High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Do the Eagles Play This Weekend?

Episode Date: January 15, 2022

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz are back talking Phillies. The guys discuss the current status of the lockout, a Jack Fritz Phillies Top 5, 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 W Y P. Go! It is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. Jack Fritz, we're back, baby. I know, buddy. And I gotta be honest, like I was, uh, we were first planning to do this Wednesday.

No, no, no. First we planned to do it last week, if we're going to be real about it, last week. And that didn't happen. And then we planned to do it Wednesday. And now it's Saturday morning. Right. Yeah. So good job by us. And we're very sorry. A couple weeks ago, I was I was down in protocol. So, you know, I wasn't able to do it then. And this week,, it was just like, ah, it caught up to us. And we're back today. But honestly, I was like, I woke up this morning and went downstairs and started putting stuff together for the pod. And I was like, man, I miss the Phillies. I really do. I miss you.

I miss our listeners. I miss just thinking about the Phillies. I miss watching Kyle Schwarber highlights every day. It's been a few days. thinking about the Phillies. I miss watching Kyle Schwarber highlights every day. It's been a few days. And I don't know if... Does it make me a bad fan,

James, that the Eagles play a playoff game tomorrow? And I realized I think yesterday that the only playoff game I really care about, the next playoff game I really, really care about, is when the Phillies are in it. No. It's like the least surprising thing you've ever said.

I would be, I would have been able to say that for you. Like, I don't think anyone is surprised by that at all. Well, I know, but it's like, I love the Eagles. I love the Sixers. I'm lukewarm on the Flyers. But like the only, the next one that's really going to mean something to me is a Phil's playoff series I know the Eagles won Super Bowl and they went to playoffs and whatever

and yeah I'm excited for tomorrow but the next time I'm going to like really be in is a Phil's playoff series and I just I need that to be this year yes I need them to play baseball this year Jack Fritz.

That would be nice. Well, there's no lockout going on. I think opening day is 74 days away, and that's going to definitely happen. Oh, my God. That's the thing is I'm with you. I think I agree 100% with your sentiments. I've missed you quite a bit. I've missed the High Hopes family quite a bit.

But more than anything, I miss baseball. I miss baseball. I miss baseball. I'm tired of not having anything to read about, to talk about. Like, what players are the Phillies going to sign? Doesn't matter because there's no freaking baseball. I'm frustrated, Jack. I'm frustrated. Like, it feels like, especially because it's been like nothing.

There was the one meeting, and we'll get into some of that stuff and all that, but it's like nothing. It's like baseball was like, I was about's been like nothing. There was the one meeting, and we'll get into some of that stuff and all that, but it's like nothing. It's like baseball was like, I was about to curse. Bleep it. We're just going to disappear. See ya. Enjoy football.

Yeah. I want to enjoy baseball, damn it. To be fair, they do this every now and then. Oh, God. There's a few groups of people that I despise more than the Major League Baseball ownership group. God, I can't stand these people, Jack. Yeah. Listen, it's I mean, again, it's it's millionaires, billionaires.

You can't cry poor if you're rich enough to own a baseball team. I'm sorry. That is a basic rule of human life, Jack. If you are rich enough to have bought a baseball team, you are not allowed to whine and cry about being poor, about being too poor to manage your baseball team, to sign players. Like, that's not okay. You have to sell the team if you're going to cry about being too poor to actually have a real baseball

team. Ah, that's how I feel. Sorry. I need to get there. I had to get off my chest. I had to get off my chest. It's been built up, man. Built up.

Built up. I should pan up for a little bit here. Yes. Yes. I don't even know what we're going to talk about. I said to Jack before, I'm like, so like there's no baseball. He's like, don't worry. I got take back stuff.

I'm like, all right, the take back show. That's what this is going to be stuff i'm like all right the take back show that's what this is gonna be it's gonna be the take back show because there's nothing to talk about all right i'm good i'm calm now i'm i had to get my charlie day out i had to get a little it's been built up man it's been built up i'm very frustrated without my sport right now and i think for us like we love we just love we love baseball we just want baseball back we want like we want to get that that excitement for fulfillment like i i'm tweeting about the eagles i tweeted it's tough man i hate seeing it it breaks my heart a little bit every time you know like a tweet about jalen hurts it's like his heart's not in it i mean come on i mean believe me i i would love to tweet like thinking about the phils right now because i'm always thinking about the Phils like almost at all times.

But like with the with the lack of action and not knowing if baseball is even going to happen and like I'm just sick and tired of like getting my heart broken with every single freaking update that we get. It's just like every update, like every update we get from like Passon or whoever whoever just like a little part of me dies inside it really does like it's just it's it's you know it's like oh they met for 30 seconds and they still hate each other and and the sports company crumbling down and they had a meeting nothing got done there was no progress made they'll meet again in two weeks. It's like, okay, cool. And we'll figure, like, you know what pisses me, what drives me crazy is like, we'll see what major, I think the end of the pass and like tweet yesterday was like, now the question is when does Major League Baseball, when does the player association respond to baseball's like proposal?

It's like, this is your only job. Your only job for the next two months is figuring out how to get baseball on the field like they're so and they are so annoying with this it's like oh my god like and again i just and again i i don't know i i hate talking about this but i know you do it's your least favorite thing i just want i just hope someone's looking out for the game i i really and i i don't trust manfred i don't think he looks out for the game i think he looks after the owners because that's his job and like he's supposed to be this like labor law guy i don't know i don't know if tony clark looks after the game

like i just i just hope that there's someone in there that has some common sense that could be a grownup and can say, Hey, like, unfortunately, you know, we are losing a bit of a standing in, in, uh,

popular sports and we can't afford to, to miss games and not have buzz about our seasons. Like, can we just all grow up, admit that, that, that it's been bad in the past, and come to an agreement. And it's frustrating because I know that's not going to happen.

Like, I just, I know that they're not going to just be like, hey, I forgive you. Hey, I forgive you too. Like, let's all come together and figure this out. No, it's going to be painful. And it's like, it's freaking 16 degrees outside. I would like to. Oh, I just walked in, buddy. I just walked in.

I'm still like recovering. My skin feels like burnt. Did you walk from your house? I walked from my house today. Yes. What's wrong with you? I know. I thought about taking a lift and I was like, I don't want to spend the $12, $14 or whatever.

Yep. But it's. I made a mistake, Jack. It's really, it's really, really cold. In hindsight, I should have taken a lift, yes. I mean, I think pitchers and catchers were supposed to report in like a month. Oh, my God. I mean, we could be having like, you know,

seeing guys that are starting to report to Clearwater. I mean, we could be talking about all the moves the Phillies made, what the lineup's going to look like, Kyle Schwarber and how many home runs he's going to hit at Citizens Bank Park. We can't talk about any of that, Jack. I know. Well, unless you just commit yourself, he's already a Philly like. Yeah, I saw the one tweet. I don't remember which one was your like top five Phillies. I'm most excited. Schwarber was number one. I thought that was really funny. Well, listen, I've just I've just convinced myself he's already. I just always love the

whatever. And I'm sure it's a smaller percentage because people know what you do, but the percentage of people that follow you, it's like the ones you see when you'll do the, you know, this is the most important Eagles-Bucks game in the history of football or whatever. And people are like, Jack, you idiot, don't you remember? You know, like those people who react to that,

like this is the same ones. I always think about those ones who see the, what does he talk about? Did they sign Schwarber? Schwarber's not Philly. Like the people who just don't get it. i always think about those ones you see the what is what is he talking about did they sign schwerber schwerber's not philly like the people who just don't get it i always think about those people i think about them too and i always like i wish there was like a live cam saying like like i may see that tweet and like seeing them like start hold on you idiot um but you know honestly just makes you smile a little bit. Oh, I know.

I know. Trust me, I know. It's a big gotcha. But, yeah, so, like, and actually, real quick, I mean, I feel like every podcast in Philly is actually a Philly. I need to bring up something about Kyle Schwarber. But I'm pretty sure he's going to be the next David Ortiz if they put the DH in the NL.

And I think he has a David Ortiz-like impact with the Phillies. Kyle Schwarber is the next David Ortiz if the Phillies sign him. But on a serious note, because that last comment was definitely not serious, and I definitely have not thought about that a lot, is that I guess apparently the reason he didn't sign before uh the lockout was because it seems like it's trending towards that there's going to be a dh in the nl and you know he gets more money if there's a dh from an nl team he's and he's gonna yeah his market's gonna be way more robust so i think there's a bit of a sentiment out there from from people like oh

they should have got this done before the for the lockout i was like yeah i agree but at the same time i totally get it from schwarber standpoint of like yeah you can't sign kyle schwarber if kyle schwarber won't sign right right believe it or not it takes two to tango as they say um so uh but it does make the market probably bigger and that is that is mildly concerning. But glass half full, guy, because as you know, James, I am practicing my growth mindset. Oh, I'm impressed. It's been something to behold. I'm pretty sure that I could turn almost anything into a positive.

That means more Matt Beerling in left field. Oh, there you go. Look at you. Well, because I realized that I put up that list of like the five fellows in 2022, and I had Beerling on there. But then I realized, well, if they sign Schwarber, he's probably going to be in left field. So that kind of kills my Beerling thing.

But. Figured it out. Glass at full guy. Yeah, buddy. There's a DH coming. Thus, Matt Beerlingling starting left field also matt veerling number five up to number five in fangraphs top 41 phil's prospects what a rise buddy that is that is a rise man that is a hell of a rise i know and it's very exciting now i need him to not uh you know drive balls into the dirt and I

need him to you know lift it a little bit and then maybe you know maybe we can luck into a hitter that can launch some baseballs rather than him and Bomer who like smoke balls on the ground but uh I still believe in the kid and he hits the ball really hard yeah I like Veerling I it feels honestly weird to like, actually like that segwayed from, from, you know, bitching about the situation we're into.

Like you actually throw in some real baseball talk in there and it actually like threw me off for a sec. I'm like, Oh yeah, we like talk baseball. That's a sport. That's a sport that happens. Like Matt Veerling actually plays baseball. Just think James,

a mere five minutes ago, you were yelling about the owner and now you're, and now like, honestly, uh, are you,, you've walked in in 15 degree weather now. Do you now feel a little bit warmer inside? I'm starting to. I still have that kind of like hot, kind of tingly feel on my face. But I'm getting there, buddy. I'm getting there.

It's like spring training here. Whenever you think about that, just just remember the only reason i'm sitting here even doing radio or doing this podcast is because in 2013 in a series down in virginia where it was 25 degrees uh and i had to keep the book for an entire game and then i was tasked with coming into the sixth inning against the nation and i couldn't feel my fingertips and i got absolutely shelled for the first time in my life. I never got shelled in my career. I got so – I couldn't throw anything but a fastball down the middle

because my fingertips were so, like, frozen. And I got shelled. And that's the only reason I'm sitting here today. It's true. I mean, you'd probably be locked out right now, right? I mean mean you'd be one of the lockouts you'd be yeah i mean listen i i waiting to play maybe looking around for a for a you know 100 million dollar contract something like that you know well i would assume that most teams are looking for 82 listen i think that's you know where the sport's trending clearly yeah not faster slower Yeah. Not faster, slower. That's what we want.

Hey, Pat Gillick always said, I want guys that are faster than the barrel or way slower than the barrel. That's right. So. Look at you. You're a Pat Gillick guy. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Me and Jamie Moyer. Yeah. Yeah. I think you're basically Jamie Moyer. Well, there was one time where I did throw harder than Jamie Moyer and I was like, what are we doing here? How's this guy?

All right. Let's get into it. Well, there was one time where I did throw harder than Jamie Moyer, and I was like, what are we doing here? How is this guy doing? All right. Let's get into it. Why don't we just dive on into the take back? Okay. Like, throw it out. We're getting in early. I mean, what else we got? You got other stuff besides the take back?

I mean, unless you want to dive into the actual labor dispute, which I'm guessing you don't, knowing you. Well, I mean, there's no update other than everything's painful. Yeah, I know. And they're going to... We'll do this one thing before the take back. In all honesty, all jokes aside, whatever, like, you know, do you

think spring training starts on time? Do you think the season starts on time? I don't. I don't either. Well, that was fun. Happy we did that. Happy we had a chance. Hey, hey, hey. Way to bring down the pot, pal. I know.

I wanted to go to the tank bag. You're like, oh, the tank bag already? I know. No, no, no. Do not turn this around on me. You said yesterday, I'll come up with some stuff

that I can throw into the mix. And I thought maybe you had something to throw into the mix. I tried. What am I going to throw into the mix? There's nothing to talk about, Jack. How's life, buddy? How's life?

How's life? Yeah. Dude, I got to be honest. I really like life. That's good, man. That makes me happy. That's really good to hear. Eagles play a playoff game tomorrow.

You know, Kyle Schwarber's a Philly. Baseball's not locked out. Everything's great. You know, I think the complaining about the cold always drives me crazy. Like, I get it's cold out, and I understand. But, like, if you don't like it, then move. I don't know. I'm with you on this, Jack.

I'm with you. I think it's a really fair take. know it's gonna be cold you know and honestly i'm one of those people james and and i brought this up to you yesterday where i said or two days ago i said like i like like waiting for things and i like the build and i like reaching the apex and i think it means more that's why i like i like going a decade between championships like i just i like reaching the apex and i think it means more that's why like i like going a decade between championships like i just i like championships meanings things and that's how i view winter like winter is basically what the phillies have been for a decade you know not great but it makes the summer that much better. And I always say to myself, eventually they're going to win.

Eventually we're going to get spring. Eventually we're going to get summer. And it'll all be okay. I like the four seasons. I like having different periods of the year. I wouldn't want the same weather every day. And I like the cold. I think the cold is perfectly fine.

Now, I will say, this is very cold it's today's like it was like 16 degrees when i walked in i think um yeah today's like extra cold and i will say and i agree with you and i've always said that i'm a change of seasons guy like i wouldn't want it to all be the same and you know old guy moment of the podcast here love it uh yeah I will say as you get older, you get colder. It's just one of those things, man. Like I used to, I used to be pretty good in the cold and now like, I'm just not like, I'm wearing long Johns right now. I wore a long John. So it's 16 degrees out, Jack. Like, of course I wore long Johns.. I wore long johns. I wore a sweatshirt on top or with the jacket.

I wore a hat. I wore gloves. I used to go out and just be like, boom, let's go. Not anymore, buddy. My bones get cold. Have you reached the stage of your oldness where you're wearing sweaters in the summer? Not yet, but we're heading in that direction, Jack. I get it now.

I get it. I get it. And the snowbird thing, get it. Totally get it. Like, at a certain point, it's tough, man. You feel it in your bones, Jack. Your old bones. You're starting to creak, pal. You're starting to creak.

Dude, I'll go outside with Zoe, and she'll be like, no, I'm fine. I'm like, I'm like bundled up in my jacket. She'll be like, I'm totally fine. I'm like, you're three years old. Like, how are you totally fine? Like, that's how weak I am. I'm like bundled up in my jacket. She's like, I'm totally fine. I'm like, you're three years old. How are you totally fine? That's how weak I am. I'm colder than a three-year-old. Does she say, like, dad, I'm totally fine?

More or less. She's like, I'm fine. Like, you're cold now. Okay. Cool. We can talk. Yeah. So she's full on talking.

Oh, yeah. She's like a person now. Yep. Yep. She just said, my back is killing me last night, because she heard Emily say that, which is pretty hilarious. She's like, dad, dad my my back is killing me last night because she heard emily say that which is pretty hilarious like dad my back is killing me i'm like what are you talking about i mean zoe does work a nine to five it's true she's throwing the family on her back doing what needs to get done you know it's good it's a good thing it's good It's good work by Zoe. I know, man. I know.

She saw what we needed. She said, I'll step in. I'll contribute. I'll throw some of this on my back. Dad, I know you're getting cold. I'll keep you warm. We're good. What a leader.

But I do got to be honest. I really do say to myself, eventually the Phils are going to be good again. And I can't wait for that time. I know that's like a, I don't know. I think about that a couple of times a week. They're going to be good again at some point. And I just can't wait for that moment. Maybe that's why I'm not super gung-ho on the Phillies or on the Eagles playoff thing.

It's cool. But I always think about what would it be like if the Phillies are there, and I just can't wait. So eventually, eventually, my friend, they will be there. I can't tell if that was something that's supposed to make me feel good or bad. Yeah, I don't know either. I don't know either. But I always think about i think about

like my future life and like uh how however long i have left on this earth and then i was like you know i hope that i hope i get one more world series that's all just one more that's pretty sad yeah well i mean fair though i mean very very very fair very the most losses in professionals body tell me about it yes yes i mean it's been a decade they've i mean I mean, very, very, very fair. They have the most losses in professional sports history. Yeah, buddy, tell me about it. Yes, yes. I mean, it's been a decade. I mean, somehow, some way, they and the Mariners are the two longest teams in baseball that have made the playoffs. Like, we said that, you know, we said that at the end of the year, last year, all that stuff.

But it is astounding to think about that the Philadelphia, and granted, you know, historically, it's not that same. But Philadelphia, like, we had such a great run there. about that the philadelphia and granted you know historically it's not that same but philadelphia like we had such a great run there and then to just go back to being the freaking phillies it's like come on man come on um is there a more important person in philadelphia than dave dombrowski i say no i said politicians people who own teams, people who run teams. I think Dave Dombrowski is the single most important Philadelphian. Tell me I'm wrong. Well, and a good thing is that Seattle and Philadelphia are both two small market teams.

So it's all good. And I've obviously said this cold time spot uh you know in this off season but i do trust dave and i'm excited excited post lockout uh to kind of see what he does so um you know courtic navel was nice um but i could definitely use uh a little bit more also never mind i'm not i'm not gonna get into it um take back whoa what was that oh buddy i was gonna bring up i'm just gonna bring up that ollie broke his hand uh in 2007 and i looked up yesterday he's betting 336 and sometimes i forgot like like i'm happy jayroll won the mvp that year but um this is really what you were going

that with what a non-sequitur you're talking about trusting dave and then you're like and by the way chase utley in 2007 guys yeah i know i don't you you are a true like your philly's brain is just sick and i love it july 26 2007 the day the day Utley broke his hand when he was batting 336. Seriously, what do you think he would end up batting that year if he doesn't break his hand? I mean, that's one of the better offensive seasons of all time. Certainly for a second baseman, one of the best.

It's ridiculous. And now we're starting to get to the point where he's actually overrated. Is there anything more annoying going than the people who think Rollins is more of a hall of favor than Utley?. It's like, well... Is there anything more annoying going than the people who think Rollins is more of a hall of favor than Utley? It's just like, stop talking. Just stop.

Please, just don't. Just stop. You're literally embarrassing yourself when you say that. I'm sorry. When Utley broke his hand, 336, 414, 581, 996 OPS with 17 homers from a second baseman.

Is that good? It's pretty good. He still ended the year batting 332, but I think the power was zapped from that point. Yeah. What a shame, Jack. What a shame. How about this?

If he wins the MVP that year, he's probably a lock all-famer. It's probably the little thing that puts him over the top. Yeah. And then we don't even have to hear the Rollins thing because it knocks him back. It's just, you know you know there it is and if he comes out in 2008 i mean 2080 like the first half of 08 was ridiculous where he was like oh we're gonna we're gonna have three straight mvps and then he like really really cooled off and then uh first half of 09 raul Banez also was like oh we could add four straight MVPs but then he cooled off so

fun little reminiscing about the good times there that was good times right there yes speaking of which future Jimmy Rollins William Bergola I don't think so I mean number four prospect that's exciting right I mean the philly side

international guy um yeah listen i uh i need you to be more excited about this jack i need you to be more excited about this so i'm excited about the bat um i just for me i don't get super excited about like the the sky report that says he's an all around good game. You know, like it's like, it's all around good, but how, like what's the ceiling. Um,

and, uh, I look at him in the field and I don't really see it in the field. Um, but the bat looks pretty good. Um, and I do like the fact that he's a number four, uh,

prospect, you know, I think that's, I think that's really important because honestly, like the importance of like, uh,illies are never i would say that they probably won't have a top i mean unless things go massively wrong they shouldn't have a top 10 or top five pick in the next couple years um but they need to find a way to get game-changing talent around price if they're they need the elite guys yeah so if they if they're going to maximize Bryce's prime,

they're going to need to hit on some international guys, I think. Like, you look at the Nationals and – And the Braves, the team that just won the World Series. How about that, too? Right, but the Nationals make more sense in this regard from, like, they were bad for a long time. They had a lot of top-ten picks from like they were bad for a long time they had a lot of top 10 picks and they were able to build their core where they had harper rendon strausberg and

with those guys like they had those they brought in scherzer and they had their team but to make that core win a world series and what made them ridiculous was like i mean juan soto coming up and literally being the next like barry bonds and just a transcendent talent and the nationals apparently signed so his younger brother who is now it was called like the phenomenon so i'm just not not thrilled about that um so but like that that core was good but what made that core insane was like, oh, here's Juan Soto. And the Phillies, like – Well, and again, the Braves too. I mean, Acuna and Albies, two massive –

I mean, obviously Acuna got hurt when they won the World Series, but two massive parts of that core in that World Series team. You know, like those guys are both international signings. Like it's an important area to add. Right, but those guys were also there from the beginning, and that's my point. Like they were there from the beginning, and that's my point. Like, they were there from the beginning. Right, I know.

I'm just talking about the importance of the international market. For sure. I get your parallel. Maximizing the Bryce Wheeler, you know, JT, Noel Hoskins core. They got to hit on one of these guys and have them come through the system fast and be a difference maker. Because, like, I just don't think they're going to be able to –

I think this draft is actually really good, and I think they're going to get a really good player at 17. This is actually one of the more loaded draft classes I can remember in the last couple years, so I think they're going to get a difference maker. But we know that elite talent is usually at the top of the draft, and they're just not really going to be there. So being able to hit on these guys is just massive when you're talking he's talking about the future of the team so i hope he's i hope he's really good i like that um i like that he has the family bloodlines i mean his dad played

the big leagues for a little bit so he he has that um good polish from that standpoint and again i think the bat looks good i the feel i don't think he looks very uh uh fluid in the field so again like i'm basing this off a 45 second like and he said and he's 17 years old harsh i'm not gonna make like uh you know big judgments on them um but they so i was on fan graphs this morning because i saw that they like officially signed them today or yesterday. I think it was earlier today was the official. It was yesterday. It was rumored it was going to happen officially today, I think.

Right. So I was on Fangraphs this morning. I was looking at their international board just to see what their Sky report was. And I saw it and I was like, oh, that's pretty good. I watched the video. I was like, oh, that's pretty good. But then I saw that they're supposedly going to sign this kid for 2023, like next year's class when this rolls around.

It's Darlene Cabo. And I would just like to say, like, he's going to be a superstar. So you're saying he could be Arsoto or Acuna if they signed him? I legit, like, I watched Bergola, and then I watched this kid, and I was like, What position did this kid play? He's also a shortstop. They're both shortstops.

Okay. So I watched Bergola, and I was like, fine player. And then I watched Starling Gava, and I was like, superstar. So I don't know how it's going to change with the CBA and all that stuff. with the CBA and all that stuff. But if they sign that kid, I mean, he looked super, super talented. So I was excited about that. And look, it's an area where the Phillies have historically forever lacked.

They have just not done a good job of mining the international market. Dave Dombrowski coming in, and hopefully that's not just something that he's going to start doing well, but also set an infer... That's what we're excited about. One of the things we always talk about with Dombrowski is the guy knows what a winning organization looks like. He knows what winning organizations should do, and we want the Phillies to be set up in that image for now

and also for when he's gone down the road. So I think mining the international market, taking more shots in the international market, taking more shots in the international market, being more aggressive in the international market is a big part of that. Yeah. Well, yeah. And that's, that's honestly, you know, making the Phillies a, a, a well-functioning organization.

A 2022 baseball club. So it's just as important as anything else that Dombrowski has done. So, I mean, listen, he has a, he had a pretty good international track record up in Boston. I think Bogarts was already signed when he was there, but I'm 95% sure that he was part of the group that signed Rafael Devers. Which, ooh, buddy, you know, that's my guy. He's my favorite non-Phillies hitter in baseball.

Really? Rafael Devers? Just a pure hitter. Like, he's not as good. Like, obviously, if I were to take a guy, I would take Acuna. I would take Vlad Jr. I would take Soto. I think those guys are better.

I'm talking my favorite to watch. Like, I just, I love the way that guy, it feels like Tony Gwynn. Like, he's not, he's not Tony Gwynn. Don't get me wrong. But, like, he reminds me of Tony Gwynn, the way he approaches at bats, his ability to hit it to all over the field. He's got more pop than Gwynn. But he's, like, that kind of kind of like I always say, like if I had to bet on one kid under 25 to

get 3000 hits and I don't think anyone, you know, it's tough to do. It doesn't seem like that. We're tough to get 3000 hits. But if I had to bet on anyone under 25, I would bet on Devers to get 3000. I wonder if Soto gets there. He could, too. I mean, Soto is amazing. He walks a lot, though.

Yeah, that's true. That's true. Speaking of speaking of guys are gonna have 3 000 hits that's how i feel about tamar johnson who is in this draft dude i would i would i i need the cba to allow trading draft picks because i would give up like every number one to go i mean it's insane that they don't and we've talked about this forever but i you know it makes no sense that you can't trade i've never understood it well i guess when it was 50 rounds or whatever i guess it makes sense but now it's down to like 20 like 20 around so it should be it should be easier but uh i would i would i would do almost whatever it takes to go up and get to mark johnson I don't think he's going to go to number one, but I just think that kid is like,

he's the best hitter I've seen in any of these reason drafts. Wow. I mean, he is ridiculous. I don't know where he's going to play defensively, but we're talking about pure bat. I remember last year when I was getting ready for the draft, I watched a 2021 Futures game, he was like a year younger than all those kids. And I watched him and I was like, hold on,

is this guy in the draft? And then I looked him up and it was like, Oh, he's going to be a top five pick in next year's draft. And I was like, no crap. I mean, it jumps off the screen with his talent. So I don't know. I just, he's, He's one of the... If I was taking futures bets on guys, he's like number one. And Starling Cava. Everything's fine.

Listen, there's no lockout. There's no lockout. Speaking of which, take back. Okay. I have no idea how we made it 30 plus minutes without getting the take back. But go ahead. It's what we do.

It's what we do. It's what we do, buddy. First thing to take back. How about our guy T-Mac, dude? T-Mac and Tony Romo. The number one team. Shout out to T-Mac. And I just kept waiting for him.

And I even texted him. I was like come on man I need the Yingling read and like I love the Yingling read last year when he's coming out of break like that looks like those fans need the Yingling they're like he was just like shoehorned into the broadcast out of nowhere um and I just I needed like I needed like some Toyota like you know or the or the Independence Blue Cross Philly of the week like I needed something I needed like some Toyota like, you know, or the Independence Blue Cross Philly of the week. I needed something. I need I need a team back to give me a little like so to the people at home.

No, like, come on. You're our guy. I 100 percent agree. It was super cool to he's phenomenal at calling football games. Phenomenal calling basketball games to like very versatile team back. games too, like very versatile team back. I will say, bit of a, you know, I don't know, what's the word, big time move to say I texted the number one CBS NFL broadcaster as he was broadcasting a game with Tony Romo.

Fritz, big time. Look at you. Wow. Wow. It's just friends Wow Don't forget about us Your high hopes people

When you know big time friends Just remember we're here That we loved you and that we supported you Before anyone else I just want you to remember that okay Yeah listen I'm not going anywhere It's just you know it's my guy t-mast now it was it was it was really cool to see and i thought it was a really neat thing

that he got to do that i also texted his son pat in front of the podcast pat mccarthy um and he sent me a picture of himself wearing an eagles, a Sixers beanie, and drinking a gingling. And I was like, is this what the McCarthy outfit looks like? Are you guys just funneling ginglings all the time? So I appreciate that. And good for TMAC. And he'll be on the call again tomorrow for Westwood 1 for the Eagles game.

So, you know hey maybe he's our lucky charm very cool and it's not like he's gonna have any baseball obligations anytime soon so you know do as many games as you can do he can do all march madness he'll be fine there's gonna be no conflicts there buddy right and um i appreciate everyone reaching out wondering if jim nance resigned and to get so great and even you tweeting it out i appreciate you just kind of owning that that was good it was so good i will say though nance on the hot seat i mean how could he not be i mean let's be honest like you know no offense to to patron saint of the iob's podcast jim nance um i mean t-max better at it yeah and uh if we want to go full

circle on this take with john madden passing away uh there are so many clips circulating of like him and summer all dude like somewhere all was maybe the most boring broadcast that was his thing man that was oh god i can't believe people like i never well and joe bucks talked about that a lot like how he used to like model himself after summer on and when he almost lost his voice the vocal cords thing or whatever he was like screw this like i'm actually gonna like show emotion and be a part of this like i'm not gonna do that anymore i never like i i love maddenall, especially because I think it worked because Madden was so gregarious and over the top

that, like, the understated Summerall was, like, a nice foil for that. But, like, when you watch, like, the biggest plays of all time, it's like Montana, Rice, touchdown Niners. They've won the Super Bowl. You know, it's like, Dad, what are we doing

here, man? Like, just give me something, baby. I'm with you. I get it. I get it. It's like, Dad, what are we doing here, man? Just give me something, baby. I'm with you. I get it. I get it. It's a different era. I know. I know.

I just, like, come on. I mean, he's not in Joe Bucker Gymnastics class or Al Michaels class. All right. Since you know, James, that I'm addicted to making top five lists. Oh, yeah. It's literally your job these days. I decided five fills that I think will have the best 2022. You're bringing the top five to the pod? This is phenomenal.

Well done. This is strong work right here. We got to get through. We got to get through an off season with no baseball. You got to figure something out. All right. Next week, beat the hammer Philly style. You got to figure something out. All right. Next week, beat the hammer Philly style.

We ask you Jack questions. Yeah. Listen, we'll get a couple of callers on the horn. And by the way, for those wondering, we are going obviously to do our all time Phillies draft. We just,

we figured let's wait till the Eagles are done. Cause it's like, why, why try and mess with that? Yeah. I guess this, even though Jack has zero excitement for the Eagles, people in Philadelphia do.

So, you know, we figured we'd wait. It's not that I'm, again, I'm excited for the Eagles. I'm joking. I know you are. All that matters is Jalen Hurts playing well tomorrow. Yeah, what a horrible take that was. Gotta be honest. I mean, the idea that it's more important that Jalen Hurts play well

than the Eagles win the game is a crazy take. But I appreciate it. It's a good take. I mean, it's a good take. It's a horrible opinion. All I'm saying is, like, I'm just telling you how I feel, and that's how I feel. Hey, Jack. Sorry if you think it's a bad take.

Hey, Jack. Stick to baseball, buddy. Oh, there it is. I will be honest. Like, when people tell me to stick to baseball. It's like a compliment to you. You're like, I want to stick to baseball. Trust me.

All right. Well, and it's like, ah, so I guess people think I know. It's a compliment. Exactly. I'll take it.

Listen, growth mindset. You know, it's one of those like, Hey, this guy's telling me I suck, but Hey, God,

it likes my baseball. Maybe it's, maybe it's not all that bad. I like it. It's a good angle. Number five fills that I think we'll have the best 2022 is i truly believe that uh next year is the year that connor brogdon turns into uh an elite reliever i mean i think destiny destiny laguardia yeah yeah and if you don't follow destiny you are absolutely missing out.

Yeah, you should follow Destiny. She's a great player. I think she's great. And she tweeted out that, like, Brogdon's ERA, I think, would have been 2.63 if you take out that stupid six-run inning. Six-run, yeah. And Girardi just let him, like, languish out there. I mean, seriously.

Come on, Joe. Think about the take, man. That was tough. Think about the take. it was tough think about the take that was tough uh but i love brogdon i think next year is the year that it kind of all all comes together for me i think totally bothers me with the thing that bothers me most with like baseball um like conversation is that and it happens with boom all the time where it's like a guy like a guy isn't unbelievable from day one.

I feel like baseball is the sport that you've got to watch guys develop the longest. It just takes a good amount of time. Not everyone comes up and is right away great, or if they do come up right away, the league usually adjusts back to them. So, you know, I just think that it usually takes three years for guys to kind of figure it out. That's how I feel about Brogdon. 100%. 100%, 100%. Now, this one's a little bold because he'll probably struggle,

but I just love him. We brought him up earlier. Oh, you're going virulent, aren't you? Going virulent, pal. I love it. I love it. I just think that guy hits, and he hits the ball hard, and he's like a sneaky power-speed combo.

Very fast. His swing is so funny to me. It kind of looks like you swing one of those things that you have in the pool, the noodle. It does. Yes, it does. That's a really good call. Actually. I like that. I just, he's, he got a lot better last year. Made it to the big leagues. Um, looks like a good player from day one.

And I just think that the more he works with O-Chart, the more he works with the driveline guys, by the way, Phil's continuing to hire a drivel guys. I hired a guy named Patrick Brennan the other day who, about a month ago, came out with, like, he, like, power-ranked, like, organizations, like, minor league development or whatever of last year. So, like, how did they do in the last year in developing their players contrary to the talent they had. And the Phillies were in the top 10. Ooh! Well, yeah, because they don't have the most talent in the minor leagues,

but I think they got a lot out of the talent in the minor leagues. And Vierling's one of those guys. I mean, Vierling was a fifth-round pick who people believed in, but had really never taken a step forward. And last year, got to the big leagues after starting the year in AA. So, I'm excited for those guys.

And, you know, let's start lifting the ball. Yeah, look, he hit in the majors, right? I mean, he came up and he hit. When given the opportunity, and it wasn't a ton of opportunities, it's the smallest of sample sizes, but it looked like there was something there. And to your point, he hit the ball hard. The exit velo and all that stuff was impressive. Obviously, he didn't lift the ball much, as you pointed out.

But I think there's a lot to like with Vierling. Like, I'm not ready to say he's more than a fourth outfielder, but could he be? Yeah, he definitely could be. And I do think, worst case, I think he's a major league baseball player, you know, which I think a lot of people didn't think he was to be able to. Well, that and I like the idea, they do sign schwarber having schwarber as a dh and him and left and um you know uh have veerling and he seems like he seems like a good

defender i don't have any like numbers or i don't really totally seems athletic out there yeah yeah and i really i i hope my hope a year from now um well, unless they can do something big in free agency or trade, I hope a year from now we have an Ethan Wilson, Matt Verling, left field kind of platoon. And that's my goal. So, bang. Number three. Number three. I'm going to keep buying stock in the guy because I think Kevin Long is going to really help him.

And that is Alec Baum. I think he's going to have a really good 2022. buying stock in the guy because I think Kevin Long is going to really help him. And that is Alec Boehm. I think he's going to have a really good 2022. I believe in the bat. I've always believed in the bat. I think people are too down on him after last year. I think the defense is always going to be a problem. I'm not sure what they do once the lockout ends. I thought it was interesting that there was a graphic on the article yesterday on NBC Sports Philadelphia from Salisbury talking about like they're not sure where Reese fits in if he doesn't sign a long term extension.

So maybe maybe there is plans post lockout to move Reese and have Boehm play first or something. I personally wouldn't do that. But I thought it was interesting that that could be an option. And it makes sense if he's not going to sign long term. But I don't know whether to put Boehm defensively. But I'm still a interesting that that could be an option. And it makes sense if he's not going to sign long-term, but I don't know whether they're going to put bomb defensively, but I, I I'm still a believer in that bat. I think that that is,

is, is good. And I think he's going to figure out how to lift. And I, I just will, I will always buy bat to ball guys that hit the ball hard, figuring out how to lift the ball. Yeah.

Preach. And we talked about this a lot last year and all that. But to your point you made just a few minutes ago, like I think that baseball fans in general and not high hopes listeners, we are a different breed here. But for the most part, baseball fans are really short, especially nowadays.

Like it used to be different, obviously, but everything's changed. But we have really short, you know, timetables that we give people. Like we're really quick to just turn on guys. I mean, you know, Bo metables that we give people. Like, we're really quick to just turn on guys. I mean, you know, Bo met, what, 340 as a rookie. I know it was a shortened season and stuff, but, like, he showed that he could hit major league pitching.

Like, to your point, Jack, like, the list of guys who come up and start hot and then get adjusted to and struggle for a while and then get good again is, like, almost everyone. It's, like like practically the list. Like the only guys who aren't are like, and even Trout sucked when he first came up and then put it together pretty quickly. But it's the Sotos and the Kunyas

and like these guys who are like the generational talents. Other than that, like everyone has these ups and downs early. Like you don't just come up and crush major league pitching forever. Like that's really rare. I agree. I agree. I agree. And I, again,

I just trust that guy to, to figure it out. And I, I think, I think Kevin Long is going to help him a lot. You know, I see what he did with me. He needs help.

It felt like last year, and we talked about this a lot last year, and whether it was just the clubhouse or man, you know, manager and coaching and stuff, but it felt like he was kind of languishing there and like it didn't really feel like they were and again we're not there we're not in the coaching but it felt like it was you know kind of just spiraling without kind of any help to pull him out of it you know i mean we talked about that

a lot last year yeah and you could see him like getting visibly upset. Like throwing his helmet and all that kind of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, I think a guy like him along will help him from that standpoint. Number two feels I think one of the best 2022 is Bailey Falter. I am love it. Very deep release. I love the deep release thing. think i i just i love that i think it's a it it's one of those things where people is like it sounds like bs to people but to me it just makes all the sense in the world his release point yeah like that matters like no wonder he's so effective even though he doesn't throw that hard like it's because it's like really

hard to catch up to the ball when you don't see it to the last second yeah it just it jumps on hitters and um i think a slider has a chance to get to get plus uh the fastball thing will always be really good and when you watch his tape and like i think i saw like someone like retweeted like a pitching ninja video of him the other day and it got me thinking like if he could get a change up to pair off of that fastball, I mean, I think the upside is really, really high. Like, he always kind of reminded me of Cliff. I think that him adding a changeup this offseason is, like, one of the most important things he can do to just have a third pitch to go off his fastball.

Like, his fastball is really going to rise to it. If he can get a changeup to pair off of that, I mean, it just changed everything. He throws his fastball a lot, and if he can keep the same arm slot, same arm speed, all that fun stuff. I just think that he comes into this offseason or comes into next season, whenever that is,

with a good changeup. Again, I'm not sure what his role is going to be. I think he could be almost rangerish out of the bullpen when ranger first came up um or for this year and and do what he did and that like helped the phillies like stay afloat there for a little bit before ranger turned into like the best lefty i've ever seen um so yeah i just uh i think bailey's gonna have a really good season and i think you know next year year is kind of his breakout year as well. Love it.

Who's number one? Number one is Reese Hoskins. Whoa! Dude. I did not see this coming, and I love it. I love it. I think Reese's year last year has been so under-talked about. I mean, I think his injury, like, you can really point to that

kind of being the thing that potentially knocked him out of the playoffs. playoffs like they were just a different lineup without him that last month or whatever he always got the big hit when they needed it like he was the guy in the middle of the lineup when when Bryce had like like 20 homers and 24 RBIs um like it was it was Reese that was getting all the RBIs and it was Reese that was continuing to drive and runs and i think like much like brogdon with the with the uh one game where he allowed six runs and it ballooned his e-ray up like reese had that oh for like 30 streak or whatever and it completely sunk his overall numbers like i wonder what his numbers would have been if he took that out so um you know obviously it happened and those are the numbers but you know i just if you take that out his numbers

look really really good and um when he went out last year the the entire lineup just crumbled uh so you know i think again he's another guy with kevin long who you know i think schwarber obviously credits him for a lot, Soto, all those guys down there. You get a guy like Reese who showed consistency for the first time in his career last year with an experienced hitting coach like him. I think we could see another level to Reese Hoskins.

I love that, man. And Reese has had real success in the major leagues. I know he's the streakiest guy we've ever seen. He's had some stretches. We all remember the one a couple years ago, the second half, where he's literally the worst hitter in baseball or among the worst hitters in baseball. But, you know, you average it all out.

Reese Hoskins is a damn good hitter. That's really what it is. And to your point, being with a real deal hitting coach and, like, you know, having a real spot in the assignment. Look, Reese playing for a contract, right? I mean, if they don't trade him, if they don't decide they're not going to sign him, all that stuff, like, dude is playing for money. So there's a lot of motivation there, too.

I'll add one more name, and you mentioned him, but, like, for me, certainly the person I'm most intrigued to see right now is Ranger, you know, because that was such a—it's among the most unexpected seasons from a Philly I ever remember in my lifetime. Like seeing what a guy was in Ranger and seeing what he was as the reliever and a starter and like this, you know, middling, soft tossing, lefty type of thing. And then going back to the whole player development thing we were talking about before, like all of a sudden he's pumping in there in 96, 97.

And he was the best pitcher on the team for a large stretch of the season. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball for stretches of the season and it wasn't just the numbers it was eye test it was you watch this guy in it it just felt that way and his calm under pressure i mean it's like you know we joked about it but like it's like the guy doesn't even have a heartbeat he's so calm like i'm so intrigued to see with ranger obviously i don't expect him to pitch to a sub 2era or even a low two or whatever, you know, dominance he was last year. But what he showed last season in not just his ability to get outs and pitch at eye level, but his ability to just kind of do whatever the

team needed from him to come in and be the fireman reliever guy and then go. And by the end of the season, he's throwing seven innings and stuff like that. Like, I'm so intrigued to see what of that carries over, what type of pitcher Ranger is. And if this is like real tangible stuff that's going to carry forward and all of a sudden out of nowhere, it's like, you know, Wheeler, Nolan, Suarez is like, holy crap, what a top three. You know, like, like it is possible because what Ranger did was so shocking last year to me, like, and so out of nowhere for him to take that type of leap that it's like, you have to at least wonder, is this, you know, real and can this continue? And if it does, what a big deal it is.

Yeah, Ranger went from fireman reliever to their closer to... To the best starter on the team outside of Wheeler and at times better than Wheeler. Yeah, I mean, he had a 1-5-1 ERA as a starter. He was amazing, man, and in big spots. Like, he kept being like, I better get Ranger on there so we can win a game when we need it. Like, he was awesome,

and I'm super intrigued to see if that carries forward and how much it carries forward. Yeah. The stopper, Ranger Suarez. Yeah, no, I agree. And I probably should. Looking back, I should have had him on my list. That's what I'm here for, no, I agree. And I probably should, looking back, I should have had him on my list.

That's what I'm here for, man. I'll add it in. You know, that's why we're a team, buddy. I do love him. I really do. And I do think he's the most intriguing, like in terms of like, at least just the guys we've watched, like ceiling and floor for what we've seen from Ranger is so,

I never expected them to be so far apart. I really thought his ceiling was a lot lower than what we saw last year yeah and i'll never forget uh the having to get six outs against the red sox up in boston and him getting it and holding the one run lead oh yeah that's that was right before the all-star break that one yeah that was great yep yeah uh so i, he's the lefty Kyle Hendricks. How's that? Are you kidding me? Please. Yes.

Yes. All right. That's my top five. Do you ever just forget that Bryce Harper won the MVP? So it's so funny because I almost said at the top of the pod because I don't forget it. This is my point. I don't.

I almost said at the top of the pod, Jack, at least if there's no baseball this year bryce harper gets to be the reigning mvp for all of 2022 so like that's a silver lining no i don't i i don't forget about it's like the one thing i don't forget about maybe it's because it won me a lot of money too but i uh i it's it's like the one thing i like it's my flag it's my phillies flag right now is my bry It's my Bryce Harper MVP flag is the one thing in the last few years I can be truly, truly proud of right now. That's nice. And it's good.

I always just forget about it. No, not this guy, buddy. Good. Not this guy. I'll carry that flag for both of us, buddy. Good. And my last thing here to take back is like, why are we doing an A-Rod Manning cast?

Oh, God. I can't think of someone I want to watch less. I know. But, but, but. It's just because something works because it's Peyton Manning, and he's like the most charismatic, likable person in the industry. Like, oh, let's do it with a rod who no one likes anyway but we do get david cone in the sunday night booth and that is very exciting applause applause i told you this

i'll tell it on here my david cone story when i was a kid uh my dad used to take us on baseball trips every summer me and my brother we used to go to like four or five stadiums we would you know plan them in areas we'd be like all, all right, Detroit, Minnesota, Casey. We'd do like a Midwest trip and all this stuff. And my dad used to know, I guess, or whatever, look into it, whatever. But players used to stay at Weston. So he always used to stay at the hotel that he would think the visiting team was staying at. And we went to Chicago to go to Wrigley, Mets, Cubs.

And we were staying at the hotel that the Mets were staying at. David Combe pitches that day and got rocked. Day game at Wrigley got rocked. Gave up like nine or ten runs. Like just got crushed. Maybe it wasn't that many. I was a kid. But he definitely got crushed.

And after the game, we're back at the hotel, and he's sitting in the hotel bar. I'm like eight years old. And I'm like, Dad, Dad, it's David Cohn. I want to go get his autograph. And my dad was like, Son, listen. The man's in the bar. He got rocked today.

I think this is one of those times you leave him alone and leave him to himself. Not the time. And I'm like, you know, bleep that. So I run in there. And David Cohn could not have been a sweeter human being. He talked to me for like 10 minutes. He let me sit next to him at the bar. Like after getting crushed that day, was so awesome.

Huge David Cohen fan, and he's phenomenal at calling baseball games. Did he? He didn't get you? You didn't share a beer with him? No, no, no. It's my one regret, you know? How old were you? Eight or nine.

It's fine. I think it could have been okay, you know? Yeah. I should have. I should have. But, yeah, he was awesome. He was super cool. So, shout out to David Cohen. I think it could have been okay. I should have. I should have. But yeah, he was awesome. He was super cool. So shout out to David Cohn.

I'm excited for all his success. And he's like one of those guys that is not anti-analytic. No. And uses, talks about them in an intelligent way, like is good at explaining them to an audience that might not understand him. He's like a really, really good baseball announcer. Very good.

Very good. So that's all i got uh a rod manning cast bad idea david cone on the sunday night baseball booth is phenomenal yeah honestly i i that's totally worth it for me because guess what i don't have to watch the the a rod cast like i could just watch david cones this is a win this is getting a rod out of my life so i actually love this idea it's phenomenal it's phenomenal it's great oh fritzy i miss baseball man that seems to be the general sentiment on those yeah i really do i really do like i keep reading all these articles about owner labor strife and you know this and that that. It just, it really, it eats away at my soul, Jack. It's not a,

it's not the baseball content I want to be consuming. Nope. But that's why we're here to break it up from the downtrodden nature of major league baseball. And we will be doing the all time Phillies draft soon enough. Probably pretty soon. I think, you know, I don't, you know, can they win on Sunday? Sure. Do I think they're going to win on Sunday?

I do not. So I think there's a decent chance the Eagles season coming to a close in the near future, but we will see. Well, as long as Hurts plays well, that's all that matters. Well said, Jack. Well said. So all time Phillies draft coming up in the near future. I'm sure we'll have some Eagles wrap up the handle for me and Fritz next week, but the good stuff's coming and hopefully we'll have a baseball season to look forward to.

Maybe potentially. That'd be nice. Would be, it would be a year of high ups podcast with no baseball would be, I don't know, a bummer. I mean, we'd,

we'd, we'd be fine, but it'd be a bummer. What do we pay? No, no, honestly, no,

we haven't talked for like three weeks as it is. So no. Um, are you got any three weeks as it is. So no. Um, are you got any final thoughts? Fritzy? Every day we get to wake up with Kyle Schwarber as a Philadelphia Philly. And that is. I don't need it. That's perfect.

He's Fred. Some salsa. We'll see you later