White Sox REKAP Podcast ⚾️ (S2 – EP1): A reunion w/CHSN’s Chuck Garfien! It’s everything White Sox!

White Sox REKAP Podcast ⚾️ (S2 – EP1): A reunion w/CHSN’s Chuck Garfien! It’s everything White Sox!

Welcome to the White Socks Recap podcast. I am Ryan McGuffy. Well, for the better part of 20 years, I had the pleasure and more so the life experience of having Chuck Garfine as one of my dear friends. He continues that relationship to this day. The teammate part of it, well, as you all know, is part of our White Socks Talk podcast for eight years. Eight years that came to an emotional end in 2024. Chuck has since soared into new beginnings and C at CHSN and we of course here at the recap have also done our own thing. I have waited patiently so patiently to get my friend on this podcast just to talk White Socks baseball again just to break bread with him again and do it with all of you who watch and listen both iterations of our podcast. Now we’re not competitors. We’re friends. Chuck is Chuck doesn’t need competition. Trust me, he kills it every single day on the White Socks podcast for CHSN. So, it’s my pleasure to bring in my guy, my dear friend, Chuck Garfine, on this edition of the White Sox recap podcast. We have a couple of questions we’re going to ask him from you, the fans. Of course, we’ll walk down memory lane and we’ll talk about this version of the Chicago White Socks and what we like about what’s happening going forward. And is there reason to fret about uh-oh, here we go again. We’ll talk about it all and more. Chuck Garfine on the White Socks Recap podcast and it starts right now. Whoa. Whoa. Look at this. We’re back. We are back. It’s real life. I promise no tears this time. I know. We were uh bumbling idiots. Last time we did it. We were We couldn’t even We were crying through the uh the podcast as we were saying goodbye to each other. It was crazy. It was weird. It’s like we were saying goodbye and like at the same time there’s we’re not going anywhere. We were just forced breakup. It was like instead of It was a forced breakup. It was a forced breakup. Yes. It’s like the they arranged marriage and then there was the arranged divorce. We were the arranged divorce. How you doing, my man? I’m good. I’m good. I I love your new digs that you have there. Uh I like the modern couch. Uh although I I have to say if you’re listening to this, you don’t know what I’m talking about. But if you’re watching this, I’m getting the death stare from Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan’s looking at me like saying, “Who the f is this guy? Who is this guy?” Yeah. About to drop 55 on this mfer. And then there’s Frank and his look on his face is, “Yeah, Chuck, he’s about to drop 55 on you.” And then there’s Ernie Banks and he’s just smiling. Ernie just saying let’s why why it take so long to get this together. Yeah. Ernie just wants to play two. Frank’s under Frank’s doesn’t understand why he didn’t win the MVP in 2000. Correct. And then and then Michael’s looking for anything that he can take 20 bucks from you. Yeah. I’m a little intimidated. I feel a little bit like John Starks right now. I feel a little bit like Reggie Miller. There’s Patrick Kane. Okay. And then we got who we got over here? Oh yeah. I mean maybe maybe that here. Let me reenter this. Maybe Ernie. Yeah, there we go. Those are the three those are the three we want. Payton, so those of you who are listening and you don’t know our we have our mural of our own Chicago Mount Rushmore, Chuck, that’s what this is. So we added a fifth because there was debate moment, believe it or not, Cap was like, we got to have four. And so he gets done with his four and I said, excuse me, you forgot Frank Thomas. He’s like, well Frank, not Frank’s not going in over Ernie Banks. I was like, are you out of your mind? He is a better player than Ernie Banks. He’s like, “That is I go cap cap. Come on. Come on. There is zero s I said there’s zero scenario that this mural will not include Frank Thomas.” And so we agreed to say, “Well, our why do we have to have four? We can have five.” Yeah. He’s not only the greatest hitter in White Sox history. He’s alive, which like a living presence of the greatest hitter in the history of the franchise. Uh and he’s Frank Thomas. He’s our guy. Cap, what are you doing? What are you saying? This is usually what I This is This is basically my life with Cap. I’m like, “What are you doing? What are you saying exactly?” So, I find this fitting, Chuck, that we’re happening just just by random circumstance that we are doing this on the 20th anniversary of game one of the 2005 World Series. Okay. Wow. I didn’t know that. By the way, speaking of irony, I’m glad you brought this up because where is our new studio at Rate Field? The place where I watched game one and game two and you were there too of the World Series. This was kind of like the perch. I had never been up there before. It was almost felt like this like if not abandoned, this just unused portion of the ballpark at the time. let’s just put all this auxiliary media over there. And I hadn’t really been there since and now this is my uh new home at the ballpark when there was home games. So, uh I have I have lots of memories of game one just going to work every day now. And I remember game two because there were weren’t there fans in there, too? It was was it was a weird I I was sitting on the outdoor you know how it’s like a um it’s like it’s there’s there’s like an outdoor seating area part of it which I don’t know if that still exists with your new studio out there. They took that away. It is there people. Yeah. There there but I I know what you’re saying. This guy So when when when Keno hit the slam I turned to my I turned to my left and this guy who I’d never met before literally jumped into my arms and was like yeah. And it’s the the old no cheering in the press box. Well, technically we were not in the press box, but you are in the auxiliary media. And Katie Kirby used to work for the White Socks. Just phenomenal. I turned and I saw her and she kind of gave me these huge eyes and then she just laughed and was like, “Whatever, man. Like this. I don’t know what life we’re living.” And I wasn’t even the guy who jumped in, but I was like, “Oh, screw it, man. This is a once in a-lifetime thing.” So, yeah. It’s crazy that it’s been 20 years and at the same time it feels like 20 years at times. Yeah. Yeah. Now when you see video from ’05 and it’s not in high depth, it feels like it’s a 100 years ago. Yeah. So, uh it does visually when you see the highlights and then when I think about it, it does seem like a long time ago actually. Yeah. We used I don’t remember we used to do our promos like in CH home games are in HD. Home games not not road games. We used to like brag about hey we have home games and they’re in HD. That is yeah that’s by way the lowest day I brought this up to people at the new network because it’s a new network and it’s a startup and things happen like there’s it’s not a perfect science to put TV together and the first year you’ll remember this I think it was the new world high def right y and the white socks were playing the twins late in the year it might have been like June or Jul it was July or se or August white socks were really good obvious Obviously, they’re in first place and there was some kind of technical problem where the whole broadcast was in purple. And when I say purple, like you turned on the game, it wasn’t that like the players were purple. No, all you got was a purple like blank grimace. It was a like grimace screen. Yeah. Yeah. You you couldn’t The game was not televised because there were technical problems. And uh Jim Corno, the late Jim Corno uh GM of our network said in the paper the next day, uh this will be fixed. And if not, there’ll be someone different in this seat tomorrow. I love it, Jim. Accountability. Accountability matters. I was like, I will run through a wall for this man when he said, uh, dude, I too touche. I mean, the late great Jim Corno. Uh, all right. So, yeah, the new network CHSN. So, it’s a year. It’s officially a year plus old. Officially a year plus old. I will say this and I feel very strongly about it. The White Socks broadcast on CHSN was a better product than NBC Sports Chicago. That’s a fact. I worked there for 20 years. I was part of the live events broadcast the last 12 months of my career there. And I’m not knocking it because a lot of the people I’m I’m this is a huge compliment because the main stays of the of the broadcast stayed. Chris Withers is still in the produ producer chair. Joe Collins is still overseeing live events over there. So, their former teammates, it’s a great compliment to say the additions that they brought to that broadcast were fantastic. I I the the really glaring negative that no one can control it, you I wish more people would see it. I wish more people would be able to embrace it and actually that the carriage thing that is a that’s a separate podcast. You’ve done it. I’ve touched on it a million times. That’s the life of RSN’s these days. But Chuck, were you surprised at how as the season went along uh specifically here? Because I know the work that Withers did in making Friday Night All Access. I mean, I was part of those meetings for five plus years for getting no no. And then we finally got them off the ground for a team that was historically bad. And then this year it was fun because I think for a while they were like 8-1 on Fridays or something. uh home games, but Brooke Fletcher fantastic. I thought Connor’s edition was really good and insightful. You and Aussie is Appointment Television forever and always. Regardless of where you find yourselves, if it’s if you end up on YouTube one day, join the club. And if you just keep doing CHSN for the foreseeable future, it’s just appointment television without the game. And that’s a credit to you and everything you built at NBC with Aussie prior to that. But how did you and even the graphics and I’m just like rambling here cuz it’s like I loved watching when the White Socks were losing 6-2. I’m like man the production quality of this game is so high that if this team can be a winning team you want to talk about a treat. I’d put it up against any broadcast in the country. Yeah. Uh there’s a lot to unpack there. I did so Chris Withers this he’s the producer for White Sox baseball and this was his idea his grand plan to do White Sox all access. Uh if you haven’t watched it, it’s a local broadcast that doesn’t exist except here in Chicago on the south side with CHSN. When when we say it’s all access, it is all access and the White Socks had massive buyin with this. We started it last year. I was the reporter for those games and did not I mean not the right year to start because five nothing Reds in the first. Yeah, it’s basically this. I mean, you Brooke is told and then when I was doing it, I was told uh this these are the mono players. These are the players in the lineup who if something happens in the game, you can talk to them during the game. And you see it from time to time with the national broadcasts on Fox, but no local broadcast is doing this. And and we’re doing it every Friday home game. And uh the Will Venible is available, the pitching coach, the hitting coach, you know, it’s uh it’s constant. We’re mking up players and when we did it last year, uh they’d be down nine nothing in the second inning. And I’m like, I am not asking anybody to do anything right now unless they have a massive comeback, which really happened. There were a couple of games where the White Sox were either in it in the middle to late innings or won it, and those were great broadcasts. this year. Better team, better season. Um, and Brook, probably a better probably a better group, too. Just to better group, better reporters than me. So, uh, so it was it was a great broadcast. And as the team gets better, those broadcasts get better, too. And it from a technical standpoint, uh, it’s phenomenal. And and you know what I think I can just tell you from there is a difference between being with NBC and being I mean even though the team owned the channel uh the team really has more of a say in things and there’s more of a just a partnership. It’s just more more together. There was never really animosity between the White Socks and CSN or NBC. Uh it’s just we’re kind of all you just feel it and there’s more of a trust I guess you could say u from just in many ways and we’re at the ballpark 81 games. Yeah. No, I know what that means for you. You’re I’m just going to get more stuff. I’m going to get more access and it’s just I think it’s going to be a better broadcast. Yeah. I mean I can I I could tell you like days I would be producing a White Sox pregame show and they they’d have a home game. Chuck would race to the ballpark, get an interview for the podcast or just to be seen so he can get some background only to turn around, sprint back to the station, start writing. And he was never Chuck was never scrambling, but scrambling. It was there was some scrambling and and Yeah. And it’s just I know what like having being at the ballpark. I know what look I’m having to kind of carry this on my back now and take it take it without the the uh partnership and just with the trust and relationships that I’ve built for 20 plus years with the White Socks and players etc. And thankfully they’ve been like it’s been a baton handoff and like dude we got you but it’s not easy when you’re not at the park to have the rapport and when you show up and somebody’s like dude where you been it’s never like you know it you you’ve been told that and and and it’s really hard. So, all right, enough enough of enough enough complimenting CHSN because there’ll never be NBC Sports Chicago. There’ll never be another NBC Sport Chicago and forever and always that’ll be the best RSN in the history of the country. So, that’s my that’s my NBC boom plug plug there, Chuck. So when you and I fought to do the pocket and a lot of people who’ve listened to uh you and I back you know for those eight years and certainly now and and I’ve talked about it here for the last 12 months but uh you know when we brought up the idea to do the podcast with Kevin Cross who was our boss and now runs NBC you know we got some push back. The Cubs were the hot team. The White Sox were about to be embark on their rebuild. We didn’t really know exactly what we were doing yet either with and what this was going to be, but we knew the importance of the timing of it getting ahead of the White Socks trading Chris Sale and etc. Flashback to that time when you and I fought to just start it when they fired uh when they when they fired what Ricky. Yeah. And it was a brilliant move to do the podcast to current. And I I have a similar story just kind of with the recap, but like could you envision how much Renteria? Wait, wait, wait. We got this. Yeah, Renteria was hired. He was hired. Yes. Robin was fired. Yeah, Robin was fired. Um, but could you have envisioned if you go back nine years now when we started the podcast to how much you have not just embraced it but carried it into like being a legit like you are a podcaster and I know how much you care about being Chuck Garine like white socks pre and post with Azie but you also you have like a dual career path now because of what you’ve started. Could you envision the success that you’ve had in the podcast world with the White Socks when you when we go back nine years now? I mean, it’s tough to I I wasn’t thinking more than like let’s just do a podcast. Um, I never even thought about how many we would do. I just knew it was the right thing to do and there was a an audience for it. And it’s crazy, but like I right now I looked at it’s funny you brought this up. I I looked at the randomly I was looking at the number the other day and I’ve done over a thousand. That’s insane. Over a thousand podcasts. It’s it’s crazy. And you know what it was? I I guess what I’ve as I’m thinking about it, there have been a few things that like when I started in ‘ 04, uh but the first White Sox season was 05 at CSN. You know, the only thing I did was TV. And the only way you’d find out from people if they watched was if they saw you in person and they told you that they saw you. Um, and then social media happened, then the podcast happened. And this is like I’m a bridge. I’m a sports cer, but I’m also a bridge between the fans and the team. I’m kind of in the middle. Yep. And there are now, you know, I was I knew very early on that the podcast was reaching people because whenever I would see people, what they would tell me was nothing about the White Socks. It was, I love the podcast. I love the podcast. I was like, wow. Um, so I knew very early on that I was we were reaching people in a way that hadn’t been reached before. So if I go to that point, then I knew I was on to something. We were on to something. And um this was going to continue for a long time hopefully and it has. Yeah, it’s been fantastic. And I failed to mention this off the top. There’s another reason. There’s multiple reasons, but this is the first episode of season two of this podcast. By the way, you are this you are episode one of season two. Yeah. We we made it to season two on this version of the podcast. And Brian Anderson, congrats to you. I appreciate that, my man. And Brian Anderson, I asked him to take a seat. I said, Brian, you sit this one out. You got enough time with Chuck at CHSN. Look. So now BA, my teammate is your it’s all it’s we’re all just teammates. It’s just you can find us all over the spot. All right, let’s talk some white socks. Man, there was a lot. So we just did our we just did we did a like a progress report on the rookie class in the middle of the year and we did a final grades just last week. We did our final grades for the rookie class. Mhm. I’d be lying to you if I said that I thought I’d be handing out as many positive grades to the rookies at the beginning of the year as that we did because you I have so much PTSD from failure. And not just from the first rebuild. Like this goes back decades of guys who were, you know, high draft picks, high prospects that came out here and they just they never they never grew, you know, or their high watermark was their rookie year. you know, Gordon, our friend Gordon, like there’s just there’s never development what we saw this year and and I we can’t guarantee it’s going to lead to more success, but it’s certainly tangible. Like there’s a lot to hang on to. Koulson Montgomery’s 21 home runs since July 4th. That’s a thing. Like I know a lot more about Coulson Montgomery now for 26 and beyond than I did before. And that that was the whole point. Like I thought Chris gets needed to know about at least 10 guys. at least 10 after the 2025 season. And I think he’s got a really good feel for 10 to 12 players as to can they play? Are they a part of, you know, 26 and beyond? Are they a part of just 26 and 27? Is Coulson Montgomery a 30 home run hitter? I think the answer is yes. And so now, how do you complement that? What is just your overall take on what you saw from, you know, Edgar Carroll, Chase Maid, Cole, the whole class? I’m not asking. I don’t you don’t need to nitpick and grade guys, but like the class as a whole. So, going into the season, I just wanted I felt this was going to happen, but I you don’t know for sure. Um I wanted to see hope. I wanted to see a team you could believe in. And if those players you mentioned came up and all stunk, we would not be feeling this hopeful about the team. No. The opposite occurred. every single one of these guys with the exception of Tim Elco, but Tim Elco is now supposed to be like a guy. I mean, it would be great if he was, but he’s 26. Like, this was kind of like, all right, Tim Elco, what do you got? And they gave him some chances, and we’ll see what happens next season, but like the main guys and then some surprises in Shane Smith and Mike Vassel. What this also shows me, and this is why I’m even more hopeful than what I saw from last year, is that clearly, and they’re going to make their mistakes, but clearly this front office seems to be really good at identifying talent and developing talent. Now, there’s going to be some misses and this Dylan CE trade for the moment. Doesn’t look great. No, doesn’t look great for Drew Thorp. And that was an injury that he suffered. We’ll see how he does coming back. Hyarte struggled. Sami Zavala doing better. He did better last season. But for the most part, these guys that they’ve uh looked for in trades and even signed in the rule five. Uh they flourished last season. So if they were they had this many hits this year, how many hits are coming next year? And you compound all this, then we’re talking about, you know, something that at least seems to be a lot more sustainable and successful than the last rebuild. Yeah. Yeah. And I think I I will Will Will Will Venibable’s impact on all this too I don’t think can be unders like it he is definitely to me like the right guy and he he just being in the clubhouse and you were in it a lot more than me. You can feel the trickle down of you can feel the connectiveness from manager’s office to clubhouse to me which in a way that quite frankly I I had not felt since prior to Tony LaRouche like there was clearly a path of of comfort and safety for players to and fro the manager’s office. What the message was in that clubhouse every day that was top down. It wasn’t it wasn’t bottom up or it wasn’t like this part of the clubhouse has the message but we don’t care what that there was that dissension did not exist and and and this is what people and I I hear you fans that you’re going to say okay these two guys are going to sit here and he’s blow hard about three straight 100 loss seasons we’re not we’re not I’m talking about what I saw specifically in the final three plus months and maybe even a little bit postappril when they were five and 21 and I loved What I loved too, now I’m I’m throwing a lot at you. I loved that like they there do they care about super two status and all? Yes. But when guys were ready, Chuck, they came up. It wasn’t like, “Well, let’s find No, Chase, we need you to go down. We We thought you were going to break camp. We didn’t like the way you were trying to get base hits. Go down for a couple weeks. Prove it. Come up. Edgar, come up. We’re not worried about you being 22. Kyle, you’re ready. Come up. The whole chase or the whole coastal Montgomery situation is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Um, but Will Venibal’s just steadiness, I think, shows to me I think he’s capable of leading this team now and when they’re ready to actually start winning. Yeah. I think the casual fans will look at the record and they’re just they’ll just be like, “Oh, they still suck.” And they’ll just not pay that much attention. Yeah. And I’m not faulting them for that because I mean if I was a casual fan I’d be like okay they still stink. But if you’re a die hard if you’re watching this you’re a die hard. Um and I would hope to think that what you’re seeing what you’ve seen is what the plan is. And last year you you didn’t see the I mean there was a plan but it wasn’t on the field. It was just like this this team’s like where where is this going? What I see is uh and I’ve used this analogy before. The White Socks are building a tree and they are planting seeds in the ground and they want this to be a strong tree with a like a deep foundation, a big trunk and they want to be strong all the way from the bottom up. And as we later would realize, the last era did not have a strong foundation at all. Um, so and it starts with who they’re bringing in and it starts with the manager. And one of the great things that I get to do uh before every home game is I get to spend a few minutes. It’s me, Brook Fletcher, the whole broadcast team, me, Brook Fletcher, um Conor Mcnite, John Triff, and Steve Stone. you can spend some time with uh with Will Venable and kind just oftentimes it’s like okay we were doing you guys were on the road or I we did a postgame show last night and I got questions that I couldn’t exactly didn’t have all the answers on the air and I’ll ask him these questions and he was very you know upfront with me and very clear and honest didn’t thing about Will is he does not pretend to know everyone and everything in the room like he doesn’t think he’s the smartest guy in the And it’s so funny whenever I talk about Will Vanal, I’m like, “Boy, this is the exact opposite of a previous man who used to manage for the White Sock.” Oh my god. But anyway, uh it’s and you know, um can I criticize the White Socks like I did? Yes, I can. And I have. Um but I’m fair. And what I’m seeing right now is a team heading in the right direction and that’s what you want to see. Play fast, Chuck. Don’t Don’t ever forget play fast. The acronym that never made sense from Adriul. Uh Was it was it was fundamentals or uh I thought it was play fast. Oh, what what it actually stood for? Yeah, there wasn’t wasn’t it was like five words so like didn’t even fit the acronym like it just selfless um team. I don’t even know. Yeah, I don’t think the players did either. Uh um with that and and as time has passed, it’s made a lot more sense. And and I I I spoke with Ethan a little bit, too, but I was a little surprised at Ethan’s uh departure. It makes sense a little bit more now like you’re seeing a GM give the manager autonomy of the staff he actually truly wants. I mean when Will was hired he really outside of what the bench coach McKinnon I mean I I think more hired by Chris than by Will. I don’t think had say of any single person on the coaching staff and there Yeah. And so and so there like a year ago we’re sitting here what’s the plan and we’re talking about hope and faith and like well I’m sick of hope and faith. Well now I look at there’s tangible hope and faith and Ethan has a lot of success stories don’t get me wrong he’s vass Vassel and Shane Smith you know front and center of this year and he didn’t have a lot of talent in my opinion to work with he was just Adrien Howser. I mean there’s a lot of things this year that that Ethan Cat’s pitching lab turned around. I was a little surprised, but just like your take on seeing the amount of coaching changes and and how that relates to what the White Socks have going forward. You know, I don’t have a lot of the information or a lot of information to share about why all those moves are made. I can just say that kind of what we were discussing or uh alluding to was that Will Vanal was hired to be the manager. Yep. and he had really no say on the coaching staff. And I think what they decided to do is okay, let’s the front office was like, “These guys, we like these guys. Um, let’s see how they all mesh together for this first season and then we’ll see how things go.” This is not a reflection on Ethan Catz because I’m sure he’s going to be hired by another team to be a pitch% a pitching coach and pitching coaches do not normally last as long as Ethan Coats Ethan Katz did and certainly not as long as Don Cooper did. So um you know I did reach out to Ethan and said hey you know good good luck to you and um you know he will be signed by somebody else and there will be someone else who will come in and I think they’ll under the um toutelage of both Banister who’s really the massive pitching coach. He’s the director pitching lab. He’s the pitching lab. Yeah. And then it’s um where’s my brain? Ryan Fuller who’s director of hitting. He’s going to hire a hitting coach. So, you know, I I don’t know why a change was made, but at the end of the day, I think like Will has uh his opinions on who he’d want to work with. I don’t want to say it’s because you don’t want to work with Ethan Catz. It just doesn’t sound he just wants like it’s like it’s your st you want to have it’s your team. Yeah. Your team, your guys. All right. I’m going to paint you in a corner a little bit here. Okay. So, I know you I know how you you know how to paint yourself out of it pretty well, especially with this question. I’m so done with Luis Robert. I am. I I I just that’s the only thing that keeps me awake at night right now. Think about that. A guy with MVP talent. I’m I understand why he’s back. I do. I Who are you going to I mean, they haven’t even officially picked up the option yet, but Chris has verbalized it multiple times. He’s coming back. I wanted him traded. Literally, I at any point in the I don’t care if it was spring training trade deadline. Of course, he was injured, right? Like it’s like here we go again. Of course, he didn’t finish the season. Like all of those things, I feel like I’m going to see it. We’re going to do this again next year and it and because the way the contract’s constructed, I get it. But can we just cut the fat of the old re can we just get rid of the fat, Chuck? It annoys me. I’ve been talking about him for a year. BA BA had a trade package earlier podcast. I mean, you are out of your damn mind. You’re sitting here all number like a number two starter, a bullpen guy. Get the hell out of here. You’re getting a lottery ticket at best. Chuck, help me. Help me. I’m just done. I don’t know if there’s a person on the planet on TV who has talked more about Luis Robert Jr. than me. I have I have I I I could teach a master class in Luis Robert Jr. Please, please inform. I’m sitting front row with my hand up in a pen and paper. Yeah. How do Yeah. I mean, I feel the same way. Like you asked me about Luis Robert Jr., This is me. Yeah, it I’m exhausted. I I have nothing more to give. Um if he hopefully he’s got a lot more to give. Um I don’t care if he does it. I honestly don’t care if he does. I I just don’t care. Like if he goes to Andrew Vaughnet in Milwaukee, I don’t care. It It doesn’t annoy me. Like Andrew Vaughn doing that for the Brewers made me laugh more than anything. It did. It’s like whatever. Like that’s how I feel about Robert. I just it’s whatever. I don’t care. Yeah. Someone told me before last season, I’m not going to say his name, but he said to me uh someone who was with the White Socks and ended up leaving the White Socks. And he said, “I think the best thing for Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert Jr. is for them to play for another team.” And it’s not like because they can’t succeed with the White Socks. I mean, which maybe that was the case. Bing. It’s not I should rephrase that. It was nothing that the White Socks were doing or not doing. It was at what at some point you just need a new change of scenery after years and years of whatever you want to call Andrew Vaughn’s tenure was with the White Socks and Luis Robert Junior’s. At some point, you just need to new everything. Yes. Knew everything. And and it’s happened with Vaughn, right? And you know, does that mean that Van’s going to have an amazing year next year? I don’t know. But this game is so crazy. It’s insane. Hitting a baseball for a living in the major leagues, you know, it’s I mean, there there is a million examples of guys who are supposed to be the best hitters of their class and they just don’t they don’t become that and then they do like I mean Coulson Montgomery is a great example. So anyway, the back back to Luis Robert Jr. is he a 20 million player. probably. I say no. I say he’s not a $20 million player. He’s not. Okay. I guess can I can I Who are you signing to replace him? Like right if if if Luis Robert Junior’s just playing. Okay. Like literally that’s if he’s just playing every day. But yeah, he’s if he stays healthy and he can give you 150 games a season. Yeah. Well, he can’t. We already know that he can’t, right? So, so, but so it’s but it’s not as simple as is he a $20 million player in my opinion. No. Okay, let’s not sign him, bring him back. It’s also, you know, who then we got to go find another center fielder, right? And is there anyone out there that’s as good as Luis Robert Junior who’s available who they could bring in and want to play here? It’s not it’s not a it’s not always like, hey, we’re not bringing you back. We’re gonna go sign this guy. Oh, wait. This guy just signed with the Braves. We didn’t get him. Let’s go sign that guy. Oh, he just signed with someone else. They have control of Luis Robert Jr. to bring him back. You hope he’ll have a better season and he’ll stay healthy and we’ve been hoping for years and years and years and it’s only happened once. Um, and then maybe you trade him and you get something for him. I guess the good thing is is the team trying to win the again the playoffs next year? No. You bring him back, you solidify things at least in center field up the middle and you win more games and you hope for a better season for him. And the White Sox have a payroll of I think $2 next year. Yeah, I know. I mean, it’s really really low. I don’t know what it’s going to be, but it was really low last year. You know, you can afford to bring back Luis Robert Jun. Yeah. I mean, you kind of I don’t want to say I’m to use the paint in the corner analogy again. I I guess is he a $20 million? you just really did a good job of articulating that he’s he’s not a $20 million a year player, but because of the way the looking at the outside market, knowing you probably have to overpay a little bit to get somebody to come to you anyway, and then just the idea that you might catch lightning in a bottle, the talent and the contract and the control. He’s he’s a $20 million player because of the way it all just fits and spits out of a blender. Yeah. And if you look at what he did, like it wasn’t like his bat speed, you know, wasn’t there. He showed more play discipline, had the most walks of his career, most stolen bases of his career. There was some good stuff that happened and just as things were looking really good, oh, he get got hurt. And we’ve been down this road many, many times before. It is what it is. You’re there’s not a single person, there cannot be a single White Socks fan who is thinking about Luis Robert Jr’s tenure now and thinking, “Boy, this has been a rip roaring success. Give me more. Give me more. Give me more.” Oh, yeah. I just don’t want to hear. Yeah. It’s just like, oh, come on. Even on the broadcast when I see you guys like Luis Roberts last 14 games. I’m like, oh [ __ ] They’re just sitting there. They’re putting it out there for the world to for this guy to go like it’s it’s And of course he did. You just said something I was going to touch on later, but I’m going to jump on it now because you just said, “Yeah, their payroll’s $2. Are they trying to make the playoffs next year?” No. You said no. And I ask you, why can’t they be last year’s Kansas City Royals? Why can’t they be this year’s Cincinnati Reds? Why can’t they be a team in a really bad division? And Detroit might take a step back. We don’t know what’s going to happen to Trick Scoo. They may trade him. Cleveland’s always going to Cleveland, right? like they’re going to like lose five, lose 10 in a row, look like they’re out of it, and then just go on a rampage and win the uh NL AL Central. I I guess what I’m asking here, Chuck, cuz I see a path I do see a path to be competitive. And to me, competitive means you’re in the hunt for this that last wild card spot. Okay? Maybe it ends up being 78 and 84 at the end of the year, but like you’re thinking at the deadline, you’re looking back going, we’re three and a half out of the last wild card spot. There’s six teams that we’re chasing, but like what does that mean? I ask you and and I’m gonna follow this with a free agent payroll type question, but I ask you why not why can’t why can’t they be the Reds next year? Okay, so they can be. They can be. And talking to a couple of young players on this team, they want to make the playoffs next year. Yes, they do. And they’re going to try to make the playoffs. What I meant was by saying this team is not going to try to make the play. What I meant was more from an economic standpoint. They’re not going to raise their payroll to $180 million like it was before. Because this is not the organization talking here. This is just me. This is me theorizing. Like you got to figure out what you have before you’re going out and doing this massive spending spree. You know, are you gonna go? I mean, you look at the guys. I would love Kyle Schwarber to be on this team. Well, yes. Right. I want him in the last time he was a free agent, too. Yeah. No, but that would have been like that they they missed the boat on that one. I mean, that was a massive fail. Yeah. More so for the Cubs. Um, and somebody tells me that Kyle Schwarber would love to just stick it to the Cubs and sign with the White Socks. That would be amazing. I wish he had that in him. Yeah. Yeah. But so I just the thing is is like you know Josh Naylor is a good fit. Like the good fits who are out there from a free agent standpoint th those guys. Okay. I don’t know if they’re going to be pursuing Josh Naylor. But like that’s one area where you could Okay, let’s spend some money on first base. But if you look around the diamond, you know, you got Andrew Beni. He’s kind of stuck in left. Well, just get rid of him. I’d eat him. But that we’ll talk about that in a second. Okay. you know, and you gota you can buy a bullpen. They could spend more money. Okay. But how much more are they going to spend now? We’ve got a lockout coming. I just feel like they want to give these young guys, and there’s more coming. We got Hagen Smith, we got Noah Schultz. If you bring in all these other guys and you prevent them from having spots in your rotation or in your lineup, is that good for you going forward? Are you wasting money in the short term for more wins short term when you could be spending more money in the future? That’s what I’m saying. Does John Q, Chuck Garfine, fan sports cer want them to spend $200 million next year? Yes. Yes, he does. Does he want them to spend all the money on Kyle Schwarber because that’s going to make me feel good? Yes. But as I’m trying to think what their plan is, I don’t think that’s going to be part of their plan. But why can’t they thread the needle? And the White Oh, you sound like Rick Han. Oh, yes, I do. I was just going to say like the old White Sox way of threading the needle is is there’s a path like to me there’s a path to competitiveness here that doesn’t block any of the spots you talked about. It’s not signing Kyle Schwarber. It’s flirting with Josh Naylor, but he might pro he might be too expensive. Like I Naylor might get a hundred million. I wouldn’t give him 100 million, but he might get 100 million. Here’s what I would say. Sorry to interrupt you. I would if if I was the White Sox and this could be part of the plan. Chris gets hasn’t spoken yet about the offseason. So, I’m just massively speculating here, but if I’m the White Sox, I would be targeting a few guys. I have them who could you have them who could be like, okay, we’re going to uh speed this up just a bit and see where it goes because not to make the comparison, but I guess I am. What did the Cubs do in 14? Was it 14 or 15? They like won 97 G. It was like whoa. But no no no no no no. But but in the offseason they were like okay they signed Lester and Hayward. Yeah they signed Lester and Hayward. Yeah. And then the next year they complemented it by going Zobberist and others. So is this the offseason you do that? I don’t know. But I don’t think you need to sign two nine figure type guys. I think you can get like a Cedric Mullins for three for 60. No, for sure. I think you can get No, no, no. Cedric Mullins is going to get a one-year contract. He’s on my list. I’d bring him in. I’ve been talking about Cedric Mullins for three months. Oh, for three more. Oh, you said three months, not three years. I was No, no, no. I’ve been talking about like like I’ve been identifying guys that make sense for the Chicago White Socks. Like in this thread the needle the plan there are guys out there with needs that they have that can you get your payroll was 78 millionish last year. Can can you get a little uncomfortable making it a hundred million because may maybe can you get to 105 because I I want they need another starter another starting pitcher even if they bring Martine Perez back to like they they don’t do the $10 million option and they find Adrien Hower bring back Adrien Hower give me like they I’m not I’m I’m not going after the big target Dylan CE like those guys. No, not for Amber Valdez. I’m thinking like who are the C the Cubs signed Matthew Boyd last off seasonason and people are like oh that’s who I want the Cubs the White Sox to sign like who’s Matthew Boyd who’s Colin Ray give me one of those guys okay bring Martin Pris back maybe or like a Chris Paddock he didn’t have a good year but like a guy who’s going to eat up innings and save some of these other guys I think personally I think the White Socks learned that they have two starters in their staff Shane Smith and Davis Martin and I think everybody body else is a big question mark. So, you need some guys to eat those innings and vet a couple of veteran guys like maybe they’re signing flips because it doesn’t work out and they’re Adrien Hower and you send them off somewhere else at the deadline. Fine. Kenley Jansen wasted his flipping year saving games for a shitty team in LA. He signed a one-year $10 million deal. Tell me why Kenley Jansen can’t be the closer for the Chicago White Socks. You know what I mean? That’s a great one because and tell me why Cedric Mullins like you might have to I like Andrew Benendi the guy. You do too. Good dude. Not his fault that he’s the five for seven. Never his fault that he got the richest contract. It’s just for whatever reason. He’s just been a misfit and he kind of still is. He’s probably more DH than he is left field at this point. The White Socks don’t like paying guys to go away. But this feels like one of those situations where if you can’t work out a trade somewhere, like a big trade where you can throw in and make the money work by taking somebody else’s bad deal. I’d be willing, Chuck, to especially if you can get like a Mullins on a one or one year in an option and just you’re almost paying Mullins like the Ben attending money and then all of a sudden, man, assuming there’s a big assumption here that all of these guys take another step. Let’s somebody’s going to take a step back in the rookie class. That’s fine. But then you do have the Braden Montgomery’s knocking on the door, the Schultz’s, the Smiths, etc. If you can give me a ninth inning guy, okay, just give me a ninth inning guy. Look what the Cubs did. They went to game five of the NLDS with [ __ ] Brad Keller and Drew Pomeran’s and and Aaron. Stop swearing. I’m feeling very uncomfortable. Well, I’m sorry. This is YouTube. We’ve cussed a lot together. Uh but you know what I mean? Like you can, like you said, rebuild the bullpen. But give me a ninth inning guy so you can stop being horrifically bad. This team came out a lot unless just cuz it’s just every if you have a ninth inning guy, it’s just everyone else just kind of settles into their own one run games. What were they? They were 20 15 and 36. 15 and 36 in one run games. Give me work backwards from the eighth inning that just do that for me. Give me a guy that can play left field and a guy that could be first base and then just a plug-and-play starter. Chuck, I’m I’m being honest, man. Like, I think I know the White Sox limitations and I understand that it’s not time to go give the nine figure contract this year with a strike looming, but I do think there’s a path for the White Socks being competitive in 26. And when again, competitive means fighting for that last wild card spot like in August, right? Well, look at the numbers. Since the All-Star break, second half of the season, the White Sox had a plus three run differential. That’s competitive baseball. They were competitive. They had a losing record because there’s just there’s a lot of holes still left in this team. Uh, so they were playing good baseball, but not exactly winning baseball. And that was why they were plus three and not and plus three and having a losing record. But, um, where was I going with this? Oh, Cedric Mullins. Yeah, like what a fit he is. Now, if you look at his numbers, defensively not good last year and even offensively, but you know, they got to find someone to be, you know, like a Michael A. Taylor type. I like the Cedric Mullins idea. Is that going to cause uh people to parade down the streets? No. But I like that match for this team and I’m I’m curious to see what moves they make because it’ll it reveals a lot about it’s already revealing a lot about who the White Socks are targeting. Um and it says a lot about what they’re valuing and a lot of the moves that they’ve made. You got time for a couple questions from fans? Sure. Just a couple. Uh R. Dan says, “Will the Socks have a seat at the table for Murakami?” the Japanese. I mean, there’s Sure. Wow. They should. They absolutely should. Like, he he Chicago is a great place for Japanese players as we know. The Cubs have had the White Sox have had a good history with it, and so have the Cubs. Yeah. I don’t know for certain. I’ve not heard anything about that. But, you know, the White Socks are doing their job. And I mean, they’ve got um David Keller is the new uh head of international scouting for the White Socks. uh they’ve completely had to revamp that entire department. Um and he came from the Mets and uh real really sharp guy. So I’d like to think that they’re are they going to be at the table? I don’t know. Yeah, I know. I I I see the at the table reference, but I wouldn’t be all that pissed if they don’t get him knowing where the White Socks are in their in their winning rebuild spot. Uh Jim wants to know, and I think we can both answer this one. Is the old school socksfest going to happen this winter? Old school meaning like a the old hotel or even like even like the two-day Fanfest at McCormack place in 2020. Yeah, I don’t think that’s happening. I don’t either. I’ve not heard anything official, but um I I think it’s it sounded like at the end of the season that they uh they were definitely going to go down the road of trying to do something similar to last year. Um, I think in the end that’s probably if they do it that they’ll end up doing that. Yeah. Um, I I don’t know how I’m not speaking out of turn here. I don’t know how teams feel long-term about the old school fanfests. That’s what I And I’m not just talking about White Socks. I’ve talked to a couple other teams that are trying to be more creative, I guess, is the word that I’m using. Like the White Sox were last year. It wasn’t It was It It was innovative. And I I I kind of had low expectations for last year. I actually didn’t think it was uh that bad. I understand why people like the old school socks fest. Uh are Dan and this is not uncomfortable because we know that there is a succession plan here. Have either of you talked to Justin Ishpia and do you know anyone that has? What is he like his vision etc.? Uh I’ve not talked to him. I’ve seen him at games sitting behind home plate front row. Uh he was there uh for the home opener. Like what a flex. I love it. Yeah. I’m uh not only am I uh interested in buying this team, not only am I building, by the way, anyone who who’s concerned that they’re going to leave, he’s going to force, not force, he’s going to have the team leave town, uh drive up to the northern suburbs, a massive mansion that has been built or is built. Uh it is his. He is uh planting a flag in Chicago, a big-time flag. And I think whenever it happens, Justin Ishbia is going to have a big role, not only with the White Socks, but just in this city. He’s be a big presence. I’m not saying big presence like he’s going to talk to the media all the time, but um he will be um more pre like seeing him behind home plate is a thing like like that was maybe it’ll be more of that game. I mean, I’ve never met him. Younger kids. I know Cap. Cap of course saw him at a game and just walked right up to him because that’s Cap. Talked to him briefly. could said he could not have been nicer. Um, so I have never spoken to him either, just like you. I’ve seen him at games, but we’ll see. I know there’s a lot of people excited about at least there at least you know that there’s a succession plan. Uh, Dr. Ducky commented on our picture said a brotherhood forged by fire. Oh, you mean it’s a picture that you tweeted? Yeah. Yeah. Uh, yeah. Of us uh climbing a mountain in Arizona. Yeah, exactly. Uh, Sharon’s ex-husband would like to know, can you unblock her? Asking me. Uh, I hate Sharon. Can you ask Chuck to unblock me? Okay, I will tell you this. If I blocked you, you deserved it. Oh, yeah. I knew Chuck would have that one. Uh, I I’ve got very thick skin, so I mean, you can, you know, people can have I’ve I’ve seen it all. I’ve heard it all. I’ve read it all. People just will rip me and it’s all good. But if I blocked you, it was you you you hit me deep. Yeah. In my life, block and I’ll do it. I’m sorry. I will not unblock you. Sorry. I’m not sorry. Right, Chuck? Um, did either of you, this is coming from Rob. Did either of you shed a tear when the Socks won 05? I don’t think I did. I don’t think I did. Did you? I shed a tear at the parade. I I shed it then. So I was behind home plate uh ready to go on the field. So you didn’t have a lot of time to kind of be emotional, but I did ask the crew we were with. I said, “Give me two minutes if they get if they get this. I need I need two minutes.” Yeah. And uh I did call my mom as soon as the game went final and I said, “Thank you.” And she was like, “For what?” And she was crying. And I said, “Thank you for for what? Thank you for making me a Socks fan.” And I said, “I have to go on the field now and probably work for the next five hours, so I don’t have a lot of time here to reflect, but I do have enough time to call you and say, “Thank you. I can’t believe the White Sox just won the World Series.” Yeah. And then she was at the parade. And then kind of taking that whole thing in was just that was so that’s I did allow myself to have like a tearful moment at that point. Yeah. I don’t know why because I’m like you, I can be an emotional guy, sentimental guy, especially when involving baseball. And uh my grandfather had passed away in May of ’05, moved here in like 1925, never saw a single World Series in Chicago. Um and I did think of him. Uh I think at the moment of when they won the World Series, I was just I was like floating. I didn’t even feel like I was living. I felt like I was in some kind of like heavenly altered state. And uh yeah, I just I never I I would if I would have cried, I think I would have remembered that. And I don’t know why I didn’t, but honestly, if it happened again and my dad, who was alive in ’05, uh he’s he’s passed away. If they won again, I think I would for sure be crying. Yeah. And it was just, by the way, like when you’re covering that team and covering those teams, it’s like every it’s just grind city in a great way. No one’s complaining, but you’re like sometimes you have to like pinch yourself in the moment to even understand what actually is happening. But now that 20 years have passed as as I said as we started this podcast, 20th anniversary of game one today as we record this. Uh hey Chuck, are you a snore? Am I a snorer? Uh I feel like we are making a transition here. To our friends at sinusnoringmd.com. Okay. Uh, I I have I have been known to snore at times, but I’m not a I’m not a I I don’t snore every night as far as I know. Well, fall allergies. We got the cold dry air out. Sinus problems are worse than ever. Pressure, headache, stuffy nose. Caps over here like always a mess. Ragweed, mold, dust can trigger congestion. Cap. Mindy sent him over there and was like, “This has to change.” I’ve sent somebody there now. Sinus and Snoringmd.com. I recommend them. their advanced treatments, procedures actually fix the problem. You can breathe better, sleep better, and feel better. They have locations all throughout the uh Chicagoland area, Oak Creek, Kenosha, Wisconsin, Mount Prospect, Lombard, and monthly Elgen popups. Call 847886875. So if it continues to be a problem, Chuck, check out my friends. I know where to go. Sign usmbb.com. Last two for you. Worst thing of working with me? Worst part about working with me? What was the worst part of working with you? Yeah, the worst part. I I’m gonna You know, I’m back editing this with the best part. So, I’m going to just make you It’s This might be the paint you in the corner moment. Yeah. This show This Well, this shows you about uh our relationship that I can’t even come up with worst part. What is the worst part? Uh the worst part uh is not that I’m working with you now. That’s the worst part. How about that? It’s funny. I was actually really hoping you would say I was like the worst part really only answer is that we that we don’t get to do this together. Uh which is also the best part because we got to for so long and the best part honestly is that you and I are friends. Like take the White Socks away, strip it down to the studs. You’ve been there for me in times where I’ve needed you and vice versa. And I know that this is a lifetime friendship like forged by our careers but really a brotherhood of baseball. and the fact that we both get to continue to talk about the White Socks even though we didn’t end up at CHSN together and who knows like this world it’s this big right if you’re watching this I’m literally drawing the smallest circle because at the end of the day in this in this landscape this world you end up like that’s you never burn bridges man you just never do not that you and I ever would but this has been awesome my friend I’ve been literally like I’ve been waiting for the right time to do this And it just felt like I’m like, you know, I got to see first of all, I hadn’t talked to you in a couple weeks. And then secondly, I’m like kind of feels like the right time. It’s like the calm before the offseason storm. Yeah. Is the World Series starts, you know, on Friday as we record this cuz once that goes final, then like things start to happen and free agency starts and and then it’s Thanksgiving and then it’s the winter meetings and then we’re off and running full-fledged. And I love you to death, brother. Um I really appreciate you and and I thank you. I’ve never done this before. I thank you for showing me how to do this part of it because I was only I was only, you know, behind the scenes doing my thing for a long time and I loved doing it. But you kind of gave me a voice by bringing me on to the White Sox Talk podcast in 2016. Might not even been ready for it. Certainly a lot of conversations that we had back then were like podcasts at our desks, but uh you gave me a voice and made me feel comfortable. And this is easy for me now. And you’re a big reason why. Hey, thanks. I appreciate it. You’re driving the ship now, right? You’re driving the car. It’s different, right? It is way different. It’s very different. Like, this was This was a lot of fun. All I had to do is just show up. You did? Right. Yeah. Yeah. I’m not holding I sent you a link and you just had to show up on time. Exactly. Uh there’s a little more that goes into it when it’s Oh, I’m the guy. like what are we talking about? Well, I don’t know. Like there was a lot of times I you would just kind of do all the like, hey, so we’re going to do a podcast and we’re going to talk about, you know, we’re going to do offseason predictions and here are the 10. Oh, okay. Let me look them up. Yeah. Now I’m doing that to Brian. I’m literally you that’s why I’m saying like even if you look at some of the structure of how I do my podcast, it’s very similar to how we did it because it it made sense. It was clear. It had there was purpose and there was meaning and there was thought and now I’m doing this. I’m sending BA. Oh, hey, we’re doing this topic. Here are some three guys I’m thinking of. Yep. Yep. Yep. So, uh, no, that’s that’s great. And, you know, when we started, I I remembered in the very beginning, I’m like, you know, uh, because you weren’t really on the air. I mean, times you did a little couple things. Yeah. You always had a natural uh, you had a knack for this. You had the passion. You felt comfortable. You know, that’s a big part of it. Confidence. You had always had that. So when you put all that together, I’m like th this this could grow into something. And look at you. Look at little Ryan McGuffy. Look what you’ve become. And so uh I’m not ju just a home. I appreciate it, brother. Just a Homewood Flossom guy and a portage guy hanging out on air. That’s true. On YouTube. Who knew? Who saw that? Who saw that coming? Although I do remember very early this old grandfather. I’m talking about myself. I’m not a grandfather, but like um when I was um I remember like was 04 when I when I got on YouTube for the first time and it like the endorphins in in me just were like on fire. I’m like, whoa, wait a second. You can like put anything on on this anything you and the name like YouTube. Oh, this is a great name. I saw the potential a long, long time ago and here we are all these years later and you’re on YouTube. I know. It’s crazy. A good place to be. Chuck, you’re the best, brother. Let’s do this again. Maybe on your side or our side. Well, I definitely You know, you’ve you’ve given me some thoughts. Um Yeah. I think I I I think I know where I’m going to slide you in. I’ve got the perfect spot for you. Oh, look at that. Planned. Yeah. Planned. Yeah. Can we do this? Like let’s let’s check in during like the season, too. Like let’s do like a a Chuck checkin like just get a just a little pulse like maybe you know first half second half type or something next year. Sure. No problem. For Chuck Garine. You can catch him on CHSN just not right now. He finally is getting his welldeserved break. It’s Blackhawks and Bulls season. I believe the Bulls tonight as we record this for all those who are going to get this. The Bulls play the Detroit Pistons on CHSN. You should check it out. They got all I think 82 games, maybe 80 gamesish. And and the White Sox podcast is on TV now. Let’s go. Is Len Casper your latest guest? Who’s your latest guest? Casper is the latest guest. Uh, he’s got a lot I mean, I felt kind of bad. I’m like, wait, when was the last time I had Len Casper on the podcast? Oh, four years ago. No way. Really? Yeah. Yeah. I’m like, I need to get Len Casper on. And it was him and Jason Benetti actually together, which was great. Four years ago. Um, but uh he You know what? Uh, I’d like to think I’m like I know what’s going on with the White Socks. Um, Len uh really really knows what’s going on with the White Socks because he’s on the road with them. He does all 162 home and away and a lot of great insight from him. Well, check it out. It’s the White Sox podcast. You can find it anywhere you listen to podcast for Chuck Garfine. I’m Guff. Make sure you if you don’t already subscribe, you hit that subscribe button. Get the notification bell. every time we drop a new episode of the podcast, you find out about it immediately. Thanks for listening wherever you listen to uh your audio form podcast. And for those watching on YouTube, we appreciate you, Chuck. You’re the best. I’m Guff. We’ll see you next time on the White Socks Recap

After 8 years of podcasting together at NBC Sports Chicago, #guff & teammate Chuck Garfien went their separate ways after CHSN started. And after a year plus apart, the duo reunite for the first episode of season 2 of the White Sox REKAP Podcast! They take a trip down memory lane, discuss why the broadcast at CHSN is one of the best in all of baseball. Why both are frustrated & sick of talking about #luisrobert, plus Guff’s path to competitiveness in 2026! Wait, is there one? An absolute blast of a two decades long friendship reuniting for an episode of a White Sox podcast! No fun was had…at all.

#takethat

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UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS:
🦉Join us at any of the following Hooters Locations for the Studio 41 Football REKAP® Live. Meet Kap, Guff, Katie and the entire REKAP team, for a night about Chicago Bears Football!

🗓️Nov 11, 2025: (8pm-9pm)
Melrose Park, IL – 2503 W North Ave, Melrose Park, IL 60160

🗓️Dec 9, 2025: (8pm-9pm)
Aurora, IL – 4395 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora, IL 60504

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