CandidCubs

Anthony Rizzo Returns to Wrigley for the first time since his trade in the 2021 season and Bricks Behind the Ivy returns to answer the important question. After the Anthony Rizzo Highlights left our head and we calmed from an emotional return, we ask: Is Anthony Rizzo to be remembered as an all time great Chicago Cub? After missing a week due to roofers falling through the ceiling, Bricks Behind the Ivy, a Chicago Cubs YouTube Podcast and audio podcast, returns to give you the Chicago Cubs highlights from the last two weeks, including a Box Score Blitz of 90 seconds ending with the Chicago Cubs vs Dodgers series. Bricks Behind the Ivy is a Chicago Cubs Podcast for Cub fans, BY Cub fans. Join us each Friday as we break down the team and the game, leaving you feel better than a Wrigley Field Home Run. Anthony Rizzo Returns to Wrigley for the first time since his trade in the 2021 season and Bricks Behind the Ivy returns to answer the important question. After the Anthony Rizzo Highlights left our heads and we calmed from an emotional return, we ask: Is Anthony Rizzo to be remembered as an all-time great Chicago Cub? After missing a week due to roofers falling through the ceiling, Bricks Behind the Ivy, a Chicago Cubs YouTube Podcast and audio podcast, returns to give you the Chicago Cubs highlights from the last two weeks, including a Box Score Blitz of 90 seconds ending with the Chicago Cubs vs Dodgers series. Bricks Behind the Ivy is a Chicago Cubs Podcast for Cub fans, BY Cub fans. Join us each Friday as we break down the team and the game, leaving you feel better than a Wrigley Field Home Run. ============================================================ Welcome to the BBTI Family, Yaggy Road Roasting Company! Started by three college friends at Valparaiso University, Yaggy Road Roasting Company is a specialty boutique coffee roaster centered on ethically sourcing and meticulously roasting some of the most special coffees in the world. A lot of life’s most special moments happen over coffee, which is why Yaggy Road ensures that the coffee in your mug is as special as the moment you are experiencing. Order your Coffee Here! - https://www.yaggyroad.com/?ref=BricksBehindTheIvy ============================================================ Buy all of your Cubs memorabilia from Wrigleyville Sports! Use code "IVY10" at checkout for 10% off! Shop here today! - https://www.wrigleyvillesports.com/ ============================================================ #chicagocubspodcast #chicagocubspodcastyoutube #chicagocubs #BricksBehindTheIvy

Hello! Thanks for listening. I am living on hope still, but it is reasonable to be excited that the conversation even exists considering some of the lows this season.

The penultimate month of the Cubs season has arrived with the offense as hot as the sun. In a surprisingly excellent offensive month, who ended up with the "gold medal?" August was a fun month for the 2024 Chicago Cubs, rolling to an 18-9 record and re-inserting themselves into the Wild Card hunt. How did they do that? Offense. In August, the Cubs were fourth in baseball with a 120 WRC+ as a team, slashing an impressive .260/.333/.459. In addition, they walked at a 9.1% rate (Ranked fifth in August) with an impressive 20% K-Rate (Ranked seventh in August). It is tempting to name the entire team the “Hitter of the Month,” but three players in particular stood out. In the spirit of the Summer Olympics that concluded in Paris in August, we shall award medals on the Hitter’s podium: Bronze - Seiya Suzuki .287/.345/.495, 134 WRC+, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 2 SB Suzuki gets some flack from Cub fans during his cold stretches, but August was not one of them. With Christopher Morel joining the Rays in the acquisition of Isaac Paredes, Suzuki has had the luxury of serving as the Cubs DH. Focusing on hitting suits him. Silver - Ian Happ .263/.354/.535, 147 WRC+, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 4 SB The “Happ Daddy” (we finally know why he has that name!) has been so good for the Cubs in 2024. His production has been stabling at the top of the lineup. How was he doing this? He led the team in a 20.7% FB/HR rate, along with a 41.5% Hard hit rate. His timing was impeccable with a 40% centerfield hit rate. Personally, I want to see Happ get to 30 homers. Can he reach that total and take Player of the Month in September? GOLD MEDAL- Pete Crow-Armstrong .314/.375/.588 PCA is Electricity. When he is not busy wowing Cubs fans with his incredible range and game-changing speed, he is beginning to show real maturity at the major-league level. The prospect story for PCA has always been about a high floor given the 80 grade glove. The development of the bat this month could indicate the makings of an extremely valuable player for a team hungry for young, controllable, upside talent. PCA has turned his aggression at the plate into a selective version with an excellent 14.3% K-rate. He uses his pull side power to his advantage, and creates additional slug with his ability to take extra bases on routine singles. In a hot offensive month, who stuck out for you? Do you agree with PCA as our August Hitter of the month? View full article

The Cubs continue to push destiny with their fifth win in a row vs old prospect DJ Herz. Welcome to Bricks Behind the Ivy's The Scorecard, a 60 second or less recap on the entire Chicago Cubs organization for August 31st! View full video

Cam Smith keeps raking, in South Bend! The Chicago Cubs prepare for a road tilt with the Washington Nationals. Welcome to Brick Behind The Ivy's The Scorecard. View full video

Dansby Swanson celebrates his Mom's birthday with a big Home Run as the Cubs win again in Pittsburgh. Cam Smith gets his first hit at High A South Bend as he continues to rake. That and more on August 27th's The Scorecard, your 60-second or less recap of the Chicago Cubs from Low A to MLB! View full video

Cam Smith hits a home run in his sixth straight game for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He is being promoted to the South Bend Cubs for Tuesday's game. The Chicago Cubs lost their finale to the Miami Marlins, but return to action on Monday vs the Pittsburgh Pirates. Welcome to your 60 second recap of the Chicago Cubs, Iowa Cubs, Tennessee Smokes, South Bend Cubs, and Myrtle Beach Pelicans. View full video

The Chicago Cubs maintained their winning ways with some decent home cooking versus the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers at the beautiful and historic Wrigley Field. If the Cubs keeping winning, maybe tickets to Wrigley Field will become harder to get again! Harry Caray toasts one of the all time 2016 World Series team's great players, Javier Baez, as he finally returned since departing via a trade to the New York Mets in 2021. When watching a Cubs game, it has become very hard to ignore the strike zone given to Seiya Suzuki versus other players. Why is Seiya Suzuki's strike zone different than for others? To help answer that question, Matt Trueblood of North Side Baseball and Baseball Prospectus joins us this week to discuss a recent article and deep dive he did to figure out if his zone truly is different and where it is different. The results may surprise you! Welcome to another week of Bricks Behind the Ivy, a weekly Cub podcast for Cub fans, BY Cub fans. Make sure to review wherever you listen to your podcasts. If you haven't watched us on YouTube yet, please head over there to subscribe and leave your thoughts in the comments! Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

⚾️On this Week's Episode:⚾️ The Trade Deadline came and went and we still stand. The team is different and one of baseball's best smiles (Christopher Morel) has gone to crush home runs in Tampa Bay. But how did we do? Was this enough to help 2025? Join us this week as Evan Altman of Cubs Insider talks with us the positives and opportunities missed from the 2024 deadline. The good news is the boys are hot with our first every named Pitcher and Player of the Week. Dig in, Brickheads! YouTube - Audio! - https://linktr.ee/BricksBehindTheIvy

⚾️On this Week's Episode:⚾️ Jim Christopher of ‪@ballparknation‬ joins us to promote his BRAND NEW show and highlight the Wrigley Field Episode, featuring a Guest spot by your very own Jeff "CandidCubs" Ragauskis! We discuss the love affair of Wrigley and his conversion to Cubdom, and the challenges of when a fanbase is presented with scandal and heartbreak. https://linktr.ee/BricksBehindTheIvy Here is a link to the episode! - • Ballpark Nation, USA S1 Ep5: "Go Cubs...

⚾️On this Week's Episode:⚾️ As Jeff prepares for his trip to the All Star Game, we slow down and take a look at the recent week surge, along with answering some Brick Head questions. I would watch the video, as Jeff finally pays up on his bet with @thebrewerblogs Jake McKibbin and shows is face caterpillar. Greg Huss, Co-Founder of ‪@northsidebound‬ and Host of Cubs On Deck Podcast joins us to talk prospects and draft picks prior to the MLB Draft this Sunday! ⏰ Time Stamps: 01:52 - An Emotinal Good Bye to CandidCubs’ beard 02:40 - Box Score Blitz 07:24 - “Mustache” You a Question 11:00 - Wrigleyville Sports Ad 12:07 - HotStoveStandings 17:51 - Deep Thoughts With Harry Caray 21:50 - Interview with Greg Huss Shop at our new BBTI Pod Store! Get the latest swag to be the best dressed Brickhead in Wrigleyville! - https://www.etsy.com/shop/bricksbehindtheivy/?etsrc=sdt ============================================================== Thank you ‪@wrigleyvillesports‬ ! Want to support BBTI? Need new Cubs/Chicago Team wear? Our sponsor, Wrigleyville Sports has you covered! Here is what you do: Use this link: https://shorturl.at/ceruW Then, use the code "IVY10" at checkout for 10% off!

⚾️On this Week's Episode:⚾️ We at Bricks Behind the Ivy hope you and yours had a wonderful and safe 4th of July Holiday. We wanted to start this week's episode with a bang as well, bringing Brendan King, play by play announcer for the South Bend Cubs, on the podcast to talk Chi-Cubs and SB Cubs. Shop at our new BBTI Pod Store! Get the latest swag to be the best dressed Brickhead in Wrigleyville! https://www.etsy.com/shop/bricksbehin... Thank you @wrigleyvillesports ! Want to support BBTI? Need new Cubs/Chicago Team wear? Our sponsor, Wrigleyville Sports has you covered! Here is what you do: Use this link: https://shorturl.at/ceruW Then, use the code "IVY10" at checkout for 10% off! Audio and More! - https://linktr.ee/BricksBehindTheIvy

⚾️On this Week's Episode:⚾️ We return to discuss another week of Cubs baseball! Sean Hot Stove Cubbies Chapin returns to share the frustration fans have with the current state of the team. Our sponsor, Wrigleyville Sports, sent two folks to hang out with us and talk about their store and the Chicago Cubs. Harry Caray needed a break from the bullpen and reports from the beach! Is there hope? Can the Cubs right the ship? If not, what are the options? Find out on this weeks episode. ⏰ Time Stamps: Box Score Blitz (00:58) Fly the Double U Standings Update (07:59) 15 Minutes or less with Hot Stove Cubbies (10:07) Thoughts on Where to Go (15:47) Wrigleyville Sports Joins Us to Talk the Store and the Cubs (33:19) Deep Thoughts with Harry Caray (45:55) ============================================================= Shop at our new BBTI Pod Store! Get the latest swag to be the best dressed Brickhead in Wrigleyville! https://www.etsy.com/shop/bricksbehindtheivy 🔗🔗**LINKS TO SOCIALS**🔗🔗 https://twitter.com/bbti_pod https://www.instagram.com/bricks_behind_the_ivy https://twitter.com/candidcubs https://twitter.com/hotstovecubbies https://www.reddit.com/r/bricks_behind_the_ivy ============================================================= Check out Fly the Double U , an Etsy Sticker Store! Shop today! https://www.etsy.com/shop/FlyTheDoubleU ============================================================= Thank you Wrigleyville Sports! Want to support BBTI? Need new Cubs/Chicago Team wear? Our sponsor, Wrigleyville Sports has you covered! Here is what you do: Use this link: https://shorturl.at/ceruW T hen, use the code "Bricks10" at checkout for 10% off! =============================================================

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This has a real "Hosmer" feel to it, as in the production was so below Major League average that there really is only up to go. I like the defensive talent and hope that bat does...well anything. The bar is pretty low to out produce their current numbers.

I understand your thoughts. I think the issue I have is the acquisition cost IN SEASON may be a bit much given the uncertainty on the fringes of this roster. Each player comes with significant control, which would cost the Cubs multiples of their top prospects. There has been a lot of calling for change and frustration with guys like Happ/Seiya, so if the front office wants to hedge their bets on that production and retain guys like Cassie/PCA/Alcantara (all would be needed to get those players), I just don't see that as prudent. Given that all but 2 teams in the NL are currently playoff eligible or within 2 games, it is a sellers market, which should drive prices up.

Watch - Listen - https://linktr.ee/BricksBehindTheIvy ⚾️On this Week's Episode:⚾️ Cubs win their first 3 game series in a month and the positivity is flowing. This week, we look at the positives of the 2024, as the negatives have been beaten to death. ⏰ Time Stamps: Box Score Blitz (01:08) FlyTheDoubleU Standings Update (07:31) Glass Half Full (09:15) Series Preview (17:12) En Feugo with Johnny of Truck 82 (19:28) CONTEST: WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO 100 SUBSCRIBERS ON YOUTUBE BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP! How do you enter? 1.) Go to the YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@Bricks_Behind_the_Ivy 2.) Subscribe! 3.) Leave comments on Episodes 19, 20, and 21 followed by #Brickhead to Enter Once we get to 50 Subscribers, I will give 3 LUCKY WINNERS a BBTI Merch Prize pack, which has a sticker, shirt, and mug! Once we get to 100 SUBSCRIBERS, I will give 3 LUCKY WINNERS a

While the results of late may make you feel otherwise, the Cubs remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. For a roster that needs some help, what do the lowly Oakland Athletics have to offer? Image courtesy of © Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports As the season enters mid-June, it is easy to look at your team in the standings and wonder what is next. In a subject for a much longer, differently nuanced article, that answer is not clear for the Cubs, as we expected it would be. But for now, let's focus on the moment in front of us, and treat the Cubs as potential or likely buyers. The 2024 Cubs have three very obvious needs to improve this team as they still sit 0.5 GB of a playoff spot: catching help, relief pitching, and an impact bat. Today, let's look at the lowly A’s and see what they have as options to help the Cubs. Relief Pitching When looking at the Cubs bullpen, a glaring need (which was there this offseason…) is a shutdown reliever. This staff has been missing swing-and-miss stuff, and general command. The Cubs are sixth-worst in baseball with a 10.5% walk rate from the bullpen. It is hard to avoid trouble when you create trouble. Here are some intriguing targets: Austin Adams, RHP While Mason Miller’s 103-MPH fastball gets the buzz, Austin Adams has been a solid get for the A’s. Currently with a 33.5% Whiff Rate and low hard-hit rates as well, this is a reasonable target to add to the pen. The challenge is the 13.8% walk rate and the 1.63 WHIP on the year. However, the acquisition cost would be low. The Cubs would have to believe they could fix his control, but if they do, it might be worth a shot. T.J. McFarland, LHP Lefties are everything, and this is a good one. At 35 years old, he currently sports a 67% groundball rate, with an xwOBA slightly above .200. He features a sinker, a sweeper, and a changeup--an arsenal that would look extremely solid as a lefty/groundball specialist for Craig Counsell. With a 1 year, $1.5 million contract, acquisition cost would be reasonable. Slugging Brent Rooker Rooker is a pure slugger who brings a ton of pop to a lineup. Currently, his ISO sits at .254, with a .253/.336/.507 slash. Given his home park and the league's overall offensive environment, that's massive pop. He would immediately be the best hitter on the Cubs. The trouble is that he has to DH, as he is a very poor defender in the outfielder. He is about to enter his first year of arbitration at age 29, with free agency still far off on the horizon. He fits the needs for the Cubs lineup, but acquisition cost and future roster fit makes it a bit harder to imagine. I know you are looking for two names: Mason Miller and Shea Langeliers. I adore both players and what they do, but the cost of acquisition would be steep for a team in need of many things to right the ship. Spending all your chips on these players would not move the needle enough in 2024, nor feel prudent leading into the remaining “window.” Anyone else on the Athletics catch your eye? Leave thoughts in the comments. View full article