This week's show starts off with a little #sensualbaseball before diving into the fellas' reactions to the last week's events. Chris Bosio gets fired for racially insensitive remarks? With both teams "struggling", Elliott asks if we still enjoy watching baseball games? With Yu Darvish's slow return from rehab and Tyler Chatwood's command struggles, what will the Cubs do leading up to the trade deadline? And will the Cards buy or sell? Plus, the guys announce details of the Team of Rivals meet up at both ends of July 21st doubleheader.
The evening's results are just too depressing to go in depth, so Ron, Elliott, and Pete wander around MLB searching for focus. Eventually, the conversation comes around to the Fowlers being run off of Twitter and the depths of the conversations that happen online, leading to the guys issuing a challenge to their listeners and to all of social media.
John Pearman and Dan Curry of the Cubs Cards Cast join Ron and Pete to explore the upcoming series in-depth.
This week's show starts #OldSchool, with Ron and Pete manning the ship while Elliott attends to the family business. The three eventually dive into a discussion of which team's fanbase is more frustrated: the Cardinals' after a 4-5 stretch against three last-place teams or the Cubs' following a lackluster performance against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Where does the blame lie for both teams' offensive struggles: with the coaching or with the players?
Life is good on the North Side of Chicago. Things aren't as rosy at the other end of I-55, as evidenced by a special appearance by Ron's son.
Elliott, Pete and Ron were joined by Adam Maurer, a Cardinals fan out in LA. They discuss Alex Reyes only lasting for 4 innings in his first outing back in the bigs and transition to the Cardinals pitching situation and what to do with all of the arms. They talk briefly about Rizzo and "The Slide", and the Cardinals offensive woes.
It's a day early, but the guys have a whole lot of angst built up for this week's show. 2018 looks a lot like 2017, with both team's offenses struggling. They discuss where Manny Machado will end up at the trade deadline, and Ron's Rants makes a special appearance.
Elliott and Ron manned the ship for the first half while Pete made his way home. First up, the mess that Robinson Cano is in, followed by hitting coaches, the NL West vs. the NL East, Kyle Schwarber is the best defender in baseball, and the Cardinals' dismal offense.
Pete, Elliott, and Ron jump on to cover a WIDE variety of baseball topics. Has it really only been four days since the Cardinals swept the Cubs? So much has happened in MLB that they didn't know where to start. (Of course, it didn't help that Ron was called away just as the show started.) Still, they held it together long enough to discuss the Cubs' and the Cards' offensive woes, Joe Maddon's lineup games, The Machine's 3000th hit, and -- most importantly -- a topic that still makes Ron queasy.
Ron, Pete and Elliott are back together again to recap the week that was, to discuss the upcoming Cubs-Cardinals series (with a guest appearance from B), and the joke that Sammy Sosa has become. Ron also goes into the weeds to discuss his disdain for the Three True Outcomes.
Elliott and Ron recap the week in Cardinals and Cubs baseball and look into the weekend ahead. Elliott raises an interesting question of Darvish or Arietta? GM, what would you do now? Pete was out but he left us with a soundbite. Funny or not? We'll let the audience decide.
Drunk Elliott is taking advantage of $12 seats in the Airport Hanger Park (Miller), so Ron and Pete jump on to recap a weather-shortened Series 1, Anthony Rizzo's OUTRAGEOUS!!! comments about shortening the season, and Bryan Price's trip to the unemployment line. They wrap things up with a get-off-my-lawn rant about the Launch Angle Revolution.
In part 1 of our bonus night the guys are back together again, so they ever-so-briefly cover the upcoming Cubs-Cardinals series with special guest Tina Bradley.
In part 2 of our bonus night, we recap the Star Wars Rebels series. Tina Bradley joins Elliott, Pete and Ron to discuss how this series impacted our Star Wars universe, questions left unanswered and future possibilities for the remaining members of the Ghost Crew.
On this episode we talk the official start of the "base brawling" season. We revisit Yadi's suspension and the logic behind the decision, bat flipping, when to hit a batter and the recent a poor series that the Cardinals and Cubs just finished. Braden crashes the show again and gives his 2018 MLB The Show updates, we wake Chris Lollis up to say "hi" and share a clip from the Dan Lebatard show on the Marlins ridiculousness. Cubs Fan Rage Pete not featured in this episode!
Ron, Pete and Elliott log on to officially review the first week-and-a-half of baseball covering pretty much everything Cardinals and Cubs, as well as Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, and #CardinalsDevilMagic. Plus, we introduce the first episode of "Ron's Rants".
One week in, and the Team of Rivals just can't resist addressing the hot takes on the first week of the Cubs' and Cardinals' seasons. Ron logs in from Florida while on vacation while Pete mans the controls back home in Illinois. And Elliott? Elliott is our intrepid, on-the-spot reporter cutting in from Miller Park as "interesting" things happen at the Cubs-Brewers game.
Last night we celebrated opening day in a very Cardinals-centric way. Tonight, we do the same, but for the Cubs. Special guest Anthony Serafini joins Pete, Elliott, and Ron to dive into speculation, answer listener questions, and give their predictions for the 2018 season!
To celebrate Opening Day 2018 we welcome Daniel Shoptaw from the Meet Me at Musial Podcast, Jim Cromer from Two Birds on a Bat and Chris Lollis of Cardinals Nation 24/7 and the Cardinals Nation Facebook Group. Here's to a great season!
Ron leads off with a rant about Little League Baseball coaches, then the guys dive into Justin Turner's wrist, Alex Cobb's brilliant signing, 4A Ohtani, paying minor leaguers the minimum-wage, and Carson Kelly's Memphis Adventure!
After taking their time to get rolling, the guys discuss Jake Arrieta signing with the Phillies, the end (?) of Scott Boras, the return of Matt Carpenter, and new minor league pace-of-play initiatives. Plus, Ron and Elliott play "So you think you can Coach Third Base"!
Pete leads off this week's episode with a correction and the announcement of the 1,000 Follower Challenge. With all three hosts available and online, the guys discuss Paul De Jong's extension, Tommy Pham's bet, Mike Moustakas's (very bad) bet, Spring Training injuries, and Jon Lester's new technique.
Elliott is at a team dinner, and Pete is in The Biggest Little City in the World, but that's not going to stop the O.G.'s from their weekly chat. This week's show covers the OFFICIAL signing of Seung-Hwan Oh - with a guest appearance by Ron's 12-year-old Cardinals Correspondent, before diving into Pete's Arrieta conspiracy theory. They take a brief break to draw the winners of the Cardinals Nation t-shirt contest. They then go deeper on all of the remaining free agents - headlined by the big four of Arrieta, Cobb, Lynn and Moustakas - and the "new economics" of Major League Baseball. They spend a lot of time on Eric Hosmer, and on Ron's dislike of the bottom-feeder Padres. Finally, Ron and Pete climb into their rocking chairs on the front porch and scream at the kids to "Get off of our lawn!"
Spring Training is upon us. Free agents are signing. Baseball season is FINALLY HERE! Ron, Pete and Elliott wonder if Anthony Rizzo deserves the first "C" since Sammy Sosa, whether Jason Motte is a good depth move or The End Of the Cardinals Chances, if MLB will ever succeed in Florida, Rob Manfred's hidden disdain for baseball, and excitement (?) about the return of baseball.
Elliott’s out on a date with the Missus, so Ron and Pete kick it #OldSchool. They talk about Bud Norris and the slowly thawing free agent market. And that’s about it. Because nothing is happening.