TRANSCRIPT: Ep. 3: Transaction Wrap-up, Arenado, Lou Brock and Gary Sheffield trades, Pittsburgh Pirates

Text Transcript for Ep. 3

00:00:00 – 00:05:02

Woah to. Welcome to the new best rivalry in baseball. Hey, welcome everybody. Here we are ninety miles podcast. This is Ryan with Jesse who’s a brewers fan for some reason. I can’t imagine why. But whatever I’m representing the cubs here. And we’re gonna talk some cubs brewers baseball. That’s right. It’s up Assode three. I think we’re gonna hit the transactions episode. And I don’t know why anybody would be a cubs fan to be perfectly honest. So this should go. Well, okay. Sure. So let’s let’s just jumper. Let’s his jump right into. Spring training game. One cubs bruiser, which you know. I mean, how poetic I guess game. One sixty four where we were saying are you were saying prior to the game. Then you the marbles. Yes. Yes. All the marbles. Everything was on the line. Yeah. Opening game. The the Bruce sending out chase Anderson who led the league in home runs last year from the mound by giving them up. So you know, we wanted to ease your guys back in a little bit to the right? And it’s going early in the season. You know, get your spring started off, right? We felt kind of bad about one sixty three. I mean. Yeah. Kind kind of pretty much wrecked. Everything you guys did for the previous one sixty two. Well, maybe chase Anderson. You know, nice. Well, it’s washed away now with a eight to four cubs victory game one sixty four. So now, you know and you’ll go right in saying. Oh, yeah. They didn’t have their starters. But that’s. We had one starter. He led the league in homers. And I think that’s what really counts here. Okay. Home runs given up. Of course, the only good thing from the Bruce side if you wanna get into anything that game Corey Ray was brought up as a potential trade bait candidate all spring long for guys like Madison Bumgarner a couple of Cleveland starters, potentially. He went to for three and hit a bomb. So he had a nice, you know, opening to his spring training. He’s really the depth really at the center field position behind Lorenzo Cain. As far as the minor league system goes. So it’s kind of nice to see that. That’s really about one of the only takeaways you could really look at as a brewer fan. They’re like, you said there is no starters in the lineup, except you know, they threw you know, Davies and Anderson out there in the pitching side for a little bit. Otherwise, what do you got from the cubs perspective for that particular ballgame? Oh, well, primarily I mean not too many starters as far as pitchers too much. But I think the biggest thing was Kris Bryant hitting a bomb two for two in his first two at bats homerun and a single to RBI’s to read Homer looks like the shoulder is good looks like, you know, launch angles looking good everything. Everything looking good there. That’s very encouraging just to start off the spring like that, you know, after last year, and I I know he came out, and he’s he, you know, he had there is a lot of naysayers last year, you know, even even trade rumors and things like that. And he’s he kinda came out and said, you know, I’m gonna prove you all wrong and not only did he say that. But he’s he’s showing it. So that was that was great, obviously, you know, I. You know, I made that prediction but twenty five plus home runs by all star break for Kris Bryant. So you know, you aren’t counting spring training. Ryan. No, I I realized I want to make sure that that’s clear, we didn’t we? It’s the beginning. Couple of games in March. You know, this isn’t March. It’s still February. It’s it’s a good sign. He’s putting the ball in the air, and it’s going deep. So that’s the main thing for his game one their eternal hope spring training. You bet. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, I mean, we’re just getting going. So I mean, it’s hard to read into a lot of things this early in spring training. So yep. You know, but I I do think it’s worth reading into Chris Brian ending OMB run as a good sign because with his shoulder injury. He was not hitting the ball that deep. He he lost his launch angle and his strength. And so the fact that he already pulling out is a good sign. So sure even if it was off a chase Anderson. The brewers go. Shoulders. Okay. The launch angles. Good. He’s putting the ball in the air, and he’s putting a deep. So it doesn’t matter. I mean, you know.

00:05:02 – 00:10:08

Yeah, we hit as a matter of somebody. Sure. Burs just groove to pitch for Bryant. They wanna feel good. Yeah. It’s a little bayton. Switch for the beginning of the season. Okay. Striking right. Yeah. Whatever the only other big notable for the brewers side. I thought airman Perez here it’d be a couple of days ago when this airs I suppose went two for three and a ball game against the Rangers. And drove in seven runs it’s pretty tough to do that in spring training. He’s kind of penciled in as one of the two or three utility guys. Now that we stock has come over. But he’s going to be spelling Braun in left field at times he’s going to be playing some seconds some short some third. He’s gonna be a regular player. So to see him get off to a fast start in spring is a really really positive sign. Maybe there’s a little fire lit under their, you know, a lot of doubters, you know, thinking. He and spans you can’t split up. Second base. It’s not good enough. They bring in moose dacas. It’d be nice to see him play with a little bit of fire. He always did. But you know, a great utility guy to see him get going. He’s going to be playing every day. Whether he starting every day or not it’s a nice sign. That’s really the the big takeaways from spring training thus far for the brewers side. We’re only three games end. There’s a fourth game coming up this afternoon. Any other things you wanted to touch on from some of the cubs games that we weren’t paying attention to as much as game one sixty four. You know, not too much. I mean chat would still he game too. He pitched a couple of innings couple hits a walk and gave up a home run little, you know, he’s a question, Mark. But we’re gonna have to see he ended up actually getting the win. Anyways. Not the matters, especially being training that that was against San Francisco. Cubs won that nine to five shore hit a double. So you know, that was good. He’s he’s you know, I heard he’s he just read something today. I think I sent that over to you that he’s changing his approach going back to more his older approach, which I think could be interesting coupled with the discipline, and I that he’s had because I was one thing I mentioned before that it was just pitches. He was actually swinging at he just you know, wasn’t hitting Ryan I think he got inside his head. Head. And and we’ll see we’ll see how that evolves. The season. Yeah. But yeah, I mean not too much else right now you Darvish is is supposed to start today. So see how that goes. And. Yeah. That’s I think that pretty wrap pretty much wraps up the first three spring training games. I have noticed. The brewers have been on the radio around. Here haven’t been on TV around here. I finally got to watch their game yesterday a little bit the angels. It was nice to see some baseball finally on TV. I can’t believe the Bruce cubs weren’t televised. Unbelievable. But, you know, moving on there’s also some really big news in the market today. Sounds like if you’re ready to move on. We can give that. Yeah. The no Nolan aeronautical is signing an eight year extension that just happened. Literally minutes ago as far as us recording the podcast. So we’re reacting fresh in time this to me is a huge deal for a couple of reasons. Nola near Nado is a great fit in Colorado. He’s a great player. Incredible defensive player doesn’t get enough credit. Maybe even for that. But he does. So well in Colorado, don’t you have some splits for? Yeah. He I mean, it totally makes sense both for Colorado and for for Aaron Atto to sign an extension, which which we don’t see as much a lot of players like tests free agency and stuff. So it’s kinda this is interesting. But it totally makes sense. I mean, his home and away splits are are crazy. I mean home he has a career batting average is three twenty three seventy four OB p his oh PS ninety four but away is batting average to sixty three seven eighty seven. I mean he of most play. Players. I mean, it’s he clearly just plays so much better in Colorado. I mean, it is it would not make sense for him to to test free agency. It just doesn’t the solely makes sense. I know a lot of cubs fans have brought up the idea of nabbing him. And obviously some are probably disappointed in this news. But given though those splits, I I’m I don’t know. I don’t really see him being good as good of a fit anywhere other than Colorado. So I I don’t know if I agree with that entirely splits are one thing sometimes it’s just more comfortable to be at home spending your nights at home, you feel better the next day to I don’t think it’s all Colorado air that we’re worried about here.

00:10:08 – 00:15:01

But what I do think is way this relates to baseball itself. I think this is great news for the health of baseball. Oh, yeah. Looking at when you’re looking at the Machado market, and how slow it moved. Harper hasn’t even signed. Yes. Yeah. And for a home, you know, homegrown guy like air Nado to sign a contract like this two hundred and forty five million. It looks like over seven years, according to Bob Nightingale. I’m hearing numbers and seeing things like thirty five million av, which is you know, your average annual salary. This is great because it does a couple of things teams like Milwaukee half to grow their players. There is likely as Chicago New York and LA to be able to go out and get a guy like this. Those are where the big TV markets are for somebody to take an I don’t even think it’s really a discount when you start looking at what is going on with Machado and Harper for somebody to have the foresight and see what the new free agent market is and take what was on the table is a great sign for smaller markets. I think it’s a good sign for the future. The way baseball’s being set up right now teams are distributing their money more evenly. It’s not even at all. Don’t get me wrong. But you’re getting more money towards the bottom end. You know, your middle relievers are getting more and more money all the time. They’re also becoming more and more important the way the game is changing it really suits guys to go ahead and take a great offer, you know, become a quarter billionaire. Why not and stay at home? You’re already there. You know? What are you? What are some thoughts? You have gone into this. No, I I mean, I would say I’d agree with that. I do I do think that that though that there is something to say about the split. So with Colorado being a unique ballpark that that different players definitely play differently there than most ballparks. I I wouldn’t discount it entirely. I just think he’s I don’t think the splits. Tell the whole story is my no, I mean, I agree with you. You’re already home. You know, it’s where you’re used to. I think I always wondered that. It’s like. You know, in the end, I mean players tend to go where there’s the most money, but this is maybe an example of of this is a good deal anyways for him. This is plenty good. I mean to but you have that it shows that there is some value. Some of the players do value, both the security and comfort. So so, yeah, I think it’s good. It’s agree. I think it it makes the game feel more more human. When players do make moves like this rather than it just being about about the size of the contract, and especially this offseason with with Machado and Harper, you know, really playing playing that and going well into the winter and even with Harper into spring training now, I I would think that’s got to be frustrating. I mean, you’re working out. You’re ready to play. And you’re not on a team. You’re just leading. Yeah. Yeah. This is all this is all part of her tweet of the week segment. There’s a hundred tweets floating around right now this one from Jeff design Pasana breaking third baseman milliner not on the Rockies are finalizing eight year contract extension with more than two hundred fifty five million deal includes an opt out after three years would give Aaron auto the largest per your salary of any position player. I think that is key right there. There’s an opt-out. Three years. This is really describing a new a new construction to salary and contract. Type in baseball. This whole ten year business three hundred million that Harper Machado assumed everybody should be paying them seemed like a bit much, especially when you’re minor leaguers are making something like fourteen thousand dollars a year, we can spread the money out a little bit better. I know the players union is going to disagree with certain things. I’m about to say and have said, but I would like to see the money spread out a little bit more. And this also gives out oh that opportunity to bail after three. I’m not exactly sure what the details are on the opt-out if it’s a dual opt out or if it’s just him, but the opportunity for him to go make more money, if the market changes is there the opportunity for the mutual benefit is there. I think expecting three hundred million and ten years of commitment is too tough a pill for anybody to be swallowing as far as teams go. Well, too many of these too many of those contr. Acts failed. Yeah. Ten years a commitment. Probably being the bigger thing. I mean, it’s not the money. It’s the time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I would say so too. Yeah. So yeah, it’s interesting. You know, it makes me think about Kris Bryant. You know, I always thinking about about anybody else.

00:15:05 – 00:20:11

But I mean, you know, Kris Bryant. Is is you know? I think fans would love to see him stick around long term. So I, you know, I would love to see some kind of an extension rather than you know, testing free agency that would that would be very stressful situation as I’m sure it’s been for Washington fans. Oh, yeah. This this can’t have been fun to watch. And I’ll painful that that’d be off of your big nationals fan, and and Harper’s of your favorite players and then to have to go through this. And now, he’s you know, he’s almost certainly going to be leaving. Whether it’s Los Angeles or Philadelphia. I guess we’ll see. But or it seems like he and Boris. Yeah. There’s there’s still trying to leverage something, I’m not sure, I don’t know. I most of the time we’re gonna focus on cubs, and Bruce, I just feel like this particular transaction is kind of the opposite of everything we’ve been hearing last year and a half two years, and I think long term this kind of discussions going to be good for this program focused on the cubs and Bruce. You said makes you think about Kris Bryant on the brewers side. It makes me look at how they are structuring their deals. You know, if we move on today wrap of transactions for the brewers and the cubs for the season leading into our third segment here, if you start thinking about how the brewers structure things, you know, he has money grand L A one year deal with an option you Mike Masako something similar with an option. You know, you’re looking at structuring it a year at a time. Will you keep growing your youth and hopefully growing those young pitchers into something? That are fantastic. There’s a few trades. I wanted to touch on with the brewers. But why don’t you jump into some of your cub stuff from the the transactions over the the winter? And it wasn’t a ton of action. Yeah. What did you kind of want to speak on before? I go through, you know, the brewers trades and some of the things. Well, I mean, the cubs didn’t do a whole lot which I’m fine with. I mean, they didn’t need to do a whole lot. They just needed certain players would be healthy and execute, but but they did do a couple move. Which I barely mentioned. I think in the first episode when we kind of touched on this. But Daniel the skull so for one and and and Brock as another discuss. Oh, I think I mean that that piece makes sense. I mean, I think he’s sort of taking the Daniel Murphy role that he kind of played in the last half. Although I he’s maybe not quite as good. But but still experienced indefinitely can be plugged in there and certainly with. Addison Russell, and it’d be out basically the first month serving that suspension, which I suppose we’ll we’ll have to touch on at some point as well. Yeah. The cubs have had a an off season of things that you really haven’t wanted to talk about you. That’s the first time. I brought that up in here. We’re into the third episode. I don’t even really. I wanna keep it baseball focus. But at the same time, there’s some transgressions you can’t ignore. So we’ll we’ll get there. I’ll get there. But let’s. Let’s talk the finish up. The baseball transit. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, discuss oh, I think he adds adds a nice presence there. He’s a nice piece, and and you know, lefthanded batter. It’s just another piece for for Madden to play with with matchups. And and to fill in gaps as needed and give some people some recipe. And that’s you know, Madden. Does does quite a range of things as far as that. He really plays a match ups and likes the, you know, as as he calls them, you know, working with the the nerds, you know, that reg the numbers. So he he was also brought in a bit to kind of fill a gap of somebody that left, right? Oh crap. Forgetting. Well, well, Daniel Murphy the know well, partly that. Yep. And then Addison Russell, really. Being gone. You can put so in that second and havi at short. You know, if that favors the matchup, otherwise, you could have been so brisk that second, you know. So I think man will play around with that. I think we’ll see a lot of things havi will be at shortstop, no doubt until Addison Russell’s back. So arguably possibly after Russell’s back. We’ll see right. Russell is. He capable of sliding to second base. I mean, he’s got the talent. Or would you rather have havi go back to second? Because Russell Russell was decent. Very good defensive player. Yeah. Yeah. He’s he’s, you know, he sometimes has some issues with his throwing he had some throwing airs here, and there, I mean, I I I actually do think hobbies the better shortstop, but hobbies exit second baseman too.

00:20:12 – 00:25:01

So so yeah, yeah. It’s it’s really about putting the best lineup on the field. Anyway, if that means hobby. It’s second Russell’s probably a defensive improvement over discount. So, you know, things like that. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, the first month they’ll probably be a a range of some lineups there as they they work their way through the suspension game. So, but so yeah, discuss so, but I think broad Brad Brock is it a dog barking here. We’ll. Oh, that’s all right. Anyways. Brad. Brad brach isn’t interesting piece. I mean, he’s you know, he’s actually not too bad of a relief pitcher. He’s you know, he doing very well for he did very well for Zach Britton couple years ago in and filling in his role for the aisles as a closer. Actually, I do remember that particularly good years. I think I think it was with in seventeen twenty seventeen I think a very very good season. If I’m not mistaken twenty sixteen. Okay. Maybe that was a particularly good year. He’s on all made all star team. He had a to five ERA. Yeah. So that’s more in a setup role. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So yeah. I mean, he’s he’s an interesting piece in there. He you know, I was looking at you know, I like as I’ve mentioned before I love baseball reference site. And and you know, I was looking at. You know, similar similarity scores and number one similar pitcher. They got on. There is patriots Strope. Okay. So which is which is interesting. Yeah. So I mean, you know, he does have a lot of similarities there and. Yeah, I have no problem having another Pedra Strope in the cubs bullpen. That’s solid. The. Yeah. The bruise won’t mind seeing the same guy come out of the bullpen and the same game. That’s good. Oh. Yeah. The NIA Jack second guy. That’s okay. We don’t mind. I mean, the the cubs. It’s that simple. Right. They lost. Jesse Chavez and Justin Wilson, Jesse Chavez. I liked a lot. He was he was very effective. But it just didn’t work out to keep him. Justin Wilson was not as a fact of so not as concerned there now with the full starting rotation. You get Mike Montgomery back in the bullpen. And and kinda as it sits Tyler chat would I think in do some work from the bullpen as well. So you so you plug those in yet. Brad Brock in there. And then you got the other pieces that were that are still so round, you know, like Pedra Strope, you know, I think you know, it’s a pretty pretty solid bullpen Carl Edwards juniors. See shak? I know you like. See shack, right. Is a Madison boy if I’m not mistaken delivery, Ota, Wisconsin. Yeah. Not university of Wisconsin. They don’t even have a baseball team, which still boggles my mind different day. But yeah, that that is a pretty solid bullpen a couple of things, you know, getting to bullpen things at the birds did kind of the overlooked trade their off-season, I feel like they sent the fortieth picked to the Texas Rangers for Alex Claudia left handed reliever. Feels like that was a pretty important pickup to have a second left-hander outside of hater. Because heater isn’t really a a lefty specialist of any sort, but they lost Jennings sedan no off the roster from last year, the cool part about Alex Claudio. And this is where I got into, you know, our earlier conversation on this particular episode. A love the way that they build rosters the way that David Stearns approaches it is perfect for this market. He got a multi inning guy. So Claudia’s capable of pitching, you know, more than in any any time in need three. Three years ago club control. He’s got at least one minor league option two years ago. He was very very good. He had a two point five year as a one point zero four whip in eighty two and two thirds innings over seventy games. That’s excellent. Excellent production if he can get back anywhere near that. Again. That would be a stellar addition to the studs at the back of this bullpen last year. Not so good, you know, four four eight year. A will find out what first you’re pitching coach Chris hook has in store for them.

00:25:01 – 00:30:03

If they can get some things straight note. I’m sure they saw some things in his numbers that said, you know, that’s maybe a little more of an outlier. I hope that’s the case. But again the way that they develop at this level, you’re grabbing a guy somebody that could be really excellent out of the bullpen. And you’re locking them in for three years without having to pay him a ton. That’s what you have to do in a small market. If you go. Yeah. Really really could be a solid add to that bullpen you get back to a couple of other transactions. They may. Made you know earlier you did say that you didn’t feel like the cubs needed to do anything. One thing. I do like about watching David Stern’s work as even though they won ninety six games last year. And really didn’t have a ton of a ton of drop off coming back. You know, losing stock as losing a couple of minor guys out of the pen, what they did was strengthen up in some depth areas by trading guys that they really didn’t have room for after he adding yellow Gyaincain the outfield became super stacked and super deep with Santana. And Brockton both guys who had been starters the previous year and had some very major success in the big leagues. They basically ran out of space for them. So the brewers sent Domingo’s Santana after a really awful start last season. But he actually contributed greatly down the stretch as a pinch hitter was really important down the stretch, but they sent him out to Seattle. The the got a left handed batter. Not mat Gamel, Ben Gammel, met gambles, brother, actually, met gambles. Third base prospect for the brewers for a number of years, but he can play all three spots in the Oldfield. He’s you know, a little bit above average league numbers across the board. He could be a great battery-mate for Braun. He’s another left handed hitter. He’s got an excellent army sauce defensive highlights of them could be a really nice find for your fourth out fielder. He oh he can play center in a pinch. She’s not gonna be oh, he won’t be relondo Kane, but he would be you know, somebody that can stack in there once in a while great double switch candidate. They also got a young pitcher ngs Avalos. He’s a Harvard graduate. He’s been time between low A and high at a three point three area. So what they did is they gave themselves a nice bottom end prospect somebody that can contribute right away for Domingo’s Santana who is out of options, really the bruise do shuttle bus people back and forth to the minors a lot. It’s part of their strategy. Do the cubs. Do a lot of that. Or not. I don’t remember seeing a ton of that from them last year where they run the shuttle back and forth with some relief. Ours. Is that more of a smaller market thing? That’s happening or the cubs quite a bit of that too. A little bit of that. There are few. You know, they’ll it depends on on. I think kind of match ups a little bit. And also, you know, they are conscious of the fact that they need to give some of their minor leaguers some some major league experience. So you know, you last year it was mostly injury driven nets. That’s usually the case with most most other teams too. But the even still then, you know, they try to keep that, you know, you still gotta give that depth some experience no dodger league level because. Yeah, it’s just another. So, you know, people are really performing extremely well at AAA level. They definitely will. We’ll get an opportunity somewhere. You know? Sure. Well, the big reason I brought it up is the Bruce do run a shuttle bus back and forth for the middle relievers. A lot. And even last year they used eleven starting pitchers. So it’s not like they didn’t do it for that front end either. It’s a different way to manage the organization. They’re really managing a forty man roster. They’re not managing at twenty five man roster. It’s a different way to play the game. So they did do also to fill in some more spots that had developed kion Braxton he had been twenty twenty guy a couple years ago. I super sad to see him go high energy guy flashes. A glove that could be gold glove capable at times super speedy. They didn’t have any options left form in a crowded outfield. So they traded him to the Mets in return. They’re getting a young pitchers named Bobby wall who had an eleven point nine k per nine inning rate going on in the minors ninety five plus miles an hour, he stopped out at ninety eight ninety nine so another big arm that could develop into something. He hasn’t shown anything huge at the major league level yet. He actually got knocked around a bit for the Mets a couple of couple of cups. Coffees. What it really looked like we’ll see what the Bruce can do with them. But it’s another arm to add to that shuttle that was talking about another pitcher received in return young guy at hill. You know, major league baseball pipeline ranked him one thirty ninth and twenty eighteen so another good prospect, and then a strong low A candle candidate in him right now. And then another guy from the Dominican league Felix. Larry, oh, he played second third down there at a three nineteen four. Oh, nine four thirty three split. So, you know, just some young guys they’re filling back in they have emptied out the minor league system bit.

00:30:04 – 00:35:05

So they’re what I love about. What David Stearns is doing he’s adding some low level stuff along with major league capable talent. It’s a nice way to build the rostrum really excited about it some signings. We’ve already covered Spangenberg we’ve covered with stock us and grand all another couple of guys Josh Tomlin and another reliever named Patricia could actually play a role this year too. But that pretty much wraps the Bruce transactions for the off season. Well, talk more as they develop course. But that pretty much does it for the brewers side anything you wanted to add and the cubs side or any reaction to how you feel David Stearns has been building. I mean that totally makes sense, especially the way the teams built in being smaller market. I mean, it’s it’s just what you gotta do. And. You know? And I think it complements councils managing style as well. So I mean, it makes sense. It’s not gonna be enough to beat the cubs. But that’s enough last year. Barely barely barely. Yeah. Baby. Barely whatever. So yeah, I guess keeping the theme going on transactions. We wanted to move into the seventh inning year. Yeah. Let’s take the stretch. What are we doing today? Well, we we want to talk about some historically bad transactions. Oh, yeah. That’s pretty fun. Let’s rip on some people. Yeah. Yeah. So I I wanted to bring up which you know, and I remember this even as a kid hearing about it. Of course, my dad was a huge cubs fan. And he witnesses firsthand. And of course, you know, even many years later complaining to me about it. And you know. You know, we the cubs. It’s interesting. We talk about the cubs. And we, you know, everyone knows two thousand sixteen World Series or looked at as sort of this, you know, monster in the national division, but the majority of my life, the majority of actually the last century, they were not good. And did a lotta bad. You know, made a lot of bad transactions their favor long to most famous and most famous one was definitely. Trading. Lou brock. Basically nothing and that one that one hurt them pretty bad. I, you know, the main piece being Ernie broadly. Oh pitcher is the cubs. Got. There are a couple of others involved in the transaction. This is June fifteenth nineteen sixty four as a midseason trade. And of course, the worst thing about is. Lou Brock went to the cardinals of all teams. So. Yeah. That hurt. Yeah. Yeah. That would hurt a lot. Yeah. Broadly, only played another three years for the cubs with. Oh looks like a Ford seven or so E R A. In fact, he had a four year as the rest of the sixty four season. Then sixty five nearly a set he had a six point nine three and sixty six he had a six point three five. And then he was done while Lou Brock went on to have a hall of fame career. So, you know, I’m sure cardinals fans never never afraid to bring that one up our that. Yeah. Yeah. That. Yeah. That one that one hurt. So. Bring one that would sting a little bit. I’ve got one from the bruise that I was actually alive for. So that was a a Ricky bonus. Unfortunately, so back in nineteen Ninety-two as I recall, I remember Gary Sheffield coming up with the brewers a young kid. Oh, yeah. His rookie card has Todd. I do have it somewhere it somewhere. I should you know, make video of me burning that or something. I’m just kidding. Maybe I’m kidding. I don’t know. Anyway, I gotta find it. I but back in nineteen Ninety-two, you know, he’d won a rookie of the year. I think years before. He was not happy in Milwaukee at all. And he made it really really well known. And this ended up costing the Bruce quite a bit at the time. But Seelig was running the show. And or at least was the owner he had ripped or Sheffield at publicly ripped the owner. He had you know, basically sedated that he hated Milwaukee. So cubs fans, probably love chef. And he put them in a position where he was actually he admitted later, and I’m not sure if it was after his career lateness career that he was intentionally committing errors at third base, basically throwing the ball into the stands occasionally.

00:35:06 – 00:40:03

So there wasn’t much that Milwaukee could do accept trade him. Right. Unfortunately for Milwaukee he turned into an incredible offensive talent. He was good defensively for longtime till he got older hall of Famer incredible player. But basically they had to send them to the Padres. For Ricky bonus. And it was spilt looks like bones. But if I remember it is pronounced bonus. And he was basically, you know, back into the rotation starter fourth outfielder and a guy named Matt Miki, and then Jose Valentin who ended up being basically, a an adequate shortstop, you know, in return for that, the Padres got some control on, you know, one of the best offensive players we’ve seen in the last twenty years. So that was the brewers were trade that I could think of I also think as much as I love, David Stearns. I think that just in scope trade will be interesting to talk about here in a year or two even time this year. I don’t think it will be in the rankings with Sheffield. Don’t get me wrong. We didn’t I don’t think hall of Famer to Baltimore. But with hoping to get with scope was, you know, a year and a half a control at second base. And here they are signing is back instead to play second and scopes gone onto Minnesota. They had to release them. So that when turned awful, but Sheffi? You know, look pretty good in comparison. So that’s right. For a little seventh inning history this time and don’t forget to in the seventh. Inning segment we are going to do a lot of futuristic stuff. So that’s why. Trade. Go ahead. Yeah. Yeah. Wildcard kind of a segment. So yeah. I mean, it’s ninety miles connections. So exactly. Yeah. I know we wanted to mention about well, you know, more about them than than me Brooks Kieschnick. Yeah. Yeah. Interesting one cubs. Pick Tim tenth overall pick in the nineteen ninety three amateur draft. And you know. Thought thought that he had a lot of potential, of course, they picked him over Derek Lee. Chris carpenter torii hunter, so. You see, you know, those names, you might not know Brooks Kieschnick. But in any case, I know you then what happened is he played only played for the cubs for a little bit. But then most of the time was in the minors. And then was that and what two thousand four two thousand two thousand four. Yeah. Okay. With milwaukee. He resurfaced the brewers brought them in and he had developed as a pitcher by then. So now Bruce had him down to the minors. So this guy comes up this Brooks Kieschnick that nobody Milwaukee knows anything about. And I I mean, there might have been a few people, but t- he gets up there and he’d been brought up as a reliever, but he would pinch hit every once in a while. And I think he may have even played a little bit of left field and outfield for Milwaukee at times. He actually put up some old k numbers. You know, you take a look at it and his batting three. Now, this is sixty nine game seventy six plate appearances. So you know, what that means? He’s pinch hitting he hit me hundred. He hit hundred that he had seven dinger’s, and you know, basically, seventy at bats. So yeah, he was a little bit of a cult hero in Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Specifically being able to do that mostly off the bench in two thousand four seventy five games sixty eight. Appearances sixty three at bats hit two seventy the power decreased. And that was kind of the the end of the career the end of the line there. But he did do some pitching as well. You know, it’s not like he was terrible. I mean, two thousand three he was more of a hitter when he hit his, you know, his bombs, but he had a five twenty six yard. At least you could get some innings out of the guy. Three seven seventy are a the next year. He didn’t pitch a ton. He did have you know? I mean, he had a fair number of innings and stuff. But yeah. Brooks Kieschnick that was a name from the blast from the past there for. Yeah. I thought that was a fun one to bring up in the transactions. And of course, there’s a direct ninety miles connection. Having both been part of the cubs and brewers organizations. Absolutely. Yeah. That was a fun one. Yeah. So I guess that kind of leads us through that segment. We’re going to move on. And I think if you’re ready, we’ll do some predictions time for some predictions and ninety miles podcast dot com. If you look at the menu at the time. Up there. There’s a section called predictions. And we’re gonna log all of these there and track them so Bechir to check that out. And and we’ll be some stats on on. How we do on these predictions as well. Yeah. So we want our predictions to be a little aggressive to and have some fun with them.

00:40:03 – 00:45:10

So we’re we’re we’re not gonna play it save just in the two in the sake of beating each other. But if we do beat each other with bold predictions than it, really means something, right, right? So if if you’re hitting five hundred on these predictions, you’re doing pretty well, hopefully because these are supposed to be not so easy. You know? So I think that’s pretty fun. Yeah. Yeah. I’ve got I’ve got more of the fun oriented one today. And I got a bone to pick with you on that you have been getting after me on Twitter about Kyle shore for the last. I don’t know how many days just because I’m not a big fan. Whatever. It is what it is. Well, you always get after me to about Jimmy Nelson. So I got a little for you. Okay. Jimmy nelson. You know, let’s assuming assuming he’s gotten a little better, and he’s actually going to make it to the major league staff here. We’re all hoping for that. I don’t think you’re rooting against the guy that’s been injured. I’m not rooting against Kris Bryant just rooting against the cubs in general. But if Jimmy Nelson’s on the roster the cubs and brewers are gonna face each other isn’t nineteen times this year. I think something like that. I think Kyle shore is gonna hit less than two hundred against Jimmy Nelson. This year. He’s not gonna have a home run. He’s not going to have a home run. He’s not gonna have a triple and he’s not gonna have an RBI. Okay. Run nor triple nor. He might get. He might get a double norby is either. But of that I want to start with is just for the first let’s just do the first ten at bats. They face each other though. And then we’re re first ten at bats Nelson versus shore, which could take until July. We don’t even know if Nelson’s going to be a starter if he’s gonna be out of the bullpen arriving in the majors at this point on its shores in the lineup that day too, right? But okay. Well, you know, it’ll be null. And void if they don’t have ten, but they should they should have ten assuming injuries on either side. Right. So okay. So ten I ten at bats Schwarzer versus Nelson Shwe better though, better than two hundred no better than two hundred batting average. No triples. No home runs. No RBI’s. Right. He may get a Duggal here there. So something like that. Okay. And that’s just kind of a fun one kind of a weird one in kind. Of a way to know K. Yeah. That’s kind of a way to put our. I know my dog’s going nuts. Put some chips on the table with the two guys that we drive each other nuts with so. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I like that one. That’s a phone. We’ll we’ll track that. We will be definitely watch that. I mean, we we just got a c when Nelson is is pitching. And and it’s funny that you pick back because I got my prediction ready. All right. All right and years years is very specifically cubs. Versus brewers this season kind of one. And so as mine good. Yeah. We don’t talk about these before the show. We just bring them react. It’s more fun that way. Yeah. Yeah. No reason discuss but mine, you know, is the cubs face the brewers. It’s the third series of the season. That’s right, April fifth sixth and seventh three-game series. I’m just throw it right out there right now cubs. Cubs are going to sweep that series. While so I cannot believe the arrogance. Well, we’ll we’ll this one. You know, what’s fun about this? We’re gonna know whether I’m right on this prediction or not. Yeah. I games over. Yeah. It’s gonna be brewers win. There goes your prediction. It’s going to be well, Jimmy cage. Jimmy location or three times. We’ll be we’ll often rolling. It’ll be good. Oh, it’s going to be needed series. I mean, I mean, if you know we’re talking about we were joking with the spring training game about one sixty four but really that Friday game on April fifth is is really going to kind of have the feeling of one sixty four. That’s you know, I regular season matchup since since that game one sixty three. So it’ll be fun. The cubs are going to be have a fire there. They’re not going to be treating this. Like, oh, it’s, you know, beginning, April and stuff. This is gonna be you know, and I don’t think the brewers will either. I mean, this is going to be a pretty heated series. So I’m just going to throw that out there right now and just put put my chips on the table on that. All right to start the season. So that’s so that’s my prediction cubs. Sweep that series April fifth sixth seventh against the brewers. Oh, I can’t wait to laugh at you on the phone. It’ll be great. It’ll be I you know, I like maybe oh comes win that series two out of three. I’m like that’s on bold enough. I’m going for the sweep. All right. Well, one thing I want to say after that to make sure that you go and subscribe at ninety miles podcasts dot com because during these seasons series with the cubs and brewers when there’s a specifically close tight hard-fought series.

00:45:10 – 00:50:06

We may do a short half an hour drop podcast out of nowhere just covering the recap of it or maybe possibly a preview at times too. So if you like what you’re hearing. And you wanna hear something specific to reactions based on a specific game or specific series. You need to be subscribes. You know, when those things drop because we won’t be able to predict them all the time. We’ll always do our once a week podcast which will run anywhere from forty five minutes to an hour and fifteen but we wanna do at least one or two or maybe three of these drop shots where we just cover some Bruce cubs. Head to head stuff and talk nothing about. Yes. The cardinals nothing about the pirates nothing. About the history of the clubs and the brewers. We just wanna talk tonight ninety miles podcasts com. Go to the subscribe section and subscribe to the mailing list. Obviously. So you can still subscribe on I tunes to the podcast and all that. But if you subscribe to the mailing list, we’ll we’ll shoot out emails here. And there when we have new blog posts up, maybe we’ll send out an Email if you know, depending on how some of these predictions turn out or any other kind of related things we’re going to have some more blogs up on the site as well. So be sure subscribe to the mailing list because we’ll let you know when the podcast episodes drop as well. But also that way you can hear when there’s other things going on. Exactly. So just a couple of fans trying to have some fun. Join us interact with us, you know, hit us up on that stuff. Go ahead. Comments on a blog. If you like definitely hills on Twitter for sure. Yes. Definitely on Twitter, and yeah. And actually to on that predictions page, and I don’t know if you saw this Jesse. But I haven’t had a chance to look you just put it up. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. There you can comment on that page. So go ahead. And and you know, if anyone wants to go on there and comment on predictions were making predictions that ended up not being true or whatever. Woo. You know, keep those comments rolling all year. So that’s right. And we can get right on Ryan’s case immediately following game. One of that cubs. Bruce. Awful his predictions are. Yeah. Yeah. You know, the winning that game. Anyway, you can follow me at at brew winning or at Bruecker winning on Twitter. Where are you at again at wraps cubs win. Perfect perfect. So we wanted to transition from our predictions into covering team. We really have not talked about the season that would be the Pittsburgh Pirates. Who sneakily I believe when I don’t even have it pulled up. But I believe they were eighty to seventy nine last year. I don’t think they played one sixty two I played I think they played one sixty one we wanted to review them a little bit. We haven’t talked about them we focused really heavy on Saint Louis because well, they’re Saint Louis and then the reds with their up and coming season and offseason what’s up with Pittsburgh. Ryan, do you have anything to kind of lead it off with? Well. I mean, you know. Yeah, they were eighty to seventy nine so they’re above five hundred club. But of course, that’s still put them in fourth place. In the central that was last year in the central got even better. So we’ll see, you know. Well, a couple of things we wanted to hit on right away to the Chris Archer trade last season. We didn’t have a chance to wrap that that. I thought was a very interesting maneuver they gave up Tyler glass now, Austin meadows, and the player to be named later ended up being a young man named Shane Baz. Who might be the best one of all three when it’s all said and done they had all been top one hundred prospects at some point. And that was the go get a guy in Chris Archer that didn’t necessarily light things up. Once he came over. I don’t know if you’ve got him pulled up at all. But I know there was a lot of teams in on him last year. No, the brewers were rumored to be in there. Of course, the cubs might have been rumored to be an after him to were. They are not. I don’t recall. I don’t really recall that. I don’t think you guys were looking starting pitching. So it may not have been one that you goes Rafter. We’ll call hamels. Oh, yeah. That’s what am I. Thinking, of course, which I would obviously rather this isn’t the rivalry Cole hamels. How could I forget that? Yeah. But yeah, he he no yet. Well, yeah. All of two thousand eighteen he wasn’t particularly good for thirty one ERA. That’s four thirty. Four thirty one with Tampa Bay and then four thirty with Pittsburgh consistently. Not good then. Yeah. No, nothing really not give him some credit.

00:50:06 – 00:55:03

He does have a couple of all star appearances twenty fifteen. He had a two nine. Oh, ERA 2017 another all star parents three four area. So the young man, and he’s still fairly young is capable of some pretty good stuff. Yeah. It looks like. Then Cy Young voting in that two thousand fifteen season. Clearly there, you know, obviously, Pittsburgh was looking at potential more. So than right. You know, proven talent. So to correct myself, by the way, I’m sorry. I quoted his fifth numbers his area was three two three and four zero seven respectively in fifteen and seventeen. So it’s like he’s been he hasn’t been crazy good. But yeah, there’ll be expecting some some more return out of the nice part is I do believe they got some club control out of them. Isn’t that? Correct. Yeah. I believe that’s correct. I think all remorse control. Definitely the biggest surprise of the deadline at the time. The the pirates went into the all star break hot. They swept Milwaukee five games. The none that was a horrible series to watch. But yeah, the giving up glass, no meadows and Baz. I don’t know. I don’t know. We’ll have to see what Archer does I’m not a fan. I wasn’t a fan of the trade at the time. They gave up too much in my opinion. I don’t know where your opinion on. It is. Oh, yeah. I mean, it it wasn’t that good. But then again, it’s like well there, you know, it’s crowded enough in the central. So I don’t know. I’d I’d rather don’t some of the. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati especially saying Louis, unfortunately, they did did the opposite this offseason in greatly improved rather see them, you know, all those teams not improve including the brewers. Well, of course, I mean, that’s that’s so. So so I mean, I, you know, I don’t I it’s hard to have a strong positive emotion about another team in the central or well, let me let me give it a go. I’ve got some things pulled up. I think the pirates actually have a release strong pitching staff in general. You’ve got Jameson Tyrone who’s excellent some electric stuff. He was fourteen and ten with the three to Yari last year. Trevor Williams who doesn’t have the same kind of stuff also fourteen and ten but a better area. Three eleven Joe musk grove, Chad, cool and Archer roundout a pretty good rotation. If you look at it Archer might be your number three guy there on a good year grove and cool aren’t bad. Guys. You go to the bullpen. They added kion Keila from Kansas City last year to go with sleep a Vasquez who is an all star level closer with some electric stuff. They’ve got a couple young arms and Kyle creek and Richard Rodriguez that could be very good. I think overall their staff. F- is really it’s really set up to do some successful things. They absolutely have the possibility in my opinion to be right around that five hundred Mark again, I don’t think they stack up with Milwaukee. I don’t think they stack up with Chicago or Saint Louis they look like a fourth place team. But that’s mostly due to what I’m seeing from their lineup. If there’s some sparks there. And they’re over five hundred team, you know, from my perspective. I hope they as snag some games from Saint Louis, and and Milwaukee so and the cubs. Well, not that. But oh. So. Yeah. And I guess since we’re talking about pirates and we’re talking about transactions. We wanted to just bring up Rama’s Ramirez. Oh, yeah. That’d be kind of fun almost bonus seventh inning. But also and Al central breakdown kind of sure right? He’s got he’s got some pretty legit ninety miles connections. And then, of course, connected to the pirates, of course, to cubs cubs acquired him from the pirates, and he had a great career with the cubs. He was one of my favorite players while he played. He’s he’s one of the best third baseman that played for the cubs, in fact, Iran ah pull it was while ago month, maybe a month ago or more it was in January sometime. Yeah. Yeah. Greatest cubs third baseman of all time. And he he he got a lot of love. In fact, I think he pulled second on that Ron Santo, of course, is a legend. So sure he got her first. But but Ramirez got a lot of love and Kris Bryant rightfully. Right now got third in that poll. Of course, he’s still got more. You know, he’s got a play get some more years with the cubs before people to that.

00:55:03 – 01:00:00

But Ramirez, no, he was very solid with the cubs. And but yeah, he went from the pirates to the cubs and then to the brewers. That’s right. And they signed him as a free agent. Yeah. Yeah. So I was actually going to ask you how what was he didn’t do too bad? He had some decent years there too. He really did. I don’t have them pulled up right in front of him pulling them up right now. But I do remember when he came over. It was on a pretty competitive brew team. They’re were trying to make some pushes to get towards the playoffs. And in fact, he came in after that twenty eleven season in which I believe Milwaukee ah lost the Saint Louis. Stupid cardinals. And anyway, the twenty eleven season when they’re a couple of games shy of the World Series. It came in and followed that up actually batted three hundred you know, he has six hundred thirty plate appearances. He was by no means over the hill playing. I mean, he was thirty four years old. So it wasn’t what we used to see some in some of the categories but twenty seven home runs led the league with fifty doubles in two thousand twelve. Yeah. Nine zero one oh PS super big Opie. He’s followed it up thirteen with an eight three one PS, which is still really good. Remember my prediction a week ago about six guys over eight hundred plus a part time player over eight hundred. That’s a stretch that’s hard to do being over eight hundred and Opie S is a very explosive type of batter and year. So yeah, he had a couple of excellent years twenty thirteen it was I think there is some injury plagued things because he only log ninety two games. So got shortened up a bit. But twenty fourteen he went in. As an all star for the brewers. So he’s got three all star appearances. You know, thirty three percent of them are with Milwaukee. Which is a great way to tie, the ninety miles podcast together really really a class act guy came to play every day. It wasn’t from what I could see brew fan. I don’t know how cubs fans felt about them. But I was I was very happy to have them for a couple years. They’re a perfect. No cubs fans. Loved ramirez. He was great. You know, and he put up some huge numbers with the cubs to you know, he had four years in a row four to seven. He had nine hundred over nine hundred Opie s for seasons in a row. That’s huge. You know, he’s always around that three hundred batting average young. Yeah. And then, you know, he really. You know, many quite a few seasons over one hundred RBI is he’s always good for, you know, round thirty or so home runs. Yeah. I mean, solid player. You know? It was nice. I remember when he really came to be really started playing regularly at third after a few seasons. You know, he was often brought up. It’s like oh the cubs. Finally got a regular third baseman again. They haven’t had one since Ron Santo. So and now, hopefully that’s the case again with Chris Bryant, we’ll see although Kris Bryant could play left to and stuff like that. So yeah. No. But it’s not the day of the regular position player so much anymore. But you know. But in any case. Yeah, it’d be fun. It is cool and he gets wrap up as career to he played his recently twenty fifteen for Milwaukee. I it has the season he got shipped over to Pittsburgh got to finish his career with the pirates. If I’m not mistaken, those particular pirates pretty good. I thought it was a playoff push. But now I don’t recall one hundred percent, but that’s still only a few years ago. Absolutely. A great career for Ramirez. You know, you might be able to make an argument that it was a hall of fame career. We’ll wait and see on that. We’ll talk about it some other day. But that was the two thousand fifteen pirates which actually yeah, they did make the wildcard along with the cubs and lost that while car game to the cubs. Well, there’s that’s a wrap on a career. Isn’t it you start in Pittsburgh, go to Chicago. That’s where you blossom play a little Milwaukee ship back to Pittsburgh and lose the cubs weird. Is that but yeah, that’s a that’s a great tight up for sure on him. The only other thing that we haven’t talked about at all. I just wanna touch on it. Pittsburgh’s lineup just briefly. They could use around us Ramirez. They’re not strong in the lineup. They’ve got some guys that get on base. One thing that they do. Well, they don’t strike out a lot and with good pitching staff that can go a long ways. I don’t suspect that Pittsburgh will be in the wild card hunt. But they do have the staff to be a very they have the staff to be a thorn in everybody’s side. So this’ll be an interesting season in the central. But yeah.

01:00:01 – 01:00:33

Yeah. Well, I think that actually wraps us up here today. I think so. Yeah, Ramos Ramirez, wrapped little short reverses Nelson. That was a pretty good day. Pretty good day. Talk in baseball couple of fans hanging on. Yeah. So. Yeah. Ninety miles podcast dot com. Gets us on Twitter, and we’ll be back again next week. Go Burs cardinal suck. Go cubs cardinals. And the Bruce soccer Cup suck. Cups.