It's opening day 2.0 and the Cubs still aren't playing when the sun's out. Oh well, everything can't be perfect. Let's take a look at some big keys to the season like Matt Shaw being good, Petecrow taking the next step and Michael Busch hopefully proving he's more than just a guy. Let's discuss what Jed said to our good friend Jon Greenberg about his future and Kyle Tucker's, what the Cubs had to do to make room for Tater and for Brad Keller's huge dome and how phantom injuries helped keep all the guys they wanted to. We'll make fun of CHSN for still not being anywhere were anybody can see them and revisit Andy's sure to be perfect baseball predictions. And then a little bonus, some TV shows you should be watching and a book or two. All that, and more.

Opening Day part deux is on the way and David Brown is on hand to discuss all of the important things you need to hear before the season restarts anew. Did the Cubs feel any shame losing two games in Tokyo to a third of the Dodgers' best players? Why did the Dodgers make Mookie Betts fly halfway around the world twice when things were spewing out of him at both ends? Did anybody have to try to use the airplane bathroom after him? Who is your fourth favorite Seattke Mariner of all-time? Andy walks us through his incredibly well thought out baseball draft process that has resulted in him having zero active players at one position. Will the West Sacramento A's actually have a very cool home atmosphere? What happens if the A's and Rays make the ALCS and an entire round of playoffs is played in minor league stadiums? Who's gonna be the NEXT Elly de la Cruz? Listen and find out. Follow the train of thought that goes from Zack Wheeler being traded to the Mets many years ago to an MLB inspector looking at a bare wall with an empty TV mounting bracket on it. And fun with teams that can't find anybody to hit 30 homers. All that, and more.

Worlds collide as both Pointless Exercise baseball podcasts join forces to preview the 2025 season. David Brown, Oleg, Praz and Andy sit around and yak about who's going to the playoffs, who's going to be MVP, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and Manager of the Year. No tangent is too wild to stray off on and somehow amidst all the serious baseball talk they discuss choosing one award by firing the leading candidates out of a cannon, they wonder why all the good Japanese players have names that start with s, and whether or not you can bet on one MVP candidate to get hit in the nuts with a pitch to lead off the season. There is gambling advice that you really don't want to take and a good time is had by all. The world may suck, but baseball's back, so that's something. Right?

Sure, the Dodgers might have the best player of his generation and two other Japanese fireballers, but there's no dispute that the Cubs' Japanese players returning home to play in next week's games are more fun. Seiya's hitting baseballs with a samurai sword, Shōta's making fun of his manager's batting stance. That has to be worth something, right? Tom Loxas is on hand to discuss this, why the Cubs are bothering with Lance Lynn, PCA's emergence, what do the Cubs see in Brad Keller, and the future of Tater Workman. Plus, the Bears moves make a lot more sense than we're used to. All that, and more

Baseball's hat designers learned the hard way that there are many, many words for breasts all over the world. David Brown is on hand to talk about that, about his upcoming train ride to spring training, the Cubs departure for Japan, dumb things said on sports radio, Mo Vaughn's interesting PED routine, where Yadi lives now, is Dave Roberts really a good manager, injured pitchers and much, much more.

The Remember This Crap tour around the diamond remembering the greatest (and other) Cubs players at each position has reached the hot corner. Andy and Huey are on hand to tell you more than you'd ever like to know about every regular third baseman (and some irregular ones) from the Hall of Famer who first played the position in 1876 all the way to the current day including a theory as to why Matt Shaw wears his number. The Cubs have had some legitimately great players including two World Series heroes (one we actually were alive to see play), several Utility Tunnel of Famers, some real Hall of Famers and Leo Gomez! You'll hear us opine as to why our generation grew up with the myth that Ron Santo was the last great third sacker and why that was nothing more than propaganda. Third base has been a shockingly good position for this club with some really fun guys.

Oleg is back from a whirlwind trip to Cubs spring training, Innings Festival and his first look at Toilet Flapper Field and he has stories to tell. Praz tries to guess who Gary Clark Jr's favorite Cub is, and Andy is relieved that Petecrow's leg is in one piece and that Matt Shaw's batting stance seems to be in working order. They discuss Cole Wright's play by play efforts, a juicy rumor about Boog and Japan and celebrate the return of everybody's favorite Cubs legend, Yency Almonte. Plus, for some reason they briefly talk about the upcoming F1 season, Nico Hoerner's token IL visit and fall down a Damon Buford sized hole remembering some crap about the 2000 Cubs team that went to Japan. All that, and more.

Spring Training is in full swing and enough of it has passed that Sammy Sosa showed up, so Tom Loxas is here to talk about it. Sammy's there passing along his wisdom to the young players ("Don't take $80,000 to a hotel lobby in a towel") and a guy only slightly younger than him is taking grounders at third base. But Matt Shaw is nearing his return while Nico Hoerner has already been ruled out of the games in Japan. Marquee got some expected bad news from Comcast, and their right-wing broadcast partner is trying to sue them to get out of their deal, how will this impact the Cubs cash flow? Meanwhile, ESPN and MLB have broken up, which means this is the last year of Sunday Night Baseball. Thank God. The guys also talk about the SNL 50th special and underrated cast members. And they finish up talking Bears free agency and the always exciting NFL Combine. All that and more. 

Thankfully ABS stands for Automated Balls and Strikes and not what Andy thought it did. David Brown joins the podcast to talk about the early days of testing the system and if there's a chance it could come to a big league ballpark near you this year. They also discuss bearded Yankees, the passing of Andy's pretend grandfather, how Justin Ishbia bailing on the Twins to buy more Sox shares will impact the AL Central, but also how it might force the Cubs to actually spend real money. They also chat about Petecrow's number change, where the middle class of baseball players has gone and why Anthony Rizzo is screwed and the Cubs relying on Matt Shaw at third base. All that and more.

The Cubs are banking on some marked improvements from some of their young players (and Michael Busch) but how realistic is that? Justin Turner's contract terms show the Cubs will spare no length to save a buck. A deep dive into the psychology that makes the Garbage Family That Owns The Cubs™ the way that they are--the kids at least. Is the local blog media finally catching on to the fact that the Cubs don't really know what they're doing? Should the Cubs trade for Vlad Guerrero Jr.? Of course, but the Jays aren't going to trade him. ESPN and MLB sever their relationship while it's discussed on this very podcast. Plus, why the Bears don't have to worry about raising their ticket prices. All that, and more.