Spring Training Concerns, Chicago Bears Moves & The Reality of Running a Solo Sports Podcast

 

Season three of The Shawn Mackey Show is officially underway, and I’ve got to be honest with you—I dropped the ball a little bit on the premiere episode. I had created new graphics, updated visuals, and planned some cool features for the show. But when it came time to edit the episode, the image file wasn’t sized correctly, and everything got cut off. That meant I had to rebuild the graphic from scratch.

When you run a podcast solo like I do, with a full-time job on top of it, stuff like that happens. I don’t have a production crew or a fancy studio. It’s just me doing the editing, producing, recording, and promoting. But the truth is, I love doing it. I love sitting down each week, sharing my opinions, and talking sports with you.

And eventually, I hope more of you jump into the conversation.

Spring Training: Hope or Cause for Concern?

Spring training in Major League Baseball is always tricky to evaluate. The games don’t count, lineups are constantly rotating, and you see a mix of established veterans and players just trying to make the roster.

But for me, stats still matter—at least a little bit.

They can be a signal of hope or a sign of concern.

Right now, there are a few performances that make me raise an eyebrow when looking at the Chicago Cubs roster heading toward Opening Day.

Pitchers like Jameson Taillon have struggled early in camp. At one point this spring, his ERA was sitting around 19.50, which obviously isn’t what you want to see from a veteran starter expected to stabilize the rotation. Another pitcher I’m watching closely is Shota Imanaga, who has also given up several home runs during spring training.

Now, I know the standard line: spring training stats don’t matter.

But if a pitcher keeps giving up long balls late into camp, you can’t ignore that either.

On the positive side, there are players giving Cubs fans some reasons to feel optimistic.

Matt Shaw Making His Case

One player who’s caught my attention is Matt Shaw.

After the Cubs signed Alex Bregman, Shaw suddenly found himself without a clear position in the infield. The organization has been experimenting with him in multiple spots, including the outfield and first base.

And so far, Shaw is making it hard to ignore him.

He’s hitting around .333 this spring with multiple RBIs, a home run, and several stolen bases. That kind of production forces the front office to take notice. If he keeps hitting like that, the Cubs will have to find a spot for him somewhere on the roster.

The Outfield Battle

Another storyline I’m watching is the outfield competition.

Players like Dylan Carlson, Michael Conforto, and Chas McCormick are all competing for playing time.

Right now, Carlson and Conforto appear to be performing well enough to stay in the mix. McCormick, on the other hand, has struggled at the plate this spring and may be the odd man out depending on how things shake out.

Meanwhile, longtime Cub Ian Happ remains a steady presence. He’s a Gold Glove defender and a switch hitter, but I’ve always questioned whether his power numbers truly match what I expect from a corner outfielder.

That’s just my perspective from watching the games.

The World Baseball Classic Debate

Another big storyline this spring has been the World Baseball Classic.

Personally, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the tournament. I understand the excitement and the international competition, but there’s always the risk of injury. When players representing their countries get hurt, it can derail an entire MLB season for their professional team.

We’ve already seen injuries happen during the tournament, which just reinforces my concerns about it.

Shoutout to a Local Prospect

I also want to give a shoutout to a player from Central Illinois who’s been making some noise.

Sam Antonacci, who attended Sacred Heart Griffin in Springfield, has been playing in the Chicago White Sox system. He’s also been representing Italy in international play and showing some real promise.

As someone from the same area, I love seeing local talent making waves in professional baseball.

It’s always worth keeping an eye on players like that.

Chicago Bears Offseason Moves

Switching gears to football, there’s been plenty happening with the Chicago Bears this offseason.

One of the biggest surprises was the sudden retirement of center Drew Dalman at just 27 years old.

Honestly, I respect the decision.

Football is brutal on the body. If a player has made his money, accomplished his goals, and wants to walk away healthy, more power to him.

Still, the Bears had to move quickly to fill the gap.

They responded by trading for Garrett Bradbury, a veteran center who should help stabilize the offensive line.

The team also made several free-agent moves, including the signing of linebacker Devin Bush. Interestingly, Bush’s arrival comes after the departure of Tremaine Edmunds, and when you compare their numbers, they’re surprisingly similar players.

It almost feels like the Bears swapped one version of the same linebacker for another.

Are the Bears Really Building Long Term?

That brings me to one of my bigger concerns.

The Bears front office has repeatedly talked about building a long-term plan. But when you look at the roster turnover, it sometimes feels like they’re resetting pieces of the defense every couple of seasons.

Building a championship team doesn’t happen overnight.

Just look at the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears defense. That unit didn’t appear out of nowhere—it was built over several seasons before finally reaching the Super Bowl.

If the Bears truly want to return to that level of dominance, they need stability and continuity on defense.

Keeping the Show Real

One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is authenticity.

Social media is filled with staged content, fake viral moments, and AI-generated stories that make you think something happened when it didn’t.

That’s not what I want this show to be.

When you watch The Shawn Mackey Show, you’re getting my real thoughts, my real opinions, and my genuine reactions. I’m not scripting fake moments or staging viral clips just to chase views.

It’s just me talking sports the way I see it.

And if you agree—or disagree—I’d love to hear about it.

That’s how real conversations start.