Cubs Talk Podcast

The Cubs begin their first round postseason series Wednesday against the Miami Marlins and Brandon Kintzler, a former Cub. Kintzler joins David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer and gives his thoughts on the Cubs roster, the Marlins’ comeback season from a COVID-19 outbreak and his time with the Cubs. Later on in the podcast, the Cubs content team of Jeff Nelson, Maddie Lee, and Tim Stebbins discusses...

As the postseason nears, it's time to start looking at potential matchups for the Cubs. David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer are joined former Cub and broadcaster for the Dodgers Jerry Hairston Jr. They discuss the upcoming postseason and compare the Dodgers and Cubs this season and for the future. The crew also discusses Hairston's career as a Cub. (2:52) - The Dodgers' deep pitching rotation (9:53...

Kyle Schwarber was benched by David Ross for misplaying a ball that ended up being a triple in Sunday's game vs the Twins. Was David Ross wrong for pulling Schwarber? Host David Kaplan and Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer have a heated debate on the situation and compare the managerial styles of David Ross and former manager Joe Maddon. Later on, Gordon updates the status of Jose Quintana and what t...

Jon Lester was one of the biggest free agent signings in Chicago sports history and his contract is up at the end of the season, which could mean he may have pitched his final game at Wrigley Field. David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer discuss and debate Lester’s Cubs career and if he is the most impactful Cub ever. Later on in the pod, the guys discuss a tough offseason ahead for the Cubs and if th...

Now that the regular season is nearing its end, the Cubs are in prime position to make the playoffs. How do they stack up against teams they might play in October? Host Davis Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the Cubs’ playoff scenarios and who they might see. Later in the pod, they go over the details of the MLB’s bubble, which starts after the first-round series are over. Plus, who on the Cub...

In an unexpected scenario, Cubs pitcher Alec Mills threw a no-hitter on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers, the day before the anniversary of former star Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano’s no-no on September 14th, 2008. Carlos joins David Kaplan as they discuss Mills' no-hitter and relive his 2008 no-hitter vs. the Houston Astros. Then, the NBCS Chicago Cubs coverage team of Gordon Wittenmyer, Maddi...

Host David Kaplan is joined by Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer and Cubs beat writer Maddie Lee to discuss the Cubs’ recent series against the Cardinals and Reds. They also discuss how there isn't a magic number for the Cubs to clinch the division right now despite being in first place. Later, they passionately debate the future of Kris Bryant with the Cubs and if he should be in Chicago long term....

The Cubs remain in first place in the division and are almost a lock to make the playoffs, but will players like Yu Darvish be recognized for their individual efforts this season? Host David Kaplan and Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer are joined by award voters Jesse Rogers of ESPN 1000, David O'Brien of the Athletic, and Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register as they have a roundtable discussi...

Ian Happ gets hit in the eye, José Quintana is on the injured list and the Cubs are about to play their biggest rivals in a very important division-defining series. Host David Kaplan and Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the Cubs’ injuries, preview the Cubs-Cardinals series and if the Cubs have enough to take a bigger lead in the division, and discuss the state of the Cubs for the next 3 seas...

The Cubs sought to fill needs at the trade deadline and they certainly did, adding five new players to bolster the bullpen and bench. They were aggressive and now look to make a strong push for another World Series run. Host David Kaplan and Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the trades the Cubs made, how they will impact the team, and if they have enough to make a deep playoff run. (1:20) - C...

In an act of solidarity with many of the Black athletes across baseball and other sports in America, Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward chose to not play vs. the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. Heyward encouraged his teammates to play without him and do what they felt was right. Host David Kaplan is joined by the NBCS Cubs coverage team of Gordon Wittenmyer, Maddie Lee, and Tim Stebbins as they discuss if...

The Cubs are leading the NL Central and are doing so in part because the pitching staff is holding up. David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer are joined by Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy to discuss the first place pitching staff, Hottovy's journey to the majors and his thoughts on potentially adding a pitcher at the trade deadline. (1:16) - Alec Mills' performance vs the Detroit Tigers (8:30) - Hot...

It's been a long time since Chicago's baseball teams played meaningful games against each other but that time has come. Host David Kaplan is joined by Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer to discuss the upcoming Crosstown series with Chuck Garfien and Adam Hoge of the White Sox Talk podcast. Who will take the first series of 2020? Get ready for a matchup you're not going to want to miss. (1:45) - The Cu...

The Cubs have had a rough stretch recently but avoid losing 5 in a row. Host David Kaplan and Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the losing streak along with analyzing Kris Bryant's production or lack thereof at the lead-off spot. They also dive into the hottest topic in baseball, Padres star player Fernando Tatis Jr.'s grand slam and the "unwritten" rules of baseball. (1:28) - Kris Bryant is...

The Cubs continue to win and win in dominating fashion but can they keep it up? David Kaplan is joined by Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer, and Cubs beat writer Maddie Lee as they discuss the Cubs winning ways, and discuss a scenario where Cleveland star Francisco Lindor is a Cub. Later on in the pod, David Kaplan is joined by Connor McKnight, host of the Baseball from Home Podcast on the House of L...

With the Cardinals being shutdown by MLB for a coronavirus outbreak in the organization, the Cubs had an impromptu 4 days off after stringing together one of the best records in baseball so far. Will having the days off help or hurt them going forward? David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the delay for the Cubs, they also discuss Zach Plesac and Mike Clevinger breaking protocol and going out...

The Cubs are 10-2 but they still have a glaring issue that needs to be addressed in order to make a significant run to the playoffs, the closer. Host David Kaplan is joined by NBCS Chicago Cubs insider Gordon Wittenmyer as they discuss ways and options the Cubs can help their closing situations. Later on, they discuss did Theo Epstein take a shot at Joe Maddon and how the Cubs are leading the char...

The Cubs have the second best record in baseball, but the biggest story is that a second team has had an outbreak of the coronavirus in the Cardinals who the Cubs play this weekend. David Kaplan is joined by the NBCS Chicago Cubs coverage team of Gordon Wittenmyer, Maddie Lee, and Tim Stebbins as they discuss the Cardinals outbreak and what MLB is doing to combat it. Later on in the pod the crew d...

In the first installment of the NL Central round table, David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer were joined beat writers from the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. In part two they discuss the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates with Derrick Goold lead Cardinals beat writer for St. Louis Post-Dispatch and John Perrotto Pirates beat writer. The group discusses the early standings of the...

The Cubs are off to a great start in the 60 game sprint and look like they are well on their way to the playoffs. David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the fantastic start the Cubs are on, the pitching rotation and how long they can hold up, and they dive into the Marlins coronavirus outbreak and what that can mean for the rest of the league. (1:20) - Marlins outbreak (5:20) - Issues with the...

David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer are joined by David Axelrod, former advisor to Barack Obama, and now senior contributor to CNN to talk baseball and the Cubs. They dive into finally getting baseball back, the Cubs coming to the White House, and Axelrod tells stories of the split Obama household of Cub and Sox fans and his own personal connection to baseball and the Cubs. (1:45) - Axelrod's love...

With the season just about underway, the NL Central is up for grabs and it looks like it's going to be a tight race all the way through. David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer are joined by 2 representatives of MLB.com, Mark Sheldon beat writer for the Cincinnati Reds, and Adam McCalvy beat writer for the Milwaukee Brewers. The roundtable debates the NL Central rosters, and who has the best chance to...

In a mashup for the ages, the Cubs Talk Pod and the White Sox Talk pod join together to preview the 2020 MLB season as both the Cubs and Sox prepare to start. David Kaplan, Gordon Wittenmyer, and Maddie Lee are joined by Chuck Garfien and Vinnie Duber of the White Sox Talk podcast as they compare rosters, rank the best players between the two teams, and come to a decision on who they think will ha...

In the most unprecedented season in MLB history, teams must go through a tough shortened season in possibly the most difficult run in baseball history. Host David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer discuss the level of difficulty for teams to win a championship this year and they discuss the anniversary of the Ryan Dempster trade and the details that surrounded it. In the second half of the podcast, Kap...

Former Cub and now mental skills coach for the Cubs, John Baker joins the podcast with David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer to discuss the mental aspect the players are going through in the return to play plan. They dive into keeping players focused, how the lessons of Cubs psychologist, the late Ken Ravizza still impacts the Cubs, and how the Cubs are operating under the new guidelines. (2:23) - Bi...