High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Burn the Boats

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to a Phillies sweep over the Seattle Mariners and the inception of the 'Burn the Boats' movement. Plus, they dive into their trust meters on the starting rotation, bullpen and lineup for the rest of the year. 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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Rob Bradford from the baseballs and boring podcast here, and we'll have you covered every day with podcasts that bring you closer to the action from the bleachers to the clubhouse. Whether you're a diehard fan or just a casual observer, these conversations are aimed, educate, entertain, and most importantly, inform you. Follow the Baseball's and Boring podcast in the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. The crowd is singing, high hopes, smiling through a broken nose. Oh, high hope, high hope.

you a little less along. Y'all It is another edition of the high-hob's podcast sponsored by Miller light official partner of Philadelphia, Philly, celebrate responsibly. It's Miller time, Philadelphia. Fritz. Fritzie. How about it?

It's the series of the season. We talked on Sunday and it was like a funeral March. Yeah. It was just a, we were like, maybe they can galvanize around this thing. You get that series. The hitting, the pitching,

the dominant double digit runs, double digit strikeouts. It was like, it was like perfect. What a series. How you doing, pal? Just say it.

Just say it. Burn the bones. Burn the books. Burn the books. So. No, there is a, the things that I yearn for most in life. Are, yeah, as we know, that's, no, no, no, no, it's that, like, that yo was for a regular season series. Yeah, that's true.

Against the Marin. It's true. The yo, when this team wins the World Series this year is going to, is, is going to hit, man. You might pass out. I hope you passed out. I'm going to try to. Yeah, I hope you pass out. I will just go until I can't go. It's actually impossible for me to think about us doing a post-world series.

Philly's are our World Series champion. But that felt like it. It did. For where this team was, there's nothing like a baseball season. Last Tuesday, they beat the Reds on Monday night, and people are like, they're different. Everyone feels it right. We all agree they're different. By Friday, they sucked.

And we are who they thought they were. whatever Sunday wheeler's not you know done it's all over it's all over now we're having a moment now we're now we're now we're burning boats now are burning boats I need I need boats outside the scookle on fire outside of it doesn't matter

so do I need to explain burn the boats I think you do yeah because I noticed one member this podcast has not been on board with burn the boats yet what do you want me to do I don't tweet at all you want me to tweet out burn the boats would that make you happy I'll tweet for you no it's not that I need It's just like, it's just, you know, I know it didn't originate on the podcast.

Well, so we do, yeah, I don't even know about it. Honestly, I just see you tweet and burn the votes. I even know about it really. I mean, honestly, it's disappointing that you wouldn't originate on the pod. You'd find the afternoon Joe, a better place to bring that. Well, if you know anything about me, didn't think of it until five minutes, there was no thought process behind it. And then I was sitting there on Monday.

So we were at the Eagles Radiothon golf outing. and you know we're sitting there and i you were reading about spanish american history and about you know conquistadors and you're like you know what i get this is it i got it got an idea no so so it's not where it came from so sitting there not from history so i was sitting there it did come from history okay good it did come from mystery so i'm sitting there a spike and i was like dude i think we should just come out with like uh fired up they're not dead yet like you know rally the troops kind of thing and i I was like, what's it saying, you know, does it burn the boats? And, and Spike was like,

there's no way you got that right at all. And I said, probably a good idea. I don't get sayings right ever. Ever. You're really bad at him. Yeah. Part of the, it's part of the charm. Yeah. That's what they say. I think so. So he looks up. He's like, by golly Jack, you got it right. So there was no history. There's no contact. It was just like, no, I knew the phrase. I knew the burn the boat thing was like no going back yeah no going back no going back and the Phillies had a choice and they were either going to fold after the wheeler injury or they were going to burn the boat and they were going to rise above and they were going to say no retreat no excuses no surrender and by i mean what a freaking 48 hits yeah unbelievable 48 hits nonsense that's

almost hard to compute yeah no it's almost a nonsense i mean for all three starters double-digit strikeouts first time in philly modern history for the phillies most strikeouts by starters it was a 40 uh 46 to 15 strikeout to uh like each team strikeout rate like a philly strike out 15 times i'll strike out 46 times they struck out all the time yeah it was unbelievable 46 times over three games that's over 15 a game the big dump the big dump i was waiting for that big dump in a big spot in a big spot in a big spot Big spot, big number, I said that to Emily went at having, you know, I was like, I had to. How many people said, oh, the big dump, big dump there.

Seeked on the headlines in the newspaper. But yeah, they, I, all things considered, probably the best single, single week of baseball they've ever played in the history of the franchise. There's no way. There's no way they have played a better series than that. Ben Davis is this morning on the morning show said that he thinks this Mariners series is the best series they've played in five years. Dude, it's the best series they've played in the history of the franchise. There is no way you can go back to another time where they had 48 hits in a series

and set a record for strikeouts by the starting pitchers. You might be right. There's a zero. There's no way. The Mariners are good team. The Mariners are definitely good. I mean, Logan Gilbert was freaking like a stud comes in here. It's roughed up.

We keep going through these AL teams. We are like mowing through the AL. If the Phillies were in the AL, it wouldn't even be close. It would be like we'd be the Brewers in the AL right now. Gosh. Oh, well. It's the burn the boats era.

So it doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't matter anymore. They're going to lose eventually. Oh, yeah. You don't think they're just going to run straight through the World Series now. This is the, that'd be a two and a half month straight. Yeah.

Like the Brewers. I think because it kind of feels like burn the boats is like the uplift for a little bit movement. You know what I mean? Like I would love for it to be an entire rest of the year thing. But I almost feel like this was a pick yourself up and now we'd go kind of thing. Yeah, I got you. A short spurt. it's a it's a quick little movement yeah i like that but again it could turn into a bigger thing i could

i do need stubsy back you think jack's holding a burn the boat sign in october like who knows i mean i will say that video yearbook i mean not that they would ever put you in it but that does feel like something that would you know potentially i mean no that's not fair they would you know they would they would they would find someone else they what some like the philly like lieutenant or something would be holding up a sign and then they'd be like oh that guy did it it was his idea how how how much more do I have to do it to get to the Phillies video yearbook again it's all like you're the only person who cares about it me you and neighbor dan they're the only two people on this planet who watch those things and it's almost we count it down like there is no way

there is no way with how long this pot has been around there's no way that no one involved with the video yearbook at any point has ever heard about your obsession like at some point it's gotten into that building it feels willful it feels like purposeful at this point like we're going to keep you out of this on purpose they got hair like it they got harrison bader to keep me out of the yearbook that's oh like it was a little like that yeah that's true throw me off the scent so there's a lot of there listen i burn the boats would love for it to be the rest of the year theme it's a very clever one by you even if you didn't really know what you were doing in the moment i knew what i was doing didn't know about the you know history of it and all

that i knew the idea are you a big fan of conquistadors didn't no absolutely not say no say no Okay, so no. Not a fan, not a fan. Official stance on that. Not a great thing, what they did. Great. Yeah. So, but it did lead into this.

Sure. If you want to look at it that way, yeah. And a lot of sports. It worked out because of the Phillies. And believe me, a lot of sports teams have used burn the boats. It's not, it's not an original thing. But I do need, I do need Garrett Stubbs dressed up in a Jack Sparrow costume in, in October. Standing on a burning boat.

Yeah. In October, going around the clubhouse in a jacks. Sparrow. I guess you could pull that off. Dude, you got 100% pull it. There's one guy who can make burn the boats into a thing. It's Garrett's stuff. I agree.

So send down Marsha on, put Marsha on waves. Yeah, we're fine. Get him back up here. And, and let's go on a run. Let's go on a run. Let's burn some boats. Let's burn some boats. A lot of confusion about why to leave out.

Yeah. It's a nice, wholesome message from the Phillies. Burn the boats. Exactly right. What if for Wheeler is much more simplistic and boring. Yeah, winning for wheels is what I was going with. Yeah. I mean, we've done that.

a million times. You know, it's just what it is. Simply more serious now. It's simply more serious. But in all, honestly, I think they needed something like. Look, we talked about it.

It, I think it's very clear. And it is interesting. We were talking about this on the air today, but I do think that like, it's a little different with the specific injury that Wheeler has, where it's like, I think you can almost as a player be desensitized. Like losing Wheeler for this group of guys would have hit them because they're,

you know, they're losing their ace and all that's up when he's been there. But I think losing him with the injury he had it, like almost makes you step back and like, you know, gain a new perspective. You know, you step back and be like, oh, you know, like this could be taken away from me at any moment for any time, for any reason. You know, it's not just like I could ever, like anything had happened to take this

away from me. And I do think that that can, that is the kind of thing that can like, you know, really galvanize a group and change their perspective and make them like realize how finite this thing is and how few chances they really do have to do this. I mean, that, that is a real motivating, like, like if, you know, a manager could use that like that's like a classic motivational thing a classic thing to get guys running towards the same goal on the same page yeah well and i think it's one of the values of having a team that has been together for so long i agree is they actually care about each other i think they actually

do i do i think i think losing wheels were like if i think it hurt this group more than it would hurt a random team because of how close old those guys aren't how long they've been to get i no doubt i mean part of that was part of what we loved about them the last few playoff runs was the and how much fun they have together and what a team they are. Yeah. And I think the two guys and I hope this is the case, no idea if it was the case or not,

but the way they played, it looks like it was kind of the case. And this was the whole hope of the rallying cries was really about Harper and Schwabur. Yeah. Summer is Tim's ice latte season. It's also

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Yep, that's $2,700 to turn up your business. Visit TD.com slash small business match to learn more. Conditions apply. And I thought harp played with a lot of emotion, looked extra locked in, you know, and Shorebur obviously had another, another monster series. What it does. 45. Five RBI yesterday, never deal.

And the moment where it really. And Trey, like, shout out to Trey too. Yeah, I think, but Trey is so like. I agree. I don't think Trey's. taking it on himself. I think the leadership, it's Harper and Chorber. I agree.

And Trace are so steady, you know, and another five-five-it game. No big deal. Added to the list. Stealing bases. That triple, that was a double.

Like, that was a double. Like, then he was just automatically going for the triple immediately. Like, he's something else. Cycle watch.

He knows. But at the moment where it really felt like they were extra into it was, I mean, the reaction to the JT home run. I've never seen JT. look as dude yeah even when he hit the home run

in game one of the world series I didn't feel like that yeah I agree you got a huge vert him and Harper big moment there I just again it was the exact response

that you wanted to see from this team off of the Wheeler injury because they could have taken their ball and gone home and said well what did you want us to do we lost we lost our race

and they didn't do that and it really could have they they a super, super negative situation, a bad situation, a real life situation could have been the thing that relocked this team back in and been the moment where they started playing their best. I mean, in 23, August of 23 was amazing.

And the ovations are, I think, were a big part of kicking that whole thing off. And that's why we felt like that was the year. And it should have been the year if game six and seven didn't happen. But last year, they didn't have that. Like last year, they had no, no point. it was the first two months of this evening. Dude, the whole second half of the year was just basically one big

R-E-L-A-X were fine and then they weren't fine. Whereas the Mets had the grimace and they had O-M-G and you could feel it coming. It's definitely flipped. Like, I mean, the Mets are, the Mets are dynamic to playoffs at this point. Seriously, the Mets are fighting for a wildcard a lot more than fight. The Phillies are six-half games up today. Yeah.

Six-half games up with 37 to play. We know anything to happen. Seven with 17 caveat. I get it. The Phillies are in damn good shape to win this division. Next week. And they're two up on the Dodgers, by the way, with the for the second thing,

which could be pretty important with the pitching thing now and not having to use a four-starter and not having to use Taiwan instead of Nola in that game four-star, you know, which is where I would do today. Thank you for bringing it up. How crazy is that? But anyway, it won't happen. No, it won't.

But like, let me, if you had to, if you had to start one of those guys in a play-up game today, who'd you start? It's an actual question. I don't know. I don't know. I might, I might. I might start Nola.

I might. I might. I don't know, though. All right. Taiwanimus. Yeah. How many bits? You seem to forget about

Taiwanus and the effectiveness of that bit that you just turn your back on. And yet it's the best bit you ever had. You didn't even know it. Turn the guy into a freaking like best fist starter in baseball. No deal. They always say in the bit world, it all comes full circle.

A bit world. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, in the bit forums that I'm on when we're really chopping it up on those bit forums. I always say that. I have thought a lot about how funny it would be if everyone got anonymous masks and then put Taiwan's face on it and we're standing in like that'd be the new that'd be the Taiwanese fan club bring back fan clubs jeans jeans had a good moment now we're Taiwanese

me and we it's all just setting up for for painters painters and obviously you know and the Bob Ross thing yeah we're just like locked I got a lot of ideas I got so many ideas some might say too many so I got another one that I was going to save for the take bag dude if they could get Taylor Swift to remix feeling 22 to it feels like 22 Oh that could be the theme of the post season

Oh look at you I don't know about you What it feels like 20 I don't care They got close enough With the Phillies That's what we do baby World tears are getting me close enough That's pretty friggin' neat

So that's my three big ideas Is Taiwanese with anonymous masks With Taiwan's face on it I'm fully in on that one I need Garrett Stubbs in a Jack Sparrow costume fully in on that one with a parrot on a shoulder that would be great on that one a live parrot and if you could talk to jason to talk to taylor swift to remix i'm feeling 22 to it feels like 22 i would appreciate that i think you've lost me on that one yeah you don't they don't think that can happen let me text them

right hey hey hey she did sing the national anthem before game three 2008 it's true remember your roots yeah what she's a cheese fan you got to remember that you know i know i know what it is but she's probably a royals fan now she probably got a bobby whit jersey at home or something you know dude if she's Bobby witcherzy, that'd be rushing, but I'd also I would be in respect. Like, damn, you're a real baseball man. I respect a lot of. Yeah, yeah. So, a lot of, a lot of ideas, a lot of positive

vibes. Yeah, you want to talk about Bobby and some defense? He's great. He's great. He's great. Um, but man, I just it's been a while since I've been able to say this. I'm so happy. I know. I know you're so happy. I'm so happy. I got up at 4.30 this morning because my

I know you texted me. I couldn't believe it. Lovely. Jack about what was it was something to do with the pod what I texted about this morning

well you text me about something else but oh yeah I did take but that was something else

that was later you texted me back immediately this morning that was later that was later that other thing that we won't take

yeah the first thing you text me was about what we were talking oh yeah yeah yeah no it was about

Morgan signed me in for both pods and we're all over it was actually about how is the podcast gonna get on the air yes that's

with Justin yeah no but yeah so I woke up giddy even when Walker came in the room at 4.30 in the morning because he went to bed at 6. And all I thought about is how I wish they were playing

tonight. And I just, I got to be it's going to be, it's going to be belt to ass. Oh, did you just want Eagles? B2. He went Eagles. Any chance I get to relate to the football team I'll take. But they are going to, they got something. The Nationals got something coming.

Yeah. By the way, National seemed to beat the Mets last night. I know about it. It's so great. this mess thing is really enjoyed well i was worried because they kind of right the i know i know i was right like i like they might have a splash like yeah right there now i'm not i'm not i'm not there you look let's fit this way i think like i i do not i would not be excited to see the metts in a three six match i'm with you like i do not i would prefer the met's not come here for a three six match we agree on that yeah i'm with you um all right let's get some of this specific i can i also just say though yeah i think the phillies

You won the World Series. Oh, Jesus. There we go. I think it's the first time all year that I actually believe it. One of us said before the season. You did. You said it from the jump. Like,

it is the first time I truly believe. Like, this weekend. I need that, I need that Mets series next week. No, we get like, there's six weeks.

I know. The Mets Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, against Mets, seven, 10 starts all, and then we got the other, I mean,

they got the Brewers coming up with that is the brus are winning them. And I'll it doesn't matter. The, a month from now is the other massive series, the 15, 16, 17, of September Dodgers in LA the Phillies one to a three but that that actually could be massive with the two seed and the tiebreaker dude I can't believe there's 35 games left yeah 37 in the season that's it

yeah yeah right am I right with my mouth then you might you're probably right either way I can't believe there's 37 or 35 games left there's there's not many games left it's pretty crazy yeah I think it's 37 but we're probably right there's 74 and 50 something 33 so it's a seven see I'm right okay I think I'm right. Quick math. I'm not doing math right now. We got Justin. Oh, no, I might be wrong, actually.

No, that's a seven to five. No, I think you're right. I think it's 35. Hold on. He's doing it real quick. Yeah, you're right. I saw someone else's tweet this morning. Oh, okay.

I was trying to do quick math. And I, that's at the five. I was like, yeah, you're right. 35 games left. I know, which means so close to October, which I'm excited about, but also very nervous about. There is simply, there's simply nothing I need more. Yeah.

I'm dying to be back at the park. Like, I am. I like the intro in the playoffs I know we've talked about it and it's like you know I'm the cliches or cliches for a reason like it's one of those things where sometimes things are just true for a reason like it you can't say it enough the Durantorantula thing in in October is going to be it's going to be like one of the coolest things I've ever been a part of I feel like I feel like it might be one of the coolest things I've ever been part of like in person for that and I'm going to the best fish concert you know what I'm saying and I just remember my other. idea that is going to be that could set CBP a blaze. But if Wheeler comes out. Oh, well, so that's the number one. When it wouldn't be told the like it'd have to be the world series. Like it really would like in terms of like two and a half months like that.

Do you mind they say three months. They're saying you know, most like I'm just talking about a first bitch. Dude. Oh. Oh, that would bring it down. I would thought you were talking like bring him out of the bullpen for an inning in October. That is like best case. That's like melt the stadium to the ground.

Yeah. It's over. Good luck to whoever the Phillies are playing Because you have no shot But the Oh first pitch Oh my God, can you imagine If for some reason he's

Like he's announced on for the year Yeah Yeah Like that would That's gonna be a moment That's gonna be a moment Because the Reese moment was great Now it was great

Yeah It was the Marlins But we had talked about If they had gotten the World Series that year Like You know Yeah Reese was there

And what it would be like If he said Oh I know I know I know All right Shwerer made it back

For the World Series 16 He did you're right you're right towards acal a little different but you know very different very very different um all right let's talk some baseball yeah a lot of baseball we are talking a lot there's a lot of baseball I thought there really is there's stuff to talk about I want to start with the outbuild thing because I think that's the most interesting thing going on outside of the you know galvanizing wheeler everything uh like shot at thompson he's been sitting at castianos

pretty consistently was asked at the game he basically said hey whichever these three guys hit they're going to play like he was like finally finally yes exactly finally talked about important defenses we all know kepler are way better defensive right fielder and casinos nice catch by cassie yesterday but in general um what do you make in this whole thing because we know i think the cassianas casinos has said the right things now a little weird the way he said it yeah i think that you know i think he's like he's like come as like close to not saying the right thing while staying above the line well the one thing i think the one thing i was disappointed him yesterday about like completely through beta well that's why i didn't like he's like oh i got a

frustrated beta i hated that bater's been here for a second like he's just getting used to the clubhouse and now he's just deal with the right fielder saying that he's fresh and didn't love that well yeah and he threw it on top or he's like well he told me he's frustrated so now you got bader thinking topers telling castianos that he's frustrated and by the way by the way it's a one-on-one conversation i know i know i know yeah so yeah you're right maybe not saying in terms of like he's he has not gone overboard with it being like screw that guy i'm really pissed off but you know look We know that he took Nick out in Miami.

Nick got P-Oed about it. We know that. And he never did it again until now and like refused to take him out of a game in any situations again. Well, he's got a banged up knee. Uh, which was such a BS. Oh, well, since the Yankees game, he's really had to bang him. Okay, buddy.

And then at Rand, he's like, no, he's fine. He's fine. But, you know, just a little, what do you make of the whole thing? Well, the, also the super hard veteran stadium like turf and global life field. Oh, yeah. Who could forget, who could forget that. So he's probably the wrong guy to do it with, but they don't have a choice. He's just, he's been too bad.

He's too bad. There's no way he's going to handle as well. He can do it for right now, but there's just no way. So I think it could be a good thing. I think a P.O.ed Casti could galvanize him. Anything better than the Cassie we've been getting. And it can't be much worse. And the nice part about what Thompson's doing is like he was starting to come out of it.

He's been hitting the ball better recently. Since that tank shot. And he's still committing to like, well, we're going to keep going with this platoon thing. Kepler's hard hit rate in August is over 50%. Kepler's looked good. Like you could see it. He's he like, it annoyed me when he was like, well, my whole career, I've gotten unlucky. It's like, bro.

Come on. He has. Take a little accountability. I've heard him say that a couple of times. It's annoying. It's like, no, like that just probably means who you are who you are. But he has hit the ball really well in August. Yeah.

And, you know, I think it's just the best thing for them. Now, Cassie's not going to just play against lefties because there's not enough lefties to make that a thing. Yeah. Like, he's going to be easing me in there against him, righties. So it's not going to be a true lefty, righty platoon. I am glad. I hope this leads to Bader getting the lion's share in center field. Like, let him just take the job and I would say all the share out there and personally.

But yes. Yes. Marsh, I still wouldn't play against lefties, but against righty's, he's doing his job. So, yeah. you obviously don't love the idea of having a platoon at every single outfield position but for this team and really it's kind of the way baseball is trending now because it feels like no lefties can hit lefties anymore unless you're cows or whatever and bryce has done a good in his career done a good job against lefties

so it's just kind of the nature of the sport now where you might as well just platoon out there and try to get the best version you're a buffoon if you don't platoon it's the the title of a podcast you're a buffoon if you don't platoon but it's sort of reminds me of the you know high leverage arm argument in the bullpen where we got so used to starters going forever and then it was like well third time through or get the best reliever and that it's fresh why wouldn't I just go to the best reliever that's fresh kind of feels like we're experiencing something similar with with hitters because they just there's there's such a lack of an ability to me of a lefties being able to hit lefties so and statistically

and so you did the numbers bear it out yeah i again watching the the the mariners against lefties this oh my god it was like i mean the rally at that yeah not not rally really luke raley oh yeah not i was like he's a switch hitter i know j p crawford was horrible against lefties i always i don't forget it is funny he was like our guy oh yeah he was our top prospect yeah he was like the hope at a certain point and i just i know he's won a couple of a couple gold he's at a nice career i think he's he's he's he's been in that like for what he was he is a successful story the point is like for what he was it is funny there's never like a yearning of j p crofford no yeah we don't miss it we don't but he's had a nice career like he's been a of all the guys they've given away he's been probably the best one

yeah exactly so but but i just i think that's kind of where the sport is is trending um is situations like this i mean we talked about the 21 braves where they basically platoon their entire outfield as well so it can work would like to just have have great hitters and great fielders in the outfield. We're not going to get that. But it was good to see at least Bader get some hits yesterday and hopefully you can just take that job. I think the funnier

thing is we never really thought about the JP and then doing it again with another cross. I never, that I never put together which is really funny. I never thought about that specific thing. Locked in like, all right. Carl, bring his kids along. We'll take them all. JP's.

Yeah, related. Not a nephew or whatever he is. But still, the whole family i never thought about it yeah it's really funny um yeah i'm with you and look i i mean i'm at the point where you know if you told me you have to play three guys i would play kepler every day in right field over cassianos personally i know that they're not actually dig it a hit off the left of you but yesterday and look he's a much better right fielder than cassianos is and like he's just been hitting them all better you know flat out across the board and i just have so little and look we know cassianos is the type of player where we have seen him look this bad and then a switch

can flip and he can go on a run and have a big play like we've seen him at big playoffs like we've seen it well he was the he was the second best hitter in the mat series dude he did something yeah him and harper were it and he and he and reggie jackson stand alone like he has he has had playoff moments that people dream of you know like so it is another philly tying reddy jackson post his in record right first it was outlay and then it was but it is it is wild to think about you know he really is one of those well and you can still make the case the best version of this team is with him of course it is of course it is without a doubt it can't just you can't just bury him yeah you can't bury him you have to you have to see if he can work his way out of it but you also

cannot mean the way that kepler is hitting i think he's what 283 in august yeah you can't just say you can't just place him on the bench either you know so thompson he's he's done a good job i agree with you with the with the platoons like he seems to have that magic touch and weston wilson and getting big hits but he doesn't is that a magic touch with these guys if these guys start taking a downturn who are the ones that he's going to go into into war with yeah and i think that will still be cast yeah i i generally agree with you and and i'm surprised at sosa didn't play i know i know stats so it's been awesome and and i will say that and and just to move on from the cast thing i agree with you and ultimately i think rob's done a really good job with

this mixing and matching thing and i think it'll kind of play itself out um but it's It is, it is something to watch. And it is like a, especially with the Cassiano's part of it, a potential issue for the playoffs. The stock thing's fascinating because we actually got some tangible information. You know, we've been wondering all year and he made a mechanical change. And it's like, you know us right here, whether it's a pitching mechanical change, a hitting me again. We are suckers for mechanical change. But look, I mean, the numbers have borne it out.

I mean, it's batting like 299 since he also break. I think he's batting 356 in August. Had the Homer a couple of games ago. That double was a great. bat um he just looks more comfortable at the plate and you know it's one of those things where it's like oh is it real is it not when you hear the mechanical change and you you know you you realize what it is and what he did like it's like it makes a lot sense to me well and i like the quote so he's like i just stop thinking about left field yeah thank you yeah it's meaningless

i don't need your little weak pop flies to left field so uh yeah he it's funny his setup just looks like Seizars. Like he just looks just like Seizars used to look. Not the same walkout song. No. Dude, Seizar's walkout song was truly depressing. Yeah. It's for only the sickos that listen to this podcast.

If you remember Seizar's walkout song, it was captivatingly horrible. Yeah. It was a horrible song. It was really, really bad. It was really bad. Cesar, good player. Yeah. Cesar was a good player and a horrible team.

Yeah. He's a nice career. Seizzer was a solid. Solid big leader. So, yeah. But, yeah, lowered his hands to help get on top of the baseball because when his swing gets loopy, he starts swinging the pool noodle, he's excruciating. And apparently you stop with the waggling, you know, which is good. You need that kind of stuff.

The one thing that I found kind of annoying with the, I think it was to Gelb wrote about in the athletic today, is like they wait until it's, they don't want to make adjustments in the middle of the season or whatever with the hitters. Isn't that the whole point of adjustments? He was hitting like 200 for 200. What are we doing, guys? What are we doing? And, fine. Hey, you want to try something different? No, let's just keep thinking.

Whatever. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a really weird thing to say. The whole thing this year was we're going to get on top of things before they turned into big deals. Well, whatever. So, uh, Stout looks great. And,

and him being in the nine hole. It's like two lead up in there, man. People forget he was the lead off of it for the first month of season. And he's not taking the most important at bats in ball games, which is fine. and he's doing his job at the bottom of the lineup. He's turning it over for the top. And he's making them, he's letting them see a lot of pitches

right before you get to Turner and Shorebur and Harper, which I think is really valuable. Having him down there is valuable. So I'm very, very happy with Stider. So as though, has obviously played well. Now, they didn't face a right, a lefty starter. So that's probably why he didn't play.

And BOM's obviously back. And listen, I get annoyed with Bome. And I'm not the biggest, I'm not the biggest bone guy. but him at least in the middle of the lineup does lengthen oh he's he's better in what they had i mean like auto camp you'd much rather i like boom than auto camp it is what it is looking good at first base last night for the pigs nobody say what you know what's a problem for everyone when walk goes to bed by nine and i can just watch the pigs yeah from about nine to ten problem for everyone

i agree you want about by ryan cussick yeah no i know i mean we don't look at a certain thing last night but the first one is very interesting i'm obsessed with finding the next offman like it's all not It's not Nolan Hoffman, yes, the other night. I thought it's Nathan Hoffman, honestly. I think it's, I think it's Nolan. Okay. I was, yeah. It was, yeah, it was, even Francky, even Francky came back from break and he's like, it's not Jeff

Hoffman. Okay, it's not, but I'm obsessed with like the, so that's why like, cannot wait for Matt Manning because Matt Manning could be him. We talked about it. And by him, capital age. So, but, but Matt Manning, Ryan Cusick, all these guys, man. man for first round pick i like pedigree kusick's got a fastball yeah got a real good that's important i know they beat the mariners and scored i don't you know i get all

i know i get it they i mentioned auto kem's name and all of a sudden we're sending five minutes because he looks great in an iron pig yeah he sure does it really fits him well he builds it out nicely i still like auto i do no i do too but the boy is like it's an upgrade bring him bone onto the roster and it makes it different. He, he, and to give him credit, there was times where I thought he was trying to lift and launch. Well, you'll be over in the first game back. Yeah, just missed a couple.

So him at least being there, it does give them another real hitter. It's where like the bottom of the lineup professional. Oh, well, that could be debated. But it does give them a semi real bad in the middle of the lineup. I agree. And that's the bottom of the line of kind of just cook. And I don't know, man.

So what's the sad thing is so big. Like the bottom of line of, cooking like that like stop hitting at the bottom line makes such a difference it can change everything for this team like the point is is i do trust turner i mean particularly harper and schwerber but turner as well heading into the playoffs as like they have to be good like there's no world where those guys don't play well and they still win the world series but like that's not going to be enough like you're going to need stop to come through you're going to need a march to come through you're going to need a casting moment or a bow moment or jtimo like some of those guys

are going to have that moment well listen i'm the the talking points about this team, we've all gotten not, I've just started getting nauseated to the point. It's like everyone says the same thing. We get it. They have to hit in the playoffs. Don't chase them. You almost have to say when you talk about the playoffs, like caveat, assuming they don't chase.

Or oh, we all know what killed them a lot. You know, like it's like, I know, I know. It's like, I'm so tired of it. If I, if I never talk about chase rate again, I'd be the happiest person. The new BMO, V.I. Porter MasterCard is your ticket to more. More perks. More points.

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you had you need your worth moments you need your victorino moments you need your pedro feliz moments you need your bruntlet walk off it takes everyone like i just I'm so, I understand the adage, the old adage of your stars have to be your stars. And they can't be zero. So, Schwerber went one for the Mets series, the home run. Can't happen. And I, and I think the thing that's been so encouraging, I do think that they're taking it on themselves. I think, I think, I think those guys are saying, you know, our guys down, it's on us.

It's on the stars, which is great. But it just, it's, it takes a village to win a world series. And it, the, the, the stars, I get it. But man, like, everyone has. has to have their little moments. Yeah, I'm fully, fully agree with that. I think it's imperative. I think it's the only way they win.

And I am starting to believe that those guys will have moments. Like, Bryson Stott, you know, a month ago, I would have said, I, like, we talked about like, not just but tuning so I'm getting to the point where I'm like in the playoffs, I might just start Sosa every game. Like, I don't trust Bryson's not at all to the point where like I think Brise and like a meaningful moment. Now, he is outside of the World Series in 2022. He's a momentsman.

He's a momentsman. the grand slam that the triple yep the triple of course year the triple the double in the strider game before the bat slam people are as people forget the stock double i'm saying they forget the stock double in the brays game i still think the first one of the loudest pops the last couple years was the stop double yeah because the first run it was first you know the whole thing uh let's get can we get back come on let's go come on i'm like honestly i'm the juices are i know i know i'm trying to like he was only 35 games i've spent the whole morning think it was 37 I got two less I'm that much closer I'm trying to slow it down yeah I know because it feels

like all I'm thinking about right now is it feels like they're going to go on a run again and that's a dangerous spot to be it's a dangerous spot especially 35 games left yeah too many games because like does now count as peaking too early still or just peaking at the right time well I mean it's three games so I don't know if we want to say they're fully peaked yet they've had 48 I think this would be a little early you know I think you want to peak more towards a lot of season left me like that's the thing like we always talk about we we look at that 22 team and and this reverential thing but you know we hated them at the end of the season you know again we were just talking with elliott with the last pot where we came up where it's like

i mean jojillo said he didn't want to make the playoffs it's like they don't deserve to make the play he's a bad guy it was a mistake he was wrong but the point being like jo and john said don't celebrate it me the point was that like we forget how quickly it can kind of like turn on a dime like that so like I don't like when do I want them peaking in October that's my answer I just love all the the things people roll out there oh it's so good so good so good they were horrible in 22 horrible horrible they went 87 games they were hot in 23 yeah like it doesn't matter it really does not matter and and we truly have no idea until game one of the close season we have no I just, I feel good about the group.

I feel good about the way, like, whether or not they're able to sustain this, like we talked about the lose three or four at some point. There will be a series where they score two runs, like, or whatever it is. Like, we know that it's not going to be perfect at the end season, but I do think the way they've reacted to this. And to your point, I think it was a good point to bring up to the way they've talked about it too, like the way Bryce, the way, Trey, all these guys are like, it's on us. It's like they heard the message.

Yes, it's like everyone has to be a little better. Everyone has to do a little more. And like, that's so like, just the way they've reacted to. this moment, to this, you know, sad thing happening for them, for their team, for their chances, has this alone has given me so much more belief in this group, the way they've handled this, no matter kind of how long this specific moment last, I, the, the, the way they have handled this has told me something about them. Well, and I think that it also has, I think the, the, the Duran move originally re-energized the fan base. And then they went, and the

team i agree and then they went through a little down period but i think that this thing also re-energized the fan base i think the fan base went into the ballpark the last really the two nights yesterday was rainy cold whatever but two nights and said we're behind you too yeah we're burning the boats all we're all burning boats where's a huge bonfire a boat out here right come on man just get a bon get get a big boat in center field lighted on fire oh imagine that moment i'm sure the Philly Fire Department. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a great idea. It's fine. It's fine.

So there's a lot of moments. There's a lot of things. There's a lot of things going on. What a time. What a time. I don't care that's a Mariners series in August. I know. It means more.

It does. It does. All right, take back. So where's your, um, your, your faith meter on these, rank these. Okay. I love this. I love this. How would you rank your faith in Ranger and Jesus?

Mm-hmm. Are they as one or this is the first? Because, all right. So I think Sanchez is money. Yeah, he's a race for now. Yes. By the way, like good first test for all the weight on his shoulders. I feel the same way.

Big stuff there. Ranger and Jesus being good. The bullpen and the lineup. Oh, I love this. Okay. So Sanchi is like, we're good. Sanche is one. And Duran is good.

You don't have to worry about Duran. This is fascinating. Oh, so Duran doesn't count the rest of the ball pen. Not really because like I think you have a good idea of who he's going to be. It's the other guys. Okay. So bullpen would be last then if we're taking Duran out of it. Okay. Interesting.

Yeah. I think so the person I trust most is Ranger, just as of himself individually as a person in the playoffs. I trust right. I mean, Harper, too, but I'm saying that's a unit. That's the line. So I'm saying the one thing I trust Ranger. Lizardo, I don't know. I don't know.

He's a good five straight, really good starts. I'm kind of buying into this lineup thing, man. I just feel like it's a ridiculous. That sounds like. You're going to regret. Okay, my gut, my gut, my gut, my gut, my gut, my gut says lineup, but I'm going to, I'm going to go, I trust Ranger. You want lineup one. No, no, no, no.

I'm going to say I'm trusting Ranger and Lizardo one. Line up to bullpen three. Again, no Duran. If Duran's in the bullpen, the bullpen jumps to number one. That's a big Duran. Because we, I think we know the studs, right? You know, Sanchez's stud, Duran's the lineup, like, I just think there's so much. Question marks, yeah.

But we know that Schwarzis Stod, Harper's Stud, Turner's done, we think. If I changed it to, if I changed to 5 through 9. Yeah. No, then that would be last. Okay, okay. Definitively. Okay. Like no quite, like the same thing with like the bullpen Duran thing.

Like you take the, yeah, if you give me 5 through 9, least confidence by far. Like it dropped. My answer is fully based on trust in those top three guys in Milan. So, so Ranger Lazzardo. Rangers are five through nine and then bowl. Well, no, now I've been a bullpen to five through nine. it's only because of the good thought exercise it is a good thought you're right it's a fascinating thing how would you do it so uh right now i'm i'm buying a lot of the bullpen yeah i really am

again i i'm excited we talked about i think robertson looks way better than he ever looked here before i trust he's on the clemens model he looks great yeah he he looks great i know the home run happened yesterday he hung a pitch it happens by the way that holio home run was crazy i can't believe he hit it out yeah dude was like a flat one i know it felt like flag that ball was like almost in the dirt and he just went down and who if hollio rodriguez could ever figure out how to hit in the first half because i've owned him a fantasy for four years and he sinks me every year but like if he could figure out the first half he's the best player in baseball he's so awesome and and i he's a joy to watch like he's one of those guys who like he's always smiling

he's always having fun like even one of those guys who it feels like he's like appreciating the fact he's playing kids i i love willio rodriguez you can also you can also get lost in his eyes beautiful eyes beautiful magical just unbelievable i agree with you i agree with you just unbelievable you're dead right yeah so i'm buying a lot of the bullpen stuff i i think roberts is good strong rounding in a form it's funny like it's now joe ross is a long man so whatever but it's really just romano like that's it and that could change in the next couple days and he could he could be dFA yeah so then they just ryan coozing but the um that's what i was watching last night let's see if there's anyone, I'm obsessed with finding

one person in Lehigh Valley I trust that could get big out. What about Griff? So, I think there's an outside chance. I mean, he's been awesome lately. Well, I think the thing with Griff could be if they wanted, now this is a big leap. But his stuff's not double A stuff. He's got big league stuff.

If they wanted to try the six-man thing, just to extend starters, maybe that's where they get the, but I think at least try him in AAA for a start or two i don't know so we'll say but the line of stuff i'm still mostly and i got to see it to believe it i i think i'm going to be that way until the playoffs like it is what it is i get it's exciting i love we're seeing but i feel like even if they hit the rest of the year because of the last couple post seasons until we see them do it with intensity not chase

because we know that teams are pitched differently in the playoffs like pitchers are going to attack the phillies differently in the playoffs than they have during the regular season and every pitch is going to be like look like it or not like in a regular season like a pitcher's locked in but like you're a different kind of locked in for the playoffs every pitch is matters so much more that you're just going to get their best stuff yeah well and what was frustrating about the beginning of august really before the i think they had a i think they had a meeting before the national series that we're straying away from what we've been doing all year but before the national series there was they were right back to the chase rate stuff they're right

yeah they were yeah you're right the strikeout rate was like up and the walk rate was up. What we've seen since, I mean, they are grinding starting pitchers into the ground. I mean, they got all those, I mean, Miller went a little bit longer, but he threw 50 pitches in the first three innings, I think. They got Gilbert out of there early. Louis Castillo out there. So they're doing a good job of grinding pitchers. Like, if they can just, they can't let it get too far away, but there is a winning formula here. Bryce, I think one big thing he's been doing is he's just taking the walks. He has to get back to just taking the walk. His walk rate before, I think the national series was 3%.

It's crazy. Which is not Bryce at all. It's insane. His whole career has taken walks. But he has to trust his teammates. Yeah. He has to trust his teammates because, yeah, it's the whole path to baton thing. So there is makings of them being a good offense.

I'm probably never going to be there. I get it. No, I think that's fair. I think it's fair. Ranger, I'm still, eh. I just, I just. But do you agree that no matter how he looks now, you trust him more, in the playoffs comparatively because I do I do I do like even last year and he is much better

today than he was last year at this time like it felt like he really fell apart last year even last year and you know it was a high wire act but he gave him four and two third shut out baseball in a playoff start like it's not ideal you want him to go deeper you want to not be a difficult walk as many guys but like it felt like Ranger was bad heading into that playoff story even then he found ways to get outs in a big spot like I just I trust the guy in a big spot like I just do And I'm growing faith in Jesus-Lazardo. I thought yesterday there was a big moment after the boom error where it could have crumbled on him. And he got Raleigh and Julio out back to back, which is, I think, big for his confidence.

It's kind of hard to, like, demonstrate or whatever. But they've clearly, they've gotten him to a spot with a stretch where it's able to emulate his wind up by having his front leg closer to the third. base side is where it gets the swing the swing so it looks just like his his wind up pretty much but it's out of the stretch so i think that's been a big key for him and velocity's down a little bit but i think he's more in the zone and he's more he's a purposeful is the point not as much of a dead arm but more of like uh kind of his purposely control yeah it's exactly right worry about control and i do think i got to look at the numbers i keep me into look at the numbers and i'm mad at myself for not looking at the numbers

but I test I think they've gone away from the four seamer which gets blasted and they've gone more to the the sinker with him so Lazzardo I'm buying I'm pretty excited or back in on Hayses

finally the pod needed that yeah so a lot of faith meters a lot of faith names speaking of starters I think one thing they're going to do if they're not going to go to a six man which they likely won't do

unless they call someone up because the Wheeler thing obviously ends that but I think we're going to see more of is Rob Thompson pulling starters with 85 to 90 pitches rather than letting them go. Well, that was something we didn't talk about, but people got annoyed with the Sanchez thing.

And that was crazy to me. Like it was in 96 pitches. And the only time we've seen Sanchez struggle was after the complete game. Like it's like, what are we doing here? Especially after Wheeler going down, it's like, shouldn't we be even more careful with Christopher Sanchez?

And you got a fully rested bullpen. Yes. And you're going to Ryan Kirkering. Like, sorry, he's supposed to have been awesome for you this year. Like you can't, like he didn't have it.

He didn't have it that day. Like, whatever that happened. This is a PSA. This is a PSA for the rest of the season. I'm getting so annoyed with the Topper decision. PSA for the rest of the season. Sometimes Rob Thompson has to know what he can go to in October versus not.

And if it might cost them a game, it might cost them again. But it's research. Like part of right now with the kind of cushion they have is research, knowing who he can trust versus who he can't trust. And I mean, it's a classic example of that to me was obviously last year. in the the Mets series in London where he goes to Soto over Alvarado and Soto blew up. Part of what's happening right now is

you have to decrease workload on the starters. You have to see which bullpen pieces you can trust. These are more high leverage-ish type situations and it almost cost them a game on Tuesday night but you got to do it. You cannot, you can't, these starters have

to be fresh heading in the postseason which was going to happen if they went to the six man. They're not going to do that unless painter can figure it out or maybe they call up griff there's not really they're not going to do it for alan ronnell i don't believe no so so like it kind of just is what it is and i think you have to get used to it and if it costs me game it sucks but also you got to figure this stuff out now so it doesn't come back to bite you in october no i look i totally agree with you that's my PSA yeah and it's and you're correct you're absolutely correct and even then

even then for getting that part of it like that specific situation like i would be fine with it no matter what like christmas was in 96 pitches it's not like he was at 86 and he walked a guy and he walked a guy like and again you have arrested bullpen with your guy who was your closer your best reliever your go-to guy until you got to ron like your second best reliever like you got to trust that guy to come in and get the outs like you're four one you're four one two It wasn't like a, it was two one. And final thing, post trade deadline, Aiden Miller's still a problem.

But you see, uh, now and look, every prospect ranking is different, but yes, P. Yeah and Kylie 10th overall I had a painter. It's the first time we've seen him at a painter really on these lists. 10th overall for our guy, Aiden Miller all baseball. You kidding me a hit in prospect. Little. Oh, dude makes me a little nervous makes me a little nervous.

They're up to you. He'd be dropped down and take the pressure off in August. He's hitting three. 38. I can't wait. Nice. I can't wait. Kylie's got some crazy opinions. Kylie has some aggressive opinion. Yeah. I met Kylie once. I was like, yeah, like 14 years ago. When I went to the baseball winter meetings, you know, I went to baseball winter meetings a long time I've ever told you this. Are you trying to get a job?

I was. I almost worked for the bowling green baseball team in Kentucky. I thought about it. Emily and I talked about moving to Kentucky to work for the bowling green baseball. football team yeah like 15 years ago whatever was when I was getting in the business I ended up doing radio and going that route but I thought about so they to eat it was going to do sales because I had sales background that time but he said he was going to let me do the seventh and eighth inning in games so I was going to announce the seventh and eighth and games while doing sales but it was just to be around the sport was I was coming from non sports it was just to be around sports to be a part of the team I didn't want to be a play by play guy but it was just an opportunity to get in somewhere so because I knew someone who knew him like it was like a connection to the bowling green. But I was there. I was at the job fair. I did the whole thing. And I met Kylie. It was like just starting his career there too.

So back then I met him through a, uh, uh, remember, uh, Colette, uh, Jeff Colette is a fantasy baseball guy. It's Jeff Colette. It's not Ned Colette. No, I met him through him. Anyway, I used to be big fantasy writer. I used to, why? I used to fantasy.

Did you have a home run call? No. No. Again, I didn't want to be an announcer. I wasn't ready. I was just trying to get into sports. The 3-1 pitch. All right.

Bring it in, Big Dog. Yeah, the amount of, by the way, the amount of just outrageousness. This is rudeness from a teammate. I mean,

you know, it's all right. What do you mean? What do you mean? It's all right. I'd rip you, but you can't take it. So it's like,

no, Jack is the ultimate dish if you can't take it. We're just all having fun. Yeah, that's right. Unless it's about me. It's about you. And it's not fun anymore.

It's not fun at all. You're getting threats. I know what it's like, buddy. I know what it's like. Thank you. I could take it. I have no problem. Yeah, that's good.

You have a high pitch voice. I don't know if you've heard them before. You got anything else? No, I'm good. I'm good. Good. That's it.

It's great. What a good way to add in the pond. It was positive. Yeah, it was good. It's good time. He's rich. You should work next next time. Work on your home wrong call.

Oh, yeah. It's okay. I'll think about it. I'll consider it. All right. Are we done? We're out of here. Yeah.

Good. He's friends himself.