Cubs Talk Podcast

Ep. 125: Bote-mania has not only taken over Chicago but he’s helped save the Cubs’ season

Tony Andracki, Kelly Crull, Matt Buckman, and Jon Graff break down a wild weekend set against the Nationals. We discuss David Bote becoming a household name, Cole Hamels continuing the stellar start to his Cubs career, and Kris Bryant finally feeling pain free.Plus once the 2016 MVP returns to the lineup, what does that mean for Bote’s playing time?

Ep. 124: Series with Padres shines light on Cubs’ biggest concerns

The Cubs were back in Chicago for a quick four-game homestand against one of the worst teams in the National League, but the North Siders only managed to win two of the games – barely. The series ended on a bad note with Anthony Rizzo getting in the face with home plate umpire Angel Hernandez, but the weekend in general shined a light on some of the biggest concerns surrounding this Cubs team.Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss the issues with Jon Lester, the Cubs bullpen and how badly the team needs its injured stars – Kris Bryant, Yu Darvish, Brandon Morrow – back and performing at their best as the season moves to the Dog Days of August.

Ep. 123: After a wild trade deadline, do the Cubs have enough to hold off division rivals?

The Cubs went out and added three pitchers to their staff before the trade deadline Tuesday while the Pirates and Brewers made waves at the last minute. With all that pitching in tow now, do the Cubs have enough to mitigate the recent rash of injuries and hold off both NL Central rivals?David Kaplan, Luke Stuckmeyer and Tony Andracki break it down while also providing their picks for the most important Cubs player for the second half. Plus, Kaplan and Doug Glanville predict what Cole Hamels’ Cubs debut may look like.

Ep. 122: A-Rod buries Darvish, the deadline, and Jon Lester’s twitter advice

Will Yu Darvish pitch again for the Cubs this season? Jon Graff, David Kaplan, and Doug Glanville discuss Darvish’s status going forward and respond to Alex Rodriguez’s critical comments on Yu during Sunday Night Baseball. Plus the guys talk about the final piece(s) the Cubs may add before the trade deadline passes and Jon Lester’s advice for athletes using twitter.

Ep. 121: Main takeaways from the 5-game Cubs-Cardinals series

Tony Andracki is joined by Phil Barnes, the senior editor of Vine Line, to break down the Cubs-Cardinals 5-game series at Wrigley Field that kicked off the second half of the 2018 MLB season.The main takeaways from the weekend included an up-close look at a Cubs starting rotation is still struggling to find their footing almost 2/3 of the way through the season. The Cubs lineup and bullpen continue to be the saving grace of the team with the NL's best record and run differential, but there are serious question marks moving forward on the depth of the relievers as well as waiting for Kris Bryant to return to MVP form.

Ep. 120: Covering the MLB All-Star Game from the media’s perspective

NBC Sports Chicago’s own Kelly Crull and videographer Scott Changnon recalled what All-Star week in the nations capitol was like from their point of view.

Ep. 119: Are the Cubs World Series bound? Dan Plesac says yes!

Where does MLB Network's Dan Plesac place the Cubs in his current power rankings and what's the key to their World Series dreams? Plus, which three star athletes mix to make Javier Baez? The conductor of the Big Blue train is back for a mid-summer breakdown of the Northsiders with Luke Stuckmeyer on this edition of the Cubs Talk Podcast presented by Wintrust.

Ep. 118: Schwarber, Baez on night to remember at the Home Run Derby

Kelly Crull spoke with both Javy Baez and Kyle Schwarber after an electric and entertaining show they put on at the 2018 Home Run Derby in Washington, DC.

Ep. 117: Why there should be no concern about Kyle Schwarber in the HR Derby

David DeJesus, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss Kyle Schwarber’s bid for the Home Run Derby alongside teammate Javy Baez and explain why Cubs fans shouldn’t worry about the possible negative effects on either player’s swing.Will the Cubs have any tricks up their sleeves as Jon Lester and Willson Contreras watch their teammates swing for the fences? Plus, the crew discusses what they’d like to see from Baez and Schwarber next week and how to drum up more interest in the All-Star festivities moving forward.

Ep. 116: The voice of the Smokies breaks down Kris Bryant’s rehab and return to Tennessee

Luke Stuckmeyer and Matt Buckman are joined by Mick Gillispie, the voice of the Tennessee Smokies, to discuss Kris Bryant’s rehab stint and his thoughts on Bryant not making his 2nd consecutive All Star game. He also provides a scouting report on some very interesting pitching prospects on the AA team including Monday’s winning pitcher, Matt Swarmer.