Archives: Podcasts

Ryan, Isaac, and Joel get together to discuss the events of the last two weeks. Included is debate about the merits of the Wade Davis for Jorge Soler deal, the bullpen overall, the Jon Jay signing, the split of playing time among the outfielders, and some chatter about the starting rotation.

Later, the guys give their picks for who could be the leadoff man now that Dexter Fowler is wearing Cardinal red. If you like this episode, please follow us @BPWrigleycast on Twitter and send us your feedback!

 

Things have changed now that the Cubs are World Series champions. But does that change the urgency in the front office and how badly fans want to win?

The guys take a look at that and the most pressing offseason needs for a team that has only a few items on their to-do list this winter. From Dexter Fowler and Albert Almora to veteran leadership and the Charlie Blackmon/Chris Archer rumors, the guys cover it all.

The guys discuss their favorite moments of the 2016 postseason before closing the book on a magical season and discussing potential offseason moves.

While they appear to have obvious candidates for Dexter Fowler, Jason Hammel, and Aroldis Chapman—things aren’t as simple as they might appear.

Epstein and the Cubs have another busy offseason ahead of them. 

Here are our top moments from the postseason:

Joel: The Contreras pinch hit single

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/94951848/v1205834583/chcsf-gm4-contreras-ties-it-baez-gives-cubs-lead/?query=willson+contreras

Ryan: Montero’s pinch-hit grand slam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-3RCvdWaPQ&app=desktop

Carlos: The Rajai Davis homerun

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/21753540/v1211132983/ws2016-gm7-hamilton-calls-davis-gametying-homer

Isaac: Cubs Win!

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/21753540/v1211031383/hughes-calls-last-out-of-cubs-world-series-win

 

 

 

They did it! Joel and Carlos were on hand in Cleveland to witness the epic seventh game of the World Series, while Isaac and Ryan watched from home. They collaborate to give their recollection of the events, including how this changes things for the Cubs and their fans going forward.

Plenty of time is spent waxing poetic about the dramatic weight of the event, but the guys find some time to dig into the nuts and bolts of the game as well–including some headscratching decisions by Joe Maddon and a late Rajai Davis home run that nearly ruined everything.

Thanks for listening this season! It’s been a pleasure to do this podcast, and we appreciate everyone from the bottom of our hearts. Please continue to reach out on Twitter @BPWrigleycast and via email at bpwrigleycast@baseballprospectus.com and send us your questions and comments.

The Cubs had to win…and they did. Despite the offensive outburst from Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, and Anthony Rizzo, the talk will inevitably center around how Joe Maddon used Aroldis Chapman.

But let’s not forget: The Cubs will be playing in game 7 of the World Series tomorrow.

As Isaac answered when asked how he felt about it, “I’m going to barf.”

It’s a great time to be alive.

Joe Maddon made some questionable decisions, including bringing closer Aroldis Chapman in to pitch in the 7th inning (and never warming anyone up after that). But in the end the Cubs won the game and lived to play another day.

The guys discuss defensive plays, Javy Baez, and David Ross. 

Then they focus on game 6 and their best case and worst case scenarios, which include a perfect setup for the Cubs if they were to reach a game 7.

The Cubs made history by winning a World Series game for the first time in a LONG time. It’s historic, it’s special, it’s amazing. But the guys seem to forget about it and jump right into analyzing the game until Isaac steers the ship in the right direction.

Jake Arrieta wasn’t great, but he was good enough. Kyle Schwarber continues his amazing comeback by steering the offense to a 5-1 game over Cleveland. Mike Montgomery came in and did his best Andrew Miller impression and Aroldis Chapman got four outs to even out the series.

But the biggest question remains: will Kyle Schwarber play the outfield at Wrigley Field if he gets cleared? The guys speculate…wildly.

With the Cubs playing in the World Series for the first time in 71 years, the guys come away unimpressed with the overall performance. Discussion includes positive and negative takeaways from the game, Corey Kluber’s utter dominance, and the triumphant return of Kyle Schwarber.

If you like what you hear, please be sure to rate and review on iTunes and follow the podcast on Twitter @BPWrigleycast to interact and ask questions for our usual Question of the Week segment.

With Game 6 of the NLCS in the books, the Chicago Cubs are going to the World Series for the first time since 1945! Ryan, Isaac, and Joel get together and recall a magical evening from their individual perspectives.

Later, they look ahead to Kyle Schwarber potentially playing a role on the team and a little bit about the matchup with Cleveland in the Fall Classic. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @BPWrigleycast and subscribe/review on iTunes.

In an episode we’ve dubbed “Don’t Touch the Cupcake” in honor of Ryan and The Simpsons, we cover the aftermath of game 5, which includes some positives and some negatives.

From Javy Baez and Jon Lester to Aroldis Chapman, we break it all down and set the stage for game 6 between Kyle Hendricks and Clayton Kershaw.

Why was this episode posted so late? I’ll go ahead and blame all the DDOS attacks…