Dan and John talk about the final three weeks of the season as the Cubs, Cards and Brewers will play head-to-head games within the NL Central. John thinks the Cubs will win the division but it will be a rocky three weeks. Dan believes any of the three teams can still win it.

Dan and John note the Cubs strong week as the defending champs continue to take control of the NL Central. The hosts vehemently disagree on how good Javy Baez is and discuss previous predictions about players on the Cubs and Cardinals.

Dan and John talk about the topsy turvy NL Central race, where the Cubs have finally edged away from the Brewers and Cardinals after capitalizing on stretch of weak opponents. The Cardinals, meanwhile, continue to shuffle players from Memphis and despite the mediocre play are slowly sorting out things in advance of an off-season roster revamp.

Dan and John talk about the latest developments in the NL Central, including ejections of managers Mike Matheny and Joe Maddon in ninth innings of separate games and respective bullpen implosions. Bottom line is Cubs have a narrow lead over the Brewers and Cardinals as the race heads toward the final six weeks of the regular season.

Dan and John try to explain the unexplainable -- how the ragtag Cardinals, written off for dead, are nearing the top of the NL Central. The Cubs, meanwhile, who soared after the All-Star break, are back in a muddling mode as they near an easier part of their schedule later this month.

Dan and John discuss the trade deadline and the Cubs flurry of moves contrasted with the Cardinals inactivity. Are the Cardinals just bad at making deals or are they waiting for the off-season for roster surgery? The Cubs, meanwhile, appear poised for another World Series run.

Dan and John talk about an eventful week for both the Cubs and Cards as the Cubs continue to thrive after the All-Star break and the Cards catch a fresh wind from Memphis call-ups. They discuss each teams' possible trades as the deadline looms several days away.

Dan and an ebullient John talk about the Cubs six-game winning streak after the all-star game and whether it means the team will roll over everyone in the NL Central or revert to middling form. For the Cardinals, the puzzlement continues over a strange roster that even the GM can't figure out how to fix. The hosts also preview the big Cubs-Cards three-game series this weekend in Chicago.

Dan and John start podcast minutes after Cubs announce first trade deadline deal in MLB, acquiring Jose Quintana from the White Sox for the Cubs top hitting and pitching prospects. The move shakes up the uncertain NL Central picture and puts the ball in the courts of GMs from the Brewers and Cardinals to respond with their own moves.

Dan and John discuss the constant lineup shuffling for the Cardinals and Cubs well into the season. Both teams are clustered near .500 and in search of the key to unlock the highly winnable NL Central. The reality is both teams will be making significant changes to the roster later in July as the trade deadline approaches.