And I feel like we're at a point now where most of these, at least these two managers, are really trying to use their whole roster and trying to do what you've got to do in the modern game.

Well, certainly in a game like that last night, right, where you're using absolutely everyone.

And I think, again, the Cubs have a pretty different – it's weird.

They've used their bench a ton, and their bench has been brilliant.

But as a basic idea, this roster position player-wise is set up so that the bench never, ever, ever plays.

Like, that's the way it's supposed to be.

If everybody's going to be healthy, it's basically – Happen left, PCA, Seah, Bregman, Swanson, Horner, Bush, Kelly, and then what are you doing at DH? But otherwise, I mean, that group is playing over and over and over and over again.

He's hitting, what, 370 since the break, and he's your everyday shortstop for the next six weeks.

And I feel like we're at a point now where most of these, at least these two managers, are really trying to use their whole roster and trying to do what you've got to do in the modern game.

Well, certainly in a game like that last night, right, where you're using absolutely everyone.

And I think, again, the Cubs have a pretty different – it's weird.

They've used their bench a ton, and their bench has been brilliant.

But as a basic idea, this roster position player-wise is set up so that the bench never, ever, ever plays.

Like, that's the way it's supposed to be.

If everybody's going to be healthy, it's basically – Happen left, PCA, Seah, Bregman, Swanson, Horner, Bush, Kelly, and then what are you doing at DH? But otherwise, I mean, that group is playing over and over and over and over again.

He's hitting, what, 370 since the break, and he's your everyday shortstop for the next six weeks.

And I feel like we're at a point now where most of these, at least these two managers, are really trying to use their whole roster and trying to do what you got to do in the modern game.

Well, certainly in a game like that last night, right, where you're using absolutely everyone.

And I think, again, the Cubs have a pretty different – it's weird.

They've used their bench a ton, and their bench has been brilliant.

But as a basic idea, this roster position player-wise is set up so that the bench never, ever, ever plays.

Like, that's the way it's supposed to be.

If everybody's going to be healthy, it's basically – Happen left, PCA, Seah, Bregman, Swanson, Horner, Bush, Kelly, and then what are you doing at DH? But otherwise, I mean, that group is playing over and over and over and over again.

He's hitting, what, 370 since the break, and he's your everyday shortstop for the next six weeks.

The other one is more like, Hey, you could get a little bit of an itch,

man.

I got to tell you, like in terms of being a decision maker, uh, Like, Pete, I am fully in on the changes, but, I mean, you're changing your entire tactics on a platoon split based off his 130 plate appearances against lefties.

Like, you're like, that's it.

I'm doing it.

He can crush lefties better than, say, a left over right.

that feels a little bit strong.

What do you think about them and their resiliency in which they play with?

This is a team that, since the World Series, has been in sell mode.

Yeah.

I think, I know this one is hard.

You want guys to connect with.

Look, again, the market that I was in, and God, this joke is going to so land with the three of you, because of your age, but the Cubs win in 16, and then the fans just wanted them to keep making the Joshua Tree.

They just wanted him to keep making that album over and over again with the same dudes.

And you got to let go of that.

Tell people what he's all about.

This is a team that, since the World Series, has been in sell mode.

Yeah.

I think, I know this one is hard.

You want guys to connect with.

Look, again, the market that I was in, and God, this joke is going to so land with the three of you, because of your age, but the Cubs win in 16, and then the fans just wanted them to keep making the Joshua Tree.

They just wanted him to keep making that album over and over again with the same dudes.

Right.

Tell people what he's all about.

Yeah.

I think, I know this one is hard.

You want guys to connect with.

Look, again, the market that I was in, and God, this joke is going to so land with the three of you, because of your age, but the Cubs win in 16, and then the fans just wanted them to keep making the Joshua Tree.

they just wanted him to keep making that album over and over again with the same dudes.

Right.

And you got to let go of that.

Tell people what he's all about.

This is a team that, since the World Series, has been in sell mode.

Yeah.

I think, I know this one is hard.

You want guys to connect with.

Look, again, the market that I was in, and God, this joke is going to so land with the three of you, because of your age, but the Cubs win in 16, and then the fans just wanted them to keep making the Joshua Tree.

They just wanted him to keep making that album over and over again with the same dudes.

Right.

Tell people what he's all about.

Okay.

Way different.

It's different.

It, it's just, look, they're not gonna be perfect, but they're really smart.

They have a plan.

They understand short-term versus long-term.

I watch this team, and even though the Cubs, you know, have had their way because the pitching hasn't been, been so great, man, they got some players.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Um, and we're seeing them without Wood at the moment.

They've gotta figure out a way to get some pitching.

My guess is that they will draft well and they will find arms.

But I mean, the Cubs have a similar thing where they don't have enough stuff.

There's not enough bat missing, I don't believe.

As great as the Cubs' defense is, you can't have the ball be in play all the time.

Well, of course.

Um, so I, I, I f- I kinda feel that way with the Wizards this year.

But John, if you, if you look at some of these, you know, it's kind of, and who knows what, um, [tsks] what website you, you look at, but if you look at some of these websites and they do the, the post draft/trade rank pre- like preseason rankings-

All right.

Yeah.

So, uh, so, and then I have, I have a bunch of family in the Potomac area and a bunch of family that went to Gonzaga Prep and then Georgetown.

Do you get a sense from talking to the new people in charge, and I'm talking about manager Blake Patera, Paul Taboney, president of baseball operations, that it's different than a year ago or two years ago? Because when they made these moves trading away for prospects, a lot of fans, including myself, felt like, oh, it's just the same deal as last

year.

No.

No, it's way different.

It's different.

Way different.

It's different.

Watch on DAZN and DAZN on Prime Video.

[laughs]

I love the Feud.

All ti- I...

So this is a true story.

I was roommates with Dan Lebatard.

We're watching Game Show Network at 2:00 in the morning, and we're watching The Feud.

Top five answers on the board.

Like, do, do you remember, like, at, at the very least a rapid ascension like this, uh, that, that feels anything similar to what you've witnessed with PCA?

You were outgoing as a

kid.

Yeah.

I would ask questions.

I think... trying to connect with people, I don't love small talk.

So I have a tendency to, yeah, you're familiar.

So I have a tendency to try to like, when I'm sitting with someone, like get in there.

It's like the processing you have to go through to land that is why.

Do you feel like something's building here with this buzz at Wrigley? Do you feel like we're building to something special?

Yeah, I think, look, when the...

Y- you're right that the thing that separates Wrigley is that even when they're not so great, the, it's still a special place to go visit.

But I do think that when the team is good, there is an energy there to that place.

I'll tell you one of the ways you see it, you look at these teams that come into the ballpark, and you get into a close game in the late stages, and you see the pitchers, and they're pushing the pitch com on their hats because they're not used to pitching in an environment in the regular season where it's that loud late in the game, and you see it happen over and over again.

So I, look, I, I look at it as it's a place with the weather being so all over the place, um, and then the crowd is always charged up.

It's, it's definitely a real advantage.

Yep.

That's GoodRanchers.com. American meat delivered.

For the show tonight, I'm on a text thread with Rizzo, Arrieta, Joe, Miggy, Ross, Lester, and they are just having at it the entire day.

And I have not participated.

And I don't know that they even know that I'm on there.

I'm literally on

a text thread today.

They're talking about meeting for the bus.

Somebody's saying, make sure you bring my money.

Do you not want your booth scuttled with party detritus from a concert booth?

I do not want my booth scuttled with party stuff and cigarette butts and beer cans.

No.

Can I just say real quick that the only time in my entire life that I really have ever heard anyone use the phrase scuttle is in the hunt for Red October when John Connery says, The crew and I will go beneath and shuffle the ship.

You will go with the crew.

The officers and I will submerge beneath you.

That's the only time I've ever heard anybody use the word scuttle.

Just have it make you a new one.

Do you not want your booth scuttled with party detritus from a concert, Boog?

I do not want my booth scuttled with party stuff and cigarette butts and beer cans.

No.

Can I just say real quick that the only time in my entire life that I really have ever heard anyone use the phrase scuttle is in the hunt for Red October when John Connery says, The crew and I will go beneath and shuffle the ship.

You will go with the crew.

The officers and I will submerge beneath you.

That's the only time I've ever heard anybody use the word scuttle.

This is why the Lord invented the all-star break, to get you guys to do Sean Connery back and

I, I think there, maybe we're onto a documentary, Boog.

[laughs] Yeah, it, it was, I mean, look, a special, a special group.

And I, I'm with you on Harvey.

I think there were so many things that I learned from him, and he's obviously impacted through his, you know, teaching and writing so many guys that he never met.

But, you know, you were lucky enough to work with him.

I was lucky enough to meet him and get to know him.

Um, you know, I think about Kevin Brown throwing a bullpen, and Larry Rothschild telling me this story of Kevin getting frustrated with himself.

Just, you know, some moment that we might not know about from that, that series.

Just some moment that we might not know about from that series.

I just watched it at home with a couple of friends, the game seven.

And calling it, I was on the other side that year.

So I did the American League.

But I was around that team so much.

And I think...

There was such a vibe to that team in 15 and 16.

say this on the air.

You stay above the fray? That's probably smart.

So here's what I would tell you.

My two quick social media.

I got hacked on Twitter probably three years ago, and I had trouble getting my account back, and so I just punted.

And now I have a burner, and I just lurk.

But I'm not really on there.

But I would tell you this.

And then the Nats in general are surprising a lot of people at 44 and 43.

Mm-hmm.

I don't think I have anything particularly noteworthy.

I, I wonder about h- what's the peak on how good a shooter he can become.

I think that, uh, I think that the answer to that question goes a long way to answering, you know, what, what's his impact and how...

He's gonna be a very good player.

I don't think he's a franchise-changing player.

Um, but I think he's gonna be a very good player.

Mm-hmm.

Earlier in the year, it was like you guys, the Cubs, couldn't lose at home.

Yeah, at one point it was 15 in a row, and overall 20 of 23.

So it's just the, you know, look, you've seen enough of it where the streaks go both ways.

I do think that in terms of fans and media and analysis, when the negative stretch happens, we forget that the good stretch was the mirror opposite.

You know, no one was dissecting, hey, we're not actually going to go 147 and 15, are we? And then the bad stretch happens and everybody's like, what's wrong with the team? as opposed to when you're good, no one's sitting there dissecting, you know, we're really on a heater right now, aren't we? So it's been odd, though, to watch, for sure.

I think the part that has been surprising to me is...

The Cubs haven't hit in stretches, and I think this is a good lineup.

about the pitching

So now, what do you think you can add to the conversation, Boog?

Hell if I know.

I was listening a little bit to Jason, and he sound- I thought he sounded great.

I mean, I thought he sounded amazing.

So I'm not sure what I'm, what I'm really adding or who I am or what I'm doing here.

I know that, uh, if people wanna plunk down some jingle on a dinner with me and Benetti, you can do that.

What, what does that go towards, Boog?

Project Main Street, thank you for asking.

It's a cause very near and dear to your heart.

Yeah, I appreciate you guys.

I lost one of my close friends, childhood friend, Tim Sheehy.

He was diagnosed in 2005.

I'd known Tim since I was seven years old, and he lost his battle in 2007.

And in the middle of it, because he and his wife were struggling with the costs of care and the decline in his condition, we ended up having a fundraiser, and Hootie and the He played soccer with one of the guys from Hootie, and we took that money and gave a portion of it to Tim and Katie, and the other portion we started our 501c3, and we've been running it for 20 years.

So today's a big day just for awareness, try and raise money to help those living with the disease.

Do you think they do that, pitching, better than anybody else as an organization does anything else in baseball?