Climbing The Ivy, A Chicago Cubs Podcast

Brad Robinson of WBBM 780 joins the Cubbies Crib crew to talk about the latest Cubs offseason news. As the offseason rolls on, and so do the concerns over the Cubs budget. More and more reports are suggesting the Cubs do not currently have the budget to get relief pitching...creativity is required. Theo Epstein has not given much information to the public (no surprise there) on what his real plan is. Speculation grows as more reports on budget issues come out. The bullpen clearly needs work, so how will they fix that if the budget is limited?All of this and MORE on Climbing The Ivy!

It is officially 2019 and pitchers/catchers will be reporting before we know it. Some small moves have been made around baseball over the holidays, but no much...especially not the Cubs. We will give some thoughts on the current status of free agency and maybe talk some Wrigley Field updates. All of this and MORE on Climbing the Ivy!

Alex and Adam have a special interview with Kelly Wallace of "Expanded Roster" on this edition of Climbing the Ivy. Wallace interviewed Melisa Reidy, ex-wife of Cubs SS Addison Russell. Her experiences were shared in Wallace's article she posted on the 19th of December as she speaks out against Domestic Violence and continues to help empower others who have been victims of it. Also, we discuss the signing of Daniel Descalso, the prospect of signing Troy Tulowitzki and other baseball news. Won't want to miss this show.

The Winter Meetings have begun and the Cubs have been…well, not very active so far. But there is still a way to go. Bryce Harper rumors are flying around like crazy and there are so many reports of the Cubs involvement, or lack thereof with the 26-year old star. Alex, Adam and Cody discuss the situation.Will the Cubs truly need to move payroll? How can they do it? That will also be discussed. Things are quiet now, but they can change in a flash during this time of year. All of this and MORE on Climbing The Ivy!

The Winter Meetings are approaching, and the Tender/Non-Tender Deadline has passed. Cubs have made a few moves, including trading Tommy LaStella to the Angels and non-tendering newly acquired Ronald Torreyes. What will happen when the Winter Meetings arrive? We will discuss.Another move made was tendering a non-guaranteed contract to Addison Russell, who will be serving a 40-game suspension in 2019. This controversial move has a lot of mixed feelings from the fans.All of this and more on Climbing The Ivy.

The Chicago Cubs aqcuired Yankees infielder Ronald Torreyes for cash considerations and PTBNL. We will discuss what this can mean. Also, fans were surprised when reliever Jesse Chavez was not brought back as he has signed with Texas. How serious is losing Chavez? Or was it the Cubs plans not to bring him back?Lastly, it appears Joe Maddon, according to his comments, is going to change his coaching approach in 2019 and brush off the "lame duck" status. All of this and MORE on Climbing The Ivy!

Big news on the Chicago Cubs front, pitching coach Jim Hickey has left the organization for personal reasons. After one year as pitching coach in Chicago, he is now gone. What does this mean for the team and who can replace him? This and more minor Cubs news on Climbing The Ivy.

WBBM 780 sports reporter Brad Robinson joins Alex and Adam to discuss some of the crazy rumors circling social media regarding the Chicago Cubs offseason, some of which that have no chance of happening or even make sense. What kind of things SHOULD Cubs fans be looking out for realistically over the next few months?Also, should Joe Maddon have gotten consideration for Manager of the Year? All of this and MORE on Climbing the Ivy!

There are a lot of rumors going around about whether the Cubs will spend a lot of money in free agency or not this offseason. Theo Epstein is under a lot of pressure from the fans to see the 2018 team be avenged in 2019. Could they decide to not spend a lot afterall and stand pat? Or is there something big on the horizon? Also, is Jim Hickey out as Cubs pitching coach? Is this related to Joe Maddon's status as a "Lame Duck" manager in 2019? A lot to discuss on this edition of Climbing The Ivy.

The MLB offseason is officially here, and there is a long way to go before Spring Training, 2019. So what is first on the agenda, and what should be done about various Cubs free agents? We will discuss on the show. Also we will share some more memories and play some fun games on the show, so do not miss out on the latest episode of Climbing The Ivy!

In this week’s show, we are joined by Cubs Insider contributor and former Cubbies Crib writer William Chase. There is not much to discuss in terms of Cubs news, but there is the report saying former Yankees manager Joe Girardi is interested in “waiting out” for 2020 to manage in Chicago. If Joe Maddon is gone after 2019, is Girardi a guy to consider? Is that relevant right now? We will discuss.Other Cubs/baseball notes, thoughts and feelings will be discussed and maybe even some fun and games! All of this and more on Climbing the Ivy!

Let us let the biggest offseason debate begin:Manny Machado or Bryce Harper?The two biggest free agents this offseason have often been linked to the Chicago Cubs as possible targets. Fans have mixed feelings on who they would rather have if they had to pick one, so how do we feel?Join Alex and Adam along with other Cubbies Crib writers joining the show for a Machado vs. Harper round table discussion!

Alex and Adam go further into analyzing the 2018 Chicago Cubs season. In this episode, final grades will be givin to each player on the team (excluding random MiLB callups or guys that did not play more than a few games with the team) rating their performance this past year. Who gets the As, Bs, Cs, Ds or Fs? This is obviously subject for debate, so let the controversy begin! All of this and more on Climbing the Ivy! (DISCLAIMER: We realize we forgot Tyler Chatwood in the pitcher's section)

The 2018 Chicago Cubs season is over. A disappointing end to a season that began full of promise. What went wrong? What will happen now? How do we feel? Join Alex and Adam in their analysis of the 2018 season and what is to come.

Other members of the Cubbies Crib Crew join Alex and Adam to discuss the upcoming Wild Card game at Wrigley Field Tuesday. The regular season is over and they finished with 95 wins, but lost the NL Central crown to the Milwaukee Brewers in game 163. How did they lose the crown? How do we feel about the Wild Card game? How do we remember this regular season? We discuss on this special episode of Climbing the Ivy.

“Squad leaders, we’ve picked up a new group of signals…enemy Brewers coming your way.”Seemed like after Sunday’s blowout win against the White Sox that the Chicago Cubs were all but set to win the NL Central. Not so fast. The Brewers are closing in and have gained two games in two days. Will the Cubs still hang on and win the division or could they face a date with the Wild Card game?Alex, Adam and Cubbies Crib Editor Jake Misener give their takes on the final few games of the 2018 regular season. A lot discussed in terms of their chances and what could be in store for the team once this is all said and done. You do not want to miss it!

The race between the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers continues to be tight as we head into the last few weeks of the season. Cubs are counting down their magic numbers to clinch a postseason berth and hopefully a division title. What do the scenarios look like for potential postseaston clinching? We discuss on the episode. As for the team, the pitching has been great while the hitting has hit another rut. Everyone seems to be slumping, but could their performance in Arizona Monday night help boost them back? Also some terrible news for Pedro Strop and the already depleted bullpen. What does this mean for the rest of the season? All of this and MORE on Climbing the Ivy!

Stressed? Cannot blame you, the race for the NL Central crown is very tight here in September. With just a few weeks to go the Cubs are trying to fight off second-place Milwaukee, who will just not go away. A few weeks ago it looked like they were fading a bit, but a second push has kept them breathing down the Cubs necks. What does the conclusion of this race look like? We break it down. Also, there is a lot of controversy over how MLB has handled the situation with the Cubs in Washington DC. It is really wise of MLB to not grant the Cubs request to move the game date or location when there is a hurricane in the area? Does not seem like it. We discuss that ordeal on the episode. All of this and MUCH MORE on Climbing the Ivy!

The Chicago Cubs have were on a roll heading into this week, beating the Mets and Phillies 2/3 and taking a tough makeup game in Atlanta. Those wins ended up being huge because so far their series against second place Milwaukee has not looked good. A frustrating loss in game one was followed by an epic disaster in game two. The two sides are certainly exchanging words, and it may get even more interesting seeing as it is very possible they will meet together again in October. We also have some time for…IRRATIONAL THOUGHTS?!? What does that mean? Tune in and fine out! All of this and more on Climbing the Ivy!

We are entering the final month of the MLB regular season, and the Chicago Cubs have a tough road ahead. Right now, the offense has been rejuvenated since the awful stretch it had for much of the month. Veteran infielder Daniel Murphy was added to the mix after being claimed from the Nationals, which was a move that surprised many. Can the offense keep it up? We will discuss their recent performance. Also being discussed is the starting rotation and how their recent performance has been promising. Hopefully, that too can keep it up entering the final month. It is absolutely necessary for them to be performing at top-level come October. All of this and MORE on Climbing the Ivy!