Cubs Talk Podcast

Ep. 225: Catching up with Kyle Ryan

Kelly Crull goes 1-on-1 with the Cubs' Kyle Ryan and covers a lot of ground with the lefty reliever, including whether he feels established with the team yet (1:30), how his experiences with the Tigers earlier in his career shaped the pitcher he is today (3:00), and how the dynamic in this season's clubhouse and how a veteran like Brandon Kintzler helps Ryan out (5:15).

Ep. 224: Redemption Stories & Schwarber Leading Off

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by the Cubs Postgame Live team of David Kaplan and David DeJesus to break down all the various redemption stories on the 2019 Cubs, ranging from Kris Bryant returning from an injury-plagued campaign to Tyler Chatwood becoming a legitimate weapon out of the bullpen (1:00). Then, the guys discuss how well Kyle Schwarber is performing out of the leadoff spot over the last week (11:45).

Ep. 223: Jake Arrieta discusses his return & Mark DeRosa talks the leadoff spot

Hear from Jake Arrieta after his first start as a visitor at Wrigley Field, including his thoughts on facing his former teammates and the standing ovation he received during his first at-bat (1:30). Then, Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by MLB Network's Mark DeRosa to discuss the Cubs' leadoff spot, the team outperforming expectations so far, and much more (8:15).

Ep. 222: Darvish vs Arrieta: Showdown at Wrigley

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by NBC Sports Chicago Cubs producers Eric Strobel and Nate Poppen to break down Monday night's big matchup between former Cub Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish. The trio discuss the history and dynamics behind the matchup (2:00), the statistical comparison between the two pitchers over the past two seasons and their potential going forward (4:00), the difference in mental makeup between Jake and Yu (11:00), and Jake's massively important place in Cubs history (17:30).

Ep. 221: Are the 2016 vibes back again?

Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull, and Tony Andracki discuss the similarities between the red-hot 2019 Cubs and 2016 World Champions. Chief amongst those parallels are the superb performances of Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester, as well as the entire pitching staff (2:30). Also similar are MVP-caliber play from Kris Bryant, and a resurgent Willson Contreras (12:45). Finally, the panel discloses one area where the 2019 team comes up short: defense (18:15).

Ep. 220: CubsTalk Podcast: In Depth with David DeJesus

Get to know David DeJesus: Luke sits down with the Cubs Pregame/Postgame studio analyst to discuss baseball, life and... "Survivor."0:33 - David grew up in New Jersey, so was he a Mets fan or a Yankees fan as a kid?1:31 - Originally drafted out of high school, David decided to go play college ball at Rutgers.4:40 - David discusses when he started playing baseball in the backyard with his dad.8:11 - DeJesus also played soccer growing up. He and Luke talk about specialization in youth sports and how that can lead to too much pressure for some kids.10:21 - David talks about hitting golf balls (with a baseball bat) in the basement with his dad.13:23 - DeJesus talks about his passions and interests away from baseball and how he got into television in the first place.19:14 - David eats very healthy. But he reveals his "cheat foods" when pressed by Luke.22:04 - DeJesus reveals that he was recently asked to be on "Survivor," but he turned it down.

Ep. 219: Cubs take two of three from Brewers; Willson Contreras sits down with Kelly Crull

Cubs even the season series with the Brewers after Sunday night's win and are off to Cincinnati followed by a weekend series in Washington D.C. Kelly Crull and Jared Wyllys break down the Brewers series and preview the Cubs next opponents in the Reds and Nationals. Later in the podcast, Kelly sat down with Willson Contreras who has been on a tear as of late, already matching the 10 home runs he hit in all of 2018. 1:00 - Kelly and Jared recap the successful homestand.3:15 - Tyler Chatwood has begun to turn his season around after great outing on Saturday.7:18 - Defense has been on point as of late.11:54 - Off-days are few and far between as the season continues to roll, how will Joe Maddon shuffle the lineups vs. the Reds and Nationals?14:28 - Kelly goes one-on-one with catcher Willson Contreras to recap his impressive 2019 to this point and how this team compares to 2016.

Ep: 218: Christian Yelich, Taylor Davis & Carlos Pena

In this jam-packed episode, Luke Stuckmeyer catches up with Christian Yelich to get the reigning MVP's thoughts on the Cubs-Brewers rivalry and his new piece for The Players' Tribune (1:30). Then Kelly Crull gets the inside story from Taylor Davis on how his friends and family reacted to his huge grand slam last weekend (8:00) before producer Eric Strobel interviews former Cub Carlos Pena about Joe Maddon's unique managerial style, and how his former teammate Yu Darvish can unlock his vast potential (12:45).

Ep. 217: Reaction to Russell’s return

On the heels of Addison Russell coming back from his suspension, our NBC Sports Chicago team covers all the angles of what his return to the Cubs means going forward. First, hear remarks from Theo Epstein and Russell himself prior to his first game back with the Cubs (1:30). Then, Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by David Kaplan and David DeJesus to debate whether bringing Russell back at all was the right move, as well as whether the team might still move on from the infielder in the future (7:00). Then, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki describe the reaction Russell's debut garnered at Wrigley Field, and discuss how this entire process could be a positive in the long run (17:00).

Ep. 216: Zobrist, Bote & Castro exclusives

Ben Zobrist fields questions from Cubs fans, David Bote talks about all the hard work he does before the game starts, and Starlin Castro remembers the feeling of making his Major League debut 9 years ago.00:45 - Luke 1-on-1 with Starlin CastroTopics: Anniversary of MLB debut (May 7, 2010), Looking back on his time with the Cubs, and what he thinks of Anthony Rizzo still using his walkup song.6:31 - Ben Zobrist Q&A with Cubs fans.Topics: What went through his head when Rajai Davis hit that home run off Aroldis Chapman in game 7, What it was like to drive in the most important run in Cubs franchise history, and what is the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked him to sign.16:29 - David Bote 1-on-1 with Kelly CrullTopics: Bote's work ethic and his pregame routine with Brian Butterfield, being prepared to play multiple positions every week, whenever asked.