Very little has happened in the new year with respect to the Cubs and what we hoped they would do by now, but Spring Training is a mere two weeks away and so you would think they will do something before pitchers and catchers report. RC & Berselius try to navigate the lack of good content and talk:
- The Cubs’ potential moves whether with Cody Bellinger or otherwise;
- The random ownership and ballpark issues with the O’s, A’s, and White Sox;
- Some Hall of Fame thoughts;
- And stanning for Taylor Swift and her football fandom.
You can see Episode 81 here:
And Episode 80 too, where we all got together to try to get the Cubs to do something but our summoning circle didn’t work (plus there was a website reset so we lost that post):
You can check out theΒ podcast pageΒ or just click on the embedded players below. You can also use the sidebar to get to our Apple Podcast pages and leave a nice review and rating if it pleases you.
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RIP Otis π
https://twitter.com/MDGonzales/status/1752865016779612599?t=OaH76S7Vp5MBDcPjIVJtJA&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I thought Ernie had played in the Negro Leagues before starting with the Cubs, but doubt Iβd have gotten the catcher square anyway.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I think the go-to answer is Roy Campanella but I will play soon and see if I’m right
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Yeah the NLB guys had to be the go-to answers because I sadly do not know enough about them
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
I was at least able to avoid Satchel Paige at pitcher. Buck OβNeil pitched at least one game. (dying laughing)
PerkinsQuote Reply
Hopefully it’s Cubs
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/which-teams-are-most-likely-to-sign-the-top-remaining-free-agents.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
OK so that’s one less option
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/diamondbacks-sign-brandon-hughes-to-minor-league-deal.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
dang, looks like they don’t have the new spring training caps in the online store yet. Get with it Cubs
berseliusQuote Reply
Between the Shohei super-deferral and the Imanaga multiverse contract, this has been a very interesting offseason for contract creativity…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Aha, official
At least official to the point that the beat guys can say it’s official until the Cubs tweet
Rice CubeQuote Reply
There it is
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Burnesβββ-> Orioles
andcountingQuote Reply
Ok the Cubs should definitely try to be better than the Brewers this season
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Time for the Cubs to sign Cody Bellinger and really bump up those divisional odds.
PerkinsQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Theo owns the Red Sox
Sorta
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/theo-epstein-fenway-sports-group-red-sox-owner-advisor.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Accursed lack of 2000+ K pitchers I know
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
Just not a ton of options for Seattle or Houston on 2000K pitchers.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
Rice CubeQuote Reply
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39444143/jacksonville-jaguars-fanduel-amit-patel-stolen-millions
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I am admittedly not a lawyer, but it’s not the betting company’s fault they transacted as they were designed to, right? They need to get that money from the embezzler, not the, uh, laundering medium?
Rice CubeQuote Reply
RIP Carl Weathers π
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
RIP, heaven’s got a stew going now.
berseliusQuote Reply
Sounds like basically a 15% pay cut
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/diamond-sports-group-in-agreement-with-rangers-twins-guardians-for-2024.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Joe Girardi –> not the Cubs booth anymore
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
I’ve never watched the show but I figured this would have been hilarious had I seen it
https://twitter.com/Picklemaddierix/status/1753508529443332419
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Good story re: the recently departed Otis
https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2024/2/2/24059471/cubs-mourn-death-of-beloved-clubhouse-manager-tom-otis-hellmann
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
I have weird feelings about the show overall. As a whole I don’t like it very much (save for Jessica Walter), but at the same time it’s one of the most memeable shows of all time.
I get tired of watching shows where I kind of despise everyone even when I’m laughing, and it was one of the reasons I was slow to warm to Schitt’s Creek. Once I realized that the characters had any chance of growth it became one of my favorite shows (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
I really liked the first three seasons of Arrested Development when I watched like 12-13 years ago, though unlike other series Iβve recently enjoyed, Iβve never revisited it.
Community on the other hand, I could watch all day.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Bears staying in town (proper)?
https://wgntv.com/sports/bears-report/report-bears-shifting-stadium-focus-to-chicago-lakefront/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
(dying laughing), I’m the same way with Community as you are with AD. Loved it when it was on, have had zero interest to revisit.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Six seasons and a movie!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Random anecdote: I saw a page on Instagram showing Tim Lincecumβs accomplishments and a bunch of people in the comments were talking about how he should be in the HoF. And my thought on looking at his career line was that he was Jake Arrieta with a bit more hardware. So I looked on B-Ref and his highest similarity score was indeed one Jake Arrieta.
Tl;dr baseball fans are meatheads and I appreciate you jabronis.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Both of them belong in the HoF
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
After they buy a ticket
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I think Arrieta flamed out faster than Lincecum did, once your arm stops doing the throw fast thing it’s pretty much over
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Or maybe they flamed out in about the same time, baseball is cruel
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Yeah they each had about a four year stretch of dominance and then fell off pretty quickly. I think itβs kinda wild that both of Timmyβs no-hitters came after his decline while Arrietaβs were at the height of his powers.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Avoided the most common ones, but not many options for Beers 100 run season.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
Yeah that 100 run column is a funsucker
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
Tough to get a good rarity sxore on Aβs CYA. Same for Cubs no-hitter unless you know a lot of dead ball era guys.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
There was the combined no-hitter not too long ago for the Cubs
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Damn, I figured being part of a combined one wouldnβt count.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I took a gamble (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Bleah, 20 game winners
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
Nearly all of this was Jered Weaver and John Wetteland.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
Belichick to Washington after all, just like everyone predicted.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39464052/steve-belichick-become-washington-dc-sources-confirm
berseliusQuote Reply
I was confused by the Jim Leyland HOF talk not mentioning that he was a longtime manager of the Astros. Then I realized that my brain thinks he and Phil Garner are the same person (dying laughing).
berseliusQuote Reply
My power is out so we are at a hotel watching Netflix since my wife needs power for school and I need wifi for work (dying laughing)
Meanwhile the Cubs are still staring down the Boras…
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Wow, they DO have money
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
I think this puts the Royals as the highest payroll in the AL central (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Bit late on this but in case you needed to channel some negative energy somewhere
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
boo to the dodgers overall but it’s tough to stay mad at Mookie.
berseliusQuote Reply
Felt like they tried this already and were struck down but I’m all for the A’s getting nothing and liking it
https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/1754646703053976047?t=xHBeyYT4c_H_NMLhP712hQ&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Could not think of someone who only played for the Rangers.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
Welp, just bought my Cubs spring training hat.
a sucker is born every minute etc etc
berseliusQuote Reply
Vegas mayor going full Kamala Harris on the Aβs:
https://x.com/FOS/status/1754893029146841364?s=20
andcountingQuote Reply
andcounting,
(dying laughing) x 6.0221 x 10^23
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
It’s a good hat, you may be joined by many more suckers
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The last two hats I bought were the City Connect and the throwback bear with bat hat from the Field of Dreams game a couple years ago. Both very solid.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I usually rock some version of the bear with bat hat, but I ended up not liking the one my parents picked up for me in ST last year. It looked great in the photo, but when I put it on the front panel felt ridiculously tall. I ended up swapping back to an older low profile black n blue cubs hat that I picked up god knows where
/bald life
berseliusQuote Reply
I just use the standard on-field C symbol hat #boring
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
The first ‘standard’ Cubs hat that I wore regularly had a red brim, and I had no idea that was actually non-standard (dying laughing). I like it better than the all blue version.
berseliusQuote Reply
DFA’d Rucker —–> Phillies
Cash Considerations —-> Cubs
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
The red brim road hat was my first fitted Cubs hat. I miss those and kinda wish theyβd bring them back.
My other Cubs uni wish is a Sunday home jersey based on one of their historical designs. The solid whites from the 1940s or the pinstripes with the thin logo from the 60s would look awesome.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I just want to see more of the Zambrano blue jerseys (dying laughing). Move them from alternate!
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
It always bothered me when they made those road-only around 2009 or so. Felt weird to see Zambrano in pinstripes – maybe thatβs why he stopped being good (dying laughing).
PerkinsQuote Reply
Big fan of the blue jerseys
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Al Tuve –> extended
#Santo
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/jose-altuve-astros-agree-to-five-year-extension.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Ichiro is legend
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Small market teams.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
FanGraphs playoff odds are out:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/six-takeaways-from-our-2024-playoff-odds-release/
Cubs projected around .500 pre-“major moves left to be done”
https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Meh
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
OK interesting
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/brewers-to-sign-gary-sanchez.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
If I had to choose, assuming the Cubs don’t retain Bellinger, I hope they sign Montgomery instead.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Missed this but I guess the land is basically spoken for even if the A’s still don’t have stadium renderings
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tropicana-las-vegas-landmark-1957-will-demolished-make-way-mlb-stadium-rcna136484
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Some renderings of the Sox proposed park on the 78
https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/2/7/24065603/new-white-sox-ballpark-south-loop-renderings-guaranteed-rate-field-soccer-stadium
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I really need to study more about the Negro Leagues.
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PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
This is only because I remembered Josh Gibson and looked up a couple of his teammates…gonna have to drive through KC and check out the museum!
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Rice CubeQuote Reply
New shit to convince you to buy Cubs tickets –> https://www.obstructedview.net/cubs-2024-promos/
Rice CubeQuote Reply