The Bears Christmas Miracle + Bah Humbug Tommy Ricketts

December in Chicago can hold two truths at once: a city buzzing from a Bears stunner and a fan base staring down a quiet Cubs winter. We lean into both. We start with that late-game chaos at Soldier Field, then shift into the meat of the show: why Tyler Austin makes sense as a low-cost, right-handed complement at first base, what it means for Michael Busch’s at-bats vs lefties, and how smart platoons can quietly add real wins. If you’re wondering whether this front office is telegraphing its budget more than its ambition, you’re not alone—we talk through the signals, the strategy, and the gap between headlines and value.

PCA’s everywhere right now: at games, in the community, and in the city’s imagination. We dig into why his presence matters beyond highlights and why an early extension isn’t just numbers—it’s identity. That ties into a bigger theme: you can’t fake cohesion. We look at bullpen churn, development bets, and the calculus of avoiding big money on volatile arms. Along the way, we pull back the curtain on spending tiers, the Ricketts family narrative, and what it means when the Cubs are “in” on a free agent that isn’t top shelf.

We also zoom out to the league. Wilson Contreras to Boston makes a lot of baseball sense—his intensity fits that park and that crowd—while reports of Cardinals dysfunction track with what we’re seeing on the field. The takeaway: context matters, culture matters, and the Cubs can still outplay a subdued winter if they nail roles, defense, and communication.

If you’re craving unvarnished Cubs talk with a holiday heartbeat, hit play. Then tell us where you stand: spend big now or trust the slow build? Subscribe, share with a fellow fan, and drop a quick five-star review to help other diehards find the show.

Thanks for tuning in! 

- Carl & Mahoney

Transcript

Holiday Greetings And Banter

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Good morning, good afternoon, fans. Welcome back to the Monday Morning Cup Show. It is Carl, your host. I am joined by Mahoney. Today is Monday, December 22nd. Merry Christmas, my friend. It's good to see you. Good to have you back.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to the maniacs. To the maniacs. Yo, what up, everybody? Carl, good to see you as always. And I am just in the spirit, as you just heard, doing a little bit of an instant cover. Hopefully that doesn't get us a flag for anything. But that said, it's good to be back. Hate to be the every other week guy joining you. I'm personally enjoying your solo shows, not gonna lie, but at the same token, I'm here. I'm ready to rock. I'm ready to like just get this whole episode rolling, baby. Life is rolling, we're feeling good, and I hope everyone's having a wonderful holiday season heading into this stretch.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

It's like Mighty Ducks 2, Adam Banks, he hurts his right wrist, so he gets a little bit better with his left list. It's not necessarily like Banks wants to go left, but after having developed the skill to go left, which is what I'm comparing me doing solo shows. If it were up to me, obviously, coach, you know, the wrist is you're always there by my side. But as it goes on, you know, sometimes it's good for me too. It's cathartic. My wife says I'm usually in a better mood when I'm like just talking. You know, if this thing goes over an hour, I come out. She's usually in a good mood because then I've like obviously just calmed, you know, calmed down. And I should also say to the audience, it's Sunday night. Typically, we do do these on Monday morning. This is a rare occurrence. I would say one out of what would you say? 15 episodes we do on Sundays. Typically, most of these are crack a dawn.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Typically, fresh crack a dawn Monday morning. I'd say 15 a year. We're doing Sunday night when we can or have to. We're here. Give me the more Mighty Ducks references too. It's like Adam Banks. I woke up and the pain was gone.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Fulton Reef.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Yeah, that's it. Woke up and the pain was gone. Doing the Adam Banks wrist turn showing Coach Bombay he's ready to rock.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Cake Eater.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Showed up to play. Is that a career?

SPEAKER_00 2:39

Is number one a Christmas movie? Was somebody talking about that?

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Not that I saw, and I don't believe it is. I've never associated Mighty Ducks with a Christmas movie other than just being in the cold.

Bears Thriller Spills Into A Cubs Show

SPEAKER_00 2:50

We're gonna talk about Christmas movies. I suppose second half of the show, we have a little bit of a Christmas bag, uh crab bag. Ho ho ho. This is a cub show though. I am a diehard. You know. Like we've we had such good lively banter in the green room for like the 15 minutes before we hit record. And now that we're three minutes into this, and I understand the opening segment will involve us in some shape or form talking about the offseason. Like, I have to fight some negativity. I need your help.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Well, Carl, I'm here for you. I think we're all in the holiday spirit. Let's have that spirit lift you up. Um and off the top, if you're really fighting negativity, and I not entirely related, this is a Cub show, but the Bears are playoff bound, baby. And the Bears, how can you not not talk about last night's game, regardless of this being a Cubs show or excuse me, a Bear show or not? PCA was there, so that's all we need to do to cross that bridge. And everything that we saw was absolutely electric, Wrigley or excuse me, Soldier Field absolutely lighting up with the Bears' last five minutes. It was five minutes, unbelievable. The first still bang em up football game. Yeah, big cold. Like, and then we did it. It's just it was unbelievable. Beating Green Bay the way that we did, it was an absolute seminal moment in a young Caleb Williams' career.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Not that I'm not a gigantic Bears fan. Why was it just not nowhere anywhere near the top of my head as I was thinking about this show today? Is it just because we've ignored everything but the Cubs? Now we can get into it. Yeah, like and otherwise, that game yesterday was garbage until the very last the last moment. I was a sad puppy. Very little moment.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Three and a half minutes left.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

Yeah, walking away, this game's over. Which is great. I don't give up. I mean, if you want to get even remotely, like, here's a serious take for you, because otherwise, I would just say wonderful start by Ben Johnson. We're very lucky. Much prefer him over Brandon Johnson. I think he's an elite leader. Before we even get into play-calling schematics, like what he's doing with DJ Moore in the fucking second. Shut up. He's just a solid guy running a great program. You could tell people buy into a shit. Now, just a serious take, though, because people are gonna say Bears are lucky, they're winning games by one score, they're winning games with tremendous amounts of luck. They lost to who was it, the Ravens? Huntley on the road, trash. You know, they're not serious, etc. They're a lucky team. I would just point to A going on the road against the Eagles and winning that game, B, winning very ugly against the Green Bay Packers without really having, you know, your best shit still figuring out a way to put a W on that column and then blowing the fucking doors off the Browns. It's like you should blow the fucking doors off the Browns. You should grind it out against the Packers. I would just say the Bears are, not to quote Denny Green or be ironic or any anything other than just dead serious. I mean it. They are who we fucking think they are. They're a tough team that doesn't lose.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

They're a tough group of dudes that are buying into the head coach and his staff, his system, his philosophy, and that bleeds through the locker room. Forget about the front office in their hallways and Kevin Warren releasing the dumbass presser, you know, press release about moving to Indiana. Don't want to talk about that, especially the week we're playing the Green Bay Packers. But what all I care about is between the walls of the actual locker room and seeing these dudes into Ben Johnson, good, better, best. Let's fucking rock, let's roll. And last night was something I'll never forget from just the onside kick. I know it was. I mean, you're never gonna forget it. No, I never will. I mean, for other other reasons, just no, my son was sitting next to me. Did the Bears win? No, they tied it. Like, there was just a lot of other moving parts, but my dad was at the game, he was texting me kind of throughout, too. So there was just a walk.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

I'll never forget it. I don't, I mean, I think you're gonna forget. I think your dad is more in line going every.

SPEAKER_01 7:18

I mean, I'll easily never forget Caleb Williams throwing a 45-yard touchdown to DJ Moore to beat the Packers in overtime. I'll never forget that. Sit next to my son in bed, he went and turned the TV off. So it's not like I was with him. I had to walk back out into the family room because that TV was still going to catch everything. He goes, Dad, I'm gonna turn this off. And I'm like, No, no, no, no, no, no, no. And then went out to the hallway. I don't have a big house, so it was easy enough not to miss a play.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

You know what? That is that is basically unforgettable.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

That's why. And that's why. That's what my kid says too. And that's why. Okay, get lost, kid. I gotta watch the Bears win. Just so it was just a fantastic thing. And I did see PCA was at the game. Um, and uh and coupled with that, I then see him at Caleb Williams and Lyrical Lemonades thing, you know, uh holiday handoff where you know they're giving food back to Chicago. Caleb's first post after the game was reposting one of those dudes' thing, and now tomorrow we feed the city. And that's the type of guys, PCA Caleb, that we are privileged to have superstars in the city, right?

SPEAKER_00 8:27

I think I think I think I think this is a good moment where I would say I wish this was a three-man show because I wish some I know someone listening to this right now has a very strong opinion. Uh they want to chime in here in in support of what you're saying. Yes, I agree with you. I'm sensitive to say anything that isn't like complete praise towards Caleb or PCA, particularly Caleb at this point in time. He's just again winner, especially the Bears lose everything, always terrible. 11 and 4, year one under Ben Johnson. You gotta be careful talking about this guy, you know, anything other than great competitor. Now, the guys on 670 and 1,000, I don't miss maybe maybe other talking heads in Chicago, you know, will dare put their foot in the water to say he is he good enough to win in the playoffs or anything.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

I would just say I um those guys have a lot of air time to fill too, Carl. We can just get down to the nitty-gritty and tell us how you feel about it.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Yeah, I I think I think the PCA thing I actually want to get to. It's on my list of stuff I want to get to. And the specific question that I have is what is PCA doing in Chicago right now? Now, obviously Caleb Williams should be is around making his making his way around town too. It's not the first Bears game. Fucking season, but like PCA's at like Black Ox games. I thought I thought I saw him at a WNBA game.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

He's been everywhere, yeah. It's some sort of tour, and I haven't been able to connect the dots with any uh you know brand that he's associated with for these appearances.

SPEAKER_00 10:19

And it's not is he in town long term, you know, cub waiting for Cubs convention? He should be home. He's Hollywood's this is a very serious thing. Now, we should also say off the top, there's a couple other things as I say, off the top 10 plus minutes into the show. We're gonna talk PCA. Why is PCA around Scaro? Uh Christmas grab bag. Mahoney put a wonderful outline together. It's it's wonderful to have Mahoney back. I regret to inform you guys, I forgot to inform you guys that today's show is sponsored by Thirsty Vaquero, a Mexican-style soda with a signature spicy finish that is all bite, no rattle. Three bold flavors, Mahoney. Obviously, limon in chile pepper, mango habanero, and your favorite, the jalapeno watermelon shipped from Amazon. You guys got the prime account. Just go on Thirsty Vaquero. It is the official beverage partner of the Monday Morning Cup Show. It's a non-alcoholic Mexican-style soda. Mahoney, it's your favorite drink this time of year.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

It absolutely is. And I'm no shtick, no sponsor kissing, you know, but whatever. It was the talk of the kids' birthday party. You know, I got a lot of non-drinkers that come by. We're Irish, so there's, you know, it's a checkered pass there. So a lot of people want to have a non-alcoholic beverage that's giving them a little bit of, you know, all bite, no rattle. And I swear on my children, it was the talk of the birthday party. A family birthday party, about 20 or so, so nothing too extravagant, too many people. Aunt Susie was walking around. You're not gonna believe this, Kim. You're not gonna, I'll give me a minute, Sue. And then she turns around, tastes it, and she that completely agreed, and then it just spread from there. So thirsty vaquero hits at kids' birthday parties, at holiday parties. If you want to enter a room and be the talk of the town, get yourself a thirsty vaquero.

Why Is PCA Everywhere In Chicago

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Suck one of these down, Sue. Uh, yeah, it is so good. It's very good, it's so good. And it's the other thing, too, is you haven't had it till you have it. Never had anything like people go. What is that? The can is ridiculous. The texture, the flavor profile pairs nicely too with meals. Because, okay, here's I have a problem with soda, and we're still just staying on the thirst of a crouches for a second. I suck it down too much, almost reminiscent of elementary school ju juice boxes. You couldn't throw enough juice boxes in the cool six, wasn't enough because I'm just pounding these things coming out of recess, sweaty, dehydrated. So there just isn't enough. And I bring that up as a comparison to where I'm at with soda now. Like they're just a 12-ounce candomy. A 12-ounce candomy is two bigs. That's too in the middle of a what? What am I eating? Last night I had a steak burrito. What is that? Two and a half big sips. You gotta line them up, baby. Three or four. So what a vaquero does, vaquero gives you that hydration sensation, but the signature spicy finish, it kind of almost puts a little lip bit of a that's enough there, big fella. You know, so like one can is enough. My point is get a thirsty vaquero, it's delicious. Am I wrong about the soda juice box comparison?

SPEAKER_01 13:34

No, you're not, dude, because really, if you think about a thirsty vaquero, it's a sparkling water with real agave and real like fruit, like juice. It's just it is a completely different experience. It really is, and it's an experience in itself. And I promise, I challenge the audience who has not had a chance to enjoy a thirsty vaquero. Go out, get yourself some and have a sip. It's unlike anything that you've ever had.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

Merry Christmas. And it won't be a del it, probably won't be like being realistic. I probably guaranteeing Christmas deliveries right now.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

That's an i no, I can't. I'm not on the fulfillment business.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

You could be late, you could order it and then print out the receipt, throw that baby an envelope. Merry Christmas, Dad. Something's on the way.

unknown 14:23

12.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

I don't think I don't think my wife's present is going to be arriving on time.

Sponsor Segment: Thirsty Vaquero

SPEAKER_00 14:28

So well. We've danced around this enough. This is a Chicago Cubs podcast. There has been no uh notable news, I suppose. It like, okay. A little if I was if this was a solo show, I would be taking laps on how right I've been about the offseason and just the general pace of our front office and kind of what we would be targeting. That's why we've talked about backup reps at right at first base from a right-handed hitter who we just went out and got. It's why we've talked about veteran bullpen depth, especially having some familiarity with Craig Council. You know what we're surprised about going two years with Maton. Are we not surprised that we didn't go to$22 million for Brad Keller? No, we're not surprised at all. And so there's just a couple things there.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

Again, Mahoney, if this was a solo show, I would it's been pretty spot on, Carl. Throughout the winter and leading up, it's the Monday morning cub show is is pretty even keeled when it comes to nailing this stuff. So what do we do now? Well, we do have that signing from Japan, big signing from Japan in Chicago, and it was you'd mentioned Tyler Austin. That's first base. I got a little bit of a take on a ball or strike, but so ba humbug or God bless us everyone. This impacts Michael Bush getting those at bats against lefties. Is this a Ba humbug or God bless you everyone?

SPEAKER_00 15:58

I'd say God bless you everyone.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

I mean so it's gonna impact. Is Tyler Austin gonna see significant time? I don't know much about the dude. I know he went to Japan, he was a Yankees guy at the start, but I mean there's a reason they're they're bringing him on board as opposed to you know any other I'd say familiar player that we'd seen. And we had heard the messaging from counsel that, well, yeah, Michael Bush has earned the right to get more bats against lefties, but now is that gonna happen? Long-winded bah humbug or God bless you everyone. It impacts Michael Bush getting those A Bs, and you say, God bless us everyone.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

Yeah, and I actually don't really know what the criteria is to say Ba humbug or God bless us everyone.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

I I do think that Ba humbug is a ball, and God bless us everyone is a strike. I sh might I might have used that off the top.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

Yeah. Well, this is a unique position. You have to let Michael Bush hit against lefties. My my opinion right now, why do I care? First off, why do I care like what I'm about to say? Like this is fucking matters, like this is getting documented.

SPEAKER_01 17:12

It's one of the only things that's happened this week that you can actually talk about.

SPEAKER_00 17:20

But uh, I don't think Michael Bush can hit lefties. And I don't think Michael, I think that Michael Bush at his best against his a lefty should be about major league average for a righty first baseman. Now we're not talking about uh you know third base or shortstop. Like we're talking about first base, we're talking about a position that generally speaking is like fifth uh on average is like 15 to 20 percent better than the rest of the league. So like if we're gonna send Bush out there against the lefties, and then he's gonna hit 210 with a fucking 280 OBP.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

When it's like, dude, a any right, like we're talking about first base guys that play first. Now, if it was a second base, that's different. That's a completely different conversation. But the pool of fucking guys that play professional baseball that play first base that are right-handed that can hit lefties better than what so far we've seen from Michael Bush. It's kind of a tragedy that they had Justin Turner be the guy last year when, like, literally, the he was even though Justin Turner was above average against lefties, he still is, in my opinion, below average relative to what you could be getting from. That's why it's a flawed appointed OPS plus for Justin Turner, because he's a first baseman. You know, point make it positional. Look at the rest of the first baseman. And so this is kind of where this Tyler Austin guy slides in. They're only paying him a million bucks, I think it's one year. Buck 25. So 945 OPS in like 850 games in Japan was a big prospect with the Yankees. Uh, guys have a hard time coming up with the Yankees. I've heard some bad things about the Yankees. Uh, here's a good little fun story from a guy who used to play for the Cubs and then went to the Yankees named Anthony Rizzo. And he said that the culture in the Yankees Clubhouse breaking. Did you hear on the Monday Morning Cub show? He said that the culture in the Yankees Clubhouse after he got traded was along the lines of something to the effect of you would think that Jeter was like coming around the corner, like that he was showing up at any point in time. That it was like they were still in that Jeter Posada, Mariana Rivera. And dude, this was like fucking so weird. This was like eight years at no seven years after these guys had retired. And so I bring that up not to like you know. The Yankees are awesome. It's a great organization. I'm saying from a player development perspective, there's a reason the Yankees struggle so much getting guys into this into the big leagues that are legit everyday players that come up through their system. Not saying guys they've traded for, like Aaron Judge, they drafted in the first round out of Fresno State. Anthony Volpe's a shortstop. He was a first-round high school kid from a local school, I believe from upstate New York, or maybe like in the Bronx area or something. You know, for the most part, though, they are signing guys. They have a hard culture to crack into the big leagues. My point in all of this, though, is like we're this Tyler Austin guy, his big league experience is through the Yankees. And it's just a difficult kind of like he didn't really catch on with them. It's the easiest way to put it. He was a top prospect, didn't catch on, went to Japan for six years. He's he's back. And like for a million bucks, based on what he did in Japan and based on his pedigree and based on his background, you'd hope there's a big chip on his shoulder. You'd hope that this guy has like signed for with the Cubs for a reason. This is my long-winded thing about Tyler Tyler Austin, because there isn't much to talk about, Molly.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

No, there isn't. But the fact that he went and spent you know that five, six years in Japan, I feel like it would be interesting to look at the correlation of prospects that haven't particularly panned out within New York and then went overseas. And just to get out of the maybe, like, does it break people in a way, or like just because it's a totally different from what they expect? But either way, glad to have them aboard, whether it's just bolstering the bench or getting Michael Bush to take a couple breaks against lefties. Uh, I didn't hate the signing, but I didn't see that one coming either.

SPEAKER_00 21:44

You know, there's a number of players who wouldn't want, and I'm sorry to dovetail too hard into this, but just to be specific, there's a number of players who would not who would put New York on a no trade list or would go out of their way to not play for the Yankees, but would play for the Mets. And that's purely from a cultural thing. Like some guys just don't now. Some guys like it, some guys thrive under it, some guys like Garrett Cole's a good example of somebody who wants to like be in the you know, in the pinstripe, so to say. There's a number of guys that thrived on that. I'm not trying to like talk shit. Rit Rizzo loved it, thought it was sick.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

There's guys that dream of playing for the Yankees one day and like knowing the history even behind it.

SPEAKER_00 22:21

And it's just hearsay, dude. Like, I'm not this is where I I have great little stories. It makes a lot of sense, though. I'm not sitting here trying to this is listen, this is not for clips or clicks, it's just for context to say this is I could do this better without sounding like a douchebag bringing up like here's what I heard from fucking so-and-so, you know. Um if we have time at the end, remind me that I have a good Jeter story. Only if we have time at the end. Um what else do we have? I think last thing, hey, Tyler Austin should mash, by the way. He should he should have a huge spring training. Um, this is this is just a seasoned veteran guy who is getting his opportunity here. Obviously, you know, he sees what I see when you look at the Cubs, and that is Michael Bush can't hit lefties. I don't give a fuck what they say. You could say whatever you want to say. Say what you want to say.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

There's no other guy's not there.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

There's no way, dude.

Cubs Offseason Mood And Fan Frustrations

SPEAKER_01 23:25

So we talked a little bit about you had your Christmas wish list last year. And week. Last week. Yeah, not last year yet, right? We got a couple, we had about a week until January 1st. We literally made that joke. Uh, but you had your wish list, and you had asked me to kind of go out and get mine. However, I for whatever reason, you know, was getting pulled in a couple different directions, just kind of gave my takes on some of yours or what I wanted to reiterate, and not to recap, but what I was thinking and are around the Monday morning cub show official wish list. I love it. I mean, is that do you that's that's basically the lead in. So, Carl, uh, because when I do listen to the solo episodes, I want to chime in and I want to give my take. And now I have this is the place to do it, right? I can't I don't want to text you, you know, hey man, I think that's great. What also what I was thinking, right? This is the this is the place for it. But off the top, what and we had talked about PCA being in Chicago quite a bit with Caleb at, you know, the holiday handoff today feed in Chicago. But him being signed and just getting him out of the way. Was that a was that a part of the wish list or am I confusing it? But getting him out of the way, we know he's gonna thrive, and I don't think he needs any extra stress on him, you know, with a contract floating over his head or what have you when he could just focus on his at bats. So I couldn't agree more. He's gonna sell tickets, the kid's a superstar, and it's kind of a win-win, though. You know he's gonna sell jerseys, kids are gonna love him. I think he's going to perform on the field and the outfield 100% behind the plate. We'll see what happens. We know he's gonna put in the work. But that's kind of what I wanted to reiterate was I want PCA signed long term.

SPEAKER_00 25:25

How many pizza smacks, Mahoney?

SPEAKER_01 25:28

I want at least five pizza smacks out of a PCA signing, you know, if he's gonna be fucking hitting the ball out of the park the way he tried last year.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Metaboy, you know, it's about time you drop an F-word, you know.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Yeah, well, yeah, if it's impactful, it counts.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

I earn every single E next to these episode titles.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

The last weeks, your F-boards were impeccable in their timing. It was great. I mean, you just knew what you were doing. You it almost like went in with some fucking intent.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Advent season, baby. So, all right. Uh I put it, it was I think it was the third thing on my wish list, although it wasn't in any particular order. It wasn't like number, although I suppose number 10 was like, everybody have a good year. So that was kind of an intentional send-off, although in no priority, uh, only narrative based. Number three on that list, I believe, was a PCA extension. My point though, and I kind of got fumbled on the finances, uh, which is hard to talk about. Do you start throwing numbers around? I don't dig, I don't dig.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

Throw numbers around when I'm listening to a Carl Solo show. I promise you I'm not digging in to see if you're correct. But there might be people out there, so that's solid as well that you're recognizing.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

I have what would he's um, I mean, I have several things, but what is the thing when like I it's not dyslexia, but I can't like if you are reading numbers to me or you're saying numbers to me, I can't. It's like you might as well be speaking a different language. Like, if you were just reading off numbers, you know, you were telling me somebody's home run count, or you were telling me statistics or something. I for whatever reason I cannot remember. I have to read numbers, I can't hear numbers. They they there's some disease. I don't know what the disease is. I know somebody has it, but like uh that's one of the things I have is a number disease. I'm a number disease.

SPEAKER_01 27:28

But on paper, you're as solid as it comes.

SPEAKER_00 27:32

But it's overcompensation, I think. It's an over auditory thing. Yeah, I think once I see it, then it's locked in, baby. That's why I can rattle off baseball statistics if I if I see them, but if I hear them, that's why I watch everything with closed captions. Because I can't.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

If you're telling me when I'm reading off stats, you don't know, you don't know what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00 27:51

Mahoney, I actually what I'm doing is I'm watching your lips, and then I'm writing it in my head on a chalkboard, and then I'm processing. So that's why I almost a little slow when you talk. Now, listen, this is a Christmas episode. It's a late Sunday night. If this is getting weird, you know, um Bears are 11-4 first place. Someone said they could not make the playoffs, suck it, suck it, lions lost.

SPEAKER_01 28:17

Lions lose our own posts. Another wild finish in the NFL.

SPEAKER_00 28:21

You know, we're limping through the end of this year on Cubs top topics. Now, we could do an entire episode where we come in here and we bitch or we ask questions. I don't understand why I don't get it. I think we've been pretty clear up front why. Like, why did we sign Kyler Austin for a million dollars? Why did we sign Hobie Milner? Why did Phil Maton get two years and something when Brad Keller got$11 million a year? Why don't we have money for that? It's obvious we don't have that much cash, we don't have that much money in the first place. We just financial not we are not in the first place.

Tyler Austin Signing And Bush Vs Lefties

SPEAKER_01 29:01

They're not in the business of re-signing guys for big money out of the bullpen. It's just not the makeup of this front office and the way that they've operated, so we can't expect that either. And so the Brad Keller thing, it was like, yeah, hate to see him go, but and not glad to see him leave either. But like I know that they're gonna probably find somebody else as well. And I don't know how Brad Keller's gonna do for the Phillies, right? It's it's a total question mark for me, but I have more trust in guys coming into the organization now than I did in the past and developing, you know, over the course of a year or so.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

Here's a number for you. Now I just know this. Brad Keller had a 1.68 whip from 2021 to 2024 before signing with the Cubs, and that was over like 300 something innings. A 1.7 whip. There's a the name for that is bartender. You're not you don't play in professional baseball anymore. You're out of baseball. You're in Sarasota banging a divorced, possibly widowed, somebody. You are not in the big leagues with a one seven one seven whip. That's crazy bad.

SPEAKER_01 30:14

I mean, you're you're telling me he could you he could thank the Cubs pitching lab for his$22 million. Oh boy. Right?

SPEAKER_00 30:22

Yeah, and like he was solid, right? Like solid. So like really a solid relief pitcher should not get$11 million.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

He's also just a likable guy. So that I think kind of why it might sting with some. Why like you see him go? Why wouldn't you pay him that? Which you haven't heard a ton of. You knew he was kind of gonna be gone, but it adds to it when somebody's just nice.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

Is he like see now? Here I come. Here's Bahumbug. And I don't know, Bahumbugger, God bless him. Like, why why is he not? Is he nice? He's just good in interviews, he was good on the marquee network in postgames. I couldn't tell you one thing about a Brad Keller interview personality, and neither is Michael Bush, which I kind of like too in hindsight. Here's the thing I like about him is he throws 100 and he did well for the Cubs. And the Cubs have a you know unique schedule, you play day games more. Um I don't know. I it here's it okay. I just said this a few minutes ago. If we want to fill airtime, buddy, we this show announcement Monday morning cup show is now daily. We're just gonna show up and bitch about Tom Ricketts being a cheapskate. Almost called them a motherfucker.

SPEAKER_01 31:39

Yeah, if you guys don't think Carl can go over time. I mean, let's let's do who are we talking to here. We're gonna keep this tight 40 minutes. Absolutely not. We're going an hour, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Pal, do I can I get an hour out of you? Do we have another 29 minutes?

SPEAKER_01 31:54

Yeah, no, I'm not talking about this episode. I'm just saying in general, you're like, we're gonna try to keep this tight. You used to tell the audience and set yourself up, and then it would be 25 minutes over. It's a it's a beautiful storyline at this point. But no, please do continue. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

Sucker for inside jokes. My okay, and I don't I like I generally speaking like Cubs content um and the Cubs content creator space. I think that Cubs Twitter and the Cubs internet space, generally speaking, is very good-hearted and good spirited. There's some bozos, maybe a couple. Um, and there's a couple people who are really good. Like, there's I want to call out Patrick Mooney in particular as the beat writer who is on one end of the spectrum of credentialed, where I think he's like the best inside clubhouse credentialed person in Chicago. Like, no, I love Cap, dude. I love Sylvie. Don't get I can keep going. Thomas Sulo is all-time fucking.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

And their their personality is Mooney is a legit black and white reporter type.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

Number one credential, number one credential with a bullet is Patrick Mooney. He doesn't complain in any way that could ever get you in trouble, but um he and like succinctly, like Ernest Hemingway can put together just the disappointment he passed the bleakest with facts and like only facts and observations that have absolutely been seen. There's a nice roundabout way to get to the other side of the spectrum, which is the uncredentialed, you know, creatures like you and me, the people on social media, etc. And for the most part, I think you know, I think Cubs Phantom, dude, I think it's like generally, you know, would you say it's positive in your exposure since doing the show? What do you think?

SPEAKER_01 33:46

Since doing the show, absolutely, because I did weed out a lot of the negative stuff here like years ago. But um since starting the show, the maniacs have literally been like the most positive aspect of my Cubs experience online. But at the same token, I have had like just a well-read experience of looking at all the socials who I follow, who we talk to offline, you know, people in Des Moines, people everywhere in Tennessee and stuff. Um, it's been overwhelmingly positive, to be honest. I've had minimal to no negativity, and now my orbit is a little smaller, you know, than most, but no, it really is. And like I don't see a ton of negativity even out there from what I follow.

SPEAKER_00 34:32

Yeah, so like when you're just interaction with Cubs fans, or you're just like when you're on and you're on your steam, it's generally a very positive you know, in season. Now, off-season is the complete opposite, like in season, super positive. Like, cannot ask for a better fan experience. Once you know, there are times when people will like bitch about Tom Rickens, particularly this last year. Like, I can't believe we didn't get Alex Bregman, like when Matt Shaw was like sucking, you know, big dick. People were complaining. Like, it's I know I was I was taking a deep breath because I didn't want to just keep talking there.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

But yeah, no, I know what you mean. For the most part, it's like offseason. I can't believe we didn't get Bregman. Um, I mean, Tucker was like the the big trade in the offseason, but other than that, people were bitching immediately after of like, oh, they wouldn't pony up the dough. Saw Jed talking to Bouge on this, like, you know, during spring training. That must have meant that you know, we're not gonna get Bregman or Tom wouldn't pony up or whatever. But everyone can because all you could do is reach for any storyline you can. So people were looking at body language from Jed Hoyer on you know what I mean. So it's like, what else can you talk about? But it's gonna be bad news because you're gonna strike out you know, 90% of the time in the free agents that are rumored. I I don't know, I don't think that makes sense, but I gave it my all.

SPEAKER_00 36:01

Maybe. I mean, I think you're doing your best, dude. Like it's been a you know, long weekend, holiday season, like threw in a Jed. We haven't talked about him that much this episode. So, like that, you're just steering the ship in the right direction, and we're gonna get back to your Bahugs or you know, God bless everyone. But like the reason I'm saying all of this, and I don't know why I'm being so like Socratic or esoteric in these comments and asking you and talking around this stuff when I could just make the blunt observation is that I think Chicago Cubs fans are very positive in season. I think through gameplay, it is a very fun experience to be a Cubs fan, and for the most part, people are very positive. Even like the complaining will be like, you know, Ian Hap sucks, whatever, fine. But that that's just you're like the in-season complaining.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

It's yeah, it's just a broken record at this point.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

Right now, dude, comment sections, message boards, uh you know, anywhere where like a Cubs fans can leave a footprint online, it's negative and it's complaining and it's bitching about Tom and another year, another year can almost to the point where people are accusing Jed Hoyer of You know, being malicious, where it's almost like people are out to get us as Cubs fans, and like Tom's lying to us. Like I I don't think Tom is lying to us, provided the fact that he said the fucking ridiculous phrase biblical losses. He like meant it though. Like they actually fucking they lost a ton of money.

SPEAKER_01 37:41

If I mean me and you are Catholic as we're celebrating Christmas, but you know, and like the name of Christ, if you say biblical losses, that is a big, big problem. And that's kind of you know raising the red flag to people be like, we can't do it.

SPEAKER_00 37:58

I'm such a hard o I like didn't like it that he said that. Like I'm such a hard o Catholic, like like that's out of line for Tom to Tom to be bringing in a few. Come on, buddy. There's so many other ways to say you took a bath, you went to the cleaners.

SPEAKER_01 38:20

No, even taking the bath, it's like the flood. It reminds me of the biblical floods. So anywho, it's the messaging that is always what screws me up in the offseason or Tom Ricketts' postseason email and and all that. Um, and what how does that align with what's actually gonna happen? No one knows, so that's why we're reading all the nonsense all the time, and that's why me and you are trying to be positive through it all, because there's nothing that we can hang our hat on that's gonna be like a game changer right now on December 22nd.

Yankees Culture And Player Development Detours

SPEAKER_00 38:56

We gotta start calling it the Ricketts family, too, is I think a good I've I've encouraging this out of myself. I've told those around me, close friends and family, you know, if you hear me say Tom Ricketts, correct me and say Ricketts family. And I mean that in like all respects, because as soon as we start talking about Tom Ricketts, he's just the face. And when the Cubs were being sold to the Ricketts family, there was internal dispute amongst the Ricketts siblings. There was discontent. Who's gonna be the face? Tom is getting too much credit to be the face when it's a joint sibling venture underneath the father's leadership. Imagine the actual like this is the way the PR people are, and then the dad gets mad via email, is emailing the kids. Do not be emailing each other the stuff, have a conversation in person, do not be putting any of this stuff in writing. Yes, anything in an email could be on the front page of a newspaper. So then that was the last of the paper trial on that. But it was people were complaining. The the sister was complaining so funny.

SPEAKER_01 39:57

I I if you've ever mentioned it before on the Show or elsewhere, I don't think I know that. Yeah. And that's great. Imagine the vote that took place being like, who gets to be the Cub's owner? Like, even though it's a family, who gets to be the person on the front page of the paper?

SPEAKER_00 40:16

Well, I think that's what got they got steered into by PR once the Chicago media took control of it. They latched onto Tom and not the family. And I think they were coached into it by PR. I don't think Tom has any more ownership or in internal influence over even say. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, dude. I think he's just the guy in khakis that's like, hey, it's Tom. What's wrong with the marquee network? Like, dude, I feel bad for him now. I kind of feel bad for him. Oh, dude. Like, he's just the one who has to take the brunt of it all. I'm just thinking of like if there's like a movie behind the scenes movie about the family, you know, like succession or something. I haven't seen the show, but it's gotta be similar. Like, he has the lowest fucking voice of the table. He has the least his brother is the his brother, who I believe is also a part of this ownership group, is the gov was the gut was or is a governor.

SPEAKER_01 41:18

I think he was the final administration at one point.

SPEAKER_00 41:22

He's the governor of Nebraska for a while, at least. Maybe he still is. Obviously, the dad started TD Ameritrade, sold some of that. You know, Tom doesn't have that much cash, which is again puts us back in this position. And the reason I'm talking through this is because this is helpful for Cubs fans when we think about off season expenditures, pointing fingers, the whole schematics. And I'm addicted to trying to figure out why and how do things work, and not just with the Cubs, just like I'm a I'm trying to figure what the fuck is going on.

SPEAKER_01 41:57

Interesting how the world works once you dig in deeper and where money comes from and who is in control of it. And one family happens to be a part of the ball club, so and then you dig deeper.

SPEAKER_00 42:07

Dig just a little bit deeper, and you find it's not what has been presented from the standpoint of this guy, Tom Ricketts, who lived in the apartment in 1984.

SPEAKER_01 42:19

Big Cubs fan just happens to buy him.

SPEAKER_00 42:21

Yeah, had an apartment in sports sports corner. Dad's a billionaire living on the second floor at 10 fucking 51 West Addison. My ass, Tom.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

You had it during for game days, if I mean you know, might have made it to a third.

SPEAKER_00 42:39

Sure, one of the many. This is a guy whose family owns just properties like all over the world. You're telling me, you're telling me that you rent, you're telling me, buddy, whatever they want to. This is a good exercise, too. You know, for me, you I every Cubs fan is supposed, how much do we care? Is Tom a good owner, ball or strike? Exactly. Ball, I mean, ball. I don't really care. Baller strike is Tom's a good owner, ball or strike.

SPEAKER_01 43:16

Ball just outside. He's not a good owner. Like, no, I mean just outside. Still a ball.

SPEAKER_00 43:26

See, I think he's I think he's I think he I think for the first time ever in the history of Tom Ricketts owning the Cubs. I think I would say ball. I think I agree with you.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

I think you look at the you mentioned the tiers, like just the tiers of where teams are operating. You weren't necessarily saying how on the revenue, and I'm not gonna dive deep into it. I know you think I'm going to, but like, we're not at any tier right now that I can identify with how we're operating as a ball club in this offseason. So it's like, I guess we're are we the third tier? Like, we're not like the Orioles, right? And it wasn't about how impactful the Orioles because they signed a lot of that, but like they're doing stuff. We don't know what the fuck the Cubs are doing right now. And you know, Ba Homburger, God blesses everyone. Tatsuya Imai, he signs with the Cubs. This is another another big free agent. Rumors are connected. I I don't know. God bless us everyone. He signs with us.

SPEAKER_00 44:32

God blesses everyone.

SPEAKER_01 44:33

Well, like, I don't know what their strategy is, so it's very hard to know where you're going to shift money and how you're going to do it.

SPEAKER_00 44:40

Are you talking about the you're talking about the 27-year-old Japanese right-handed picture?

SPEAKER_01 44:46

Yeah. And that like the last thing I read was it was like between the Yankees and the Cubs. I don't know if I believe that or not, but that's just what I had read.

SPEAKER_00 44:53

You know, like have an opinion about him. I haven't watched him pitch, not familiar. It's easier for me to look at like a minor league or at least follow a guy's college career, at least see like between the Yankees and the Cubs. I have no idea. Much more confidence filling out a March Madness bracket after going like years without watching a fucking game. Like, like giving an opinion about him with I'd have just as much confidence in my eight-nine picks.

SPEAKER_01 45:17

I don't know, I'm sure it's like all I know about him is his window closes on January 2nd.

SPEAKER_00 45:23

I've heard he is good, and people say that he's good. My pushback would be he's obviously not that like he's probably good and he's probably pretty good. He's probably there's not many headlines right now. Well, he's probably probably good. Like, is he Yamamoto? You know, I don't think sake. No, you know, like it's that's not the trending news. Is so is like Shoda a ceiling for this guy? Is Shoda compared to Shoda has been good when healthy? The other thing too is like if this guy was really good, like you know, I I just as soon as I like as soon as someone says the cubs are in on this guy, it's like okay, so this guy's second tier. Like I have buddies like this when go out to the bar and it's like they're going home with a girl. Like, you know, I don't need to meet the girl. I know exactly who she's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 46:21

She's tier two, and that's it. And that said, like, I had to kind of dig deep to find out about this headline. Like, there because there's nothing this week.

Wish List: PCA Extension And Budget Reality

SPEAKER_00 46:31

She's got like a lazy eye, she's like missing a limb. You know, I'm just saying, like, I have a but you have those buddies where you just like, I don't need to go get cheese fries or go get Mexican food with you. I know exactly the type of girl that is going home with that met you tonight that's gonna go home. I'm not talking about you, Mahoney. I'm just saying, like, you know the type of girl. That's my point of saying, like, I know the type of free agent. I'm not saying this guy's uh like slumpbuster Mark Grays, big lady, lots. I'm not saying this is quote tweeted. I'm not saying what I'm trying to say is that this is a bad analogy. I shouldn't use I should not belittle, I shouldn't talk about women like this. My fault, dude. I'm sorry if I've offended you, Mahoney. Um, I know you're married, I know you're all but the the basically the analogy I'm trying to draw is like I when the you tell me the cubs are in on a free agent, like I know that free agent. You don't have to tell me there's a certain limit to what that free agent is, to me, in my opinion, at this point, under Jed Hoyer's leadership. Where like there's some.

SPEAKER_01 47:44

You have to really do some digging, you know that then it's it's no one that's gonna move the needle in a you know massive.

SPEAKER_00 47:50

This guy's got a lazy eye, you know, a checkered past is so to say something's wrong here. You know, I had one uh I hate to like giggle about this, but like I had a buddy we were hanging out for a while, he was bringing this girl around, and like there was something off about this girl, and like it was a couple months. I'll tell you who this guy is after the show. But like after a while, we were like, yo, like just she was like real serious, you know. You'd be out, she's just real serious. She'd say, like, hey, we'll call her like Mary Beth, you know, or like how it's she's just real intense lady. And at first it was just like a but a girl, like a cute girl that my buddy was bringing around that knew from I don't know where he knew her work or something. And then after a while, she was around pretty serious, and then you're like, yo, so like what's going on? He's like, Yeah, I guess we're like dating or something. And I was like, Oh, you know, she's pretty intense. He's like, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, dude. Like two years ago, she just she had she had gotten out of prison, she had spent six years in prison. Oh my god. I was like, What the fuck? Something about like wire wire fraud, or like she was she like committed like serious federal like wire fraud or something, something fraudulent.

SPEAKER_01 49:01

You get six years. I mean, that's it has to be pretty significant.

SPEAKER_00 49:06

I think she was scamming a federal program with a couple other people or something, but she had spent like heart, she had like d a prison sentence or something, and then they dated for like another year or so or something. She had this look in her eyes, you're just like, Will you be hanging out with her? Like, you know, this girl's in my girlfriend to prison.

SPEAKER_01 49:24

Yeah, and I'm sure it's minimum security, but you know, you're sitting there going, Don't like I love how you stopped yourself with it's like my buddy who was bringing around this girl.

SPEAKER_00 49:37

They were serious, dude. They were dead, they were serious. So, and this goes back to this guy that what a Maki that the Cubs are potentially linked to. You know, it's kind of like this is where we're at. Like, I'm not saying this guy did six years for check fraud. You know, what I'm saying is like just expect a crazy look at family parties. Like, expect the free agents we get are not gonna be like they're not winning.

SPEAKER_01 50:09

Baumbugger or God bless you, everyone. Wilson Contreras's move to Boston is a good fit for him getting out of St. Louis.

SPEAKER_00 50:20

God blesses everyone. I get getting out of St. Louis is a good move for just about anybody. I have it on good authority. I'm happy for him uh that that place is falling apart. Major league players, major league players that play for the St. Louis Cardinals that are friends, that are friends with through the Chicago network, through got buddies you know, through the Illinois Base, through the network. There are people that, you know, I can't name names because he plays for them. When he's done playing for them, I will tell the story. But currently, as it stands in this offseason, uh, like nobody wants to be there from people on that team, players on the team in the clubhouse that are on the 26-man roster. Fuck this place. Don't want to be here. Can't wait to get traded, can't wait to leave. Don't want to be here. Place sucks. Horrible management. Don't know what we're doing. Hate playing here. Would rather play anywhere else but Pittsburgh. Wow. St. Louis.

unknown 51:21

St.

SPEAKER_00 51:22

Louis Cardinals. Yeah. I think they're dead, dude. I think it's dead. I think they are dead. I think their cap is they'll be lucky to break 500, I think, over the next three years. They people are miserable there. God bless us, everyone. I said God bless us everyone. So Wilson Contreras going to Boston on the other hand. You know, his relationship with the fans should be interesting. They should like him. Should they turn on him, like they should be smart enough to like him. Right?

SPEAKER_01 51:54

Yeah, I think he's gonna fit in well there, and I don't know like the players that he'll be surrounded with or anything, but just as an organization of what you think of the Boston Red Sox, he I feel like fits that mold. You know, Carlton Fisk type of guy, like tough, can hit the ball.

SPEAKER_00 52:15

I think he hated St. Louis. So, and I think he's gonna love Boston, and I think there's plenty of different ways to use him, so he should be energized to play there. That's a sick place to play, dude. Fenway's awesome. ALE's is sick, limited travel. Like if you're gonna get traded somewhere, like I would take Boston in a heartbeat. Always full crowd, people always cheering for you. You have to go out of your way to get booed. I shouldn't say you have to go out of your way because Boston is tough on players, but you either have to be really bad or you have to just be an asshole. Like, you just have to not play hard. Like, if you can represent, you know, what those people want to see, which I think I think Contreras does. I think he does it, I think it identifies better with Boston than it with Cubs fans. Like, I think Cubs fans like forget how hard that guy plays. I don't I don't think people understand. And here's a fun little here I am telling inside stories. Um I used to do a show with Jake Arieto, and I uh why didn't my why do I laugh about that? I there's so I have so many great stories. Now you're with me. Yeah, I know. I'm like, hey, how many scientific words have you won my honey? Well now I have good stuff over time I've now got other stories, right? I have better stories over time. Um but just for purposes of this, I might have said this before. I'm sorry for being verbose, but we were talking about Wilson because I believe I I thought he got traded, or they didn't trade him the year I'm doing the show with Jake, they didn't trade him. And but that was a storyline we were talking about, and an offline conversation he and I had about Wilson was that no one in the time Wilson caught for the Cubs right away his rookie year, there was some small altercation or something, you know, someone not I don't know, storm in the field or somebody got hit, somebody stepped out of the box, and Wilson corrected the batter, you know, whatever, got the guy's face. And for the decks, I believe like seven years that Wilson Contreras was a player for the Cubs, was a catcher. Nobody, not once ever, while Wilson Contreras was on the field, if anybody can prove me wrong on this, started a fight altercation, charged the mound, or initiated any type of fucking as you as someone would say, bullshit with the Chicago Cubs while Wilson Contreras was in uniform, either in the dugout or on the field with the Cubs. And the exact reason was because Wilson Contreras was in uniform in the dugout or on the field. Because that's how fucking lunatic on him.

SPEAKER_01 55:03

They knew that they'd actually be dealing with something.

SPEAKER_00 55:06

The stories from back home from the Venezuelan League or whatever, and the stories of him and his brother, and like them beating the shit out of multiple multiple people, you know, half a dozen guys at once, just like going absolutely going around the field and beating the shit out of people. We have talked about the Venezuelan league.

SPEAKER_01 55:25

We've talked about it a little bit on the show, probably halfway through the season. I had kind of talked some shit about Wilson Contreras, and you're like, yo, dude, he's way tougher than you think you think, something along those lines, but it it I didn't realize like really how much that they had that reputation to what you're speaking to now. So that's interesting. I'm just glad that he's not a Cardinal anymore. I hated seeing it. I love Wilson Contreras, and I'm happy that he's in, you know, kind of like our American League, you know, yeah counterpart, if you will.

On Ricketts Family, Spending Tiers, And Strategy

SPEAKER_00 55:58

It's much easier to watch him play for the Red Sox than it is for the Cardinals. Like the same thing with Dexter Fowler. I hated when he played for the Cardinals. That's weird. You know, and then Uti ended up playing for the Angels. So it's a long win and stuff. And you know what? Couple couple Christmas presents, you know, not Easter eggs, Christmas presents under the tree with this episode. Just a couple insights here. I had, you know, I don't like being a name-drop storyteller, but I'm what I'm trying to do is there is some context here. You know, I suppose that's important. You bring up Wilson Contreras. I think it's important to be able to do that. I think stories you know about him. I mean, that's what we're trying to do here. Yeah, like talking shit about this guy. I think he's a fantastic cub. I think we should have kept him, you know, if we weren't uh, you know, if we were a better organization, we could we had more money or we get we had more veterans that could put up with him. The problem is he's a dick, you know, and he's difficult. And I mean dick like not dick like on like most dicks aren't dicks on purpose. He's just he's just kind of difficult, and especially around younger players or around people who aren't settled, or if you're building a culture, etc. So, like very difficult to have this guy around if you're trying to turn a page. Where Boston, you need a spark, you need a veteran, you need a guy who can come in here and kind of light some ass. You know, so it's just it's just interesting how how different it would apply. He would not fit in on this Cubs team at all, in the least bit.

SPEAKER_01 57:21

Like a mile away needed to with us. So Carl, Bahumbug, or God bless us everyone, the Monday morning maniacs are the absolute best.

SPEAKER_00 57:35

I'm I mean, I don't what do you yes to God bless us everyone, Carl? God bless us everyone, Moni.

SPEAKER_01 57:42

Happy holidays to everyone, happy holidays to the maniacs. Carl, do you have any parting words or anything else that you wanted to cover?

SPEAKER_00 57:51

You know, there's a number of things here on the list that I haven't talked about, you know, as I'm sitting here and I'm looking at the counter. Um, and I suppose, you know, the there was some time and space here to just do a little bit of just a little bit. I don't know if you have like a Christmas best recommendation thing. You know, if you're a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day kind of guy, we've obviously talked a lot about turkey versus ham. Um, I just don't know where you stand with like, you know, it's it's one thing to say Merry Christmas to the maniacs, it's another thing in your position, merry father to successful guy. You know, like do you have do you have like maybe some insights or maybe some you know helpful tips you could give to the maniacs as with with respect to the holiday season?

SPEAKER_01 58:36

I'd say, I mean, traditionally I've I've been a Christmas Eve guy most recently. Now I'm Christmas Day, little kids, Christmas morning. It's just more fun. But turkey or ham, throw them both out the window as far as I'm concerned. Give me a top sirloin or a roast for Christmas 10 out of 10 times. I want a little bit of blood coming off that thing, still cooked. I want it 150 degrees. However, give me a roast at Christmas, regardless if it's Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and I'm a happy camper. Um, I just I love you know having some of that like horseradish sauce that they have the mixture on. Like all that just speaks volumes to me. Big cinnamon roll guy in the on Christmas morning. I've always made cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Do you have anything off the like the cuff, like just a tradition that you remember? You know, that you makes you happy?

SPEAKER_00 59:34

You know, if you go, I'm a Christmas Eve guy, like like you said. And the reason I said hammered turkey, you know, made it poultry versus pork, a large part of it I think has to do with just not being comfortable making an assumption that everybody has access to a prime rib or a chuck roast. You know, obviously there's different spectrum, but like you know, I mean, a roast is that's just another step. But if it's on The table, if that's an option. I mean, dude, then you then I'm never I'm going to ham for that's why they serve ham for that's why it's a ham sandwich at lunch because it's the roast of night every single hammer.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:14

The leftover ham to make a sandwich out of on Christmas morning is phenomenal. I'm glad that you said that.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:21

Yeah. I think that's obviously huge. Um, here's another thing that came up recently, actually, at a bi-monthly pizza club. No disrespect. I believe you were stuck in traffic. I was not in attendance on the last one. All right. So I didn't know that some people still do this. I always thought this was the benefit of getting married. I got a couple buddies in the bi-monthly pizza club. You know them. We cannot mention them by name. Nope. Do not mention them by name. Don't let the algorithm get the f get its fucking hands on this one. I have a couple guys that are still double dipping on Christmas Eve. Not not because of divorce. Nah, this ain't for Christmas, Vince Vaughn starring Reese Witherspoon. But guys that are going on Christmas Eve, starting in the morning, going to the wife's side, then going to their husband's side, then in the morning going to a brother's and doing it with niece and nephew, and then going to somebody's grandparent. People just driving around 294, I 88, 355, 50.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:31

I mean, you'd have to be on drugs as far as I'm concerned, because there's absolutely no way I could handle that anymore. And we tried when we first got together, the two Christmas Eves, the two Christmases, it lasted one year. Because what company am I if I can't even form a sentence? Not because I've been drinking or anything, because I'm so goddamn exhausted from going back and forth and already yucking it up with one side. You're not, no one's getting the best of you. You're thinking about leaving, people are rushing for you, or that you know, you're going to the next one who's they they're getting you, you know, half battery.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:08

And how many rounds of presents and how many just different parking on somebody else's street? I hate parking on somebody else's street. I mean, there ain't nothing I hate but just parking in somebody's. I should say there's plenty of things I hate more than parking on somebody else's street. And obviously, it's not even that much of an inconvenience, you know, particularly with the infrastructure afforded in most of the greater Chicago metropolitan area. But like at the same time, I just be a sucker, say, I just don't like I don't like all of the you know, and again, it doesn't necessarily apply to me. I'll go to my parents on Christmas Eve. I'll probably I may go out the day before spend the night. I may spend the night Christmas Eve. I don't know. We don't know a fluid situation, Southsiders. You know, you never know. You honestly never know.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:56

You know, South Side to the North Side. That's what we tried to do that first year, and it was an absolute nightmare.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:04

Terrible, dude. And there's only one what do you do? Take 90, 90. I mean, obviously, now we're gonna enjoy your specific here. There's plenty of people listening to the show that aren't necessarily specific to the map, they don't know the grid system, but I'm telling you, that's a haul, what he's saying. Because they're just it's not convenient, pal. It just isn't.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:22

There's no or respect to the people who can do it and enjoy it. That's the point.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:29

I think there's some maniacs up here that are lifting heavily, especially with a girlfriend, and maybe you don't even really like her that much, and you're a horny guy. You know, I've been in that situation before where it's like I don't even like you, but I am so horny, and you know, this is fucking it right now. Like, this is the best I can do because I'm super horny. So then you're up there and you're talking to her uncle, you know, you're meeting her cousin, you know, who's really smart, then you're meeting the other cousin who's got again, how many times I gotta say this? Checkered past. You said it on top of your show. You know, say a joke. You gonna stick around and play trivial pursuit? You know, do you like Harry Potter? How much do I answer this? Yeah, read the books, you know, Abrafucker Cadabra, folks.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:16

What are these white elephant rules? Like, I didn't bring anything. Was I supposed to bring something? Rap and presents? Do you wrap presents? I haven't in a long time. I can't, I mean, like, Kate's doing a lot of all the rapping, but and I'm not a particularly good rapper, you know, like with the folds. Um, if you're getting a gift from me, you're basically getting a gift, a bag, and it's a gift bag, and it's in it. So here's your bag.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:44

What was your best pre 12 and under best gift, best Christmas? Nintendo entertainment system.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:55

Nintendo entertainment system, 1990, easiest memory to pull from. It was set up by Santa Claus in the morning, Mario Brothers ready to go, never look back. And that changed, I mean, like it's one of those just fundamentally I felt like it changed my life kind of things.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:16

How about yourself? Did you're did you were you the only one playing it? Did you have to show it?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:21

No, me and my sister, me and my sister, two players. And I won the Nintendo Championships that day because I got more points, even though she ended up beating the game. I had more points and coins.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:32

And you guys still talk about this.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:35

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:42

98 N64. That's a great year. Now, interesting enough is that we got we had a Nintendo, but there was too much fighting around the Nintendo. So then my father, there's I have two older brothers. So how old am I?

SPEAKER_01 1:06:01

Two controllers for a Nintendo entertainment system, then we have four ports on an N64.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:07

So the two-port situation, not good. There's a five-year difference between the three of us. So I'm 38, the others, the lawyer is 40, and the finance guy's 43. 43 is the oldest, 40, 38. So there's a spread of whatever you got, young kids, and I suppose people listening with kids can think about it. Whatever you got, siblings, there's a five-year spread on the three of us. We're all around the same size, we're all run the same athleticism, same build, same competitive juice. You know, some bowling, you would say, existed in our house so much so, so much fighting, so much discontent, particularly in competitive stuff. That my dad was like, if you guys are gonna be competitive about shit, like the most video games, then like he reinstalled a brand new fucking basketball hoop, new lighting, laid new concrete in the backyard. If you ever come out to the like, if you've seen obviously my the backyard, I should say obviously you've seen, but I mean like the whole backyard is built out like this big basketball court, and then my dad took the Nintendo and put it in the attic. No video games allowed it.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:17

I remember you telling me that he took it away and was like, that's it, you guys can see it in three years or something.

The Imai Rumor And Second-Tier Targets

SPEAKER_00 1:07:24

Done. Oh my god. So the last no, the last year we the last year we had it was uh in like March of '94, I believe. So then we were out. We were out NES. I was like an addict, dude. I'd be going next door, pretending to be friends with the neighbor, just so I could get a shot at the Super Nintendo. Oh man. So the N64. Now then the God, the reason I'm saying this is because when we got the N64, and this is a good tip for you. I suppose this is a good tip. I don't have kids yet, but I will be doing this. My dad gave it gave Santa gave the N64 to my dad. So at the end of Christmas, my dad's like, what is this big present? And it says to Mark from Santa, you know, or two dad from Santa. So he opens it up. He's like, no, it was his. We're like, dang, you know, dude, we're going nuts. Whatever. It had just come out, you know, whatever. It maybe it maybe it didn't just maybe it came out that summer. You know, maybe it wasn't within it was fresh. It was a big Christmas present. Defrash. So, you know, this is me making a big deal of it. You said NES, but the the drama behind my the drama behind my old man. What is this? Pulling the thing out behind the curtain. Oh my god, Nintendo's stress to me. Wow. That's crazy. I might know some guys who might want to might want to play this if I could just learn how to set we're just freaking out, dude. Like in your minds. So that was a good one.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:06

That's a good move. Great move.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:09

You know, so any big things for the kids this year, or like, do you have any distractions? Are you gonna like give them, you know, like any when you have to build anything, like you give them some, or or do you not give them stuff you have to build because it's like, oh, here comes the playhouse.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:25

Yeah, that happened last year. I don't know what Santa's gonna really do, but what we have right now, it's very much like be able to put together the night before or package and where it's like got the batteries ready to go. That's like really what you need to worry about. So other than that, you know, Patates has it on lockdown and feeling good, and then we'll see what Santa does. You know, just gotta give them the big carrot so that the reindeer don't, you know, bite his fingers off with the little ones.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:53

Hey, last question. Don't mind me. Do you do you let the kids open stuff on Christmas? Like, say you say they get like a they've been opening presents basically since their birthday. Sure, ripping it, obviously. Yeah, but then like whatever, it's a Kinex. What is it?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:12

It's a it's a like do I let them open the box?

SPEAKER_00 1:10:16

Yeah, and starting, do they get into it? When do they where are they allowed to get into it?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:20

They keep they if they do just whatever they want with that kind of stuff, because I don't want to argue, so I'm like, let's go, let's do it. We have to be back at grannies at three.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:31

But even if you're at it if you're not on home turf, you could be on the road, you're at potatoes.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:37

Oh no, hell no, dude.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:39

You're not opening anything.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:41

No, no, no, no, no. Then let's leave. Like, then we can leave. Yeah, like and I I probably want to get out of there at that point anyway, but because you know the adrenaline dump is over with them. Yeah, but no, you can't open like anything with multiple parts whatsoever on opposite turf, whether it's an in-laws or you know, your immediate blood.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:06

Dad, it's big no no it's just a 7628 piece Millennium Falcon two scale. Just dumping it out on the ground. Dad, let me just do the framework. Yeah, that's that that would be, you know, God bless us. When we do have that'll be probably where that'll be like, you know, I would imagine I have good blood pressure, was at the doctor, but I would imagine down the road, you know, so like I'm not saying it will break me, but like if I had to put a list together or something that could break, you know, stuff that could break me, you know, that's gonna be on the list. Like kids opening present, like opening the bigger. Too soon. Yeah, like actually where like I have a bad moment.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:48

You'll have your bag, dude. You'll have your bag ready to go. As soon as they open it, you're gonna have it in the bag. You're gonna be so ahead of that shit, it's not even funny. And I would just know the way that you are, it'll work in your favor.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:00

I would define a bad moment or like being broken as like showing my in-laws the side I they don't need like like I don't need my mother-in-law, like that, that like that which they haven't seen, nobody's seen, nobody's because it doesn't exist because it doesn't that side that does its side doesn't do you know what I mean? But like there's just that and so that would be on the list. There's a bunch of stuff on the list that me and it talked about this home maintenance. We'll get to this next show for the New Year's Eve show, for the roundup show for the end of the year. We're gonna make a big list. The longest list we've put together. How many things do you think we can do on this list? I think we can do a list of 50 things. 20.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:40

I was gonna say uh 25 or equal to 25.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:44

25? Each.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:46

I mean greater than or equal to 25. Each.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:49

Too easy. No. We'll come up with a theme for it. This is a Christmas show. Uh, just some general stuff here. You know, just kicking the tires here, just the boys getting together. Nice to have Mahoney with me. In a serious offseason from the standpoint of we don't have that much cash. Jed's gonna have to be as creative as possible. We're not gonna spend at the top of the market. People that are disappointed Schwarber didn't sign with us, or that Alonso only costs 30. There's I mean, there's so many reasons to be mad, and there's so many outlets that are covering the Cubs that would be happy to have your business. You'll go be mad with them, go be mad. I think we've kind of been in front of the fact that like the Cubs are trying to be strategic, budget conscious for one reason or the other. We'd obviously disagree with it. We'll talk more about it this offseason for now. We'd appreciate it. Five stars, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:40

Five stars for Christmas, that's all I want. Give me a five-star review, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, write a comment if you'd like. Other than that, call to action for the Baniacs. If we wanted something in our stocking, it's a new review.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:54

How about that? And if you're late for a Christmas present for a loved one, I've got good news for you guys. This is actually crazy. Stirk Family Farms is now selling online gift cards. So if you're late, you didn't get a you forgot something from mom. I mean, I'm not joking. Promo code MMCS.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:12

I'm the king of gift card like for 20% receipts in an envelope. I I print them out on the internet offline. This is like gonna be my gift.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:21

Then you get a code. So 20% off too. Promo code MMCS. Go to StirkFamilyFarms.com. That's a skincare company my wife and I own out here in Kane County. Everything's locally sourced here, guys. 100% organic, 100% locally sourced. Everything's just made, small batch, handmade. The proof is in the pudding. We have a growing customer base that would attest to this. I encourage you guys to get it. Here's a good chance to check it out. Or just for a loved one, for a loved one. Stirgfamilyfarms.com. We sell online gift cards. You can get a gift card for a mother, a sister, for yourself, for anybody. Uh promo code.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:00

For the gift that shows that you care.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:02

Yeah. Promo code MMCS. Sorry to speak over.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:04

No, I was gonna say, nourish yourself, Mahoney. Like, you know, my brother jokes around. He's like, this is really good ball and shaft cream. And I'm like, you know, I not to say like I'm not saying it's not good ball or shaft cream, but like it is multi-purpose cream. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:15:22

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:22

You know, if you got a spot.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:24

I do an aftershave every time on the neck, below.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:29

So, and people have asked, they said, is it what do you you guys just do? Bombs. We have miracle bomb lip balm. We have palm, palm P A W for dogs, pets, I should say palm that has special shit for dog skin or something, or pets, pet, pet animals, or something. They have to ask my wife who's putting this stuff together. The magnesium enriches, it's super enriching magnesium. Um, and then we have baby bomb. We have baby bomb. We also have eye cream, wagyu beef tail eye cream. I'm just talking it into the void here. Mahoney's gotta go, guys. This is the this is you have to pee so bad right now if you see me doing a dance. Dude, I can see you moving around and I'm gonna be a good one.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:11

I'm like all of a sudden shaking. I know it's a different audio show, but I'm like doing the dance right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:18

Alright, guys. Everybody Mahoney's gonna go take a piss. Happy holidays, Mahony. Happy holidays subscribing to the show, five stars Merry Christmas.