On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, we get to know Kelly Crull. Kelly tells Luke Stuckmeyer about her love of bowling growing up, why she became a reporter and some of her favorite moments covering the Cubs. 01:00Kelly's love of tennis at an early age 04:00Following basketball while growing up in Indiana 06:00Possible tennis showdown between Kelly and Megan Mawicke 09:30Kelly talks about working in London & interviewing J.K. Rowling 14:00When did she decide to become a reporter? 15:00What is he...
Aug 17, 2019•35 min•Ep. 265
David Kaplan explains to Luke Stuckmeyer and Tony Andracki all the reasons why he's so down on the Cubs right now. 01:00Kap has lost confidence in the Cubs 04:30The road woes are totally in their head 06:30What happened to "R-E-L-A-X" Kap? 08:20Why does this feel different than the 2015 team? 13:30Do last year's struggles give you hope for this year? 15:45Kap doesn't want to see Almora starting games 16:40Tony wants to see Bryant leading off 20:20Kap's message to Cubs fans...
Aug 15, 2019•25 min•Ep. 264
On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Doug Glanville, Tony Andracki and Chris Kamka discuss the legend of Kyle Schwarber, break down his stats and discuss what type of player he can be. 01:00 - How the legend of Kyle Schwarber grew 04:00 - A career is built on a series of moments 07:00 - Schwarber is perfect for Chicago 08:00 - Can Schwarber be an everyday player and will it be for the Cubs? 10:00 - Schwarber may be the beneficiary of analytics 12:00 - Schwarber would be the greatest...
Aug 15, 2019•30 min•Ep. 263
On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss what bullpen moves the Cubs will have to make when guys get healthy, Kris Bryant being a clutch hitter and Joe Maddon's future. 01:30Dillon Maples struggles at the major league level 03:00Who gets sent down when Kintzler and Kimbrel get healthy 05:00The Cubs all-time all-lefty lineup 09:00Highlights of the 2020 Cubs schedule 13:00More spread out off days in next year's schedule 16:00Kris Bryant ...
Aug 13, 2019•27 min•Ep. 262
Luke Stuckmeyer talks with Doug Glanville about baseball, life, Hamilton... and Hall & Oates. 0:38 - Doug discusses "Hamilton" - his favorite Broadway play 2:59 - Doug talks about how the band Hall & Oates helped him become a Major League baseball player. 6:55 - Doug discusses his favorite early baseball memories - including imitating Mike Schmidt. 9:24 - Doug talks about some of the coaches that helped him the most when he was a young player - including Billy Willaims, Jimmy Piersall an...
Aug 09, 2019•35 min•Ep. 261
On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David DeJesus and David Kaplan discuss the addition of Jonathan Lucroy, how many MLB players wear a cup, the state of the bullpen and how they will do on their road trip. 01:00Cubs add Jonathan Lucroy as a backup catcher 02:30What do you like most about the addition of Nicolas Castillanos? 05:00Would you bring Castillanos back next season? 07:00How many guys in the majors wear a cup? 09:00Injuries to the Cubs bullpen give opportunies to young pit...
Aug 08, 2019•18 min•Ep. 260
After the Cubs put the finishing touches on a sweep of the Brewers and a 5-4 record overall in the tough stretch against divisional foes, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki broke down the key takeaways from the last week-plus. The duo also discusses the incredible run Yu Darvish and the Cubs pitching staff has been on, plus Jason Heyward's star turn atop the lineup and how the new pieces like Nick Castellanos and Derek Holland are fitting into the puzzle.
Aug 05, 2019•29 min•Ep. 259
Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by William Marovitz, the producer of "Miracle," a musical about the 2016 Cubs currently playing at the Royal George Theatre. Marovitz details the origins of the show (1:30), the generational impact of the Cubs winning the World Series in 2016 (5:30), the crowd reactions to the show so far (11:00), and the shared emotional experience of winning the World Series (17:30). Tickets are available at miraclethemusical.com.
Aug 02, 2019•20 min•Ep. 258
Luke Stuckmeyer and David Kaplan break down all the Cubs' moves at the trade deadline, including Nicholas Castellanos' impact on the offense, especially against left-handed pitching (2:00), what current Cubs players need to step up down the stretch (4:30), the change of scenery for Carl Edwards Jr. and the new-look bullpen (6:00), and how much pressure now rests on the shoulders of Joe Maddon (9:15).
Jul 31, 2019•15 min•Ep. 257
On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Tony Andracki and Nate Poppen discuss the series against the Brewers, the series against the Cardinals and what the Cubs may do at the trade deadline. 01:00 - How disappointing was dropping 2 of 3 in Milwaukee 03:00 - Pedro Strop's struggles 05:30 - Pitching matchup preview for Cardinals series 08:00 - Who is bigger threat in NL Central, Cardinals or Brewers 10:00 - Will the Cubs struggle on the road decide whether or not the Cubs win the Central...
Jul 29, 2019•26 min•Ep. 256
Ever wanted to know the story behind Kap? You've come to the right place. Luke Stuckmeyer and David DeJesus sit down with Cubs Pre/Post host David Kaplan to learn what makes Kap tick. The trio cover the origins behind his Twitter handle & nickname, @thekapman (1:30), his heart issues and near-death experience on the operating table during heart surgery in 1991 (5:30), how Ron Santo helped set him on a course toward good health (21:00), his ultimate goals in life and his love of people (26:00...
Jul 26, 2019•38 min•Ep. 255
Tony Andracki, David Kaplan, and Kelly Crull dive into everything going on with the Cubs at the moment, including Addison Russell's struggles and the team's other personnel issues (1:10), whether some trade targets are realistic for the Cubs to acquire (7:30), the ultimate role for Robel Garcia (11:15), how the Cubs will structure the bullpen with Pedro Strop's struggles (14:30), and what the roster could look like after the trade deadline (18:30).
Jul 24, 2019•23 min•Ep. 254
Listen to Cubs legend Lee Smith's entire Hall of Fame induction speech.
Jul 21, 2019•17 min•Ep. 253
Get to know Gary Pressy: Luke Stuckmeyer sits down with Cubs organist Gary Pressy. 1:00 - Find out when Gary started playing the organ. 2:40 - Gary discusses his "consecutive games streak. 4:10 - Gary talks about some of the new songs he mixes in with the old classics. 7:15 - Gary picks his favorite moment from the Cubs 2016 World Series Championship season. 9:20 - Gary plays "Beer Money" - answering Cubs trivia questions.
Jul 20, 2019•14 min•Ep. 252
On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss Yu Darvish's 1st win at Wrigley, Cole Hamel's status, and Kris Bryant playing better than he did in his MVP season. 01:00Darvish picking up 1st win at Wrigley 03:30Cole Hamels injury update 05:00Starting rotation after the All-Star break 06:00Cubs defense looking sharp 07:30How the Cubs will approach the weekend and the expected heat 09:30Kris Bryant playing above his MVP level 12:00How the NL Central stacks up 14:00Upcoming ...
Jul 18, 2019•19 min•Ep. 251
On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan and Doug Glanville discuss the deal that sent Mike Montgomery to the Royals for Martin Maldonado, the injury to Willson Contreras, and how this affects the trade deadline. 01:00 - Any concern about the Willson Contreras injury? 03:00 - Was giving up Montgomery too much to get a catcher? 05:00 - What were the talks with KC 06:00 - How do the Cubs balance 3 catchers once Contreras comes off the IL? 08:30 - Will the Cubs make a signific...
Jul 17, 2019•17 min•Ep. 250
Luke Stuckmeyer and David Kaplan are joined by Jason McLeod, the Cubs' Senior VP of Player Development & Amateur Scouting. The trio cover a lot of ground within the Cubs organization, including the rapid rise of Robel Garcia (1:15), the current status and massive potential of infielder Nico Hoerner (5:00), 2019 1st-round pick Ryan Jensen & the importance of power arms in today's game (17:00), and what Kris Bryant's ultimate position in the field might turn out to be (21:45)
Jul 12, 2019•26 min•Ep. 249
On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Tony Andracki and Ben Finfer try to answer some of the big questions surrounding the Cubs heading into the second half. 01:00 - Is a major move coming? 02:30 - What if any prospects would the Cubs be willing to trade 04:30 - Will the rotation hold up in the second half? 07:15 - Will Joe Maddon be the Cubs manager the rest of the season? 12:00 - Who will play the most games at second base the rest of the season? 14:00 - Can Ben Zobrist make an imp...
Jul 11, 2019•24 min•Ep. 248
Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by David Kaplan to assess where the Cubs stand at the unofficial halfway point of the 2019 season (2:00), including Kap's plan to fix the Cubs (8:30) and potential trade targets (11:00) before hearing from the three Cubs All-Stars in Cleveland: Javy Baez, Kris Bryant, and Willson Contreras (16:00).
Jul 09, 2019•23 min•Ep. 247
Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by Iowa Cubs reliever Danny Hultzen, and the 2011 first-round pick goes over his entire comeback story, including twice undergoing major shoulder surgery and keeping a positive attitude (2:00). Then, Luke welcomes Tony Andracki to discuss whether Hultzen could be a factor for the Cubs later this season, how much Cubs fans are looking forward to seeing Robel Garcia get a shot, and Ian Happ's struggles at Iowa (11:45).
Jul 05, 2019•22 min•Ep. 246
Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by David Kaplan, Kelly Crull, and Tony Andracki to diagnose what's going wrong for the Cubs. The quartet discuss the team's playoff chances (1:30), what area of their game bothers them the most lately (5:45), what can be done trade-wise to help right the ship (11:00), and whether Joe Maddon's seat is becoming a little warm (18:00).
Jul 03, 2019•24 min•Ep. 245
In this jam-packed episode, Jason Heyward speaks with Kelly Crull about the Cubs defense and how he helped recruit Craig Kimbrel (1:20). Then, David Kaplan catches up with David Bote about his ever-changing role with the team, as well as how much fun he has watching Javy Baez (7:10). Finally, Luke Stuckmeyer welcomes new Cubs draftee Tyler Schlaffer to the show, and the Homewood-Flossmoor product discusses his emotions upon being picked by the Cubs and much more (14:00).
Jul 01, 2019•27 min•Ep. 244
Luke Stuckmeyer sits down with legendary broadcaster Bob Costas to re-live his call of "The Sandberg Game" in 1984, plus a whole lot more including the impact of NBC's Game of the Week (2:30), how baseball was different in the '80s (5:00), the reason why Ryne Sandberg was not initially named the Player of the Game on June 23, 1984 (12:45), and how baseball fans missed out on potentially classic World Series matchups in both 1984 and 2003 (15:30).
Jun 28, 2019•19 min•Ep. 243
In the second part of our interview with Ryne Sandberg, the Hall of Famer talks the legendary Bleacher Bums (3:20), the increased media attention after his epic June 23rd game in 1984 (7:00), his 1st home run off Bruce Sutter (11:00), and his 2nd longball that improbably tied the game again in the 10th inning (16:30), as well as all the craziness that followed once the game ended.
Jun 26, 2019•22 min•Ep. 242
Luke Stuckmeyer sits down with Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg for a wide-ranging conversation centered around the infamous "Sandberg Game." Ryne gives insight into his feelings upon being traded to the Cubs (2:00), and discusses the reason he ended up with the #23 (5:00), plus how the 1984 season changed everything and raised his personal expectations sky-high (9:00) and the "Daily Double" dynamic between him and Bob Dernier (16:00).
Jun 26, 2019•22 min•Ep. 241
35 years ago, Ryne Sandberg put on a performance for the ages, hitting game-tying home runs in the 9th and 10th innings against the Cardinals and Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter. Luke Stuckmeyer takes us through highlights of that day's broadcast with insight from Sandberg himself, broadcaster Bob Costas, Tribune beat writer Fred Mitchell, and Dave Owen, who walked off the game in the 11th. Sandberg, Costas, and company discuss the meaning of NBC's "Game of the Week" (5:00), Sandberg's surprisi...
Jun 23, 2019•35 min•Ep. 240
Craig Kimbrel talks after arriving in Iowa. Plus, Luke Stuckmeyer gets an update on Ian Happ from manager Marty Pevey and sits down with pitcher Dillon Maples. 1:15 - Craig Kimbrel speaks with media 8:53 - Manager Marty Pevey on Ian Happ 13:08 - Dillon Maples sit down interview.
Jun 21, 2019•26 min•Ep. 239
Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki check in from Wrigley Field after the Cubs split the first leg of the Crosstown Classic with the White Sox. Kelly & Tony discuss the breaking news of top pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay's promotion to the big leagues and what his role could be with the Cubs (2:15), and assess where the Cubs stand as they continue their long homestand, including the recent offensive downturn and Yu Darvish taking a step forward (7:30).
Jun 20, 2019•16 min•Ep. 238
Luke Stuckmeyer and producer Eric Strobel welcome Frederic, aka the Cubs' unofficial Director of Morale. Fred takes us through the origins and growth of his fandom and social media persona (1:30), before discussing how Jake Arrieta's dominance announced the Cubs as contenders (7:30) and the now-ubiquitous hard hats in the bleachers (16:00). Finally, Fred and the guys talk about this year's team, including the lack of strikeout stuff on the pitching staff (22:30) and the unicorn that is Javy Baez...
Jun 17, 2019•34 min•Ep. 237
Kelly Crull sits down with Cubs reliever Brandon Kintzler, and the veteran right-hander covers many topics, including his ongoing prank war with fellow reliever Steve Cishek (2:50), his growing role as a leader and mentor inside the clubhouse (4:00), and Tommy Hottovy's impact on the pitching staff so far (10:30).
Jun 15, 2019•12 min•Ep. 236
