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Chapter 1: What introductory remarks are made about the podcast hosts?
The views and opinions of Layla Rahimi, Marshall Harris, and Mark Grody should not be taken too seriously. Especially when they give advice. Do not take Marshall's analogies literally. Especially when it comes to Russell Dorsey. The sports thoughts of Rahimi, Harris, and Grody may change at any time. It's just sports. Okay, thanks, bye. Rahimi Harrison-Grody. 10-2 on 104.3 The Score.
The Chicago Bulls are finalizing the hire of Portland Trailblazers interim coach Tiago Splitter as the franchise's new head coach. Sources tell ESPN. What do you think about the Bulls hiring of Tiago Splitter as the brand new head coach? The 25th head coach in Bulls history.
To have Tiago Splitter on your staff after he did something as remarkable as what he did in Portland, which is through some serious adversity. Take the reins, as you mentioned, Mark, and lead that team to the playoffs in the West. I want you to be happy.
You see what I'm dealing with?
Donny Abia is the guy in Portland who was an all-star last year under his watch after not being as successful during his time as a Wizards as one of the top picks by Washington. I just like this as a stabilizing force. He clearly knows how to do better than kind of a question mark, which is what a lot of these assistants are when they get this first opportunity, usually with a team.
This is the only candidate who had an actual head coaching experience with Mike Inori being one of those that was eliminated. Ryan Schmidt as well. Wes Unsell Jr., who was on the Bulls coaching staff this past season. It feels like he's checking some boxes as far as development is concerned.
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Chapter 2: What are the implications of the Chicago Bulls hiring Tiago Splitter?
We've done the modeling. He checks every box.
Within three years, he could be an all-star. Rex, you want to win now or you want to win in three years?
We want to win now. Things are going in the right direction, I believe, for pretty much the entire city right now. There's an upswell of feeling good.
I just want to thank you for listening to me and letting me be a part of your life today. Because you've got a good life. You've got a good life.
A good life. Leila Rahimi. Marshall Harris. Mark Grody. Middays, 10 a.m. to 2. On Chicago Sports Radio 104.3. The Score. The Score.
Dedication to being absolutely factual from that opening. Wes Unsell Jr. indeed does have, did have, does have, to his name, head coaching experience for three years of his life. So sorry to snub him just a little bit yesterday. Well, we know he won't be the next head coach of the Bulls, so there's that. It's Tiago Splitter as we welcome you in to Rahimi Harris and Grody on 104.3 The Score.
Good to have Marshall Harris here. I am Mark Grody. I see two Tylers over on the other side of the glass. That's right. Every once in a while you get these days. It's like a full moon. You have to appreciate it. The double Tyler formation. The double Tyler formation. You've got a baby T moving in for Dave Dykstra today. Tyler Ferengal is in the house. You've got Tyler Buterbaugh.
He is an absolute beaut. He is in today. Ray Diaz continues to have this week off as he deserves it. We were actually just hoping and praying, or at least I was, that Ray Diaz was not watching the Cubs game last night when Phil Maton came into the game and and ended up walking a guy in with the bases loaded and just looking like the bad Phil Maton that we've been seeing all year.
Because Ray Diaz, when last he blew a game, was telling us on the text thread, Why don't they DFA this guy? Why do I keep seeing this guy walking out? How come I have to deal with him? Because he's under a two-year contract, Ray. With a third-year option. With a third-year option. You've got to pay $3 million in 2028 just to make him go away. That is correct.
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Chapter 3: How did Pete Crow-Armstrong perform in the recent Cubs game?
Ian Happ is a big part of the Rahimi Harris and Grody show appearing here most weeks on 104.3 The Score. So we're happy to have Ian Happ, especially after last night's ninth walk-off win of the season for the Chicago Cubs. Cubs 5, Colorado 4, a simple walk. by Matt Shaw with the bases loaded was the money run in a game in which lots and lots of things happened. It was his own little odyssey.
And, yes, Ian Happ, the gold glove outfielder and co-host of the Compound podcast, joining us on Rahimi Harris and Grody like he does. Ian, if you were doing an entire episode of that game last night on the Compound, how do you start? What's the headline from that game?
Oh.
Oh, good question. I think the headlines probably showed it with a great start. And then Pete's cycle can't be ignored. That was pretty fantastic.
Just resilience from the group there, though. Obviously, we had opportunities to put up runs and didn't drive any across. And so just to stay with it and have that ninth inning was pretty impressive. On the ninth inning, real quick on that, because in the ninth, you guys go in there, it's 4-3. You're down a run. You come up with a runner on first.
I can't imagine the highs and the lows that you were feeling in that bat and what looked like it was a grounder to the pitcher. Pitcher throws it to second, looking to get the force. They botched the play. What were you thinking and feeling in that moment, in that at-bat?
Yeah.
Yeah, a little bit frustrated with that bat for myself and then ecstatic that we ended up with first and third and nobody out.
So great bat by Seah, working that count and getting on base before me.
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Chapter 4: What are the challenges surrounding the Cubs' lineup and performance?
Same approach. I'm walking at a similar clip to what I have, which comes with deep encounters. It comes with some of those strikeouts. Obviously, these strikeouts are higher than they have been and frustrating. A strikeout will really, really grind you. Yeah, so... Yeah, not thrilled about that part of it. Obviously, the extra base hits and the power has been there.
When you strike out that much, it's hard to hit for a high average, but certainly it's not kind of where I want it to be. Some of the ball is not getting down. I think just in the last week or the last... For the last week since that road trip and yesterday, I haven't had a lot of balls get down and haven't found singles.
The balls that I'm hitting are either going at people or just missing balls in the air.
Not an approach change for me or anything like that, but definitely frustrating. I think some of the strikeout stuff is a little bit...
There were some stretches earlier in the season where I struck out just a ton in the course of a week, and so that'll make the numbers look inflated. But yeah. I'm curious, Ian, about the approach that changes within an at-bat, right? You talk about a two-strike approach or with runners in scoring position. You've got a man on third with less than two out.
Do you feel like that approach has changed at all, whether it's for you or your teammates? Because I know you guys know what the numbers are as far as the high leverage and also runners in scoring position. Yeah, I think runner scoring position, you know, for me personally, like I, especially with two strikes, like I'm choking up and trying to advance the ball forward. I think that that's true.
You know, we've talked about this, I think, over the course of the last few weeks. But just trying to move the ball forward in those situations and, like, getting tense and tight because you know that we haven't come through doesn't really help. Right. It's not the answer. I mean, the answer is to go up there and have your bat like you would have your bat any other time.
um and and to be conscious of the situation but to really see if you can just go heavier at bat because that's the game between you and the pitcher is the most important thing and kind of the external factors of what's happening in the game state aren't as important um and so you know the more that you can lock in on the what you think the pitcher is going to do and what you're trying to accomplish is is kind of the best way to handle those things but um
Yeah, I think that's kind of the push and pull between trying to be this great situational hitter and also not letting the moment kind of dictate how you approach it. Talking to Cubs starting left fielder Ian Happ here on Rahimi Harrison-Grody along with Marshall Harris. I am Mark Grody. A couple of inside baseball things.
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Chapter 5: What is the significance of Pete Crow-Armstrong hitting for the cycle?
One for 10 with runners in scoring position. Seriously? My word is very simple. Think Miracle on Ice. Again. Do it again. Again. Again. Again. Again. That's pretty good.
Chapter 6: How has the Cubs' performance been at home this season?
21 wins. That's how many they have at home, the Cubs. Nine by walk-off. To lead baseball. Seriously. 43% of their wins have come by walk-off at Wrigley Field this season. So, when it happened, I wasn't really surprised. I was like, this is just who they are.
They're a team that can't do enough against the team with the worst record in baseball to salt away a game in which they leave 15 runners on base. It takes them until the ninth inning to finally get... A hit with runners in scoring position. Pedro Ramirez. Again. Again. And how many more times will we say again before the season is over?
I fear it will be many times that they need this type of, to use your word, theatrics and heroics. Seriously is my word. As Matt Shaw, who should have been in the lineup a long time ago. I'm going to be very honest. When he came off the injured list, why was he not playing? Big RBI triple last night. Obviously, having patience at the plate was a big move, too, for Matt Shaw.
I've been asked who can hit in the two hole. Matt Shaw can hit in the two hole. I'd do that for a night. Matt Shaw, because if he gets on base, he has speed at the top of the lineup. Give it a whirl. There's plenty of people besides Alex Bregman, and I know I'm going way off topic here, plenty of people besides Alex Bregman that can hit in the two hole. I like again, too, because June 4th,
The day that you remember, Cubs fans. The Cubs come back from five down against the A's, win the game, PCA walk-off single, and then the very next day they lose 18-3 to the San Francisco. That's why you're not hearing any of us talking about an inspirational win and why you're saying again. It's just something that they've been known to do. It's absolutely perfect. A couple good words.
Pico Armstrong became just the 13th player in Cubs history to hit for this cycle. Are you having optimism that PCA could be back? Oh, let's be clear. PCA is doing what he is being paid to do, which is produce. He's the best player on the Cubs.
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Chapter 7: What are the implications of Caleb Williams' comments on his NFL career?
He's one of the best players in baseball. The war tells the story here. And again, I think the biggest sign that PCA is not only back, but this is who he is. Not maybe this hot. Not batting 436 in the month of June hot.
But he's a guy who I think is going to look much more like the player who is currently batting .277 with a .351 on base and a .493 slug after a 4-for-4 day in which he also had a sacrifice fly, becoming, as you said, the 13th player to hit for the cycle. The biggest tell on this PCA being different from last year's PCA? Last year's PCA against lefties hit .188. This year's PCA?
Against lefties, 287, which is higher than what he's batting against righties. That's more than acceptable. That is stellar. Outstanding. He is locked in.
Pete Carl Armstrong is the best player on the Cubs, and he's showing you right now he might be the best player not only in the city, but one of the best in all baseball, which is shameful, by the way, that the All-Star tabulations were released yesterday, the first check-in on where the All-Star voting is, where you've got to be one of the top two vote-getters to be a starter.
If you remember, he was a starter last year in the All-Star game. This man needs to be in the top six to move on to phase two of the voting. He's 14th. 14th. That's bad.
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Chapter 8: What insights does Manu Raju provide about the Cubs and their upcoming games?
Surprising. Cubs fans... Just because of his popularity. You might want to go ahead and vote for your guy, PCA. Yeah, might want to go out there and get... I hope that what he is doing right now sticks. Of course, every player is going to continue to go through slumps. It's just early on in his career, it was colossal.
last year, and it was a terrible beginning to the season for Pete Crow Armstrong until the last couple of months when he has gotten it together. So I'm highly encouraged by it. I'm not just going to say, yep, he's got it now. He's locked and loaded. He's going to hit lefties for the rest of his career. The walk rate is much higher.
I mean, there's some real stuff, and we've been seeing that for a lot of the years. Just really good at bats, even when he's made outs throughout the season. There's also the poise factor, too. He has... Even though there's been a couple of loud moments at White Sox Park, in general, on every out, he's no longer slamming the bat. He's no longer slamming the helmet.
He sometimes gestures like he's going to, but then he doesn't do it. Last night, after he gets picked off, after he hits the cycle, this really conflicting moment, In his next at-bat, he has another terrific at-bat where he gets that sack fly on the low-sinking liner that I thought was going to touch grass and makes it a 4-3 game.
So you can see discernible differences in PCA's games and things that may not have happened last year, even when he was going through the good times. So I'm going to wait and see how back PCA is, but the goodness is real and the stats that you gave were wonderful. The 29 walks that he had last year in 647 plate appearances. He had 29 walks.
He has 24 walks and only 309 plate appearances this year. Five off of last year's total. That's great. Number three. This is 5-1 on Rahimi Harris and Grody. Mark Grody, Marshall Harris in today. Coming in at number three, how confident are you with the White Sox to take game one against the Yankees tonight with Davis Martin on the mound?
I'm always confident when Davis Martin is on the mound with his 9-2 record and his 2-41 debut. And by the way... I don't know if you guys happed upon this, but this is the kinds of things that are happening with this White Sox team this year. He's at 9-2.
If he gets the W by his name tonight, Davis Martin would be the White Sox first double-digit winners in a few years since Dylan Cease and a guy by the name of Lucas Giolito. Doesn't it feel like it was a decade ago that Lucas Giolito was on this team? For sure. Look, Garrett Cole is going for the Yankees tonight.
I do feel good with Davis Martin on the mound, but I do fear the Yankees, who have just won two out of three from Toronto. They have been red hot as well. Garrett Cole obviously had the surgery and just making his fifth start of the season. But my God, Ben Rice... Been following Ben Rice this season. Kids, I know that there's some loud players in the league, but Ben Rice is an MVP candidate.
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