March 17, 2025 • 31 mins
Opening Day is here, and we’re breaking down the Cubs vs. Dodgers series to kick off the season! Get the coffee ready for some early morning baseball as the team heads to Japan. We’re joined by special guest Blake Cowell to talk all things Cubs, from roster expectations to key matchups in the opener. We also take a deep dive into the first month of the season, where the Cubs face a tough April schedule. Can they weather the early tests and set the tone for 2025? Tune in for all the insights and predictions! Subscribe: / @dingersachicagocubsfanpodc824 Talk #Cubs baseball on our facebook group: / 188995809182063 @dingercubs is presented by OnTapSportsNet.com, your go-to source for Cubs news, analysis, and updates. Follow us on social media: @Diingercubs | @OnTapSportsNet Panelists: @dingercubs | @baseball_buj | @wycoffjd23 | Follow us on Twitter: @dingercubs Follow us on Instagram: @dingercubs TikTok: @dingercubs Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/dingercubs
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to The Dinger's Podcast, presented to you by
Test of Course Network, with your host Mitch, j Jeff
and Kevis.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Ready to talk to the Cubs. All I need is
a bet ya.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Wow, I ain't believe under estimate the Swingers.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
The Dinger's Podcast is on the air. I'm your host, Mitch.
I'm here with Blake Cowwell. You might know him from
I mean, he's all over Twitter. He does Lake Shore
Radio as well as does Cubs Insider. So one, congratulations
for all your success this off season. You've been just
(00:46):
my go to for Cubs information, you and jay Z.
But one, just welcome to The Dinner's Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah, thanks for thanks for having me. Super excited. Was
pumped when I got the message you wanted to have
me on. And you know it is opening day eve,
so let's yeah, let's get into It's time to roll.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
It is time to roll.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I I like this has been a weird, like because
they're starting so early, Like I haven't felt like I've
kind of gotten the room, like yeah, it's really opening
day until like kind of today hitting me like halfway
through the day, It's like no, like I gotta get
up early tomorrow. Because we got a game, like all
these fate games are done with the real thing is
starting tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, I'm jacked.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Yeah, It's it's like Christmas. It's like Christmas Eve. You know,
you get to feel young again. It's there's not many
there's only golf and Cubs Baseball. I can get me
up at five am, and I get to at least
do one of those tomorrow. And even though it's gonna
be against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, it's Cubs Baseball.
It's March. I can't complain. It's getting warm. It's like
I said, it's time to roll. Let's roll.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
You know, I'm a tradition that, like I always Grill
brought for Opening Day and my wife was like, are
you gonna get up at four in the morning, And
Grill Brot's like, of course I am.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
We gotta.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
We got a tradition to keep going, Like we got
to get up early and let's get this thing cracking.
Let's look forward to those first two games of Opening
Day in Japan.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
We have Shutamnaya going versus Alla Moto.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
First pitch is gonna be a huge spectacular Imonaga facing show. Hey, uh,
what are you kind of looking at that first game,
like what are what are your expectations going in to
the first game, And just for the series.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
As a whole, I mean, the series is a whole first,
I mean first and foremost. This is highlighting how big
the game is growing, and it's how big it's growing overseason,
especially in Tokyo. I mean, you know, as you mentioned,
I worked close to a Jay Z and he just
came back from Tokyo back a couple months ago, and
he goes back, he goes, Dude, you can't get on
a train, you can't walk down the street, you can't
(02:49):
pass a billboarder without seeing one of these guys on it.
You know, Roki Sasaki, I'm a moto show Hey, showta
and and say, you know, they're all over the place
and Tokyo is of becoming the mecca of baseball, if
you will. They just won the WBC. And similar to
what we see in the NBA, with these overseas euro
guys now dominating the NBA, we could be looking fifteen
(03:10):
years from now in the top five of ten players
in MLB could all be from Japan. Like that's how
it's come, That's how it's coming. You know.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, the pitcher that pitched against the Dodgers for the Tigers,
they do you have like eight k's just filth for
five innings, Like guaranteed he's gonna be the next like
ace for the Dodgers next year or down the road.
But yeah, we have Matt Shaw making a debut tomorrow,
getting his first start in the major leagues. Uh, what
(03:39):
do you expect out of him? Because I'm thinking very
first up by he's getting a base hit.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
I hope you're right. And the thing with Matt Shaw
that at least I want Cubs fans to temper their
expectations because we saw when ps was kind of thrown
into this fire. It's a learning curve, and when that
learning curve is starting with the best team in baseball
coming off World Series overseas, I'm not gonna be surprised
if he struggles over the I'm not gonna be surprised
if he struggles for the first month the Cubs first
(04:06):
month is such a difficult schedule, but putting him at
Triple A doesn't make sense. The Cubs have an immediate
need at third base. Throw him to the fire. He's
gonna learn, He's gonna sink or swim. I mean we've
seen in the past Kyle Schwerber and he and a half,
they had to go back down to Triple A to
refine their skills and come back up. And now they're
both successful ballplayers who have gotten extensions with one with
(04:27):
the Cubs, one with a different team, and successful ballplayers.
If Matt Shaw has that, I wouldn't be surprised. But
I mean, the kids ready to play. He's not. He's
not a Triple A player anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Yeah, And like for me, like going into these two games,
like it's very likely we could, we could go oh
and two, It's very likely.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
My big thing is I don't want to see the Cubs, let's.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Say tomorrow, get out to like a three four run
lead and then seventh eighth.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
And blow blow a lead, like just give a one away.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
That's where it's like, I really hope this revamped bullpen
and give Cubs a little bit of assurance right away
to start the season. What's your kind of feeling on
Cubs bullpen, the moves that they made Presley at the end,
what are your thoughts there?
Speaker 3 (05:17):
They did what they could. I mean, you can't fault
Jet Hoyer for not trying, because as we saw with
the Tanner Scott situation, it was he you know, he
kind of threw the kitchen sink of what he was
able to do within the confines of the Tom Ricketts
check book. You know, it was the last second, the
last second ditch effort to say, hey, we'll give you
four years, and he's like, well, I'll go to the Dodgers.
(05:37):
At least that's what was reported. I like Ryan Presley,
I'm not gonna be surprised if he struggles, similar to
Hector Nerris. I love Porter Hodge, I like Nate Pearson.
I mean, they made moves. A lot of the guys
that started in the bullpen last year aren't here anymore.
So it's not like they're running it back with the
same bullpen. I mean, there's still some pieces around, But
(05:58):
I think a second season of Porter high is gonna
be valuable to this Cubs team. I think Ryan Say
at least adds that extra cushion because if he does struggle,
then Porter Hodge has closed in the past. But again,
there's no real superstars in this bullpen. There's no you know,
there's no Emmanuel class A coming out in the ninth
there's no Ryan Hessley coming out of the ninth and
that's still a cause of concern for me at least,
(06:21):
But it's what we got and I'm not gonna I'm
not gonna root against him. I'm gonna hope that everything
goes well. But injuries happen, as we know, and you know,
fingers crossed. That's all I can really do at this point.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Yeah, I think the bullpen, one thing is we do
have a little bit more depth. We do have some
of the like Plincya has probably got to start down
in Iowa where last year he got a heavy load
in the Major So I feel like just the depth
of our bullpen we can kind of fill in when
those injuries do happen.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Which they're going to happen.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Scott from Iowa says we were foreign too versus Dodgers
last year. He's calling for a clean sweep in Japan.
So I would love that because as we look forward to.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
April, like we.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Come back, we have some spring training games, what five
spring training games, and then we go to Arizona.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
We stay in Arizona.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I guess we have four verst Arizona, and.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
That look into April is a doozy, We have San Diego,
the Rangers, the Dodgers again, the Padres again, Dbacks are
staying out West, and then we have the Phillies and
Pirates to kind of finish that. Only easier teams the
As and they've improved quite a bit, have some talent
there that that's not just a give giveaway game to
(07:40):
the Cubs. What is kind of your expectations for that
first April? What would make it a successful April? As
we come out of April and get into the summer months.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Keep your keep your head above water is as close
as you can because as we know in baseball, and
as we've seen with the Cubs the past few seasons,
if I mean even in twenty twenty three when they
went down like ten games in the division, it took
two and a half months of flawless baseball to get
even back in relative contention for September. They can't go
(08:12):
down five games to the Brewers in month one. It's
just not where you want to be. And in a
season where they have they have to have it. You know,
Jed Hoyer's job is on the line. Craig Council is
job security. But you know we're paying him so much
money to be it an asset to get us over
the hump. You know, we got to see some more
stuff from him. I mean, as far as April goes,
keep your head above water. Play clean baseball. You know,
(08:35):
we saw a lot last year, and I think a
lot of that had to do with Christopher Morrell with
some other guys just playing kind of out of position.
You gotta play cleaner defense, you can't run into outs.
You gotta play opportunistic baseball, situational hitting. I mean, you
got to play the brand of baseball that Craig Council
is used to coaching with Milwaukee, and they just didn't
do that last year, at least toward the end. I
(08:55):
mean April, they they set the franchise record for most
wins and then it felt the wheels fell off after.
But if you can knock out some good series wins
here in April, I mean, that'll set up for some
easier series in theory down the road. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
My thing is just if we can just stay five
hundred for the month of April and maybe even take
some series.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Take a sweep of the d Backs.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Uh, there's a two game set with the Dodgers later
at home that we we take those uh, and that
just that would set us up for that success later on.
Now the big thing for me too is just let's
be injury free going through through April. Like and I
look at I look at that starting rotation and we
(09:39):
we were looking at the fifth star spot. We don't
really quite know who that is. It could be Ben
Brown probably leaning probably more towards Ben Brown gonna probably
get that, which I'm all excited for for that, Like, yes,
Ben Brown is legit, let's let's get him in the rotation.
And we are pretty deep there, but we're deep in
a way that is pretty man. We don't have If
(10:02):
I look at if Shoda steal tyne go down, there's
nobody of that caliber to kind of fill in and
then it gets pretty weak. So like, especially with our
starting rotation, I want to see injury free April. And
even if we have to go to a six man
rotation that a little bit, I'll be okay with that
rut save on the innings in Monaga. What are your
(10:22):
thoughts with that, like our starting rotation.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, this was my biggest cripe with Jed Horrier this
offseason was is he didn't do enough from the starting
pitcher perspective, And like you said, if if Shody Monaga
goes down, you know, and we hope he doesn't, or
if Steel goes down, Jamison Toyne's not a number two starter,
you know, And everyone moves up a slot like it's
not like you're just adding a guy on the end.
Like everyone moves up a slot. Like if the playoffs
were to start, Jamison Towne's your game two starter, you know,
(10:48):
And that's not that's not a playoff team. It's just
not a playoff team unless your offense is crazy talented,
which they have the potential to be, but you still
need starting pitching. From a talent perspective, Ben Brown I
think will eventually get there. He has all the raw
talent abilities. You know. Season was cut short last year,
so health is you know, a minor concern because he's
only pitched two months in the major leagues. Like that's
(11:10):
a small sample size for anybody, and especially a starting pitcher.
He's only got three or four starts and seven or
eight appearances whatever it was. Colin Ray is gonna eat
innings down the stretch. I guess they're in talk still
with Lance Lynn. I mean, that's not anything to write
home about, but you're right, and you know, a Javier Asade,
he's another guy. Jordan Wicks is another guy. Like you said,
it's kind of a it's a band of mid tier pitchers.
(11:32):
And I think this season, at least for a guy
like Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown, you need to figure
out what you have in these guys. Because Jordan Wicks
was injured last season, but his rookie season he was
pretty good and he's got good stuff and I think
he can be a solid pitcher, especially with the investments
they made this offseason bring in Tyler Zombro, fortifying their
pitch lab. But they write home about so much. It's
(11:54):
not something that I am super concerned about right now
at this time because nobody's injured. But when that first
injury happens, because again we know it will yep, that's
where it's time to kind of, you know, cross your
fingers and toes, because again, you gotta cover at least
fifteen hundred innings here in an MLB season. Who's gonna
(12:16):
eat those innings? If a guy like Justin Steele goes down,
who can realistically give you one hundred and eighty of those,
or a guy like Shoda who can give you a
hundred and seventy. Even a guy like Coln Ray who
can eat innings. I mean, he's an innings eater. But
if you don't have that guy and he goes down,
you know, Javier a Side struggles to get to inning five,
he's not gonna be eating those innings. And now you're
linked it in your bullpen and you have swing guys
(12:37):
come up and down. So I mean it's definitely something
at least Cubs fans should watch as the season progresses.
But you know, if I had to pick today, I'd
love to see Ben Brown do it. I think he's
I think he's a talented guy. People love his off
speed stuff. I think he still needs to develop a
third pitch, which he's been tinkering with the spring training
with that change up, so that'd be an interesting thing
to watch. So I hope it's Ben Brown, But who knows.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You talk about eating innings.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
And the picture that we did add into the rotation
is Boyd and he has looked filthy the other day
in Japan, looked nuts from the sixth inning on. I
think he finished what was like six straight k's to
finish or like some of that to end the game.
Filthy slider, But he's one that's also coming off injury
(13:22):
that we're probably gonna have to limit them on an
innings that we put on him, especially at the beginning
of the season. So that's where do we go to
a sixth hour or do we kind of fill in
maybe with when Asad comes back from injury, that he
plugs in there and maybe gives Boyd or Imanaga rests
that they kind of did that a little bit with em,
(13:42):
and I moved him around on rest days.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
But I do like Boyd.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
I am very high on him.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
I think by the end of the season he will
be kind of move ahead of us slot of Tyon
in that guys that we can kind of trust to
get us out and get us a win. When there's
the guy like, hey, didn't get us a a win,
or it's like a slump stopper.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
When put him in there, he he's.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Filthy, like he seems impressive.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Well, he ended with Cleveland and now I'll come back
to us like he's looked absolutely filthy.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Are you Are you as high on him as as
I am?
Speaker 3 (14:17):
It's again it's health. It's the biggest concern. I think
that if he's able to stay healthy. I mean, there's
a reason the Cubs gave him fifteen million dollars a year.
And as we've seen with the Cubs in the past,
you know, they they like going for those guys where
they get the value deal, you know, like Sasazuki is
getting paid eighteen million dollars this year to be you know,
potentially a twenty five home run hitter, middle of the
lineup kind of guy. Like, that's a good deal. I
(14:39):
happ you know, three time goal Glover four War player
making nineteen million, twenty million, that's a good deal. I mean,
if you look in the future here and Matthew Boyd
stays healthy, he pitches one hundred and forty innings, has
a three four ERA from the fourth pitching position to
getting paid fifteen million in this starting pitching market, that's
a a great deal. He's got good stuff, like you
(15:02):
mentioned again, it's it's just the healthy hasn't gone over
one hundred innings I think in his career, maybe his
rookie season. So I mean, I'm again the starting pitchers here,
I'm high on him. He can stay healthy, but again,
that's a big after that's a big caveat for a
lot of people on this Cubs team you talked.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
About we have Jed Hoyer on a one year deal left,
we have a pluck throw of players on one year deals.
How important is this season as a whole for the Cubs,
not only for those guys individually, but the Cubs organization
as a whole.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Do you do you see this as like a make
or break kind of year?
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Where are you at with this? For the people who
know my content and followed me for a while, they
should know I love Jed Hoyer. I think that for
what he's been given, he's done pretty well. Because, as
I've said, the next guy's not going to get a
bigger budget from Tom Ricketts. It's not like he doesn't
like Jed Hoyer to give him the more money. He
does want to give more money because he's he's pocketing
(16:00):
the rest or he's giving it to other assets or
other business ventures. So if you look at Jed Hoyer's tenure,
he's had two winning seasons in a row. I get it.
They're eighty three wins, no playoffs. That's not good enough.
I get it. But he says you know what you're
gonna You're gonna put me in a desperate position. I'm
gonna do something desperate. I'm gonna go trade for Kyle
Tucker for one year. I'm gonna give up our third
best prospect or you know, camps, give up a pretty
(16:22):
solid package to get an eight war player or potential
eight war player that can get me to the playoffs.
And at the end of the season, if you want
to fire me, that's cool. But that big move I
just made for Kyle Tucker, that's on you. If you
don't want to pay him, if you don't want to
write the check for four hundred and fifty million, this
whole city's gonna know you're the problem, not me, and
we'll shake Hanson go the other way. I think the
(16:44):
Cubs are good enough to make the playoffs, but like
you said, if they don't, I mean, heads will roll,
and I would hate to see Jed Hoyer get fired
for something that I think is for the most part
out of his control. And the next guy might come
in and say, we're gonna tear this thing down and
rebuild it because they the Cubs still have the eighth
best farm system. I mean, Matt Shaw is going to graduate,
(17:04):
so they'll go down the rankings. But they still have
Owen Casey's still a Biosteros, you know, they still have
Kate Horton. There's still pieces that come up and kind
of round this team out in a weird way, even
though there's a lot of people on a one year
deal that might not be here next year or the
year after.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Do you think the Cubs will pulling up the money
for Cal Tucker?
Speaker 3 (17:28):
I mean, if right now, sitting in this chair on
opening Day, Eve, I would say no. But like I've
mentioned before, when theo Epstein in twenty fifteen got so
close to the World Series, I mean that twenty fifteen
got so close.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
If the Cubs get so close, what's the difference between
Jed Horier going to or THEO going to Tom and saying, hey, man,
I need a guy like Jason Hayward to sign to
one hundred and eighty million.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
What's the difference with Jed Horrier goes hey man. I
mean I get the difference might be two hundred and
fifty million, but with the cap going up and teams
making more money and say hey, I need this guy.
If the Cubs go to the NLCS this year or
make it. You know, maybe they run into the Braves
or the Dodgers in a five game NLDS series this
year and they say, hey, we're right there, man, give
us Kyle Tucker, Kate Horden could be on the brink
(18:16):
of stardom. You know, Matt Shaw could be on the
brink of stardom. PC I think is gonna be a star. Like,
they're right there, but they need this is a developmental
year for those guys, while guys like Ian happ Seyasazuki
and Kyle Tucker really need to really need to man
up and show either veterans in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, that's where like I'm sitting like I'm kind of
torn and and I'm not as I think against Rickets
because I think he has he has to speak to
investors also, so it's not necessarily I don't try to
put all the blame, just like I don't put the
blame on Hoyer. I don't put the blame all on
Rickets because I feel like he's handcuffed a little bit
(18:58):
to these other investors that are also telling him what
he can spend money on why he can't. But I
just I want them to make the playoffs or get
really close, because I think then Ricketts fandom just like
in twenty sixteen when his fandom turned on, it's like, no,
I want to win. I'm gonna go make the trade
that I need to and get Chapman to push.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
The soul the edge.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Same thing I want his like to us this year
to spark his fandom again. Yeah, to like make him
pony up the money and no, I will polly up
the money. Who cares investors, I'm gonna go do this.
But Jeded has kind of played his cards really well.
Like you said, it's put it where at the end
(19:40):
of the day, if they don't, it's all gonna be pointed.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
At Ricketts and not Hoyer.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
And it's well played for Jed Hoyer.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
How concerned are you though we're talking about Tucker and
signing him. How concerned going into the season are you
that he only has one hit during spring training?
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Concerned at all? If again, here's how the spring training
stats roll for me. If they're really good, it means
that they're gonna roll into opening Day and kill it.
And if they're not, it doesn't matter. The games don't
count anyway. So at least on the Kyle Tucker front.
I'm not worried. I mean, this dude could this dude
could wake up Tomorrogo three for three with two doubles
in a home run, and you know, no one forgets
what just happened last month and a half, you know. So,
(20:21):
I mean and again he's going to a new team.
He's settling into his own with you know, new guys
around him, Canroder. You know, that's probably going through his head.
He's like, you know, am I gonna be here next year?
I mean he's probably thinking about that. I mean, he's
gonna tell the media like, you know, I'm focused on
this year because he has to say that. He's not
gonna say I'm not signing an extension. I'm not doing this.
You know, he's there's probably a lot of this offseason
(20:42):
that went through his mind. And now he gets rolled
into spring training and you know he's struggling a little bit.
So what you know, he was injured last year a
little bit too. You know, he's gonna get that live
abs tomorrow where it really matters. And you know, these
guys are gamers. I mean, you can't tell me that
they walk into spring training and even a guy Kyle Tucker,
who was a veteran. You know, he's like walking into
every spring training at bat thinking, you know this, this
matters and I have to perform a half. He's like,
(21:04):
you know what I want to see. I want to
see where the ball is coming out. I want to
recognize spin. I want to work on some things myself
to get ready. I'm not concerned at all. I mean,
are you in any way, No, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
He's a professional.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Spring training is used to get your timing, like you've
I've listened to Compoule, You've listened to Ian happ talked
about like last year during spring training, it came to
like the I think the second to last spring training
game before Ian Hafy even said like it was when
I barreled a ball, hit a line drive out that
I finally felt like, Okay, now I'm ready, And it's
like it sometimes takes time, like in one one swing
(21:40):
could change that whole thing.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
So I'm not concerned about Kyle Tucker.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
I feel like.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
He's gonna get a hit one of the first two games,
like it's gonna be and it's gonna be a key hit.
So I'm confident in the dude, what's your bold prediction
for this series, Like one big thing that you think
could happen.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
My one big bold prediction. I was thinking about it
today because I was like, you know, I want to
come up with something that you know might not be
too hot taking, but something that still you know, we
can take home. I think p leaves this series not
a cub superstar, but an international superstar. Love it. He
is so he's so fun, not just to watch because
(22:22):
he's a demon on the bass pass, but I mean
his his personality shows. I mean, the dude has stars
on his head right now. I mean he's a he's
a Dennis rodmanesque character where it's like this guy is
not only a baseball player, he's he's something else on
the side. And again we talk about this is a
this is highlighting Japan, This is highlighting the Japanese superstars.
I mean, you see this speed demon running around diving
(22:44):
for balls, you know, stealing third base and guys are
overthrowing it, freaking out and he's you know, jacked up
on the sideline and he's jumping up and down in
the dugout, Like I think that that as a baseball fan,
as a as a baseball fan. Even in America, you
love it, and I think overseas they're gonna make you
know what, They probably like that too. So PCA International
(23:06):
Superstar come Thursday after he has a great series. Offensively
and of course defensively.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
I mean you saw them even chanting PC like, so yeah,
I do you think so? I heard an interview where
he was talking about the stars, but Shoda said that
he should diet blonde and then put a red dot
like the Japanese flag.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Do you think he's gonna come out with that tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (23:38):
He's a man of the people. I say he does.
I say he like gets out there, like maybe pulls
his hat off when he runs out the center field
or maybe pre gaming debuts it. But if I had
to guess right now, I think he does. He's he's
that level of fun.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Yeah, No, I I love PC. I.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
We had Lockdown Cubs last week on and I was
talking about there hasn't been a lot of guys in
the last five or six years that I've wanted to
like buy their jersey or buy my son their jersey,
or just because once, Like I don't know how long
these guys are going to stay around. It's not like
(24:16):
the Bryant's and the schore Bers or like back in
my day, like the Sosas like, but PCA is one
of those guys that you're like, he's different, Like.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
I have a hobby buy as jersey because he was different.
Will he brought something to the game that.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
No other Cubs player brought, Like, all right, this year,
I might buy my son that PCA dresally wants because
he does so many things that get people to fall
in love with the game of baseball. It's what baseball
needs more than anything. When so many kids look at
baseball as boring, You watch PCA play for a while
(24:53):
and no way is the game boring.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
So I would love for him to do something something crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Hose a guy at home, steal a couple of bases out,
do something crazy.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
So that's that's the one that like, I'm looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
What about you, what's your bold prediction? What do you
what do you got lined up for us?
Speaker 1 (25:14):
I'm gonna say that Matt Shaw hits a two run
double that wins the game, that puts us up.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
We're down by one.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
He hits a two run double and puts us up
in one of the games there we go. I listened
to you guys is your Twitter spaces and one guy
called in and called the say a home run, that
he's hit a home run and in the second at bat.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
That could have been not the first one, not the third,
the second. So we're watching for that too, for for
our guy Jack.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, so I would love that to happen.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Also, what's your prediction on this season? How many wins
do we end with at the end.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Of the year. We're talking about it last night. Last
put a thousand bucks on over eighty three and a
half wins. They finished at eighty. So I can't put
any money on it this year because I think I
might have been the bad luck for the other four
or five that we needed to get into the playoffs.
Here's the thing. I think the Cardinal Way got rebranded
into the Brewer Way because there they just do everything right.
(26:19):
I don't get it. I don't even when they show
up on opening Day. I don't know half the players
in their lineup because I just don't care because they
come out of nowhere and they're so good. But this
Cub's roster is simply too good to not win. The
Central I think. I think I'm gonna put them right
at ninety wins, right on the dot. If they don't
get to ninety wins and if they don't win the Central,
I don't think they make the playoffs because this NL
(26:39):
is it's stacked with some pretty good lineups. I mean,
you have the Dodgers, of course, but you also have
the Padres. The Diamondbacks made a lot of good additions.
You have the NL East with the Braves, the Phillies
and the Mets. I'm skeptical, and they're starting pitching with
their lineups phenomenal. There's a lot of good teams this year.
So I'm gonna pick the Cubs at ninety wins and
winning the Central. I gotta stick with it. But I'm
(27:00):
not as I'm not as confident as I love to be.
I was more confident last year than winning the Central,
and they lost it by ten twelve games. So but
you know, like we said, it's do or die. There's
there's no tomorrow. So we got it. We gotta get
it done.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
In the Big twenty twenty five, I have them right
at ninety also, there we go. That's why I had
to get unside. I was like Okay, ninety I think
is very doable. This Cubs offense has to be better.
Now that we have a star to sustain in that offense,
We're not going to have those two months stretches where
we're just dead in the water, no wife in the offense.
(27:36):
And even that, if we just took those two months
the last two years where we've had those two months
of dead offense in one like four or five games
in those in those two stretches, that totally changes the
outlook of the whole whole season and we make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
And so I'm.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Looking with now that we have We've talked a lot
about our podcast that we have a lot of we
have had a lot of.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
He listens ceeless stars.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
We've never had that a lister and now we finally
have that a list star to sustain our offense. So
I'm looking for that that just that carryover in it
lengthens our offensive lineup. Now we have Pca in another
year to get take that next step. That's where he's
done at seven eight nine in years the last two years.
(28:22):
So that's been like just straight up outs. Yeah, we
don't have a Yan GHEs we have we have Amaya
who took a huge leap forward last year.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
In his career, saved his career in the second half.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And in Carson Kelly, like, I think that is a
great pickup.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Uh he.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
I think he's gonna kind of turn it on a
little bit offensively this year. And so that's another one
that just it lengthens our lineup a little bit more.
And I do think that Dansby Swanson is going to
take a big step this year.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I know last year with the hernia injury, you could
just see he just wasn't playing.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
And with him back maybe to full health, that's only
gonna help this lineup and we're gonna put up the
rot So that's where I could see us being one
of the best offensive lineups in the National League, and
I could see us be one of the worst offensive lineups.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
In the National League.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
But I think it's gonna need to do that.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
So I got him at ninety as well, Scott what
Scott has him at eighty eighty seven Scott from Iowa.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
So that's that's still RD.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Bet bet it Scott.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
But yeah, Blake, thanks for jumping on.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Where can they find you on social media and get
you a follow?
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Yeah, you can follow me on Blake cal X predominantly
on X but also Blake cal X on everything and
doing a lot of video editing, So get my Instagram
and my TikTok up as well as well as follow
Cubs Insider recently partnered with them do a lot of
video editing for them now so that throughout the season,
Twitter spaces every Sunday night at eight pm Central Time,
(29:59):
kind of wrapping up the Cubs week and looking ahead.
That's me and Jacob Zanola, So you can find me
all over but predominantly it on X.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
So yeah, and I encourage you guys jump on his
Twitter spaces if you have a question, you can jump
on and talk and ask them guys their thoughts and
do a little kind of like wrap of the week
and preview of the week.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
So yeah, really encourage be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
It's it's that's what's so great about the Cubs community,
and like that's why we kind of started our podcast.
We want to be able to sit and talk with
other Cubs fans, and their Twitter space is a great
opportunity to do that.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
So encourage everybody.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
To do that with them.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
So, but thanks for joining us on this episode of
The Dinner's Podcast. Thanks Blake for for jumping on, But
we gotta we gotta end because we gotta get some
shut out because the Cubs play a meaningful baseball game tomorrow,
bright and early at five AM. So get your coffee ready,
preset the pot, start that coffee early, and get up
(30:56):
and I'm gonna start grilling early, So go cut os
You're listening to The Dinger's Podcast, presented to you by
Test of Course Network, with your host Mitch, j Jeff
and Kevis.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Ready to talk to the Cubs. All I need is
a bet ya.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Wow, I ain't believe under estimate the Swingers.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
The Dinger's Podcast is on the air. I'm your host, Mitch.
I'm here with Blake Cowwell. You might know him from
I mean, he's all over Twitter. He does Lake Shore
Radio as well as does Cubs Insider. So one, congratulations
for all your success this off season. You've been just
(00:46):
my go to for Cubs information, you and jay Z.
But one, just welcome to The Dinner's Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah, thanks for thanks for having me. Super excited. Was
pumped when I got the message you wanted to have
me on. And you know it is opening day eve,
so let's yeah, let's get into It's time to roll.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
It is time to roll.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I I like this has been a weird, like because
they're starting so early, Like I haven't felt like I've
kind of gotten the room, like yeah, it's really opening
day until like kind of today hitting me like halfway
through the day, It's like no, like I gotta get
up early tomorrow. Because we got a game, like all
these fate games are done with the real thing is
starting tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, I'm jacked.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Yeah, It's it's like Christmas. It's like Christmas Eve. You know,
you get to feel young again. It's there's not many
there's only golf and Cubs Baseball. I can get me
up at five am, and I get to at least
do one of those tomorrow. And even though it's gonna
be against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, it's Cubs Baseball.
It's March. I can't complain. It's getting warm. It's like
I said, it's time to roll. Let's roll.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
You know, I'm a tradition that, like I always Grill
brought for Opening Day and my wife was like, are
you gonna get up at four in the morning, And
Grill Brot's like, of course I am.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
We gotta.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
We got a tradition to keep going, Like we got
to get up early and let's get this thing cracking.
Let's look forward to those first two games of Opening
Day in Japan.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
We have Shutamnaya going versus Alla Moto.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
First pitch is gonna be a huge spectacular Imonaga facing show. Hey, uh,
what are you kind of looking at that first game,
like what are what are your expectations going in to
the first game, And just for the series.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
As a whole, I mean, the series is a whole first,
I mean first and foremost. This is highlighting how big
the game is growing, and it's how big it's growing overseason,
especially in Tokyo. I mean, you know, as you mentioned,
I worked close to a Jay Z and he just
came back from Tokyo back a couple months ago, and
he goes back, he goes, Dude, you can't get on
a train, you can't walk down the street, you can't
(02:49):
pass a billboarder without seeing one of these guys on it.
You know, Roki Sasaki, I'm a moto show Hey, showta
and and say, you know, they're all over the place
and Tokyo is of becoming the mecca of baseball, if
you will. They just won the WBC. And similar to
what we see in the NBA, with these overseas euro
guys now dominating the NBA, we could be looking fifteen
(03:10):
years from now in the top five of ten players
in MLB could all be from Japan. Like that's how
it's come, That's how it's coming. You know.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, the pitcher that pitched against the Dodgers for the Tigers,
they do you have like eight k's just filth for
five innings, Like guaranteed he's gonna be the next like
ace for the Dodgers next year or down the road.
But yeah, we have Matt Shaw making a debut tomorrow,
getting his first start in the major leagues. Uh, what
(03:39):
do you expect out of him? Because I'm thinking very
first up by he's getting a base hit.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
I hope you're right. And the thing with Matt Shaw
that at least I want Cubs fans to temper their
expectations because we saw when ps was kind of thrown
into this fire. It's a learning curve, and when that
learning curve is starting with the best team in baseball
coming off World Series overseas, I'm not gonna be surprised
if he struggles over the I'm not gonna be surprised
if he struggles for the first month the Cubs first
(04:06):
month is such a difficult schedule, but putting him at
Triple A doesn't make sense. The Cubs have an immediate
need at third base. Throw him to the fire. He's
gonna learn, He's gonna sink or swim. I mean we've
seen in the past Kyle Schwerber and he and a half,
they had to go back down to Triple A to
refine their skills and come back up. And now they're
both successful ballplayers who have gotten extensions with one with
(04:27):
the Cubs, one with a different team, and successful ballplayers.
If Matt Shaw has that, I wouldn't be surprised. But
I mean, the kids ready to play. He's not. He's
not a Triple A player anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Yeah, And like for me, like going into these two games,
like it's very likely we could, we could go oh
and two, It's very likely.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
My big thing is I don't want to see the Cubs, let's.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Say tomorrow, get out to like a three four run
lead and then seventh eighth.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
And blow blow a lead, like just give a one away.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
That's where it's like, I really hope this revamped bullpen
and give Cubs a little bit of assurance right away
to start the season. What's your kind of feeling on
Cubs bullpen, the moves that they made Presley at the end,
what are your thoughts there?
Speaker 3 (05:17):
They did what they could. I mean, you can't fault
Jet Hoyer for not trying, because as we saw with
the Tanner Scott situation, it was he you know, he
kind of threw the kitchen sink of what he was
able to do within the confines of the Tom Ricketts
check book. You know, it was the last second, the
last second ditch effort to say, hey, we'll give you
four years, and he's like, well, I'll go to the Dodgers.
(05:37):
At least that's what was reported. I like Ryan Presley,
I'm not gonna be surprised if he struggles, similar to
Hector Nerris. I love Porter Hodge, I like Nate Pearson.
I mean, they made moves. A lot of the guys
that started in the bullpen last year aren't here anymore.
So it's not like they're running it back with the
same bullpen. I mean, there's still some pieces around, But
(05:58):
I think a second season of Porter high is gonna
be valuable to this Cubs team. I think Ryan Say
at least adds that extra cushion because if he does struggle,
then Porter Hodge has closed in the past. But again,
there's no real superstars in this bullpen. There's no you know,
there's no Emmanuel class A coming out in the ninth
there's no Ryan Hessley coming out of the ninth and
that's still a cause of concern for me at least,
(06:21):
But it's what we got and I'm not gonna I'm
not gonna root against him. I'm gonna hope that everything
goes well. But injuries happen, as we know, and you know,
fingers crossed. That's all I can really do at this point.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Yeah, I think the bullpen, one thing is we do
have a little bit more depth. We do have some
of the like Plincya has probably got to start down
in Iowa where last year he got a heavy load
in the Major So I feel like just the depth
of our bullpen we can kind of fill in when
those injuries do happen.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Which they're going to happen.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Scott from Iowa says we were foreign too versus Dodgers
last year. He's calling for a clean sweep in Japan.
So I would love that because as we look forward to.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
April, like we.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Come back, we have some spring training games, what five
spring training games, and then we go to Arizona.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
We stay in Arizona.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
I guess we have four verst Arizona, and.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
That look into April is a doozy, We have San Diego,
the Rangers, the Dodgers again, the Padres again, Dbacks are
staying out West, and then we have the Phillies and
Pirates to kind of finish that. Only easier teams the
As and they've improved quite a bit, have some talent
there that that's not just a give giveaway game to
(07:40):
the Cubs. What is kind of your expectations for that
first April? What would make it a successful April? As
we come out of April and get into the summer months.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Keep your keep your head above water is as close
as you can because as we know in baseball, and
as we've seen with the Cubs the past few seasons,
if I mean even in twenty twenty three when they
went down like ten games in the division, it took
two and a half months of flawless baseball to get
even back in relative contention for September. They can't go
(08:12):
down five games to the Brewers in month one. It's
just not where you want to be. And in a
season where they have they have to have it. You know,
Jed Hoyer's job is on the line. Craig Council is
job security. But you know we're paying him so much
money to be it an asset to get us over
the hump. You know, we got to see some more
stuff from him. I mean, as far as April goes,
keep your head above water. Play clean baseball. You know,
(08:35):
we saw a lot last year, and I think a
lot of that had to do with Christopher Morrell with
some other guys just playing kind of out of position.
You gotta play cleaner defense, you can't run into outs.
You gotta play opportunistic baseball, situational hitting. I mean, you
got to play the brand of baseball that Craig Council
is used to coaching with Milwaukee, and they just didn't
do that last year, at least toward the end. I
(08:55):
mean April, they they set the franchise record for most
wins and then it felt the wheels fell off after.
But if you can knock out some good series wins
here in April, I mean, that'll set up for some
easier series in theory down the road. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
My thing is just if we can just stay five
hundred for the month of April and maybe even take
some series.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Take a sweep of the d Backs.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Uh, there's a two game set with the Dodgers later
at home that we we take those uh, and that
just that would set us up for that success later on.
Now the big thing for me too is just let's
be injury free going through through April. Like and I
look at I look at that starting rotation and we
(09:39):
we were looking at the fifth star spot. We don't
really quite know who that is. It could be Ben
Brown probably leaning probably more towards Ben Brown gonna probably
get that, which I'm all excited for for that, Like, yes,
Ben Brown is legit, let's let's get him in the rotation.
And we are pretty deep there, but we're deep in
a way that is pretty man. We don't have If
(10:02):
I look at if Shoda steal tyne go down, there's
nobody of that caliber to kind of fill in and
then it gets pretty weak. So like, especially with our
starting rotation, I want to see injury free April. And
even if we have to go to a six man
rotation that a little bit, I'll be okay with that
rut save on the innings in Monaga. What are your
(10:22):
thoughts with that, like our starting rotation.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, this was my biggest cripe with Jed Horrier this
offseason was is he didn't do enough from the starting
pitcher perspective, And like you said, if if Shody Monaga
goes down, you know, and we hope he doesn't, or
if Steel goes down, Jamison Toyne's not a number two starter,
you know, And everyone moves up a slot like it's
not like you're just adding a guy on the end.
Like everyone moves up a slot. Like if the playoffs
were to start, Jamison Towne's your game two starter, you know,
(10:48):
And that's not that's not a playoff team. It's just
not a playoff team unless your offense is crazy talented,
which they have the potential to be, but you still
need starting pitching. From a talent perspective, Ben Brown I
think will eventually get there. He has all the raw
talent abilities. You know. Season was cut short last year,
so health is you know, a minor concern because he's
only pitched two months in the major leagues. Like that's
(11:10):
a small sample size for anybody, and especially a starting pitcher.
He's only got three or four starts and seven or
eight appearances whatever it was. Colin Ray is gonna eat
innings down the stretch. I guess they're in talk still
with Lance Lynn. I mean, that's not anything to write
home about, but you're right, and you know, a Javier Asade,
he's another guy. Jordan Wicks is another guy. Like you said,
it's kind of a it's a band of mid tier pitchers.
(11:32):
And I think this season, at least for a guy
like Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown, you need to figure
out what you have in these guys. Because Jordan Wicks
was injured last season, but his rookie season he was
pretty good and he's got good stuff and I think
he can be a solid pitcher, especially with the investments
they made this offseason bring in Tyler Zombro, fortifying their
pitch lab. But they write home about so much. It's
(11:54):
not something that I am super concerned about right now
at this time because nobody's injured. But when that first
injury happens, because again we know it will yep, that's
where it's time to kind of, you know, cross your
fingers and toes, because again, you gotta cover at least
fifteen hundred innings here in an MLB season. Who's gonna
(12:16):
eat those innings? If a guy like Justin Steele goes down,
who can realistically give you one hundred and eighty of those,
or a guy like Shoda who can give you a
hundred and seventy. Even a guy like Coln Ray who
can eat innings. I mean, he's an innings eater. But
if you don't have that guy and he goes down,
you know, Javier a Side struggles to get to inning five,
he's not gonna be eating those innings. And now you're
linked it in your bullpen and you have swing guys
(12:37):
come up and down. So I mean it's definitely something
at least Cubs fans should watch as the season progresses.
But you know, if I had to pick today, I'd
love to see Ben Brown do it. I think he's
I think he's a talented guy. People love his off
speed stuff. I think he still needs to develop a
third pitch, which he's been tinkering with the spring training
with that change up, so that'd be an interesting thing
to watch. So I hope it's Ben Brown, But who knows.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You talk about eating innings.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
And the picture that we did add into the rotation
is Boyd and he has looked filthy the other day
in Japan, looked nuts from the sixth inning on. I
think he finished what was like six straight k's to
finish or like some of that to end the game.
Filthy slider, But he's one that's also coming off injury
(13:22):
that we're probably gonna have to limit them on an
innings that we put on him, especially at the beginning
of the season. So that's where do we go to
a sixth hour or do we kind of fill in
maybe with when Asad comes back from injury, that he
plugs in there and maybe gives Boyd or Imanaga rests
that they kind of did that a little bit with em,
(13:42):
and I moved him around on rest days.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
But I do like Boyd.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
I am very high on him.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
I think by the end of the season he will
be kind of move ahead of us slot of Tyon
in that guys that we can kind of trust to
get us out and get us a win. When there's
the guy like, hey, didn't get us a a win,
or it's like a slump stopper.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
When put him in there, he he's.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Filthy, like he seems impressive.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Well, he ended with Cleveland and now I'll come back
to us like he's looked absolutely filthy.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Are you Are you as high on him as as
I am?
Speaker 3 (14:17):
It's again it's health. It's the biggest concern. I think
that if he's able to stay healthy. I mean, there's
a reason the Cubs gave him fifteen million dollars a year.
And as we've seen with the Cubs in the past,
you know, they they like going for those guys where
they get the value deal, you know, like Sasazuki is
getting paid eighteen million dollars this year to be you know,
potentially a twenty five home run hitter, middle of the
lineup kind of guy. Like, that's a good deal. I
(14:39):
happ you know, three time goal Glover four War player
making nineteen million, twenty million, that's a good deal. I mean,
if you look in the future here and Matthew Boyd
stays healthy, he pitches one hundred and forty innings, has
a three four ERA from the fourth pitching position to
getting paid fifteen million in this starting pitching market, that's
a a great deal. He's got good stuff, like you
(15:02):
mentioned again, it's it's just the healthy hasn't gone over
one hundred innings I think in his career, maybe his
rookie season. So I mean, I'm again the starting pitchers here,
I'm high on him. He can stay healthy, but again,
that's a big after that's a big caveat for a
lot of people on this Cubs team you talked.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
About we have Jed Hoyer on a one year deal left,
we have a pluck throw of players on one year deals.
How important is this season as a whole for the Cubs,
not only for those guys individually, but the Cubs organization
as a whole.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
Do you do you see this as like a make
or break kind of year?
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Where are you at with this? For the people who
know my content and followed me for a while, they
should know I love Jed Hoyer. I think that for
what he's been given, he's done pretty well. Because, as
I've said, the next guy's not going to get a
bigger budget from Tom Ricketts. It's not like he doesn't
like Jed Hoyer to give him the more money. He
does want to give more money because he's he's pocketing
(16:00):
the rest or he's giving it to other assets or
other business ventures. So if you look at Jed Hoyer's tenure,
he's had two winning seasons in a row. I get it.
They're eighty three wins, no playoffs. That's not good enough.
I get it. But he says you know what you're
gonna You're gonna put me in a desperate position. I'm
gonna do something desperate. I'm gonna go trade for Kyle
Tucker for one year. I'm gonna give up our third
best prospect or you know, camps, give up a pretty
(16:22):
solid package to get an eight war player or potential
eight war player that can get me to the playoffs.
And at the end of the season, if you want
to fire me, that's cool. But that big move I
just made for Kyle Tucker, that's on you. If you
don't want to pay him, if you don't want to
write the check for four hundred and fifty million, this
whole city's gonna know you're the problem, not me, and
we'll shake Hanson go the other way. I think the
(16:44):
Cubs are good enough to make the playoffs, but like
you said, if they don't, I mean, heads will roll,
and I would hate to see Jed Hoyer get fired
for something that I think is for the most part
out of his control. And the next guy might come
in and say, we're gonna tear this thing down and
rebuild it because they the Cubs still have the eighth
best farm system. I mean, Matt Shaw is going to graduate,
(17:04):
so they'll go down the rankings. But they still have
Owen Casey's still a Biosteros, you know, they still have
Kate Horton. There's still pieces that come up and kind
of round this team out in a weird way, even
though there's a lot of people on a one year
deal that might not be here next year or the
year after.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Do you think the Cubs will pulling up the money
for Cal Tucker?
Speaker 3 (17:28):
I mean, if right now, sitting in this chair on
opening Day, Eve, I would say no. But like I've
mentioned before, when theo Epstein in twenty fifteen got so
close to the World Series, I mean that twenty fifteen
got so close.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
If the Cubs get so close, what's the difference between
Jed Horier going to or THEO going to Tom and saying, hey, man,
I need a guy like Jason Hayward to sign to
one hundred and eighty million.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
What's the difference with Jed Horrier goes hey man. I
mean I get the difference might be two hundred and
fifty million, but with the cap going up and teams
making more money and say hey, I need this guy.
If the Cubs go to the NLCS this year or
make it. You know, maybe they run into the Braves
or the Dodgers in a five game NLDS series this
year and they say, hey, we're right there, man, give
us Kyle Tucker, Kate Horden could be on the brink
(18:16):
of stardom. You know, Matt Shaw could be on the
brink of stardom. PC I think is gonna be a star. Like,
they're right there, but they need this is a developmental
year for those guys, while guys like Ian happ Seyasazuki
and Kyle Tucker really need to really need to man
up and show either veterans in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, that's where like I'm sitting like I'm kind of
torn and and I'm not as I think against Rickets
because I think he has he has to speak to
investors also, so it's not necessarily I don't try to
put all the blame, just like I don't put the
blame on Hoyer. I don't put the blame all on
Rickets because I feel like he's handcuffed a little bit
(18:58):
to these other investors that are also telling him what
he can spend money on why he can't. But I
just I want them to make the playoffs or get
really close, because I think then Ricketts fandom just like
in twenty sixteen when his fandom turned on, it's like, no,
I want to win. I'm gonna go make the trade
that I need to and get Chapman to push.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
The soul the edge.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Same thing I want his like to us this year
to spark his fandom again. Yeah, to like make him
pony up the money and no, I will polly up
the money. Who cares investors, I'm gonna go do this.
But Jeded has kind of played his cards really well.
Like you said, it's put it where at the end
(19:40):
of the day, if they don't, it's all gonna be pointed.
Speaker 3 (19:43):
At Ricketts and not Hoyer.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
And it's well played for Jed Hoyer.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
How concerned are you though we're talking about Tucker and
signing him. How concerned going into the season are you
that he only has one hit during spring training?
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Concerned at all? If again, here's how the spring training
stats roll for me. If they're really good, it means
that they're gonna roll into opening Day and kill it.
And if they're not, it doesn't matter. The games don't
count anyway. So at least on the Kyle Tucker front.
I'm not worried. I mean, this dude could this dude
could wake up Tomorrogo three for three with two doubles
in a home run, and you know, no one forgets
what just happened last month and a half, you know. So,
(20:21):
I mean and again he's going to a new team.
He's settling into his own with you know, new guys
around him, Canroder. You know, that's probably going through his head.
He's like, you know, am I gonna be here next year?
I mean he's probably thinking about that. I mean, he's
gonna tell the media like, you know, I'm focused on
this year because he has to say that. He's not
gonna say I'm not signing an extension. I'm not doing this.
You know, he's there's probably a lot of this offseason
(20:42):
that went through his mind. And now he gets rolled
into spring training and you know he's struggling a little bit.
So what you know, he was injured last year a
little bit too. You know, he's gonna get that live
abs tomorrow where it really matters. And you know, these
guys are gamers. I mean, you can't tell me that
they walk into spring training and even a guy Kyle Tucker,
who was a veteran. You know, he's like walking into
every spring training at bat thinking, you know this, this
matters and I have to perform a half. He's like,
(21:04):
you know what I want to see. I want to
see where the ball is coming out. I want to
recognize spin. I want to work on some things myself
to get ready. I'm not concerned at all. I mean,
are you in any way, No, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
He's a professional.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Spring training is used to get your timing, like you've
I've listened to Compoule, You've listened to Ian happ talked
about like last year during spring training, it came to
like the I think the second to last spring training
game before Ian Hafy even said like it was when
I barreled a ball, hit a line drive out that
I finally felt like, Okay, now I'm ready, And it's
like it sometimes takes time, like in one one swing
(21:40):
could change that whole thing.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
So I'm not concerned about Kyle Tucker.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
I feel like.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
He's gonna get a hit one of the first two games,
like it's gonna be and it's gonna be a key hit.
So I'm confident in the dude, what's your bold prediction
for this series, Like one big thing that you think
could happen.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
My one big bold prediction. I was thinking about it
today because I was like, you know, I want to
come up with something that you know might not be
too hot taking, but something that still you know, we
can take home. I think p leaves this series not
a cub superstar, but an international superstar. Love it. He
is so he's so fun, not just to watch because
(22:22):
he's a demon on the bass pass, but I mean
his his personality shows. I mean, the dude has stars
on his head right now. I mean he's a he's
a Dennis rodmanesque character where it's like this guy is
not only a baseball player, he's he's something else on
the side. And again we talk about this is a
this is highlighting Japan, This is highlighting the Japanese superstars.
I mean, you see this speed demon running around diving
(22:44):
for balls, you know, stealing third base and guys are
overthrowing it, freaking out and he's you know, jacked up
on the sideline and he's jumping up and down in
the dugout, Like I think that that as a baseball fan,
as a as a baseball fan. Even in America, you
love it, and I think overseas they're gonna make you
know what, They probably like that too. So PCA International
(23:06):
Superstar come Thursday after he has a great series. Offensively
and of course defensively.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
I mean you saw them even chanting PC like, so yeah,
I do you think so? I heard an interview where
he was talking about the stars, but Shoda said that
he should diet blonde and then put a red dot
like the Japanese flag.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Do you think he's gonna come out with that tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (23:38):
He's a man of the people. I say he does.
I say he like gets out there, like maybe pulls
his hat off when he runs out the center field
or maybe pre gaming debuts it. But if I had
to guess right now, I think he does. He's he's
that level of fun.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Yeah, No, I I love PC. I.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
We had Lockdown Cubs last week on and I was
talking about there hasn't been a lot of guys in
the last five or six years that I've wanted to
like buy their jersey or buy my son their jersey,
or just because once, Like I don't know how long
these guys are going to stay around. It's not like
(24:16):
the Bryant's and the schore Bers or like back in
my day, like the Sosas like, but PCA is one
of those guys that you're like, he's different, Like.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
I have a hobby buy as jersey because he was different.
Will he brought something to the game that.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
No other Cubs player brought, Like, all right, this year,
I might buy my son that PCA dresally wants because
he does so many things that get people to fall
in love with the game of baseball. It's what baseball
needs more than anything. When so many kids look at
baseball as boring, You watch PCA play for a while
(24:53):
and no way is the game boring.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
So I would love for him to do something something crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Hose a guy at home, steal a couple of bases out,
do something crazy.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
So that's that's the one that like, I'm looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
What about you, what's your bold prediction? What do you
what do you got lined up for us?
Speaker 1 (25:14):
I'm gonna say that Matt Shaw hits a two run
double that wins the game, that puts us up.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
We're down by one.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
He hits a two run double and puts us up
in one of the games there we go. I listened
to you guys is your Twitter spaces and one guy
called in and called the say a home run, that
he's hit a home run and in the second at bat.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
That could have been not the first one, not the third,
the second. So we're watching for that too, for for
our guy Jack.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, so I would love that to happen.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Also, what's your prediction on this season? How many wins
do we end with at the end.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
Of the year. We're talking about it last night. Last
put a thousand bucks on over eighty three and a
half wins. They finished at eighty. So I can't put
any money on it this year because I think I
might have been the bad luck for the other four
or five that we needed to get into the playoffs.
Here's the thing. I think the Cardinal Way got rebranded
into the Brewer Way because there they just do everything right.
(26:19):
I don't get it. I don't even when they show
up on opening Day. I don't know half the players
in their lineup because I just don't care because they
come out of nowhere and they're so good. But this
Cub's roster is simply too good to not win. The
Central I think. I think I'm gonna put them right
at ninety wins, right on the dot. If they don't
get to ninety wins and if they don't win the Central,
I don't think they make the playoffs because this NL
(26:39):
is it's stacked with some pretty good lineups. I mean,
you have the Dodgers, of course, but you also have
the Padres. The Diamondbacks made a lot of good additions.
You have the NL East with the Braves, the Phillies
and the Mets. I'm skeptical, and they're starting pitching with
their lineups phenomenal. There's a lot of good teams this year.
So I'm gonna pick the Cubs at ninety wins and
winning the Central. I gotta stick with it. But I'm
(27:00):
not as I'm not as confident as I love to be.
I was more confident last year than winning the Central,
and they lost it by ten twelve games. So but
you know, like we said, it's do or die. There's
there's no tomorrow. So we got it. We gotta get
it done.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
In the Big twenty twenty five, I have them right
at ninety also, there we go. That's why I had
to get unside. I was like Okay, ninety I think
is very doable. This Cubs offense has to be better.
Now that we have a star to sustain in that offense,
We're not going to have those two months stretches where
we're just dead in the water, no wife in the offense.
(27:36):
And even that, if we just took those two months
the last two years where we've had those two months
of dead offense in one like four or five games
in those in those two stretches, that totally changes the
outlook of the whole whole season and we make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
And so I'm.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Looking with now that we have We've talked a lot
about our podcast that we have a lot of we
have had a lot of.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
He listens ceeless stars.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
We've never had that a lister and now we finally
have that a list star to sustain our offense. So
I'm looking for that that just that carryover in it
lengthens our offensive lineup. Now we have Pca in another
year to get take that next step. That's where he's
done at seven eight nine in years the last two years.
(28:22):
So that's been like just straight up outs. Yeah, we
don't have a Yan GHEs we have we have Amaya
who took a huge leap forward last year.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
In his career, saved his career in the second half.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And in Carson Kelly, like, I think that is a
great pickup.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Uh he.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
I think he's gonna kind of turn it on a
little bit offensively this year. And so that's another one
that just it lengthens our lineup a little bit more.
And I do think that Dansby Swanson is going to
take a big step this year.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I know last year with the hernia injury, you could
just see he just wasn't playing.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
And with him back maybe to full health, that's only
gonna help this lineup and we're gonna put up the
rot So that's where I could see us being one
of the best offensive lineups in the National League, and
I could see us be one of the worst offensive lineups.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
In the National League.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
But I think it's gonna need to do that.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
So I got him at ninety as well, Scott what
Scott has him at eighty eighty seven Scott from Iowa.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
So that's that's still RD.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Bet bet it Scott.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
But yeah, Blake, thanks for jumping on.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Where can they find you on social media and get
you a follow?
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Yeah, you can follow me on Blake cal X predominantly
on X but also Blake cal X on everything and
doing a lot of video editing, So get my Instagram
and my TikTok up as well as well as follow
Cubs Insider recently partnered with them do a lot of
video editing for them now so that throughout the season,
Twitter spaces every Sunday night at eight pm Central Time,
(29:59):
kind of wrapping up the Cubs week and looking ahead.
That's me and Jacob Zanola, So you can find me
all over but predominantly it on X.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
So yeah, and I encourage you guys jump on his
Twitter spaces if you have a question, you can jump
on and talk and ask them guys their thoughts and
do a little kind of like wrap of the week
and preview of the week.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
So yeah, really encourage be a part of it.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
It's it's that's what's so great about the Cubs community,
and like that's why we kind of started our podcast.
We want to be able to sit and talk with
other Cubs fans, and their Twitter space is a great
opportunity to do that.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
So encourage everybody.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
To do that with them.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
So, but thanks for joining us on this episode of
The Dinner's Podcast. Thanks Blake for for jumping on, But
we gotta we gotta end because we gotta get some
shut out because the Cubs play a meaningful baseball game tomorrow,
bright and early at five AM. So get your coffee ready,
preset the pot, start that coffee early, and get up
(30:56):
and I'm gonna start grilling early, So go cut os
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