Monday Morning Cubs Show
A show every Monday morning about the Chicago Cubs from Carl and Mahoney.
Monday Morning Cubs Show
The Cubs Postseason Rollercoaster: Celebration to Sweep
Welcome back to the MMCS and please enjoy the following description presented by a Free AI production trial. This episode is presented by THIRSTY VAQUERO: A Mexican-style soda with a signature spicy finish you can find on AMAZON.
The playoff-bound Cubs just experienced their first four-game losing streak of the season, getting swept by the red-hot Cincinnati Reds. But fear not, Chicago faithful - the Monday Morning Cubs Show hosts aren't panicking yet. With their playoff ticket punched and home field advantage within reach, there's still plenty to feel good about despite the offensive struggles.
Behind the theme "We're not that mad," we analyze what went wrong in Cincinnati and why facing Hunter Green and Andrew Abbott might actually provide valuable experience for October baseball. The magic number to clinch home field advantage stands at just four - any combination of Cubs wins and Padres losses totaling four secures those crucial playoff games at Wrigley Field.
The conversation takes an intriguing turn as we examine Kyle Tucker's mysterious absence from the team. Currently in Florida seeking a "second opinion" on his calf injury, questions swirl about whether we'll see the trade deadline acquisition in a Cubs uniform again. His absence from the playoff-clinching celebration has raised eyebrows, with implications for both the playoff roster and potential free agency.
Amid these current concerns, the show pauses to honor Kyle Hendricks, who just announced his retirement. "The Professor" joins Anthony Rizzo in officially closing the book on the 2016 championship era, symbolizing the complete transition to this new generation of Cubs baseball ready to create their own October memories.
Looking ahead to those playoff matchups, we debate the rotation order (Shota or Horton for Game 1?) and project the likely lineup when the Wild Card series begins. With six games remaining against the struggling Mets and rival Cardinals, there's still time to build momentum - crucial since 17 of the last 20 pennant winners had winning records in September.
Ready to experience playoff baseball again at Wrigley? Join us Thursday for more Cubs talk as the postseason picture comes into focus!
Thanks for tuning in!
- Carl & Mahoney
and we're clear. Good morning, good afternoon and evening chicago cubs fans. Welcome back to the monday morning cub show. Today is monday, september 22nd. The cubs just got swept by cincinnati I am carl, joined by mahoney and, uh, you know, the chicago bears won, so I guess that's going to be included in some of this. I I can't help myself to be in a good mood. The Chicago Bears won.
Speaker 2:Carl, you got to mention that pretty much at the top. When you're allowed to wear a Bears t-shirt and a hat again on a Monday, you know, especially coming off of a sweep, which we'll get to later. However, it's nice to have some you know apparel that I could flex. You know, dropping the kids off at school and what have you.
Speaker 1:I know this is a Cub show, but I'd be remiss not to say the Bears look pretty good. 31 points at home. The counterpoint to this is that I think most good NFL teams would expect to score 31 points against a bad defense at home.
Speaker 2:Horrible zone defense and I believe they're led by one, matt eberflus, who somehow had managed not to sack caleb williams yesterday for the first time in caleb's career. That is beautiful irony there.
Speaker 1:Like caleb doesn't get hit once, it's eberflus's d I don't want to be a huge pussy, but like they cut the ever flus on the sidelines, I'm like man, I just feel bad for that guy. Like I, it's in my bones. It's almost like a bad 90s comedy. That sense of dread, like a Ben Stiller bathroom humor scene. I just like I can. I can't watch, but I can't like take my eyes away. It's just so bad and uncomfortable watching that guy.
Speaker 2:Just a real doofus yeah, I couldn't say that better myself, and it was beautiful just seeing the ball fly through the air. Big plays, you know. I think this is what we expected in ben johnson's offense and expected more to see caleb. And there we are, and it was. It was a nice.
Speaker 1:Just just soften the weekend, um, you know, as we were coming off of a four stretch, yeah, I think some people are probably wondering why two minutes into the show, we're actually talking about the Bears. I know not everybody listening to this is a Chicago Bears fan. Hidden underneath this is obviously the fact. The Cubs got swept by Cincinnati. It's our first four-game losing streak of the season. The offense is completely dormant a week before hopefully hosting a wild card. At this point we'll get to magic numbers and stuff, uh. But there is like a silver lining, I guess. Like baller strike the bears routing the cowboys at home severely takes the edge off many morning maniacs as we get swept by the Cincinnati Reds ball.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's a piping hot fastball right down the middle, carl. The batter didn't even see it. That's a strike, hoo-ha. And, all that said, the fact that it gets us a little bit lighter in our conversation, you know, instead of just being like, oh, I mean, I know the momentum, but that just helps us in the Monday Morning Cubs showing the Monday Morning Maniac really to have, you know, a better product as we head into the postseason and wind down this baseball year.
Speaker 1:Well, as we do at the beginning of every show, then with that mind, let's just kind of set like a general theme, you know, a tone for the show.
Speaker 2:You say I'm mad Like we're not that bad. I mean I'm not that bad. I'm not that bad, Not that, I'm not that bad, I'm not that mad. Let's call the theme. We're not that mad. I'm not that ticked. Not that mad Like we're not that mad, not that mad you want to know why, too, I'm a little pissed.
Speaker 1:I'm a little, I'm a little. I'm not that mad, but I'm a little pissed off A little pissed.
Speaker 2:I mean, I have to say I was in Scottsdale, arizona, watching the games and one thing that was really nice for me was one of the first dudes I see at the airport was the guy who initiated the pizza smacks back in the NL Divisional Series and he's one of my core Cubs people, so it was like he was at Harry Carey's. No question, should have known that right when I got through the gates at Midway. So, seeing like a couple of my core Cubs components and I hadn't seen him in that like you know, kind of six, seven months or something, so we got to smile and enjoy it together and that was when, yeah, we lost yesterday. I'm like, oh, whatever, who cares? And then it was like we're both like look kind of cringy throughout the weekend, you know, still having a good time. But yeah, there's just things that I took away from kind of celebrating the postseason win a little too hard, and maybe the boys did too.
Speaker 1:Pizza smack strikes again Unbelievable.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was great.
Speaker 1:First person digger Phelps, I call him, this guy, I've met him, I know digger Phelps. On the subject of the bachelor party, like I guess this is good timing for the baseball season, based on how poorly the padres played, I guess like at the standing watch, like I'm addicted to the wild card right now, but it's on the american league side, I have absolutely no anxiety. Can we just do quickly? What magic number. At the time of recording this, we're off. Today. We've got six games left all at home three against the New York Mets, three against the St Louis Cardinals.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's magic number this ball. But somebody, how many, who? But let's magic number this bad boy.
Speaker 1:So the goal of the magic number obviously would be get to hosting the wild card round, whoever the five seat is right now the Padres closest knocking on our heels. So what's the situation with this?
Speaker 2:Mahoney is our magic number, guys so our magic number overall and a magic number is the combination of our wins and the last team in this situation would be the Padres, their losses combined. So, right as it stands, right now, the Cubs need four more wins, or with Padres losses, to guarantee the home field over the Padres, if they are indeed, you know, the team that we'd be playing. So, but as it stands, we need four, that's it.
Speaker 1:So we go two and four, that's two wins for the Cubs. You know we need what we need.
Speaker 2:Padres lose twice. Home field is ours, boom All right. That makes me feel. That's why I'm not that mad either. You know cause? I took a look at a glance at the magic number. We had clinched the spot. We're out of the central. This is all that matters. It sucked losing four games in a row for the first time all year.
Speaker 1:um, but there there's a light and we got a lot of stuff to look forward to our identity as a show is positive and optimistic and I'm I feel like a football player right now, in the middle of the game in the huddle or something, and we're looking at each other and I gotta psych myself back up and get the best out of me because I may feel right now I'm a little gas, my hammy is a little tight, maybe. I took a big hit in the first quarter, got burned for a touchdown and I got to suck it up as a Cubs fan, as an ambassador of the Monday morning Cubs show, to get the positivity rolling a little bit. Because, as I'm thinking about this, like sure the magic numbers for boy.
Speaker 1:This would be a terrible situation if the four game losing streak in Cincinnati continues into this week. I mean, I I'm compelled to mention the elephant in the room. We do have to win one of the next six games. And our offense? I'm flabbergasted in a sense, or or okay, I'm not that mad. Nope, not mad. We clinched playoffs, we clinched playoffs and so the guys went out and we just lose focus for a couple games. We run into some good pitching andrew abbott, hunter, green.
Speaker 2:Rest is history yeah, no, I mean I think we ran into some bad pitching, we ran into a hot team. Right now we were coming off a bit of that postseason hangover. So I'm not that mad about the whole deal. And I mean, what also picks me up a little bit? Carl? I just had a little sniff of my thirsty vaquero over here, and that's a whole nother reason not to be that mad, because, thirsty vaquero, I had my first package delivered and it is absolutely phenomenal stuff are you talking about the official sponsor, the official beverage of the monday morning cub show from now through playoffs boys thirsty vaquero.
Speaker 1:You can get it on amazon. I'll have a link on twitter, the podcast. You can just go to Amazon just search for Thirsty Vaquero. It's a Mexican-style soda. People don't even know what that is until you have it. It's impossible to explain. It's like so good. I shouldn't say it's impossible to explain because you can just say it's delicious. Mahoney, you're sipping what on right now?
Speaker 2:I'll say it's impossible to explain honestly, because I have never had tasted anything like this in that category and upon my first pour. You know I'm a big bubble to the bottom of the glass type of guy and it's a healthy amount of oxygen in these cans. But I do a little sniff test that jalapeno is going to hit your nostrils. So even before you take a sip you know that this is going to be the real deal. And I pour myself a sandia jalapeno and my god does it tickle the back of your throat. It tastes unbelievable. A perfect drink to have at parties or just when you're sitting watching the cubs game and it is absolutely phenomenal stuff. I cannot wait to get my hands into the other flavors as soon as the show recording's over.
Speaker 1:All bite, no rattle baby, I'm not joking All bite, no rattle. Mexican-style soda Not huge in Texas. The story behind this thing I'm not going to do a Dateline 2020 on the origination here, guys, but people do love an origin story and the guys behind Thirsty Viqueira are sharp beverage, sharp beverage industry veteran guys and there is no mass-produced mexican style soda. Now you can get stuff you I mean like it's made originally, I guess if you've, I've never had a watermelon jalapeno soda before in my life. Other thing point out 90 calories per 16-ounce can. So we could do a whole show on Thirsty Vaccaro and how delicious it is. The nice thing is Thirsty Vaccaro has decided to partner with the Monday Morning Club Show and the Maniacs for an official beverage sponsorship for down-the-stretch baseball. Reach into the cooler guys. You're going to have post-game parties. You want to show up with something special. You're going to have insight in your head. You're gonna have thirsty vicaro in your hands. That's because you're a monday morning maniac.
Speaker 2:We pair you with both yeah, you show up at a four-pack at a party with this thing and you might have a couple conversations on your hand. Given the, the tickle in the back of the throat, 100 real agave and just did like scott, I could say I can't say it enough.
Speaker 1:All bite, no rattle that tickles called a spicy signature finish. Last thing I have to point out it's not alcoholic pairs nicely with all boozes, though leave that to your discretion. You know, personally I like a mezcal uh, that's the nice thing about thirsty vicaro option choices. But like I'm on the na train most of the time, people don't believe that most of the time I'm reaching in the fridge I like a soda. I like a mexican style soda. I like a thirsty but carol, all bite, no rattle, check them out on amazon. Thirsty but carol, good, good product placement mahoney it's great product placement.
Speaker 2:Don't even get me started on their marketing, because all I can talk about right now is the taste. But the packaging is awesome. They're like the mascot little snake on his shoulder, skeleton. Everything about the can is even beautiful. But that's a whole other conversation, for a different day all right.
Speaker 1:So in honor of thirsty but carol, here's a spicy little take for you kyle hendrick's most consistent cub from the Theo Epstein era. Are you baller striking me? I don't know man. Anthony Rizzo just retired in a Cubs uniform and I'm overtaking an emotion here.
Speaker 2:But Kyle Hendricks, up there, baby yeah, no, we've had a lot of Kyle Hendricks moments on this.
Speaker 2:You know, on this show and program, we kind of gave him a send-off last year, you know, when it could have been his last game, and then this year, I think, I think he pitched his last game as a Cub, and then this year, when he came to Wrigley but, yeah, no one of the most consistent dudes. And, looking back, especially because when I would watch him, I'd be a little frightened at times, just because I never knew how dialed in he was with his control and you know, I learned a little bit more about that over time. However, just looking back, man, yeah, he was the dude you really wanted in the big game situations and he's who we got. Um, I also think that it's a nice not gesture, but, uh, as a fan too, this was like really closing the chapter I could stop saying that about anthony and it just came, came to now like hendrix is going to be done, rizzo's done, and now it's like we can really move on and look to see what we can do in 2025.
Speaker 1:Which we were going to do that anyway. Staying in the long run, yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't need to think about the 2016 as much as I have, and it was a nice bookend again now with Kyle Hendricks announcing his retirement.
Speaker 1:Do you think Hendricks saw the Rizzo reception? That was a question.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I had the same question for you. It was like, all right, Rizzo did it, it's my time now. He wanted like, maybe give Rizzo, Maybe they knew and talked. I don't know how tight they are, but perhaps he was like all right, you could get the big one. I'm just going to kind of tip my cap and walk off and Anaheim into the sunset.
Speaker 1:All of Kyle Hendricks savviness is saved for the mound. I think he lacks so heavily all aspects off the field. I mean just a real, just kind of a happy-go-lucky clue. I don't think he's thinking too hard I he sees the anthony rizzo retirement, or is he just under the radar and he's just like well, now I'll just throw it into the title wave that has been the rizzo retirement. In either respect, I definitely would have saved it if I was him. It makes it a cubs convention or something you know. There could have been a warmer reception because even now, as we're talking about it, I don't think he'll get nearly the respect he should based off this entire. He's like limiting the amount of respect. It's almost like he continuously wants to be underrated and under the radar and doesn't want any fanfare. How about that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, makes sense, and I think he kind of did it his own way, you know, as his last game pitched at Wrigley when he was a cub was, you know walked off to a standing ovation and maybe that's the type of moment he wanted, you know, as as the end of his cup into the cub uniform.
Speaker 1:This news was breaking as we were sitting down to do the Monday morning cub show. So, in fairness, there's probably a better segment here of like top Kyle Hendricks moments and all this shit.
Speaker 2:I'll be honest, you broke that. You broke that to me Not just now, but when we had said no, you're right, the green room.
Speaker 1:I did not know that up until this point it had just come out as we were sitting down to record this Kyle Hendricks such a as I'll use language from this isn't my quote. This is from Jake. This is from jake arietta teammate, in describing him, saying that he's like an absolute fucking gangster. Like just nuts the size of your head and the way he pitched, like just the amount of confidence and how at the top of major league baseball, kyle hendricks was mentally on the mound with respect to being aggressive in the strike zone. You'd be like that guy's just a fucking gangster. Like when he gets on the mound he's got nothing more than 87. They could say 90, my ass, you know he's got 87, 88 and he's just filling up a strike zone like it takes so much confidence.
Speaker 2:So shout out kyle hendricks yeah, shout out to kyle shout out one of the best to put on a uniform. I'm not that mad about Cincinnati. Yeah, I'm not that mad about Cincinnati, I mean, except the fact that we had lost four games. Usually you think we would go into Cincinnati and kind of, you know, ian Happ was going to explode or something like he usually does, and it just didn't happen. I think a couple, you know two, one, nothing losses. That always stings and the offense is just kind of dries up sometimes when it should matter. You know, I don't know how, how do you do overcome like silent bats under this type of pressure? But you know Cincinnati was playing hot. So like I don't know what it says about our guys right now you can always look at that post-season hangover, post-season clinching party hangover, but it's not like they didn't have anything to play for. So it it worries me a bit. Well, it bothers me.
Speaker 1:It bothers me.
Speaker 1:The post-season party. Now I should be specific because I have the tendency to say, stuff, people take me a little bit too seriously. It does stuff, people take me a little bit too seriously. It does bother me in some respects and I want to. I want to drill into that a little bit. I do want to point out some great distractions so far to the fact that we got swept by cincinnati. The bears win. Uh, thirsty vaquero is delicious. Kyle hendricks retirement generates some great moments, some just real class memories. Um. But then if we like drill into the cincinn, you say like one oh, losses like those are never good. I mean the fact you're getting shut out.
Speaker 1:Great pitching, great starting pitching. Probably better starting pitching between Hunter green and Andrew Abbott? Better one, two punch. That else is available at present moment in the national league. I would guess Hunter fully healthy Hunter green with the chip on his shoulder, I mean and Andrew Abbott are probably the best one too. People are going to not kill me, but disagree with this as you see fit. I think they're just so very good and we saw it. The problem is that's like hey, that's playoff pitching right there, fuck it. Let me just ask.
Speaker 2:Well, the week before we saw Skeens and we looked fine against him and I feel like we wouldn't see anyone near his level Not near his level, but no one like him in the playoffs. So why are they so inconsistent against? You know, sometimes they show up against these aces and sometimes they completely falter, and I know there's probably 100 different reasons, but that's why I think it's a little bit maddening.
Speaker 1:Well, it's because they're aces money like, yeah, hunter green is not that far removed from paul skeens. Paul skeens is better uh, at this stage in his career, is a better, has better feel for pitching. You know, certainly drills less hitters, historically speaking, although shout out to hunter green who last year he led major league baseball. He drilled almost 20 guys this year's way down. But my point is that we played well against Paul Skeens because, paul, you know, we just played well against him. There isn't like some magic secret sauce there or whatever. We've seen him well, guys have some confidence against him and he hasn't really pitched that well against the Cubs. In fact, like we're the only team that kind of has this number. There's something there too.
Speaker 1:With the reds. We should have said this off the top. The reds are chasing the last playoff spot and there is some kind of public drama. This team has a very strong fan base. The reds do, and this isn't going to turn into a red show, but the reds certainly have an extremely dedicated fan base. I would liken it as far as like how active they are on Twitter. It's like they're kind of it's kind of like White Sox fandom, where it's like it's all diehards and very smart people and stuff and they've kind of been against this team for a long time Cause the team's been shitty and now the team's turned it on down the stretch. We've talked about Terry Francona. People in cincinnati have really complained about him this year, but I'm going long-winded it's funny, though, because reds because we lost.
Speaker 1:We just got swept, but they're playing for a lot and we're out.
Speaker 2:You know, we got guys who don't party drinking too many bud lights it's funny because I was thinking about the terry francona thing that you had mentioned earlier in the season, and this was when we were decently ahead in first place above the brewers. Cincinnati was still kind of hanging around in the division at the time. You're like, watch out for cincinnati, like terry frank connor's gonna get the boys playing now. This, of course, was in context to who should be worried about between the brewers and the reds. But hey, it's not a wrong take overall if you look at it, because we had to worry about the Reds now, and now they might be into the playoffs and we could have to worry about them as well down the line. But either way, they got a good ball club and they kept at it and this is what baseball is over the course of 162.
Speaker 1:If you get Hunter Green and Andrew Abbott games one and two, that's a big problem for the Dodgers. Yep, exactly. So we'll see what I mean. The Mets have played bad baseball. We're just generally now we're talking about the playoff picture for the wild card and stuff. There's a couple of specific things I want to get into the Cubs, but as we're just talking generally about the playoff picture, last episode two hour special, you know we ended up talking a lot about if the Dodgers lose to the Padres, you know then they slide into that five seed. We're hosting the Dodgers. That isn't really on the table anymore, so we're going to remove.
Speaker 1:That is kind of okay, a doubt or anything. And really what in question now is the Mets have played so terribly they're in the last spot. The Mets are being tracked down currently by Cincinnati. I believe Cincinnati's one game back or they might be tied. At the time of recording, monday's an off day for just about everybody in Major League Baseball, but the interesting thing is just how well Cincinnati's played. Yeah, they're hot, man, they've been hot. I mean, that's what it's like to be.
Speaker 2:They're hot man, they've been hot. I mean, that's what it's like to be run to a hot team, or is our offense that inconsistent? But we're playing against top-of-the-line pitchers.
Speaker 1:They're tied with the Mets. They do have the tiebreaker with the Mets for the last wild-card spot and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who sold at the deadline, lurk one game behind everybody. So interesting deadline chase, I think, way more interesting than people forecasted or anticipated a couple weeks ago and as far as that matters to the cubs, it does seem very likely. I mean maybe like a 90 scenario here, where it's cubs verse padres.
Speaker 2:Opening week yeah, that's my. That's my, that's what I believe will be happening, and I do think it's going to be those day games, as we had spoken on last week.
Speaker 1:I was going to say, if you have any interest in the American League, it would only just be to confirm that the Cubs would play what I think is a noon or a 1230 game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that has something to do with our schedule.
Speaker 1:So that's. The interesting thing is that if the Dodgers are the three seat, as we talked extensively last week, they'll play the late game. Then there's a primetime night game. That's almost certainly going to be the Yankees, whoever they play. So just one one thing on the back of my mind is just Wrigley's kind of a weird place If they do end up playing the three o'clock game. I don't know where the sun is at and the Equinox. I'm going to ask you to do some research on that.
Speaker 2:But yeah, there could very well be an angled shadow coming across, you know, right field, and that does affect the batters, because I've seen those, we've seen that in the past in those early afternoon games that aren't locked in at 120.
Speaker 1:Well, we could say Suzuki out in right field with some bad shadows at 330, top of the first, not necessarily something that you want to have happen with Suzuki not really playing regularly this year. I'm not that mad and I'm not trying playing regularly this year at Wrigley, not cast.
Speaker 2:I'm not that mad and I'm not trying to be mad, mahoney.
Speaker 1:You're not trying to cast a shadow over the potential playoff shadow. That actually kind of worked. Yeah, Whatever dude.
Speaker 2:I like that one actually. Then say it again cat, you just cast, casting the shadow over the potential shadow being cast. Moving on, one last thing, I have a serious, like kind of just a quick, thought regarding this sweep at cincinnati. How does like a locker room that goes from a psychological high, then you know you get swept by cincinnati and like does that really affect the vibes that the dudes were all just feeling after such a big come together type of moment?
Speaker 2:and I know it's kind of a rhetorical question like no, I don't, yeah, I don't know, I don't think it matters as much, but so, yeah, I was just kind of like that was one thing that was on my mind, but I do think momentum is still big, you know, and as a cost of confidence 156 games into the season.
Speaker 1:I don't think craig council's gonna start giving a fuck like that now. You know he hasn't yet they lose whatever. I mean that guy. I can't imagine anyone in the dugout like ian happ and nico horner were basically crying during the postgame celebration when they clinched the playoffs. And I'm teasing when I say guys drinking bud light, having too many beers and just, but like that is a group that doesn't get after it. Like that is a group that probably had a two, three day hangover and hasn't socialized like that throughout the season. Historically speaking, anthony Rizzo just retired. Those guys were drinking during games. So I mean, but there's booze all over those Theo teams this team I'm being serious about. How hungover were they against the Cincinnati Reds? How much do I want to read into it? And it's for me if I'm sitting here even trying to analyze. How much do I want to? There's no way those guys give a fuck. There's no way. There's not one guy Maybe Dazby Swanson's slightly annoyed that they celebrated too hard would be my guess because he's won a championship.
Speaker 2:You're telling me that they weren't that mad. They probably weren't that mad.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you who wasn't celebrating. And again, I got to go back to the theme before I say it, because what's the theme? Mahoney? I'm not that mad.
Speaker 2:Not that mad, carl, not that bad. We're not that bad. Kyle Tucker was not at the celebration. He wasn't. That's definitely one of those. It's not nothing thing. And then what we had heard he's getting a second opinion or a rehab or whatever. They're looking into his calf issue down in florida. So that's kind of a kind of a red alarm fire or four alarm fire as far as I'm concerned.
Speaker 1:I'm going to strangle you with that fucking mouse. I'm going to unplug the USB out of the back of that compact.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:On your throat. I'm going to hang you from the garage door with it. I'm not that mad, I know you're not that mad.
Speaker 2:And here's the thing I am not. Just that's not a random click. I was hovering over the mute button because some of the heavy machinery started going by. I think they're parking the excavator and such right out in front.
Speaker 1:So I think that I kept the hand on the mouse a little bit too long and got click, happy we didn't even address the fact that the Monday Morning Cub show is late this week because we do have local 150 on site outside Mahoney studio, inoperable in some cases for doing a show. Just the amount of beeping because it's safety regulations and there's kids around. I mean what do you? What do you want us to do about? This is kind of what in my head I was saying I'm not projecting that towards anybody in the audience, but in my head what are we? What are we going to do about this? We got kids in the neighborhood, we got heavy equipment. I mean there's show takes a backseat sometimes, I guess I mean there's show takes a backseat sometimes, I guess.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, it makes perfect sense. Plus, people are just trying to, you know, do their job out in front, so that's just. Sometimes there's things completely out of our control and here we are. It's also an off day, so that's often the blow a little bit. However, you know, we're going to try to keep it tight in the morning, moving forward. I'm going to get that construction schedule from Tiny, who's the project manager on site.
Speaker 1:Things outside my control right now. Cubs right field DH situation while Kyle Tucker is in Florida Outside my control.
Speaker 2:Outside.
Speaker 1:Not my control.
Speaker 2:With Kyle Tucker when I heard he was getting a second opinion that basically put me at 50-50, as if he's going to be on the roster in the playoffs and healthy and ready to go, Instantly concerned when I heard that Second opinion in September is, I mean cut off his key card access.
Speaker 1:Where are you going? What do you mean? You're going to be in? Where are you going out of Tampa You're going to? He's from Plant, Florida, I think he's from the same school as Wade Boggs. That could be speculative, but my point is you're in Florida, team's not in Florida.
Speaker 2:No, you're not there celebrating a playoff win. Yeah, it was a bit strange. I heard he's getting looked at if it's to prep and get ready and get healthy, ready to rock, okay, but I don't know. I think there's I'm not saying there's a little more here, but I am to have the feeling that it could go south for us, where we're not going to ever see kyle tucker in a cubs uniform again and if he, if he's not healthy, then I know we don't want him because he hasn't been playing well at all.
Speaker 1:Okay, because this I am kind of mad about. Like this is on the look. I'm like now. I think it's fair. Players have their own rights. It's negotiated in the MLB Players Association. Whatever the bargaining agreement, they have the right to. You know, a second opinion, I don't know. He's on the il. He's entitled to see a specialist. Somebody's more comfortable now. If we're the oakland athletics, by all means, buddy, I'd have my own personal team of doctors as well. We're the minnesota twins. I mean, maybe you got some questions about that. You know, maybe the male clinic you could get a good second look up there. Yeah, I mean White Sox maybe, but the White Sox have orthopedic at rush and they're known for being very good for injuries. I'm poking holes in this, because maybe what I'm saying is you could be at some destitute sports organization, some destitute sports franchise where the medical think a major league. You know, I don't think there's any stewardess on this plane, but I don't think there's any pilots.
Speaker 2:You have world. You have world-class medicine at your disposal in chicago. I think northwestern's tagline is like get a second opinion or something. I think it is.
Speaker 1:but are we going to start poke, can we? I'm not mad, I don't want to overreact. Where, where do we start? When the news he's getting a second opinion? He's not in the clubhouse. Okay, here's my first meatball take for you is like, be nice If the guy was around the team. Whatever, fine, fuck it. You don't want to, you're guaranteed that, right. I guess kind of a more layered thing that is serious that the Cubs should have to answer for is what is the, what's the medical necessity for a second opinion in this case? Is this a systemic thing? Are the cubs bad with injuries?
Speaker 2:I know we've oh we've made jokes about obliques you know a lot of them were like the joke came from like five guys going down jameson tans, but then in and out Justin Seale, out Javier Saad, no fucking availability.
Speaker 1:Yeah, valencia cooked, you know, adbert azalea cooked last year. What, what? What point in this? Kyle tucker is an available thing. Okay, fine, I'll shit on kyle tucker. Give me all the time and ammunition. What time? At what point can I start lumping in the cubs staff in leadership? That may be not leadership, you know, it's like the trainer, the doctors, or is it a front office thing? They're not supporting these guys. In fact, kyle Tucker's getting a second opinion is making me really uncomfortable. Past the meatball side of I'd like him to be around the team. I'm saying it makes me uncomfortable.
Speaker 2:Mahoney, and I could see your own comfort, I feel your own comfort. One thing I would imagine is that the Cubs would do anything in their power on their medical team to look into his calf. What have you? I think I might have a high jackhammer going once more to close out the street. So if you hear any shaking in the background, that's all me. But I think that him getting the second opinion is much more on his agent side of things, because they didn't like what the Cubs had seen and then they're like well, let's go take another look, because it has more bearing on next season than it does this.
Speaker 1:Kyle Tucker can tell his agent to fuck off. I don't think the agent relationship is like that, especially your, kyle Tucker, come on.
Speaker 2:He could, but he has no allegiance to this squad beyond what he's already done here.
Speaker 1:Or does Kyle Tucker surrender to his agent at this point, this late, you know in the contract year, and say yeah you know, like I don't, what do I do, man? Like I can hardly move, I played like shit earlier. It's up to you.
Speaker 2:That could be very well true, and I played like shit earlier. It's up to you. That could be very well true, and that that's exactly something that popped into my head, where they might've had a like, hey, I'm going to play through it, and then it is going to get to the point where he might've just been like, hey, dude, this is going to affect you by X amount, so you're better off sitting, and the variance is it was too much for you to risk this, especially another injury. So if it's something in his calf that could be easily re-injured, that's something that's going to have an instant impact on a contract negotiation, as the season's ending in a week.
Speaker 1:Whatever it's fair, I want to complain.
Speaker 2:No, it is. It's a good like those are all good takes and I agree to complain. No, it is, it's a good like those are all good takes and I agree. I could just see it from the other side of things too.
Speaker 1:Totally fair, I want to complain. Whatever, what's our theme? I'm not that mad. The theme of the show should be on the toe, on the line because, all right, kyle tucker, like say he can come back. Do we even want him back? He was terrible when he played through injury. You know, whatever was a hand thing, now calf thing, to completely different injuries. That's a meatball take. I should just hang up the fucking microphone for that take. But like, whatever I mean, do we want him even back? If he's back hurt, okay, so he's a DH. Is a hurt Kyle Tucker is a DH, then that would force a because we're saying it's a leg injury. So do we want, like, a limp Kyle Tucker in right field or do we want, okay, suzuki? So that's a loaded question. Or?
Speaker 2:do you want a Kyle Tucker with a freshly load of human growth hormone in him, stem cells in his leg and juiced up ready to go? Because if he's not in our organization, maybe just maybe he's putting some cream on that calf, our organization, maybe, just maybe he's putting some cream on that calf and that cream his eyesight, which is going to drive the ball all over Wrigley Field and he's going to take us to the World Series. So, like, maybe Kyle Tucker is doing some sauce right now or something within a legal realm or not, I don't know you're a genius, that's exactly why he goes to Florida.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the fact I don't know You're a genius, that's exactly why he goes to Florida. The fact I couldn't sniff that one out, why else would you go to Florida? Second opinion my ass cream clear and my reports are he's on the Bay side in the general Tampa area. So like that's exactly if you're getting juiced up in Florida. And obviously, listen, I know there's a lot of glamor muscle in Miami, but the meat and potatoes of the performance enhancing drug industry in Florida is Bayside, is in the Tampa St Petersburg network.
Speaker 2:So I stand by that. We nailed it. Yeah, I think we nailed it. So I mean, we would want to see Kyle Tucker come back in this situation If you went to Florida if he was getting his tits done, of course I'd want to see him, oh shit hey, get him back.
Speaker 1:Get him coral gables, all right, get yourself a bargain. Um, obviously we're, you know, just speculating here, but this is a serious question about kyle tucker. Non-creamer clear. Say kyle tucker is injured. Kyle tucker, then let's just run through our options here. This son of a bitch, by the way. I hate this. I hate doing this stuff. Like I just can't say this enough. The fact we're in this position with Kyle Tucker, it just really bothers me.
Speaker 1:156 games into the season, but let's play the hypothetical anyways. Kyle Tucker is healthy, kyle Tucker plays right field. Then the question is can Kyle Tucker be 100% for the playoffs? You know, I don't know what's the likelihood of that 25%. More likely is that he's gimpy. So if he's gimpy, can he DH? And would you rather have a gimpy Kyle Tucker DH? I'm ruling out Owen Casey. People are saying Owen Casey can play. I thought he was concussed and there's no. There's no way that guy's playing right field. So say Suzuki could play right field and then would buy a sterile DH. What would you prefer? A banged up cow, no, oh. But Kyle Tucker is on base Percentage is still like 400, but he can't run.
Speaker 2:That's where I don't know. I think you do play Kyle Tucker, if he's available, because we've really got to test out what had happened down in Florida.
Speaker 1:And he's been in the playoffs before right. He's won a World Series.
Speaker 2:Goes to the guys you want in the locker room period Play him.
Speaker 1:Play period Play him, play him, play him. He better play If he doesn't play.
Speaker 2:Huge dislike. That would be so disappointing. Only because, too, it was like remember, it was like, oh there has to be a handshake agreement if they made this trade, that this Kyle Tucker guy has some sort of long term, like all that happens. Yeah, no, you want Kyle Tucker on the playoff roster and we want him healthy and juice to the gills.
Speaker 1:If he doesn't play, it becomes one of the most disappointing cubs of my lifetime. If this, if his tenure with the chicago cubs is done, I'll have the most bitter taste in my mouth about him yeah same, because we could just be saw what could have been hey, we already did the magic number.
Speaker 1:This is just on the list here. Just a quick week preview we're off, obviously, monday at the time recording the show mets tomorrow. They're, they're stumbling, bumbling, brutal cardinals will just play our stuff because they want to beat us. They just always will want to beat us. Hopefully, those games don't matter. It would be great if we could knock out this magic number. We could win two games. The padres could lose two games of the right start the week and then it just doesn't matter. Then we can rest, guys, and I don't want to hear about the offense, no, the only time.
Speaker 2:Only time there will become must-win games from here on out is if we get dropped two right off the bat to the Mets. Then we're starting to look and the Padres keep winning. So that's the only way we're going to be must-win scenarios. We just got to. Slow and steady wins the race this week.
Speaker 1:This is a thirsty but car spicy take for you. The Mets starting pitching is so complete, is such complete trash that I have absolutely no doubt that the Cubs are going to take two or three from the Mets. I mean, if the pitching matchups they got to see Kate Horton, they got to see show it up, they got to see boy. No, it's all set up very nicely for us, Uh no, no, it's all set up very nicely for us.
Speaker 2:Uh, no, no. When we had a couple of those down weeks, a few, I don't know, like a month ago or whatever, the one thing that kind of get me going why I wasn't was the fact that the mats were falling off a cliff, and then they continued to do it, and now you really see why. So if this is a team that you know where we want to catch them, this is where you're going to want a team like them, and rather than the Reds who just swept us, who are playing hot, we're going to see the Mets, who are SHIT.
Speaker 1:I shouldn't say stuff like I just said. I'm setting myself up Mahoney.
Speaker 2:You're not that mad, though we have confidence. There's optimism. We'll see what happens here this week. And I'm not scared of the Mets whatsoever yeah, not yet. I just can't see the Mets being a problem. And Cardinals, come on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know.
Speaker 2:If you guys hear any shaking right now, they just I can't believe the machinery is still going. These guys are working their asses off out there.
Speaker 1:How about it? Um, just a couple quick more notes here for the chicago cubs. You know we have a question here who would pitch game three? I saw a lot of debate online, particularly in the message boards. That, and I shouldn't even say debate, I was just surprised. Everyone has showed him and august slated as the number one.
Speaker 2:You know a lot of people have Shota. We were talking Cade Shota and then likely Taeyon, just based on the way Boyd has been. You know the second half of the season.
Speaker 2:And you know, in talking to our boy Tui over the weekend too, we had the same conversation who's our one through three? And he said you absolutely do not throw Cade number one. This is not when you want to give him the ball in that situation for a game one playoff scenario and you get Shota, who's been in like a world baseball classic and big game. Now I just don't agree with that necessarily, but it made a lot of sense and still we all came up with tay on being the game three. So if we're still talking game three but the one and two, I do think you can flip-flop. He made a really good point on. You do not want to do that to a guy at this early in his career by giving him a postseason start you know, half half of in your way into his rookie campaign I mean, what a puss alternative here.
Speaker 1:I couldn't disagree more hey, what this is. Just I'm a messenger on this one I'm furious with the message I don't own your. Take pal one. I don't own it because you said you liked it too. I liked his point of view, I don't, I don't. I told him we're gonna bring this up on the show.
Speaker 1:No, I'm not that mad. I got to say go back to the theme. You get labeled as a mad person, you get labeled as an angry person. It's easy for people to latch on. I'm not mad at all here. What were?
Speaker 2:the arguments you were seeing for the third pitch.
Speaker 1:Arguments are about you and him saying that Kate Horton, what a tough situation. So let's give an elimination game. Okay, showed it goes out, loses one nothing. Oh well, we don't want to hurt kate horton's feelings here.
Speaker 2:Wait we he can't pitch an elimination game because he goes in the offseason.
Speaker 1:There you go you say, hey, you've been the best pitcher in baseball for the last two months. You've earned it. The next step is you go take the ball game one against the padres at home, to the sound of 42,250 full capacity. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And he was on the call. Illumina elimination game could could be a little worse on the psyche than I think you know. A tough game, one outing.
Speaker 1:Well, my read on this is not too far from the fact that you want to lean into the fact that Shota has experience, and I think the experience is better served in game two. Now, that's a wild card strategy. I don't think in a game one of an NLDS it might be a little bit different because you're playing with five games, Maybe if you're really trying to nurse somebody. I don't think we have a choice, is what I'm saying from this three game series. I think if you are going to consider the fact that, like what is better for the guy's development mentally, I would say game one, I'd say game one, I stand by that and I entertain all maniacs who want to debate this topic.
Speaker 2:Or if you have compelling, primarily compelling subjective reasons, emotional it's going to be a big conversation that will dominate the week too, so there's going to be a lot of chatter about this very thing, one through three.
Speaker 2:I'm not mad Me neither. You know what is a good reason not to be mad. This is our first full season playoff appearance here, you know, since that one game shit sandwich against the Rockies in 2018. But our first full season that we had, you know, and we have to be, you know, really, just take it in and enjoy it, because you know we don't know when we'll be back and you know, let's finish the season strong at the home field advantage. We want that series at Wrigley and then we can really start sinking our teeth into what things are going to be looking like in a series preview.
Speaker 2:And hopefully we'll have that for you by the end of the week 45, 84, 89, 98, 03, 07, 08, 15, 16, 17, 18. And 2025. This is it, folks, so it's a much appreciated moment.
Speaker 1:I did some homework. I did some homework on the Cubs, september. Why does this matter? This is a question I've been Mulling, you know, as I'm just casually not mad At all about the Cubs getting swept by the Reds. I'm just mulling right now how serious Is September? Because, going into Cincinnati, we were 10-4 in the month of. Not mad at all about the Cubs getting swept by the Reds. I'm just mulling right now. How serious is September? Because, going into Cincinnati, we were 10-4 in the month of September. The reason this is important is that 17 of the last 20 pennant winners have had above 500 records in September.
Speaker 1:I want to see the if we're going to say hey, cubs World Series, if we're going to have expectations when we go into the playoffs, it is such an anomaly for a pennant winner to play poorly in September. I think there's three instances the 2015 Royals were 11-17. The 2017 Dodgers were 12-17. And the 2022 Phillies were 11 and 14. Yeah, everybody else is 19 and six, 15 and 10, 15 and 12, 16 and 10. Just go down the list. So for me and the Chicago Cubs and our relationship as we close out September, here, we're 10 and eight. I want to be one of these teams. That goes in let's. I mean I'm not saying we have to be 16-8, but it would be nice if we were 14 and whatever, that is, 14-10 in September.
Speaker 2:Yeah, dude, let's get going, let's finish strong and close out the season with that guarantee we can set up our rotation a bit.
Speaker 1:We'll know more, hopefully, and then, yeah, let's rock and roll the last thing I have on the list I'd like to talk about is that the what we know a cubs lineup to look like. I can't do batting order, but I can fill out the position card. I cannot do batting order right now because I just don't know. I don't know, I have no clue what we're going to do with the batting order. But here's what we can do is at least figure out what's the position look like, and so the guarantees are obviously nico, dansby and shaw. Nico's gonna play second, dansy's gonna play short, shaw's gonna play third. Like there's a guarantee, like willie castro I don't care what the matchup says, none of that. I think it's a guarantee that that's the infield, that's a guarantee. And obviously Mike.
Speaker 1:Now the question if we see left-handed pitching, michael Bush sits or does he play eighth? That's the only reason I don't have Michael Bush as a guarantee. I just don't understand. Now we're going to see Nick Pavetta, probably. If we see the Padres, probably very likely 99.9, but I I'd not put in 100. I have to. I would like to trust me. I very much would like to. I don't know what the hell. They like justin turner way too much. I don't know what they would do if we saw a left-handed starter, if something were to happen with the Padres, if we were to see somebody else? Does that sound crazy?
Speaker 2:It doesn't sound crazy, I do have a feeling that we will see a mixed bag at first base and more Justin Turner than I'd ever possibly imagined throughout the course of the season in the postseason. I think that's a warning shot.
Speaker 1:He's going to be making some appearances. That's a valid warning shot. Let's emphasize this. There is a very good chance. Justin Turner People say he's out, people would say Carlos Santana. I would think Justin Turner is going to be on the roster over Carlos Santana. I have two other guarantees Obviously, ian Happ and Pete Crow Armstrong. Obviously it's going to be Pete Crow Armstrong in center, happ in left, shaw at third. Obviously it's going to be P Crum, strong and center half and left shot. Third, swanee at short, miko at second. It's 99.9% going to be Bush at first. But there is enough there in the 0.1%, 0.01% to warn people and say maybe Justin Turner gets a look. If we see a left-handed pitcher, yeah, cross the bow, got to let him know. And then, almost same situation carson kelly's gonna catch. Like that's a near, that's a 99.9 percent. Carson kelly's gonna be our catcher. So then that renders question mark.
Speaker 1:that just renders us right field in question mark. Right field dh. Is kyle tucker healthy, kentucky? Can kyle tucker us right field in question mark? Right field DH Is Kyle Tucker healthy? Can Kyle Tucker play right field? Can Kyle Tucker DH? If he is not available, then I think it's obvious Say it plays right field and Moises by a sterile DHS.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that that would be the move.
Speaker 1:Thus fulfilling the Monday morning club show prophecy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hell yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, hell yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I really could see that happening, man.
Speaker 1:So People could be mad at me right now for not saying that Carson, Kelly and Bush are guaranteed. People could say those are a hundred percent guarantees. I understand that. That's why I'm calling them 99.99% guarantees. That's not 100%, though. The 100% is that half is going to be on left. Pca in center.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you left a sliver there.
Speaker 1:You know what, dude? Honestly, this is like a moment, like a real WWF old school the glass shatters moment. The Cubs released the lineup. Ian happened to lead off, spot. That's what I. Yeah, here it comes he's back that's a stone called steve austin.
Speaker 1:Music for the youngsters listeners. Um, all right, we're kind of winding down on the show because we're going to be back on thursday it's an off day show. Uh, the the chicago cubs. At time of this. I'm not that mad, but like it does kind of suck. It does kind of suck big dick. I shouldn't say it like that. It does I, but it does kind of suck. It does kind of suck big dick. I shouldn't say it like that. I guess it does. It does suck. It sucks big time that the offense is laying eggs. I don't have excuses for it, other than to say we clinched the postseason. The edges weren't off. You're running a great starting pitching in Cincinnati. You get swept. It is what it is. So we're off today, we bounce back this week. What else you want to add to that, mahoney?
Speaker 2:We got six more baseball games right, Six. Yeah, that's it. Let's go finish strong. Thank you.