TRANSCRIPT: Ep. 6: April schedules, projected NL Central standings, Cubs v. Brewers opening series

Text Transcript of Ep. 6

00:00:00 – 00:05:02

Woah to. Welcome to the new best rivalry in baseball. Welcome in everybody. If it’s your first this is our sixth. But this is the ninety miles podcast, what is ninety miles. It’s ninety miles from Wrigley. Ville to the Miller park parking lots to the smoky Braatz and the beers in the yard the yard games throwing some bags. It’s a good time. What we’re here to talk about is the cubs and the brewers and the rivalry. We have going on really got fired up last year coming off of a, you know, a great season really for Milwaukee. Chicago obviously had an excellent season as well. You know, kind of getting into the opening conversation. This is Jesse. I’m here with Ryan. He’s the cubs fan out there. Ryan good. Yeah. I don’t know what you’re talking about Miller park parking lot being where it’s out when it’s really actually the Wrigley bleachers. But you know, whatever, whatever you say. Yeah. If you haven’t I can’t say that Chicago, people know what tailgating is because how could they in that city? It’s it’s too much. Not tailgating what it’s all about absolutely positively one hundred ten percent. But then also the baseball game is important, and we get into that. That’s what we’re here to do today. We’re gonna talk a little bit. We’ve got the first month we wanna break into the schedule. It is that time the seasons actually officially begun. There was a game at four thirty this morning and just a couple hours ago. If that tells you what day it is when we’re recording this the as the as the care the Mariners nine two seven and the season is officially begun. It started week before. Yeah. Week before everybody else does we want to get into some different things today. We wanna talk are. You know, this is going to be. A big episode. We want to get into the National League central prognostications where you and I think things are going to lie. I think we both know who we think’s going to win the division. Yes. To see interesting to see my, thanks. Yeah. We’ve got a good tweet of the week from Ken Rosenthal. The kind of stirred up Twitter a little bit yesterday. And we’re definitely going to start talking about that first weekend series between the cubs and brewers that’s gonna hit on April fifth. Can you believe it? We’re actually what a week away from opening day. Then that who weeks? Yeah. Two weeks to the cubs brewers. Rate rate near the top of the season, that’s a huge huge series. And obviously we’re going to be all over that. Because that’s the whole point. That’s what we’re we’re talking about is is which is the better team in. What’s the better way? To prove that the cubs are better than sweep in that series. I dated a couple of episodes ago. Yeah. That’s a real fan. Girl prediction there. Sweep. Okay. Yeah. Well, and I guess speaking of of predictions we’ll have make some other predictions couple predictions. This episode about the central and also was the end of this episode will will be making some other predictions as well that may or may not have to do with that cubs. Brewers series. Absolutely have to do with that cubs Burs for series. Well, yeah. Well, yeah. And we’ll be also be you know, for seventh inning segment we’ll be talking a little bit about the history of the National League central division. So that’ll be if you if you’re new to the podcast, we always liked to do something. Inter interesting. We call it the seventh inning or the seventh inning stretch or the stretch. Whatever you wanna go with a lot of times. It’ll be a historical aspect that ties. The two cities together the ninety miles podcast. Right. That’s that’s the theme. You know? It’s the rivalry. That’s built up between the cubs and Bruce. But also we want to talk about the past. There’s been other baseball teams in Milwaukee that have played National League ball the Braves, for instance. And it’s just really fun to break it down a different way. It’s an angle that not. I don’t think anybody else is bringing up very often. Certainly we focus in on it a little bit more. We also jump into the future. There’s a past episode where we talked about AI managers. But I think that pretty well covers the layout of this particular episode. Are you ready to jump in? Yeah. Let’s let’s go. All right. Sure. I’ll lead it off a little bit. So the brewers something that hasn’t been brought up a lot. I’ve been paying attention to hear when the schedule came out. I looked at the first month of the season. And everybody likes to talk about how early season baseball doesn’t matter that much you can make up for later in the season that is somewhat true. This sees the brewers not. Well, well, let’s see here you do keep talking about how the cubs went what? Eight and one against the Burs early on. But who won the division? Right. Yeah. You can make up for it. Well, you can. But you barely barely. Did. It took a an extra game a tie and then an extra game.

00:05:02 – 00:10:00

But but it got made up for that’s the point. I mean, if you if you, you know, if it it’s, you know, brewers were able to even take one or two more games than they did to start the drew. We you know, never would’ve came down to it. Yeah. What a chance everybody’s everything. You know going into the playoffs. Brewers might have had a better chance. And then they did. Yeah. Okay. I don’t think 163 hurt them in the playoffs. If that’s what you’re getting at the dodgers Rockies also played an extra game. But that’s all sidetrack. What I wanted to get in the first the first ten games for the Bruce. Check this out. Ryan, I don’t know if you’re aware the first ten games are all division games for Milwaukee. We opened with a four-game set against the cardinals. Everybody loves the cardinals. And then a three-game set against the reds day off and then our series with the cubs that we’ve been driving at ten straight games within the division to open the season. Well, that’s that’s that’s going to be something to watch as a cubs fan. I, you know, obviously have to well it’s tough with the cardinals. I mean, I feel like the cubs cardinals and brewers are really kinda even handed select when the brewers play cardinals. It’s really kind of tough for me too. I mean one team has to win. But I don’t know if I have much of a preference, right? The red some ferried right away. I read to the reds. I hope they’re they’re pesky when they face the brewers especially at the beginning of the season that that good. Contrast that by the way, I I was looking on the cubs only play six games in the first twenty eight games within the division the brewers series. And then a three-game series with the pirates. That’s it in the first month. Well, that’s that’s a very light opening schedule. Yeah. Well, I mean, I don’t mean late in competition. I just mean division right impact. Yeah. Long term impact the month the month that the brewers have to open with is going to be a very is going to have a very serious impact on the entire season. Six we have their first twenty six games are division games. We add the pirates in the cards again. The other ten games are three with the angels. Right. There’s a west coast trip in the first month to write. Let’s do the twenty six division games. Let’s throw in a ten you know, what is it a six or seven game west coast trip? Three at the angels, three at the dodgers. I believe and then basically the Burs play the dodgers seven times in April. And that’s the last time. They. Them. These are the two teams that met for the championship series. And they’re going to be done in the first month of the season. It’s a really I’m not saying it’s a bad schedule or anything like that. It’s just a really intense way to start a season these. Yeah. You know, let’s say it comes down to dodgers brewers for something. Whether it be a wildcard spot or a home field advantage about whatever the seven games that were played at the beginning of the year are going to be vitally important. Oh and aware that standing ends up. It’s it’s an intense opening schedule. Honestly, if the birds come out of this month even sitting rate around five hundred or even a game under I ain’t gonna feel bad about it at all. There’s a lot of ground that can be made up against the lesser teams. We will agree. The National League central is going to be tough. I, you know. But I mean, just because the cubs only six within the division the teams they’re playing aren’t are necessarily pushovers. They do they play to Texas than three at the Braves. They play they play the angels at Wrigley. Then there at at the Marlins Diamondbacks Diamondbacks. They play six times in April. Now now the Marlins are weeks. Spot in that that and then dodgers it doesn’t do play three against the dodgers as well in April. Okay. Well, that’s interesting. So the dodgers and the brewers or the cubs in the brewers both tie in with the dodgers very early in the year. That’s that’s three oh, probably three out of the forest series for those three ball clubs that are all getting out of the way in April. So that affects the dodgers in a weird way too. But that’s interesting. I didn’t realize that. Yeah. Dodgers are going to be at Wrigley on the twenty third twenty fourth and twenty fifth. But yeah, they the cubs do play the Diamondbacks to series. So that’s going to be. Well, the Diamondbacks are okay. But they’ve traded away Goldschmidt. You know? They’re they’re in a little bit more of a retooling rebuilding type mode. We both get the angels early in the season. Which is interesting. You know, we have a very happy Mike trout in a very wealthy. Mike trae one hundred thirty million dollar extension. Kind of. Big in your face, Bryce Harper. But anyhow. You’re gonna pay somebody half a billion dollars the guy to pay dad’s.

00:10:00 – 00:15:01

He got paid appropriately. I mean, we can hype Harper whatever, but, but you know, appropriate to the market. Yeah. A lot of people are very upset with the kind of money that is talking about. But that’s more of a an open market thing. And we aren’t getting into the politics of this today. Let’s not go down that road. But no, basically tell me what you expect to your cubs for the first month of the year. What are do you want them to kind of be hanging out at like, I said I’d be okay with the brewers rate around five hundred because this is not not an easy opening to the season. We’re feel like you want your cubs with the Marlins with a slightly weakened six Diamondbacks. Six games against them. The dodgers, you know, of course, being a tough team. Oh, three against the pirates to there. I I mean, I definitely would definitely want to see the cubs over five hundred. With that month. The you know, the other thing I wanna talk about with this first month versus last year is they in one I like the I like the start of the season for the cups. I like the schedule. I like how it starting? I think the biggest thing is Wrigley field in April can be extremely unpredictable and oftentimes pretty unpleasant unpleasant place to play. Now. That’s. Last year. You know there. Let’s see they play. They ended up having five games postponed due to weather in April two of them. They made up that month. And of course, the other three were made up later in the season. That’s not a fun way to start the season there the home opener was postponed by snow. So there’s a roof and Miller. That’s why the broiler park has. Well and say I mean this year the the first twenty eight games asserted the season only twelve of them are at Wrigley field. So that’s better. And the away games are mostly in in nice nicer locations, including Milwaukee with rough. But then also tag, Atlanta, Florida Arezzo Anna, I mean. Problem. No should not have the same problem. He had last year. I remember in our. Our text group that we have the kind of inspired this whole program. I remember a lot of whining at the end of the year last year about doubleheaders and never a day. Oh, yeah. It was just maybe you should just update Wrigley field roof on that. So. Right. Okay. I wouldn’t change Wrigley field. But they could have scheduled you better. I get that. Well, they did. And that’s what I’m saying. They did schedule it better this year. So that that’s that. I like about it. I think that will help. I mean, it’s just hard this this sort of the seasons. Always hard pitchers are still, you know, getting into things the hitters are just getting back, you know, back into things. I mean, you got spring training. But it’s not until you’re really really playing you know, that that I can be tough. And it’s especially tough when it’s bitter cold. You’re you’re you or or on days you get all set up to play. You’re ready to go and then the games postponed. And then you gotta play the next day when you’re anti spitting day off, and it just really can be I can’t imagine mentally and even physically to and I know they did play a few games where it was you know, sprinkling almost mix of snow and like in the forties. And just I mean that now it either team should have much of a problem with this year the first road trip from a walkie. Cincinnati that could have some weather back to that. They go to after that to go to LA for, you know, basically seven days six games. And then there’s a Saint Louis trip, you know, towards the end of April. The only thing is they finish out April with three games at the Mets. And then they get Colorado at home. So at the Mets, you know, late April could be kinda fishy and the Cincinnati series. You know, they might miss a game there. But that’s not that’s not tough to make up when it’s in division. You got, you know, seven nineteen games scheduled. You throw double header in or add day off. They could play Thursday instead of Wednesday if they have problems, so I’m not I’m not too concerned. Yeah. Laugh that way. There was a game. They had to make up with Atlanta. Later in the year. So that that. Yeah. I mean, then you end up with a makeup game. When you’re supposed to have a day off. You got a, you know, scoot around unreasonably. Yeah. It just it was a mess. It was not good.

00:15:01 – 00:20:08

Yeah. But. But anyways. Yeah. I that’s so so I don’t know if you know. I would say all the cubs. Played twenty eight games. Twelve of them at home. I I’d like to see him. I think eighty. Okay. Teen in ten. Something like that. You bet. That’s that’s what I’d like to see the cubs zoo that. That’s an aggressive prediction. That’s that’s a Suming. They’re gonna win two to three every series, essentially, what that adds up to be sweeping the brewers. There’s. They could. You know, you’re gonna lose that bet on game. One man. Forget. I’m just I’m looking at this sixteen to twenty six games in division. Milwaukee needs the just hold their own get through this portion of the schedule. Well, if they come out well ahead well over five hundred lookout because now they’re getting into the if they dominates, you know, though, if they win ten the sixteen division games look out that not good news for the rest of the division. That would put them in a really great position. There’s two ways to look at it survive this first month, or if you’re really good you’re going to be putting yourself into an excellent spots to stay ahead of the pirates. The cardinals potentially the cubs the reds. So I’m I’m excited for this first month, it’s going to be intense. It’s interesting to see what’s going to happen with the rotation from a walkie nothing settled yet except for Yuli Shas seeing the ways looking they did add another reliever yesterday. If we get towards the tweet of the week, there was a little bit of a rumor, are you ready for this? Yeah. You heard about this? I I have. So you don’t sound excited about it. Well, rumors are rumors whatever, you know. Well, when it’s Ken Rosenthal. It’s a little more than a room or tweet of the week comes from Kenny Rosenthal. And Robert Murray who covers the Burs for the athlete. Both guys are athletic writers brewers talking to free agent closer Craig kimbrel. Sources tell me and Robert Murray who’ll man doesn’t that sound nice? Hello. You had about a very similar reaction to a lot of cubs fans on Twitter from not mistaken. Yeah. I, you know, I it’s just a rumor, so I’m not gonna read much into it. I, you know. It’s a rumor, and I don’t know. I’d rather I’d rather see him actually come to the cubs. But full, of course, he would. But it’s it’s more than a rumor, I feel like it’s more like a nightmare for you. Now. I would stretch that far. I mean, you know. I still have that. It’s not, you know, I, you know, maybe maybe with kimbrel you’d give the cubs the edge. Oh, yeah. Hater Canabal kimbrel. Maybe Jeffress if his arm is good. Albert’s bouncing. Oh. That’s all. They got. That’s all you got is the yeah. Yeah. The best bullpen in the league. That’s bowl. Bullpen on the does so much. But if the rest is like only so not good. We’ve we’ve both agreed the on has become one of the most important elements. I’d say it’s more important than your starting pitching. Well, we’re just but that’s just the pitching. What about the hitters? You know, better all those are all the regressive. That’s that’s going to be happening from last year. Yeah. You’re not gonna have six people have career years again. So we didn’t have six people have careers. There was one one maybe Hasters Agee lower. But honestly, he just finally got his first chance we don’t really know if that was a career year just what he’s capable of. Oh, come on. If you’re if you’re bypassing it and you’re not that concerned about kimbrel. Let me let me point out a couple of the cubs fans on Twitter here. Let’s see at official lists twenty two. I just caught up on Twitter from three hours ago and saw the Kimball thing if he signs with Milwaukee, I’m going to lose my Gat damn mind. Go get him fado and also Tom Ricketts leapt, the spend some frigging money. When you heard it. Yeah. And that’s far from the only the only Twitter panic that. I saw from cubs fans yesterday. Shared a few of ’em my handle at brew winning. If you wanna see some of the fun stuff. We’ve had going on lately. Yeah. Yeah. And I’m at wraps cubs win. And I you know, I share many of the emotions some of those cubs fans because I do think given the state of the cubs bullpen Kimber would be worth it.

00:20:09 – 00:25:04

I said that before I I’m not sure if I said on soda or not, but I maybe to you. But I’ve thought that that that would be a helpful piece. I think of anything with the cubs. The biggest question Mark is the bullpen. There’s a lot there. But there’s also a lot of some injury issues and things to that you want to downplay its importance when we have this conversation. Yeah. ’cause now now it’s not as important. Well, if the cubs got Kimbrell that would be that would be a good get for the cubs. Absolutely. He’s going to be a good get for anybody. This guy is one of the best closers. Did he have a rough patch in the playoffs last year? Sure, you know, but he’s going to be a huge edition wherever he lands. Yeah. Oh, yeah. If you know. Is I don’t know. If he lands in Milwaukee, it’s gonna be it’s going to be. Well, if he lands in the NL central better be the cubs. That’s all I’m gonna say. Otherwise, just go. Elsewhere. Go fly a kite. Is that what you’re saying? Yeah. I I don’t know. It was just kind of a fun thing that came up yesterday. It is just a discussion who really knows how far they’ve gotten into this. It’s just one thing is, you know, I guess you have to listen into the next episode. Because by then I’m sure we’ll know where he’s where he landed. Yeah. So we’ll have to bring it up again next episode and see, but well, the good news is if he ends up with the cubs. It’ll be a lot like what the brewers did. With Darvish drive that price up. All right. I’m with you just make it like eighteen years, you know, twenty million a year for kimbrel. Good enough. Cubs can have them. All right. That’s obviously an exaggeration. You don’t sound excited about any of this, dude. I don’t get it. It’s such an exciting time to be a fan in the central. Yeah. It it is okay. There’s some dead air. All right. I’m excited. I was having fun with it. I understand Ryan’s not as excited about the tweet of the week. But if you did end up flip-flop into the cubs. It would be a huge yet for them. And I think it would it would be an evening out of the of the division a little bit. At the bullpen side. The other thing that we wanted to talk about two we’ve got our Twitter handles out there. Always follow us and get after us Kevin have some fun with us. But with there’s also Facebook group now ninety miles cubs. Versus brewers. You can just search cubs brewers under groups joined the group talks smack there. If you’re not on Twitter. That’s why we put it out. There have some fun with that for sure. Facebook page as well. And and you know, an end check out our website ninety miles podcast dot com. And there’s a subscribe Lincoln, the top subscribe to the mailing list there to absolutely that way. You’ll know there’s a real good chance. We’re going to drop maybe a short half hour wrap up episode after that first week and hopes brewers we want cover, you know, some of our prognostications predictions. And you know after after the Bruce sweep the cubs. I’m gonna wanna give. So we gotta get on the air and do it. So if you’re subscribe, you’ll get the notice when that episode heads, so. Yep. Yeah. Well, let’s see here. They’re kind of leads us through the next set up. You know, we talked a little bit about the opening schedule for the two clubs. It’s going to have a pretty big impact on the NL central. Don’t you think? So. Well, yeah. I guess that’s what we’re gonna talk out talk about how how the NL central might lay out here. So yes, let’s you know, we talk brewers. But I, you know, a big piece of the season because of the games we play within the division. We obviously often talk about the pirates and the reds and the not very likable cardinals. Yeah. No. And so yeah. So let’s let’s talk a little bit about the NFL central this Caesar. So well, let’s to lay out last year. We all know what happened with Bruce in the cubs. The cardinals got swept by the brewers heading in late in the season. They still ended up with eight wins very respectable not terribly far out of a wildcard spot. The pirates won over they were over five hundred. They finished eighty to seventy nine the reds. Did not quite make it to seventy win sixty seven and ninety five. But they are obviously the ones that were will really we’ve talked about it plenty, but they were very exciting.

00:25:04 – 00:30:00

Offseason added some pieces that should make them at the very least fun to watch. So that’s kind of how it finished some of the changes yet plea adding camp you get over to the cardinals. And they. I don’t even think about it that Goldschmidt and Andrew Miller huge ads. The defense will be improved for the cardinals the pirates didn’t do a whole heck of a lot. But they do have one of the best looking rotations and overall staffs in the one eighty two game. Yeah. So that your they were all last year. Now, I mean, probably some of that was expensive the reds, which might balance out. I mean a bit more because I think the reds will do better than last. And for sure I agree and five of those pirate wins were a five game. Sweep of the Bruce going into the all star break you talk about how. A long heavy schedule to end the season. The brewers head something like twenty three twenty four twenty five straight games to finish up the first half where they were. Well ahead of the cubs for awhile. And then that five-game sweep just basically put them behind the eight ball, and they were playing catch up the rest of the way. So the pirates caught the Bruce at the right time that well then that point last year to schedule it is. Yeah. Yeah. I mean that goes to show a kind of an impact on not having any days of rest can really have that you end of getting swept by the pirates like that. Well, and there two or three of those games were it got to the ninth inning eighth inning the bruiser up late. And then it started raining the kept playing the game got tied. And then the pirates, you know, walked it off in the rain because nobody could run around in the oilfield anywhere. It was just it was a really really bizarre frustrating series to watch. I’m not gonna forget that one for a while. You’re not happy around that. No. I was fine with it. I’m sure you were. Yeah. You know had dominated the opening series with the brewers opening group of series. And then you know to have the Bruce implode like that after they were basically dominating everything else. Just couldn’t beat the pirates and cubs. Suddenly anyway. Wow. We went way off the rails there for a second. We want to kind of talk about what we think’s going to happen in the National League central. And that was what happened last year? That’s where you know. I think that’s kind of covers that. But yeah, there’s been changes. We talked a little bit about that. I think the reds. I think actually as far as win totals for the season. The reds will have the largest differential between last year and this year. So you think they’re going to increase over sixty seven wins by a large margin by by a larger margin than any other teams will change, you know, all kind of down that could be I don’t have the reds the reds. We’ve talked about it before. I think they could go one of two ways they could actually get to around that five hundred Mark which would be, you know, a fourteen game increase, or they could absolutely implode and kind of finish where they were last year trade off a bunch of pieces at the deadline. I kind of have this weird feeling that that’s what it’s going to be. I don’t know why that is. I only have Cincinnati winning maybe between seventy and seventy four games. Now again that could be the biggest increase. In the division because they only one seventy sixty seven last year, where do you have them kind of finishing? Do you have the reds landing in last place? Or do you have a little higher than that? I I have him in second last. Okay. So you have a missing edging the pirates. Futa said the brewers. Yeah. I know I wanted to say the brewers, but I have to be a little realistic. Even though I hope that’s the case. That’d be great. If the reds edged the brewers with windows this season for last place. I. Just to be a little selfish for the podcast here. I think it’s probably to the benefit of the two of us and our audience if the brewers and cubs are battling it out rather than having one of them finish last. That’s true. It would end up making this podcast get pretty boring later in the season. Yeah. Yeah. When the cubs are stinking. Everybody’s on. There are on the I L. Oh, yeah. Battling it out for last place with the reds and pirates. Okay. Okay. We’ll have winning the division. I think it’s pretty obvious. Everybody knows well. Taking the course, of course, of course, the cubs. And of course, I have the brewers because you know, we’re a little bit homers. But I actually believe this is the Bruce division to lose. That’s. The course. And what’s interesting. And and I’m sure you got a little bit of a bone to pick with this as most, you know, projections and predictions, and like I’m looking at Vegas odds, we’ll ignore. Like the weird weird ones.

00:30:00 – 00:35:03

We’ve already talked about with the algorithms that are ridiculous. But you know, I’m looking at like Vegas odds have cubs cardinals tied with the brewers a little below that. Well, I have a theory on that. That’s interesting. But I think you get a lot of heavy betting from the bigger market squads, and they need to they’re going to get a lot more over bets. And how if you know how betting works at in Vegas. What really happens is what they want is. They want about fifty percents on one side fifty percent on the other. Because the rake takes ten percent, no matter what. So they’re gonna make money on both sides of the bet they want to set it where they think people will bet it. So. Vegas Vegas is often. Very correct and very accurate, but they do adjust for size of market as well. Milwaukee beams smaller market has you know, an opportunity to sit a little lower and win total to have, you know, more people bet the over because some of the opponents will bet the under two for you. But I this divisions. Pretty even when you tell me what you’re thinking there on the on the overs in the unders. Well. You know, they have the cubs and the ones we were looking at head the cubs and card’s kinda tied like you said and then the brain couple games back. Right. Would you have it the same way? Or would you do you have the brewers and second or do you have the cardinals and second I lately on have something different before? You know, before the cardinals made some moves, I certainly would have the brewers ahead of them. I think it’s pretty tricky. But if we want to just look at. An over under win total of. I think I think cubs like eighty nine eighty nine eighty nine point five. That’s what you’ve got or. That’s what’s that’s what you that’s what I’m saying. I’d have the cubs over that. I had behind Milwaukee though, I have him over that. I think that’s about a right? The correct number. I would. I think the cubs. Go ahead. What do you thinking? Then with the with the bowlers. Sure, I’ve got the bruise winning division, of course, with the improvements in the division and the improvements in the National League east. I don’t have them winning ninety six games this year around the ninety four Mark. And the reason I think that can happen is a lot of the midseason pickups that happened last year the stock of the world things like that are going to be on for a full season. And I think that increases their outlook for the long-term a little bit even with a tougher division bruise around. I’ve go ahead. No, that’s interesting. Because I you know, if I just looking at a win total I see the cubs more at like. Probably ninety three but winning the division with that. Okay. I have the Burs at ninety four winning the division. I have the cubs and cardinals tied at ninety two. But if I was the the edge if I was given edge. I think I’d still give it to the cubs. I think the cardinals last year, you know, they still they still want eighty eight games, but they have to deal with the tougher division to you know, the, right? They weren’t the only ones that improved Milwaukee improved. The I think what what improve with health perhaps on the pirates. I mean, the the pirates in the reds. They’re they’re the ones that I think. That they’re the ones that throw. Throw a wrench in everything. Yeah. Yeah. They complicate it. Because I think well, even if the pirates didn’t necessarily improve from last year, they still won eighty two games the reds. I think definitely did improve unless, you know, the the wheels fall off and just you know, swirls into chaos, which is possible. But I, you know, I don’t know that we can to strongly assume that’s going to be the case. I think they’re going to be a stronger team. I mean, they had a terrible start to the year last year. And I think you know, they turned it around after that first month and a half or so. Oh, yeah. Bigtime played very well. Yeah. I don’t know that the wheels fall off either. I’m just looking at it overall. I don’t think they improved enough to compete for the division. They could win eighty one games. There could be a five hundred squad after winning only sixty seven last year. That’s yeah. Oh, yeah. Yes. He jumped to make though oh, that’s a big jump. But I think that that might happen. That’s saying. They’re gonna make the biggest the differential between win totals from last year to this year’s and be biggest with the reds. And I think that’s gonna take some wins away from the rest of the division. And that’s why I think I think ninety I mean, I think even ninety two wins might win the division. You know is very knocking to see ninety five ninety six ninety seven wins. This in the as the division leader this season.

00:35:03 – 00:40:04

I don’t think. I still think this division is as much as the east improved as good as the west can be. I still think this is the best division. Vision. I here’s what I’m saying. I know the let me finish the it’s got three of the best teams in the National League. Three out of the top six. Now, that means they’re going to beat up on each other. But it also means we shouldn’t be expecting the Bruce cubs cardinals to be losing teams. Like the Mets regularly. Right. The Mets improved, but they didn’t improve enough the fills improved. But I still would expect the brewers cardinals in the cubs to be better at Lanta. I think they’ll be splitting Atlanta Philadelphia being five hundred against those clubs these three teams. And I still think the brewers cubs and cardinals are you know, they’re better enough. Pittsburgh didn’t do enough in my opinion. There lineup is not good. Their pitching staff is excellent. They’re going to win some games, but they’re gonna be streaky. When their offense is hot. They’re going to win when the offense is not that’s the game. Cincinnati. I just have a feeling some of these moves made this year. We’re made for reason if they don’t do. Well, the first half. They’re going to unload some dudes, and they’re going to a bunch of bunch of prospects. So that’s kind of what I see happening. I have Cincinnati finishing last probably somewhere around seventy two seventy three wins. Pittsburgh in the middle rate around eighty wins, seventy eight to eighty I think the other three teams are heading shoulders above them. Even though it looks on paper to be more. Even I got the brewers around ninety three ninety four wins. I have the cubs and cardinals tying. But I can see it. I’d give an edge to the cubs. If the cubs win ninety two in the cards when ninety that wouldn’t surprise me at all. I think there’s a possibility the cubs in cards tie for the wildcard according to cash so and you’re going to have the brewers or cardinals and second and third. I don’t know how you’re doing it. We gotta get. Yeah. Where are you at on the okay? So so let’s let’s lay down the fischel. We’re making an official prediction of the National League central standings at the end of the season and layers out. You say brewers than you’re saying cubs cardinals. I’m going to go. Hi ribs reds. That’s right. I have it. I have laid out with the cubs and cards in a tie. You you have them. Well, if they tie, and and it’s it’s four play out. They have to do a plan a playoff. So I think you need. I think we need to pick you need to pick one. I’m going. Yeah. Then that’s fair. I will go brewers cubs cardinals. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. That’s my National League sent okay breakdown. Okay. Mine’s a little different. I’m gonna go ahead. I’m gonna say cubs. Obviously. I see him around ninety three maybe ninety four wins. So kind of the same as you with the brewers, right? I I’m gonna go ahead and give brewers the brewers the the edge over the car. No seven save brewers next. And then cardinals. Although I think they’ll be close, and then I’m actually going to differ from you again here with having the reds. Next, and then the pirates in last sounds good. I think they’re going to be all fairly close. I have you everybody over five hundred or near five hundred then at least near if not over five hundred. Yes, I really between the two of us. The only big difference is predicting Cincinnati to have some trouble. That’s the major difference. Yeah. I’m not as much on that. I mean, I think I think the they’ll be pretty close with the pirates as far as win totals when the season comes to end like upper seventies ish mid to seventy five to eighty somewhere in that area for both of them. What shirley? Yeah. I’ve got the well that sounds good. I think we’ve laid it out pretty good. I’ve got Pittsburgh right around eighty wins. Cincinnati in that seventy two to seventy four kind of range. Yeah. So I think we’ve talked enough about other teams that’s kind of getting old. But wait, no. We’re about to talk about it or. Thinning stretch. Right. Do some National League central history. You have some stuff for his pulled up or should I kind of take a peek at looking at here. I mean it. The National League central was created in nineteen ninety four. So it’s it’s new, you know, it’s it’s interesting because a lot of my childhood. Of course, I remember the cubs just being in the east there was four divisions. Yep. Yeah. There’s the west in the east and for those young youngsters out there. It used to be just a both the National League had an east and west and the American League had an east and west and the champs would face each other.

00:40:04 – 00:45:05

And that was about it. But Sealy got in there in created the wildcards there is a shuffling with the the central being created and that happened in both leagues. That’s right. Yeah. So so with the National League central, you know, some teams were pulled from the west and some from the east so the reds and Astros came from from the west, and then the cubs pirates and cardinals came from the east and that created the central the brewers weren’t there yet. No, the brewers ended up going from the American League east to the the American League central for four years. So that one of their big one of their big opponents at that time was the Minnesota Twins. And actually, I just came back from Saint Paul from doing a fantasy draft got the hang out with some twins fans and cubs. Fans. It was a good time. But yes, that was how it all kind of broke down originally just another nugget. If you go back to the beginning for the Milwaukee Brewers they started in nineteen sixty nine as the Seattle pilots in nineteen seventy they moved to Milwaukee they still played in the American League West that first season. So the American League West had the brewers for a year or two before they got moved to the east which made a lot more sense. Yeah. Kind of kind of another random nugget going back to the early seventies. So Ryan, right. Well, and and yeah. Because the the brewers then they came to the central ninety eight. So I four years of the central were without the brewers. And then the birds came to the central and what’s interesting is the brewers have a have a bit of history then with the Astros as do the comes who which is weird because it’s it’s funny. In two thousand thirteen which doesn’t seem that long ago. That’s when asked has moved to the American League West, and you know, I remember just for so long Houston, of course, now, it’s so weird. Because now with the Houston, you know, being as good as they have been as dominant the last few years and everything and with World Series and everything like that. Now, it’s like, oh, yeah, they’re American League team. And it’s it’s just weird. How that over course of a few years, you know, that’s that’s shifted in my mind. But yeah for many years was was a division rival. Yeah. When Milwaukee Milwaukee came over the six teams in the National League central and four the American League West they were trying to we talked about it on a previous episode actually where they were trying to balance things a little bit. They had sixteen teams in the NL and fourteen teams in the AL because they did not want to go to deeply in interleague play. And when they started breaking into interleague. That’s when they could go fifteen and fifteen when they made it. Mo a more serious part of the schedule which I actually really I really enjoy the interludes stuff. Do I do like inter-league play? I, you know, I was one that always thought that was you know, I think that’s a fun way to kinda mix it up. I think it in a way balances out just the entire, you know, all the teams in a way that they are facing not not kind of competing in these bubbles separate from each other, totally rights. Will you go back to the early days? I mean, you go back to what we were talking about when it was two divisions in each the Nash, you know, some of the young people probably don’t even remember the fact that in baseball the American League National League never played until the World Series right while you did all season long was guests who was the better team. It’s I kinda missed that in a lot of way. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I’m thinking about that. You know? I mean, it it made sense when I was a kid, and I’m sure with you. To you could easily have a favorite nationally team in a favorite American League team. And basically it was like, well, they’re not even gonna play each other unless they play in the play each other in the World Series, you know. Yup. So that was common. It’s like, oh, I got my Nash league team. I got my American League team. And you always had kind of your more favorite one. I was always big twins fan as far as Merican league grown up in Minnesota. The cubs are my team. My dad grew up in Chicago. We had n we had WGN. So I mean that was so I was a cubs fan, but I always cheer for the twins. They won a couple World Series. When I was a kid, and that was exciting. And and it was always like, you know, cubs or my favorite twins twins. Are my second favorite. I want. The only way is if the cubs in twins face each other the only without happened is in the World Series while then I’d have to go cubs. Of course, read it was sorta like that was common. Everyone had kind of their favorite team in each. So. Well, then I’m weird because I didn’t. I must be weird. Then because I really didn’t. I just I was basically a Bruce fan, and that was about it, occasionally, I’d kinda pull for Atlanta because of the history tied Milwaukee.

00:45:06 – 00:50:00

But then again, sometimes it’d be like a bittersweet thing if Atlanta was doing, well, it’d be like, yeah. I kinda root for them. But then they also up and left Milwaukee. So the heck with them, whatever. So that’s interesting. So you were you were obviously pretty purely American League guy until until now. Yes. Well until ninety eight ninety ninety eight right. We’ll nineteen ninety four ninety five. I’ve talked about it in my blog post. The original one before we got the podcast up and running in. I lost interest in baseball when they went on strike and talk about it there. And I you know, I kind of followed Milwaukee and this would have been my teenagers. So it was like, okay. Well, I didn’t really get back into it until we started hanging out. And then I tried to cheer for the cubs, and that was impossible for obvious reasons. But yeah, here I am. I have really never cheered for any team outside of Milwaukee any at any bit seriously. I even tried routing for the twins because I went to school in Minnesota for college. Couldn’t do it. I tried and I just I got used to you know, what I took so much crap. Being a Packer fan living in Minnesota when they tried to recruit me to be a twins fan. I I was bitter. No, you guys suck. Terrible fan base. Terrible. I’m just kidding. But I really couldn’t cheer for them. I just couldn’t pull myself to do it. I tried. I gave it an effort. And I’m just a fan. That’s what it is. Well, I. Yeah. I that you know, one thing I just wanted to mention you know, we got so nineteen ninety four the central was created. Let’s see. So the brewers won the division championship twice in that span. That sounds right. Yep. Two thousand eleven and then last year. Yeah. They have not had a a ton of success. The bruise had a lot of downtime from the late eighties up to the mid early two thousands. When they started the mid late two thousand feel there and weeks Bron release started putting things together the CCC bath the trade stuff like that. Those. That’s when Milwaukee started getting serious and started being real contender. Well, they cubs have five. Central central titles? Yeah. That was two thousand three of course, which I just saying that year makes. Yeah. That’s what I was trying to. I was trying to root for the cubs because I was hanging out with you all the time. Yeah. Yeah. It was a tough a tough one. Yeah. They they also won two thousand seven two thousand eight they they ended up losing. And then LDS both those years though, and then two thousand sixteen which year. And then to something that you’re yeah. Yeah. Yep. Two thousand seventeen they won the division. Again. They in fact, ninety two and seventy one that division that year, they they lost then L C S to the dodgers. But but yeah, five times since since the central’s existed, the car knows we don’t really want to mention the fact that they’ve won it ten times in dominant. They’ve dominated knowing. No more. The reds times. The Astros four times. Yeah. Yeah. The Astros still being ahead of the brewers kind of kind of irritates me. But. They’re working on changing it this time to come together. And the Pittsburgh Pirates big zero for them since being in the silly. Yeah. Really? I thought boy they’ve made some playoff appearances. I didn’t realize it was only as wildcards. Okay. Yeah. Only as wildcard they do they did make playoff appearances three times as wildcard teams. All right. Well, that pretty much wraps up the NL central history. I think for today, we’ll be mentioning little tidbits as we go. It’ll happen naturally every week. But I think it’s time that we got into our final little prediction segments. Doing this kind of wrap up the episode because I don’t know if anybody knows this. But there’s kind of a big series coming up here starting on April, the fifth, April fifth, set your alarms. This is. This is maze. This is April fifth game one sixty four. It’s it’s retribution real onetime for now.

00:50:00 – 00:55:05

All right. I mean, this is like this is the since game one sixty three April fifth will be the first game cubs and brewers that counts since that since that game one sixty three. So this is you know, I people are like, let’s it’s early April. Who cares? You know? I’m snow watching other sports. But no, this matters huge because I would say that easily the cubs brewers are going to be within. I mean last year they tied, but they’ll be within a couple of games of each other. Come in the end of the season and three games, April fifth, sixth and seventh. That’s three games right there with full game swings. Not have games like facing other. You know, other teams. This is full game swings between these two teams in how the standings will shake out. So this is a huge. He. Huge series. The big reason to be excited for baseball early. This is like playoffs. Now. I mean and people are like. Daily park will be amazing. It always is. It’s usually it’s going to be great. A lot of a lot of fun. I Wrigley north. A lot of beer flowing in the parking lots beforehand. It’s going to be fun. It’s gonna be the place to be for. Sure. And I think you’ve got well, we both want to do a little prediction news nothing too serious yet. You’ve already predicted the cubs to sweep which is obviously not going to happen. But what did you wanna kinda go with as you’re a good? I gotta go on. Yeah. Let’s do that. I already predicted that the cubs are going to sweep. So that’s that’s one. I have one prediction have hinging on this series. But I’m gonna make another and. Yeah. It’s you know, it’s not gonna well. I’ll just go ahead and say, yeah, bring it. Let’s let’s hear what do you get between over the three game series the fifth sixth and seventh against the brewers. The cubs will score fifteen or more runs. Okay. So you’re saying an average of five game. Yes. Not going to happen. The Bruce both ends too. Good. You’re getting these new I knew you were gonna say that. And I think the cubs hitters are better. So. You maybe get eight runs one game. When one of the starters right back could be capped at ten. Fifteen or more over the three. I it may be ten in one game. And you know, three and two the other two games or something like that. I’m just saying fifteen or more runs over the three game series. The cubs will score. Now do come on. Now. I think that has. One thing when the national media rips the brewers pitching staff. Okay. It’s another thing when you do it. It hurts me. I hurt me hurt. It’s gonna hurt their their pitching staff. CRA? I tell you what it’s gonna take more than. Brian series. Oh, I don’t think it will. I think or said fifteen or more runs. I. Yeah. I mean, I think they could be easily over Greg Maddux. Coming back to pitch. Are you talking like twenty eight year old Greg Maddux gonna pitch three games for the cubs? How are you? Brewers line. Henry. It probably by the way, it is probably going to be the top three of the cubs rotation that that is game game six of the season. So I. Became six of the season. Yeah. For the cubs. It is they play to against Texas and then three against the Braves. I think you’re missing the March portion of the schedule my friend, the two games in in March at the end of March against Texas. They have a two days off at the beginning of April. They have Sunday off than they do raise home opener on Monday. Then Tuesday off not only with the Braves not only do the brewers get a super tough opening month. You’re telling me, that’s only this. The sixth game for the co. Yeah. The the Friday gaming Burs is the six game for the cubs of the. Wow, it’s the eighth game for Milwaukee. So K that’s eating. No confused. I was oh great. So you’re getting your rotation all to go. Yeah. Probably going to see less or that Friday. Here’s our long opening day starter for the cubs, Milwaukee our four and five are going to be better. Anyway, we’re talking about Alta. Yeah. No, we’re fine. We’re fine. So you think the cubs are going to score fifteen or more runs and sweep fifteen minutes ain’t gonna sweep the series. I’m going to tell you that right now. But that’s because. Christian yelich is going to have to homers in the series and bet five hundred for it. That’s my prediction. Have you seen him the spring that swing looks just like it did all of last September? Yeah.

00:55:06 – 01:00:03

That’s not gonna happen. But. Prediction, five five hundred or better and two home runs or more. Yeah. I think that’s actually a tougher tougher prediction than fifteen runs. Fifteen runs is you know, that’s fairly reasonable. It’s five runs a game on average. But it’s high, but but a guide five hundred for a series hitting two bombs being I’m being fair to the brewers pitchers. You know, but I’m also giving credit to the cubs pitchers in particular their starters. I don’t know how the rest of the rotations shakeout. I I would if I were to guess maybe Hendrix at LeicesteR Hendrix, then maybe Cole hamels or Darvish depending cantata. Maybe rounding it out. I’m guessing it’s hard to say whether you’ll see Darvish you’ll probably see Hendrix and laster for sure. So and whether it’s hamels Darvish or contain. I guess for that matter. I guess we’ll see. But I mean, giving those other those some of those days off in there too. I mean, it’s hard to say how Madden will will work the rotation. But sure, but yeah, I mean, you know, I’m a good solid long start from one of the starters that will be facing the Burs in that series. If not a couple of them. So I don’t know, man. I don’t think you’re giving the Burs lineup enough credit, but I will say this. I am not as much credit. Oh, yeah. Okay. I’m not as a as greedy as you are. I’m not expecting a sweep from the Burs win two out of three. That’s all you gotta do win every series. That’s the game. That’s the game. You gotta play. That’s what they did going down the stretch August-September. That’s how they ran down the Cubbies. But. Yelich? I expect Yeltsin have a very very fast start this year. He’s looked really great spring training. So I okay, I’m going to on the limb. I think I mode on his saying that he’s gonna hit five hundred for the series. That’s hard to do against anybody. But I fully expect them to hit a couple of home runs. He’s going to be coming out pretty hot it. No. That’s I think that’s the tough prediction. Five hundred is the tough part the two home runs. Maybe not so much the fi but hitting five hundred over that series grants. The cubs pitchers top their rotation. Would you say I should switch it to a five hundred obe- instead on base percentage? No, no k. Yeah. We got to we got to keep it. If you want to be, hyper aggressive, I’m fully accepting that it only be if you’re being too soft. I be like, Nope. That’s what you want to lay out bets. Bullet remember to we want to hear from the listeners. What they what they think of the fair bet would be end of the season who better record still we’re still debating that. We had a suggestion from Robin about possibly, you know, having to go to the opponents yard, and where the opponents gear, maybe that’s not a bad idea or do some self as in the opponents gear, I think we can do better than that. I don’t know something a little more aggressive than he talk, then he suggested body paint. And I don’t wanna do that to our listeners. So. He wants to see that. Nobody wants to see that. Let’s let’s let’s keep it keep it. There’s ways to be embarrassing without it having to be disgusting to look at it. I think so we’ll find a different. Yeah. We’ll we’ll we’ll we’ll figure it out. Yeah. That was at our wraps this at our P S Y S as my brother, Robin getting gold. Yeah. Go give Robinson love or some crap more than likely. That’s better. He’s a cubs. Yeah. But yeah, let us know what you think of our predictions as well, you know, and and definitely to Ryan he’s being on his oh come on. We got we have two more episodes before that series will probably lay some more down on that series. I’m guessing. Yeah. What will probably do since since? We’ll have a lot to talk about after that series. Is we may do a bonus episode rate after that that series just covering what happened? Definitely subscribe. It’s going to get really exciting. We we’ve been treading water. I feel like all spring and now we’ve been warming up, and we’re we’re raring to get into some some baseball that counts. So and baseball the council already happened Japanese games happened. And this is you know, next Thursday’s opening day. It’s should be a national holiday. We gotta we gotta get going on that the bruise open with the cardinals.

01:00:03 – 01:03:22

Who are the cubs opening with Texas, Texas. That’s yeah. That’s kind of. And then in Atlanta. Yeah, that’s pretty anticlimactic. But the birds in the Carter opening game set in Milwaukee that’s gonna be intense. The brewers opened the season is going to be a lot of fun to watch, you know, hopefully, they can take three out of four from the cards two or three from the cubs too. Get on a roll the cubs will come in come into Milwaukee having been in Texas in Atlanta and then coming into a roof. I mean, they’re gonna be coming in fresh and warm. Yeah. I I feel good about that fresh and warm hot and sweaty from last week’s episode. That’s good. Yeah. Yeah. Well, basically, I think that covers most of what we wanted to get at. Sowed but just trying to have some fun get lined up for this opening of the season. Remember, these these games in April? They matter. This is going to be an awesome start to the season. I’m pumped. Yeah. There. Yes. And yeah, I think let’s let’s just wrap it up. Yeah. Down with the cardinals. The cubs suck pirates reds were not really worried about you. But cardinals suck too. And that’s tough between those two. They both are not. Yeah. You’re right. So split series then or what who to root for? Yeah. That’s tough. That’s tough. That’s probably same as you for cubs. And cardinals phasing. It’s yeah. It all depends on the standings at the time. I really zero and zero we don’t even know what to do. So you have car cardinals. Stink against everyone else. And then they come in and kill the brewers. That would be. I guess to case are you even real cubs fan. Rooting cardinals over the birds are weak cardinals like under five hundred for some crazy reason. And they’re in the lock well. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Let’s let’s go. Let’s get Cup. Suck talk to you later. All right. Bye. Hey, we noticed you stuck around through the whole theme song. We just wanted to let you know, go to ninety miles podcast dot com. Subscribe get on her Email list. And if you are on the Email list at the end of the cubs brewers series starting on April fifth. We will send you that MP three for free. And you can check it out anytime you like take it with you wherever you wanna go. Like, I said all you gotta do go to ninety miles podcast dot com. Subscribe get on the Email list. And we’ll send you the MP three. Thanks again. For listening.