1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: They need to start performing against the lesser teams. There 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: is a chance to get back over five hundred and 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: then start playing good baseball. Welcome into Northside Territory Foul 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: Territories Cubs Podcast. I'm Sahadev Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney. 5 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,440 Speaker 1: We're your Cubs beat writers for the Athletic and the 6 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: hosts of this podcast. 7 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening. Patrick. 8 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: It's a full on panic mode if it wasn't already. 9 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: Four Cubs fans and three of four lost three of 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,279 Speaker 1: four to the Brewers after losing two in a rain 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: shortened series in Saint Louis. The two chief rivals one 12 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: win in six games. Right, So that's that's not going 13 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: to cut it, not for the fans, not for the standings, 14 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: not not for any not for anyone paying attention. Because 15 00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: this is the first time they're below five hundred since 16 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: they were one and two three games into the season. 17 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: So yeah, this is this is what fans have to hope, 18 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: what the Cubs have to hope is a low point, 19 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: but it can obviously get worse. 20 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, I wouldn't frame this as like a fan thing 21 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,479 Speaker 3: or a fans overreacting thing like this has been two 22 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 3: underwhelming months in every phase of the game except for 23 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 3: starting pitching. Obviously there's been individual moments and certain bright spots, 24 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 3: but this has gone on long enough. I know your 25 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 3: dividing line is kind of that weekend in Boston, right, 26 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 3: like they win the first game at Fenway, Yeah, and 27 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 3: then they get what like blown out that was like 28 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 3: a football score, right, seventeen nothing? Okay, So from that 29 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 3: point on, this is over a month plus where you've 30 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 3: got one of the worst offenses in baseball. I think 31 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 3: it depends on which day you said it, but it's 32 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 3: been over a month of oh yeah, you know, oney, 33 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 3: seven to thirty and whatever, you know, offensive category you're 34 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 3: looking at. We've harped on the defense for a while. 35 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 3: It's not as good as advertised. The bullpen has reorganized 36 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 3: a bit, but still in the aggregate, I think it's 37 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 3: fifteen losses and eleven blown saves thus far, and even 38 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 3: little things like base running just running into outs left 39 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 3: and right, and you take all that together, like, there's 40 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 3: no denying this has been a bad stretch and we're 41 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 3: talking about basically half the season. 42 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 4: And I remember last year, you know, you know. 43 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 3: Front office person kind of explained to me that this 44 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 3: way in terms of thing about the season, Like, you know, 45 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 3: every game's. 46 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 4: Kind of like a coin float. 47 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,799 Speaker 3: You don't really you know, unless it's like a last 48 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 3: week the season and you're in Atlanta and you're rightfielder 49 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 3: loses the ball in the lights, you don't have to 50 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 3: like over act. But you know, five games still, that's 51 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 3: of like whatever, ten games is little more. But I 52 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 3: mean now we're talking about, you know, roughly a thirty 53 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 3: game stretch where the Cubs have won like one out 54 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 3: of every three games. I mean, just losing series after 55 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 3: series like that's it's adding up. 56 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, And there were signs before that Boston series, right, 57 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: Like that's just where I remember last feeling like, oh 58 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: this this is a good team. They're not playing perfectly, 59 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: but they're banged up and there's excuses to make and 60 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: they're still winning. That's the sign of a good team, right, 61 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: And it's just collapsed since then, Like that Houston series 62 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: I remember watching and being like, man, they're barely scraping 63 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: these wins out, like this is I mean, this is 64 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: kind of smoking mirrors. And then that that first Boston game, 65 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: I was kind of like, Okay, maybe they're turning something on. 66 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe they just got some mojo. Maybe this is 67 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: a good team. Uh, It's it's hard to say that now. 68 00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: And I get like the way they've played these last 69 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: two games, especially not bad games in the like if 70 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: you're watching them over the course of a season, and 71 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: it's just like two games for a winning team. That like, 72 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: those those aren't the red flags, right, the last two 73 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: Because sure Shoda has a bad game, yeah, Tyson Miller, 74 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: Tyson Miller gives up a home run, Mark Leider has 75 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: a has a blip inning where there's like soft contact 76 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: gets through. Those those two aren't the issue, right, It's 77 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: what we've seen up to that, leading up to that, 78 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: and then you cap it off with these two losses. 79 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 2: Right, it's just. 80 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: More, it's more. It's those aren't ugly losses or brutal losses. 81 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: They're just more losses at the end of a long 82 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: stretch of poor play. Uh not the I shouldn't say 83 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: the end of a long stretch of poor play. This 84 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: stretch of poor play could continue for months on end. 85 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: Uh who knows. 86 00:04:59,360 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 2: Uh. 87 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 4: But but there are as a marquee commercial. 88 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: This. I'm not sure if you mentioned this in the 89 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: in your list of what's been ugly, But how about 90 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: the captures and not just what they do offensively, but 91 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: their complete inability to control the running game, uh, to 92 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: block pitches. What was Miguel Amaya doing today behind the 93 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: plate That was like they're costing you runs and games. 94 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 3: Tagging Joe Madden, Yeah, you know, tagging is a skill 95 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 3: and hobby made us realize that. I realize these are 96 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 3: bang bang plays, but like you gotta get it down. 97 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 3: It was in Saint Louis right, like it all kind 98 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 3: of blends together, but it has not been a strength 99 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 3: at all. 100 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: No, So when that type of stuff, when there's just 101 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: so many little things they can't do right now, and 102 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: I I don't know if we address this, but I 103 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: don't think like trading for Elias Diaz or Danny Jansen is. 104 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 2: Like this fix al for the catchers. 105 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: First of all, Elias das like he's a thirty something 106 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: year old catcher that is having like his best stretch 107 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: offensively with a bunch of peripherals that suggest it won't last. 108 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: If you're telling me you can get him for like 109 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: a backup price, backup catcher price, I'd say absolutely, because 110 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: he's got a cannon. He knows how to catch. He's 111 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: a good backup catcher. If you have a legit starter, 112 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: it's really hard to go out and get a starter. 113 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: I don't know if you want to go up go 114 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: pay up for Danny Jansen either when he's having like 115 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: an insane stretch that he isn't that he hasn't shown 116 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: is who he really is, right, And like it's just 117 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: I don't like people want to go trade for a catcher, 118 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: And I'm just like, is this these names that you're 119 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: bringing up, I'm not sure if I trust that the 120 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: cost is going to be worth what they provide. Danny 121 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 1: Jansen's under control for more beyond this season, so I 122 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: if you project him to be a good catcher all around, 123 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: that maybe that makes sense. But like this Elias Das 124 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: talked to me doesn't make sense. Sorry, I went on 125 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: a tangent because I'm thinking about that. 126 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, but the catchers are an issue. 127 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: Like I was watching today and I was like, there, 128 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: this is not one game where they're costing you bases 129 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: and costing you runs because they cannot control the running game. 130 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: Maybe that's on the pitchers too, but I like it 131 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: seems like it's on the catchers to me like the yeah, 132 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: just watching watching the games, especially the today, like two 133 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: balls got by Miguelmaia that can't and that's been happening 134 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: too much. Just stuff like that, like you gotta gotta 135 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: clean this stuff up, it really can't happen. 136 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 3: I think that's that's the takeaway here of just you know, 137 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 3: the little details things that do fall underneath a manager 138 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 3: and coaching staff's perview, and as it's happening in Milwaukee 139 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 3: added this you know kind of ironic or awkward dynamic. 140 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 4: I mean it's getaway. 141 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 3: Dan Milwaukee councils still getting booed every time he goes 142 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 3: out there, like it's super entertaining and you know he 143 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 3: gets a kick out of it. But it's just, you know, 144 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 3: it's hard to just you know, kind of taking that 145 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 3: face value and say, hey, it's it's a long season. 146 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 3: You know, we're you know, these things will balance, you know, 147 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 3: balance itself out. That's kind of the clubhouse talking points. 148 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 3: When I was stuck in a lot of traffic driving 149 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 3: back from Milwaukee to Chicago, so I had a lot 150 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:40,719 Speaker 3: of time to think about this, and I was kind 151 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 3: of running it back, like like how many good months 152 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 3: have the Cubs had since basically Wriggly reopened in like 153 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 3: June twenty twenty one ish, and you know, they had 154 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 3: that no hitter combined no hitter out at Dodger Stadium, 155 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 3: Like they immediately collapsed that July. 156 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:00,959 Speaker 4: The rest of the. 157 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 3: Season is tank mode. I mean, twenty twenty two is 158 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 3: a total write off coming out. 159 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:11,079 Speaker 4: Of a lockout, I believe. I mean they were buried. 160 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 3: In two or three weeks into the season, and last 161 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 3: year was basically July and August. I mean April was 162 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 3: like basically they didn't get buried, so that was kind 163 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 3: of a win. 164 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 4: And so yeah, they had a good April here ended 165 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 4: a bad May. Like what are they kind of leaning 166 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 4: on here? 167 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 3: And I think the starting pitching has just been excellent 168 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 3: and that's probably the if you could pick one thing 169 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 3: to go right, it would be that, right. I mean, 170 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 3: so you can hang your head on that. I think 171 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 3: that is sustainable and we'll keep them competitive. 172 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 4: And there are. 173 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 3: Still these kind of bigger picture things that I do 174 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 3: work in their favor. Council's track record, a front office 175 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 3: that's going to be aggressive, you know, a business operations 176 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 3: ownership group that really wants me games on marquee, three 177 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 3: million at Wrigley, all that stuff, the extra revenue from 178 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 3: you know, getting the wild card spot, whatever it is, 179 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 3: like that's in place, the schedule get easier, maybe they're 180 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:13,319 Speaker 3: getting healthier. 181 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:15,319 Speaker 4: Weird things happen in baseball. 182 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 3: But like right now, like saying that after every single 183 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 3: loss or like every other podcast, like it just gets old. 184 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 4: Like they got to start winning games, period. 185 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: So I mean, if you want to be like really 186 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: anal about this and conservative with how you look at it, 187 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 1: they've only had two months since that stretch where they're 188 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: five or more games over five hundred last August and 189 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:38,319 Speaker 1: this April. 190 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: That's it. 191 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: They were fifteen and eleven, fourteen eleven, June July last 192 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: year fourteen eleven, fifteen and eleven. 193 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 2: So those aren't bad months. Those those are prime. 194 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 1: But those aren't you know, like two really good months 195 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: so far, one for David Ross and one for Craig Council. 196 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: But you know, I'm not I'm not going to criticize 197 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: great Council. Like great Counsel knows what he's doing. He 198 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: needs to be patient, he knows that. But there's also 199 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: I mean, I think you were there for today's game 200 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: and this move is. I think it's part of that 201 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: sense of urgency, right, this is how you balance not panicking. Well, 202 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: we're not We're gonna be patient, We're not going to panic. 203 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: But there's also a sense of urgency and some of 204 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: the stuff we've been talking about, sloppiness on defense, sloppiness 205 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 1: on the basis you'd like to hope that Pete grow 206 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: Armstrong can He's not going to be a bureal right, 207 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: he can't be, but you'd like to hope he can 208 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: provide some of those things and maybe even just a 209 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: little bit of a spark. Like the guy's got a swagger, right, 210 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure you saw the highlights of him getting thrown 211 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: behind twice and then hitting a home run like maybe 212 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: his first game back in the miners got back. I 213 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 1: don't know if it was exactly that, but what what 214 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 1: Like that's the type of stuff that like, you know, 215 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 1: it's hard to ignore and it's really fun to watch 216 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: and pumps up your teammates and probably pisses off the 217 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: opposition quite a bit. And uh, you know, those guys 218 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: can can provide something. And I'm not saying that's why 219 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: they brought him up, just like because he's got a swagger, 220 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: but it's it's a combination of it all, and you 221 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: have to hope that like he's that he can bring 222 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,960 Speaker 1: that swag and provide some sort of spark. 223 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, I gotta admit I'm not. 224 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 3: I was not really familiar with the Blake Perkins catalog, 225 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 3: but he was making some unreal catches on Wednesday night 226 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 3: and I asked Counselor. I was just like, hey, you 227 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 3: see him make a play like that? We thinking of PCA, 228 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 3: And he sort of like rolled his eyes at me, 229 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 3: and I realized it was not like. 230 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,200 Speaker 4: The most there's more just you. 231 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,319 Speaker 3: Sometimes you see something, you think of something, and you're 232 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 3: curiously what I have to say, and if I'm piecing 233 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 3: it together right. I think they had already informed PCA 234 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 3: he was coming up before Wednesday night's game even happened, 235 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,199 Speaker 3: but obviously there was a lot leading up to that, 236 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,320 Speaker 3: and this does feel like a moment. I mean, at 237 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:20,319 Speaker 3: the beginning of this road trip, counsel had said when 238 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:23,680 Speaker 3: I asked specifically about the Owen Casey and Brennan Davis 239 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,319 Speaker 3: bucket of hitters, like, no, you know, the answer is 240 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,680 Speaker 3: rarely the next guy, And I think to beet Sea 241 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 3: his credit he already kind of graduated, you know, to 242 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 3: a notch above those guys, you know, and this is 243 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 3: not like, oh, he's going to fix the offense the 244 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 3: way that people may have looked at Brennan's hot streak 245 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 3: or Owen Casey's you know, kind of left handed potential. 246 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 3: But if you can you Counsel talks about whatever puzzle 247 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 3: he's thinking of, and this is a run prevention. 248 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 4: Move. 249 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 3: He won't say, is not going to play a nine 250 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 3: innings every single game, but he's. 251 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 4: Going to very prominently be in the mix here. 252 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 3: Like this was not a you know, I realized that, 253 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 3: as count Council pointed out, like the Luis Vasquez spot 254 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 3: was sort of non existent, like if they weren't using him, 255 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 3: like why was he there? 256 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 4: So PC it gives you a little more of that. 257 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 3: But if he if Counsel is already thinking of Bellinger 258 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 3: playing more first and Bellinger playing more right, that means 259 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 3: someone else will be playing last at those positions. Obviously, 260 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 3: So we were talking about this before we started recording. What 261 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 3: does this mean for Michael Bush, What does this mean 262 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 3: for say A Suzuki. I think we both think Mike 263 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 3: Talkman has been one of if not the best hitter 264 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 3: on the team this year. I guess christoher Morel is 265 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 3: not really like a DH anymore. But there are a 266 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 3: lot of moving pieces here, which council acknowledged. And he said, 267 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 3: it'll be uh fun for the fans and fun for 268 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 3: you guys, and so I said fun. The second guess 269 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 3: the manager he said, exactly. So that's this is the 270 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 3: this is the point where he's at where he's like, 271 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 3: I'm gonna start pushing some of these buttons more and 272 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 3: not just kind of rolling out whatever kind of everyday 273 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 3: core group we may have assumed going into this year. 274 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, and he and he's tried to do what he 275 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: can with what he has. Right like he's he started 276 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: to play Patrick Wisdom more. And you know what, like 277 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: Patrick Wisdom, I don't know if he's hit like one 278 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: of his patented many slumps or or what's going on. 279 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: I shouldn't say many slumps, but you know, he when 280 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: he slumps, he slumps hard. But like he he had 281 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: a pitch to hit today in the ninth and missed it. 282 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: And I feel like that's happened more often than it 283 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: did when you know, early on in the season, and 284 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: it kind of looks like, ah, this is he's not 285 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: swinging and missing in tough but okay, this is this 286 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 1: is that Patrick Wisdom not not locked in fully stretch. 287 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: So you know, he's tried to incorporate different players. I 288 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: think it makes sense to you know, find Michael Bush 289 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: the very good matchups, right, Like I think, sayah, you know, 290 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: you'd like to think today is a nice confidence booster. 291 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: Maybe this gets some of these guys going, like I 292 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: don't know how many times I could say it, but 293 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: what was going on with Morell, Like yesterday was like 294 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: so what day was that? Wednesday was the one where 295 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: I was just like is this really happening? Like just 296 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: like I don't know how, Like I don't know how, 297 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: you don't hang your head. But the fact that he 298 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 1: had that line drive single and then the home run today, 299 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: he still got the right approach, right, even after that 300 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: three or four strikeout game on Monday. 301 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 2: He took three walks on Tuesday, right, he didn't. 302 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: He's not expanding his own He's not a complete mess, 303 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 1: and today finally paid off. You'd like to think that 304 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: carries forward, right, You'd like to think there's some signs 305 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:12,120 Speaker 1: with the offense, But. 306 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 2: Like I said earlier in the week. 307 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 1: It's gonna take more than one or two games of 308 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,359 Speaker 1: seeing it before you start to feel good about this 309 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: offense again. Like, it's just it's been such a long 310 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: stretch of poor play that you have to like the 311 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:33,880 Speaker 1: optimism has to come from clinging to any sign of positivity, right, 312 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,880 Speaker 1: you're just clinging to it and saying, Okay, maybe that's 313 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: a side, but like it's it. 314 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:41,159 Speaker 2: Goes beyond that. 315 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 4: Right. 316 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: Even if the offense is doing well, it doesn't seem 317 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: they're like they're putting together good enough games to win. 318 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: Was it yesterday that councils or was that today? Council said, 319 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: we're not they're also not yet. Sure you're not getting breaks, right, 320 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 1: but you have to make your own breaks. 321 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,439 Speaker 2: You can't send right, he said that. 322 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: And I get that you could point to some bad luck, 323 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:08,360 Speaker 1: right like Dansby Swanson barely missed a Grand Slam yesterday. 324 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 1: All whatever whatever you want to point to, you can, right, 325 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: there are some ways to point to it. But I 326 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: think we've listed enough things that you point to and. 327 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 2: Say, well, you can. 328 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 1: You should be better at that, you should be better 329 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: at holding runners on, you should have it, you should 330 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: make more plays defensively, things like that need to be 331 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: taken care of and need to can't that those can't 332 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: be the reasons you lose. 333 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, some of the tone from this road trip did 334 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 3: involve sort of like the moral victory stuff of like you. 335 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 4: Know, battling against the Cardinals closer and. 336 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 3: Will that carry over and new council will just be like, 337 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 3: I don't know, we'll never know, like the hot hand theory, 338 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:52,880 Speaker 3: Like he's bringing. 339 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 4: Up basketball references like. 340 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 3: You'd like to think so, you'd like to hope so, 341 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 3: but he's like in every sport, nobody knows about that, 342 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,680 Speaker 3: Like it's just something you kind of tell yourself. 343 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 4: And and hope for. 344 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:10,679 Speaker 3: And I just think Stay is the one who counsel 345 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,159 Speaker 3: after Thursday's game flat out said like we desperately need 346 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 3: him or we desperately need that production. 347 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 4: Like he used the word desperately need or that phrasing. 348 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:26,639 Speaker 3: I should say, that's how he's in textualizing. 349 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,440 Speaker 2: Like I don't be offensive player when he's right, So. 350 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 4: Like I don't feel a whole lot of heat on morel. 351 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:36,880 Speaker 3: I think they've been very supportive of him and really 352 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 3: like what he's done, and they've been very impressed. 353 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:47,399 Speaker 4: I think overall, I think Bush is someone who you know, 354 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 4: they said he'd be our regular first baseman, but I 355 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,199 Speaker 4: think they left a little bit of wiggle room of 356 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 4: we'll kind of see how it goes. 357 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 2: And I think absolutely. 358 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 3: They're probably at that point where like you're saying, maybe 359 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,360 Speaker 3: let's get him some better matchup instead of just automatically 360 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 3: putting his name in there. 361 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 4: I'll say that he has. 362 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,239 Speaker 3: He has for sure, and like his overall numbers are 363 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 3: are pretty solid about what you would have hoped for. 364 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 3: But look, I mean it's say I say, is the 365 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 3: one who, as you've written repeatedly, he's and what you know, 366 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 3: someone like Ian Happ would say like he's probably our 367 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 3: most talented hitter. That's how guys in the clubhouse view him, 368 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 3: Like his physical skills and what the front office wants 369 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 3: in a hitter Like that's say it right, Like the 370 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 3: swing decisions, the plate discipline, the athleticism, the hard contact, 371 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:51,679 Speaker 3: all that stuff, it just hasn't carried through consistently enough 372 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 3: to where like you know exactly what you're gonna get. 373 00:20:55,800 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 3: And so he'sca coming in here and knowing that defense 374 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 3: should not go into slumps. And also I think rewarding 375 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 3: PCA for showing a lot of maturity. You know, I 376 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 3: think we both wrote discussed how he didn't make a 377 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 3: great impression last year, and we're not just talking about 378 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,440 Speaker 3: whatever being zero for eleven wherever it was. It was 379 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 3: he was kind of jumpy out there. His defense was 380 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 3: not flawless. Was he wanted so bad to make something 381 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 3: happen that it just blew up too many times at 382 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:33,680 Speaker 3: the most important time of the year. 383 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 4: And that he I think has really taken. 384 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 3: That in stride and applied himself and worked with the 385 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 3: coaches diligently, stuck with a plan over the offseason, and 386 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 3: you know, his new boss, the manager is totally willing 387 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 3: to ride out that offensive learning curve if he can 388 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 3: get great defense. I mean, that's what I think Bryce 389 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 3: Terrang did, Like he was just one of those guys 390 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,239 Speaker 3: he might have like a six hundred oh ps, but 391 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 3: he's great on defense. And now the offense is coming 392 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 3: and I think there are to me that announcement today 393 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 3: and PCA just starting in center field and he saw 394 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:16,879 Speaker 3: him being lifted for a pinch hitter and say, oh, 395 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 3: like how it might work. But I think it's a 396 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 3: big moment not saying like you said that it's not 397 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 3: a band aid, doesn't mean they're going to take off. 398 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 3: But like this to me is an imprint of what 399 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 3: council wants and how things, you know, how you can 400 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,680 Speaker 3: make some smaller improvements while waiting for guys to get 401 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 3: going again. 402 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:41,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I absolutely agree with you. 403 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,959 Speaker 1: Like I was not there, so I can't pick up 404 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: the tone of all the quotes that I read today. 405 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: But he's I mean, Jed talked on Tuesday and told 406 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: us like he's not gonna when he comes back up, 407 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:57,640 Speaker 1: He's not sitting a bunch like he's clearly going they're 408 00:22:57,680 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: going to find ways to make this work. 409 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:00,199 Speaker 2: Uh. 410 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: And and the guys that hit, the guys that perform 411 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: are the ones that are going to get playing time. 412 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 1: So so this is I don't think it's full on, 413 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 1: like you're on notice type stuff, but like it needs 414 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,439 Speaker 1: to be like a semi wake up call or or 415 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: put you know, get get it together type moments for 416 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: say Azuki for Michael Bush, and I will say, Michael Bush, 417 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: listen like he's just a rookie and he's doing. 418 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 2: Well and he and he and he hit. 419 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 1: A rough patch and I was looking at some numbers. 420 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 1: You know what his issue is he swings and misses 421 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 1: a lot in the zone. Like, so that's something that 422 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:41,800 Speaker 1: you know, is that is that going to be a 423 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 1: permanent thing for him or is this just like him 424 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: not not like recognizing pitches well enough or or what 425 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 1: is it? Like So it's not like he's chasing or 426 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: like has these ugly at bats all the time. So 427 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: I like, I'm not I'm not thinking that Michael Bush 428 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: is just like this is a on collapse because the 429 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: last the last week or so of games, it's like, Okay, 430 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: I'm seeing something where it's not complete lack of production. 431 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: So uh, yeah, get everyone needs to perform. They have 432 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:18,879 Speaker 1: they have players now that can by bringing up pc A, 433 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: like you said, Luis Vasquez wasn't playing, PCA is gonna play. 434 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: So this this push is playing time and kind of 435 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 1: gets everyone, uh hopefully aware that like I'm not guaranteed 436 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 1: a starting spot, I need to perform. 437 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 2: Uh. 438 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,120 Speaker 1: And frankly, that's how it should be. Like when when 439 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:39,800 Speaker 1: you're perform playing like this, you can't just say like, well, yes, 440 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,360 Speaker 1: I get the patients and I agree with that these 441 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: are our guys, and and this is how we're going 442 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: to win due to these guys, but also need to 443 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 1: let people know that, hey, there's. 444 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 2: There's other guys too that that that we could call upon. 445 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think Michael Bush is the topic 446 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 3: of conversation here just because PCA will inevitably into some 447 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 3: portion right playing time. But you're absolutely right, like Dansby 448 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 3: Swanson needs to produce more offensively. Cody Bounder has not 449 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:15,920 Speaker 3: bottomed out this year, and he hit home run tonight 450 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 3: and still he still does some great things with the bat, 451 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 3: but he hasn't like produced at that all star MVP 452 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 3: level where he can carry a team. I think there's 453 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 3: a little more in there as well. I mean, they're 454 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 3: paying him whatever, thirty million dollars this year, like you 455 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 3: want more me and hat. Maybe he's at the beginning 456 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 3: of one of his kind of hot streaks, but they 457 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:47,640 Speaker 3: need more from him. 458 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 4: It's just like up and down here. 459 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 3: There are so many areas where they flat out just 460 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 3: need more production. 461 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 1: So here's the next month of games, right, It's it's 462 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 1: Cincinnati White Sox, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Saint Louis, San Francisco Mets, 463 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: San Francisco, Milwaukee to end June. So of the teams there. 464 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: You have Saint Louis, Milwaukee, and I think San Francisco 465 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: playing well, and then the rest like half and half. 466 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: But you have a stretch of almost two weeks of 467 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,200 Speaker 1: teams that aren't playing that great. I don't think Tampa 468 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 1: Bay is playing great unless something's changed. So we know 469 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:36,920 Speaker 1: the White Socks are terrible and Cincinnati's not playing well. 470 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: But what Cincinnati is doing well is like the opposite 471 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,639 Speaker 1: of what was expected. Their offense stinks and their pitching 472 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:49,119 Speaker 1: is good. So in that situation, we have Ashcroft, Ashcroft, 473 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: Green Lodolo this weekend. 474 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 2: That's who the Cubs face. Listen. 475 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: I mean it doesn't matter, right, Colin Ray did enough 476 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:01,199 Speaker 1: to win a game today. So I'm not ripping Colin Ray. 477 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: I'm just saying he's just like your run of the 478 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 1: mill fourth or fifth starter on a winning team. 479 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 2: You should you should be able. 480 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:10,919 Speaker 1: To score runs on him if you are a good offense, 481 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,080 Speaker 1: which right now, this obviously is not. 482 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,399 Speaker 2: So it's going to be a tough tough for them 483 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 2: to score. But they need to. 484 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:21,679 Speaker 1: They like they need to start performing against the lesser teams. 485 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: Right this is a chance to kind of gain some confidence. 486 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,400 Speaker 1: There's a chance to uh get back over five hundred, 487 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: maybe put a little distance between five hundred again and 488 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,360 Speaker 1: get like start to say like, oh, okay, we are 489 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,320 Speaker 1: a good team. We're beating up on the bad ones. 490 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,199 Speaker 1: Now we let's get healthy, let's get into rhythm, and 491 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,360 Speaker 1: then by the end of the month or by San 492 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:48,359 Speaker 1: Francisco or Saint Louis time, whatever it may be, start playing. 493 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 2: Good baseball again. That that's kind of how you have 494 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 2: to look at these next two weeks. 495 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: I think entering last weekend, I was concerned because of 496 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: the way they were playing and the sum that Saint 497 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 1: Louis was a bad team, which coming into that point 498 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,480 Speaker 1: they just weren't playing poorly. They were playing good baseball 499 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 1: and it and the Cubs hit this it went from 500 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,679 Speaker 1: like concerning too bad right, like this is now officially 501 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:15,919 Speaker 1: like this has gotten to a point where it's like, 502 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: what are they a good team type coundress Yeah, right 503 00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:24,479 Speaker 1: right exactly, and now it's like not not only bad team, alert, 504 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: it's like you you don't get through these two weeks 505 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:31,639 Speaker 1: at least feeling slightly more confident about things you're talking about, 506 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,120 Speaker 1: like falling back to a point where it's like, hey, 507 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: you've written it, You've written this plenty, but like, this 508 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: isn't this, This isn't a season where they sell and 509 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: they really don't have a lot to sell anyways, They 510 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: don't have a lot of guys on expiring deals. But 511 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 1: you get to a point where you're like, are they 512 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: even close to this race that they're going to get 513 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: to that danger point that they were at last year? 514 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: And listen, they were able to climb out of it, 515 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: but you don't want to be in that spot. 516 00:28:58,120 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 2: You cannot. 517 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: Like we saw how they ran out gas because David 518 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 1: Ross had to manage pedal to the medal for three months. 519 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 2: That's insane. You can't do that. 520 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean this was. I think we're probably about 521 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 4: another week or two. 522 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 3: Out from when the Cups fell the ten games under 523 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 3: five hundred last year. I think that was like in 524 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 3: that June eight nine ten range leaving uh Angel. 525 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 4: Stadium whatever they call the Angel Stadium. 526 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 2: Yes, I think you're right decently against San Francisco, right. 527 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, they can't let you pal Hendricks flirted with a 528 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 4: no hitter. We had a good Stroman start. 529 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 3: Stroman popped off about his contract. He was still called 530 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,680 Speaker 3: Twitter back then, but Anyways, at that time, the kind 531 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 3: of historical examples that they summoned were from Dansby Swanson, 532 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 3: who was on that twenty. 533 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 4: One Braves team that was maybe a game over five hundred. 534 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 3: When they acquired Doc Peterson to begin Jed's great selloff 535 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 3: of twenty twenty one. 536 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 4: John Gomes was on a Nationals. 537 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 3: Team that was maybe like nineteen and thirty one, like 538 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 3: something absurd early in the season. They obviously with great 539 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 3: starting pitching. We've talked about Joe Men's first year here 540 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 3: in twenty fifteen that was kind of a five hundred 541 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 3: bubble type team that caught fire. 542 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 4: Eventually. Even last year's Diamondbacks they were. 543 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 3: They were like, ohh right, I want to say, like 544 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:43,479 Speaker 3: in August or late July, like they were on a 545 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:44,719 Speaker 3: really bad skid. 546 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, they definitely. It felt like they were out of 547 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: it at one point last year. 548 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 3: Definitely, and then obviously they win what like six of 549 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 3: seven against the Cubs in September. The obviously stabilized before that. 550 00:30:56,240 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 3: But like, this is such a long season. I do 551 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 3: think everything is built into this season to finish. 552 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 4: The race, to complete the marathon, and there's a lot 553 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 4: of honor in that. 554 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 3: You usually get rewarded by playing hard and engaged all 555 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 3: the way through the end. This is not a daunting division, 556 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 3: but yes, this needs to get fixed quick. I hadn't 557 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 3: even thought of the kind of burning through all your 558 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 3: energy just to kind of get back to five hundred 559 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 3: a little above get in that you know, second or 560 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 3: third wildcard spot, and then oh wait, we still have 561 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:42,440 Speaker 3: like three more games, three more weeks of games left, 562 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 3: Like what I mean, that's kind of what happened last year. 563 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,480 Speaker 3: So you know, you need to play well here. And 564 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 3: I think by the time the Kinds go back to 565 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 3: Milwaukee that's a June twenty eighth, the end of this 566 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 3: coming month here, we will certainly have known a lot 567 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 3: or learned a lot more about this group, and we'll 568 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 3: have seen them in some favorable matchups. 569 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:09,920 Speaker 4: I mean, those seven games against the Giants. 570 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 3: Is it going to be like those seven games they 571 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 3: played against the Diamondbacks last September? Like, are these two 572 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 3: teams that kind of like can't sell and need to 573 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 3: show results this year and kind of battle all the 574 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 3: way to the end, and like, is this going to be. 575 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 4: Another eighty four eighty three win type of toss up 576 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:31,760 Speaker 4: to you? Like this month coming month will go a long. 577 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 3: Ways to determining just kind of how edgy things are 578 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:36,080 Speaker 3: going to be. 579 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's gonna be interesting. 580 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 1: I mean they like San Francisco can't sell, the Cubs 581 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 1: can't sell, like these teams can't. 582 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 2: Like they're just that that that would like. And then 583 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 2: Mets probably, Oh, the Mets are mess right, like they're 584 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:52,840 Speaker 2: a disaster. 585 00:32:54,720 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: It's yeah. I mean, I think ultimately the positive spin 586 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 1: the way to. You don't want to put it all 587 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 1: on a set of games, right because because weird things 588 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: happen in baseball. I was just looking Arizona was under 589 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 1: five hundred in the middle of August. 590 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 4: Wow, so it made it to the World Series. 591 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 2: That's amazing. Yeah, so so weird things happen. 592 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 1: Uh, guys get hot, different players emerge, you pick up 593 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:22,280 Speaker 1: who they pick up. 594 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 2: They picked up a. 595 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: Reliever off like a DFA like Ryan Thompson, I want 596 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: to say, and he's he was huge for them. Like 597 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: you know, random stuff happens, and and and you can 598 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: change a unit of your team. Uh that you know, 599 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: different different players can impact a club differently over the 600 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: course of three months. Uh, if if you get a 601 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,920 Speaker 1: little luck involved, right, like Eddie Rosario was huge for 602 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: the for Atlanta in their World Series run. Jack Peterson 603 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: right like stuff like that. Those aren't superstar names, but 604 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:57,479 Speaker 1: weird things happen. Runs happen. But what I'm getting is 605 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 1: two weeks you'd really like this, then play good baseball here. 606 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: This needs to turn if you want to cling to 607 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 1: the positive. There were some tiny signs of the offense, 608 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: and you know what this team has, It has good 609 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:13,880 Speaker 1: starting pitching. You know, you hope that was just a 610 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: blip for Showda. 611 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 2: That's likely. 612 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:18,800 Speaker 1: I mean, with the way he showed, with what he 613 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 1: show has shown so far, it was probably just a 614 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:25,839 Speaker 1: blip against a team that's got a little swagger right now, 615 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,879 Speaker 1: the Brews. Again, I think I said this after their 616 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:31,880 Speaker 1: first game, but they just look that's a good team. 617 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 2: That's a like a I don't. 618 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:38,279 Speaker 1: Know, like I guess they're hitting for power now, they 619 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: have speed, and they have defense. The only thing they 620 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 1: don't really have that's intimidating at least is their starting pitching. 621 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:49,879 Speaker 1: It's not like super intimidating, So maybe that's what will 622 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 1: ultimately be what like leads to them cooling off. But 623 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: that like their defense and offense and the way they 624 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: run the bases. That's a it's just a frustra it's 625 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 1: a tough team to face, right, especially when you're the 626 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: Cubs and you can't hold a single base runner. But 627 00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: that's a that's another story. So yeah, we'll we'll, we'll 628 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: get back at this and next week, well we'll have 629 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:15,880 Speaker 1: a little it's not going to be enough information, but 630 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 1: series with the Reds. If that goes poorly, uh, that's 631 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:23,920 Speaker 1: when you start to say, like, hey, what's happening this season? 632 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: Because you can't write them off in June. But certainly 633 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: it certainly can feel like it's it's the wheels are 634 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:37,279 Speaker 1: falling off, you know, it was it was around June 635 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:39,239 Speaker 1: last year, right, that's what you said. Yeah, June last 636 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 1: year is whenever I was. You were out in h 637 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 1: in the West Coast, and I was I was off 638 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:49,759 Speaker 1: that the that stretch of play, so I didn't experience 639 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: it firsthand like you did. 640 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:53,759 Speaker 4: But I think it was ten games and like it's 641 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 4: one of those things where you begin at ten. 642 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 3: I think it was a ten game road trip in 643 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 3: San Diego and you have all these ideas and they 644 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 3: were like kind of a round five or game or 645 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:05,640 Speaker 3: two under and you have these ideas and then like 646 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:08,880 Speaker 3: they lose back in all of a sudden, it's like, 647 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 3: oh wait, this story is shifting in front of you. 648 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:13,759 Speaker 4: Like whatever feature. 649 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 3: Ideas you had, you have to just kind of toss 650 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 3: those to the side and focus on what's going on 651 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:21,360 Speaker 3: right in front of you. And I think that's what 652 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 3: I've really enjoyed about this podcast, the ability to process 653 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 3: our thoughts in real time here. 654 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:34,920 Speaker 4: And yeah, we'll be back at it early next week. 655 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, so make sure to keep listening, subscribe, rate, review, 656 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:42,320 Speaker 1: all that good stuff that you do on your wherever 657 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts, and we'll be writing all weekend 658 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:47,040 Speaker 1: and then the rest of the season. 659 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:47,719 Speaker 2: That is. 660 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: It may not be a big series in the sense 661 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:52,080 Speaker 1: like the Reds aren't a good team, but it is 662 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 1: a big series for the Cubs, So we're gonna have 663 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:58,680 Speaker 1: to dig in and see how these next three games go. 664 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:00,319 Speaker 2: We'll come back at. 665 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 1: You on Monday, the off day, and go from there. 666 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening. Make sure to read our 667 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:10,080 Speaker 1: work at the Athletic. I'm sad at Charmouth. That's Patrick Mooney. 668 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:11,800 Speaker 1: This is North Side Territory. 669 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:12,440 Speaker 2: Take care