Cubs Talk Podcast

The Cubs have started the west coast road trip stumbling out the gate, can they recover, and how will they fare against former Cub Yu Darvish? David Kaplan, Maddie Lee, Tim Stebbins, and Gordon Wittenmyer break down the Cub road trip and discuss has Jed Hoyer made his decision yet on if this team is worth going all-in on, or will he start the rebuild at the trade deadline. (1:30) - Cubs vs Sox Nik...

In a "West" themed episode, Tim Stebbins and Gordon Wittenmyer breakdown the upcoming west coast road trip the Cubs will be on, and will the Cubs be able to be above .500 and make a strong statement to management that they are ready to make another push to the playoffs before the trade deadline. Later in the podcast, sticking with the theme of the West, Tim and Gordon are joined by umpire Joe West...

Marc Silverman is one of Chicago's great sports radio hosts and an all-around great guy who is a lifelong Cubs fan. Silvy joins his friend and ESPN radio teammate, David Kaplan, as they discuss where their Cubs fandom began and their favorite players in Cubs history. They also break down the first-place Cubs and their expectations for them the remainder of this season. (2:50) - Silvy on battling c...

The hottest topic in baseball right now is Cardinals manager Mike Shildt going on a rant on MLB's dirty little secret on how pitchers are using foreign substances to increase spin rate. David Kaplan and Tim Stebbins discuss Shildt's rant and if there's validity to his argument. Later in the podcast, the crew discusses the Cubs' push for 1st place in the NL Central division and how injuries are imp...

The Cubs are currently in second place in the NL Central but are inching closer and closer to first after winning a weekend series vs. the rival Cardinals. Will they be able to get to the top of the division? David Kaplan, Maddie Lee, and Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the recent series win and break down what's working for the Cubs. Later in the pod, the crew discusses Wilson Contreras' play and if he...

The Cubs play the Cardinals 13 times over the next several weeks, and those games might play a huge part in influencing the team's approach to the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline. David Kaplan, Gordon Wittenmyer and Tim Stebbins discuss how those Cardinals series could impact the Cubs' core. They also discuss the COVID-19 vaccine protocols in MLB and how it's negatively impacting the Cubs off of Jed Hoyer...

With the new updated safety protocol by the CDC, the Cubs will increase capacity and have other changes. To break down the new guidelines and discuss how they will impact Cub fans at Wrigley, Dr. Robert Citronberg joins David Kaplan and Maddie Lee to explain the details of what's next and what fans should expect at Wrigley Field. David Kaplan and Maddie Lee also discuss the return of Kyle Schwarbe...

In breaking news, the city of Chicago and state of Illinois approved the Cubs to expand fan capacity to 60 percent. David Kaplan, Maddie Lee, and Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the change, the impact the new money will have on the team, and if there will be a plan to reach 100 percent capacity before the season ends. Later, the group debates why the Cubs can't hit with runners in scoring position and i...

The mustache. The swagger. The farm. Andrew Chafin is a character you didn't know you wanted more of. On this episode of the Cubs Talk Podcast, Chafin joins David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer as they discuss his style, his cars, and his interests outside of baseball. The crew also discusses his love of pancakes without syrup, his DIY YouTube page, and how he approaches pitching in the analytics er...

Kris Bryant is swinging a hot bat and playing as good as ever, but the Cubs are near the bottom of the NL Central. They could get quite a return if they decide to trade him, but would they do another trade with the White Sox. who are in desperate need of an outfielder due to injuries? David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer break down the Cubs' position and if they are considering moving Bryant or if t...

The Cubs are having an up and down year so far with a lot of the same players. Was last year's roster better? The Cubs Talk crew of Tim Stebbins, Maddie Lee, and Gordon Wittenmyer breakdown the differences between this year's team and last year, what direction the Cubs seem to be headed toward, and they discuss if Tim Stebbins and Cubs pitcher Zach Davies is the same person. (2:00) - Rough stretch...

The beginning of the Cubs 2021 season has been a roller coaster of highs and lows, but where exactly is this team? Are they still trying to win? Is this a rebuild? Should they start trading core pieces? The Cubs Talk crew of Gordon Wittenmyer, Maddie Lee, and Tim Stebbins review the Cubs’ first month of baseball and decides if the answer is to start the rebuild now, re-sign the core and try again,...

The Cubs took the first two games of their series against the New York Mets and the offense scored 16 runs in one game! Will the Cubs' bats get going now? The Cubs Talk crew of David Kaplan, Tim Stebbins, Maddie Lee, and Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the offense's recent success and if it's here to stay. They also discuss if Javy Báez can get hot after hitting a grand slam and if he's playing better t...

In a packed episode, the Cubs Talk crew of Maddie Lee, Gordon Wittenmyer and David Kaplan discuss the verdict of Derek Chauvin and how the murder of George Floyd led to The Players Alliance, which includes Jason Heyward. The crew also breaks down whether MLB will do anything about the length of games, and preview the Mets-Cubs series. (2:10) - Initial reactions to the Derek Chauvin verdict (4:30)...

The Cubs offense is in the sunken place without promise that it will get out (see what I did there) anytime soon. But who is to blame? The players? The coaching staff? The front office? Ownership? The Cubs Talk crew of David Kaplan, Maddie Lee, and Gordon Wittenmyer break down the continued woes of the offense and who is to blame for it being not just bad but historically bad. (2:00) - Is it surpr...

The Cubs added a fourth player to the COVID-19 related injured list on Tuesday in Matt Duffy, just 24 hours after relievers Jason Adam, Dan Winkler and Brandon Workman landed there. Gordon Wittenmyer, live from Milwaukee, and David Kaplan and Tim Stebbins discuss the Cubs' COVID concerns, where they stand in getting the team vaccinated, and the Cubs scratching Kyle Hendricks shortly before first p...

The Cubs Talk crew discusses Jake Arrieta's second start of the season and the rotation's quality first week. But should fans be worried about the lack of offense, or is it still too early? David Kaplan, Tim Stebbins and Gordon Wittenmyer break down the Cubs' first week, whether it's too early to panic about the offense and if there are early signs of things to come for the remainder of the season...

The 2021 season is underway and baseball is back, but for how long? The players have been noticeably unhappy during recent labor negotiations, so what happens after 2021 — the final season of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement? Gordon Wittenmyer sat with the Cubs' player rep Ian Happ as they break down issues that need to be resolved between the players and owners. David Kaplan, Maddie Le...

The Cubs dropped Game 1 of the 2021 season, losing 5-3 to the Pirates while only managing two hits compared to Pittsburgh's nine. Should Cubs fans be worried? Of course not. Are there things they should keep an eye on? Absolutely! David Kaplan, Maddie Lee, Gordon Wittenmyer, and Tim Stebbins do a postgame breakdown of the loss and discuss what Cubs fans should keep an eye on as the season gets goi...

Opening Day for the Cubs is this Thursday, and that means it's time to preview the season and make bold predictions. David Kaplan, Tim Stebbins, Maddie Lee and Gordon Wittenmyer predict if the Cubs will win the division, if any players will be re-signed, who will have the better season between Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester, and a lot more. (1:44) - How many games will the Cubs win? (10:26) - How man...

Anthony Rizzo has expressed his desire to remain a Cub long term, but with extension talks stalled, the first baseman instructed his agents to halt negotiations so he can focus on the season. David Kaplan, Maddie Lee, Tim Stebbins, and Gordon Wittenmyer break down Monday's news and discuss if they think Rizzo will be a Cub after this season and if there will be strong pushback from fans if Rizzo i...

Who are your favorite play-by-play announcers? Who are your favorite radio hosts? Who are your favorite sports writers? Did you name a woman? Women across the sports landscape are making strides every day to bring unique and interesting perspectives to the games we love and we should make sure spaces are being made to normalize women in a majority male field. NBCS Cubs insider Maddie Lee is joined...

From worries about his pitch framing to becoming one of the best catchers in baseball, Willson Contreras has been through a lot and has learned a lot. Maddie Lee sat down with the All-Star catcher, discussing his process in working with new pitchers, how he learned from veteran pitchers, and his thoughts on robot umps. Gordon Wittenmyer joins to react to Contreras' comments. Plus, Maddie and Gordo...

Our Gordon Wittenmyer reported Tuesday that, following a grievance heard by an arbitrator, Cubs pitcher Adbert Alzolay has a fourth minor-league option remaining. The grievance was filed by the players union over unresolved issues from the 2020 season. Gordon and Maddie Lee discuss what the decision means for Alzolay, how it could impact the way the Cubs use him this season, and what it means for...

With a little over a week until the season begins, David Ross officially named Kyle Hendricks the Cubs' Opening Day starter. Gordon Wittenmyer sits down with Hendricks to discuss his role with the team and his thoughts on the direction of the franchise. David Kaplan, Tim Stebbins, Maddie Lee, and Gordon break down the interview and Ross' announcement and discuss how they view Hendricks.