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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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That is Zach Zaidman on the call. This is Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 104.3 The Score and joining us on our hotline and on Twitch. Twitch.tv slash The Score Chicago is one of the most fun Twitter accounts that's baseball related on the internet. Cespedes Family Barbecue, Jake Mintz at Cespedes BBQ now joining us. Jake, thanks for coming on.
Oh, it's a pleasure and a privilege. I spent some time in Chicago over the weekend. First time I'd been there at Wrigley Field in a decade. And I got to say, you folks got something special cooking. Not that you need to hear it from a foreigner like me.
A foreigner. No, we do want to hear what you think because that's how you popped up on my radar was you'd mentioned that you were going to Wrigley for the weekend. So what drew you to this particular matchup this weekend and why did you want to go?
So all my college buddies and I decided to do a little reunion, and what better place to go than Chicago, considering it's a direct flight from literally everywhere. And leading into the weekend, I considered doing this 9-9-9 challenge that I'm sure many of you folks have seen, which is nine beers, nine hot dogs, and nine innings.
However, I will be honest with you, upon arrival in the Wrigley Field bleachers, It proved to be quite an expensive proposition. Well, yeah. And so I decided to pull the plug before even getting started. Wait, you didn't even make it through the first inning? I didn't know. Why would I embark upon that journey if I was not going to make it the whole way? Look, the 999 challenge is in my future.
I guarantee that.
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Chapter 2: What recent success have the Cubs experienced?
But it will be done at home. It will be done at home with a, you know, financially reasonably priced case of lager and some grilled franks right in front of me. I'm not, you know, I don't want to refinance my house in order to have to enjoy a nice day out at the ball yard.
What about a dollar dog night? You just need to find a ballpark that's got the dollar dogs. Then you're only down to $9 in dog cost.
That is true. However, I think it was like $17.99 for a beer out in the bleachers. I mean, what are we doing here? I mean, I saw that number, and I was just like, I can't. Jake, when was the last time you went to a Major League Baseball game?
I feel like those prices are— Hold on. The vendors have them for cheaper, I think.
So it's funny you do say that.
I don't drink beer as much, so I don't really know.
This was the first time I had had a beer at a ballgame in years because— Because now that I'm a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and I'm at games all the time working them in the press box, I'm not out gallivanting throwing suds back. And I will say this sticker shock for me was really jarring. And you're right. I didn't realize.
I just hadn't been drinking at games in a really long time. And I had to completely reshape my expectations.
I think that's the price of like a rosé at Wrigley. That I can tell you, but I can't tell you the price of a beer at Wrigley.
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Chapter 3: What was Jake Mintz's experience at Wrigley Field like?
I would agree with that. And then why am I suddenly reminded of the Wade Boggs Challenge from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?
Oh, man. I mean, that's a different level. It was like 62 beers on a cross-country flight. Like, I'm not.
And then you hit a home run, right?
You should start on easy mode and just do like shots of beer and then what do they call it? The little weenies that are wrapped in the croissant. Pigs in a blanket. You know, like nine pigs in a blanket, one each inning and then one shot of beer.
They're selling these 999 challenges now at some ballparks, like some big league ballparks. And they come in like the miniature version.
where instead of a 12 ounce thing of beer it's like holding up a coffee cup it's probably like eight ounces six ounces of beer and then like a mini hot dog and they have like you get nine of those either go in or don't you know so i will do this at some point this season and i will certainly report back to you folks
Oh, my goodness. Yeah, our Twitch mob. And you can see Jake on Twitch, twitch.tv slash the score Chicago. One suggested Malort, a shot of Malort. That is not what I would recommend. That is the hardest of the levels. So please don't if you have any familiarity. So I did.
I did have a shot of Malort this weekend as I visited Chicago. One of my buddies had never had it before.
Just one?
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Chapter 4: What unique challenges does Wrigley Field present for fans?
And it felt like half the team was waiting there accepting the gold glove. And it was a good reminder that this team really can't pick it out in the grass.
I think, Jake, you say that he's not doing it in the traditional sense, Nico Horner. I think he's doing it in the most traditional sense when you consider how much of a throwback he is. I go back to the stat where he finished April with 14 strikeouts and 146 plate appearances. That's about as old school when it comes to the true principles of what traditionally gave you an MVP candidate hitter.
There are some real baseline old school understandings when it comes to his game.
Yeah, and I think that's totally true. We just haven't seen a player like this do this at this level in a really long time. And I think that is what makes him very unique and makes him very watchable. I think Craig Council talked about it on Friday, talking about Nico Horner. He was like, yeah, a lot of the guys on the team say that Nico Horner is their favorite player to watch.
Like the baseball players say that. And I think that comes across... really well for fans watching on TV. The other guy that really stood out to me was Moises Ballesteros. You can either hit or you can't, right? And, like, that kid hits. He has hit, he is hitting, and he will always hit. Now, what kind of player is he beyond that? Who knows?
His position is batter's box, but he plays it pretty darn well. I like that.
And I also want to point this out. You do fund stats awareness, and you had another good thread on Saturday. And you reposted something from Chris Withers, who's the White Sox producer for CHSN about Minnetonka Murakami. And Withers had posted, what Murakami has done to start the season has happened only five other times in Major League history. And the list of players is impressive.
13 home runs, 27 walks for Murakami in 2026. Then you've got to go back to 2006. Jim Tomey. 14 home runs, 28 walks. Albert Pujols in 2006, 16 home runs, 30 walks. Pretty good stats. Withers is known for picking them, but I'm glad that you saw it as well.
Murakami is fascinating. because here's my favorite Murakami thing. Do you know how many doubles Murakami has right now? Zero. Same as his number of triples. Same as the number of doubles and triples that we all have. And like that is in part a quirk. Like he will get one eventually. You sure? But I also think it's, yeah, he will have a double. I will take the over on 0.5 rest of the year.
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