High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Hard to Envision a Run But Hey Why Not?

Episode Date: September 3, 2019

Sure it's hard to envision a run, but why not believe? James is less bullish while Jack is probably dumb and naive. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information. 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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Learn more at onepeloton.ca slash running. This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes. It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Philadelphia Phillies on Radio.com and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yo, it is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. Four games to talk to you about. We got the extra day, Jack Fritz.

We decided to wait until the end of Labor Day to record rather than after the Mets here. I think it was a good decision. Yeah, we had to wait for one more win. Yeah, because, you know, Mets series, not great. Not great. Yeah, but Sunday was great. Sure. It was super awesome.

Look. All right. 26 games left to play. Two and a half behind the Cubs as of this moment recording this Monday night. Feeling good. Let's start there, and then we'll get into specifics. How are you feeling? I legitimately feel good.

I don't know. Recording. You can't make me record after a win when Harper and Hoskins home her twice. You can't make me record after that. That's unfair to the listeners because I'm talking myself back into a run. I think they played good baseball last month. They had the minor hiccup with the Met Series, but overall they've been playing good baseball. And I don't know, man.

Their pitching staff sucks, and it makes me angry that they did nothing at the deadline to address it. It makes me mad that Mike Morin is their setup man. But I don't know, man. Maybe if the offense can carry them, there could be something here. And then everyone starts believing in each other. It'd be a whole kumbaya thing going on. I don't know, man.

I just, I don't know. i i i just i don't know i feel empty without the phillies when they're not on and i just really don't want the season to end oh buddy poor jack oh man well uh so so forced optimism is a good way we can put it for you well here's the thing here's here's where i'm at here's where i'm at is i think the i think the offense is good enough i think the offense has been much better since Charlie has taken over. I think the offense is good. It's night in, night out. I feel good about where the offense is.

I think Corey Dickerson has always been massive, and him at the top of the lineup definitely helps. You physically cannot buy into this team going on a run because of how bad the pitching staff is. And I think that's just where we have to be at. Everyone would love for this team to go on a run, and everyone believes in a run and whatnot. But the pitching staff is just that bad that you can't realistically see it happening. Yeah, they have 26 games left, and they haven't gone on a run.

Why would anyone believe they're actually going to go on a run? I think it's, it can be that simple. Like there's 26 games left in the season, Jack, and there has not been a run. There have been so many times where we have said, Oh,

here's the run. The run's coming. This is the run. Please be the run. Can this maybe be the run? Could it possibly be the run? It's never the run. It's not going to be the run.

Look, how long have we been saying, well, the offense can carry them to the playoffs? It just, I don't know. Two and a half with 26 to play feels like 12 with 26 to play. I mean, I know they're in it, but their schedule is so tough. The Cubs schedule isn't nearly as tough. The Cubs are playing better baseball on the whole right now. I just don't have a lot of optimism. The Cubs just had a 25-inning scoreless streak.

Sure, but, I mean, let's be real. The Cubs also swept a four-game series against the Mets right before the Mets came to town and took two of three versus the Phillies. I don't know. Look, there were some signs for optimism this weekend but it's still like again how many times have we talked about that Friday night game this against the Mets team coming in you know you're you're coming in three games back for the first time maybe all season certainly a long time since they've been three full games back at the wild card and they come

in and they just they they fight when nola's in there nola fights and then they just it falls apart it's like yet another big game another big series opener where they don't show up and they you know just let it fall flat at home yet again and and then they lose the next night i know they've won the last two it was nice like you said we're gonna get into reese because i think reese if you're looking for a real sign of real true optimism for this phillies team right now i think reese hoskins could be the the the shining beacon of hope but i just personally i i struggle to to feel excited we we both said going into this med series if they don't take two or three it's over we're not gonna believe in them and they didn't take two or three it's over we're not going to

believe in them and they didn't take two or three i like i don't know they just they constantly disappoint jack they constantly disappoint and i don't see why they're gonna go on a run i just don't listen you just said it a little bit ago you said we're expecting a run this time we're expecting a run that time we're we're waiting run. Listen, the run just hasn't happened yet. They're waiting for the right time. And right now is the right time. Better be. It's the only time left.

Yeah, no, and I don't want to, I don't know. It's very, I just, you know me. I do know you. I think they do too, yes. I just, I want to run. I need a i just i want to run i need a run i want to run so bad i do i realistically think it's going to happen no because i think i think the cubs like i think they're just a better baseball team um and and they have an easier schedule to begin the month but i think they i think they finish with the cardinals they have seven of

their last 10 against the cardinals. So, you know, that could be interesting. That could be interesting. And, and, but the thing is like, when you look at the Phil schedule, they have one easy team.

And that easy team is a team. The Phillies can't beat the entire Marlins. Of course it's the Marlins. Yeah. But, but James, they have a, they have a way better record against teams that are better than them.

So if they keep that up it could actually be their best month of the season look at you it is that's a fact you're the king of spin it is great they literally have a better record against teams that are better than them teams are over 500 i think it's true i think there are 10 games above 500 against teams that have a 500 record or more 500 record or better wouldn't that be something that honestly on a to a a counterpoint to my argument it would be just like this team to to do what they've done all season and continually disappoint when we expect them to and then to beat up on good teams to get in the playoffs the end of the season that would feel very on brand for this team but you said it before it's just it's

such a struggle to believe in this pitching staff again like mike moran and it finally seemed seemingly for the first time blew up in a game this weekend against them but like mike moran is your go-to high leverage guy yeah really jack jack here is a statement that i i very confident in making, but I also feel like an idiot because I can't believe it's actually true. Jose Alvarez is the best reliever on the Phillies. How about that, Jack? How about that? Think about that.

Think about that statement. How absurd is that? How absurd is that to think that Jose Alvarez, if you have to get one out from a guy in that bullpen, Jose Alvarez is probably the guy you want taking the ball. How do you reconcile that? Like, how can they, and again, look, I'm with you in the sense that way crazier things have happened. They're two and a half back with 26 to play against a Cubs team that is certainly better than them, but is far from a great team. And, you know, ever since we saw the Mets drop

seven with 17 to play, anything's possible, but they just find it so hard to believe that they're going to go on a run. And we look, we can all agree other than Joe DiCamera, who does not agree with this, but we can all agree that they're getting boat raced by the Dodgers. If they somehow find a way to beat the nationals, if they somehow find a way to get into that wild card game they have a literally like an actual zero percent chance to be the dodgers a 0.01 percent chance whatever you want to say they're not doing it but paint the picture for me jack let's let's lean into your optimism what has to happen over the last 26 games forgetting the cut we all know that they have to they have to win three more games than the cubs lose you that they have to they have to win three more games

than the Cubs lose you know they have to they have to play three games better than the Cubs but in terms of what you need to see from this Philly team forgetting what the Cubs have to do to help out what is this Philly's team what what will it look like if the next 26 games end up in them in a wild card game well I mean it starts with Reese and Bryce. I mean, there's no doubt about that. And today was a really good start. I mean, Reese has been pretty good since Gabe moved him through the four hole, I don't know, sometime last week. Reese has been okay. He wasn't driving the ball out of the ballpark,

but I thought his swing was getting leveled out, and now you're kind of seeing the benefits of that. The home runs today were classic Reese Hoskins home runs. So, I mean, obviously it's going to start with the offense. And it comes down to Dickerson, Real Amudo, Harper, Hoskins. Those are the four. Kingery has been really good recently. The offense, I feel like, is finally clicking.

So as long as those guys keep it up, it's good. They need Nola never to lose again. And they need Nola to get through a seventh inning. There was a nice little stretch in the middle of the summer where he's getting through the seventh inning but now he's back to kind of getting to the seventh inning and falling apart like in that in the friday night mets game when i think they're up one at the point and he left nola in to hit and he didn't get a hit and it didn't get executed or whatnot or the phillies became the phillies again um like nola went back out there and i was like there's like watching this team

all season we know they're gonna blow up here like there's no way they're gonna keep this so it comes down to that it comes down to to someone in that bullpen stepping up like mike moran's been good for the last month it's really helped that he's kind of stepped up. Now he looks like Mike Morin. Hector Neris has to be locked down at the end of games. They need someone else to step up. Jose Alvarez is good. Maybe they get Sir Anthony Dominguez back. I don't think they're going to get him back, but if they can get him back, that would really help. It comes down to Hughes and Warren. One of those two being a go-to guy for Gabe Kapler because those guys seem like guys will take the ball every single day,

and you're going to have to ride those guys if you want a playoff run. So I think the offense is fine. The offense is good. It just comes down to someone else in that pitching staff stepping up. Vargas's Saturday start is pretty terrifying because if he's not their number two, then you don't really know what you're getting out of Eflin, who looks like he's back to being at least a serviceable pitcher. Drew Smiley, you still have no idea what you're getting from him.

At least with Jason Vargas, he felt pretty good about six innings, three runs or less. But him getting blown up on Saturday is not a good start for that. So a lot needs to go right. But honestly, here's here's kind of where i'm at is if the offense just plays well heading down the stretch and they play good solid baseball and there's something to build on and we kind of we can kind of look at this last two months being like yeah the bullpen was a disaster the starting staff was a disaster but

the offense like the the talent that those guys have actually starts to show itself. I almost consider that a win at this point. Yeah. Well, it's sad that we have to do that, but yes, I agree with you. Look, any reason for optimism for 2020 will be nice, but, um, I'm with you. Look, we've said it's a broken record, but if they're going to get there, it's because the offense carries them there. And the offense has started to play well enough. I mean, Corey Diggerson Corey Dickerson, what an addition. We talked about it before the trade deadline. I said I wanted Corey Dickerson. You were all about it.

You loved the idea. But I don't think anyone expected Corey Dickerson to come in here and be this good. He's just been a really good player for this. He's just a professional hitter. He's such a good hitter, man. He just takes the ball where it wants to go uh it's it's fun to watch him well he's a guy he's a guy that that will consistently barrel up the baseball which i think is like that's what i kind of

thought they were going to get from kingery when kingery went up to the leadoff spot i want a guy at the leadoff spot in 2019 that is going to be aggressive and square up baseballs and not not always be looking for a walk. If you can do both and be like Mookie Betts, sure, that's great. But I would prefer a guy who is going up there and looking to be aggressive and can put hard contact on the baseball. And that's what Corey Dickerson does right now. I just – I would love to re-sign him.

And I don't know if they will. I don't know if they can. Yep, you need the DH, Jack. No. Need the DH, Jack. No. You need the DH. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I don't know where you play him.

I love the idea of it. Again, everyone's going to want him back. All he's done is rake since he's been here. He's been there. Other than Bryce Harper, in the time since Corey Dickerson has been here, if you said you have won at bat to win a series, to win a game, whatever, Corey Dickerson's the guy. Other than Bryce Harper, that's the guy.

That's the guy. He's the second fastest Philly to 25 RBI. I saw it after Hoskins. It's insane. Yeah, it's crazy. 24 games to get 25 RBI. He's been awesome. What do you do?

Like, can you re-sign him, stick McCutcheon in left field, and Dickerson plays center field? Can you – do they try to flip McCutcheon this offseason? Look, I think Corey Dickerson, he is an undervalued asset there on baseball. He is not someone who makes a ton of money. I think you sign him and you figure it out. Like, he does – even if you can find ways to fit people in and out every day, I think Corey Dickerson's a asset that is worth having. And the price that he will get this off season will be a bargain for whoever signs him,

whether it's Phillies or someone else. So I think you sign him and you figure it out. I don't know if either of those guys, maybe you can switch, give them both some center field work, but I think the idea of relying on Andrew McC mccutchen coming off a torn acl to play any meaningful amount of center field is probably wishful thinking and yeah dickerson isn't necessarily a a everyday center fielder for all intents and purposes he has not played much at all in his career but um look this is also a team that cared so little about defense last year they were willing to put to put Reese Hoskins in left field. So who knows? Who knows what they're willing to do from a giving up defense for offense perspective.

But look, I think Dickerson is a really interesting discussion point because, as I said, I mean, after Bryce Harper, he's the guy I want up in a big spot for this team, of the whole team, of everyone on the team, which is crazy talk. He's been awesome. But back to the point you're making i do think that and again it's baseball anything can happen i just i just don't see how this this staff and this bullpen gets them there you know the offense just is gonna have to to carry them every night we've seen that the offense takes nights off not i'm not saying like they don't try i'm saying like they just again

they have nights where they don't show up that first game against the mets a perfect example where yes they ended up with five runs but but those last few were meaningless but that was a Like they just, again, they have nights where they don't show up. That first game against the Mets, a perfect example where, yes, they ended up with five runs, but those last few were meaningless. But that was a 1-1 game. They didn't give Nola anything there. And Jose Alvarez came in, gets those big outs. Gabe did not go back to him that next inning, something we've seen Gabe be better at this year.

After last year, we talked a lot about that. But I just, you know, I don't know how you can feel great about this team making a run of any kind with the staff and the bullpen the way they are. One guy I want to talk about, though, because, and you mentioned him quickly when talking about the starting staff, but we do have two good Zac Eflin starts in a row, or at least two solid Zac Eflin starts in a row. What have you been seeing from him?

Is this something that, you know, look, he was really good for the first couple months of the season it's hard to remember because he was so bad for so long there but is this something that's potentially sustainable over the last 26 um maybe I I endorsement the reason that I don't want to buy in completely is because what he's relying upon right now is sinkers down. And there's a reason why sinker ballers are pretty much phased out of baseball. Look at Jared Hughes now. Jared Hughes' last season was unbelievable. Jared Hughes' this season has just not been that good because teams have adjusted to sinker ballers down.

Because balls down in the zone are easy to lift and take out of the ballpark so uh it's good that it's good that he's going back to what he feels comfortable with but i just don't know how it could really be super sustainable uh unless the game kind of changes a little bit which would be nice because i i've i've long loved sinker ballers like derrick lowe is one of my faves um you bring up derrickowe way too often. I know. Big fan of Derek Lowe. I know. I was a big Brandon Webb fan back in the day. Ah, dude.

Brandon Webb was disgusting for three years. He really was. And one that Cy Young. I mean, he was a really great pitcher for a few years there. Back when it was Brandon Webb and Dan Heron. Oh, yeah. Unbelievable one-two punch. But the single ball or down, like at 95 is good, whatever.

That's awesome. What he's doing right now basically is 95 down, and then he's coupling that with an 86-mile-an-hour changeup, throwing out the same exact arm slot. It's the best I've ever seen Eflin's changeup. I never thought it was a very good pitch for most of his career, but I think when you couple it with 95 and then you go from 95 to 86 with the same kind of arm slot, same kind of ball out of hand,

it's very, very tough to pick up. It's a good plan. It's going to come down to, ultimately, what it always comes down to with Zac Eflin is that he doesn't have a good enough breaking ball to sustain long term success. I don't think you can get away in 2019

with a 95-mile-an-hour sinker and think you can get away in 2019 with a 95 mile an hour sinker and that's pretty much it coupled with a change up like that's not like that's that's the arietta plan or that was the arietta plan before the bone spurs so i i i think it can be fine and i think once teams adjust they'll eventually figure it out um but i just i i i hope you can help, but I'm not buying long-term stock into what Zac Eflin's doing. Yeah, I feel the same way. But it's nice to see him go out and not be horrendous. I had almost forgotten what that was like. It would have been so consistent for so long.

All right, anything else from the Mets series? We'll get to the more fun game to talk about, the Reds game, today in a minute. But anything else from the Mets series Uh, we'll get to, to the, the more fun game to talk about the Reds, uh, game today in a minute, but anything else from the Met series that stuck out to you, any notes or anything? Um, again, I, I look that right now they're two and a half games behind the Cubs. They started the weekend, two and a half games behind the Cubs. It really almost feels like it doesn't matter what happens night to night they're they're gonna hover around there but uh i was personally disappointed with the met series it was just again it's just another series where you felt like they had to win the series and and clearly they didn't take to you know get granted they could have be a game and a half back if they had but yeah um but they they hover

no matter what but it really felt like a disappointing series to lose. Yeah, no, it did. And Sunday was a really fun game, an exhilarating game. But, like, I was there Saturday, and just, like, seeing the amount of Mets fans there was so frustrating. And on TV. You could hear it on TV. It's really – it's a real kick in the junk. Yeah, and it's also been a tough couple weeks for the Todd Frazier's, the same player as Michael Franco takes.

I mean, like, Todd Frazier's not very good, but it's pretty clear he's better than Michael Franco. Well, you can say that about most people. I just can't believe that people still are... I don't get the Michael Franco. I don't either. It's crazy to me. It's mind-boggling.

Did you know they sent him down on his birthday, Jack? You might not have known that. They don't either. It's crazy to me. It's, it's, it's mind boggling. So did you know they sent him down on his birthday, Jack? You might not have known that they did do that. Yes. They're so evil and mean. Also, um, I would give up a lot to get Seth Lugo on this team.

I love Seth Lugo. Seth, he's been right. He's just, he's just disgusting. Like, I don't know how you like what he did in the, in the eighth and ninth inning is like, Oh, this game's Like, I don't know how you, like, what he did in the eighth and ninth inning is like, oh, this game's over.

He should be so much better than he actually is. Like, he's not that good. Like, the stats aren't that good. But when you watch him, it's like, this guy should be unhittable. It's like 95 with, like, legit run to it. So, I don't know. Saturday was frustrating. It was just one of those Philz games where it's like, you know,

they're not going to get the big hit when they need it. Like, it's just one of those phil's games where it's like oh you know they're not gonna get the big hit when they need it like it's crazy when i when you watch them for this entire season it's like when gabe capler makes a move that makes sense on paper it autumn it automatically backfires yeah and they never get the big hit that's what made sunday so shocking for the sudden that game was like kingery getting that that double? When Neris gave up the run, and granted, he wasn't all his fault, but did throw the ball away. But when he gave up that run, it was just like, yep, yep, of course he did. This feels right.

And then they get it right back, plus some, obviously. It was unexpected. It definitely felt like they were not going to come back there. Yeah, watching this Phillies team this year has just been constant, like, I'm not mad, just disappointed. Yeah, totally, totally, totally. And it's just constant, constant disappointment. I mean, constant.

We talked last time about the idea of them just not being that good and us being very critical of a team that, you know, probably deserves a little bit less, uh, you know, criticism and maybe a little bit more support and joy and all that type of stuff. But they just disappoint so much. It's so hard to bring that. It's so hard to think about that way. Cause it's just so many times this year when, when everyone's been so ready, when everyone's been on board, they just continually kick in the junk. It's their MO. Yeah, but they've won

two straight. And tomorrow they have a chance to go seven games over 500. It won't happen. They don't do that. I don't know, man. I'm feeling good. I think that Reds team is shockingly bad. Really bad.

Trevor Flowers turned into a horrible pitcher as soon as he got there. The run differential they have is better than the Phillies, but in watching them, it's like, man, that offense today, I'd never heard of four of the bottom of their lineup, four guys in the bottom of their lineup, and then they're rolling Freddie Galvis off the bench. That team looks cooked. Eugenio Suarez is banged up a little

bit. Yeah, I had definitely never heard of Kevin Farmer. I heard of Kurt Gasol. I never heard of Blandino. I was wondering if he was related to Dean Blandino because he looked a bit like him. He did. Really, you're right. It was some weird names. Irvin. I have no idea.

I knew Phil Irvin. I know Aristis Aquino because all that guy does is hit home runs. How about that? His swing is like Tim Raines, right? Yeah, sure. Kyle Farmer never heard of. Oh, no, I have heard of him.

Blantino I never heard of. Casale the catcher never heard of. The Van Meter guy I had never heard of before. I knew him only meter guy i had never heard of i knew him only because of fantasy yeah a little rum where people were excited about him picking him up nick sensel still the wrong pick uh was their lead off hitter yeah by the way really quickly can i give a big f you to justin berlander for single-handedly beating me in my fantasy playoffs f you justin is that what you f you, Justin. F you, buddy.

Is that why you're so down on this podcast? Is that why you can't look at the Phillies in a positive light? I lost 5.5, 4.5, and I was the higher seed, so I would have won a tiebreaker if we tied 5-5, and I literally lost because of Justin Verlander. I lost whip and strikeouts

because of Justin Verlander. See, what I did was sit back and appreciate greatness. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Screw that guy. Why don't you stop some more reporters from coming into your clubhouse, you prima donna?

How about that? All right. We didn't talk a lot about it. I meant to bring him. We've kind of talked in passing. But is Reece back? Like, is he back back? Yeah, of course he's back come on he was he was never gonna be as bad as he was the question is the question more so is is is can you win a championship with reese hoskins as your four-hole hitter like as your as your cleanup hitter can reese hoskins be

that guy like there's two questions for Reese Hoskins. One, how much are they going to pay him? Because I don't know how much they're going to pay him, but it feels like it's going to be more than they have to. But it's a Scott Borst guy, and he's one of the faces of the team and all that stuff. And number two is, can he win a championship with him being your four-hole hitter? And I'm not sure. I think he can be a really good piece to a lineup, but I think they need another guy. They need one more guy, and I think the guy is Alec Baum. I eventually think it's going to be him.

Or Anthony Rendon, right? Or Anthony Rendon, which I'm shocked at the amount of people that think he's – I don't think there's any chance he's going to be available. I think the Nationals lock him up. Well, they said the same thing about other Nationals players that have not gotten locked up, but I agree. I would be surprised if they let him leave. I mean, especially coming off the season he's coming off of right now.

It would be organizational malpractice. He's got a 1056 OPS on the season. He is – I would – I don't know. Say it. Do it. Say it. Say it. I'd rather Say it. Say it. I'd rather have him than Arenado.

Wow. No, you can't say that. Why? You've never seen Arenado outside of Coors? He's a better hitter, but Arenado's the best defensive third baseman in baseball. I'm talking all around. Second best defensive third baseman in baseball. After Franco.

Good call. After Matt Chapman. Yeah, Chapman, they're both right there i don't know they play on the same high school team i know isn't it crazy it's a vacuum at third base oh my god i don't know i just think that rendon he's gonna end up getting like 250 or whatever i think he's gonna get like 220 and and aaron i was gonna aaron not a go like 260 i think i'd rather have rendon. I don't know. Rendon's just – Rendon's like a souped-up Bobby Abreu.

He's an awesome hitter, man. He is in the top five guys I don't want coming up against my pitcher in a big spot guy. Oh, yeah. He always gets that hit. Maybe because he's always gotten that hit against the Phillies that we think he always gets that hit. Yes, for sure. No, I mean, anytime Anthony Rendon's up in a clutch clutch situation and the 10 56 OPS tells me he gets a lot

of those hits oh he's just he is a backbreaker he's just a back breaking baseball player an awesome player and I would back up I would back up the Brinks truck or whatever well Klintak did say they're gonna be aggressive Jack he always says that i know i know i don't know i contact is just quote unquote now i don't know that we have another 330 million dollar contract up our sleeve but we can certainly have the flexibility to be aggressive and make additions thanks matt no i'm telling you man they're they. They are going to go hard after Garrett Cole. I know that for a fact. Good. Good.

Please. Please. Did you see that stat? You sound like you're about to cry. I am. That's how I feel right now, Jack. You're not the only one who gets emotional about the Phillies, all right? Garrett Cole has the second highest average fastball velocity this season,

97.1 miles per hour. And that's not even including all the disgusting spin stuff he does. But did you realize that the other three guys at the top of them are all freaking Mets? It's Cindergard, DeGrom, and Wheeler have three of the four highest average fastball velocities. And we freaking roll out Cole Irvin to start games. The Phillies just don't care about velocity.

They're like, eh, that's not important to us. We want guys who can control where it goes. That's the important stuff. Yeah, maybe I'll take that back. Maybe they won't be interested in Garrett Cole because he throws too hard. He throws way too hard for them. They're not into hard-throwing guys. Yeah.

They're like, where can we get another Jason Vargas? I guarantee you Klintak's eyeing up kyle hendricks in two years oh god that's his like dream pitcher yeah yeah oh he throws soft and throws watch it move he can control it he can control all of his pitches and throw them for strikes it's really exciting that-per-hour fastball is dynamite. It's got a lot of life. If we don't have six pitchers on the team next year that throw 95 or harder, I'm going to throw a revolt. Me too. It is going to be 2020, Matt.

It is not time to go for soft tossers. Find some dudes who throw hard. Yes. Nick Vinson is closing out the game today. Another guy. I didn't even, and I know he was part of the roster moves, the September 1st moves. First of all, I didn't even know they got Nick Vinson,

and I certainly didn't know he was coming up and pitching for my team. So that was. Yep. Yep. 89. 89 to 90. Sweet. Such a classic Phillies pitcher.

Yeah. I mean, Dan Straley threw 80 things of one run ball for the Iron Pigs the night before. He's another guy who throws low 90s. Bring him up. Bring him up. Sure. He actually throws a little hard for this team. Let's not push it. Hitting 92, you get a cookie.

It's very exciting. Not great. Not great, Jack. Today was a fun game, though. Today was good. You mentioned the bats get going. What did you think of Smiley today? I mean, we've crapped on that guy a lot, deservedly so.

Was it just the Reds sucking, or did Smiley have a little bit of the first two-star magic he had today? Nah, it was just the Reds. He didn't have the same location we saw when he came up with the Fells. Yeah, I would say it was just the Reds. But I do think the one thing I think we can take away from the first Reds game, and I think it shows what makes Bryce Harper such a special superstar, is that they get in and they

don't get into their hotel until 2 a.m. So they get in at 2 a.m., turns around, they got to be back at the field for a two o'clock start, which is one o'clock Eastern time. So one o'clock, basically one o'clock start for them. They get back to the ballpark in like five hours. And Bryce in the first inning lines the ball off Votto's glove or whatever, gets into the right field, and he busts his second base and dives headfirst.

You need that little bit of energy, and when it's your superstar doing that, I just don't know how everyone else in that clubhouse doesn't kind of get the extra jolt, and they played a very good, solid baseball game today. So, again, I've said it the whole entire season like philadelphia like bryce harper needed philadelphia as much as we needed him i think i just think that we have and i know like the fans of the fans or whatever but i think he genuinely enjoys having a fan base that gets behind him and and pushes him to another level like there has there's been i think i think maybe one time this entire season

where I've questioned his hustle, and that was at a San Francisco game where it was a ball right back to Baumgartner, and he didn't sprint out to sprint to first base. He kind of just shut it down. But other than that, it's been night in, night out of 110%. If you listen to people in that locker room, they talk about how he's kind of transformed into a leader on this team and you're seeing it now with his play and i just i for as much as you know this season's been frustrating and i want them to make the playoffs i'm very excited to

see what 2020 bryce harper's gonna do because i think i think we're gonna see him get back to being like the bryce harper that we paid for agree with you. I really do agree with you. I think that, and again, you know, we made a lot of excuses for him. As you know, I'm a big, you know, arguer for the human side of things. And then he just had a lot of crap going on in his life when he came here. And he just had a kid. And I am very with you. I think next year we're going to get, look,

he's always going to be a guy who's going to go through slumps. That's who he is as a player. He'll get crazy hot, and then he'll get a little cold, and then he'll get crazy hot again. But I think we're going to see a much, much, much more consistent Bryce Harper. Well, we mocked him. We mocked him when he reached the 20 home run club,

and I don't know when that was, but now he's at the 30 home run club like nothing. Yeah. No, it was easy. It was like no problem so he heard us mocking him and said okay that's what we're here for Jack look I'm hoping I two nights ago after the second loss in the Mets I tweeted thanks for participating in the 2019 season Philadelphia Phillies they haven't lost since I tweeted that that's all I'm gonna say that's it I'm just gonna say that I. I mean, you've been down on the fills for a couple podcasts now. Look, I'm trying to do my part here, Jack.

I'm trying to help this squad along. Ever since I tweeted that stat about Bryce Harper being like 68th in home runs or whatever, he's been awesome. I'm just saying, but I'm not saying. You know? I'm just saying. Impressive work.

All right. What's in the note bag? I really don't have, I don't have much. Okay, good, good. I will take the note bag opportunity to ask you a quick question. Do you believe JT Romero's story that it was just bad timing that he was rolling his eyes when Jared was running from the bullpen? just bad timing that he was rolling his eyes when jared i don't know man because i i i view myself as a as a ball player and when i see jared hughes do that internally in my brain i'm thinking what

a nerd and like it's like the same kind of reaction i get when i see brandon nimmo sprint to first base it's just like the there's an internal baseball player, like, what a hard-o move that I have, and I can't see a guy like JT Real Muto, who is just like a ball player, not have the same reaction. Like, he's got to be thinking, like, this is so corny. Like, why are you sprinting in from the bullpen looking like an idiot? I mean, I love it. It always makes me laugh every single time. I crack up every yeah i crack up every time it's like it's so stupid

i don't think it was bad timing i think it was like it was like come on man really we do this every time like i i uh i do not believe jt romito at all yeah me too i mean bro just just don't comment on it just you know i guess he had to say what he had to say but we all know what it is it was very clear and it is ridiculous it's hilarious i love it i'm a huge fan of watching jared hughes look like an idiot when he runs in it's just hilarious but it's ridiculous and he knows it and ultimately like if you wanted to fight me that it's stupid because why waste energy sprinting in from the bullpen when you're about to have to pitch in a major league game you could probably sell sell me on that argument like if you really argue me on that

i'd be like yeah you know what screw it it's stupid why do it conserve your energy but neither here nor there jt rubito definitely definitely was sighing and making a face yeah and that guy and real muto is just a a winning baseball player and he knows what is a winning baseball player what is not and when he sees that it's like nope that's not it nope yeah you know he didn't run him from the bullpen mariano rivera that guy never did that he had a nice jog in from the bullpen. Yeah, a nice leisurely jog. All right, Fritz, final thoughts.

My final thought is that once it, like, I know you kind of disagree with me on this, but, like, continuing to, like, I was in the stadium on Saturday. Oh, no, no, no. I agree with the continuing point. I'm very with you at this point it's it's just get over it enough just stop stop booing it booing sean rodriguez makes us look like morons i was fine with it the first time like that first day fine but i'm with

you like that it's still going on enough is enough already apologized, whether you believe it or not. Like, he apologized. Get over it. Also, PSA, the thousandth time, he made it. Obviously, the entitled comment was stupid. But what he was doing was sticking up for his teammates and sacrificing his own perception in this city because his teammates, who are more popular than him, don't want to say it because they know how the reaction would be. He took a bullet for those guys. I just want people to appreciate that. That's all't want to say it because they know how the reaction would be. He took a bullet for those guys.

I just want people to appreciate that. That's all I have to say. Yeah, and I think that's fair. I think that's fair. And I agree with you. At this point, it's enough. All right, my final thought. First, rate and review the podcast.

It makes Jack super happy. It helps us out, helps people find the podcast. So we would greatly appreciate if you rate and review the pod. My final thought, Jack, I didn't notice it. I've noticed it once before, but I noticed it especially tonight. Gabe Kapler's high fives after a win are the worst, man. They're great. Oh, it's not great.

It looks like a robot who was taught what a high five is and is trying to. It's like straight down, like very awkward, straight hand high five. It is so bad, Jack. No, it's so bad. It's so bad. He's firing him up. Oh, my God. He looks ridiculous.

He looks like he doesn't know what a high five is. I totally disagree. He gets him fired up. Oh, God. All right. Well, I think it's hilarious. Keep him forever. Gabe can do nothing wrong.

He is perfect in your eyes. He is. I am flabbergasted by how some people think about the game of baseball. Like, changing the lineups. Like, dude, they don't even change the lineup that much. And also, like, players, I don't know. Like, dude, like, they don't even change the lineup that much. And also, like, players, I don't know.

I have a whole thing on my tweet deck of people's replies to Gabe Kapler, and I scroll through them, and it's just like, what game are you watching? I don't know. I just, it's not, the manager doesn't do that much. I don't know. And the team sucks. Why can't we just admit that the team's not very good? And, like, honestly, do people think that Gabe Kapler's holding back a 95-win baseball team? Like, that's what I feel like people are thinking when they watch this Phillies team.

Like, he's not. He's not even doing that much. Just relax. Why are you so angry? Just relax. He's Fred Sumselter. We'll talk to you later. We'll talk to you later.

He's Fred Sumseltzer. We'll talk to you later. is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod there is. Another fact. So jump aboard the B.I.B. Express. Follow and listen

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