A Super Bowl champion running back calls you up, then tells you he just wants to talk Pokemon cards. That is how our week starts, and it somehow fits perfectly with the current Cubs season: electric, improbable, and a little bit unhinged in the best way. Carl breaks down the quick-hit Nashville trip that turned into meeting Leonard Fournette, hearing how deep his Pokemon collecting goes, and why creative work and real sponsors can keep a show alive when everything feels shaky.

Then we lock back in on what you came for: the Chicago Cubs playoff push and the stuff that actually decides October. We love this lineup. We love the defense. We cannot stop talking about Pete Crow-Armstrong, and we get into a real debate about what “peak” means when you compare PCA’s all-around game to the best of Sammy Sosa. We also talk about Alex Bregman as the steady hand near the top of the order, plus the sneaky October paths for Pedro Ramirez and a potential Matt Shaw moment.

But we do not dodge the problem: the Cubs bullpen is the biggest reason trust gets fragile fast, especially when you picture a postseason matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers. We talk wild card positioning, why hosting at Wrigley Field matters, how Dansby Swanson’s return impacts everything up the middle, and we even make the case for going full pinstripes because baseball is still a vibes sport.

If you like Cubs podcasts with real opinions and zero gambling-promo nonsense, subscribe, share this with a Cubs friend, and leave us a review so we can keep building this thing.

Thanks for tuning in!

- Carl & Mahoney