High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: Another Loss.

Episode Date: April 23, 2026

The Philadelphia Phillies lost their eighth-straight game on Wednesday night as moving Taijuan Walker to the bullpen didn't seem to make him more effective. Jack Fritz reacts to yet another frustrating night of baseball at Wrigley Field. Presented by Miller Lite. To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.com 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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BetmGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Welcome on in. It is the final out. Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this Wednesday night. As I know that a majority of the city is just three. thrilled tonight. Just thrilled tonight. And then there's the big, dumb, stupid idiot that sat there. Now, to be fair, I, of course had the Flyers game on as well. But just like with this goofy, dumb face of, oh, maybe too nice tonight. I don't know how they're going to ever win another

baseball game. I don't know how they're going to do it. Well, come on in. It is the final out. Jack Frette's hanging out with you here on this Wednesday night. I'll try to make it. this as crisp and clean as possible because I know that Broads is frothing at the mouth to talk about the hockey team and you should be, you should just be so happy the Flyers exist. I too am happy the Flyers exist because this is just dreadful. This is just dreadful. The game wrap-up is sponsored by Roto Router. When plumbing problems hit, wrap them up quick and call Roto Router. tackles, clogs and leaks so you can stay in the game. Roto Router, your MVP for plumbing solutions.

If you missed it, the Mets won earlier tonight. So the Phillies officially have the longest losing streak in baseball. And they have the worst run differential in baseball. And it's April 22nd. And they are seven and a half out of the National League East title. And there's things that I want to get to. but 888, 729, 94, 94, if you want to get in and react to this one. The biggest takeaway is the game are brought to you by Morgan and Morgan America's largest injury law firm.

And like, we'll get into some game stuff. I mean, they tried the Kyle Bacchus thing. They allowed to run. Taiwan, the Justin Crawford play was annoying in his first inning. And then, you know, he turned into Taiwan. Offense didn't do enough, whatever. Like, we've seen this game in Michigan. million times, especially this season.

What is starting to really irk me, and I understand the idea of you want to stay even keel and you want to remain calm and not freak out, we're not freaking out, but can one Philly, can the manager, can a star player, can Dave Dumbowski, can someone get in front of a microphone and say that you're pissed off and say that this is not acceptable so that the people that have to sit here and watch this nonsense as you just piss away a season

because I don't know what you were doing in spring training I don't know what did you all just hit a wall at the same time I don't know what's going on but can one person stand in front of a microphone and tell me they're pissed and act like they're pissed because I'm getting real sick and tired of getting in front of a microphone and telling me how talented you are, how we have so much talent and eventually it's going to write the ship. You can't just say it's eventually going to, you're eventually going to write the ship.

You can't keep saying it. You have to do it. You have to act on things. You have to do different things to create a spark or something. It's the same story every single night. They come out, they don't pitch well enough, they go down by a couple runs, and they lay down like dogs. They do not fight back in games.

They do not grind out at bats. They do not strike fear in opposing pitchers. They do nothing. They wait around. They wait around to lose baseball games. That is what the thing. Phillies do. They wait around, waiting for the next shoot-a-drop rather than be the aggressors. And get out of this rut and stop feeling sorry for yourself. Get angry. Do something differently.

Do something different. Because what's happening right now is nonsense. And what they are doing is they're letting this thing go up in smoke. They're going to get the manager fired. They're going to get the hitting coach fired. They're going to get players traded. They're going to get Dave Dumbrowski possibly fired because this is a disaster. This is not just some blip in the radar. This is a freaking disaster. They are actually playing like the worst team in baseball. They are actually playing like a team that could finish top six in the lottery because they're just not doing the right things to get out of this. They are telling them. themselves, they're going to be okay, but they're not acting on it. They're not acting on it to

get out of this. They are waiting around every single game wondering what's the point they're going to lose when they can lay down so they don't have to fight back and try to win it. And this also goes to the star players as well. I love Kyle Schwabber, but it really does seem like he is a, hey, we'll get him tomorrow kind of guy. Trey just goes about his business. Also not very good player anymore. And Harper is the definition of, I'm just going to show up and do what I do

and we'll see if anyone else is going to show up and do their job. There is no Uniter in there. I think Kyle Schwabber does a good job of picking guys up, but there is no one kicking out. anyone in the ass. And it certainly doesn't seem like the manager will as well. And that's the biggest reason why he's probably going to lose his job. That's the biggest reason.

That's the reason he's going to lose his job is because of this. It's pretty obvious, but like doing the same thing and sitting there every night. I know they're trying different things with the lineup. I'm trying the backest thing to get Taiwan off the first inning in the top of the line. of, I understand that. But there might just need to be a different message. There might need to be a kick in the ass. There might need to be something else to happen here.

And it might not, like, they might not be able to wait for 40 games. They might not. This feels rudderless. I cannot envision them ever winning a baseball game again. I understand they will win a baseball game ever again. I know that. But I don't know how they're going to do it, is my main point. And then my second biggest takeaway is that Taiwan can never throw a pitch for this team again.

It's over. It's over. The stuff is terrible. Putting him in is waving the white flag. You can feel the energy, get zapped out of the team, whatever energy is there. You can feel it gone when he takes the mound. Seems like a good guy. Seems like a good teammate.

I get everyone like some. I don't particularly care. He can never throw a pitch for this baseball team. again. It is batting practice. It's batting practice. I know the first inning wasn't his fault. Carver missed the ball. After that, he got blasted. So you see a guy like Alan Ron Hell, who is a journeyman and has that one nasty change-up that's pretty awesome. And, you know, because we're paying Taiwan Walker $18 million, we have to put him on the mound, even though it's a scheduled loss. And this guy comes in and throws what, four innings of one-run ball. And the one hit was, of course,

a 157 footer that just, of course, falls in and allows the Cubs to score another run. Now, Alan Rodel at least was pitching to like, what, a 1.66 ERA at Lehigh Valley? You could have just started him, but no, because we're paying Taiwan Walker $18 million and he's a good guy. We have to just keep putting him out there. It's malpractice. So when Wheeler's back on Saturday, hit the DFA button, he cannot even be the long man. Like Alan Ron Hell is a better long man.

You don't need Alan Ron Hell pitching Lehigh Valley. Let him be the long man and cut Taiwan. It is, it is, it is, it is, he's, I mean, he makes it out of meat and looks like a Cy Young winner. He's that bad. I mean, he's just, he's just horrendous. And I know he's a good dude and I appreciate it. I don't appreciate him. He's been horrible.

I can't watch him play baseball for my team anymore. I can't watch him pitch. I just, he cannot be the long man. DFAM. It is bullpen. It is batting practice every single time that he goes out there. This is nonsense. And it's all to try, because you paid him $18 million. It's already a sunk cost. Get it over with cut ties and let's go. I mean, let's let's go. 888-729-94-94. Will is in South Philly. What's happening, Will?

Yo, what's up, Shulis, Jack? I know, I know. Well, maybe by the time, maybe they'll win tomorrow afternoon. I won't have to do any of this. Yeah, no, I don't know, man. Like, the way that they're playing,

you guys are going to have to move your stream from YouTube to OnlyFam. I know. I know. I know. I could probably make a lot of money, what do you think? Listen, Jack,

we are officially on apathy watch with this team. I think people are losing interest. I'm talking to people today. They don't even know they're playing. there's so much else going on in the city, they're just going to lose people. And that's worse than anguish. What we're feeling right now is because we have

a hypothetically relevant baseball team, but is that going to be the case in a couple months, a couple weeks? People are going to just check out on this team, kind of like the players are checking out on themselves. It's horrible. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I'm the wrong guy to ask because, like, I'm here every night.

Every time I tweet something about the Phillies, there's a million responses of like, how horrible they are. They do feel like the, the flyers are great, but the Phillies feel like the biggest talking point of like, what the hell is going on. I do think at some point as they keep losing, I think apathy will set in and you'll kind of realize that it's not their year.

And I don't know. I think that's maybe, maybe mid-May, June, if things are still going this way. I think people are still in the mindset now of like, what the hell is going on? But they are rapidly approaching just, just checking out. I do mostly agree with you there, and that's

incredible. It's April 22nd. But also there's other teams that are capturing the attention of the city, and thank goodness they exist. I mean, thank goodness they exist. I mean, the flyers and Sixers, we'll see how the Sixers do, but the Flyers certainly commanding 3-0 lead,

which broes, we will get to him. And I appreciate the phone call, Will, but I don't know. I mean, everyone, like, I love the baseball team, and I would like the baseball team to figure it out. And I don't know how fixable this is. I really don't. All right. 888, 729, 94, 94, kind of sound like he was still there, but whatever, it's all good. Appreciate the phone call. Will.

On the other side, we will get to the player of the game and more of your phone calls on the final out on Sports Radio 94WIP. Hey, Ontario. Come on down to BetMGM Casino and see what our newest exclusive, the price Right's right fortune pick has to offer. Don't miss out. Play exciting casino games based on the iconic game show only at BetmGM. Check out how we've reimagined three of the show's iconic games, like Plinko, Clifhanger, and the Big Wheel into fun casino game features. Don't forget to download the Benmgm casino app for exclusive access

and excitement on the Price's Right Fortune Pick. Pull up a seat and experience the Price's Right Fortune Pick only available at Betmgmgm Casino. BetMGM and Game Sense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connects Ontario at 1866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor, free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Things are feeling a little less human these days, aren't they? But isn't the whole point of progress to make things more human.

That's why, at TD, when we design a product, whether it's an app for making trading easier or monitoring your account for fraud, we ask one simple question. How does this help people? That's how we're making banking more simple, more seamless, and more intuitive. But most importantly, that's how TD is making banking more human. Welcome back. It is the final out, sponsored by the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Wednesday night as there's one incredibly depressing

team in Philadelphia right now while the other is streaking. I can't wait to hear Broads coming up here in just a little bit. But don't worry, we're not finished with the baseball team yet. This is a great stat from Jason Stark. Opposing hitters versus Taiwan Walker this season. They're hitting, this is a whole hitter. This isn't even like, like the best hitters. This is every single hitter. So they are hitting 353 with a 417 OBP, 657 slug, and an OPS over 1,000. Joe DiMaggio, the year he hit 50, he had hit in 56 straight games. It was 357, 440, 643, and OPS over 180, or the OPS was 1883.

So opposing hitters are essentially prime Joe DiMaggio against Tom and Walker. And they're just so miserable. Oh, they're just so miserable. And they, it's like they keep saying they're going to fight their way out of it. And they're fighting their way out of it. I just, I don't see it. When they go down, it's like they're just counting down the innings until the game's over and they can just go home. I mean, I think this team just wants to go home.

And that's the frustrating part on April. 22nd. What's the spark that's going to change things? What's the thing that's going to get them all sudden being like, oh, this is, let's go, let's go win it. We still got the fire. We still got the hunger. I'm not sure they have the fire anymore. I'm really not. I'm not sure they have the fire to do this anymore. They all have a lot of money, at least the star players. They all have family and kids. It changes your priorities in life. Maybe they don't have the fire. Maybe they don't have the hunger anymore. The way they play It certainly doesn't feel like they have the fire in hunger anymore

But this is Basically the The ramblings of a madman at this point So is what it is Player of the game is brought to you by South Jersey Gas Make the Smart Play Save Energy and Money with South Jersey Gas At

SJG SaveEnergy Dot com And I'll give it to say a Suzuki Who delivered the knockout blow Yet again another moonshot back-to-back nights against Phil's pitching and Taiwan Walker, maybe the final home run

that he gives up in a Phillies uniform who I just, I don't know how, well, I know how he's going to be on the, if he's going to be on the roster, but it's because of the contract, which is annoying at this point. It's the last year of it, he's a sunk cost, he gave him

enough money, you're still going to pay him, he just can't be anywhere near this baseball team anymore. He can't pitch. Every single time he goes out there, It is just batting practice. Alan Ron Hell, fine. Alan Ron Hell will give this team a better chance to win than Taiwan Walker. And he can be a long man.

And guess what? If you need a long man anyway, you're probably, it's the game's out of reach regardless. If you cut Taiwan, there's like Trevor Richards, too, who's a major league quality arm. He's pitching for Lehigh Valley right now and has had a good start to the year. Like, I don't care. There's a lot of pitchers that can do what Tyler Walker does, but the feeling in which when he comes into a game, it just saps the energy out of not only the fans,

but it seems like the players as well. This is how it was in 2020. I mean, in 2020, when 2020, when they had the worst bullpen in the history of baseball, you could feel the energy be zapped out of the team whenever the bullpen door opened and like Jared Hughes came in and Mike Morin and Blake Parker

and Jose Alvarez and Brandon Workman and Heath Hembray all those just scrubs coming in and he felt it just the life just being sucked from the team well that's Taiwan something personal against Taiwan

he's just brutal Tom's in Northwestern North Wales. What's happening, Tom? Jack, Blake Parker. Listen, I watch a lot of baseball. I don't watch as much as you do, but I don't know that name.

But listen, man, you're one of your favorite guys on... Thank you, Bell. You're one of my favorites on WIP. But man, when I come on, when I listen to you, in these moments,

like, I can feel it. Like, I get hurt by it. The only other reason I wasn't hurt is because on the TV next to me, I had the fly guys tonight. But, you know, I just don't know. To your point, these guys all have money. But don't you have any competitive spirit?

You like to think so. You like to think so, Tom. Well, I mean, it's unbelievable. I see these guys going through it. And I just, I've never, listen, I've been, I'm 60 years old. I've been through when the Dodgers and the Reds gutted us in the 70s, and they needed Pete Rose. And they brought them on.

But I don't know. Like, I was listening earlier and Dutch was talked about. And he was a guy that when you go in and you played like that, like you caught it. I don't think that because, and I'm not blaming it on Bryce. And I'm not blaming it on Schwartz. But I don't know that anybody could go into that room. and grind out more effort.

Does that make sense? Yeah, well, I don't know. I don't know what the leadership is like in the locker. I think there are a bunch of good dudes, but I don't think there's any, hey, what are you doing? I don't think there's that guy in that clubhouse, and if there was a guy that would do it, it probably was Castiano's, and I don't think Cassianos

would have helped the team this. year but yeah there i also just don't know if there's dutch dalton's in baseball anymore i i don't those kind of guys i feel like are are not really in the game anymore i mean the one that i keep coming back to is if you're willing to shell out seven to ten for boba chet you want to talk about a guy who's an absolute winner i mean that's that's that's alks bregman i mean when he was healthy with the red stocks last year he he had that team competing at a high level made the playoffs they've been a disaster this year. Cubs began this year got to a slow start, then bang, they got hot. I mean, Alex Breggman has won everywhere. He's gone. So I know people bring up the cheating stuff

with the Astros. There's plenty of good baseball after that. So now again, he would have been another old player that they would have committed a lot of money to. So I understand why not. But like, you're already pretty old. So I don't know. I appreciate the kind words, Tom. And I'm definitely glad that you had the flyers in the other TV. Blake Parker, to his credit, was actually pretty good in 2020. He pitched a 2.81 ERA. But in 2019, he pitched to a 5.04. So, you know, it was a good bounce back year for Blake Parker in 2020.

On the other side, we will get to the wow moment of the game and a look ahead to tomorrow here on the final out on Sports Radio 94WIP. Local news is in decline across Canada. And this is bad news for all of us. With less local news, noise, rumors, and misinformation fill the void. And it gets harder to separate truth from fiction. That's why CBC News is putting more journalists in more places across Canada. Reporting on the ground from where you live, telling the stories that matter to all of us.

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Welcome back. It is the final out. Jack Fritz hanging out with you on this Wednesday night, April 22nd. Only what, 100. I'm not going to try to do quick math. 140-some games left. Oh, man. Will they ever win a ballgame again?

It's hard to envision? It's hard to envision. But hey, the Mets snap their streak. Maybe against the Giants. Maybe against the Giants when they come to town, either Monday or Tuesday. That's when they will snap the streak. They're going to win tomorrow,

and then go down to Atlanta and take care of business, write the ship. I don't know. Again, for them to win a ball game, they need the pitch and stab to pitch well. Not going well right now. They need the offense to be able to muster up some runs. They need a bullpen to be able to hold it.

And they need the defense to, not give it away. They need base running to be good. So, yeah, it's dire right now. Speaking of the defense, my wow moment of the game is brought to you by the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism from Waterfalls to Fairways, Mountain Resorts to Lighthouse Tours. Find your wow at VisitNJ.com.

The Crawford Drobbin Center was just terrible. I mean, it's growing pains for a 22-year-old kid playing center field. Really for an extended period of time at the major league level for the first time, he had been playing center and left field down in the minor leagues. What was concerning to me heading into the year was, I mean, he had a two-week boot camp with Eric Davis in January about the intricacies of playing center field. I'm sorry.

You got drafted in 22? I got drafted in 22. We're just doing the whole, let's figure out how to play center field thing a month before spring training. Why? So that irks me. At home, I think he's all right. At home, you don't notice the defense as much, but there's been games in the road this year where he is just brutal out there. And the games out in San Fran, the game tonight, you know, doesn't get the game.

the same reads as I guess he's probably more used to at CBP. The bad is fine. He's never going to be the most power guy. I think good things do happen when he is at the plate. I do buy into that stuff, but he does give some away in the field for sure. And that's something they've got to get figured out with him because you want him to be your everyday center fielder for ideally 10 years. But hey, maybe he's a corner guy.

I personally, not to make this a, a, prospect thing. I think Dante Nori is a better centerfielder and maybe they could settle into Norian center and Crawford and left and we won't have to worry about this, but he is a big old work in progress

in center field because there's just the little intricacies he does not seem to get right out there. So that's my wow moment of the game. Tomorrow we have Chris Sanchez on the mount. Oh please Chris Sanchez. I'm begging. you, pal. I'm begging. I know you've got the second lowest ERA

in the National League right now, but it hasn't felt the same as last year. It's been a lot of six innings. It's been a lot of six innings. I don't know why I'm closing my eyes right now. I'm basically praying. Just seven-shoddy. I don't know if it's possible against this Cubs lineup. Again, I keep saying I'm pretty jealous of this Cubs lineup. I am. Please, please. Seven-shutty tomorrow. Give me seven-shutty. That might not even be enough, but seven-shutty. Take the bull by the horns here.

Let's get a win. Now, they are facing Eddie Cabrera, which... I don't know, man. I feel like they've never hit Eddie Cabrera. And he's with the Cubs now, and he's got an ERA and the twos. So this could be a low-scoring affair tomorrow. But I just... Please, just win a ball game.

Just win a ball game. All right. That's going to do it for me. Everyone on hold. the real show starts next. My guy broads, frothing at the mouth, cannot wait to talk about the hockey team. You can't wait to talk about the hockey team.

You can't wait to hear about the hockey team. So I will definitely step aside because we don't need to talk about the baseball team anymore. That's going to do it for me. Fran produced the final out tonight. Me and Spike, we'll be back after the game tomorrow. We'll see if I am just going completely shoeless as we are stripping down for every single loss.

And hopefully I'm not doing the show in my underwear one day. But kind of feels like I might be. That's going to do it for me. Broads is next. Enjoy the rest of your night here on Sports Radio 94 WIPA.