High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - At Least They Don't Play the Marlins This Week...Oh Wait

Episode Date: May 24, 2021

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to a disappointing week in Phillies baseball. The guys discuss the team's lack of leadership, their defensive struggles, their inability to beat the Marlins, Ace Wheeler, and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the high hopes podcast. It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies on radio.com and sports radio, 94 WIP. Yo, Yo, it is another edition of the High Oaks Podcast. Jack, thank God they won today because, I mean, come on.

Since the last time we spoke, a 2-4 homestand against the Marlins and the Red Sox and some feeble efforts along the way. Yeah, don't sell me right now i don't need you to sell me i'm very disappointed in this team right now jack all i'm saying is this is that uh i'm hot the phillies are hot everyone's hot um if it weren't for zach wheeler where who would have thunk that at this point in the season it would be like not even close to it not even just not a controversial statement but an inarguable statement that zach wheeler has been far and away the philly's best player this season

and like that's it yeah yeah i mean he is he's been i mean again today it's like i don't know i just expect you know seven innings, 8K. I mean, Zach Wheeler leads the National League in strikeouts. And that is crazy given, like, what we talked about last year with him was like, yeah, this is cool. Like, great. Nice ground ball, double plays and all that stuff. But can you strike those guys out?

Efficiency, Jack. Efficiency. Oh, he's trading Ks for outs, baby. Oh, that's so exhilarating i love the old smart yeah yeah and then this you know what's fun is when he goes eight and still strikes out like 10 or 11 guys that that's super fun yes so it's uh it's it's zach wheeler being as good as he is completely blinds me from the rest of the homestand. And also, James, I don't know about you. And like, honestly, I have a bone to pick with you that I think I need to get out of the way now. Oh, terrific.

I think that's the perfect way to start the pod. Let lay it on me. You didn't tell me that owning a house is so much work. Like, I'm so hot. It's so hot all day. You didn't tell me that owning a house is so much work. I'm so hot. It's so hot all day. I'm outside doing yard work, and now I'm up in my attic, which is like the hottest room in the place. It's burning up.

But, but, but. My basement is great. It's like the perfect temperature. Yeah, so you went to the cool part. Can't relate, buddy. I put my podcast place in the hottest part of the house. You can't blame me for that one, buddy. Well, I can find a way, that's for sure.

You sure will. You sure will. Yeah, but yeah, yeah. I don't know. I'm dreading this Marlin series. Oh, my God. I don't know. I'm dreading this Marlins series. Oh, my God. So four in Miami. It's like also the weird like Monday through Thursday,

Friday off two-game series on Saturday and Sunday is like, what the bleep is that? Like, what are we doing? Like, really? Oh, baseball being baseball. I don't want to capitalize on the weekend crowd. Why would you want a Friday night game to watch? All right. But we'll to capitalize on the weekend crowd. Why would you want a Friday night game to watch? Alright, but we'll look

ahead to the Marlins. Again, we don't curse, but bleep the Marlins. I mean, is there, honestly, look, alright, the last, any Phillies fan, we never lie to the IHOPs listeners. The IHOPs listeners wouldn't lie to us, and we would all agree, everyone listening,

we would say that even let's say to put it nicely the last three to four years obviously longer but but just this incarnation of the phillies has been frustrating right it's been a frustrating team to watch and i think of all the frustrating things the bad bullpen the bone games defense this season, which we'll talk more about, all that stuff. The single most frustrating thing of this whole time is that they can't beat the freaking Marlins. I'd rather face the 1927 Yankees than the Marlins, Jack. It's crazy.

Yeah, yeah. And again, we don't lie to the High Hopes listeners. Oh, my God. Thursday after the game, I texted James, and I was like, no one wants to listen to us come up and talk about this series with the Marlins. I know, I know. Dude, if they didn't win today, like, we were recording tonight no matter what, but them winning today was, like, really saved everyone from a real extra depressing podcast.

Yeah, and, like, we try to do our best not to be full-on depressing, but when you watch this team and you live and die with this team every single night. Oh, my God. And honestly, James, and I know we just said we don't lie to the High Hopes listeners, but after the Marlins series and really the first two games of the Red Sox series, I had never felt more disconnected with the Phillies

than I had been these last couple days. Just because the effort bothers me. The defense bothers me. The strikeouts bother me. Nolan not stepping up bothers me. Joe Girardi's decision-making bothers you. Their roster management bothers you their roster management bothers you we'll get it all of it but like there's and and like jack like as much as anything

like they're just not fun to watch like they don't rake if anything they rake for like one inning and then it's like pulling teeth the rest of the game like they don't you know put the ball and play a ton they strike out like crazy like you said they don't come through know, put the ball and play a ton. They strike out like crazy, like you said. They don't come through when you want them to. It seems like nothing gets them jazzed up. Like, watching this Red Sox team this weekend, it's like every home run, like the whole dugout's celebrating, and they're, like, doing moves and high fives and dances.

This team feels, like, lifeless, Jack. That's the problem. Yeah, well, they're putting guys in shopping carts. Yes, exactly, exactly exactly and there's a reason they're like 12 games 11 games over 500 and one of the best teams in baseball like well also i mean i i don't think it's talked about enough about how like how good at his job alex core is like oh dude oh he's outstanding like the red sox were terrible last year. All of a sudden, Alex Gore is back and they're back to being the best team in the AL.

And he called out LaRusso. He's like, yeah, he's like, you know, I would have my guys back, no matter the situation. He's like, you keep that in house. He just understands the players and the players relate to him and he understands moments and moves and who's ready and who's not.

You're right. He's fantastic. He was such a big part of them winning in 2018. Would he put his starter that's been on a roll into the game in the seventh inning the day after being scratched with the numbness in his corner finger? Yeah, and also when you know you have a kid making his, you know, essentially first start of the season. He's been up so far, but a first start of the season on a pitch count it's like oh yeah let's use both Vinny and Chase Anderson like

sure that your two guys who are stretched out in case oh like what happened Spencer could only last a couple innings like like who couldn't foresee this coming and going back to the last pod the stuff in in Dunedin against Toronto like like Did Oh, let's not put him on the IL. Let's play this game short-handed. Then you have a game where Zach, you know, early in the week where Zach Wheeler's pinch hitting in the third inning of a baseball game. And I know that it's because Vinny can't come.

Vinny, like, you know, that screwed up. But like, and look, I know Zach Wheeler's probably better than, than some of these bench guys. Like I get it, but like, it's just the rock. And then JT goes on but like it's just the rot and then jt goes on il and it's just like the roster mismanagement has been like like really disheartening man like they don't like forgetting just the poor effort and poor play on the field which we'll get to but like from uh uh the people in charge of this team perspective like they're not making you feel like they know what they're doing right now yeah and i can't tell if that's uh full or dombrowski like i just i have a

hard time believing that dombrowski is like not you know hands on yeah well you know i mean that's his reputation right and also but i would think that this would be on fold to get guys here and ready to play. And apparently, like, they don't want to put Luke Williams on the 40-man roster. And it's like, I mean, I get it. But the guy's batting 400 and playing all over the field. And, like, he's got selection for the Team USA team. Like, you need them like like who cares about the bottom of the 40 man roster like you need that guy when he when he's

whatever but yeah it's like you're playing national league baseball like having a having 14 pitchers and a four-man bench or whatever with one of those guys being a catcher is isn't it's insane and and again and i don't we don't bring up gabe or whatever but if gabe had zach wheeler hitting in the third inning oh my god he would have been it would have again like one of the like six or seven things that gerardi has done this season jack that if it had been gabe it would have been something that we talked about on wip for the rest of this season like until gabe if it had been Gabe, it would have been something that we talked about on WIP for the rest of the season. Like, until Gabe left, we would have brought it up, like everyone did with the NOLA. I mean, we heard about the 68 pitches in Atlanta for the rest of his time in Philly.

You know, I'm so with you, dude. I'm so with you. Girardi has done like five things this season where people would just kill Gabe. Oh, and by the way, Gabe's got, if not the best record, like one of the best records in baseball right now. So, you know, cool. With a much worse roster, like a much worse roster. Anyway, go ahead.

Yeah, but it's just been, you can't go into games with a three-man bench, and you can't, like it's just, none of what they've done recently makes sense, and I get they don't have the greatest you know minor league depth or whatever and i actually like i'm glad they're kind of not bringing up mickey and just letting him stay down there and you know you hope you can kind of get him in a rhythm and and whatnot rather than hey you're up today hey you're down today all that stuff um but they gotta find a solution because it's just – again, it's Major League Baseball.

It's National League Baseball. You can't have a three-man bench with one of those guys being a catcher. It's a four-man bench. Like it doesn't feel like there's a plan here. It doesn't feel like anyone – like even the whole – I mean even the – it's a couple weeks ago, but Daniel De La Santa is not being on the scorecard. Totally.

Like who is this on? Why are they not putting guys on the DL when they should put on the IL when they should put on the IL? You've got to wait five days to put JT on the IL? Really? And play with short rosters. Why are you getting yourself in these situations where you can't compete? What drives me crazy is why are we being so short-sighted?

Like, I understand we want to win as many games as possible, but it's May. How about we get the catcher healthy rather than worry about, oh, he can go today, but then he might get hurt and we back down tomorrow. It's like, hey, how about we get the guy right, and then we'll bring him back up rather than have no idea if he's going to be there or not. Yeah, I'm with you 100%. It's been mystifying.

And again, look, we've talked about it before. I'm sure we'll talk about it again. I think that this team's ultimate Achilles heel is the roster depth, is that over a course of 162-game season, they just don't have enough guys to fill the holes that you get, whether it's through injuries or slumps or bad pitchers. Like, hey, you signed two guys for $7 million and they both suck. holes that you get like that whether it's through injuries or slumps or bad pitchers like hey you signed two guys for seven million and they both suck like you know to be your four and five like

that stuff happens right i mean it does and they just don't have the roster depth they don't have the minor league depth they don't have the a good bench they don't have like you know the jay bruce's on the bench like guys like that where you can like say all right if jay bruce has to start for a week like that's cool that's fine he's okay you know that type of stuff and and then they don't have the minor league talent to bring up where it's you know i'm not even talking about having like superstars to bring up i'm talking about having just major league regulars guys who you can plug a hole with exactly nick mayton ison is the one example. You're exactly right, Jack. Those guys. And maybe Luke Williams could be that kind of guy or better.

Who knows? But they're not giving him a chance to, and they'd rather play with a short roster, and that's a much bigger, easier way to lose games and say, oh, maybe we can get JT back and save three days and four days of IL time. Like, it just has been strange the way they've gone about managing this roster and it's absolutely impacted games and cost some games and it's it's funny you know what's funny as i was thinking about this the other day uh i was watching yet another miserable night of philly's baseball but i'm so with you by the way real quick on what you were saying before

about being like checked out over the weekend almost like i watched the games but i was the 11-3 game and the 4-3 game at which i just never thought they were actually gonna win like i just was like as uninvested as i've been in a while anyway go ahead right and yeah and it's it and listen we'll watch we'll we'll get just as upset it's just it's just like i'm sitting there and i'm saying to myself again really like again with this it's it's again uh you know not playing hard and and not looking like they care and i get that happens when when your offense is down and it's not hitting well but it's just like you know you invest all this time in it and it's just like they always you know they always let you down.

But whatever. Hopefully they can figure it out. But I was actually thinking about, like, Dombrowski and kind of what he's doing this year. And I just feel like it's almost like they're trying to rebuild, not rebuild. They're trying to retool at the same time as trying to compete like the the timing that they brought in Dombrowski they brought him in right towards pretty much the end of uh not even like a rebuild but a team that's ready to compete but there's so many flaws with how they're built you know their infrastructure all that

it's almost like this whole year is him just overseeing the team seeing what they got wrong seeing what they got right and just kind of letting this year play out without a sense of a sense of urgency and just seeing who can stick and see who can't stick so maybe that's why they're doing the whole roster management the way they are because they're trying to figure out who can we have going forward, who we not have going forward. But I just get this sense that it's going to be another one of those deadlines and times that after the deadline where they're not going to make any impactful moves. I don't know if they're going to sell pieces. I don't know what they're going to do, because I just feel like the president is just kind of in this evaluative state. And it's just such a weird time to be in an evaluative state, given that your team is supposed to compete for the NL East this year.

And they're built like they're supposed to compete for the NL East this year. They're underperforming that goal. But I almost don't get the sense that they're going to, they're even close to being in it that they're going to push all the chips in and just try to win the NL East and make the playoffs because I don't think that's what almost Dombrowski was brought in for. I think for as much as Dombrowski was brought in for his baseball

chops and for his track record of building teams I think he was brought in just as much as to oversee the organization and see what they got right, see what they got wrong, and really this offseason we're going to see a good amount of shakeup just because he gets a whole year of seeing who should stick

and seeing who should not stick. Yeah, I mean it's certainly possible, but it doesn't make this situation any less frustrating because this roster is essentially built to win right now. Sadly, it's obviously way too flawed to really compete. But, you know, and I'm with you. Look, I think there's a real argument to be made that it makes a lot more sense for them to sell at the trade deadline than to buy. I mean, you could make that argument.

Obviously, there's a lot of time before then a lot could change but i mean in their game under 500 the mets are a game and a half up in the division they've been playing with like two-thirds of their roster as guys who weren't even on their roster to start the season i mean you like we're complaining about philly's injuries they've been murdered with injuries i just you, it doesn't feel like a team that, like you said, has a real chance to make a serious run of any sort of kind, certainly even to win the NL East. And I'm with you. I don't know what they're going to do. And I don't know what Dombrowski's long-term plan is, but, but they look, they need to do something. Cause you know, again, back to this team, let's kind of talk about some of the games in a bigger sense with –

like culturally with this team. I mean, how many times can we see guys just boot baseballs and just make stupid plays on defense? I mean, Alec Boehm, that play, I mean, on Saturday night, the one we saw a million times or whatever with the throw to to second then gene segura like laying on the ground at the point where he gets hopped over by a runner and it's just like it just feels like a bad a bad vibe on this team a bad a bad sense doesn't it yeah and like going back to the boston thing like boston a similar type of thing they're not like going for right now. They're rebuilding.

They brought Haim in to kind of tear stuff down. They trade Mookie Betts. But yet, they have one of the best records in baseball because they do have some really good young hitters. And J.D. Martinez is J.D. Martinez, and they got some stuff. But there's a good vibe around that team. Alex Cora has that team vibe in and playing for each other and having fun. You don't feel that at all with this Phillies team, Jack.

It feels like just a – man, when they get down, they get so down. I mean, the four-game losing streak prior to winning today, like they felt lifeless and heartless. And I think Harper is probably hurt still. But, man, I mean, some of his at-bats were like, I don't even care. I don't even want to be here, it felt like. So, I don't know. That's as big a worry to be here, it felt like. So I don't know. That's as big a worry for me as anything with this group right now, you know?

Yeah, I mean, when Harper's not going well, he, you know, I mean, he could be hurt. He probably definitely is probably still hurt. But when he's not going well, he sure lets you know that he's not going well. So that's frustrating from your, you know, star right fielder. But, yeah, and I tweeted this yesterday. It was like when they're riding high and everything's fine, you won't see a team having more fun than the Phillies. But as soon as they kind of get punched in the mouth in a sense,

they have no counterpunch, you know? Like I guess it does suck that jt's out because i think that's something that jt's always been pretty good at like you can kind of get behind that guy and and and you know he's gonna do the right things and and help you win ball ball games and he's kind of that stand-up player um but like they just haven't shown an ability to bounce back um and it really goes back to even like since 2019 like that's been like the culture of this team is they haven't shown that ability to to fight through adversity and and whatnot and it's so frustrating because you see these moments and you see them coming throughout the season and it's like all

right there's kind of the jump start that they need. And they never really capitalized on it. Like the Segura blow up on Sunday night. Nothing. Or Sunday afternoon. Nothing. Well, they did come back on Tuesday. Yeah, and then they lose four straight.

Like they had one inning, and they scored like two other runs that entire series other than that one inning. I'm with you. It was one inning, and it was awesome. are all like oh here it goes and then they lose four straights what this team does like they never they never get on a roll they never use these things as fuel they never seem like they're all kind of you know there doesn't seem like there it doesn't feel like a team you know what i mean yeah yeah it doesn't feel like a team and i don't i i guess i just don't know how to how to like quantify that or how to you know put my finger on what the issue is

like because i don't i don't know i mean we're not in the dugout but like you see a team like the red sox who i think the phillies are on par with them when it comes to talent. Obviously, Devers, J.D., Xander are otherworldly. I mean, they're three great pieces to have. But the Phillies definitely have a better rotation. I mean, could you argue more talent in the pen? I don't know if it's a better pen, but it's definitely fair to say that they're as talented as the Red Sox for sure. But you just never see them.

They never live up to that. they never live up to that. They never live up to that. And I don't know. I personally, I always think it goes back to the leaders of the clubhouse and it goes back to the best players on the team and, you know, kind of the leading leading by exampleness of your best players because ultimately like a manager can only do so much he's a what whatever the age difference is he's always older than the players he tries to get along with them but ultimately he's the manager

and he's he's shown respect and whatnot like players bond with players and players play for other players they don't play for a manager you know I think a manager can kind of get them fired up um for like a game but overall over 162 it's guys in that dugout picking each other up and and saying hey you're going through this I went through this in my career here's something that you can do to kind of get through it and like I look at a guy like Alec Boehm and it doesn't look like anyone's talked to Alec Boehm like it doesn't it looks like he's just going through this by himself and he doesn't have anyone to turn to in that dugout to say hey can you help me out and maybe Alec doesn't want help or whatnot um but like he looks like a guy that needs classic veteran presence that's around them saying, hey, do this, do this, do this.

You'll be you'll be OK. Instead, he's just going out there every night making mistakes and looking lifeless at the plate. And I don't know, like maybe there's a maybe there's a leadership void on this team. Maybe there's a maybe they need more homegrown players. Maybe there's a maybe they need more homegrown players. But even those homegrown players are coming into a dugout that is filled with players that were brought in elsewhere and who have won elsewhere and are kind of here because they paid him a ton of money to be here. So it's a really tough predicament to be in. But the only thing that I can come back to with how this team is playing and the team that I'm watching is that there's a leadership void. There's something wrong in the clubhouse,

and they can't just get on the same page and pull for one another and figure out how to win ballgames. So if I had to guess, that would be it. Yeah, I don't think there's any question there's a leadership void, and I agree with you. It is something that has to come within that clubhouse from the players and you know that's where it can truly come from but I also don't think that that excuses that Joe Girardi hasn't done a great job in this sense either I mean just the fact that I mean look the fact that that play with the bowman Gene Segura just lying on the field while a play's happening on while he's getting leaped over by someone

after all the stuff that's happened with Gene Segura. I mean, like, what are we doing, man? Like, what are we doing? At a certain point, Joe Girardi, like, I know it's not his style, but lose your mind for a minute here, buddy. Like, flip some tables. Do something. Oh, he just did, but he just did that last Sunday.

Kind of, but, but like I mean again like he they oh they love each other it's all good but then you do it again it's like I don't know it just it feels like there is a lack of accountability here and I do think you're right I think ultimately that the core problem is is the leadership for it but I I do think it does feel like Girardi is asleep at the wheel somewhat and certainly his in-game decisions have made you feel that as well so i don't know um all right uh the defense i mean are we doomed to watch this just all season it's horrible man it's hard even today they win the game it's like the play before you know the last out of the game you know napping andpping and boom. I mean, boom, dude. I mean, he is just such a liability, man. I mean, obviously he's been horrendous offensively.

I'm less worried about that long term. He is not a third baseman. He cannot play third base. It's over. It's done. The experiment is over. Obviously, they can't do anything right this second, it feels like. But he stinks, man.

He is a horrible third baseman. Well, listen, I base everything off of Reece Austin playing left field, and he's not that bad. No, no, but he's not as far off as you might think. I mean, what do they do? I mean, what about the fact that, like, look, I get it. They're incredibly lacking talent, but what about the fact that, like, look, I get it. They're incredibly lacking talent. But what about the mental stuff, all the mistakes, all the, you know, looking the ball in, knowing where to go with the ball,

like this stuff that, you know. I mean, how many times are we like, oh, bad news bears, bad news bears. I mean, enough. This little league. Yeah, enough, man, enough. It's infuriating. That's got to come from the players to say we're done. We're not doing like that.

That comes from the leadership core. Like Joe Girardi flipping our tables is fine. But like you. All right. Here's the way I'll explain it. The manager getting mad is like, oh, cool. Joe's upset, whatever. But players getting mad at other players, or not like in public eye, you don't want that in public eye, but behind the scenes,

then you're letting down people that you're actually going to bat with. So listen, it's got to be on someone in that dugout. The manager tried. It didn't work. The thing is, is Andrew McCutcheon getting more healthy to play left field? No. Is Alec Bone, can he play anywhere else besides their base at the moment? No.

Reece Hoskins getting any better at first base? No. No. He can't go anywhere at first base. Herrera takes, like, the craziest routes, whatever. I mean, he's been fine defensively. And Seguraura it's funny because before these last three weeks it was like segura's doing great at second base defensively

um and i have no idea what happened like three weeks ago because it's been it's been back to being like the segura that's been traded five times um so yeah i literally have no idea what what's happened the problem problem with the Phillies defense is that they're kind of locked in. I don't know what they can do. And if you make moves on defense, then you're making your offense worse. But also if you make moves on defense, you have no bench to use to bring those guys in. So here's the conclusion, James. They are screwed. They're screwed. There's nothing they can do other than hope that they get better.

All these guys are locked into their positions. There's nowhere else they can go. You can't hide them anywhere because there's too many holes. And, yeah, I mean, I don't know. Is it fair to say that we're just absolutely screwed with defense and we're going to have to live through four more months of this? Yeah, that's great. This is –

You sound pumped. Yeah. All right. Let's get into some other stuff because this has been a really uplifting conversation. Let's keep it going. Does Archie Bradley stink? What's the deal? I mean, I'm not going to say that his whole fortunes as a Philadelphia Phillies pitcher

could have changed if he had come on this podcast, but I'm also not going to say that. I can't say they didn't. Butterfly effect, all that kind of stuff. Does he stink? I mean, you hope he's just coming back from the injury, but the fastball VLO's down, doesn't have the same bite to it. Even his curveball doesn't have the same bite to it.

He's not fooling anyone. Changeup has not been impressive. So, you know, you hope it's just coming back from the injury and you hope all that stuff. But, man, like the idea that we're getting back like a stopper with Archie Bradley getting back from the injury and you hope all that stuff but man like the idea that we're getting back like a stopper uh with Archie Bradley getting back from the from the IL is definitely not happening um I mean he should be better than most of the guys that they can put out there but I don't know like his stuff does not look like the stuff of a guy that's uh you know got overpowering uh you know stuff so not not great from Archie Bradley and yeah this weekend has definitely Looked like the stuff of a guy that's got overpowering stuff.

So not great for Margie Bradley. And, yeah, this weekend has definitely set up the battle arms. And him just losing in the dugout was a moment for sure. All right. I have a couple things I want to get to with you. A couple tweets we need to talk about. But let's do the take back first. What do you got?

Wow, you're just springing the take back on me? You weren't ready? No, I'm fine. I just have to pull it up. I mean, unless there's anything else that's on the take back from the... I mean, like Nola. Nola, I wish he had been better in that spot. He wasn't.

Well, even Nola. Yeah, even Nola. He wasn't horrible. It's just like what, you know. But that had been better in that spot. Yeah. He wasn't. Well, even Nola. Yeah, even Nola. He wasn't horrible. It's just like what, you know. But that's the thing. That's the thing. It's like every start now is like, well, it wasn't horrible. I know.

You're right. I know. I know. I mean, look, let's be honest. Right now, Zach Willis is this team flat out. It is what it is. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, that's fine. Yeah. So, nola was frustrating also real quickly on the bone plate i actually thought he made the right decision to cut it like i didn't think he was gonna get the guy out of the plate he's just to make a better throw yeah i i didn't have a problem with the cut either i know people were criticizing that it's the throw to second and then the reaction and then scurry action and also a doable not backing up there is yeah but a double's not even should never even be in that play like i mean that's just asking a doable to be in that situation is like asking you know the left fielder to back that play up i don't know i get it i get it i get it ultimately that's you're throwing it, you know, 10 feet. Throw it better. Yeah, you would think.

But listen, I mean, I saw worse throws from a quarterback this year. So I'll give him a three. I mean, look, Segura laying on the ground while the play was still going on might be worse. Way worse. That's the story. That's the story. I agree.

I mean, that's just like the worst part for sure. Insane. God, he sucks, man. he is so not fun to have on your team yeah he's just not a fun player to root for i just i don't enjoy the gene cigar experience can't can't wait till he hits his 210th double are we gonna shut the game down for a half an hour? Yeah, man. He should go around the park like Ripken. JT's quotes about baseball. Oh, buddy, how about it? Like for a catcher to come out and say that,

saying that people are using substances, pitchers are using them, which, look, has been going on forever and we know it. But JT saying way more than ever and calling it out. And, look, I'm sure some of his pitchers are using it, right? I mean, everybody does. Exactly, exactly. Like him, it's almost like he's feeling the baseballs before he throws them back and he's like, are you guys kidding me?

But it's funny because I do think he's right me too like me too if you want to get if you want to get more action back in baseball i mean not i think i think you can allow some sticky substances whatever just to so you don't lose grip and whatnot um but i mean it's out of control i I mean, just some of this, like there's no way the, you can make the ball spin the way these guys are making the ball spin. It's just, it's, it's,

it's impossible. The, these balls are, it's, it's unfair. It's honestly, it's unfair given how like, like I'm watching Bauer and Spence and Addy and all this.

Well, especially when they're mixing it with like 98, 99, 100, 100 plus. Like it's like, you know, what are these? And like, you know, like Pitching Ninja will do those overlays where it'll be like a 99 mile per hour fastball overlay withball overlay with like an 85-mile-per-hour curveball. And it looks exactly the same coming out of his hand. It's like this tight. It's like, what are they supposed to do? I mean, the numbers make it very clear. We all see the numbers.

The Phillies are striking out almost 28% of the time. They step to the plate. Almost a third of the time a Philadelphia Philly steps to the plate this season, they strike out. Like, that's a problem. Well, I think the Mariners, their team average is under 200. Yeah. Also a problem.

You know? Yeah. It's not great. It's not the best version of baseball. It's just not. No. They need to figure out a way to get more action. Yeah, whether it's moving the mound back, whether it's moving it down.

Well, that's a terrible idea. Whatever. I mean, they need to try something. Look, this seems like about as easy and quick an attempt at a fix as you could do. Just outlaw it and be like, okay, we're cool, and see what happens. I mean, why not? I don't want to be the integrity police, but I never used substance. I believe it, Jack.

You never needed it. You never needed it. It's probably the only reason I'm sitting here today. Yes, I'm sure. Some say. I'm sure. I actually do wonder if that's the reason it feels like so many guys are going to get hit in the face this year.

Just because, like, if you throw a baseball, if you throw a baseball normally, like, you can get the good feel on it. But if you add the substance to it, like, you don't know how sticky your hand is. And you think the ball is going one way. But if it has extra stick on it or whatever, and maybe it gets held in there a little bit longer and you pull it and you hit a guy in the face. I don't know. It's something that I would do away with it.

But the fact that JT is coming out and saying, hey, this is out of control, given that he is a catcher on a major league baseball team with pitchers who are definitely doing this, it's definitely an important discussion. an important, important discussion. Listen, I mean, I love Spencer Howard. Was that a past tense? Or love?

Or love? Just the whole, just the whole, yeah, my velocity dipped by five miles an hour because I had to jog to first base as like an excuse. It's like, come on, I had to jog to first base as an excuse. It's like, come on, man. It's about as lame as it gets. I mean, and just it was the same crap last year.

It was the same crap where it's like, oh, he's dominant for two innings, and then he's down to 91. And it's like either change up your regimen. Like, just figure it out. I mean, you're the number one pitching prospect on the team like control how how hard you can throw late into the game i mean do you want to be a starting pitcher do you want to be a good major league baseball player do you want to be this guy that has all the stuff in the world and can't figure it out like it is inexcusable

inexcusable for him to be at 92 miles an hour in the third inning. I'm sorry. It is. You can't. And using the excuse that you were running to first base is a reason why you lost five miles an hour? Dude, figure it out. Like, and again, and until he figures that out, I'm not banking on Spencer Howard for anything. I'm not buying into Spencer Howard for anything. That's absurd. You don't lose five miles an hour. That's not how this works.

Just figure it out. You are the number one pitching prospect. You have the capability of throwing 97, 98 miles an hour. Name another good pitcher that can go from that to 91 and continue to get out so are you are you putting in the work it takes to be a major league caliber starting pitcher or are you just relying on popping the guns for two innings and then just you know whatever like it that quote drove me insane and sitting there there on Saturday watching his VLOG, his last pitch was 90 miles an hour. Like, are you kidding me? I don't think it's an excuse of him being stretched out

or not being stretched out or any of that stuff. I just wonder if the conditioning or all that stuff is there for this guy to live up to the hype. But until he can figure that out, he's not going to – you can't bank on him being a consistent member of this rotation. Yeah. I mean, I can't say this strongly enough. Agree.

I think you nailed it. The excuse alone alone like it makes Honestly like if we're being honest With ourselves Him saying the velocity dip Was because he had jogged to first base Like I'm kind of out on him Like I hope I'm wrong

I know that you know He's important and it would really sink if he sucks But like that alone is like Really this is a guy who I expect To pitch playoff innings for me someday Really He's important, and it would really sink if he sucks. But that alone is like, really? This is a guy who I expect to pitch playoff innings for me someday? Really? Yeah. Yeah.

It's ridiculous. So, hey, hopefully it was just a jog in the first base, but holy smokes. Yeah, then you might want to do a little jogging, pal. Jesus. Maybe get in shape. I don't know. I like Ronald Torres. Dude, how about that? Like, who knew?

What a machine. Hidden machine, Ronald Torres. Ronnie. Ronnie Torres. He is a good, solid baseball player. I mean, electric in the field, like quick hands, all that stuff. It's like, wow, you see Ronald Torres play electric in the field like quick hands all that stuff it's like it's like wow you see ron teres play baseball in the field and it's like is this how major league baseball players are supposed to look um and they threw him in center field the other day and he caught a ball

i know so he's such a goofy looking you know, but he's been getting hits. Yeah, I mean, he's just a little guy that just goes up there. He's got the high, you know, holding that bat up high stance. Always the high socks. He looks like a little leaguer sometimes. Yeah, the mask, full-time mask. It's good work. Yeah, yeah.

But, yeah, I like him a lot. I think he's a good little ball player. And he seems like a guy that good teams would have on their bench that can play everywhere and can sometimes come up and get a big hit. Other than that, yeah, I don't know. I've enjoyed the Ronnie Torres experience. Who would have think that Nick Maton and Ron Torres are the things who are like, hey, this is pretty cool, huh?

Yeah, two utility guys. Great. Awesome. Everything's fine. Oduble's bat looks really fast. I mean, just consistently hitting the ball hard. I mean, again, wish he wasn't here. But, yeah.

But he's been good. I wish we had Haim. I know. So desperately. It's all i could think about the whole red sox series it's all i could think about i mean it's not even the fact that all right back until all right just i just want everyone to think about how ridiculous this is they hired the analytics guy from the angels to be there. Like shrewd,

new analytics guru, the angels. Why? Why was that the guy? Oh, right. Because they hired Andy McPhail and Andy McPhail, new one from Baltimore.

And this is all disaster. We should have had high on bloom in 2015 and he's not here. And then we should have had him two years ago when they should have fired clint tackle along with gabe um and we could add high in bloom then even though i mean i guess the red sox job's a big job and all that but we could add high him and it just drives you crazy and you know maybe third time's a charm you know maybe like 20 years down the road we'll bring him in yeah i don't want to talk about it. What else you got? Ranger Suarez impressed me a lot.

I guess it's just because he comes out of the bullpen, throws decently hard, and throws strikes. So, I guess that's kind of my thing these days. I'm sick and tired of just walks and hit by batsmen. And, you know, it's just so refreshing to see a guy come in and just throw strikes and get outs. Crazy concept. But Ranger was great two years ago.

Obviously, last year he was out. Never got his way back up here. Maybe he did by the end of the year, but it wasn't, like, impactful at all. But it looks like he's back to being the Ranger Suarez from 2019. So that's been a nice little addition to have. I mean, I guess if he's your long man that's better than david hale matt moore like again matt moore and chase anderson are now like kind of out of the rotation for spencer howard and vince velasquez and it's just like seven million dollars like seven million dollars for those two. It's insane. But at least Suarez looks pretty good. Yeah.

It's seven million. But yes. Seven million. Pleasant surprise. You got anything else? I have two more things. Okay. And then I got things for you. So we're not done.

Okay. I have no idea what to make of this Cornelius Randolph. Okay. So this is one of my... I have two tweets on YouTube. My other thing was Cornelius Randolph. I wanted to bring this up to you. He's got like an OPS of like 1150 or something in that neighborhood.

He is only, he's turning 24 next week. Like for some reason it feels like he's 35 years old. It feels like he's been around for a decade and a half. So I was going to ask you what to make of it. You just said you have no idea what to make of it talk it out so corny this ran off obviously is the correct pick over walker bueller we all know who doesn't i mean evidence suggests of course um but i just i don't know what to make of it like could it be a guy that figured it out could it be the oh chart magic could it be a guy that figured it out? Could it be the O-Chart magic? Could it be all this stuff?

Because, like, he's been such an afterthought for, like, three or four years, it feels like, where he's just like, oh, Cornelius Randolph's just bad. But, I mean, he's doing, like, he came off the bench yesterday and he hit a dinger. And it's like, hey, guess what? Cornelius Randolph is here. Like, what? Cornelius Randolph is here like what Cornelius Randolph um so I genuinely have no idea what to think I am very intrigued if it keeps going talk to me in a month and we'll see if I really evaluate but color me intrigued at this moment about Cornelius Randolph. I am intrigued.

Hitting the ball hard. Bat looks fast. I don't know. I don't know. It's something to monitor. His OPS is over 1,100. I think he was like 13 of 22 in their weekend series. So, I don't know.

Maybe they have something. i have no idea but i'm intrigued i'm all in i believe you're all in yeah yeah okay yeah i mean it was always there was always the right pick i loved him coming out of high school i was like what a pick this guy he hits he's just a hitter uh and i never lost faith jack i never lost well yeah i think i think harold reynolds on the uh on the draft covers that night said he said he's like the next tony gwynn basically and i and like i was like oh okay great yep and and and i never bailed all right what else you got uh and my last thing is with phil micson Winning the PGA You're like doing all my things No I know you'll do the Nance thing later

And Phil defeats Father Time A good call A good call by Jim Shout out to Jim Nance our patron saint Yes I like when he makes it easy on me You know I mean it's easy when he's calling the PGA championship

But I love I don't know about you but like my favorite thing in sports not philly related championship related all that like an old dude having a throwback moment is like my favorite thing in sports i always remembered like kenny rogers in the 06 alcs just like out of nowhere he's like 42 and threw seven shutout and like at that moment i was like you know what i love watching old dudes just have one of those like throwback performances and today was another example of phil throwing it back you know lefty 50 years old oldest guy to win a major and it was just the it was just the coolest thing ever like he's hitting that 366

yard drive on like the 16th hole it's like it's like you're 50 man like that's impossible but um old guys throwing it back and and having a dominant performance and winning and having whatever is hands down my favorite like just pure sports kind of thing yeah so i agree with you i am a a huge fan of the old guy throwing it down dominating you know type of thing i'm very with you on that um i i do i i have a minor bone to pick with you on it uh because that was one of my two tweets i was gonna write because you tweeted out you know uh basically you know you're you're psyched for phil you know basically like excited about this happening but here's what i i can't understand you've talked many times about how big a tiger guy you are. Like, Tiger guy, you know, that's your dude. Like, I don't think you can be a Tiger guy and a Phil guy.

I think you have to choose. It's you're either, like, I love it today. I'm a Phil guy. I'm not a Tiger guy. Like, I know he's the best and all that, but Tiger's, you know, not my cup of tea. I'm not a Tiger. I'm a Phil guy.

Phil looks like a good time. I like to have a beer with Phil. So I'm a Phil guy. Phil looks like a good time. I like to have a beer with Phil. So I'm a Phil guy. I don't think you could be a Phil guy and a Tiger guy. I feel like this is, I don't know, I'm calling BS on you. Well, us in the golf community, we can respect multiple players at once. No, it's, you know i but i've always liked phil like i've always liked tiger more i was never like sergio always bothered me but like i was and then sergio

cost me money like two years ago it was infuriating i'm still not over it um but i don't know. Like, it's not like, you know, I guess if, I don't know. It's like if Jordan and LeBron played at the same time. And Jordan was done way earlier. And then LeBron had a throwback moment. Like, I would be happy for LeBron, you know. I mean, it's just, I was a Tiger guy. I will always be a Tiger guy. I always liked Phil.

I had no problems with Phil. But, like, golf, there's so many guys I root for. You know, like if Spieth had a throwback weekend, I would be ecstatic, even though he's, like, 26 and he hasn't recovered from the year. I was going to say, like, throwback. He's still young. Well, dude, I mean, like, he's not even – I know.

He's not over the 2016 Masters. This sounds – I can't get down with this. I think you need to choose. It's like being like a – All right, well, then I think – Being like, oh, I'm a Lakers fan and I'm a Knicks fan too, whichever one's doing good. I don't know.

Well, listen, MSG's alive tonight. I might be a Knicks fan. I know. I know. I'm in on it. It's good times. But, I mean, I guess it's fair. I guess just with golf watching, it's like, ah, you root for the guys.

I get it. Yes. Because what else are you going to root for? Their caddy? I root for the sponsorships. All right. Last thing for me. You got to stop tweeting you're going to quit the pod if they lose a game.

This team's not good enough for you to do that. This team is not trustworthy enough. Like, would you this team is not trustworthy enough like would you really quit the pod like do you mean it would you really because if you mean it don't do it don't do it because this team's not worth that like they're just not good enough every time i see you tweet oh i'm gonna quit the bot if this team loses this game or whatever i'm like oh this is like a dangerous myth. Yeah. Well, here's the thought process behind it.

I need to put extra pressure on him. Like, the feels like a loss thing, it only works to a certain extent. But if I say I threaten to quit the podcast, like, I just want everyone out there to know how locked in I am on this game and how much i need this win but i think they're three you know i think they're three you know in in the times that i have tweeted you know i need this tonight like i'll quit the podcast so they lose this game because like some of us just have a feel for when they're gonna win and when they went up for nothing in the first i wasn't scared i was like listen i went you weren't that's good yeah i think this is this is a win this is a stone cold win it's been a win my whole life so um will it backfire at some point yes

do i only use it when it's imperative yes um but i was looking for a little extra you know motivation on that tweet and threatening to quit the podcast was my move. Well, it worked out. Don't do it against the Marlins, all right? Oh, listen, I wouldn't. I have been, I'm still not even over the Staling Marte, like, triple down the line against Brandon Workman last year. Like, for as much as, like, everyone talks about.

The 19 to 11. Yeah, they talk about 19 to 11 yeah they talk about 1911 like the brand of work from a game was the most win i've seen in my life until that guy got in the ball game and ruined it for me and starling marty smoked the ball and i'm like you know what this is the worst i don't want to watch again and then guess who was there watching again the next night this guy um but like it that game was brutal that was the most that was the most a game that felt like a win that they lost and well since this year so Marlins series Marlins series can't wait to I wonder what we're going to be talking about on Thursday okay the two honestly honestly take three

or four yeah I I was literally just about to say i would sign for two or four right now right now in miami on the road against the bones i would sign up right now for two or four i would i would gladly take it i would too yeah two or four boys we're not we're not asking much come on not asking much of you two or four um all right uh you got any final thoughts um i don't have any final thoughts there's a lot of uh high hopes listeners that came out to the brewery this weekend just throughout that was it was a pleasure you know running into some of those some of those people saw the people tweeting out the can you know oh listen listen we gotta we gotta you know you know get the podcast out there look out for

each other that's what you're trying to say yes yes yes i think i'm very sorry to do this to you james great i cannot wait to see what this is go Go ahead. Saturday, June 12th. High hopes night at the brewery. Saturday, June 12th. I don't know. I got to talk to him. I mean, I'm I'm guessing Thursday, Thursday night. We'll have an answer. Yeah, I think there's a decent chance that should work. But I got to talk to him. All right. Sounds like that would be ideal. I think, yes, that could be good. I will talk to him all right sounds all right but that would be ideal i i think yes that could be good i will talk to her i i definitely want to make it happen so very likely we'll tell you on

thursday is that good that's good all right he's afraid of himself so we'll see you next time.