The Cubs won Game #1 of the 2016 NLDS, backed by an incredible pitching performance by Jon Lester and an 8th inning solo home run by Javier Baez.  This episode was recorded moments after the game ended.  

We’ve been waiting for this since last October, it’s Cubs playoff baseball! In this episode, we’re previewing Game #1 of the NLDS between the Cubs and Giants. We tell you how the Cubs have fared against the Giants this season and how the Cubs players have done against Cueto. We also look at the Lester vs. Giants match-up. We share our predictions for the series and Game #1.

We’ll broadcast live Friday night after Game #1 and share our thoughts on how the game went, and preview Game #2. We will all three be at Game #2, so there won’t be a live post-game show after that game, but we’ll record a Game #2 recap and Game #3 preview episode on Sunday night.

Deep breaths, Cubs fans…and #LetsGo!

Well, the Cubs completed the 2016 MLB season with 103 wins and in this episode, we look back and reflect on the incredible regular season.

We will have plenty of time to fret about the playoffs, but we felt like we should take a deep breath and appreciate the 2016 season for what it was. In this episode, we talk about some of the key moments and plays. We look at the team performance in offense, defense, and pitching. We also talk about some of the individual player performances on the season.

As we continue preparing for the playoffs, we use this episode to enjoy the big lead the Cubs have built up and the pretty meaningless games they are playing. We talk about the state of our nerves heading into the post-season. The Cubs have passed the 100-win mark and we talk about the historical significance of that accomplishment. Theo Epstein has signed a 5-year extension, and we discuss that. Then we dive into listener questions, which take us all over the place. This is a pretty loose episode and enjoy it because things are going to get tense in the next week!

Thanks for downloading this episode of The Ivy Envy Podcast. Friend of the podcast, Katie Day has released a new song for the 2016 Cubs Post-Season. On this episode, we bring Katie on the podcast to talk about the pressure of following up “By the Lakeside” and creating a completely different sounding song in “We Got the Fire”. We think you’ll really enjoy this conversation.

We also continue to look at the playoff rosters and talk about some of the players we thought wouldn’t make the roster, but now it appears that they have a good chance. One example is Miguel Montero, who helped Jake Arrieta get back to form on Friday.

This episode of the podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Market Grille in the Hy-Vee on John Deere Road in Moline. This was our first live recording like this in 6 or 7 years and we had a lot of fun doing it.

In the episode, we talk about playoff home field advantage, potential match-ups for the NLDS, and what would happen if there was a 3-way tie for the NL Wild Card? Well, one thing we know…advantage Cubs.

We answer several listener questions and share a handful of internet muscle flexes.

The Cubs have officially clinched the NL Central AND on Monday morning, we will get our 1-millionth download!

On this episode, we talk about the historical significance of the Cubs winning the division crown. We also look ahead to the last two weeks of the regular season and talk about how we will begin to prepare ourselves for the 2016 MLB Post-season. Andy looks at the health of the team, primarily Pedro Strop and Jorge Soler.

Then we invite Lauren (@BlondeWonk) to talk about Game Day Feels. Be sure to use the promo code IVY to be entered into a drawing for a 19″ bracelet.

If you want an Ivy Envy shirt for the Cubs post-season games, use the coupon code MILLION athttp://ivyenvy.com/store

What a great time to be a Cubs fan. The Cubs just beat the Cardinals in a series in St. Louis. It’s the 14th of September and the Cubs are about to lock up the NL Central. The future is bright and we’re having a blast.

In this episode, we talk about Kyle Hendricks and his near no-no. This leads to a discussion about Joe West and how, because of his actions, he is bad for baseball. We get you caught up on the news in the last week of Cubs baseball. Jason McLeod may be on his way out of the organization, Javy is the emergency catcher if the Cubs carry 2 catchers in the playoffs. Andy addresses the claim that Kris Bryant is not “clutch”.

There’s lots to discuss in this episode and we think you’ll enjoy it.

We focus on the minor league teams and prospects in this episode.  With the MiLB regular season completed, we check in on the teams in the Cubs system, from Eugene up to Iowa.  We also go through the Baseball America Top 10 Prospect list from before the season started and look at how the prospects did, which are no longer in the Cubs organization, and which made an impact on the major league team this season.  

Thanks for downloading this episode of The Ivy Envy Podcast. We recorded this episode during the Cubs series finale with the Brewers in Milwaukee, but didn’t spend a ton of time on the series, outside of some Hammel and Hendricks talk.

We check in on the magic number and start thinking playoffs. One reason to start thinking about the playoffs is the Cubs’ post-season lottery, which has opened up.

We end the episode with some Internet Muscle Flexes.