Monday Morning Cubs Show
A show every Monday morning about the Chicago Cubs from Carl and Mahoney.
Monday Morning Cubs Show
Team USA Beats The Dominican Republic And Preparing For Opening Day 2026
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A snowy March morning and suddenly everything feels close: Opening Day, a season with real expectations, and a World Baseball Classic that looks like October baseball. We’re coming in hot with reactions to Team USA’s 2 to 1 win over the Dominican Republic, including the “ball or strike” moment that decided the ending and what it says about the current state of the game. It’s the perfect mix of modern baseball trends and old truths: solo shots, piles of strikeouts, and the idea that with two strikes you still have to fight.
From there we bring it back to the Chicago Cubs. Pete Crow Armstrong keeps showing why his defense plays bigger than the highlight reels, and the WBC stage is basically a spotlight built for his speed, confidence, and edge. We also talk through the one moment that took the air out of the room for Cubs fans: Seiya Suzuki’s injury scare, why it feels uniquely damaging, and what the lineup loses when that right-handed thunder isn’t there.
Then we roll into Ball Or Strike and the spring training stack: Daniel Palencia’s closer path, why Moises Ballesteros is getting real national breakout buzz, and how Matt Boyd becoming the Opening Day starter is a win for the Cubs pitching development machine. We finish with a rapid pitch clock on Ben Brown, Jameson Taillon worries, Eddie Cabrera’s rotation slot, and Matt Shaw trying reps at first base. Subscribe, share the show with a Cubs fan, and leave us a Spotify review to help us climb back to five stars.
Thanks for tuning in!
- Carl & Mahoney
Birthday Vibes And Season Momentum
SPEAKER_01And we're clear. Good morning, good afternoon, and evening, Chicago Cubs fans, and welcome back to the Monday morning Cubs Show. Today is Monday, March 16th. I am your host, Carl, and as almost always joined by my close friend Mahoney. It's good to see you, my friend. A lot to get into uh with opening day around the corner.
SPEAKER_00You ain't kidding, Carl. Top of the morning to you and top of the morning to the maniacs. And let's just get it off the top. I'd like to wish a happy birthday to the lad on the other end of the microphone here. Carl and Carl's beef. Uh, yeah, happy birthday, Carl. Wanted us to get that out off the top. A little bit of a blustery day, weird when you stare out the window and there's a few inches of snow that you didn't expect. I thought that system was going to come in a little bit later in the evening. All that said, yes, we are not far out from opening day. There's really is a ton to talk about. I mean, with the World Baseball Classic, all the moving parts there, a lot of different cubs getting action and various from various countries and on various teams. Um, I'm excited about this episode. I'm excited about the season, and I'm just excited the fact that you know you've got 39 years in you, Carl. Happy B Day, bud.
SPEAKER_01A lot to unpack here. Probably our most powerful intro we've had in the history of this show, Mahoney. Thank you for bringing it as we get close to opening day. It is my 39th birthday. We will maybe we'll get to some life advice or some observations. I guess off the top. It I could next year will be a big one. There's plans for 40. 39, man. This one's a tough one.
SPEAKER_00This is it's almost a downer. Yeah, last year in the 30s, you know, but you got you got to celebrate it. So take that in stride. And yeah, next next year's the big one, so conserve.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, a real measuring stick. We're satisfied. 39 will be a big one. 38 was a great one. We have a lot to get into with this show. How about this? A great birthday present to me. You and me doing the show for the maniacs. Welcome back to the show. We've had some maniacs with us for a long time. Welcome some new ones. I want to focus on uh the ones that have been with us from day one. Obviously, huge spike from last week with the big cat interview. Uh, just great, just great progress with the show. Excited for the season to get going. We got great plans, should have a great season preview coming out next week with a guest. So, just like a lot of momentum to capture here, bud.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, you ain't kidding. And of course, there's gonna be some momentum cut coming off that big cat interview. And and just a quick rapid react. I do have to say, I don't think I I followed Big Cat for a number of years through part of my take, etc., when you had worked at Barstool Sports, so on. He can never sit down and discussed Cubs baseball like he had last week. And it was a pleasure for me to sit back and listen, and really just as a fan, you know, of both of you guys coming up, but hearing the insights of a seasoned ticket holder, a character within the realm, and you know, just the ins and outs of of Big Cat's life as a Cubs fan since being a season ticket holder with his boys and all that. So it was so cool to listen to, and I just love the fact it was like an hour and 20 minutes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I in hindsight that went way long. I listening back was like, damn, I I could have really tightened some of this shit up, but it was nice because there's so much that I know, obviously, with Dan. I've known him almost 15 years. Maybe that's aggressive, 13 years, uh certainly a long time, and there's a lot of stuff there that like you know, yeah, I guess we've never talked about it. I guess with like whether best practices when we go to a game or uh, you know, hang out in Wrigley Field, the 50-50 stuff, stuff that I know, but yeah, we haven't done long-form conversation, I think, ever.
SPEAKER_00So it was a there, it was a pleasure to listen to. I'm sure it was a pleasure to listen to to the maniacs as well, you know, and anybody who've been fans for you guys for quite some time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it should be, I think it's a good sign for like he and I sitting down for a little season preview. I think Bodeswell's a great baseball chemistry for the baseball guy. Just like a good mojo, good sign, uh, good gesture on his part. Again, real nice to go back into the office and do it with him uh in the PMT studio. Uh, haven't like I said, I can't have I said this last episode. I guess I just want to double down and re-emphasize this. It's been almost two years since I've done an in-person podcast. Uh, so that would be like the jump from not doing it in person to then like sitting in PFT's chair and doing it, doing it with Dan uh under the bright lights was a little bit of an adjustment. So glad that the interview turned out. And I was extremely anxious, dude, that I would like delete the footage, that it would get lost, that it wouldn't get uploaded.
SPEAKER_00A corrupt file on like your you know, memory stick.
SPEAKER_01And no disrespect to you, no disrespect to you at all. I probably haven't had that anxiety since like year two of doing red line radio. I think I I fucked up a Sylvie tape. We interviewed Sylvie for like two hours and white's out of the department, and then like I completely dropped the file. So then for a while, I was like, because I used to do the product, like a lot of the production or the interview recording stuff, and I would be like super nervous that I that I'd screw something up. Like I was on my honeymoon one time, and like an end, like I wasn't there for an Eddie Olcek interview, and it sounded like it got recorded with like a couple of baked potatoes, and I just had this like crazy anxiety, and then that went away, you know, when you work with like uh when they when you have like the producers and stuff, and that kind of gets off your plate. So, this is my long-winded way of saying it was nice to have that mental health trauma that you're gonna fucking bomb the the MP3 file before it actually gets uploaded. So uh, if you didn't get a chance, obviously go back and listen. We got some more stuff we'll get into in today's show.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was fantastic, nicely done, Carl. I had had one incident where I didn't hit record on a very, very much smaller scale, you know, to the umpteenth degree. But I'll say this it was excruciating for me, and I couldn't imagine when the stakes are like a little bit higher. So nicely done all around and just phenomenal job.
SPEAKER_01Now, with that in mind, I would like to thank uh our title sponsor of today's Monday morning cub show, Thirsty Vaquero, a Mexican-style soda with a signature spicy finish that's all bite, no rattle. My friends, organic agave flavoring. You have not had anything like this until you've tried a thirsty vaquero. Uh Mahoney and I, how many, how many times do we have to glaze this? It is quite literally the best beverage you could be you could be putting in your refrigerator, especially this time of year.
SPEAKER_00This time of year, Carl, it's a real fruit juice. I mean, it's all bite, it's no rattle, it has that signature spicy finish. Thirsty vaquero. Thank you to Thirsty Vaquero and thank you to the maniacs who are purchasing Thirsty Vaquero. You continue to do so. We're gonna have more bang for your buck here coming on the Monday morning cup show, baby.
SPEAKER_01Dude, I die when I see on Twitter something, someone hit me up, they're like, I'm listening to the show. I'm quite literally about to eat a ham sandwich and have a thirsty vaquero while you're doing the ad read about having a thirsty vaquero. Uh, or as we like to say around here, an all bite, no rattle. Like, I like having a little tagline. So sitting down for an all-bite, no rattle, and a ham sandwich and seeing someone like tag that on Twitter. I am like crying laughing. So thank you to the maniacs who continue to collaborate with our title sponsor. And the nice thing is standing behind it, like not to dump on historical. You know who it reminds me of when JP Graziano used to do the dog walk, and we would do the ad reads for Jim Graziano, and you're sitting there knowing, like, on anybody who walks into that store. Mouth is watering, yeah, you are gonna have the best experience in life. There's passion behind the the brand, and it's it's deserving. So it is similar to that where you're I'm not doing an ad read for like a new wallet or like you know, blue right glasses, or like you know, some sort of vice. This is quite literally a delicious beverage. You're gonna love it. A significant other is gonna love it. Check it out on Amazon, Thirsty Vaquero. Uh Mahoney, anything else you want to add before we get to some spicy reactions with the world baseball classic?
SPEAKER_00No, nothing off the top, just except that I'm feeding a lemon loan ladrone right now, son. So let's let's move it forward. And thanks again to Thirsty Vaquero.
Team USA Thriller And Ump Debate
SPEAKER_01I'll be a liar if I told you I started having mango muerte with breakfast. So I told you, yeah, like it just happened real quickly, my friend. My morning drink, replace the orange juice. All right, let's just talk world baseball classic. I saw some people call it the greatest game of all time. That's obviously an overreaction. It was a sensational event last night. United States winning two to one. Your immediate immediate reaction is are you calling it the best game of all time?
SPEAKER_00I would not say it's the best game of all time. That never crossed the lexicon of old Mahoney's mind here. And that said, it was a fantastic ball game. And then I could also just say this ball or strike. Ball at the end of the game, a little bit of controversy. Yeah, and that's nothing but I mean, no, it was a fantastic baseball game to watch. Um, Paul Skeen's up there delivering, they ran into one and just phenomenal plays throughout, you know. Uh Bobby Witt Jr., you know, had a couple, had like one flub earlier on, and then just phenomenal play after. So there was just classic plays, you know, Aaron Judge with that rope to get whomever out is flipping my mind. So it was fantastic baseball, very, very exciting atmosphere.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I thought it was Tatis at third that Judge had gunned down. So I yeah, I wouldn't say it was the best game of all time by any stretch. I think it is a really good example of modern baseball at play. I thought you had suit, you know, like the all three runs were scored by solo home runs. Uh the Dominican Republic struck out 15 United States hitters. There were total 23 strikeouts in the game. Absolutely insane strikeout rate. Uh, but you had like monster plays, Judge's tool um, you know, has one of the strongest arms, like one of the highest toolsy arms in baseball. So like him on a rope to third base, Julio Rodriguez robbing an Aaron Judge home run. So like there were some great moments in there where it's just perfectly modern baseball. I'll say this at the end of the game, Perdomo, that is a ball, but you got to be protecting. So, like from the transition from modern baseball to like this is regardless of what era baseball. Yeah. Two two strikes, two outs to end the game, full count. Like, you got to be protecting the plate. Like it is a ball, but that's close enough. Um, and that's ultimately where I'm gonna go until we have robots behind the plate.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I I couldn't agree more. And it was interesting to see the Dominican reaction from the perspective of you know, that angle where they showed it slightly below the knees. And I thought it would have been a lot more fear like fiery, and it was just done disappointment. And that I think goes to show what you were saying where that was the approach to the game that the where he should have been fighting off that pitch, and they all knew it, and that was it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's way too close to take. And ultimately, if you're only gonna score one run, you know, like you're losing that game. I mean, uh it's close, but you score one run, you know. You got it, you you have to take that on yourself. Now, a couple other observations from this game. Lightheartedly, like I would like to remind people, Paul Skeens did leave the Air Force Academy as soon as NIL was available, take a bag of money, go to LSU, win a national championship, date Livy Dunn, become the number one overall pick in Major League Baseball. I know we're at war with Iran right now, but the amount of stuff about like him in the Air Force Academy climbing in the cockpit, a lot of respect. But I'm sitting at home and I'm thinking to myself, I I I thought he left to go to LSU and win a national championship. So my question for you, Mahoney, like, is it a little I I'm not calling it stolen valor because he was at the academy. I just don't, I don't know how that works.
SPEAKER_00In terms of being a an addition to the United States roster? No, they kept cutting back to him in like uniforms. Yeah, no, the marketing aspect of it all that had to be paid for by the Air Force itself. They're using Paul Skeens as, you know, a bit of a recruiting tool to be like, hey, come over here and you might be the best pitcher in the world.
SPEAKER_01Like what they're doing with the NFO when they're like cutting to troops at bases, like in the middle of the game. Like, I feel I felt like maybe the broadcast was trying to take advantage of the fact that Paul Skins went to the Air Force Academy a little bit.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the Department of War is full at work with their marketing department right now.
SPEAKER_01I'm not seriously mad about this, but like the guy is living what many would describe as the the best life. He's the face of United States baseball. Uh people love his girlfriend, you know, are they married? Whatever that is. Obviously, extremely wealthy, number one overall pick. Like, as far as baseball can is concerned, like, this is the guy. He is the guy.
SPEAKER_00Yes, he's the guy. He's the best pitcher in the world, as far as I'm concerned. Almost bar none, the most talented, uh, tall. I mean, imagine his vision if he was climbing into cockpit pits, too, and if there was a chance for him to actually get behind and fly one of those bad man pajamas, that's 30-30 stuff. He's probably a great pilot.
SPEAKER_01I mean, like, obviously. I'm le and here's the other thing. I'm leaving the academy under these circumstances, too. I'm not criticizing this guy for leaving the academy. I'm just saying, like, they made it seem like he was going off the mound and getting into an F-16 and like going over to the channel and dropping some bombs on Iran.
SPEAKER_00Right. No, this isn't a uh who was it, Lou Gehrig situation?
unknownClose.
SPEAKER_00Who was the guy? Ted, yeah, Ted Williams. Matt, my bad. There we go. There's a mobile for you.
SPEAKER_01There's some great stories, you guys. How about this? We're gonna get it. We got some stuff I want to talk to about this game, PC, etc. But I have to do tell people. The story, I believe it's Bob Feller, was the first athlete or celebrity to sign up for the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. And he was at his absolute peak of powers, having won the Cy Young. And he was the he went right down to the war office and enlisted on the spot. Bob Feller, look the story up. Guys like that deserve. You know, that's what kind of chaps me a little bit when we talk about old school baseball. You know, how would this guy do in this era and etc.? There's eras in baseball where players took time off to go enlist in fucking combat. I mean, there's an F-word for it.
SPEAKER_00World Wars.
SPEAKER_01We're talking here. You know, so world baseball classic, uh, a little bit different on the line here. It is nice to beat the Dominicans two to one. Couple other takes here. Quick on PCA. There were two plays. Maybe they looked routine. And my suspicion, I thought that he impacted the outcome. First, a little less obvious was a base hit from Catel Marte, Fernando Tatis Jr., he was on first base. Um, and he held him to first and second. And then I think there was a double play after that. And the second was in, I believe, the bottom of the seventh inning after a double from Wells Perdomo hit. Somebody hit a ball in the center field, left center field. Yeah, deep, deep. And just how quick he breaks on balls. So that was nice to see on display. Like PCA has just completely dominated that. And we'll get into that with ball or strike, but just an observation last night. There were two small plays that I thought defensively were just he's just so quick to getting the balls and getting them back into the field of play. Uh, it's like beyond elite to explain.
SPEAKER_00It looks so casual. Anyone else, it's a web gem because they have to be, you know, diving out of their ass and what have you. But Pete was there and makes it look so simple. Um, yeah, phenomenal stuff, really, all around within the world baseball classic, I think, for Pete Crow Armstrong.
SPEAKER_01All right, and then two last observations I have just from last night's game, uh, is we get into ball or strike. So observation one, you know, people hate Mark DeRosa. At least they did for what he had misrepresented in pool play round for not really knowing the rules. And he did sound like an idiot. And I've seen people dump on Mark DeRossa quite a bit on social media. And so just a couple moments last night, it's like, whatever. If you want to hate Mark DeRosa, obviously he's not a manager full time. Obviously, his job is to sit in studio and have takes and, you know, raise his family or whatever the hell Mark DeRosa does. It's not managed full time, but he did have Gunnar Henderson in for Alex Bregman against Severino. Maybe that's not a hard decision because Gunnar Henderson's seven for nine with his career against Severino, but like he does make the move to put Henderson in at third base, hit him fifth. He hits a big home run. The other one, he loses Corbin Carroll to injury early in camp or whatever. So then they bring in Roman Anthony. Roman Anthony hits seventh. Obviously, a lot of people think that's an easy decision, but Mark DeRosa is the one who fucking makes it at the end of the day. Roman Anthony's the one who hits the go-ahead home run, even though it's early. So there's a couple moves there that like Mark DeRossa, you know, pat him on the back for, and then obviously going to Tyler Rogers for a double play on Ju Soto in the fifth inning when he's sub-out Paul Skeins. Like, I don't think that's very obvious that you're bringing in Tyler Rogers against Ju Soto in that situation. So if you want to hate on Mark DeRossa, just keep in mind like there's some really good in-game stuff uh from last night's game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, hand up. I was one hating on Mark DeRossa earlier in the week, you know, based off the snafu with the pool play and advancing and so on. And of course, was like, why don't we have a real manager in there? All the stuff that you've seen, but that always does just go away with winning, and all that quieted down immensely after last night. And this is his third finals appearance managing team USA. So yeah, that's that's proof in the pudding. And um, you know, apologies out there to Mark DeRossa if anyone was offended by my tweet. And I'll also one point on Mark DeRossa, his interview last night, a lot of dares. Yeah, you know, over dare. And it was like, wait, where is this guy actually from?
SPEAKER_01He's a big Philly guy, he's classic Philly, too. And if you Philly stereotypes, he fits them to a T. He's like an educated Philly guy, he's perfect. He's a perfect baseball, like he is a meat head, he is a bright guy, though. Had a great utility career. You know, I'd make an argument that a guy like DeRossa, you know, probably took performance-enhancing drugs. You know, people get mad at me for that. I think a majority of guys in his era did, especially if you look, but like that's not what it's about. He was a fine cub. I got nothing but like, I don't have bad things to say about Mark DeRossa at all.
SPEAKER_00Me neither. And really, when I heard anything I've heard from his time with the Cubs is he was the consummate professional and absolute locker room guy, you know, that people did follow, you know, more than others. So like maybe that's why.
SPEAKER_01Like Alfonso Soriano, he was the perfect player for Lou Pennell at that time, uh, which is a completely different conversation we'll have at another time. Another take from last night's game. And I I want to make this more of like a take I can stand behind. I almost tweeted it out, but I I wasn't gonna say I couldn't say it eloquently enough, so I thought I'd save it for the show and start to warm up on this take. But the general premise is this as far as bat flipping and embarrassing the opposing pitcher is concerned, I think for night games, you should be allowed to do whatever you want. If you want to throw the jacket on and wear a belt, and they have the fireworks on the field and the whole team wants to run on the field. So I'm proposing Dominican winner league, Mexican winner league, the just the general Latin celebration for home runs for night games. However, day games, put your head down, run around the bases. This is day baseball, we got somewhere to be.
SPEAKER_00And it just shines so much better under the lights. That's when you're celebrating. That's when you want people, you know, popping open a cold one at the ball game. I couldn't agree more with that, and it's never crossed my mind. But yes, it looks so much better when a bat is doing a couple 360 rotations in the air with the gleam of a spotlight.
SPEAKER_01Because people like to complain about the bat flip still, this is gonna be an ongoing conversation. Then the world baseball classic happens, and you see the unwritten rules are obviously thrown out the door because this is how it's gonna be on the stage. And it just makes me think major league baseball, like for a night game, why not? Like if it's a night game, go right ahead. I'm sick and tired of this. You know, like you're showing the guy up. We got to find like a mutual balance here where at least it's like that's expected during night baseball, but during day baseball, we don't have the time for these theatrics. Like, let's keep it moving, folks.
SPEAKER_00So, day baseball, bat flip. Are you getting hit on the next pitch? Or is it just like, hey, let's just put this out? All right, yeah. So that's we will enforce this rule.
SPEAKER_01Like you can be a hard ass during the day, you can be tough guy old school baseball, uh, respect the game. Those rules apply during day baseball, I think. And that's kind of like out of respect to the tradition of baseball being played during the day.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, that's fair.
PCA Defense And DeRosa Redemption
SPEAKER_01And I I couldn't be more on board. But if we're gonna do night games, and I mean go ahead, look at like who doesn't love a home run at night at Comiskey when they light up the stadium? Are you kidding me?
SPEAKER_00Right. Popcorn showers, everyone's just having a good old time. It's it's just it absolutely hits differently.
SPEAKER_01So that was the last take that I had from the World Baseball Classic. And a quick story. A quick story before we transition to ball or strike, David Bednard pitched last night, either in the bottom or the top of the seventh. He pitched the seventh inning for the United States. And he's the closer for the pirates. And I I've probably told this story before, but when I was working on starting nine with Jake, through a friend of mine at Fanatics and a contact at Barcelona Sports, we got tickets to the red carpet uh MLB All-Star game, like pre-game party. And Travis Scott put on a concert. There were only a couple people in the room. And just for context, uh Joel and Bede had a table. Jeff Passan was there in a suit. All the MLB players were there in tables. The New York Yankees had a group of tables together. And I was there with one of my oldest friends who was at the time, I don't I don't know if you can call him an executive, but he was like on the door of the ex of like executives for fanatics. And we had a friend, mutual friend at Barstool that was working the scene to get us like seats or whatever to get us access to the sink so we could interview people. So there's some clips out there of like me and Jake interviewing people on the red carpet, et cetera. But the point of what I'm saying about it is I want to bring up the fact that this was a very high-end room that we were in with tables and a big nightclub atmosphere. Like I said, Travis Scott's putting on his concert, Michael Rubin's walking around. It's just like celebrities everywhere. And in the back of the room is the bar, one of the bars. And David Bednard, when I tell you, is slugging Coors Lights in jeans and like a hoodie. Maybe not a hoodie or a zip-up hoodie. Everybody's dressed to the nines. Everybody brought their entourage, showed up with at least a significant other. And Bednard is in the back alone, just crushing Coors Lights. I see this, I'm like, I cannot pass this opportunity. So me and my buddy went back there. I of course can't help myself. I'm like, hey, can I get a Coors Light? Is this I there they ran out of, you know, make some bullshit joke about it. But we stand there and we bullshit about it. And as I see him pitching for Team USA last night, I'm just thinking of the guy at the red carpet event, you know, wearing Carhartt jeans, standing in the back of the bar. I mean, slowly. Not his crowd, not his crowd. Just let me get him that can polish a couple off of these silvers. Empties of Coors Lights on the bar as he's going through them. So shout out to that guy. Um, love seeing shit like that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's a nice little full circle moment, you know, especially then you see him at that stage last night at the World Baseball Classic.
SPEAKER_01Is that a douchey like name drop story? Is that like I was in the room with him and uh ha ha ha.
SPEAKER_00No, I don't believe so. I mean, when he's it's topical, and this is the dude pitching, you have a personal connection, you know, the maniacs have a personal connection to us. I think we would be remiss not to share something of that nature. I've never heard that story. So I love it.
SPEAKER_01It's a nice event. Um, let's get into some ball or strike.
Ball Or Strike WBC Finals Hopes
SPEAKER_00I got I got a few for you here. It looks like, yeah, we got about a good handful of baller strikes, Carl. I'm just gonna take it off the top. Ball or strike. We want to play Team Italy in the championship game.
SPEAKER_01Now I think that's a strike for like both. A lot of purposes, yeah. Right? Like I suppose the only reason I would say ball is like Palencia. There is a Cub on Venezuela. Do I want to go up against him? That's like the only reason that would pull me away from Team Italy. But like personally, I love Team Italy. I'm friends with Vinny Pasquantino. I'll say that probably. They're all name-drop that. But I think it's a better matchup for the United States. I also just would love to see the media going into it. I think the response to Team Italy has just been outstanding.
SPEAKER_00The response, the shots of espresso, them just dancing in the dugout, doing the chef's kisses all the time. They have a lot of pizzazz about them, this team Italy does. And all that said, uh, I also am always down for a revenge and rematch game. And why not do it when it has all the marbles on the line of the World Baseball Classic Championship?
SPEAKER_01They absolutely spanked us in that first game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they really did. That score, I don't think, reflects how kind of one-sided it was for quite a while.
SPEAKER_01I saw Noah McLean's pitching for the United States as a talented righty from the Mets organization. Probably a lot of bullpen, I would guess. You know, championship game. You know, nerves are flying. Shout out to the United States for obviously getting back to their third straight game. And I'm enjoying this world baseball classic. But be as far as the semifinals go, and like ballers, I think it's obvious. Like, I definitely want to see Italy. The only problem is I do really like Vinny Pasquantino.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I had a couple follow-ups there, and I texted you this because I do know you have a relationship, so I'll do the name drop there for you. But I texted you about his three home run game. I always like to see him do well just because I know that you guys have a relationship, so that's a nice to see. And he has just turned up and looked unbelievable in this entire tournament as team captain of his, you know, of Team Italy.
SPEAKER_01And he looks great in blue, he's a big personality. Uh, and when he's healthy, he's just a monster. So he's had some back issues. The relationship there is because I originally I coached a guy named Mike Massey when he was in high school. He went to Brother Ice, and then we became friends. He played at Illinois, we stayed friends, and then he and Pasquatino got drafted in the same class together. Massey's in the big leagues, and then just as a sign of like being friends with Massey, I suppose, like on the when he comes to games and stuff, I've I've I'm close with his brother, his dad. Like it, that's just like a good classic Southside relationship that I've had for a long time. Um, to the I hosted his bachelor party, you know, and this isn't like name drop into again. I hate I'm trying to walk this line here. I'm trying to establish the fact that like we're so we're old friends from the south side of Chicago. How's that? Yeah, there you go. Too easy. Past Wentino's an East Coast guy, and he's a huge stoole. And so when he was coming up and they were friends, and I was working for Barstall, I went out to Arizona and I get together with Massey, and that's when I had first met Vinny. And then Vinny and I became quick friends. To the next year, he was in the World Baseball Classic, and I like produced this documentary for him where he was doing like a vlog series that were we were publishing on Barstall. And it's funny that like at the time, obviously nobody really cared. But like now, I'm just thinking, like, damn, we should have been doing that vlog series this year. That would have been a good time to do the vlog series while he's becoming this national hero. But quick one for you here. I brought my niece and nephews to the game to see him, and he was talking to my nephews before the game, and they're like four and five years old, whatever, just like young kids. And it's like, Will you hit a home run? And he's like, Yeah, of course. Well, he hits a home run. Yeah, forget about it. And comes out of the dugout afterwards and is pointing at my nephew and was like, I told you I'd hit that home run. I mean, just like when I say special guy, just ridiculous, just like ridiculous stories like that. And he's homered at the last four games I've seen him play in person.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you should, I mean, don't attend the games when we're playing the Royals, but other than that, um, yeah, no, it's been it's been nice to see Vinny tear it up this tournament, and I'd love to see him in the finals, and I'd love to beat him there as well as a team USA versus Italy matchup. Not that that's gonna be easy for Italy, but I have I forgot to tell this.
SPEAKER_01I'm um, whatever, I'll tell the story. I was at Vinny's wedding, I was probably over, you know, you want to say I was overserved, whatever. It would this the drink of their wedding was spicy margarita, you know, you pick out those drinks. Yeah, so one of theirs was the spicy margarita, and I'm just I'm getting after it. I'm sitting at a table with his college baseball coach, who's now the associate head coach at Auburn, Carl Nani Maker, great guy. And big just a big just a big week we went down in Florida, and I'm feeling so good that I take out my phone and I message Jed Hoyer while while Vinny is doing his first dance. Hey, what about the first baseman from the Royals, Pasquentino? I know we're looking for help. Have you thought about trading for him while the first dance is going on? Uh Jed gets no joke. I hate doing this name drop and shit, but this is a honest to God true story. Jed gets back to me and says, The Royals won't take, you know, like has an explanation for me. The Royals won't listen to anything. I love him. His on base is awesome. He never strikes out. Like he's such a good player. It's a shame the Royals won't listen to him. I then in the cocktail line, I show it to Vinny's, I show it to his agent.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was somebody on his like legal team, and was it didn't somebody was like, dude, what do you think you're doing?
SPEAKER_01I have absolutely told this story before, so I'm sorry for retelling it at such length now. And they're like, hey, dude, that's great that you're looking out for, and why don't we talk about this tomorrow? And it hit me like a ton of bricks where I was like, Oh god, this is a mistake. What are you doing? I'm up to him later. I'm a pol I'm like, hey, dude, I gotta say something. I'm sorry. He thought it was so funny. He's like, You are you are absolutely ridiculous. Where someone could be pissed off or like you're trying to broker off season deals off during his first day, during his first dance, he's like, What are you doing? Um at that at that same wedding, a guy comes up to my comes up to my wife, Nicole, comes up to Mrs. Carl and says, Hey Nicole, how are you? Gives her a big hug, and she goes, I'm I'm so sorry. I have no idea who you are. It was Bobby Witt Jr. Oh, that's unbelievable, too. Now we're getting into the name drop territory. Let's have some more. We gotta move on from this, but we do want to play Italy.
Seiya Injury Worry And Palencia Talk
SPEAKER_00We want to play Italy. That's it. That's a strike. We want to play Italy in the championship, and it's been a wonderful celebration of baseball in the WBC, and I've been having none just a phenomenal time watching it until Carl Baller strike. Say Suzuki's injury is a big deal.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think it's a huge deal, and I'm sad about it. You you right away fired it off into the group chat. Like, I just loved how aware you were of this. This is a terrible situation, and we just we can't imagine a situation where Saya isn't playing like 135, 140 games.
SPEAKER_00No, I mean, that's what Big Cat's guy, you know, for the impact of the season. I want Saya to have a career year. I could see him hitting 40 home runs. And right now, I believe nothing's came out as this to the severity of this injury. And we are all speculating. I was like, did he slam his knee? Was it while he was running? We don't have a ton of information yet. However, I mean it's bad enough that he had gotten taken out of the game. And when Japan sends him early on, I'm like, no, here it goes. And just like you see him limping off. The only positive from there is he walked off on his own volition, but it's just that's the absolute worst-case scenario that we wanted to see in the world baseball classic was one of our guys, you know, getting banged up, and especially someone who's had some history of that, you know, fragility.
SPEAKER_01Now, I've said before that we can handle like one or two major injuries to the lineup and still be good. We have great pitching depth, we play awesome defense. Like, there's ways we can definitely work around it. However, if I had to rank players where I'd say, please don't be the guy who gets hurt. Like, we can work there's so many other players we can work around uh before say a Suzuki. Like, there's so many other players. I and I hate to even like wish in I'm not wishing injury on other people. It's just like we have guys that can play other positions. We only have like one really big physical, nasty right-handed hitter that plays obviously plays right field too. So that just blows. I mean, it just absolutely blows. And if there's one guy you don't want to see get hurt during there's just one guy you're sensitive about injuries, it's say a Suzuki.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, it that was that was hard to see. And I was enjoying everything so much up until that very moment, and it kind of brought brought me back down to earth there, thinking about you know the forthcoming season.
SPEAKER_01So there's the dual pro. I'm trying to make this it's for two reasons. It sucks. A it's uh he's just like the thunderous middle of the bat lineup guy, and he's the one we're just looking at, being like, please don't get hurt, please don't get hurt, please don't get hurt. Yep. So uh monitor that situation, monitor that situation closely, please, Moni.
SPEAKER_00I will, and yes, I will be bringing everyone up to speed as the information comes in. Carl, ball or strike? Daniel Palencia will be the breakout star in 2026.
SPEAKER_01See, that's a ball for me, but you know, breakout's a big word. Now, but for this team, like there's a couple guys that are in the mix that are gonna get more regular playing time. Like it could be is Matt Chars, Nico Horner gonna get the national respect. Dan'sby Swanson is due a career year, Michael Bush obviously is an underrated player. Uh PCA, you know, even though I guess he was the breakout player last year. So now I'm just rambling to take myself away from the fact that, you know, Palencia just makes me okay, me personally nervous. However, I don't know as much as Craig Counsel. And I saw a great interview from him, and Craig Council had some like prophetic shit I had never considered. And what was it? So he's talking about how Palencia was successful last year in having the offseason to just like process and think through and enjoy and embrace the success, and that when you're pitching at the end of the bullpen in so many high-leverage situations, like you don't really have a time during the season to process that, like, hey, you're good at this, you can do this. It's just like one rep after the other. And so the fact that he's coming off his first season where he was like trusted, did well, performed well down the stretch, you know, is like earned the fan base's love and respect. Like the fact that you have this off season to process that is like the most strides you can take as a young closer. And I had never considered that.
SPEAKER_00And I do feel him knowing that he is the closer heading into the season, you know, is gonna be beneficial. I thought this was gonna be an easier baller strike, too, just based on his performance against Japan and him closing out that game looked electric. So, you know, I there was like so much of this Palencia pump up that I'm like, oh yeah, dude, he's gonna carry this into the season. And you know, you hope he does. That was just one appearance, but he's really looked great throughout this classic. And um, I breakout stars a big word, but I'd love for him to really cement himself as our closer. And God, if we see him as an all-star or something, that would just be unbelievable.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and if we remember, like I think it was last year, maybe in the second half, or if it's August, late July, mid-August, where they started giving him intro music and intro lights, and started giving him like that modern closer treatment that was not given to him. Well, obviously, a man a my um uh why I'm farting on his name, our closer uh adds Adbert Alzheimer, uh, you know, shit the bat early in the season. But like Palencia earned the right to become the closer, then they started giving him the closer treatment, then having the offseason, like you said, looking electric in the world baseball classic, and you won't get those experiences at all in spring training. And I think for a guy like Palencia, where he's at his career, where it is going to be entirely mental, entirely mental for him to embrace the closer role, would much rather have him on the world baseball classic stage. So, like I'm calling it a ball that he'll be the breakout star just because I think we have other, you know, he's got to contend with some folks, and he's already been good. You know, we'll see, but it's like not that big of a ball. It could be if if maniacs are sitting here being like, that's my guy, that's my pick to click for the season. I think that's totally fair.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, that's fair enough too. And I do see why it's a ball, just given the the long season, the mental capacity of handling the closer roll and that load, you know, throughout. So we'll see how that goes. But he's been awesome in the WBC. I want him to carry that on. And Carl, ball or strike, the world baseball classic. It's a perfect platform for Pete Crow Armstrong.
SPEAKER_01That's his strike down the middle of the plate. Easy one. We talked about how good he looked the last episode. Then he went out and smashed two homers against Italy. Like, he just looks awesome. I just love how much he gets to play around these guys. He's in the lineup next to Aaron Judge every day. Like this, you couldn't ask for a better plat the word platform for PCA to get ready for a season after he becomes the second cub ever, youngest cub of all time, to go 30-30. Like, this is the guy. If we're gonna be awesome, you know. Let me emphasize that word. If we're gonna be awesome, if we're gonna win, I said 95 games on the dot. Like, if we're gonna win that 100 plus, it's because PCA actually ends up taking steps forward. He has a set, I know it's only a handful of games, but like the slash line is exactly what you would want to see. He's got a 700 slug. Like, I know you'd want to see a super high slug. And so that's like where we're at with Pete is how high can the slug percentage actually get. And so he just looks sensational. We're so lucky. I cannot say that enough. Like, I feel as lucky about PCA as I do about Caleb Williams. I just feel so lucky that he is our guy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and like him getting that post-game interview with, you know, we'll see that's why we're having Mr. Skeens go. That like confidence is just so much just oozing from his pores right now. I I love it for Pete. I love it for a young baseball player. I love it for his just maturation, being around these, you know, just absolute studs across the board. So it's just been great for Pete. And let's see if he could keep that up. I hate to say, like, just keep it going, Pete. Keep that going. Yeah, but it's it's just it's sweet to see because he is the that electric type of player. And I do find it funny. We said earlier he was making some of these what look like routine plays. It's probably hard for folks that don't watch him every day to comprehend that how he was just standing there when the amount of you know field he covered was insane. So it's just that sort of thing is cool that other people are starting to get exposure to it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think it's a testament to PCA's cockiness that it even stands out on the field last night against the Dominican Republic and on you know, wearing the stars and stripes, like the fact that his personality still stands out on that field in those circumstances as being this flashy cool guy. It's so understated, he's only gonna get better as he gets older. Just pray for his health.
SPEAKER_00Pray for his health as always. And my my last thing on PCA um, just it the Chicago magazine article makes so much more sense to me now that what I've seen and how he's been acting throughout this tournament. So it's just the bravado's there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, people should get also comfortable with him swinging at the first pitch. So I just saw just a little bit of chat or this on Twitter, and I and I'm not sitting here trying to, you know, respond to everybody who has criticism for PCA, but you do see the one thing that'll come up is like swing decision stuff. Why would you swing at this? You're gonna have to take the good with the bad, right? That's an old saying we have on the Monday morning cub show. Bads with the goods. And with PCA, that's absolutely gonna be this balance for the slugging percentage. He's gonna swing at first pitches, he's gonna swing in situations where you're gonna get mad at him and he's gonna take monster hacks in those situations, and that's because he's self-identified as a player who slugs, so just deal with it.
Ballesteros Buzz And Boyd Opening Day
SPEAKER_00PCA's a slugger, Carl. Sorry. Strike, but all our strike. We love what Jim Bowden had to say about Moises Balesteros.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a strike. All right, let me just qualify this here quick. Jim Bowden, uh former MLB executive, writes for the athletic. You know, I'm not like the biggest fan of his stuff, whatever. It's okay. Uh, he does write for the athletic and publish stuff, and he did spend his entire career in MLB front offices. He wrote an article previewing the MLB 2026 season, uh, and had specifically listed one breakout player from each spring training camp. Uh, so it wasn't necessarily a prediction about who he thought will be a good player this season, right? But like more who has shown in camp uh that they'll be uh that they'll be a breakout player. So he listed by Asteros. You read it. What did he have to say?
SPEAKER_00So I have a couple experts or uh excerpts here in front of me, but just to go on what what you were saying, Jim Bowden says this spring he has held his own at the plate. At the very least, he looks like a strong platoon bat for the Cubs against right-handed pitching. The Cubs believe he will be good enough defensively to be an everyday catcher in time, but for now, his best role is as a platoon designated hitter against righties. He has above average bat-to-bat skills, can handle all types of hits and pitches, including high velocity, sharp breaking balls, and off speed offerings. He'll use the entire field to hit line drives with elite exit velocity. Carl, what does it all mean?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, just yeah. Well, what is it? How about decipher this message? Uh yeah, we've talked about him and as a comparison to Anthony Rizzo, you know. So he probably he's gonna pull less than Rizzo, like a early young Rizzo didn't pull that much 2013 14, and he started. Polling more in 15-16. I think Biasteros will look like a young Anthony Rizzo using the whole field. I don't think you'll see much pole side power from him. But we've talked about this before. It's great to see that at least at least we're going to list one player. Like it's not a breakout based on what we've heard. You know, he's shown it in camp. So that's good shit. What else we got on it?
SPEAKER_00Just, I mean, lastly, we have the aspect of Carter Hawkins quote, your boy. I didn't want to do this on your birthday, but I do I love the quote, so I'm going to fit it in here. Carter Hawkins, the Cubs general manager. Moises is a natural hitter with a knack for finding barrels and a mature approach that is beyond his age.
SPEAKER_01I mean, maybe the only good quote this guy's ever had is right there. Natural hitter one. Two, knack for finding barrels, three, mature approach beyond his age. That's it. That's all you have to say about Moises by Starrels. The fact they're even considering him in a designated hitter role without any MLB playing time is so rare. You know, I don't have the history books in front of me. But your designated hitter before the season starts is a guy who doesn't really have any service time. Obviously, he's gifted. Obviously, he's got a mature approach beyond his years, and obviously, like he has the ability to find the barrel. The one thing I'll push back on, Bowden is setting him up as just a platoon DH. I think by the middle of the season, he will be playing regularly against right-handed and left-handed pitching.
SPEAKER_00I agree. And I read Patrick Mooney's article on Voices as well, regarding just how he came up. And there was a quote from one, a longtime Cubs international scout, Alex Suarez. And he was saying, like, there was a point where I was only sending highlight reels, and they were asking him to like send the bad stuff. I'm I'm not doing a good job of you know rephrasing this entire thing, but there wasn't. He was like, These are the I'm sending you everything, these aren't all the highlight reels, essentially. This is who he is. The guy's just a hitter. Every video they kept turning in was like, he just doesn't stop hitting. So this is who you're getting, and this is who they've gotten, who he's developed as such a young hitter who's DH ready for Major League Baseball. So that's sick.
SPEAKER_01I think you did a wonderful job, marvelous job setting the stage for that.
SPEAKER_00So it's funny because I'm in our green room, we referenced the Belisaros article, and I'm like, I read that one, and I'm like, oh no, I did read the Bowden one, but the Mooney one was that was fresh in my mind. But either way, um, it's great to hear stuff about Moises. You've been talking about this for two years now, and I think that it's gonna hit the national scale this season, and I do see him being the regular. He's been a part of the plans on why they weren't gonna resign Tucker because of his bat in the middle.
SPEAKER_01Mooney did a great deep dive. Obviously, if you're subscribed to The Athletic, go check it out. We always endorse Patrick Mooney's work here. I like Biastero so much that I got into an argument with my what one of my wife's high school friends' husbands at like a fucking two-year-old birthday party last summer, like a hot dog cookout. You know, I'm gonna do that.
SPEAKER_00I remember this. I brought it up on the Cub show, and you were like, maybe we shouldn't have done that because now I'm gonna have to see this guy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like like that's how but I'm not trying to passion. Funny that I did that. No, I will go there, and I guess, you know, like you know, a lot of guys have moments and like that where you've end up in a sports, meaningless sports. Why am I arguing sports with this person? Um, but that like act that actually happened, and that's how passionate I am about Moises Biaster. I said I'm willing to go there, not with like one of my family members. I'm talking about a guy married to my wife's high school friend. So love his plate discipline, excited to see him. I think there's some tempered uh, you know, expectation when Bowden says platoon DH, but again, like my plan for him uh in my head when I think about him in the middle of the season is he's our everyday designated hitter.
SPEAKER_00Yep, same. Carl, I got one more for you ball or strike. Well, one, we were pretty dead on accurate as the organization was about Moises, but ball or strike, we were dead on balls accurate with Matt Boyd being that opening day starter.
SPEAKER_01That's a strike. And I think in the history of ball or strike, we throw a lot of strikes on this show.
SPEAKER_00You know, I mean I set you up for a lot of strikes. I'm trying to get, you know, I'm trying to work the count here, but get guys out.
SPEAKER_01It is spring training. Like we do need to get our timing down. So this is a strike. We talked about this last week. The one thing that was revealed, uh, in addition to Matt Boyd being the opening day starter, is that this was generally planned all along from the beginning of spring training, that they wanted Matt Boyd to be the opening day starter. So I thought that was pretty cool that you know that we didn't go into the spring training with some open-minded competition in the front office that we're like willing to be honest with ourselves about opening is yeah, like who's the best person for this? And then the thing that we talked about last week that should be celebrated more is that the Cubs take a guy coming off injury, you know, is he was a big prospect. He was hurt, tigers kicked around, went wasn't great when he was out there, showed flashes, comes back from injury, shows just enough before he hits free agency that the Cubs take a chance on him at two years,$29.5 million, and then really redevelop his career where he's an all-star last year. Now he's the opening day starter, he's on team USA. So, what do you think Matt Boyd's free agency looks like after this? It looks obviously fucking fantastic. Count that one, Lizard King. And that helps because we're gonna go to more free agent pitchers. This is gonna be part of Jed's story that he tells the guys in the future. Um, you know, lockout, be damned. When we go to free agents again in the future, we've got really compelling shit to say, and Matt Boyd is a perfect example of it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Matthew Boyd basically wrote the executive's battle card for recruiting future potential starting pitchers to come to Chicago. So it's a great story altogether. I'm happy that he's getting the nod, and I think he deserves it. And I think that the Cubs fans will, you know, reap with awards maybe a few years from now, even. It's it's a very, very nice to have. And yeah, the story is there to come to Chicago if you want to get, you know, some juice going, baby.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like we had it with Keller out of the bullpen. We're gonna we have it with Matt Boyd. I mean, just go down the list. I mean, we don't have to sit here and name it, but like we really get the most out of our arms, and we're just we're starting to see high-end talent in the rotation, like Cade Horton's high-end talent. I've had shitty things to say about Jackson Wiggins, but like he is high-end, 98 mile an hour plus talent. We're gonna start to see these guys crack in uh for the first time as Cubs fans, and I'm just really, I would say, you know, optimistic about what our pitching development is like. We're we're almost like I'd compare it to the feeling you have is the Chicago Bears monster the midway defense. Like you just know the defense shows up, hasn't been like that forever. You know, but there's those those stereotypes in sports that attach to themselves, the Steelers 3-4 defense, whatever. Like, I'm not ridiculous to look at the Cubs pitching infrastructure under Tommy Hodovy and say, like, in the long run, we can be like this elite pitching defense run prevention system. Uh, and it's like just really getting going. I think I think Matt Boyd's a good example of this. So shout out Matt Boyd.
Pitch Clock On Spring Storylines
SPEAKER_00Yeah, shout out Matt Boyd, opening day starter for your Chicago Cubs on March 26th. So uh what else we what else we got here, Mahomes? Let's go. I got some pitch clock for you, Carl, because we're coming up tight here, 51 minutes right now, but I'm gonna pitch clock you on a few different subjects and then we could just riff on them from there. Sounds good to me, my friend. So pitch clock number one here. I got Ben Brown has looked sensational. Um, and I I'm not trying to upset anyone. This is the last person I honestly thought that we'd be talking about this offseason, but it like where do we stand on Ben Brown collectively as the Monday morning cub show?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I appreciate you for pitch clock in this one. I could have the tendency to go long on Ben Brown. I think we have no choice but to just be optimistic about him, provided that our it doesn't cross over our expectations into him being great. Like my I have to separate my optimism from my expectations here. And so it's optimistic to see Ben Brown look good, but he won't we're not moving our line on expectations here or what we can bank on from this guy, hopefully at all. I mean, the spring training stuff means nothing to me. And this is I'm having a hard time struggling because he's done well and I don't and I don't want to shit on the fact that he's done well in spring training, especially because he looks so bad and it would be so easy for him to look bad. But I I I I I'm sick and tired. I got sick and tired of watching him make a mess out of shit when you throw 98 with plus plus stuff. So if we see him in the starting rotation this year, I think it's because there's injuries to other guys. Like I think his role's in the ballpen, and hopefully he embraces it. Then I'll be super optimistic and my expectations can drastically change. But if we're talking about Ben Brown as a starter, this is my long-winded way of saying, you know, he can look as good as he wants in March. I'm not gonna start expecting him to be a good pitcher, right?
SPEAKER_00No, the right now, and with the arms that we have in comparison to last year, I think there was more of a need for our hopes to come to fruition that Ben Brown was gonna turn around, get that third pitch, whatever it may be. But that didn't really happen. We did get sick and tired of seeing him. So I'm just looking at it as like, hey, hope for the best with Ben Brown, hope he could contribute, and we'll leave it at that.
SPEAKER_01You know, Mahoney, but let me say now that makes me think maybe I've been too hard on him because the circumstances last year really dictated that we needed Ben Brown, and he like wasn't there for us. You know, Kate Horton was, obviously, which is great. We needed somebody to step up, and so part of the reason why I'm mad at Ben Brown, I still have this biased taste in my mouth that, like, damn you, Ben Brown.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think that does have a lot to do with it. Yeah, and that, but then there were some body language stuff too, so it's not all just based on like you know, performance and potential. No, my distaste for him is much deeper than that, right? Fair. Carl pitch clock. I got another one for you here. So when do we start worrying about Javis and Tayan? Because he did just get shelled the other day here, and I'm a little bit slightly concerned.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, like 23. I think 22 or 23 hits in like nine innings and change. You know, he was okay in the world baseball classic. I think only made one start for Canada. Like we get we get nervous if he's just always gets shelled in March before opening day. There's only 10 days left. So um, you know, we're riding the line, I suppose. We're riding the line. I just need to see like a little like a little bit of command from him. That's the that's the problem. He's just like right in the strike zone with everything. And he's old enough and mature enough to have the excuse that he's working on shit. The thing that's bumping up against any criticism anybody can have for Jameis Atlanta is he's awesome at home, awesome in day games. And I think he can really be a guy who feasts in like April and May if he's out of the gate, ready to go. But he is getting shelled, Mahoney.
SPEAKER_00Are you seeing anything in his mechanics? No, I haven't actually broken down the film quite yet from yesterday's start. But what I was seeing earlier on, especially with the 60 pitches or somebody threw from Team Canada, he wasn't mixing it up as usually he does. But no, Carl, just uh joking aside, I did not see anything with James Hateon yet. And um, well, it's I'm a little worried about like him going to the world baseball classic. One quote that I read from him was like, Yeah, you know, I'm going there. He's playing for Team Canada. Expectations probably aren't super high to be competitive. He's like, Yeah, no, I'm just going there. I'm gonna be throwing what 60 pitches anyway. So it's not like he was going there to be like Jameis Atan. He still had that mindset of getting work done based off of what I read him saying about the WBC. So that's why I'm like a little concerned because it's like if that's the case, just stay, stay in uh Mesa.
SPEAKER_01Now, maybe I want something from him that doesn't necessarily exist that's coming to mind as you're talking about his experiences with Team Canada, and that's like a little fire and passion in his belly. And I think that obviously is there, you know, especially later in the season. He pitched well at home in the playoffs. And he's he's just a great day game pitcher at Wrigley Field, consummate professional, all that shit. But as I'm just sitting here in the offseason, like, yeah, maybe there should be a little bit more fire in his belly, just continuously getting shelled, but it's a small sample size, it's only nine and inch. It's just something to keep an eye on. This is why it's a pitch clock, it's not really a big deal. But we've talked about Jamison Tan, is like he's the guy we trust the most to make starts for the Cubs and have a shitty spring training. Like, if someone's gonna go out there and just get their tits lit for the entire month of March, if there's one guy in the rotation who's gonna look like complete shit and then pitch in April and I'm gonna be okay about it, it is Jamison Tan. So it's it's fitting to at least ask at what point do we worry about it? Um, and then I think I my answer is like his first start of the season.
SPEAKER_00All right, here we go. All right, so pitch clock, I got Eddie Eddie Cabrera as our number three starter. Eddie Cabrera, number three pitch clock is on. Go. I I think so. Right.
SPEAKER_01I think it's Matt Boyd, Cade Horton, and then it goes to Eddie Cabrera, even though I'd be more comfortable with him in like a four or a five spot, but like Shoda hasn't been good. Jamison Tan's bad, and Eddie Cabrera has looked really good. I just want the training wheels on this guy. I want to be as careful as possible with this guy. I don't want him throwing a ton of pitches in cold situations because we have so many, you know, like I don't want him out there throwing 95, 100 hard pitches in April. I want to baby him along. But when you see guys get shit on, like again, Shoda and Jameson, you know, Eddie bumped up to the number three. I'm nervous with the expectations too, he has in his head that this is like a a new the new change of scenery means like a new way to get paid to put in like be more max effort. I don't want to see him overthrow. I hope he's not using this. Um, like I there's I hope this doesn't create too much internal pressure for him that he can become the Cy Young. I hope it's just more of like this natural environment. I'm doing a really bad job of explaining right now.
SPEAKER_00And and putting him at the number three, I don't think puts him in that spot and in that mental space where he's gonna put too much pressure on himself. I just want to tell you. So I let's take it easy. Let's see that change up.
SPEAKER_01He may think that he may see it as this is his opportunity out. We're such a better environment than the Marlins for pitching development. I know he's getting coached so much better. We just want him to take it nice and slow. He's looked awesome. So as our number three, he look he looks awesome. And I wonder how he feels if he's like missing out on the Dominican Republic team. Like he's right on that edge where I'm surprised he wasn't on their pitching staff. So I don't know what happened with that.
SPEAKER_00No, yeah, and neither do I, so I'm not even gonna try to speculate there, but I do see Eddie Cabrera. He's gonna be the number three. I like the spot that he's in. There's not a ton of pressure from my eyes on him, unless it's that internal, like I have to do this in this new space and so on. Um, let me pitch clock you on this little odd one, uh actually. So I got pitch clocking you, Matt Shaw at first base.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Ryan Flaherty talked about it on the Marquee Network YouTube. They interviewed him. He was talking about Shaw, you know, getting reps at first base. He's been he he's played all over the field. I'm like, you know, I'm surprised we are at this point, and it is kind of disappointing as a big market club that Matt Shaw has an opportunity at first base because we should have. I know Tyler Austin got hurt, but like the fact that we're in mid-March and it's just Michael Bush and we don't know if he can hit lefties. And when I see Matt Shaw getting reps at first base, it makes me question what the team knows about Michael Bush against lefties.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, dude. And then even in the Moises article, they're getting him reps at first. Not that I see that really happening, but there's a lot of talk about other people getting worked on at first base, which is like, what does that say about how they feel about Michael Bush this year?
SPEAKER_01So my simple answer, if we were just talking about Matt Shaw playing first, I mean, he's got so much range, he's undersized, but he's got so much range that there is some sort of kind of positive he can bring. You know, you know he'll learn how to pick it great. Being undersized sucks, you know, not being able to grab big throws, but we have like a masterful infield. So the simple answer is like, I like it. You know, he can play third extremely well. He's a shortstop by trade, he's probably a very above average second baseman. Should he get regular reps there? It sounds like he's handling right field just fine. He'll pick up first base quickly. Like, simply on it, I love Matt Shaw's versatility, but there is that deeper thing, like, yeah, what do they mean about Bushness?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for sure. Yeah, and that was a bit beyond the actual presentation of the pitch clock question or statement. But what that said, I would love to see Matt Shaw turn into some sort of super utility. You know, I know that like height and stuff, you know, might have something to do with first base, not getting a ton of cracks there, but having him at right, having him spell at short second and being able to play third on a whim, I it would be very boastful for him and the Cubs because that's something we don't see too much in baseball anymore, like a Chris Bryant being able to do four different positions, you know, uh in one in five-day stretch. I know it's a lot to ask, but that would be cool to see.
Closing Thoughts Plus Reviews Request
SPEAKER_01Well, worst case scenario, if like he has to play first base, if something happened to Michael Bush or he was terrible against lefties, like if Shaw can pick that position up enough quickly where it's May and they're comfortable with him for a couple games in a row there. Like I don't think under people really understand just how crazy valuable that is, or just how remarkably impressive it is for Matt Shaw. And to your point, a player that comes to mind, yeah. I think like the last really great utility player we had was Ben Zobrist. You know, where you just felt so good, no matter where he was that he was gonna give you a good solid effort. And so I think Matt Shaw is like it could have the potential to be a significantly better version of that. Like, like Zobrist was fine at second. He was, you know, competent in left field. He could give you a couple innings at third, he could spell you at shortstop. We're like, I think Matt Shaw could play multiple weeks at all of those positions. Yeah, that's that's phenomenal stuff. So this has been a good this has been a good show because next week we're gonna do our preseason show, and we do have a guest for that. We do have a very special guest for that. Uh, we'll announce that later. So I mean I'm uh but I am satisfied with where we're at with the world baseball classic and just delighted that we have an opportunity to play Team Italy.
SPEAKER_00Yep. Opportunity to play the Italians to get that you know sweet taste of revenge. I'd love to see the United States take this down. Suck to see the Seiya injury, but we knew that that was a risk, and you know that the Japanese players were going to be playing balls to the wall for their country. So I know that sucks.
SPEAKER_01That's the I that's the negative. The negative is the Seiya injury, so let's not close on that. We're very positive about our pitching depth, you know, Matt Shaw's versatility. Stay positive with me, Mahoney. It's my 39th birthday.
SPEAKER_0039th birthday. Let's just yeah, get back to that. That is positive, Carl. Happy birthday. We're just a stretch away from opening day. I'm super excited about this season. I know that you all are super excited. And yeah, Carl, enjoy the last year of your 30s, pal.
SPEAKER_01It's gonna be a good one. So thanks to the Maniacs for tuning in. Uh, a good birthday present because we did get more reviews because Big Cat was on the show last week. So there were some eyes. We lost our five-star status on Spotify. I got a couple review bombs. So that is like that was sacred to me because we were in the like we were up to like 230 at a five-star. And I hate to be competitive about this stuff. But if you haven't dropped anything on Spotify, I'd appreciate it. Obviously, the Apple podcast people behind.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, if you're gonna prioritize your reviews, let's go to Spotify first, Apple second. But that comes with the territory too. You know, when the listener bump gets going, you're gonna get a couple people out there trying to bring you down, but we're not gonna let them.
SPEAKER_01Oh my god. At this point, uh, it's good seeing you, Mahoney. We will be back next week for a uh, like I said, special season preview. Uh until next time, please subscribe to the show. We love you guys.