We're at the All-Star Break and it's that time of year where we can assess the damage. The Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise while the Cubs sit atop the NL Central. Cubs need starting pitching and Ron came prepared with his recommendations. in his view, the Cubs could more ground ball inducing arms and take advantage of the stellar defense up the middle. And they don't have to look far for the solve.

The Cardinals? They need to try to clear the deck and make room for youth and development. You know, what they said they were going to do last Winter.

STL City SC finally won a match along with a few big Summer transfers. #FallouFall

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This week Ron, Elliott, and Pete welcome back special guest Dustin “The Duke” Duquenne as they dive headfirst into last weekend's fireworks at Wrigley, highlighted by an eight-homer beatdown of the Cardinals on the Fourth of July that set league and franchise records (for both teams!). As Elliott, Duke, and Pete gleefully recap every bomb, Ron copes with the Cardinals’ ongoing rotation mismanagement – why hasn't Sonny Gray faced the Cubs this year? – and the baffling decision to keep running Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde out to the mound.

Duke brings the chaos, sparking classic banter and adding fuel to the fire during All-Star snub season. The guys vent about Seiya Suzuki’s absence from the roster, Michael Busch’s case over Freddie Freeman, and the absurdity of fan voting, especially when it gifts Ronald Acuña Jr. a starting spot with only 42 games played.

Pete pays tribute to the late Lee Elia with a dramatic, profanity-laced replay of Elia's legendary 1983 tirade – a masterclass in manager meltdowns. They also touch on Andre Dawson’s birthday, Wrigley’s misunderstood park factors, and the absolute dumpster fire that is Cardinals Twitter/X.

Other highlights include:

• A trade deadline preview and what the Cubs and Cardinals might do
• Mic’d-up players and the awkward Sunday Night Baseball conversation with Masyn Winn
• The Nationals’ bizarre front office purge
• Rob Manfred’s push for a salary cap and how that might actually work
• A nostalgic detour into He-Man toys and 80s cartoon logic
• Ron’s Soccer Minute: City SC's woes continue, with little hope coming via the transfer window

Whether you're basking in Cubs euphoria or buried under Cardinals frustration, this episode delivers laughs, rants, and the kind of unfiltered takes you’ve come to expect from the Team of Rivals.

Check out Paul Jellison's full YouTube video of Lea Elia's rant.

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It’s the most magical of baseball holidays: Bobby Bonilla Day! Baseball’s most legendary deferred payment continues, and Pete has the updated list of players who will be cashing checks long after their cleats hit the shelf. Bobby may have been the first, but he’s no longer alone.

Meanwhile, the trade deadline is just a month away, but you'd never know it. After what looked like a hot start (Rafael Devers), the stove is lukewarm at best, and the rumor mill is oddly quiet. Should we be concerned, or are the GMs just waiting each other out?

Both the Cardinals and Cubs are trending up, but with very different outlooks. Elliott and Pete are both on board with the Cubs buying — aggressively, if possible — but Ron is still waiting on the Cardinals to make good on their promise to clear the deck and let the kids take the wheel.

Finally, peer pressure pays off, as Pete has agreed to watch Andor. Yes, really. But before you question his judgment, he redeems himself by delivering the finest outro in ToR history. You be the judge.

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