Thanks for downloading the 465th episode of The Ivy Envy Podcast.  Spring Training has started and we briefly talk about the first few games.  This Spring Training has a different feel for us and we try to figure out what the difference is between Spring Training 2017 and the 8 other Spring Trainings we've discussed on the podcast.  Corey was in Mesa earlier this week and shares his experience.  

To get your tickets to our September 23rd Ivy Envy Cubs/Brewers Tailgate in Milwaukee, go to http://ivyenvy.com/milwaukee2017

Thanks for downloading this, the 464th episode of The Ivy Envy Podcast.  Evan Altman and I have been trying to connect for months to get him on our podcast, and it's finally happened.  

I really think you're going to enjoy this episode. With pitchers and catchers already in Mesa, and many of the position players there ahead of their reporting date, we look ahead to this 2017 season.  

We leave very few current Cubs topics untouched in this discussion.  

Links:

CubsInsider.com

Twitter - @DEvanAltman & @RealCubsInsider

Thanks for downloading the 463rd episode of The Ivy Envy Podcast.  This is what you will hear in this episode:

• The Cubs traded prospect Donnie Dewees to the Royals for pitcher Alec Mills.  We look at the reason the Cubs traded Dewees and how Mills addresses a weakness in this organization.
• We discuss the new extra innings rule that will be implemented in a few lower levels of baseball.  Every half-inning past the 9th inning will start with a runner on 2nd base.  We share our thoughts on this change.  
• We look at a few Spring Training storylines that interest us. 
  • Kurt is interested to see who will be Jon Lester's catcher and talks about the catcher situation as a whole.
  • Andy talks about Joe Maddon's options with the lead-off spot. 
  • Corey will be paying attention to Albert Almora.

We wrap up the episode with some internet muscle flexes.

The Patreon pre-sale is underway for our Cubs/Brewers Tailgate event.  Check the Ivy Envy Patreon supporters Facebook page or our Patreon page for details on purchasing these tickets before they're released to the public.

You can win a copy of the Cubs World Series DVD by calling our voicemail line and sharing your favorite Cubs post-season or World Series moment.  Call 309-517-0624.

Thanks for downloading the 462nd episode of The Ivy Envy Podcast.  This is the first episode of our 9th season of the podcast.  It's been quite an off-season for us and all Cubs fans.  Our podcast is back and we're ready to start talking about the 2017 Cubs. 

For all Cubs fans, off-seasons have been the time to put the pain of the previous season behind us and look forward to the upcoming season with optimism.  This off-season, we've been able to bask in World Series victory.  It's typically about looking to see where the holes and weaknesses are in the team and seeing how the front office decides to address those areas.  Things are different this season as the 2017 Cubs look very similar to the 2016 Cubs.  

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Corey talks about the off-season moves that were made after the 2008 season. These are the moves we were talking about in our very first episode. 
• Kurt talks about the addition of Wade Davis to the back-end of the bullpen.
• Jorge Soler was traded to the Royals for Davis, so we talk about the trade and our favorite Soler memories.
• Andy runs through the moves the Cubs made in the off-season to further strengthen the bullpen. 
• We look at some of the Spring Training invitees and share some important Spring Training dates.
• Kurt shares some Kris Bryant related Scary Stats.
• Internet Muscle Flexes