Cubs REKAP Podcast ⚾️ (S3 – EP31): LIVE Reaction: This is EXPLOSIVE! 💥

Cubs REKAP Podcast ⚾️ (S3 – EP31): LIVE Reaction: This is EXPLOSIVE! 💥

Welcome in to our Cubs recap podcast. The Cubs fall to the Milwaukee Brewers in the deciding game five by a score of three to one. I’m David Kaplan. That’s Ryan McGuffy. That’s Gordon Whittener. That is our team. We’ve been with you after every postseason game. And guys, I mean, I I’d like to complain. There’s when you get four hits, one solo home run, you’re not going to beat quality baseball teams. We said it coming into this game that the way the momentum had shifted, we we wanted that first inning trend to continue. Whatever they did the rest of the game, they needed the first inning trend because that was going to what what you call it, Guff? Something about the sphincters. that was going to be the that was going to put the the final pressure on on uh the Brewers. Instead, for the first time the entire series, they didn’t score in the first inning and they got behind instead. The Brewers scored in the first inning, and it looked like it it looked like all that momentum that had built the last two games was suddenly turned the other way. Yeah. But I I mean, Seya grabbed it right back with the solo shot, and it’s like, okay, all right, we’re back to Stephen here. But what happened what I what I thought it was and we’ve been saying it the whole series the inability to have traffic outside of game four they had no traffic and then the one time they had traffic tonight you had first and second nobody out and it was like this is here is at some this is the hit you’re going to need to tie the game at two o’clock I can’t believe I’m sitting here watching Andrew Bond being interviewed in a postseason series that just clinched unbelievable and you’re thinking like, “Okay, here we go. The dam’s going to break now.” And that the whole night you were waiting for that to happen. The Cubs had no traffic. They had to say a homer. I take that back. They had a big at bat with Kyle Tucker at the plate. And this is not be being a hater. You want to get 400 freaking million dollars with first and second, nobody out. You don’t even move them along. Bye-bye. I’m moving up. swinging a miss, struck out. You don’t even get in scoring position because say his line drive fly ball to the warning track to Cheerio would have tied the baseball game. He had a completely unproductive at bat. Yeah, he and even his last at bat it was roll over ground ball head down meander to first base. Yeah, there’s there’s a lot of pe there’s a lot of people in here saying goodbye Kyle Tucker. Goodbye. There’s a lot of people saying I saw we fire everyone. That was a dead ass team. It wasn’t a dead ass team. It wasn’t. You just got Who said that? You have to go all the way back up. We already had some of the here like here after year. Same [ __ ] So much for that. Fire everyone. What an embarrassment. That’s just a deadass team. Here you go. I mean, so that was not a deadass team. That was a team that got out pitched tonight. They did a great job. That team battled. They competed. They tried. They got beat by a 97 win team. You know what a deadass team would have been, guys? If they tucked their head between legs after going down 02 and ended it in three games at Wrigley. That would have been a deadass team. Look, the problem is they weren’t good enough. They they weren’t good enough to beat the top team or two in the league. We thought halfway through the season they might have been one of those top one or two teams in the league. And this goes back to and some of some of our our viewers here have have already pointed this out. This goes back to that trade deadline. I thought the the Kitridge inning when when they extended the lead summed up everything that went wrong since that great first half. This is the guy you went out and got. This was the best guy you went out and got at the deadline. You should have gone more aggressive. You should have made this a better team. You should have had a lot more depth when some and they didn’t. Other teams did. And that’s the problem. It’s not that they didn’t. It’s the industry standard set. All the teams that did big stuff at the deadline are all freaking That’s not the point, Kev. This team isn’t there because they didn’t make themselves better. This team had a chance. This this team had enough pieces. They were good enough. They needed more. They needed something at the deadline. They were in position that they could have been players deep into October. They want a They won a series. They took this to five games. What if they had actually gotten a pitcher, a starting pitcher that didn’t break down in his first start? What if they had actually gotten real help like some other teams did because of where this team was positioned? Had they done that, I think the outcome of this series is different. I’m not sure I agree with you. They didn’t get out pitched in this series. They got out hit in this series. That’s the bottom line. They got both tonight. I I think they got both. Cap. I mean, you you didn’t you made a bogus decision in game one to go with a guy on three days rest who quite frankly has shown you that wasn’t a lack of talent. That was a stupid decision by the manager. It was. But you know why? because he’s looking at the rest of the going, “Who do I go with? I don’t have that guy that you could have got, whether it was Mel Kelly or insert starters name here at the deadline.” Literally, insert starters. What starters got moved? That would have made a big difference. This was not about money. That is a better run organization in Milwaukee. Stop with the goddamn money. It’s not about the money. They spent 110 million more than the team that beat their ass. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying the I’m I’m saying the GM the the the the the team president sat on his ass at the trade deadline relative to other teams that were in this thing and relative to what he needed and that had nothing to do with money. It had to do with what he was willing to move. That that’s a different argument. Mattel didn’t make enough money that that he would have made a difference in a payroll. That that’s not wasn’t an ownership decision. You can say this. You can put that guy Brad back up here. I didn’t talk any trash. Stick it where the sun don’t shine. Cap. Look at the teams that are left. The LA Dodgers who spend more than anything and they’ll keep spending until they won’t. Okay, I’m going to table the Brewers for a second. I’m talking about the Chicago Cubs, the LA Dodgers, the Seattle Mariners who went out and got Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor and they needed to to carry their offense and ride that wave into the terrible. Oh, Jesus Christ. Are they in the ALCS or not? They did something that doesn’t typically do. They went out and added real players that helped that lineup. That that put them over the top in a very tight series. the other tight DS series. Those were those what were the two two the two series that went 2-2. They were both tight, both tight game five. And the Mariners are the ones that went out at the deadline and added the players that put them in a position to put them over the top and the Cubs didn’t. And the Blue Jays are also a team that’s willing to do whatever it takes to get it done. They’ve tried every free agent under the sun to come to Canada. They’re not afraid to make a move at the Cub sat on their hands. I don’t It’s not about spending 110% about spending 110 million more than the Brewers can. It’s about being fiscally more responsible and maybe the Brewers don’t have the assets, but they have the talent in the front office that runs laps around the Chicago Cubs. They they got rid of Cody Bellinger and said the money will be spent. And they kept it. They kept they didn’t spend that money. They didn’t reinvest it into the club. Team sat on their hands. Andrew Kitri, I thought was left in two batters too long as it was. And when PCA made the diving catch, I would have yanked his ass then. But I don’t know who you’re going to. And that’s the problem. It’s because you don’t have anybody. You just don’t because you went to him early. They went to Colin Ray who everybody in this entire chat who’d been bitching about where’s Ken Ray? Colin Ray well tonight. He gave up one. He he threw one pitch too many and it cost him. It shouldn’t. Colin Ray pitched really well. They didn’t go to Savale. Didn’t go to Shota. I’m okay with that. The Brewers pitched the Cubs tonight. Misarowski was really good again. He was excellent. But again, like you can tell me all about what Seattle did. The Cubs outspent them by $36 million. Again, the Cubs did. This is not about how much you spent before the season. At the deadline, the Seattle Mariners went out and said, “We’re going for it. We’re going for it.” And they made moves. They made two separate moves with the same team. Even though they tried to do it in one deal, they got Josh Naylor and then they said, “Damn it, we’re not. We want the other guy, too. You weren’t willing to package them both. We want them both.” And they got them both. I don’t care what the payroll looks like, Cap. And the Cubs were arguably in a better position, a position to think they had a better more of a right to think about late October. Cubs spent 100. Here’s Mo. Cubs spent 100 million more than other teams, but the Dodgers spent more than all the teams and they’re in the playoffs every year. Plus, spend money, don’t spend money at you get a chance at the deadline to do something and you didn’t. That’s a different argument. That’s prospect hugging. I got no problem with you calling it prospect hugging, but there’s all these people. They got to spend more. The Brewers spent 110 million less. They do a better job in player development. They do. That’s a fact. That’s that Cubs offensively tonight. So did the Dodgers. Dodgers get more out of the bottom of the first round than anybody else does. There’s there’s no question about it. Hon was terrible this offensively tonight. Kyle Tucker terrible offensively tonight. Same halves and halves. Now it’s you got you got Michael Bush got a single. Nico hit the ball really hard. He hit it on the screws late in the game and just unfortunately hit it right to somebody right to the third baseman. What can you do there? It was the same topheavy Cubs line. They had three dudes that basically performed. Seiya was pretty Seya was pretty good during the playoffs. He he disappear for two games, show up with a home run, disappear for two games, show up with a home run. But for the most part, it was fine. Gordon, this this lineup, honestly, it disappeared the entire playoffs. And the fact that we’re here on October 11th and breaking them down is is rather surprising because offensively they weren’t very good. No. And God, what when we were doing these these podcasts in June, July, I mean, watching watching these Allstars head to Atlanta for the All-Star game, what were we thinking then? Who would have pictured this as how they got bounced, right? Yeah. No doubt. It’s not Michael, your comment about Schwarz and Naylor wouldn’t have started the Cubs. I don’t It’s not about go. The Mariners went out and acquired two players to upgrade on their own team so they could be better. This is not about well the Cubs should have gotten Sores and Naylor. It’s about they should have got more pitching. They needed more pitching and and how what kind of difference might that have made across this series? I don’t know what AP is saying that they didn’t need pitching because they they needed to add more pitching. No about it financial thing. It’s a prospect hugging thing. It’s a philosophical difference that I have with them when Carter Hawkins has the goddamn gall to say we got to worry about the 2032 Cubs. Literally said that everyone’s sitting here glazing over their prospects and Kate Horton and Kate Horton was worthy of it. But the second he went down the Cubs had nothing in they had nothing nothing to back him up. Andrew Gay point first and second nobody out. Three, four, five coming up. You didn’t even get Cap’s point to start this thing off. It wasn’t even nothing. You weren’t even able to move the runners. Yeah. Yeah. Like you didn’t even have game right there. Not have productive outs. And make sure you join us uh level up, become a member of the recap. We’re going to have this kind of talk uh and a lot more behind the scenes for the members who are a part of this fine channel. But yeah, that’s why that’s why I like you look at the fact that the Cubs played eight games in the postseason, guys. Eight games and you put it up when you look at it as a whole. Offensively, they were garbage. Terrible. Yeah. Terrible. You know, they’ve got their 22y old guy, Jackson Cheerio. Jackson Turio is a freaking superstar. Our 22 year old 23 year old guy Max Shaw he’s not ready for prime time yet at this level. I’m not playing the Matt Shaw. You have the guys you How about your $177 million shortstop? How about 17.5 million top 10 player that you traded three guys for? And and if I’m not mistaken, if I added this upright, that gold glove middle infield committed three errors in this series. Yeah, I don’t think that cost them the series, but they didn’t play as well. Look, the the the issue is you talked about that lineup not doing enough in the postseason, not scoring. Yeah, that that’s true. That’s true. But what does that do? We know that. We talk about that going into the playoffs. You’re going to have a harder time scoring runs. That underscored the need for a team that was short on pitching depth to add pitching at the deadline that they did not add. Yeah, I felt they needed to add another bullpen arm. That was what I was disappointed in. They should have had a should have added a better starter or another starter maybe as well. Maybe both. Yeah, I wanted a high leverage uh reliever. I there wasn’t a a starter really that I desperately wanted that moved, but I wanted a high leverage reliever. They were moving all over the game. That’s what I wanted. I wanted I wanted I wanted both. I I I wanted because to me you adding you needed insurance and that’s why you add arms. You you just stockpile arms. You add arms. That’s the thing. If you start, you get bullpen help because somebody gets kicked to the bullpen. And I mean, I didn’t even love the fact Drew Pomerance has been fantastic this postseason. He’s a one of the best stories on the Cubs this year. I I didn’t love the fact that they went with the tonight. I I didn’t I didn’t like I’m not saying that in hindsight either. He gave up a solo shot to Contrarus. I I would have just come right out of the gate with K and and gone with it. But they because and this is why I believe they didn’t have that. They didn’t have somebody that was a surefire thing where they can go I mean we talked about this the other night guys they had Ray they had Sally they had Shota all on full regular rest. Three guys who were starters this season and they felt good about none of them. That’s the way I look at it. They felt good about none of them. Well that’s because they wanted to they wanted to go with Pomeran to handle Yelich. I’m trying to remember. I got to look at pieces together, Cap. That’s because they didn’t feel great about anybody. That’s all I’m saying. But you Brewers did the same thing. But the Brewers didn’t have anybody. The Brewers truly did not have a starter on regular rest tonight. The Cubs held the advantage. They did. That’s my point is that got outmanaged again by outmanaging himself. You should have just [ __ ] started Colin Ray and just let it ride. I I I could be fine with that. When I saw it made a difference, it was it was it was a difference. It was difference. But why started Ms. then Ryan? Because Jacob Misarowski cap has shown in the second half. He wasn’t the guy that made the All-Star team even though he should have in the first half. And I talked to people in Milwaukee eight innings in this series. He was freaking sensational. Yeah. And every if you talk to anybody in Milwaukee, which I did when I was at the ballpark, they said that guy wasn’t capable emotionally handling a postseason start that he could come in at home and handle multiple innings, but he couldn’t handle the pressure of doing it at the start. And that’s let me ask you a question. Who’s telling you that? A [ __ ] media guy? That’s a bunch of horseshit. That kid stepped up to 104 the other night, stuck it up the Cub’s ass, and did it again tonight? that killed three people who cover the the goddamn team that you you know all year. No, no, no. Don’t. No, no, no. You’re gonna come at me like this. I’ll come right back at you. I did talk to multiple people in in Milwaukee. And you know what? All I know is he was your [ __ ] team’s going home tonight, dude. And Jacob Mizroski is I’m I’m out. See you later. Are you serious? You’re gonna y Fine. See you later. You’re gonna yell. Wow. Wow. Okay, we’ll keep going. Gordon Jacobski, why did I do that? What did I do? He came at me, dude. Yeah. Well, he’s we know how he wears his emotions on this stuff. That’s I understand. He’s upset. That’s not him and the emotions of tonight. That’s what that is. Um your point on Misoski is is wellounded. when he had that moment in game two, that might be a career moment for him, a career building moment for him because he came in, did the job, he had all that emotion in a in a biggest moment of his life, and he turned a corner that he had not turned this year, which is why they didn’t start him, right? And honestly, that is exactly what I was told in the two games I was in in the in the press box by people people who cover the team and people who there was one guy who worked for the team because I was asking him about Andrew Vaughn and I said, “Why not Misarowski at Wrigley?” He was like, “Dude, there’s no chance they’re going to bring Miseroski at Wrigley Field. There is zero chance. He can’t handle it emotionally.” Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that’s I think that’s garbage. I do. That’s fine. I’m just then I think he showed it. I think he showed it in the second half what he can handle and what he can’t handle. He had a meltdown his last his last appearance in the regular season. They brought him in out of the bullpen. He had he had a couple of misplays behind him. Couple bad contact. He did his job but it didn’t get done behind him and he melted down after that. He gave up the runs after that. So it kind of tells you where he was at. I think but I think again what the way they played him, the way they used him and what they got out of him in game two especially and at the end of this is could change his career could be seven innings four hits one run. Those people that told you that are idiots that how they matched him up. Yes. Yeah. Did he start a game in the playoffs? Did he start a game in the playoffs? Okay. He came in in the second inning. Big freaking deal. Okay. Moving. Okay, moving on. Moving on. That’s what Did he start a game? That’s what I was told. He didn’t start a game. It matched up with their information. He shove it up their ass. Fine. That can we move on from Jacob Mizerowski? Because it wasn’t about whenever you’re ready. You’re the one still kept I’ll I’ll be the I’ll go away happily. I’ll just sit here and wait. We uh What’s wrong about What about your team? Is Is this a successful season? I know what you’re going to say. Like if you had it was a decently successful season, but when you outspend someone byund and whatever million and they beat your ass and they win the division three straight times, No, I I can’t I I can’t that’s a fair analysis. Yeah. I mean, I would I would say that going into the season, if you’d said they win a playoff series and they’re playing in game five of the DS and you didn’t even say who it was against and you didn’t even say what the outcome is, you might have considered that a success. You might have um I don’t know if I do. Uh certainly where this team was halfway through the season, this is not a success. I mean, look, they they beat the Padres’s who were all in at the deadline. They got this thing to five games. Anyone that thinks this team quit tonight, like Chase, this guy Chase here, he’s saying team quit. They didn’t quit. They got beat by a better team. Period. And And if you’re going to put that on somebody in Chicago, put it on the front office. It should that’s the only place it should go. I do think there should be accountability of amongst the players. You know, Kyle Tucker was not good. And I want to ask you guys about Kyle Tucker in a second. Swanson was I’m talking about we we’ve already talked about it. Offensively for eight games, they were they were really bad. I I I haven’t done I haven’t gone through yet to look at what they were with runners and scoring position for this for the eight games, but I guarantee you it was under 200. Well, you talked about traffic earlier. The bigger biggest problem is opportunities with men in scoring position. That’s more than Yeah. And so those you’ll get runs. They chose to prospect hug. That’s my problem with them. Yeah. What did Moises Why was Moises on the roster in the postseason? He got what? Two at bats. Yeah. And what So and why wasn’t Javier Assad? I quite frankly I think you probably needed him. Yeah. That one I never understood. Yeah. Well, I the one cap cap I I I the one thing I we all agree on, I think, was that the only reason Michael Seroka was on the roster is because they traded for him. That may be true. Yeah, I that may be true. That’s a good point. Remember when I last saw him, the game one or two? But e but either way, you who do you need more? What? And and and and it doesn’t I don’t think at the end of the day Javier Assad was changing the result of this series. No, I don’t. This is a bigger picture. There’s not a guy. Kate Horton is the only guy that could have changed this series and he was injured. That’s it. No, you’re right. That’s it. And like we’re frustrated here. We’re frustrated with each other because we’re frustrated with this team and we’re frustrated with the organization because you had a chance to actually truly play for a pennant and you let it get away. You know, just observing this, the most aggravating part of that when you observe the front office’s behavior is they were aggressive and they went after it in the off season. when you when you sign or when you trade for Kyle Tucker, that’s an aggressive move that transformed your lineup and your team and it showed in the first half the season. Yeah, we know he got hurt. Yeah, we know he wasn’t the same in the second half, but you were in position because of that move in large part and some of the pitchers that came along. You were in position and then you stopped. That’s the thing. And Cap, you call it prospect hugging. I’ll give you that. It was egregious. That’s malpractice. Yeah. Again, I didn’t think there was a starter out there you could get. The good starters would have cost you Kade Horton and Shaw and relievers. Add arms. I would have added. Yeah, I agree. All night long. Which arms? But they needed more arms. Patrick Lee. The Cubs haven’t developed a prospect since Mark effing grace. That’s just a dumb comment. Steel Kate 2016 I’ve said this before I still think Chris Bryant developed himself you know for wherever you think that might have gone fine Jav bias Kyle Schwarber Albertson Addison Russell uh Kyle Hris guy Contras for sure for sure for sure’s Yeah, this is that’s a that’s an asinite. That’s a that’s just like a see if it sticks comment because I don’t and I threw I threw the pitchers out there on purpose because that was the criticism for so long and they they’ve started developing pitchers. I mean, you you got to give credit where credit’s due, but you also got to you it’s fair to point out where they didn’t do the job. I actually this is an interesting comment right by by Dan here. this roster as is overachieved. Well, I don’t think they thought Michael Bush would be a 34 home run guy. I thought they thought he’d be a good player. I think Nico achieved what they expected. I think Danby achieved what they expected. I think Shaw underachieved. I think Hap underachieved. PCA clearly overachieved. Seiya probably overachieved. Carson Kelly clearly overachieved. Kade Horton, you didn’t know what you’re getting. Top 10 pick. Um, Matthew Boyd overachieved. You know what? That comment’s pretty good. Yeah, Ryan, didn’t that what what Jed said at the start of the year? We’re gonna have to have some guys over achieve. Would you bank on some of these same numbers next year from some of these guys? No. That’s the PCA to be a 3030 guy again. That’s the answer to that question right there. I mean, Matthew Boyd’s likely not an all-star again. I mean, PCA is likely not a 3030 guy again, right? And Matthew and and Michael But I can see a 35 homer guy again. Like with four postseason homers hopefully. But this team wanted to win 90. They won 90. And so I here’s the problem. We’re going to we could sit here and be pissed off and yelling at each other. They’re internally I they probably look at this as a successful season. Look, I I I know I told you this uh Guff when we talked a few days ago. I talked to people in the organization recently. I mean, just I’m talking in the last couple of weeks. I’ve talked to people in the organization. One of them um we got one of them I got in a really long conversation with about um Carter Hawkins being delegated a lot of this work. Carter Hawkins got up in a in a meeting with uh executives and and and uh development people and scouts and baseball ops people an organizational meeting and when some of the stuff was going back and forth, he laid it out. He literally told them, “We’re trying to win 87 games a year.” That it’s it’s it’s along the same lines as what Dotto said out loud when he said, “You’re trying to, you know, you’re trying to win 55 54%.” Right? This is a there Cubs aren’t the only ones that do it, but he literally stood up and said, “That’s our goal to build a team that can win 87 games a year. When things fall right, you’re going to win 92. If things don’t fall right, you’re going to win 82 and you’ll be in it more often than not. I guess in theory it means that the deadline if you if you got a chance to win, you add you in theory you do more than you did this year. So I again, you can’t even explain that within this philosophy. But for what you’re charging fans, for what fans expect in this market, for what they give you, that’s a pretty piss poor return on their investment. And that to me is what’s wrong in large part with the game today, but certainly with this organization and the way they run things at the top. Yeah. I look, they lost to a better team. That team is better. They just are. The best player on the field is Jackson Cheerio in my opinion. It’s not close. And he was hurt. He played hurt all the whole series. I’m I’m talking about for the whole season. That guy is a stud who’s 22 years of age. And he’s going to be great. Absolute stud. Freddy Peralta is better than any pitcher that you have right now today. Maybe Kate Horton becomes that, but I haven’t seen him win 17 games. I haven’t. Maybe a healthy Justin Steel comes back and he’s that. But to your point right now, as it stands, yeah, Freddy Peralta is the best pitcher. Uh the other kid, the local kid that they beat the other night, they pounded. Um Oh, Pster. Priest. Who do we have that is as good as him? That guy was rolling. Maybe Matthew Boyd comes back and does it again. Maybe Kate Horton does. I hope I think there’s a little bit of going back to the drawing board with this is the way it feels right now. If you if you let yourself start looking ahead at next year, it feels it feels like there’s stuff to I mean, you signed uh Carson Kelly to be your backup catcher. Who is your lead your cleanup hitter? You talk about overachieving. Yeah. Again, what pisses me off most about that what you just said you reported right there is it just is so like remember when Jerry Rindorf a couple of years ago like didn’t know he was on camera and was at that business meeting and said you know the best place to be is second place because the you carry the fans through the entire season and you’re close enough but you’re just not there and that you just you get everything you need. You get asses in the seats. You get excitement on your team. And you don’t have to necessarily go sign the$und00 million cat because you’re doing just enough. And that’s what it feels like the Cubs are saying. You’re reporting right there. It feels like the Cubs are saying, “We’re doing just enough with this third wild card team to either be the third wild card team are certainly in the hunt all season long to me.” And that should frustrate and infuriate people. But that’s where this team is. It’s the halves that that are the the Dodgers, the Mets, the Phillies who don’t really care. They’re just going to spend spend spend every then there’s all the other teams that are worried about 2027 in strikes. And then there’s everybody else that says, “Well, if you just kind of like hang out over here, hey, look at the Diamondbacks in 23. They got to the World Series. They won 83 games and just got in or 84 games or whatever it was.” And that goes back to what Cap’s been sitting here saying for the last 20 minutes. Prospect hugging. Prospect hugging. Respect hugging. That’s when you fall in love more with your farm team than the team that you have trotting out there every day for 162, you’ll do just enough. And that’s why Carter Hawkins stands up and says we’re playing for 2020 2032 as well. Yeah. which is one of the more bogus questions, you know, one of the more bogus statements I’ve ever heard a a a up office upper management person ever say in this city. Ever. I mean, it’s it’s one of the most disgusting comments I’ve ever heard an executive say. And it just feels like there’s this has been going on for a while, this practice in general in the game with a lot of teams, certainly the Cubs. And it and it just it seems like it seems like it’s become so much more commonplace and accepted now that more and more people are saying it out loud, saying the quiet stuff out loud. And it’s just like almost as though they don’t get why that’s so offensive and insulting to the people paying for those expensive seats and paying for the Marquee Network and buying that merch. It’s I mean they’ve forgotten what it is to be a fan and and what a fan puts into it. I mean literally with their money, but with their emotion. I mean you saw Cap tonight. I mean that there’s a lot of emotion there and there has been Cap’s been on a roller coaster for a week now and and that that’s the fan base. This is what they bring and and and they deserve better for for what they bring, especially when they’re reaching in their pockets. Yeah. You ask them for a lot. You do. And you owe them a lot. And it’s not about the money. I’ll say it for the thousandth time. It’s not the Brewers under spent you by a hundred and whatever million and they beat your ass. It’s your refusal. You’re not going to play Mous by a Steros. You’re not going to play Owen Casey. Guess what? Then put him in a goddamn trade. Yeah, I don’t disagree. But then you tried him out there in a time of desperation in the eighth inning. Like what really was your expectation there? Yeah. Well, that that at bat was a waste. Yeah. So, you had six outs to go and you went out and you put a guy who hasn’t seen a pitch in a week in a in a position to fail. That’s what you did. And he swung it all three and popped it up lazily into left field. And and honestly, you know, you were in a position where when you have to devote the DH spot to Kyle Tucker. How you gonna use this guy and get him any regular at bats any even even an at bat or two game there’s just it’s already trying to shoehorn something in on that one I Yeah it’s disappointing because I said to my wife when Tucker came up in whatever that was the fifth or sixth inning first and second and nobody out I said okay this is the guy who wants 350 to $500 million. Guess what? You know what Aaron Judge does? He hits one off the foul pole in left field. You know what Kyle does? He strikes out. I’m sitting there watching that thinking, “Okay, this is not only is this the game, but I expected something to happen in that moment. I expected him to do something.” He’s been How many World Series bats does he have? How many times has he won in the World Series? I expected the way that pitcher started that inning and and and what he looked like, you know, who he was coming up in that spot. I expected I didn’t expect a swing and a miss for strike three. Expected something and move him along at least. Yeah. Productive out. I didn’t see a productive at bat really other than game four from Kyle Tucker most of this postseason. I mean, and we talked about the pitching. I know that they didn’t score a lot of runs. I know the Brewers didn’t score a lot of runs. This is a team all season long that was near the bottom of the league in hitting home runs. And it felt like every time, like tonight, they hit three. That’s how they won the game. The uh they hit two three-run homers when they’d never done that in their postseason history. Never mind the kind of team they are this year to win a game earlier in the series. They How many home runs did they hit, G? Do you have that off the top of your head? I mean, well, they hit they hit three tonight. They hit uh in game one three more in game one. In game two, they hit they hit over 10 home runs. Remember all of the uh all of the talk about the Brewers is that’s great. They led the majors in wins, but they don’t have slug and you need slug in the postseason. Pretty sure the Brewers showed that they have some slug. 10 home runs in five to hit a big big did just that. Yeah. That’s a good team. Yeah, it’s more than disappointing to see the season end. Look, the better team won. That’s I’m not mad about that part of it. I’m just pissed off that in the end your best guy, Kyle Tucker, proved he really don’t want to resign him. You should have been mad because yes, the better team won. You should be mad because they were the better team because the first half of the season they weren’t and and your front office sat on their hands at the trade deadline. The Cubs could have been the better team on that field tonight. Am I right? Am I right that all three home runs came with two outs? Almost all their runs it seemed in this series came with two outs. Two outs in the first, two outs in the fourth and two outs in the seventh. Yep. Yeah. I mean, look, I know some people don’t like the way Craig managed tonight with his pitching. I didn’t have a problem with it. I didn’t. I really didn’t. Able to score. Let’s just say one run, you’re not gonna win, right? Yeah. Not just one run, but you had one tra inning where you had traffic. One. And and as we’ve said, you had first and second, nobody out. You manufactured nothing. You didn’t even attempt and you and you didn’t even supposed hitter struck out. Your next best hitter hit a line drive to the boarding track and I’m trying to remember who and then Carson Kelly some of the I also have to tell you Carson Kelly swinging at a pitch up here way out here play discipline sucked and it got worse as the game went on. It was the phenomenon. It’s what you talked about before, Guff, and it happened to the Cubs instead of the Brewers. My buddy Jack just texted me. He said, he’s a Socks fan. I mean, all socks. He said, “Tough loss, but your team went down with respect.” Yeah, you got it back to game five. That takes guts tonight. You didn’t do anything performance, too. I mean, when they got down 200 to get it to game five, that says something about him. That’s that’s all good. Totally agree. You guys will have plenty of Now it’s time for the podcast. There’s more to talk about. Oh yeah. For the season when we get together in a few days. What is the most important thing they do in the off season? Figure out what they’re are we putting together a list of who they fire. They’re not firing anybody. I mean, it’s all about Tucker, right? Either you’re bringing him back or you’re not. And how are you going to replace not just him? Tucker and then then your next priority has to be what’s your pitching staff look like because that’s my number one priority because if you bring Tucker back, what are you doing with Owen Casey? You have to trade. I’m not bringing Tucker back. Tucker ain’t coming back to this team. I’m not bringing him back. That’s what I’m saying. Like he ain’t coming back. But maybe Jed signs him. I don’t know. You need more pitching. You don’t You need a lights, dude. Ted couldn’t get more than schmos at the trade deadline. He ain’t bringing Kyle Tucker back. Let me ask you something. What if Kyle Tucker said to you, “I’ll do a one-year deal because we’ve got a labor thing coming up.” Do you sign him? For how much? 40 million. Yeah. No. No. Maybe. I I You got You got pitching issues. You’re getting Justin Steel back off injury. Kate Horton’s going to take another step. showed to me he may have thrown his last pitch because if you don’t extend him he may opt out and I probably would let him go. Okay, fine. So now you That’s a tough opt out decision for a guy that finished the way he did. I got one year left of Jameson Tyion and I’ll keep him keeping him. That’s three. Boys coming back. Four. Jackson Wiggins probably will factor in there. They have a chance to be in good shape. you should supplement whatever it is you think you have coming back. But if you go spend, you put all your eggs in the Kyle Tucker basket, for instance, if you were to go do that and you don’t take care of your pitching, you don’t add to that, you don’t make sure that that’s plum going into next season, then it really doesn’t matter. There you go. Keller, Theo Bar, Pomeran’s all gone. Why are they all gone? I can resign Caleb Theo Bar because you got Max out of a couple of those guys. You think you don’t think Brad Keller’s gonna get Brad Somebody’s gonna pay like two for 14 for Brad Keller? Byebye. Get somebody else for that. Drew Pomearance probably gets like one for seven and a half, one for six even though he didn’t pitch for four years. That’s what happens, man. Gone. Maybe Theobar, but I’m just saying like are you spending two for 10 or two for 12 or 14 for Keller? There’ll be plenty of relievers out there. I totally agree. Plenty of plenty of Theelbars, Keller, Pomerance, Kitridge. You need studs. They need a closer, boys, too. They need a closer. Daniel Palencia can’t be that guy. He wasn’t even that guy for you in the playoffs. If you can address the closer, if you can get the closer you want, I don’t know who that would be, but if you can go out and get the closer you want in the offseason, go do it. But if you can’t go in go in with the mix and match again and see where you’re at at the trade deadline and answer the answer the question then. But even like Kenley Jans not that many out there dunk guys. They’re just I’ve been saying I’ve been saying this in the White Sox pocket like why Kenley Jansen signed a one-year $10 million deal with the Angels got wasted saves with the Angels was fantastic yet again. Like that would have been a guy right you can work backwards from there. I know he’s full. Let’s see. Last guy they did something like that with was uh Kimrell. Yeah. I just I’m just amazed though. You won 92 games. You won a playoff series and you lost in game five three to one. I am amazed the number of comments here. I haven’t put them all up nor has G. There’s a boatload. I mean of how negative blow it up to quitters. It’s just amazing to me. You of all people know why this is emotion spilling out right now. These are people that are feeling this right now. You feel it as much as anybody. You’re just You’re just not expressing it the same way. Gordon, it was expressed. It was expressed. He [ __ ] slammed the door on us. No, I didn’t. I just removed myself from the situation. Took a deep breath. I had a little Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar there. Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar. I think you needed Dr. Pepper Sugar tonight to be I think that’s what the big mis was. You needed the sugar. Maybe no caffeine in it, though. Well, look, it is what it is. The season’s over. It’s been a hell of a ride. I will say that. To me, it’s October 11th. I got a buddy Dire Cup fan say honestly like I figured like I didn’t expect this. It’s bonus baseball which is sad for a fan to say that because you should as a Cub fan expect to be here every year but because of what we’ve seen out of recency bias. It’s been a long ass time. You know I tell you I’ll make if this is the end here. This is my last thought on this. You know we talked about some of these guys and whether they’re going to back up their performance next year. A lot of these guys have something to prove next year. Can they do it again? I would say nobody has more to prove in whether they can do it again than that front office. Let’s see there again. Jerry Bernaci, our guy. Jerry, I wish he’s a Socks fan. I wish the Socks had as many quote unquote problems as the Cubs. Yeah, as I’ve said, I wish I I I wish I knew what it was like to have feelings about baseball again. Yeah. Well, you guys will have a ton of uh there’s plenty of podcasts to line up here for the coming days and weeks, I could tell you. Oh, man. It’s been fun doing it. Yeah, live podcast. It was a guff idea. It’s been great. Good call. Good call. Well, yeah, this has been a blast. And clowns in the back. Yeah, I see. I saw Yeah. Are they cheering? What are they Are they cheering or they drunk? Are they both? I think I overheard that guy’s a Mariners fan. Where are you, Gordon? I’m in Gillette, Wyoming. Oh, wow. Gillette, Wyoming. We got a Hawk from Gillette right here. Uh, you know what I would do? I would consider signing Framber Valdez. Yeah, there you go. That was that would go a long way. There there’s nobody that I wouldn’t consider signing to make my baseball team better. Period. Yeah, that’s it. That’s it. Whatever it takes, Cap. I’m done watching that team. The fact if you didn’t as a front office didn’t take it personal tonight that you lost and there’s there’s champagne for the second time this year. Champagne being sprayed all over that Milwaukee clubhouse because they clinched the division because they were better than you and then they did it right in your face to move on to the NLCS. If you don’t take that personal as a front office, in my opinion, and you know this cap, and Gordon, you too, because the three of us are teammates, they wouldn’t be sitting in our office, Cap. They would not. If they don’t take that personal, they would not be at the table that you and I sit at every day. There’s no chance. Yep. Yep. Fair. Very fair. Drop the mic on that. Well, I did. I lost. That’s it. That’s it. We they’ve got to go out and add a top end starter in my opinion and then have Kate Horton and Justin Steel. Like if you’re seriously trying to win, you go get a top end starter. The Dodgers went into this season with 10 starters. 10 legitimate bonafide all-star candidate starters. Now, some of them were hurt and some of them got hurt. But what did that do? By the end of the year, Blake Snell’s back in there dealing. Uh you got Kershaw in the bullpen who uh uh Glassnau’s came back at the end. I mean, those guys now they’re the favorites. Daniel, he’s not Ski is not available and you couldn’t afford to get him. I’m talking about prospects. And by the way, Gordon, they’re shoving Roki Sasaki at you as a closer. I mean, like it’s And they still have problems. Yeah. It’s unbelievable. And they’re able to put him there. It’s unbelievable. Dominic says they need a big bat. Where are you playing that big bat? I’m not disagreeing with them. I’m just asking. Where are they putting a big bat? And what’s make Kyle Tucker so perfect? They need They need their big bats that they currently have to be big bats. Like that. That would help too. So if you go get a big bat, it’s got to be a big bat in right field then. or DH go get Kyle Schwber. Yeah. And put back in right trades. No trade is tradome bombs, drove in over a hundred. I need offense that you’re I don’t think I don’t think Kyle Schwarber would sign with this team. No. Sounded pretty. I heard his postgame the other day. It sounded very much like he wants to do everything he can to stay in Philly. He wants to stay in Philly. They want to keep him. If they can make it work, they will. He might price himself out of there based on where they’re at and what they might want to transition to next year, but if he’s on the market, he’s going to get plenty offers. I don’t think he comes back to Chicago. I don’t think there’s a scenario that that could happen. Knowledge Untamed. He says, “What extend Zuzuki?” I I would not. I need more consistency. Chad says Bregman is opting out. You want Alex Bregman, then you’d have to trade Matt Shaw. You know what? That’s not a bad idea. By the way, you might get something for Shaw right now because he’s he’s got the playoff experience. He had enough good moments this season where you might be able to market that, sell it. Yeah, he’ll be a gold glove finalist. Player under club control. Do it. Yeah. Stop being scared to trade people. Like, it’s insane to me. I just don’t get it. Like, it’s just stop being scared. especially if it makes you better in the immediate. And to be honest with you guys, with with what with 2027 and all that’s coming with 2027, go win in 2026 and figure it out because as of right now, they’re going on strike. Hopefully that changes. But yeah, that’s the other thing. What are they how will it change the industry because we know that there is a labor stoppage coming and shame on the goddamn owners if they and the players if they allow this to happen. This is an owner’s decision. If this happens, it’s on the owners. Period. Because they’re they’re they’re gonna they’re picking the fight that will cause the shutdown. I I And I’m afraid they are going to push this thing to the mat to try and get a salary cap. Well, that that’s just the players aren’t going to be giving up money back. So, good luck. That’s just stupid on their part. So, well, it’s going to be ugly. But I will I will say this. If that if that slows up the market, Cubs better be in be ready to pounce on what’s available because everybody else is slowing down. They might as well be all in. Well, all in is 87 wins. You just said it. I know. I That’s the problem. And that’s an organizational philosophy and that sucks. Yeah. I I I’m not sure I would use that word, but yes, basically you’re right. All right, C. Well, hey, bud. I don’t want you to snore tonight. You know, that’s a great point. I won’t snore. You won’t? No, I’m so tired. Last time. No, because my friends at Sinus and Snoring MD fixed me months ago and now they’re a great partner of us here at the recap. They advertise at ESPN 1000 sinus and snoring MD. I don’t snore anymore. My wife had a big problem with my snoring. Gordon, you look like a snorer. Believe it or not, I used to be. I know Ryan’s a snorer. No, I’m gonna sleep just fine tonight. You’re just a bad He’s gonna He’s gonna end the podcast the way he started. He came at me again. He said, “I needed it. He needs a night of sleep. Yeah, 100%. Sinus is MD. I went to the office and I sleep like a baby. So if you have sinus issues, one loud baby, you have allergies, that’s your spot. Sinus and snoringmd.com. Take it from a guy who does not snore anymore. They are the best in the business. sinus andsnoringmd.com. Oh, all right. Well, put a bow on this one, Cap. Take us home because the Cubs are going home. And so, the Cubs don’t snore now that they’ve been put to sleep. Oh, you know what, Gordon? That’s just chicken [ __ ] Take that. Yeah, exactly. We Hey, Gordon, we got The burner’s still hot, man. We should just go. You’re in Wyoming. Your buddies are ready to go. Hey, how come I don’t have a date line underneath my my head here? What? What? Because this isn’t the freaking newspaper industry with eight people reading the paper. Wyoming right there. Wow. Cap is going C’s like hitting that the belt all night. Everything’s freaking personal tonight. God damn. Yeah. My god. I don’t We’re not We’re not just some random, you know, super chatters that c popped in here to give you a question. My goodness. I can’t say take that Milwaukee. That’s for sure. Oh no. you. That’s the last thing. You could say it, but it’s not going to end well for you. Well, then I just look like an idiot and I do that enough anyway. So, all right, gentlemen. A lot of fun. Unfortunate ending, but it is what it is. It’ll be a hell of a series. Brewers and Dodgers. Hell of a series. I want the I’ll be honest. I know they’re in our division. I hope the Brewers beat their ass. I do. It would be great for the sport. I I I think it would be Brewers Mariners, man. Be awesome. Our Mariner fan from Gillette, Wyoming. That’s right. There you go. All right, Jordan. All right, guys. Let Wyoming. Is there a complete set of teeth in that town? Oh my. Look at that. I gota I gotta live here tonight. All right, I’m going I’m getting out of here. You guys have a great night. Thank you to all of our commenters and viewers and everybody who supports us. Check out the recap of the game up on the channel and we appreciate you greatly. Take that.

In a ‘win or go home’ Game 5 live from #milwaukee, the #chicagocubs sent opener #drewpomeranz to the mound against opener #trevormegill of the #milwaukeebrewers. In a tight game throughout, the #brewers rode 3 solo HRs into the 9th inning, as the #cubs managed just a solo shot from #seiyasuzuki. The Cubs just didn’t get enough offense and the Brewers got just what they needed and rode their bullpen to advance to the #NLCS. #kap #guff and Gordon are here for the final breakdown and reaction from the Best of 5 series.

Folks it gets good here: https://www.youtube.com/live/RTFH9V_9-uQ?si=MQwdl9kemdM569ks&t=914

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CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Cubs fall to Brewers in deciding game 5
00:28 – Cubs didn’t have enough offensive traffic
01:54 – Deadass team performance analysis
04:00 – Upcoming trade deadline strategies
08:13 – Andrew Chafin’s impact on the team
10:24 – Cubs offense struggles in playoffs
19:45 – Evaluating the Cubs’ season success
21:06 – Player accountability and performance
23:56 – Cubs’ prospect development since Mark Grace
28:15 – Cubs lost to a superior team
31:18 – Cubs focus on 2023 season goals
32:37 – Fans deserve better performance
34:50 – Cubs need more power hitters
38:20 – Cubs offseason plans and strategies
43:10 – Final thoughts on the season
44:10 – Where is Hawk Harrelson?
45:50 – Key needs for the Cubs moving forward
50:10 – Sinus and Snoring MD sponsorship
51:30 – Final thoughts recap
53:03 – Sign off and conclusion
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