High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Final Out: This is getting embarrassing

Episode Date: April 14, 2023

Jack Fritz voices his frustrations after another disappointing Phillies loss. Presented by Miller Lite. 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

Welcome on in. It is the final out here on Sports Radio 94 WIP 215-592-9494 is how you get in. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Thursday night. And usually I'd like to start this show with three big takes. And I'd like to lay out, hey, maybe even some positives. And some things to take away to where after loss, after loss, after loss, that you're not losing all hope and wondering what the point of tuning in every single night is when they continue to give you uninspired efforts. But what I have for you tonight is one big take.

And my one big take is that this is getting embarrassing. This is getting freaking embarrassing. And it comes down to a lot of things. It's not just one thing. It's pretty much every aspect of this baseball team right now is a freaking embarrassment. 215-592-9494. Let's start with the offense. I have been the proponent here so far of like,

they're hitting the ball, they're getting hits, they're just not driving them home. But at some point, it's just, the dam has to break, and these runs have to come in, because it just does not compute in my head how night after night they're getting runners on and they're not bringing them in and players aren't doing their jobs. They had one hit tonight with runners in scoring position.

One. Three for their last 21 with runners in scoring position. It has been utterly atrocious utterly atrocious step up and do a job that's my main theme tonight for as embarrassing as this is becoming is that someone's got to step up and do a job like we can we can yell about rob thompson until we're blue in the faces. But ultimately, when it comes down to baseball more than almost any other sport, these guys have to step up and do their jobs.

And the offense right now is not. One hit with runners in scoring position. Three for their last 21. And what's going to start happening is they're going to start pressing if they're not already pressing. And it likely will get worse before it gets better. The other thing that annoyed me, and this drove me absolutely nuts,

and that's probably why I'm so annoyed tonight. And if you're one of those people that can sit here and say, well, it's April, it's a long season, I'm not worried, whatever. Much respect. But I have to deal with what I have to watch every single night. And what I have to watch every single night is uninspiring effort

and people not stepping up and doing their jobs. And in the sixth, seventh, and eighth inning tonight, when the game is still in balance, when I'm just begging you to show me you have a pulse, just show me you have some kind of pulse that you want to come back and win this game, your offense, and it wasn't just the bottom of the lineup, we can bitch about Harrison and Cave and Pache and the guys at the bottom of the lineup. All we want.

But in the sixth, seventh, and eighth inning, three up, three down in three straight innings. Show me you have a pulse. Show me you want to be there. I know the Reds have no fans. I know there was no one in the ballpark. I know Great American is terrible. Whatever. Show me you want to be there. I know Great American is terrible. Whatever.

Show me you want to be there. Create your own energy. Make something happen. I mean, again, three straight innings of three up, three down. That is atrocious. The one, two, and four hitters have zero home runs in the year. This is 2023 baseball. This isn't the dead ball era. One, two, and four hitters have zero home runs in the year. This is 2023 baseball.

This isn't the dead ball era. This is 2023 with an offense that is relying on Trey Turner, the $300 million shortstop, Bryson Stott, who has now a 13-game hitting streak thanks to a bun in the ninth, which is great. I'll take it. Whatever. DiMaggio can't sleep at night.

We get it. And Nick Cassianos, who has had a good start to the season, but the main problem with those guys right now is, yeah, they're hitting for average. I understand that. No pop. And if you want to even go to the five-hitter who has one home run, he has one hit the entire year with runners in scoring position.

So you look at one,2-4-5. Your three hitters batting 190. But 1-2-4-5 has one home run. They have one home run. And your five hitter is just killing you with runners in scoring position. Like, it's not all the Harrison, Clemens, Cave, and Pache. They're bad. Like, the fact that Josh Harrison was the DH tonight in the year 2023 is not a good sign.

Josh Harrison is not a DH in modern baseball. Josh Harrison is a depth piece. And the part that stinks right now about what they have to deal with is that Harrison's a good depth piece, Clemens is a quad A player, Jake Cave is a depth piece, and Christian Pache is a project. That's it. That's it. But they are relying on those guys to do more than they have to do. So when we're talking about how embarrassing this is right now, for me, it starts with the offense. But it's not just the offense. The pitching staff. with the offense, but it's not just the offense.

The pitching staff. Can anyone down there show an ounce of pride in taking the baseball and getting a job done? Whether it's the starters, they've had three turns through rotation for most of the guys now. One starter

has made it through the sixth inning. One starter has made it through the sixth. How about someone has made it through the sixth. How about someone step up and shove? That's all I ask for. Step up and shove when the things aren't going well. That's annoying me. And it's the bullpen too.

Because what the bullpen is doing right now is in the games that they're down when they're coming in, they are letting leads expand rather than keeping a game close. And I am going to lose my mind if I keep seeing two strike pitches that are turned into base hits and runners scored. It's two strikes.

Whether it's JT, whether it's the pitchers, make better pitches. That is unacceptable. It seems like every single night it is a two-strike hit that is a back-breaking hit for the Phillies. So the offense has been brutal, and no one on the pitching staff, both starters and bullpen, feels like they have any ounce of confidence to go out there and get a job done. Someone's got to step up, take the ball, and say, I got us today.

I would like for it to be Wheeler and Nola, but you paid Tyrone Walker a ton of money to come in here and be your four. Let him go do it. Someone has to step up. And it's driving me nuts, these two-strike hits that are turning into runs batted in. Someone in that bullpen. Alvarado blew it yesterday. Alvarado's been great this year.

I'm not crushing that guy. Everyone else has been a disappointment. They can't let these leads expand rather than be kept close so the offense feels like they have a shot. And finally, the manager. Every night, ah, shucks, whatever, we'll figure it out. Like, okay, I understand that your mantra is

calmness. And I think that does work. But I just, with the media, I understand you don't want third-player players on the bus. But my only hope with the manager is that behind the scenes, it's a little bit tougher. I know they had a cute, adorable meeting before the Marlins series about the base running and how we have to stop letting this happen. Well, they almost had the same mistake again tonight that almost cost them a run. So, it looks like the message didn't get through.

Bryson Scott got thrown out the night of their big, old, cute little team meeting they had. Like, I just... Every decision feels like it's backfiring. Every night post game I have to hear about, we'll figure it out. A little bit of urgency, a little bit of urgency. I don't need you flipping tables. I don't need you coming in and changing who you are as a man. I don't need you to do that stuff, but there, there has to be a stern factor here. And that is frustrating me.

And the lineup was closer tonight my final thing here on the manager whatever my final thing with the manager is thank you for having bryson style the top of the lineup tonight i'm very proud of you now do it with marsh like you traded logan ohapi who is developing into one of the best young catchers in baseball. He is a prime prospect. You traded him for Brandon Marsh. Brandon Marsh has a 1,200 OPS against lefties right now. He is not a platoon player. Let him play.

Like part of what made you great last year, Rob, was what you did with the young players, and you instilled confidence in them, and you let them play. Let the young kids play. And when you are watching your team consistently go through the motions, how about we try something different, and let's start the game with, with Stott, bone, Marsh,

whatever, and get the young players at the top of the lineup and try to light a spark. You said it a ton last year. What do young players do? They ignite a spark in the older players. They get them all going in a 162 game season. When you need a lift, young, excitable players do that.

The fact that Christian Pache is playing two times this week and it's Thursday is absurd. Let Brandon Marsh play. Like, you traded a stud for him. He's not a platoon player. Figure out if he can hit lefties before you make the decision for him that he can or cannot. I'm sick and tired of it.

215-592-9494. It's the final out. Sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable never looks so good. I believe I reached a bit of a breaking point tonight with this team. I can't take it. I understand it's a long season, but what I have to deal with right now is a team that,

it looks like they're going through the motions, is a team that has deficient players at certain spots. What I have to see from a team right now in modern baseball with a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 top of my lineup that has one home run and runners in scoring position not coming in. Not coming in. No one on the pitching staff doing a job, looking like they're going through the motions,

and the manager is saying, eh, we'll figure it out. I don't know if you will. Holy cow. 2-1-5-5-9-2, 94-94. John's in Hamilton. What's happening, John? You know, I'm getting agitated with this. Real agitated.

They're 4-9. I know it's early. Topper on the interview this morning with the morning show saying they're playing good baseball and it's nonsense. I'm with you. I don't need him to throw guys under the bus and turn over tables. Stop feeding this nonsense. They're not playing good baseball. They're 4-9 and on top of it, they're losing to bad teams.

They're losing that they lost a series to Florida. They're 2-2 this year against Cincinnati. These are the teams that they beat up on last year to get into the postseason for the most part. The mistakes are piling up. The pitching is bad. They bring McKinley more in. You might as well wave the white flag when you brought him in there.

It was over at that point. He immediately gives up two runs. This is bad. They're not hitting. Still base running mistakes. They almost got backpicked again tonight. But they wanted the guy on third to save them. This is ridiculous.

And Brandon Marsh needs to play. What is he doing? Passe is a project at best. I don't even know what to say at this point. They're the fourth highest payroll in baseball. And the team with the third lowest payroll in baseball already has three times as many wins as them in 13 games. This is pathetic. John, it's been

brutal. Now, you know, part of the fourth highest payroll in baseball is on the I.L. And that's frustrating. And what's even more frustrating is that Harrison, Clemens, Cave, and Pache aren't good enough to pick up the slack. They're just not.

And we just have to weather the storm here until Bryce works his way back. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94. It is so frustrating where we're at right now. A season that was filled with so much hope and so much optimism and bang, like baseball's back in Philadelphia. Like last year,

the, the, the world series run, the city was on fire talking about baseball and what they've done so far. It's just, it's just had everyone feeling like last year was more of a flash in the pan than who this team really is. And,

and, and Bryce being down sucks. And Bryce being down sucks. Hoskins being down sucks. I get it. But you pay Trey Turner a ton of money. The three guys that you need to step up, and Stott, Marsh, and Boehm all have. They've done their job.

It's on everyone else to figure this out. You can't let these injuries excuse away a team that still has a ton of talent here. And it's mind-boggling. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94. We'll get to all of your calls on the other side, but also two big injury updates. One is happening tomorrow in Cincinnati,

and the other one could be one of their solutions to the offensive problems. What are they? We'll get into that and all of your calls coming up next. Here's the 1-1 swing and a line drive. That's in the left field for a base hit. On one hop fielded by Schwarber. Coming around third is Fairchild. The throw is airmailed to the plate

and the runners will take an extra base. The throw to the plate was late. It's 5-2 Cincinnati. Into third, Stevenson. Into second, Myers. And that for me was the Mike's Amazing Play of the Game presented by Mike's Amazing, the official mayo, mustard, and vegetable oil of the Phillies.

Welcome on back. Final out is sponsored by Regency Furniture. Affordable, never looks so good. Jack Fritz hanging out with you here on this Thursday reacting to another brutal Phillies loss. And I made that my Play of the Game. And I feel bad for Mike's Amazing because there's been many amazing plays this year.

We thought there was going to be more. But so far, it's been a lot of brutal, brutal plays. And I know that's a very nondescript play. But at that point, it's the sixth inning, close game, 4-2. And, you know, he comes in., and actually it was the fifth inning, but he comes in, and his job there is to keep that close. His job is to come in. I know it's a tough spot.

I understand that, but come in and get out of that inning and keep it 4-2. But there's been too many times this year, and it's not the bottom of the bullpen all the time. It's been Sir Anthony. It's been Alvarado. It's been Soto. It's been these guys that you're also relying on to get big outs who are not getting a job done as well. Bloddy's in that mix too. Brogdon's in that mix too. It's been too much of extending leads rather than shutting the door and keeping the game close. But Will Myers gets that single there.

It becomes 5-2, and you could just feel the wind out of the sails of the Phillies. And from that point on, 6th, 7th, 8th inning, in all three innings, three up, three down. Wind was out of their sails. Speaking of that, the player of the game for me tonight, brought to you by South Jersey Gas, committed to providing safe, reliable, affordable natural gas. Make the switch at southjerseygas.com slash lovemyhome.

And I'm giving it to Alex Young. Two innings in the middle of the game where the game's in balance. He came in and shut them down. He's had four Ks in two innings, neutralized the Phillies' offense. It's a second straight week he's done that. He did it last Saturday against them with Nick Lodolo on the mound. And that's what makes tonight frustrating is that Nick Lodolo, who struck out 12 batters there last time and was utterly dominant,

wasn't tonight. They had a good amount of hits off of Nick Lodola tonight. Couldn't break through. Runners in scoring position again. One hit tonight. Three for the last 21. It's absurd. But I teased this before.

Two injury things that are hopefully going to get this team closer to what we thought in the preseason. One, Ranger Suarez is throwing a bullpen tomorrow in Cincinnati. And the plan is that he throws then. Then he throws a live BP next week. And then a rehab assignment starts. So you hope that you have Ranger Suarez back May 1st. You know, you survived April without Ranger,

and without a setback, he can be back up here and helping them, and they need it. Ranger's a guy that has given them a lot of quality length over the last couple of years, and he's a guy that you just kind of trust in a stopper-like role, and someone on that pitching staff has to step up. And the big news, obviously, on the injury front is Bryce Harper, who has now been given the green light to play first base.

And hopefully he can. I think him being a catcher growing up, I think he's athletic enough to do it. Frankly, I think to preserve his long-term health, first base is always going to be the plan here. I do wonder if they put restrictions on his throwing. I know that's hard to do. But maybe they say, hey, Bryce, you don't have to fire at home here needlessly.

But at some point, he is going to have to be able to make throws all over the diamond, whether it's cutting it off, firing the second base, and getting a guy out, or trying to get a guy out of the plate, or first or third doesn't happen that often anymore, but going first or third. There are going to be times when he has to throw, and he's going to have to be able

to do it. Now, physically playing the position, I think he'd be okay with it. I think he'd be okay. I. I think he'd be okay. I don't think it'd be a disaster. I don't think he'd be a gold glover over there, but I believe he's athletic enough to get it done, and it keeps him out of right fields where he doesn't have to, like,

try to throw from right field to third base on a rope, and it preserves his body a little bit. So whatever it takes to get him back onto the field, and, you know, I mean, whether it's DH or whatnot, like, I just, I can't continue to go into games with one of Harrison, Clemens, Cave, or Pache in the lineup. It just, it is so disheartening to look at,

given what we thought we had this offseason. Like, it is crushing. 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94. Q is in San Francisco. What's happening, Q? Hey, Fred. Well, I'm going to keep this short and sweet, but I got two points to make.

And one, I'm going to throw some San Francisco wisdom your way. I think Kyle Schwarber should be batting no higher than fifth and sixth. I know you lament about how people say that he's boom or bust, but we're looking for situational hitting here. And putting him in the third spot, I don't think that's the way to go. I don't have the stats to back me up, but I can tell you, him with runners in scoring position this year has not been great. And I know he gets going when the sun gets warmer,

but right now I think it should be Stott, Turner, and then you go Boehm, and then you go Castellanos. Put Marsh at fifth just the way he's playing right now I think it should be Scott Turner and then you go Boehm and then you go Castellanos put Marsh at fifth just the way he's playing right now then Schwarber I think right now you just can't play on the beginning right now because yeah we'll hit you the solo home run sometime and hopefully there's people on base but most of the time right now he's not the guy that sprays the ball all over the field it's not like the shift helping him right now so or with the shift being gone. The other point I want to make before I go, and this might make your eyes roll,

but look, I think the caveman and the Clemens experience is over. I think if you have Castellanos or Schwarber playing the DH, you've got to put my man Pache in there for at least a couple of games a week. And I'm not talking about the whole thing. I'm not talking about taking Marsh out. I want Marsh to play.

But if you could teach him a corner, he's three for the last seven. I think he needs a little bit more playing time because, look, Clemens and Cave, as much of a black hole as Pache is, they are black holes too. And he has like a 70-grade defensive ability. Him and Marsh in the outfield would be able to do a lot defensively, and I think the

offense could get to a point where it would be better than Cave and Clemens, because right now, they're not that much better. Well, I just want to know, when did you decide that you're going to say your boy Pache? Well, I've been a defender of him among a lot of people on Twitter that have been throwing shade at him.

Yeah. No, I mean, listen. Kevin Long needs to do his thing and give him a little bit of time, but he's heating up. He hit that line drive opposite way today, and it just seems like he's getting a little bit better, and the upside is way more than Kaver. Yeah.

I think that experiment's over. So before you go, uh i got two thoughts one i agree with you with with schwerber batting lower than the lineup like i think that's perfectly fine um i just think that you know like they should probably go turner stop boom if they go that way if they want to worry about the righty lefty thing um but like either way if you bet i think batting him five is fine. And three is just such an important spot in the lineup where having a guy who strikes out as much as he does, it's just killer. I fundamentally don't believe that batting five would sink RBI chances,

but three is such an integral spot where having a guy with the strikeout capabilities he has, it's just, it's not, I don't think it's smart baseball. So I'm with you. I don't want him batting three. I would much rather have him batting five or even if you want to put him back at leadoff. If you want to put him back at leadoff and then see if you can sit a home run and see what happens done have

you seen what stott's done him setting the table i think the one good punch of stod turner is perfect right now i i would i would keep him there too so uh schwarbert five fine pache like i do think he is showing strides to the plate cave you know that home run maybe I'm a little bit tantalized by off of Sandy Alcantara and what he did in spring. I think his defense left field is really good. But, yeah, I mean, Pache. Corner. Could he learn a corner?

Because I know he's a killer center fielder, but could he learn a corner, maybe play it once a week, and then be a backup center defensive replacement? Yeah, we'll see, Q, and I appreciate the call. The Pache thing, you know, I do mostly agree with Q. You know, I think he is starting to show some signs of growth. There's been frustrating things like not bunting last night in extra innings that drive me nuts.

But, you know, defense is legit. And at least he does give the theoretical upside that I don't believe Cody Clemons and Josh Harrison. I would stick with Cave against righties. I wouldn't kill them if they went against lefties. Pache in left and against lefties, you want to put Pache out there, fine. But against righties at this point, I'm probably keeping Cave out there.

215-592-9494. Roll through all of your calls on the other side. Don't go anywhere. We'll also preview tomorrow's game, the rest of the series, before handing things off to Tom Kelly. It's Jack Fritz here on Sports Radio 94 WIP. Welcome back. It's the final out sponsored by Regency Furniture.

Affordable never looks so good. It took me two segments of yelling and melting down in here about an April 13th game to realize that my windows in my house are wide open. So I live in a town. It's a downtown. So I'm sure there's people out like walking their dogs and they have to hear some maniac here yelling about how embarrassing the Phillies are but listen

you can't teach that passion so whatever I'm sorry that I ruined your walk but holy cow we're sitting here again by the way I feel like holy cow is turning into something I have to say every night on this broadcast obviously I would like to say something else but I'm stuck with Holy Cow at the moment.

So we're still working through the sports cliches of what to say, but when we're sitting here and they're now 4-9, five games under.500, and I'm staring at the reality of them having to go 83-66 the rest of the way to get back to 87 wins. It's frustrating. It is incredibly frustrating. And my one big thing about tonight, when I try to come in with three takes,

usually two or whatever, I have a positive one, and so far this season, more negative ones. But my overall take tonight is just how embarrassing this all is and how embarrassing it is to see them look like they're just going through the motions. And believe me, I know that when you're not hitting, it's hard to look like you have some focus and you have some intensity. But for three innings in a row, I had to see your hitters go down one, two, three. It is awful.

When I see one hit with Ronald in scoring position, it is awful. When I see a pitching staff that with its starters, yet again not showing the ability to get into the sixth inning and through the sixth inning, it's embarrassing. And when I see continued bad base running that they got bailed out with tonight and, you know, every night having to hear the manager after the game

just be like, what's the big deal? You know, at some point, you gotta talk to the fans a little bit. I know it's your job to maintain order in the locker room and not cause a panic and not you know push the fire alarm and bang everything's falling apart our pets heads are falling off that's for

us on radio twitter podcast whatever but at some point what you say to reporters what you say on camera is reflective of what you want to say to the fans and when the fans are as annoyed as they are and when they believe that the team isn't playing to their their highest capabilities and when they see a team that we believed in and wanted to wrap our arms around and believed had an ability to go back to the World Series, letting us down and not looking like they care on a night-in, night-out basis, I would like to hear something more than, well, it's early.

We'll figure it out. No. You have to be a messenger to the fan base as well. You don't have to throw players under the bus. You don't have to say, our pet's heads are falling off. But you have to convey something besides, man, we'll get them tomorrow.

That's annoying to me. 215-592-9494. John is in maple shade. What's happening, Johnny? What's going on, Jack? Mr. Pemmelguy, how are you, sir? Before I give you my lineup, right, I couldn't agree with you more about the frustration.

I like Rob Thompson,pson man i think he's great however kind of like a little bit of a lackadaisical i don't think that's the proper word just very almost too calm and i heard i texted my brother because you know tonight rob thompson says uh hey you know i think we did a good job and i keep saying myself you're four and nine like what would a bad job be? You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't know when you start to panic. But my concern is not even so much the record.

Outside of the Yankees, maybe they're a good team, obviously. The Rangers, not that bad. We're losing to, like, bad clubs. We're not even losing to good clubs. Well, John, think of it this way. Had they not come back against the Reds last Saturday, you lose 2-3 home to the Reds, you lose 2-3 home to the Marlins,

and you lose the first game of a four-game set against the Reds. These teams aren't good. I mean, the Marlins have the 29th-ranked offense heading into that series. It's atrocious. They've had our number for some reason. I think last year we did fairly well against them. But if you look at what they've done,

they'll finish last every year, the Marlins. But when they play us, man, it's like I don't know what it is, but we have a tough time with them. How do you like this lineup, Jack? I go with Stout, Madoff, Turner, Schwarber, Boehm, Marsh, Castellanos, Riamuto, Sosa, and then Posh.

Yeah, I mean, it's going to be something close to that, John, and I appreciate the call. But what annoys me is everything has to be righty-lefty. It's okay to bat two righties back-to-back. If you want to bat two lefties back-to-back, I get it. But two righties, I mean, why don't you just go Stott, Turner, Boehm.

If you want to put Schwarber there, then Castellanos, JT. Like, continuing to have to bat Boehm low and JT in the, whether it's 3, 4, 5, whatever. Like, again, so far this year, he's got one hit with runners in scoring position. Like, the third position in the lineup is just too important. It's traditionally where your best hitter hits. And so far, like, Boehm's been their best hitter from a home run standpoint, from an average standpoint, of all the things. I know tonight he only had one hit, whatever.

But so far this season, he's been your best option. To continue to bat JT where they do, given the slow start he's gotten off to, I think is atrocious. Let's look ahead to tomorrow, though. Tomorrow, another day. Just keep rolling them out there. Tywin Walker against Conor Overton. Overton did a good job last

Sunday against the Phillies, although they did have a lead late in the game, and they probably should have won that game. The good part is that they avoided Hunter Green, and they got Lodolo out of the way, so Over should have won that game. The good part is that they avoided Hunter Green and they got Lodolo out of the way. So, Overton is very beatable. Graham Ashcraft, I think, is nasty.

So, we'll see how tomorrow night goes. And then Luis Sess is hittable as well. So, they avoided the two big guns in the Reds rotation. Well, they didn't avoid them. They got Lodolo tonight, but whatever. He is out of the way now. They have three games heading into

a weekend series in Cincinnati. And let's hope they can right this ship because the ship right now is teetering. Obviously, season's not over. They're 22-29 last year and they ended up making the playoffs and going to the World Series. It's a long year. We get that. But all the stuff

that's happening right now and every facet of the. It's a long year. We get that. But all the stuff that's happening right now and every facet of the game is just atrocious. And my biggest takeaway from the night was that this is getting embarrassing. This is getting embarrassing. You were in the World Series last year. You're making Little League mistakes. And it just doesn't feel like the pride is there

to get a job done. And that's what it comes down to right now. Doing the little things and getting a job done. That's going to do it for me here on the final out. Tom Kelly's got you next on Sports Radio 94 WIP. I got you with Marks and Reese tomorrow for leading off, and I'll join you after the game for final out. Let's hope Tylan Walker goes out and does a job tomorrow night,

and let's hope someone steps up and gets a job done, and we end up with a win heading into the weekend. Tom Kelly's coming up next. Tucker Bagley produced the program. We'll talk to you tomorrow night.