this point 56 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 3: in a rebuild, a retool, whatever you want to call it, Like, 57 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 3: you know, playing poorly in the division. You know, I 58 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 3: think it's like eight or nine under thus far against 59 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 3: divisional opponents. Something like that, you know, bringing up a 60 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 3: David Body like years after he was kind of sent 61 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 3: to Iowa in exile, Like, shouldn't Christopher Morel have a 62 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 3: position by now? It seems like we've gone through this 63 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 3: with say Azuki, says Azuki for a while. Now. Obviously 64 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 3: he's hitting well at this moment, but like, is he 65 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 3: really going to sustain it? And have that All Star 66 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 3: MVY caliber year that the Cubs think he has within him. 67 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 3: And I think it's just, you know, a lot of 68 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 3: the thoughts around the Cubs, even the optimistic ones, are 69 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 3: not exactly affirmative, right. It's like, well, it's a long 70 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 3: season and they play in a you know, weak division, 71 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 3: and you know, eventually these make belief stats should turn around, 72 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 3: you know, that's what they're you know, the numbers are 73 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 3: telling us like it just has not been a good 74 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 3: product or very entertaining product recently. And I think, you know, 75 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 3: for as much as Craig Council on the front end 76 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 3: kind of buffered the Cubs when those injuries happened, like 77 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 3: it's showing a lot of other issues now when you 78 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 3: change the manager, and like that kind of speaks to 79 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 3: just overall player development, scouting and systems in baseball operations 80 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 3: and where's the LA day of the cruise O. The 81 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 3: Paul scheme's coming to, you know, ride to the rescue here, 82 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 3: and it it just kind of reinforces I think a 83 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 3: lot of the questions we had going into this year, 84 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 3: and that essentially Shoda is doing what Marcus Stroman did 85 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 3: in the first half of last year. More or less. 86 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 3: I mean, hopefully show to stays healthy and we'll probably 87 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 3: give you more consistent performance the rest of the way. 88 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 3: And it's not as bad. They're not ten games under 89 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 3: the way they were right around this time last year. 90 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 3: But man, it's been Uh. I didn't think these conversations 91 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 3: will be happening so quickly this year, particularly after a 92 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 3: strong April. Yeah. 93 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: No, I mean you're absolutely right about like difficulty of 94 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: watching this team, the sloppiness. There are times when I mean, 95 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: they lost a bunch of close games recently. 96 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 2: Right, It's not like they're getting their butts kicked. 97 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: Regularly, right, but the way they lose is just like 98 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,159 Speaker 1: it just leaves you shaking your head and like some 99 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: of these things are just unacceptable things happening. 100 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 2: Like justin Steel pitched so well on Friday. 101 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,679 Speaker 1: You have to win that game when your pitcher plays 102 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 1: like that, and the way they lost, the reason they 103 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: lost it, like a strike strike three that should have 104 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: been stopped by Miguel Amayah, that has to be stopped. 105 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 1: Ellie data Cruz was picked off Listen. Michael Bush has 106 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: looked a lot better at the plate. He's looked a 107 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: lot better defensively in my opinion, he made a bad 108 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: throw against a guy that you know you have to 109 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: kind of almost rush the throw, but you also have 110 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: to be perfect with that throw when Ellie Dylan Cruz 111 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: is running. So I mean, you can't make these types 112 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: of mistakes. The Maya one is just unacceptable in my opinion. 113 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: The way the catchers have played, I saw some signs 114 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: of life offensively this week. Wasn't just not just the 115 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,799 Speaker 1: hits that they got, but they at bats in general 116 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: finally felt like they've they looked like they weren't just 117 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: giving away at bats. Jan Gomes had a few at 118 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: bats there was like, oh, okay, signs of life here. 119 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: It doesn't feel as empty of an at bat anymore. 120 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: But that still just feels like this is inevitable. You 121 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 1: have to upgrade at catcher. It just feels like that 122 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 1: has to happen, has to happen. I wrote about it 123 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: last week and the response was like, yes, but they 124 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: can't wait until the deadline. That's what a lot of 125 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: a lot of people are saying. And I understand that reaction. 126 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: When you watch what you're watching like it's bad offensively 127 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: and defensively, what are you supposed to do? How are 128 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 1: you supposed to watch that, watch that, watch that I'm 129 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: saying watch for some reason. Uh, But what what I like? 130 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: There's catcher is a hard position to fill. 131 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 3: Right yeah, particularly mid season. 132 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 2: Right yeah. 133 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: And I don't know if there was like this fit 134 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: in free agency. H fans are obviously going to go 135 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: back to Wilson Contreras. Listen that we've talked about that 136 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: at nauseum, Like there's there's a reason they moved on 137 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: from him. He is an offensive force, but he's not here, 138 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: and they just that wasn't an option in their minds 139 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: outside of a you know, one year deal. It just 140 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: wasn't gonna happen. And that wasn't something Wilson was going 141 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: to take here a one year deal. So it's important 142 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,240 Speaker 1: to move on from Wilson Contreras. But how do you 143 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: like why didn't they address it better? Because it's really 144 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: hard to address You need to either develop a guy, 145 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: or you need to nail a trade or or find 146 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: the right veteran. Jan Gomes was that veteran, and then 147 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: he fell off a cliff, and he fell off a cliff, 148 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: and they hoped that it would happen. 149 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 2: It wouldn't happen. 150 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: This year, but it's happened and now it's it's a 151 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: major issue costing them games. Council said something to the 152 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: effect of, you can't have you can't have like a 153 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: basically basically like a dead spot in the lineup like that. 154 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: It makes it really hard to sustain rallies when you 155 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: have it. Like the offense has to improve. He's you know, 156 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: he wasn't as critical as the defense. On the defense, 157 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: I feel like the defense is glaringly bad with them 158 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: right now. At the other they need to do other 159 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: things to control the running game, but you can't let 160 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: that many balls get by you. It just can't happen 161 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: in critical situations with men on bay trying to end 162 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:06,079 Speaker 1: innings for your for your pitcher. Ultimately, like what you said, 163 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 1: you know, this should have been further along. Is that 164 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 1: an indictment on Jed Hoyer. Yeah, I think you can 165 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: make make those claims now. But it's June, so he's 166 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: not gonna be Yeah, he's not gonna be fired mid season, right. 167 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: I think fans are like, he's done. We could be 168 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,079 Speaker 1: talking like the Reds just the Cubs just snapped a 169 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: seven game winning serie for the Reds. If the Cubs 170 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: do that, they'll be four games over five hundred because 171 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: counting today's win, if they were a rattle off another 172 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: six wins, you know, it's it's I'm not saying they're 173 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: gonna do that. 174 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 2: I don't get the feeling that will the. 175 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 3: Problem though, Like they haven't won consecutive series in like 176 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 3: two months, right, so it's like, you know, our good 177 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 3: friend Anny McCullough, I think on the Athletic has said, like, 178 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 3: you just kind of need and even Jet Hoyer said it, 179 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 3: you need like a baseline competency of winning more games 180 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 3: than you lose. Like that's kind of a you know, 181 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 3: first criteria of like taking a teams seriously. And I 182 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 3: think to your defensive point in Sunday's game, I mean, 183 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,079 Speaker 3: obviously Ian Happ makes a great throw to get a 184 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 3: guy at second base and help out his pitcher, and 185 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 3: Dansby Swanson made a lot of really nice plays that 186 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 3: just like add up over the course of games, and 187 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 3: the Cubs have not done that consistently enough. That's kind 188 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 3: of what they were built around. And even the one 189 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 3: game in the series they win, you know, they jump 190 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 3: out to a four to nothing lead and it still 191 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 3: is tight all the way till the end and they're 192 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 3: you know, using lighter junior and there so obviously there's 193 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 3: a day off tomorrow whatever. It's not like that big 194 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 3: a deal, but just not having any sort of ability 195 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:46,959 Speaker 3: to like get separation and you know kind of if 196 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 3: this was the beginning of a series of like okay, 197 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 3: like your starter get pitches into seventh inning and is awesome, 198 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 3: and then you can just kind of like get through 199 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 3: those two games, then you know, next two innings and 200 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 3: then you can really kind of go for the throat 201 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:02,839 Speaker 3: in the next two games. And like it just hasn't 202 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 3: been It's just been a kind of a slog really 203 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 3: for you know, weeks, if not months. 204 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: I think the broadcast said something about like they had 205 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: and they when they had that four nothing lead, Yeah, yeah, 206 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: what were they saying? They hadn't had a lead like 207 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 1: that in like over a week. 208 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 3: I think they said, like May twenty eighth, that caught 209 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 3: my year as well. It was like a lead of 210 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 3: that magnitude and it was like four nothing. Yeah, I thought, 211 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 3: at least and Beth Moens and JD did a nice job. 212 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 3: I had that on as well today and it did 213 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 3: it did jump out at me. Because it does feel 214 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 3: like every game we're covering, it's kind of like almost 215 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 3: a jump ball until till the end, and finally you think, 216 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 3: look it's it's getaway day. I think the Reds have 217 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 3: a day off tomorrow. They've won first three games of 218 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 3: the series. If you're up for nothing, just like put 219 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 3: the team away and the Cubs did not, And that 220 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 3: to me is just one of those other things that 221 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 3: I know internally has to be frustrating. 222 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: All Right, So you're talking about putting teams away. Past 223 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 1: two days, twenty one hits, one two, eight of them 224 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: extra base hits. Right, So that's solid. You'd think you'd 225 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 1: score more than seven runs, right, You'd think those are 226 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 1: like pretty good offensive performances combined three for twenty nine 227 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: with runners in scoring position, three for twenty nine over 228 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: two games. They had twenty nine opportunities and got three hits. 229 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 1: And that is if you feel like the Cubs offense 230 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:55,320 Speaker 1: is doing nothing lately, that's not fully true. They are 231 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,679 Speaker 1: playing much better than they had over the past, Like 232 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: since Game two of Milwaukee series the Dolphins is much better. 233 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: It's much better than it had been for about a month. 234 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: It was a month. But what's happening. What hasn't changed, 235 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 1: Like they're hitting, but what hasn't changed is they cannot 236 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: hit with runners in scoring position. There's been some moments 237 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: of bad luck, probably like three or four hits where 238 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: you could say, like I mean three or four you know, 239 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: balls and play that you could have said like, ah, 240 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: that falls it everything like that's the exhale moment. And 241 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: they got a little bit of that in the first 242 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,319 Speaker 1: inning today with Hap, Like they needed that to happen, right, 243 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: They needed that exhale moment where finally something fell. But 244 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: it's not just that, right, Like you can't just point 245 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: to bad luck. But there's a little bit of the 246 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 1: when you see them start to hit that I think 247 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: is a little bit of when you're watching like the nerds, 248 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:51,719 Speaker 1: if you want to go to the nerds and the 249 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: numbers people, like they're saying that in all likelihood and 250 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: Council said this, we're going to hit with unners in 251 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 1: scoring position. It will come right and and it just 252 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: hasn't happened much since a hot start, like a probably 253 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: over their head start with runners in scoring position, but 254 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: you just need like it just has not happened at all, 255 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: and now they're starting to hit, but not still not 256 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: with runners in scoring position. It's abysmal and it's killing 257 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: them along with all the other things we're saying. Right, 258 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: if you can turn this one thing around, if the 259 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: offense gets going, then you know what you address, right, 260 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: you know what, like you need to tighten up the defense, 261 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: get help in the bullpen, things like that. But you 262 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: it almost becomes pointless if the things that you thought 263 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: were good aren't good. 264 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 2: Right, And and we're. 265 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: At a and we've talked about it enough that the 266 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: offense has just not been good. Uh So, like they 267 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: need to fully turn this corner. You're seeing signs of it. 268 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: But like at least Nancy Swanson's hitting again, right, Like 269 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: Michael Bush has put up some good numbers, Say Suzuki 270 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: after today's game, after Sunday's game is at a one 271 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: twenty one, twenty seven way to run scrade a plus, 272 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: which would be a career high. So like he's starting 273 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: to come around. Dodged, you know, dodged a major injury 274 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 1: there with him just a whatever. It was probably like 275 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: a contusion or sore after getting hit by a stray baseball. 276 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: We'll see what's going on with Nico. But yeah, this like, 277 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: it's that's I don't know if that's a positive. If 278 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 1: you want to take it as a positive, you can. 279 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: If you want to take it as a negative, I 280 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: understand too. I'm of the I always believe that uh, 281 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: hitting with runners in scoring position vacillates and isn't like 282 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: a like it's really hard to to consistently be really 283 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: bad or really good depending on what your offensive numbers are. 284 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: I just don't know anymore if I trust if this 285 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: offense can be good in general. 286 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:47,720 Speaker 3: So that's what I was going to ask you, But 287 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 3: this is we're recording on June ninth's to trade deadlines 288 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 3: July thirtieth, Like, what's it going to take to like 289 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 3: really convince you, Like if you're you know, sitting there 290 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 3: in the conference room with Jed, like, oh, we got 291 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 3: it figured out now after you know what will have 292 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 3: been an easy stretch in June and that you've seen, 293 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 3: I feel like you've seen a lot of this group 294 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 3: by this point and seeing how it totally collapsed last September. 295 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 3: I think I mentioned this earlier on a separate episode 296 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 3: of Like, you know we were there last year, you 297 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 3: know we learned a lot from that. We came out 298 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 3: better from that. It's like, no, it collapsed at the end. 299 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 3: Like there's not a whole lot to draw from last 300 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,120 Speaker 3: year other than yeah, look, it's a long season. You 301 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 3: just got to keep playing. And I understand that, but 302 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 3: like this is still the group that just had an 303 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 3: epic fail at the end of last year, and so 304 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 3: it's not like you can think like, oh, well, the 305 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 3: Cubs will just be healthy too write like like something 306 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 3: else is gonna happen. I think, you know Nico's hand fracture, Like, 307 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 3: is this be another like hamstring tightness thing where it's 308 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 3: like asking about it every single day and it's like, oh, 309 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 3: I think it's getting close. We're going to see and 310 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 3: then all of a sudden, you know, they go, uh, well, 311 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 3: was it like six games playing shorthanded? Well, Nigo was 312 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 3: dealing with the hamstring titaness, Like I think that to 313 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 3: me was another thing of just kind of an eye 314 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 3: roll moment of like I feel like we've seen this 315 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 3: movie before, you know, like like you know, say is oblique, 316 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 3: but it's not an oblique And then you know Nico 317 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 3: has little something should be good to go once things subside, 318 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 3: but we're not quite there yet. And we'll think about 319 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 3: the ten dayil it's just like figure it out. And 320 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 3: to me, we talked about this earlier. This is a 321 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 3: team not meant were built to sell. So that means 322 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 3: you add. And I think the fact that these questions 323 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 3: are being asked of like what is the direction here? 324 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 3: What are the cubs? What do they want to be? 325 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 3: Means you go big no matter what. And now big 326 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 3: could mean to me like several moves. And you know, 327 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 3: but whether it's a guy like Peter Alonzo of a 328 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 3: catcher who raises that area another reliever to give counsel, 329 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 3: like you know, kind of reshaping the bottom of your roster, 330 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:27,360 Speaker 3: maybe that's some guys internally who forced the issue or 331 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:32,640 Speaker 3: like nice role players like that to me wouldn't cost 332 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 3: that much in the grand scheme of things, and it 333 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 3: would not probably behoove them, you know, so high on 334 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 3: some low a guys that you know, prospect nerds were 335 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 3: talking about and like where are all these guys gonna play? 336 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 2: Like? 337 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 3: And that I think is part of it too, is 338 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 3: if cups feel a little a little bit stuck, you know, 339 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 3: like of just this what we've talked about before, of 340 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 3: like they're not that star anchoring everything, and so you 341 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 3: have these good two way players who like, no one's 342 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 3: really carrying you through these stretches. 343 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 1: Here, And I think, what if say the next few 344 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: weeks go well, right, the offense turned and they start 345 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: winning some games, and like you see, like some. 346 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 2: Of the issues are still there, but they're. 347 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:22,360 Speaker 1: Winning enough, and they get to a few games over 348 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:25,639 Speaker 1: five hundred whatever it is, you know, but they look better. 349 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: I think what you said there about like them talking 350 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: in the office, what they need to do, what they 351 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: need to accept is this is okay, we're we're getting better, 352 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: We're we're winning games. Right if this happens over the 353 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: next three weeks, and they need to find a way 354 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 1: to get a star back, like they need to be 355 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: aggressive with it. Whether that's I mean right now Toronto 356 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: and everybody's talking about Toronto and Vlad Junior, right people 357 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: are talking about People would talk about Alex Bregman, who's 358 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: a free agent at the end of the year. Pete 359 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 1: Alonzo also agent at the end of the year. I 360 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: would say Houston and Toronto aren't really in full cell mode. 361 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:06,880 Speaker 2: They'd have to. 362 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: Really fall off a cliff to go into cell mode. 363 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: And that's different story. They're they're almost certainly already read 364 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: like thinking about who they're trading and what they can get. 365 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: But Toronto really has to Like, if you're a Cubs fan, 366 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: you probably want to see Toronto collapse. I don't think 367 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: Cubs fans are talking about Blad Junior and guess what, 368 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 1: Toronto's two games under five hundred the Cups. 369 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 3: So maybe every team does that fans, but like, yeah, 370 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 3: like one players out there's like that's our guy. You know, 371 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 3: there aren't you know, maybe a dozen other teams seriously 372 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 3: in on that and you know, weighing the exact same scenario. 373 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,640 Speaker 3: And obviously there are certain teams that really make internet 374 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 3: names pop on the online differently. 375 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: You're right, right, right, and like Cubs Blad Junior, Like 376 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:57,919 Speaker 1: those are two names that like you look them together 377 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:02,439 Speaker 1: and like it's like here here from the clicks. But 378 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I do think if if Toronto falls further 379 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 1: out of the race, that that makes a lot of sense. 380 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 1: It's just a team that makes it like that they 381 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: have things that the Cubs could really use. The Cubs 382 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: just have to start winning for it to really for 383 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 1: them to be aggressive in that fashion. Uh yeah, I 384 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 1: mean I think I think the big bat needs to 385 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: be a priority. I think upgrading defense needs to be 386 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: a priority. Like that's that's ultimately it to me. Like 387 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: when you talk about like what are we watching here? 388 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 1: What are we seeing? And I see these types of 389 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: plays like they. 390 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 2: Don't have that. 391 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 1: You can't do that, you can't make mistakes like when 392 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: Like it's demoralizing for a team that's struggling when you 393 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,360 Speaker 1: don't do when you don't make basic plays right, when 394 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: you don't when you think you're out of an inning, 395 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,440 Speaker 1: when you think you have a runner picked off, when 396 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 1: you think you know you're you're finally gonna win a game, 397 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 1: you know you're itching is really rolling, and you think 398 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 1: you have these close wins but just can't get the 399 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,919 Speaker 1: job done. I mean, little things just aren't happening often 400 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: enough for them. They're not going their way, they're not 401 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: making what was a council that said, like you kind 402 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 1: of have to make it happen, Yeah, like make your. 403 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 3: Own breaks when you're in right this. 404 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and like the continually the breaks have gone the 405 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: other way and they're they're making mistakes leading to that. 406 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 4: I did just want to clarify on Vlad Junior our 407 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 4: boy Bob Nightingale had reported the Cubs have privately discussed 408 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 4: the possibility of trying to acquire Grea at the tread 409 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 4: And I would not doubt Bob's reporting at all. He 410 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 4: is excellent at his job, he meets have, his range 411 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 4: of sources is amazing at. 412 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:53,919 Speaker 3: Every level of the game. It was just more of 413 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 3: a you know, I think you and I can feel 414 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 3: this of like there are certain names that just like 415 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 3: build momentum of like oh like, and I think Pete 416 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 3: Alonso falls in that category as well, Lad Junior. But 417 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 3: like you said, there's a lot of things that happen, 418 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 3: have to happen that those teams have to decide on, 419 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 3: and you know, the Cubs do have to play a 420 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 3: lot better. Like just because we see it, we don't 421 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 3: foresee a cell scenario doesn't mean that, you know, Jen 422 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 3: Carter are going to go a whole out of the 423 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:32,880 Speaker 3: trade deadline, even though I think would make a lot 424 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 3: of sense to do that. We're both kind of long 425 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 3: term preservation to put a playoff I don't have to 426 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 3: do playoff flags anymore. Whatever you know, like like you know, 427 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,199 Speaker 3: a banner or whatever, just some sort of thing on 428 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 3: the Baseball Reference page that says this team made the 429 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 3: playoffs this year. It's a big deal, Like it's a marker. 430 00:23:55,400 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 3: We're approaching three years since that massive sell off. I mean, 431 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 3: his team missed the playoffs by one game last year, 432 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 3: and it just feels too much like a lot of 433 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:16,680 Speaker 3: last year, except with worse defense and even more curious 434 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:22,439 Speaker 3: base running, even with some awesome starting pitching, And like, 435 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 3: I don't know how much you can count on all 436 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 3: of that to continue, meaning showed to Assad and I 437 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 3: clearly you can't count on that with Ben Brown because 438 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 3: of the innings limit that they have, you know, kind 439 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:39,880 Speaker 3: of implicitly acknowledged, like this is not a guy that's 440 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 3: going to go throw whatever, one hundred and seventy innings, 441 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 3: Like they're going to have to manage that big time. 442 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 3: And you know, you see a sad always battles, keeps 443 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 3: his team in the game. But you know, if he's 444 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:03,919 Speaker 3: not pitching like an All star, just becomes harder. And 445 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 3: you know, I think we both believe in Shoedo. We've 446 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 3: done a lot of reporting on like kind of what's 447 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:13,639 Speaker 3: ahead and why they're confident. Love watching him work on 448 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 3: the mound, like great presence, but you know, this is 449 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:20,959 Speaker 3: the hardest league in the world, as they say, and 450 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:24,600 Speaker 3: like to think that he's just going to cruise over 451 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 3: the next several months is just not realistic. So there 452 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 3: are just so many other areas where they got to 453 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 3: pick it up. 454 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 2: Yep. 455 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 1: I was about to say that they need to pick 456 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: him up because he's going to go through down moments, 457 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,919 Speaker 1: so it's time for them to step up. All that 458 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,360 Speaker 1: said Patrick, there, they've been playing bad baseball. They don't 459 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: look good. Nobody's impressed by watching them yesterday that there 460 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: was a screen grabs of them falling into last place. 461 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 1: Right if he took a screen grab now of the 462 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 1: standings there in second place, it's it's so stupid. How 463 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: the elctril it's kind of like lighting up right now. 464 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,880 Speaker 1: It's going to change data to day. So watching the standings, 465 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 1: I think I read our Kobe writers, our friends on 466 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,520 Speaker 1: the beat, Maddie Lee and Megan Montimura are out in 467 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 1: Cincinnati and they one of someone must have asked Dansby 468 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 1: Swanson whether he's looking at the standings and his response was, 469 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,680 Speaker 1: it's June and that's that's it. So like, don't we 470 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: shouldn't be looking at the standings, especially when it's bunched 471 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,199 Speaker 1: up like this, four teams behind the Brewers within a 472 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,840 Speaker 1: half game of each other, it's kind of ridiculous, all 473 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: of them under five hundred uh. And the Cubs are, 474 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:36,920 Speaker 1: I guess technically in a wildcard spot right now. They 475 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: had their tied with with multiple teams for that final 476 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:40,439 Speaker 1: wildcard spot. 477 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 3: That's just like that's a hard thing of just like 478 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 3: especially since like last year, David Ross already played that 479 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 3: card of hey, Dansby, like, what were the Braves like 480 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 3: in twenty twenty one? Oh man, we were this record? 481 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 3: And then hey, Yahn, what were the Nationals like in 482 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 3: twenty nineteen. I'm not making fun of Ross, like you 483 00:26:58,600 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 3: gotta do what you gotta do. I think it was 484 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 3: like good like reorganizer, and there was a lot more 485 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 3: pressure on the trade deadline at that point. But it's 486 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 3: just like, you know, these games all count the same, 487 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 3: right that think that's something else that Danzi would say, 488 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 3: and that council has been pretty real about you know, 489 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,400 Speaker 3: this team has you know, decreased its Martin Fererr and 490 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 3: that you know it's not the season is not written yet, 491 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:26,159 Speaker 3: but there's certainly gonna be a lot more urgency and 492 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 3: they have very little snow cushion. And I also think 493 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:35,199 Speaker 3: given the division they play in, it just infuriates Cups 494 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 3: fans rightfully, so of just like you haven't put any 495 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,200 Speaker 3: of these teams away yet, Like the Brewers let their 496 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 3: manager walk and trade a side young winner and they're 497 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 3: still waxing you guys like, I don't know, I get 498 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:50,640 Speaker 3: in the clubhouse, Dans. We have the process a certain way, 499 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 3: counsel process the season his own way. I think we 500 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:58,199 Speaker 3: both agree that good things can happen, and you know 501 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 3: that their playoff are still significant. But it just, like 502 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 3: I said, watching the same thing with a different manager 503 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 3: does not really reflect well on the Cubs organization as 504 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:10,359 Speaker 3: a whole. 505 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, what they really need to do is get going 506 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 1: now and not make it feel like, oh, we got 507 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 1: to get in the hot streak on July fourth. 508 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 2: You know, can't it can't be that again. You can't. 509 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:25,159 Speaker 1: You can't be searching for a hot streak into July 510 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:30,880 Speaker 1: to try and justify buying or aggressively going after players 511 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: to upgrade the team. It's just it has to happen 512 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: very soon. And you know, you look at chunks of 513 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: the season and this is one that as it approached, 514 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 1: I kind of looked at the schedule and we circled 515 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: it and said, here it is, here's opportunity. 516 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 2: This is nine games in. Is that right? 517 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: Nine games in and they're four and five, nine games 518 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: into a twenty five game stretch against all teams under 519 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:01,200 Speaker 1: five hundred. They're all still on five hundred. All those 520 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,720 Speaker 1: teams that they're going to be facing, their hovering around 521 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: five hundred for the most part. But they're they're four 522 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: and five, and frankly, they are damn lucky. They're four 523 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 1: and five that stretch like they lucky. Yeah, the White Sox, 524 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 1: being as terrible as the White Sox are, uh, they 525 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: eked out two wins against them, and they probably. 526 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 2: Should have lost at least one of those. They didn't. 527 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: We don't need to go with probably because you could 528 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: say maybe they probably should have won some game here 529 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: and there that they lost. 530 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:34,120 Speaker 2: But whatever, they're four and five. 531 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: They don't look good getting to four and five, and 532 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: it has to turn otherwise we're going to be talking 533 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 1: about a long It's going to be a long summer. 534 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: And you know what, they go to Tampa Bay and 535 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: then they come home, right, and it's. 536 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 3: Cardinals. 537 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 1: Yep, Cardinals in San Francisco, I believe, is that right, Cardinals? 538 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 3: It's a lot of you know Cardinals San Francisco. 539 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 2: That's right. 540 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 3: Just this stretch here are all teams, you know, a 541 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 3: trip to San Francisco. Who was at the end of 542 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 3: the month. I may have missed a series in there, 543 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 3: but you can not just like helping your own cause 544 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 3: it's also like, you know, these sweep the Mets. You 545 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 3: know they're you know, they're coming off a London trip. 546 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:25,480 Speaker 3: They're already kind of on the bubble. Like if you know, 547 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:27,719 Speaker 3: Cubs take it to them, like all of a sudden, 548 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 3: maybe that trade of Pete a Lonzo is a little 549 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 3: more likely, or like we saw there's a lot more 550 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 3: time left in the season, but we saw the Diamondbacks 551 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 3: to the Cubs last September, and so like, if the 552 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 3: Cubs have seven games I want to say against the 553 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 3: Giants within like a ten day period, two week period, 554 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 3: I mean something like that. I mean, you can really 555 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 3: change the trajectory of their season as well and really 556 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 3: force them to scramble or you're the one who's going 557 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 3: to be trying to play catch up the rest of 558 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 3: the way. 559 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: So three in Tampa starting Tuesday. Tampa has the twenty 560 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: fourth ranked pitching staff by e RA. I believe the 561 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: bullpen is worse than the starting staff. I'm not really 562 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: up to date on what's going on with Tampa, but 563 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: I can tell you that they're just not that good 564 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: right now pitching wise. A team that normally is pretty 565 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 1: pretty dominant pitching wise is struggling. It's got like, like 566 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,240 Speaker 1: I said, I feel like the offense is on the cusp. 567 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 1: They have to they have to, you know, turn that 568 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,120 Speaker 1: corner there. They need to do it. So that's that's 569 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 1: what's happening this week. A subpar team. They're heading to Tampa. 570 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 1: They need to get going. They need to build their 571 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,600 Speaker 1: confidence and start winning some games more regularly. No more 572 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: close losses. You know, like these these ninth inning rallies 573 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 1: are going to drive Twitter Cubs fans in more insane 574 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: than they already are. I feel bad for those people 575 00:31:56,040 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: having to scream and yell on on Twitter and and 576 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: and into the void. But that's that's what sports does 577 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: to you. That's what this Cubs team is doing to them. 578 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 1: So we will be back with another podcast early next 579 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: week or early this week, and then we'll preview, hopefully 580 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: preview the Saint Louis series with the guests. 581 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 2: We'll see how the week goes. 582 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:26,480 Speaker 1: And my travel at these night games in Tampa Bay 583 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 1: are going to screw up travel and when we can record, 584 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: but we'll make it work and and and fit everything in. 585 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 2: But thanks for listening. 586 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: This is north Side Territory Foul Territories Cubs podcast. Make 587 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: sure to read my and Patrick work Patrick's work over 588 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 1: at the Athletic Review. 589 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 2: Subscribe to all that stuff you do for podcasts. 590 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: Whatever it is you guys do, please do that in 591 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:52,880 Speaker 1: a positive fashion if you will. 592 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening. Hopefully we're talking to you about better 593 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 2: Cubs things. Next time we're we're with you. Take care,