The Cubs Podcast returns with the suddenly red hot Cubs (they've won four of five!) taking on those pesky Brewers. Praz fills us in on getting tossed from the bleachers for (get this) being too negative about the team. If that was really a thing, nobody would have been allowed out there for most of the 90s. Should the team take the players' oven mitts away? Why are they bunting? Ever? Is giving Kyle Tucker a timeout really going to help. Is Owen Caissie the greatest player ever? What playoff see...
Aug 20, 2025•1 hr 36 min
Things are pretty bad for the Cubs these days. They've lost 17 straight games when they have trailed at any point, they have lost seven games to the Brewers in the standings since August 1 and haven't gained a single game on them on any day since July 30. Kyle Tucker's so desperate to turn his awful slump around that he's (gasp!) taking batting practice? Petecrow's struggling. Ian Happ just sucks. Michael Busch is only good ten games a year. It's a pretty sad situation. So let's take a look at h...
Aug 15, 2025•52 min
The longest running franchise in the history of crap podcasting returns with Andy and Mike D. breaking down 150 years of great, good, and awful Cubs' second basemen. Do you know who Ross Barnes is? Of course you don't, but you are about to. From Ryne Sandberg to Mike Tyson, from Glenn Beckert to Jiggs Parrott, from Rogers Hornsby to Rey Sanchez and so many others, enjoy a century and a half of Cubs second sackers. You know, they've had some pretty damned good ones.
Aug 12, 2025•2 hr 31 min
Jed Hoyer make a few solid moves at the deadline but botched any chance of fixing the Cubs biggest pitching problem, and so his Cubs find themselves staring up at the Brewers and their pocket pancake loving manager Mat Purphy...or Pat Murphy, whatever. Oleg and Praz are here to talk about it, and we provide a much better name than "pocket pancake." We discuss if there are any Brewers position players who would start on the Cubs, and give Praz some bad news about Justin Turner. We also learn that...
Aug 07, 2025•1 hr 17 min
With the trade deadline mere tens of hours away (is that a thing?) David Brown and Andy discuss the risks of showcasing players you are trying to trade in the final games before the deadline, the costs of trading for rental players, trying to win and sell at the same time, and the varied personalities of GMs and how that affects trades. They also discuss Jed Hoyer's new contract, the chicken and egg of sports betting scandals and the passing of Cubs icon Ryne Sandberg.
Jul 29, 2025•1 hr 14 min
The Cubs fell out of first place for the first time since April and who was there to catch them? Not us. Oleg and Praz join the podcast to talk about possible Cubs trade targets, why Rich Hill sucks, Andy feeling bad about agreeing with Adam Wainwright, why the DH rule changed so MLB could kiss Shohei's ass, lemonade stand scams, Tom House, towel drills, trading the Carjacker, MLB TV rights, James Acaster on Taskmaster and much, much more.
Jul 23, 2025•1 hr 26 min
We keep talking about who the Cubs should trade for, but what kind of trade currency do they actually have? Plus, how Nico and Happ make an imperfect leadoff platoon. A brief history lesson on the real curse of the Bears, and a few bobblehead stories. Really. All that, and more.
Jul 17, 2025•49 min
The Home Run Derby included a homer robbery, a dad hitting his son and measurement controversies, so David Brown is here to break it all down. The guys also discuss Pat McAfee completely botching the pitchers and starters press conference when a reporter dared to ask a real question. They also talk about the first round of the MLB Draft and how the son of a former big leaguer went first overall but it wasn't the one everybody thought would, plus the Cubs drafted a kid with his throwing arm in a ...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 31 min
The podcast finally concedes to the video age and not only can you see Andy, Oleg and Praz, but did you know the open and close have video? Well, now you do. They take a look at how the Cubs rank on offense and get some pretty good clues as to why they're so good. They lament Seiya and Busch not making the All-Star Game, but one of them has a brilliant idea about how to get Seiya there. They discuss possible trades, British comedies and much, more. Check out this not all AI created rundown of ep...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 37 min
It's time to take a look around baseball and tell the cold, hard, truth about whose season is already irredeemably in the crapper. David Brown joins the podcast to help decide what teams can be crossed off and can toss their players into the for sale bin. You might be surprised at the two teams who survived the axe, for now. They also go through Jim Bowden's handy list of players who are most likely to be traded (the Cubs can use them all!), some of which makes sense. Maybe. Dave gives a few fir...
Jul 02, 2025•1 hr 27 min
The trade deadline is still five weeks away, but Oleg and Praz join the podcast to helpfully give Jed Hoyer a shopping list of players he should trade for. They also wonder just what the hell Nate Pearson's purpose is, recoil in horror at the stats from Porter Hodge's way too brief (and way too bad) rehab assignment. They say nasty things about the Cardinals, St. Louis and their awful stadium, and somehow get derailed to talking the old St. Louis football Cardinals for a few minutes. It's anothe...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 44 min
With Dave Brown day to day, it's up to Andy to entertain you, but thankfully Jim Bowden and an insane trade proposal helps pass the time. What does Jimbo think Sandy Alcantara is worth? And how much more would it be if Sandy's ERA wasn't nearly a touchdown? Take a look at the rest of the NL Central and how well positioned the Cubs are, and then enjoy Rafael Devers completely sticking it to the Red Sox on his way out of town. All that, and more.
Jun 18, 2025•52 min
It's early June, the Cubs are in first place by five games and so naturally, Andy asks Praz and Oleg if they have enough to win anything important. All of the hot topics are covered like Evan Longoria's connection to the World Series Cubs, Rey Ordonez crying in the dugout, Bob Brenly's hot takes on grand slams and diving for the bag at first, Andy's dog's Brant Brown moment, and OK, some things that actually concern the current Cubs. Like, Ian Happ finally showing up, misleading Marquee Sport Ne...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 17 min
Remember This Crap's tour around the diamond has reached shortstop. Huey is back to help talk about the greatest (and Larry Bowa) Cubs shortstops in history. As always, the guys go all the way back to the 19th century and work their way up to the modern day. The Cubs, of course, have one of the greatest shortstops in baseball history to their credit, and they have another Hall of Famer who owes most of it a poem. The Cubs have had some really good shortstops and long stretches of bad. Recent yea...
Jun 06, 2025•2 hr 29 min
After pondering when a new century actually starts, Andy and David Brown discuss the Cubs' All-Quarter Century team, and Andy explains his reasoning for so much Javy. They also wonder if the Corbin Burnes injury will turn the D'bags into sellers and if Zach Gallen is struggling or cooked. Where's Jac Caglianone going to play for the Royals? Why is cement falling on Dodgers fans? What's up with a drunk, overseas gambler hassling Lance McCullers? Seattke gets a prospect promotion video right. Some...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 21 min
Oleg, Praz and Andy discuss all of the hot topics, like: can you bat Petecrow and Busch back to back, is Seiya a star, does Jed already have a contract extension, why doesn't Tommy Hottovy get more crap, and would you rather have the Dodgers' offense or the Cubs'? Plus they assign a new nickname to Reese McGuire, make fun of Ian Happ, blame one team for the lack of pitching trade candidates, mock a Mark DeRosa hot take and tell you which Michael Mann movie character Brad Keller looks like. All t...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Matt Shaw is back and playing well, Cade Horton is looking good, Petecrow's on an MVP pace, Kyle Tucker is even better than we thought and Tom Loxas is here to talk about all of it. What could go wrong? Plus more announcer talk (groan, I know), what's up with the Bears these days and so much more.
May 23, 2025•1 hr 7 min
The Cubs had a very thoughtful plan to fix Matt Shaw's leg kick. They apparently forgot to tell him about it until last Saturday. David Brown is here to talk about the Cubs third base situation, the Orioles firing Brandon Hyde and hiring Doug Mansolino's kid, Kyle Schwarber hitting bombs at an incredible rate, the Dodgers finding the guy with the perfect name for their pitching staff, Earl Weaver's smoke pouch, John Lowenstein's stretcher prank, Jose Alvarado testing positive for not wanting to ...
May 20, 2025•52 min
It's the 400th Pointless Exercise Podcast! Either it's a huge hit, or we can't take a hint. What should the Cubs do with Cade Horton and Moises Ballesteros when Ian Happ and Shōta come back? Why was Pat treating Ron Coomer like a meterologist the other night? Do we need to chip in for Boog's healthcare? Will either paper do the hack All-Chicago team before this weekend's series and would any White Sock actually be on it? Wouldn't it be great if George McCasey started dating a 24 year old beauty ...
May 16, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Oleg and Praz join the podcast to discuss the arrivals of Cade Horton and Moises Ballesteros on the Cubs roster and discuss other great 22s and 25s in Cubs history. They talk about Cade's impressive debut against the Mets and try to figure out how to keep Moises on the roster long-term--before he even gets his first big league hit. I mean, how hard could it be for Michael Busch to relearn third base? They make fun of Vidal Brujan's oven mitts, take a look at some disturbing Baseball Savant profi...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 51 min
It's time again to talk baseball with David Brown, and in this scintillating episode we discuss how the D'bags won the Paul Goldschmidt seven years after the fact! (Kind of.) Why math and common sense tells you that if the Cubs don't call Cade Horton up to make some Shōta replacement starts right now they might miss their window for the whole season. Is the Javier Baez rejuvenation a real thing? How do his current metrics stack up against his best year as a Cub? Could he recast the final years o...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 29 min
An intrepid reader searched for Neifi Perez the other day and was horrified and amused at what they found. They shared the results with Andy and in this podcast you'll get a dramatic retelling of the events surrounding Neifi and the rosin bag. Plus, Dansby's fixed! Well, at least his offense. A prospect pervert has the completely wrong take on Alex Cohen's "talents," we look at the Cubs' upcoming schedule, discuss why it's too early to scoreboard watch, and enjoy the return to form of one of our...
May 01, 2025•51 min
Craig Counsell clearly read the newsletter and listened to the podcast and came to the conclusion that dropping Dansby Swanson in the order was a good idea. Oleg, Praz and Andy discuss reordering things, Shōta dodging a major injury (though with the Cubs you never know), how this hot start is different than last year's hot start and more fun with Petecrow Armstrong. Praz talks about the Cubs trying to disrobe him. They ponder the veracity of Dave Kaplan's report that the Cubs are willing to spen...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 28 min
With the NFL Draft going on, Andy and Dave look back at when the Kansas City Royals just kept drafting Hall of Fame football players. Plus, fun with official scoring, when is a save a win, what happens when you try to send your Rule V "star" to the minors, why was it legal for a double-A player to hit the ball twice with one swing, gender reveals do not belong in the batter's box, who do the Yankees have to blame for dinky foul poles, backup catchers are the best hitters in the world right now, ...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 9 min
The Cubs are trying to bolster their bullpen with Drew Pomeranz? Hey, nobody's gotten a hit off of him in four years! Bruce Levine says that Jed's out looking for a starter and a "lock down" reliever and that would be great if this was November of last year when he should have been trying to the same damned thing. We look back at the crazy Friday win over the D'bags and two equally nutty games in Cubs history. The Cubs are almost finally done with the Dodgers and almost done with the toughest pa...
Apr 23, 2025•45 min
Matt Shaw is taking his leg kick on the road to Iowa, the great Vidal Brujan has returned, the Cubs are going to have to find a way without Justin Steele for a while and half the lineup is struggling. And yet, the Cubs are in first place. Oleg and Praz are on hand to talk about all of it. What's the future hold for Tater Workman, is it in Chicago or Detroit or Erie, Pennslvania and do we have to watch it? Do the Cubs have enough to swing a trade for a big pitcher, and do they have to re-sign Kyl...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 25 min
You get teased with a big celebrity guest, but it falls through, so instead you'll have to settle for Andy talking about upcoming books on the 2003 and 2016 Cubs, a pathetic plea for more paid newsletter subscribers and then actual sports talk about Justin Steele's elbow, Kyle Tucker cooling off and only leading the NL in six statistical categories, Petecrow being productive without really hitting yet, Matt Shaw's f'd up batting stance, just how bad the old guys in the Cubs' bullpen have been, a...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr
David Brown joins the pod to talk about a really weird early season baseball stat, jump to conclusions based on small sample sizes and run differentials, Vlad Guerrero Jr's big new deal, the Cubs chances of keeping Kyle Tucker, why torpedo bats aren't for everyone and the Pirates stepping in a big pile of iced tea and vodka. All that, and more.
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 2 min
As the Cubs prepare for opening day 3.0 let's take a look at how things are going through the season's first nine games. The bullpen stinks, Big Jimmy Taillon's no great shakes, but most everything else is pretty good. Kyle Tucker's awesome, the catchers are playing out of their minds, Dansby and Petecrow are catching everything in sight and Shōta's still great. Seiya had to waddle through the field to go take an interpreter-assisted poop and he's been hitting ever since. Justin Steele will figu...
Apr 04, 2025•36 min
Carson Kelly has joined an elite group of Cubs hitters...OK, well, he's certainly joined a group of Cubs hitters...who have hit for a cycle. Oleg and Praz are here to talk about every Cubs cycle in history, why the bullpen still blows, how the Garbage Family That Owns The Cubs™ suck this time, why Kikè Hernandez is apparently more popular than every Cubs player and how MLB can fix their TV problem. Then they get distracted, talk about the Desipio archives and Dave Kaplan living in a van, fun TV ...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 41 min
