The Shawn Mackey Show

  I know I'm probably going to take some heat for this one, but I've got to say it: I'm still not sold on Craig Counsell as the manager of the Chicago Cubs. I've never been a big fan of Counsell, and the more I look at his time with the Cubs, the more questions I have. I'm not saying he's a terrible manager. I'm not saying the Cubs can't win a World Series with him. What I'm saying is that I'm not ready to automatically put Craig Counsell in the conversation with the greatest managers in baseball. My biggest issue is that I feel like sometimes we put too much faith in the numbers and not enough in what we're actually seeing on the field. When Counsell took over the Cubs, his first season looked remarkably similar to David Ross' final season. Both teams finished 83-79 and second in the NL Central . The statistical similarities between those teams are hard for me to ignore. If Craig Counsell is supposed to be this great manager, then why di...

  As a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, I never thought I'd reach the point where I would seriously question my commitment to this team. I've been following the Cubs for 53 years, through the highs, the lows, the heartbreaks, and the unforgettable 2016 World Series championship. But after watching this team stumble through another frustrating season, I find myself asking a difficult question: Where do the Cubs go from here? The Cubs entered June needing to prove they could recover from a brutal 10-game losing streak. While they've shown flashes of life offensively and have managed a respectable month so far, the inconsistency remains impossible to ignore. One night they score 16 runs and look unstoppable. The next night they blow a 5-0 lead and lose a game they should have won comfortably. The biggest issue isn't just one player, one manager, or one bad stretch of baseball. It's an organizational problem that starts on the field and extends all the way to ownership. Craig...

  As a lifelong Cubs fan and host of The Shawn Mackey Show , I’ve got to be honest — this latest Chicago Cubs collapse has me absolutely frustrated beyond belief. Watching this team drop eight straight games after TWO separate 10-game winning streaks feels like déjà vu all over again. One minute we’re talking playoffs, the next minute the offense disappears, the pitching implodes, and the coaching decisions leave me scratching my head. ⚾😡 In this episode, I break down everything that’s gone wrong with the Cubs, from Craig Counsell’s questionable lineup decisions to Jed Hoyer’s inability to truly fix the roster. I talk about why I believe this roster still has the same core issues it’s had for years and why fans are finally reaching their breaking point. The Cubs aren’t just “slumping” anymore — this feels deeper than that. I also dive into Pete Crow-Armstrong’s usage, the bullpen struggles, Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson’s disappointing performances, and why I think some major orga...

  There’s something refreshing about being able to sit down with somebody who roots for your biggest rival and actually have an intelligent conversation about baseball. That’s exactly what happened on Season 3 Episode 7 of The Shawn Mackey Show when Soup joined me again to break down the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals, and where this MLB season could be heading. As a lifelong Cubs fan, I’ll admit it — I’m frustrated. Even with the Cubs sitting near the top of the division, I still don’t fully trust this team. Last season is burned into my memory. The Cubs held the division lead deep into the summer before completely collapsing late in the year. That’s why I’m not getting overly excited yet, even during winning streaks. One of the biggest topics we discussed was Craig Counsell and some of the questionable managerial decisions being made during games that goes all the way back to 2024 . I truly believe the Cubs are winning in spite of certain move...