Getting to know Marquee Network’s Taylor McGregor

I often say I grew up as a baseball kid. Some of my earliest memories involve my dad teaching me how to hold a ball and swing a bat. You’ve all heard and/or read my story about my mom moving our Wiffle Ball game out of the living room and into the yard long about the time my brother and I threatened to break things in the living room when we were four and five.

Marquee Network’s new field reporter, Taylor McGregor, brings that same spirit to the Chicago Cubs, except her yard was Coors Field where she grew up with the game of baseball as a front office daughter. If you’ve been watching Marquee since its debut you’ve already seen how that backdrop makes her a better reporter. You can learn more about her history in this excellent interview by Nick Groke in the Athletic.

Andi and I were thrilled that Taylor agreed to join us for the latest episode of Cuppa Cubbie Blue. Taylor’s conversation with us focused on her new job with the Cubs and how she fell in love with baseball when the Rockies were in the World Series in 2007. Taylor is already bringing a smile to my face daily with on the field interviews that bring fans into moments like getting to know Wednesday’s very enthusiastic front-row superfan.

It turns out Taylor might have been destined for Chicago long before she knew it. In middle school she wrote a paper about Ernie Banks. As a result she had a Cubs cap in her room well before she knew she’d work in baseball.

Taylor was previously the field reporter for the Rockies’ TV network where she noted how well Cubs fans travel and how “every Cubs game is like a Cubs home game.” We also had a blast talking about the 2018 postseason and Cubs fans uniting with Rockies fans against the Brewers.

No one here will be surprised that my favorite interview Taylor has done with her new team was with Willson Contreras where we found out about his favorite roller coaster:

However, Taylor noted a different moment as her favorite of her first two weeks covering the team: The moment Kris Bryant talked about what being a dad means to him. You can watch that clip here:

Taylor mentioned that it was just so genuine she quickly went back to the booth because she thought she might tear up. I can confirm that I did tear up from that moment. It was just so great to see such a personal side of Bryant. Let’s be really clear, that wasn’t an accident. Taylor has been spending her time building relationships with players because she knows those are the types of moments that bring fans and players closer together. She sees that as a vital part of her role on Marquee.

We talked about a lot of other things on this podcast: extended netting, sign stealing, Tik Tok and which series Taylor is looking forward to covering most. Check out the whole interview below, and please join me in welcoming Taylor to Chicago. Andi and I had a blast talking to her for an hour and it’s pretty clear she’s going to be an incredible asset to Cubs coverage on Marquee Network.