WEBVTT - Cubs retrospective w/Sahadev Sharma 0:00:04.080 --> 0:00:07.440 Sadev Charmond, the Cups feet and co host of North 0:00:07.480 --> 0:00:10.480 Side Territory, part of the FT Network joining us right now. 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:14.040 Great hustle throughout the season and the postseason, Sadev, So, 0:00:14.680 --> 0:00:18.360 how do you evaluate the Cubs season? Some have said 0:00:18.360 --> 0:00:21.200 I've actually talked to a few areun Chicago that believed 0:00:21.239 --> 0:00:24.080 this was a very successful campaign for the Cubs given 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:25.880 what they had to work with going into the year. 0:00:25.880 --> 0:00:27.440 Would you agree? 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:31.480 Yeah, I mean what they had to work with, considering 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:35.080 Justin Steele got hurt, considering Kate Horton was hurt for 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:39.640 the playoffs, it was it was a perfectly acceptable season. 0:00:39.680 --> 0:00:42.800 It was a step forward after what we'd seen in 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:46.760 previous seasons. So in that regard, you can say there 0:00:46.840 --> 0:00:49.680 was some success. I just think, you know, with the 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:53.600 way the season started and how good the offense looked 0:00:53.840 --> 0:00:57.160 to begin the year, how with a confidence level within 0:00:57.200 --> 0:00:59.640 the team and outside, it seemed like they had a 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:02.000 shot of the World Series. Maybe that wasn't the case 0:01:02.120 --> 0:01:04.640 entering the playoffs, with considering the injuries and where the 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:08.119 offense was at, and any season that ends in a loss, 0:01:08.160 --> 0:01:11.640 I feel like, you know you didn't ultimately achieve your goals, 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:13.760 but they it was a step forward and it was 0:01:13.800 --> 0:01:15.880 a solid season. I think it was a season they 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:19.640 could be happy with. I just you know, it's hard 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:23.080 to say it was this, you know, resounding success when 0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:24.960 that's how it ends and you lose to the Brewers, 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:27.880 a team that you know, a fraction of their payroll 0:01:27.880 --> 0:01:30.520 and continues to be the class of the NL Central 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:33.880 that they have something to chase after after this season. 0:01:35.040 --> 0:01:37.160 Yeah, two part question for me. I know, he didn't 0:01:37.200 --> 0:01:39.560 have the year that he was hoping to have. I 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:41.120 don't think he was having the year the Cubs that 0:01:41.240 --> 0:01:44.039 he would have. But did Kyle Tucker do enough to 0:01:44.080 --> 0:01:46.720 impress the Cubs to make him a priority in free agency? 0:01:47.280 --> 0:01:50.360 And the second part is did the Cubs do a 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:53.480 good enough job of impressing Kyle Tucker for him to 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:54.200 want to come back? 0:01:55.840 --> 0:01:59.200 So I think the Cubs are looked at as a 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:03.120 pretty good organization as far as taking care of their players, 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:07.440 taking care of players families, all those things. Players that 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:10.200 I talked to seem to really be happy with how 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:14.040 the Cubs run things. I do believe Kyle Tucker liked Chicago, 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:17.400 especially in the first half. He was well loved by 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:20.680 the really loved by the regally faithful. Things changed in 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:25.040 the second half, whether it was injuries, in effectiveness, whatever 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:28.680 it was. He wasn't as good, nearly as good as 0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:31.000 that first half. That first half he was an MVP candidate. 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:33.120 The second half he didn't play much, and when he 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:36.720 did play, he wasn't at that same level. I think 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:40.040 in general it was going to be hard for the 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:43.360 Cubs to re sign him. I just I think they 0:02:43.400 --> 0:02:46.079 looked at this as a one year thing and if 0:02:46.080 --> 0:02:49.400 things kind of worked in their favor somehow, maybe they'd 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:52.240 be able to resign him. The Cubs. The reality is 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:56.919 the Cubs do not spend like a top five market. 0:02:56.960 --> 0:02:59.880 They are a top three market, and they spend like 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:04.320 a middle tier market. That's just how it is. I 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:08.120 don't think I don't think it should be that way, 0:03:08.280 --> 0:03:10.320 but it's just kind of how it's been for a 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.079 few years now, and you kind of have to analyze 0:03:13.120 --> 0:03:16.680 it going forward with that knowledge in mind. So I 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:19.079 don't think they're going to resign him. I'd be surprised 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:20.680 by it. I don't think he's gonna get that four 0:03:20.760 --> 0:03:24.919 hundred million dollar deal we were talking about six months ago. 0:03:25.480 --> 0:03:27.760 I think it may be in the two hundreds, and 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:29.679 I still don't think the Cubs will sign him because 0:03:29.680 --> 0:03:31.760 it's going to be six or seven years or something 0:03:31.840 --> 0:03:35.840 like that, and that's just not where the Cubs heads 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:38.960 are at. I think they they will spend that type 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:41.360 of money on certain players. I don't think Kyle Tucker 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:43.800 is that guy. I do think the injuries and the 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:46.920 ineffectiveness and maybe that calf injury, especially at the end 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:49.360 of the year, and how long it took for him 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:52.320 to come back from that, that that may color some 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:54.680 of his time with the Cubs, and I think it 0:03:54.760 --> 0:03:57.720 may end up leading to him it could end up 0:03:57.800 --> 0:03:59.400 leading to him getting a little less money than a 0:03:59.440 --> 0:04:00.400 lot of us affected. 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:04.720 So he finished actually three percent higher ops plus than 0:04:04.880 --> 0:04:08.440 his career. So if he had his first half in 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:11.480 the second half, would you have would you change your 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:15.360 tone or would the Cubs also be in NLCS if 0:04:15.400 --> 0:04:18.240 he had the first half that he had in if 0:04:18.240 --> 0:04:20.320 he had his first half in the second. 0:04:20.080 --> 0:04:23.080 Half, That's a that's a really good question. I do 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:26.600 think part of this is is narrative and recency bias. 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:30.040 I struggle with it too, but I'm just going off 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:33.720 what I've heard as far as my understanding of where 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:37.440 the Cubs are at I and yes, I do think 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:39.919 we'd be talking a little bit differently about Kyle Tucker. 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:41.880 We'd be talking a little bit differently about the Cubs 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:44.719 in general. If he had that first half in the 0:04:44.720 --> 0:04:48.040 second half, it's just natural we'd be talking about, Wow, 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:50.720 look at this guy stepping up down the stretch and 0:04:50.920 --> 0:04:54.440 in his postseason performance, this guy's clutch and things like that. 0:04:54.680 --> 0:04:57.080 It's just the reality of the situation. And he didn't 0:04:57.120 --> 0:05:00.680 have a bad playoffs, but that final game, he was 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:02.360 the one that stepped to the plate in the biggest 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:05.440 moment for the Cubs and that they had only one 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:08.039 real threat and he stepped to the plate with nobody 0:05:08.040 --> 0:05:10.560 out and two men on and he didn't come through. 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:14.000 That doesn't mean he failed overall. I just don't think 0:05:14.040 --> 0:05:18.599 he He delivered what some people kind of expected from him, 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:21.280 probably Michael Bush delivered the postseason that a lot of 0:05:21.279 --> 0:05:24.880 people hoped Kyle Tucker could give. Yeah, I do think 0:05:25.000 --> 0:05:29.400 there are some narrative narratives being built here, but I 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:32.560 also do think it's just it's a long shot. No 0:05:32.600 --> 0:05:34.960 matter what, the Cubs were just a long shot to 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:39.359 sign him. They just don't spend like that, and I 0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:42.080 don't know what he's gonna get, but I do feel 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:44.920 like the Cub he ends up somewhere else, and you know, 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:47.479 a lot of people were talking about Tampa. I wonder 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:50.560 if that ends up being the place. I'm not sure 0:05:50.640 --> 0:05:53.960 if others, like if if he fits in like a 0:05:54.240 --> 0:05:57.960 New York or other huge markets like that. Not that 0:05:58.040 --> 0:06:00.600 he was like bad with the media anything like that. 0:06:00.640 --> 0:06:03.640 I just I think he likes to, you know, avoid us. 0:06:03.680 --> 0:06:07.400 And that's nothing against him. You know, everyone's different, but 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:10.040 I think he prefers to just keep to himself and 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:14.120 go play baseball and then do his thing. Maybe that 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:15.560 doesn't work in every market. 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:19.919 Okay, what Cubs team showed up for the series? Was 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:22.960 it the Cubs team that in the first inning? Was 0:06:23.000 --> 0:06:26.200 it the first was it Michael Bush? Was it Saya Suzuki, 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:29.320 Oh man, we're gonna beat these guys, you know, screw 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:34.360 the Brewers, and or was it the team that struggled 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:37.880 to consistently add on runs throughout the season and then 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.840 in this series it kind of came to a head. 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:45.160 I like, if I had to pick a reason they lost, 0:06:45.360 --> 0:06:47.080 I think it's the pitching. And I think it's the 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:51.720 first two games of the series. I think watching the playoffs, 0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:55.719 I feel as if pitching is king and you just 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:58.039 do whatever you can, no matter what type of offense 0:06:58.080 --> 0:07:01.720 you are, to kind of grind out runs and get two, three, 0:07:01.880 --> 0:07:04.920 four runs. If you can get to four, that seems 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:08.599 like you're really safe. But they didn't have enough pitching 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:12.600 at the start. Kate Horton going down completely changed the 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:16.960 way their their pitching staff looked. It just it changed 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:19.080 everything as far as a thinking of how they had 0:07:19.120 --> 0:07:22.400 to go about business. And then showed him Anaga's struggles 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:27.520 really impacted this team. Those two things completely changed how 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:31.120 the postseason looked for them. That showed him Monaga didn't 0:07:31.120 --> 0:07:33.080 pitch in Game five, I think tells us a lot 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:36.520 about their confidence level and maybe even his confidence level 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:40.040 in his ability to get, you know, out some big moments. 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:43.600 I would not I'm shocked that I'm saying that. To 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:46.320 be honest, he did not seem like someone that you 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:49.440 would lack confidence in to get big outs, you know, 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:51.720 at the beginning of the season, even in the middle 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:56.840 of this season, so that his star has fallen faded 0:07:56.880 --> 0:08:01.560 so quickly is a surprise. I do think the offense 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:05.559 didn't show up. I think it's hard to really jump 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:08.400 on them because I think that's just playoff baseball. You 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:10.720 gotta find ways to score a couple runs here and there. 0:08:10.800 --> 0:08:14.680 They didn't do it. In Game five, they scored enough. Generally, 0:08:15.440 --> 0:08:17.960 you know, you need to score three. They should have 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.800 added on more. Absolutely, you have to come through in 0:08:20.840 --> 0:08:23.480 more situations. You have to put more pressure on the opposition. 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:25.560 I just think the Brewers threw a lot of good 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:28.800 pitchers at him. Their relief group was better than I realized. 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:33.840 I think, or maybe wanted to admit at times. Miserowski 0:08:34.960 --> 0:08:38.320 had a really good series against them, some big outs 0:08:37.960 --> 0:08:43.480 for the Brewers, especially in that final game. He's someone 0:08:43.559 --> 0:08:47.600 that I've watched struggle in moments and look terrible and 0:08:47.640 --> 0:08:50.320 then just is locked in. And it seemed like he 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:52.240 was locked in in his two appearances with the Cubs. 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:54.080 There were moments when he first came out in that 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:57.559 I believe it was Game two when he came out 0:08:57.640 --> 0:08:59.599 and I said, this guy doesn't have it. He was 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:01.400 kind of bringing the ball all over the place, and 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:04.120 then he just quickly locked in and it was downhill 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:07.360 for the Cubs from there. But good like I'd credit 0:09:07.440 --> 0:09:11.240 the Brewers pitching more than anything and kind of say 0:09:11.280 --> 0:09:14.319 the Cubs just didn't have it in those first two games. 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:16.760 Pitching wise, Matthew Boyd on three days rest showed him 0:09:16.840 --> 0:09:22.360 Naga struggling. It sunk them. KP. 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:27.840 We both love Omaha Steaks. My latest order six private 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:31.280 reserve filet mignons. It sounds bougie because it is. They 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:34.280 were fantastic and also one and a half pounds of 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:37.840 jumbo cooked shrimp with a big initial discount and then 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.000 an additional thirty five bucks off with the code foul. 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:43.600 You have been a long time Omaha Steaks guy too. 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:44.720 Yeah. 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:47.719 Back in college, I would always order steaks. I'd put 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:50.560 them in my freezer. And that's the reason I bulked 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:53.800 up is because I always had fresh steaks in my freezer, 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:54.240 ready to. 0:09:54.200 --> 0:09:58.680 Go, delicious, protein, Get after it. Okay, it is the 0:09:58.720 --> 0:10:01.560 best in the biz. If you're order in Steaks online, 0:10:01.600 --> 0:10:04.959 you can say big with Omaha Steaks. Visit Omaha Steaks 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:07.400 dot com for fifty percent off site wide and an 0:10:07.480 --> 0:10:10.600 extra twenty percent off select favor during their early Black 0:10:10.640 --> 0:10:13.560 Friday sale, and for an extra thirty five dollars off 0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:16.920 use promo code foul at checkout. Terms apply see site 0:10:16.960 --> 0:10:19.760 for details. That's fifty percent off at Omaha Steaks dot 0:10:19.800 --> 0:10:22.200 com promo code foul at checkout. 0:10:23.240 --> 0:10:23.440 Yeah. 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:26.080 I think with a healthy Justin Steel, you would probably 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:28.120 put him in Game one and you trust him being 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:30.360 able to go out and you know, go toe to 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:32.400 toe with an ace. Do you feel like they missed 0:10:32.400 --> 0:10:34.079 that window once he went down. I know it was 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:35.520 early in the year, but to be able to try 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:37.120 to go on and add a guy to kind of 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:40.520 replace him for foreshadowing if we get into the playoffs, 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.880 we need a legitimate number one to go against every 0:10:43.880 --> 0:10:45.000 other team's number one. 0:10:47.080 --> 0:10:49.840 I just I agree that they needed to do that. 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:52.920 I don't know if that guy was available at a 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:57.360 reasonable cost, because the guys that really moved the needle, 0:10:57.880 --> 0:11:01.520 in my opinion, were like Joe Ryan, some of the 0:11:01.520 --> 0:11:04.640 Marlins guys, even Mackenzie Gore. I know he had a 0:11:04.679 --> 0:11:07.319 really bad second half, but those were the guys at 0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:09.280 the deadline that you could have pointed to and said 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:12.360 that moves the needle. None of those guys removed, and 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:15.800 from my understanding, the prices were pretty exorbitant. They would 0:11:15.840 --> 0:11:20.040 have had to give up either you're talking about either 0:11:20.520 --> 0:11:23.800 Kate Horton or match Shaw, and that's something that I 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:25.560 don't think they wanted to take away from their major 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:29.160 league roster. And I understand that that thought process you 0:11:29.200 --> 0:11:31.800 give up Kate Horton. I think he's someone you mentioned 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:34.199 justin Steel. He's someone I think could have matched. I 0:11:34.240 --> 0:11:35.800 think he could have had a coming out party in 0:11:35.840 --> 0:11:39.120 the postseason. This guy, you talk to him, you listen 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:40.959 to him, you talk, you listen to the way others 0:11:41.000 --> 0:11:44.000 talk about him. You understand, Oh, not only does he 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:48.040 have stuff, not only was he improving as each start out, 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:51.240 but he also has the mentality that the teams crave 0:11:51.440 --> 0:11:53.400 from a starting pitcher. This guy is not afraid of 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:56.880 any challenge. He hits a rough patch and all he 0:11:56.920 --> 0:11:58.960 wants to do is fight through it and get better 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:02.280 and learn from it. Really impressive guy to talk to, 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:05.480 Really impressive to hear from the coaches that they thought 0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:08.760 so highly of him right away. Tells me a lot 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:11.400 about him. I think he's a guy that you know, 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:13.240 as long as he stays healthy. I think this is 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:15.800 a guy that in a year from now, we're gonna 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.840 be saying, does does Kate Horton deserve Cy Young votes 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:22.800 things like that. I really think he's got a high 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:24.680 upside and that's the guy you should watch. But I 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:27.920 agree that they should have gone there. There wasn't that 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:31.160 picture moved, but they needed to do something. And you know, 0:12:31.200 --> 0:12:33.120 hindsight is twenty twenty, but we were all saying it 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:34.800 at the deadline, they're gonna go get a starter. They're 0:12:34.840 --> 0:12:36.439 going to go get a starter. They went and got 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:39.360 Michael Siroco, just didn't impact the team as they had hoped. 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.959 So it didn't work out and it looks like it 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:45.000 bit them all. Right. 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:48.000 Another young guy that's on this roster, Kate Horton's just 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:51.480 turned twenty four years old. Pete crow Armstrong played his 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:55.199 entire season, is twenty three year old. Season All Star. 0:12:56.760 --> 0:13:00.560 Is his approach and the way that he goes about 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:02.520 his approach at the plate? I get it, he made 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:06.160 some ridiculous catches in the outfield and the postseason. Is 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:10.360 his approach something that he and the organization want to 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:13.240 maybe change. I think he had twenty nine walks one 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:16.600 hundred and fifty five strikeouts. Is that something that they 0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:18.960 want to change or do they just want him to 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.800 have more success and figure it out that way because 0:13:21.840 --> 0:13:25.679 his on base percentage just started to decline the whole year, 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:28.559 and then when you get to the postseason, teams are like, oh, 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:30.760 well he's gonna swing at the rosenbag, so we'll go 0:13:30.760 --> 0:13:32.440 ahead and just throw that to him. 0:13:32.800 --> 0:13:36.640 Yep, Yeah, it's a fair question. I don't know. It's 0:13:36.679 --> 0:13:39.440 a risk too. When you start talking about changing someone's 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:44.640 approach that's already in the major leagues, that's really risky. 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:46.880 And we've seen it go sideways. We've seen it with 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:49.920 the Cubs go sideways. I go back to Starlin Castro 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:51.880 when they tried to do that with him and tried 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:54.440 to tap into more power and get more walks. It 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.920 just it went really sideways and altered his career. It 0:13:57.960 --> 0:14:02.480 can work, it can h And he's certainly a hard worker, 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:07.120 you know, as much as he he gets criticized for 0:14:07.200 --> 0:14:11.880 being so emotional on the field highs or lows, there's 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:14.960 no doubt that he's highly respected by the veterans for 0:14:15.400 --> 0:14:17.800 you know, putting in work and and and wanting to 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:20.560 get better. So I think if they have a plan 0:14:20.640 --> 0:14:23.400 in place, I'd be surprised if the plan is like, 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.800 you need to take more walks don't swing as much. 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:30.760 You know, the swing decisions are probably something he'll continue 0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:32.760 to work on. I do think that improved as the 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:36.080 season went on. Obviously he was exposed in the playoffs. 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:39.240 There are certain holes. Uh you know, obviously the scouting 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:42.480 reports get much more specific, you get a ton more information, 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:46.800 and the pictures are just better, especially some of those 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:49.680 Padres pictures that were going that they were going up 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:53.880 against Freddy Peralta. These are guys that can specifically expose 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:58.160 that their stuff specifically exposes p corb CERN's biggest holes. 0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:03.680 I agree that something needs to change, and maybe that's 0:15:03.760 --> 0:15:07.800 just natural development. I also think that this may be 0:15:08.200 --> 0:15:12.240 kind of what Pete Armstrong is really high highs, some 0:15:12.400 --> 0:15:15.680 pretty bad lows, and then it's about minimizing those lows 0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:19.320 over the course of his career. I don't think. I 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:22.480 think we all, myself included, we probably got carried away 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:25.800 in that first half, Oh is this who this guy is? 0:15:26.480 --> 0:15:28.800 And I think we kind of came back down to 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:31.960 earth and said, Okay, he's going to have normal ups 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:34.440 and downs, and the ups are just so high that 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:37.160 you could just it takes you to this level where 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:40.120 you're like, Wow, this guy's a superstar. Certainly performs like 0:15:40.200 --> 0:15:44.200 one at times, but he's a flawed offensive player, and 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:48.920 I'd be surprised if there's major changes. I think you 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:51.960 could hope for and expect natural development for a young player. 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:54.600 I just don't know if he's going to be a 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:57.160 guy that we see a high walk percentage for. I 0:15:57.160 --> 0:15:59.320 think his on base percentage is going to be based 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:04.280 upon his batting average, and and for him like that, 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:06.200 that may not be the highest and you have to 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:09.480 hope that this power is rale and sticks around. Otherwise, 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:11.960 you know, what he is is a really good defensive 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:15.040 player with a ton of value there. And if he 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:17.320 can be an average offensive player, that's still a really 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:19.960 good player. But I think he just set expectations so 0:16:20.120 --> 0:16:23.160 high in this first half that you know where we're 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:25.920 always going to be wondering can he be that guy 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:27.760 for a full season, for a full career? 0:16:28.880 --> 0:16:30.560 Man, it sounds like you were talking about me at 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:33.880 the end. You know, good defender, average, still valuable, man. 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:37.280 You can play a long time doing that. But speaking 0:16:37.280 --> 0:16:39.920 of like breakouts, Pete Romstrong we talked about, I don't 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:42.360 think Michael Bush gets enough credit for what he did 0:16:42.400 --> 0:16:45.200 this year. But I love kind of talking about the 0:16:45.240 --> 0:16:47.880 old guys in the game, the veterans. You know, I 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:50.360 wish I had a hat that say keep old guys employed. 0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:54.040 Talk about kind of the impact that Justin Turner had, 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:56.280 maybe on those two young guys, but maybe just the 0:16:56.400 --> 0:16:57.600 entire culture of the Cubs. 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:01.360 Yeah, I think it was. It's huge. I don't think 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:05.800 you can overstate it. I came into this business very 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:09.280 much a numbers guy and underrated the stuff going on 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:12.919 in the clubhouse. I've been in clubhouses for fifteen years 0:17:12.960 --> 0:17:15.720 now over that, and and I would you know, I've 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:20.640 learned a lot about the value and the intangibles that 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:23.720 these guys can bring. I do believe there's some younger 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:27.119 leaders in that clubhouse. Nico Horner stands out to me. 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:31.440 Ian Happ is a good clubhouse guy, but a veteran 0:17:31.480 --> 0:17:33.800 like Justin Turner, who has been through it all, who 0:17:33.800 --> 0:17:35.600 has been a star on a team, who was it 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:38.040 who had a really big home run against the Cubs 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:41.920 in the postseason. He's he's seen a lot, He's done 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:44.480 a lot, and then so not only has does he 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:46.880 have that experience, but he comes into a situation where 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:49.160 he could he could complain he could say I should 0:17:49.160 --> 0:17:51.920 be playing more, I need more playing time. Look at 0:17:51.920 --> 0:17:53.680 my you know, look at look at what I've done 0:17:53.680 --> 0:17:57.080 in my career. Never once did he do that. Never 0:17:57.119 --> 0:17:59.040 once did I hear complain from a coach like this 0:17:59.119 --> 0:18:01.560 guy is just know in the clubhouse telling everyone how 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:05.000 great he is. Nothing like that. That's not who he is. 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:09.160 I think through his career he learned that. He learned like, Okay, 0:18:09.240 --> 0:18:11.320 this is where I am now in my career, and 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:13.800 this is the role I can hold, and I want 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:16.280 to be great at it. I want to do this 0:18:16.400 --> 0:18:18.720 and I want to do it well. You'd see him 0:18:18.760 --> 0:18:22.200 a lot of times putting his arm around a guy 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:25.520 in the in the dugout and kind of calming them down, Hey, 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:28.240 we need you, we were going to need you later 0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:30.600 in the season, We're gonna need you later in this game, 0:18:30.680 --> 0:18:34.040 whatever it may be. And and from my understanding, he'd 0:18:34.080 --> 0:18:37.720 also get on them. He wasn't afraid to call someone 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:40.840 out and tell them you need to you know, this 0:18:40.920 --> 0:18:42.639 is how you behave in the big leagues. This is 0:18:42.680 --> 0:18:44.000 what you need to do. This is the type of 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:45.560 work you need to put in, whatever it may be. 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:48.560 He wasn't afraid to call guys out, and I think 0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:54.399 being able to do both is hard in any area 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:56.360 of life. Like I know as a dad, it's hard 0:18:56.359 --> 0:18:58.479 for me sometimes to be the bad guy, but like 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:01.760 it's it's it's sometimes needed. It's the you know, and 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:04.280 he was really good at it. I was impressed when 0:19:04.359 --> 0:19:08.200 talking to him, and just when hearing from others players 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:12.280 that barely impacted the playoffs or in any way spoke 0:19:12.520 --> 0:19:15.480 really highly of them young guys. Ben Brown, I think 0:19:15.640 --> 0:19:20.520 it made one appearance and just gushed about Justin Turner. 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:22.800 I think he had a major impact on this team 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:25.919 and he probably, you know, years from now, we're going 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:28.320 to hear he had a He had a lasting impact, 0:19:28.359 --> 0:19:32.520 something that you know, hopefully helped guys grow in some 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:35.360 way and it leads to a longer career or gives 0:19:35.400 --> 0:19:37.840 them some perspective in the game that they that helps 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:40.600 them get through future difficult moments. 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:45.440 I've seen this rivalry firsthand, the Cubs and Brewers. How 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:48.840 as seeing it from the Cubs side and hearing fans 0:19:48.960 --> 0:19:53.000 Cubs fans, how have they reacted to the hanging the 0:19:53.320 --> 0:19:56.800 L flag in their team picture when they had already 0:19:56.840 --> 0:19:59.840 beaten the team? As much as I could say, you know, 0:20:00.000 --> 0:20:03.840 but I'm a Brewer side of this argument. I'm never 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:07.600 a side of rubbing it in their face. But is 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:10.960 it is it fair to the victor goes the spoils? 0:20:11.280 --> 0:20:13.040 You know? For me, it's kind of just like you 0:20:13.320 --> 0:20:15.120 when you get to do what you want and celebrate 0:20:15.160 --> 0:20:17.439 how you want. I do think there are some fans 0:20:17.440 --> 0:20:20.399 that were like, what are you doing? Like go like 0:20:20.480 --> 0:20:23.040 you you have you know, you beat us just to 0:20:23.240 --> 0:20:25.800 enjoy it, Like I'll read in your head, So why 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:27.960 are you still thinking about us? Even like what's the 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:30.840 And I get that, like maybe they do obsess a 0:20:30.840 --> 0:20:33.920 little bit over think too much about the Cubs. I mean, 0:20:34.040 --> 0:20:36.639 the Cubs are the supposed to be the big bad Cubs. 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:38.359 They're the big spenders, They're the ones that can do 0:20:38.400 --> 0:20:41.320