High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Hey, Bryce Harper is a Phillie

Episode Date: March 5, 2020

The guys remind you that Bryce Harper is in fact a Phillie and a whole lot more. 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

Shop Best Buy's Ultimate Smartphone Sale today. Get a Best Buy gift card of up to $200 on select phone activations with major carriers. Visit your nearest Best Buy store today. Terms and conditions apply. In pure Michigan, a fresh dash of fall really spices things up. Elevating every moment amid a blaze of color. This is the High in pure Michigan. Keep it fresh at Michigan.org. 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 IOPs podcast. Jack, you know how I know that it's time for baseball to start? How? Because there's nothing to talk about. It's time to go. Like, we're going to talk about JT Romulo leading off.

We're going to talk about the Harper bombs. We're going to find things to talk about because we love baseball. And we know the IOPs listeners are, as you like to say, diseased Phillies fans like we are. And that's why we love them, and that's why this whole thing works. But we're at that point where it's like, let's just go. Can we just start the season? I'm just ready, Jack. I'm ready for March 26.

I'm ready for real baseball. I'm ready for it to matter. Let's go. I'm ready for real baseball. I'm ready for it to matter. Let's go. I know. And my problem is that I'm at the point where I'm talking myself into every single aspect of this team. That's the thing about spring training for me. I think we all know that, Jack. We've heard that.

Yeah. Well, I can't not be positive on everything with this team. Jagio, baby. Jagio. I'm trying my best to be realistic and i want to be realistic and uh i don't want my opinion to be you know messed up because i love the phillies so much but like i'm at the point where i'm predicting like 35 homers for hoskins 40 40 homers to for for bryce uhguro's batting 310. Oh, man. Yeah, I might need to reign you in.

I'll be the voice of reason, which is what we do here. Yeah, you can be. Honestly, James, this is a Checks and Balances podcast. It's good. We're going American history here. When I get a little bit ahead of myself, I need you to rein me in. That's what I do, buddy. That's what I do.

Don't rein me in too much when I get going about certain aspects like Pavetta, but do the best you can. I had a good buddy, of course, WIP caller Darren from South Philly told me about the O's Pie guys. He said, listen, I know you love baseball. You love baseball more than almost anyone I've ever met. No one loves baseball like Jack Fritz. That's what he said to me.

He's like, I've never heard anyone who is so all in on the Phillies like Jack Fritz. And I was like, you know what? I can't even argue with that. I was like, Jack will talk himself into any philly's team at any time at any moment he'll find a way listen uh my guy uh 08 phil's tweeted out the 2017 opening day lineup earlier tonight i see no reason why that team couldn't have won at least 85 we're back baby let's go i'm so ready man i just i want it i need it like i in my i feel like i need it coursing through my blood like oxygen i need it well especially all right

i for anyone that's a flyers fan that's listening to this podcast like what is happening right now with his team is something that i as as a diehard Phillies fan, like I'm jealous of. Me too. The Flyers are not. Yeah, I'm not. I'm really digging it. I like the Flyers. I'm watching.

I have not missed a Flyers game in like three weeks, a month. Like I'm just in. I mean, the Flyers are basically how the Phillies were supposed to be built, except with, you know, more money to get a superstar like bryce harper but like and then you bring it you bring in av slash gerardi like similar type of thing and and you know it rolls did you just call him av yeah av you want me to say elaine vignole well no i just think that av should be you should be for the big-time Flyers fans. I don't know if you're the A.V.

Wow. I don't know if you're allowed to call him A.V. That's good to know, Jackie. Jackie Pucks, tell me about what I should say about hockey guys. That's good. That's like someone just throwing around Joe G. You can only call him Joe G. when you're a Girardi guy. Yeah, well, we're Girardi guys. We can call him Joe G when you're a Girardi guy. Yeah, well, we're Girardi guys.

We can call him Joe J. I mean, I've already said many times that I don't anticipate anyone else being my manager ever. Yeah, lifetime contract as far as IOS is concerned. I mean, when you're going to win like four World Series in 10 years, I mean, right? Let's not. Let's not. That was my best Jackie O impression. What do you want me to do? Yeah, I can't get there with you, pal,

but we'll work on it. No, I'm the realistic one, remember? Yeah, let's figure it out over there. Let's talk a little bit of baseball, and then we'll talk about the other ridiculous stuff that we like to do, but let's talk the tiny bit of baseball.

I think the most interesting, intriguing thing that we've seen since we last recorded. And by the way, I would like to apologize because I was ready to come in the studio to record this podcast. Someone at all, Marks and Reese, if any, had to do all big time, rocks, paper, scissor, whatever. This is on Jack. I was going to come to record but but i will say jackie eddie jackie got a new mic so we're hoping this sounds a little better for everybody we're we're committed we're trying to make this sound good yeah hopefully everything sounds good with this thing and uh actually this i i don't really have the marks

and reese event tomorrow I have the John Bartred podcast event over in no I'm just kidding although if you're into podcasting and you're trying to get into the game that's a good event to go to

but no so tomorrow night I have the Marks and Reese Rock Paper Scissors tournament which is it's going to be massive I'm looking forward to it I'm singing the national anthem So tomorrow night, I have the Marks and Reese Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament. Shout out. It's going to be massive. I'm looking forward to it. I'm singing the national anthem before the final round. Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. All right. So true dedicated High Hopes listeners have been with us for a while. Heard Jack sing on this podcast. Oh, my throat hurt. Whatever all the excuses he got. It wasn't great. And that was a song that Jack thought he could sing great. The National Anthem,

like, I don't know, top five hardest song to sing. This is going to be a disaster. Is it going to be recorded? Is it going to be something that's going to be out there for people to see? I hope so. Do you really hope so? Do you really think you can sing the National Anthem well? Is that something you actually truly deep in your

soul believe? No. But I don't really care. I think it's an international anthem? Well, is that something you actually truly deep in your soul believe? No, but I don't really care. I think it's almost funnier if it's bad. Okay. All right. I can take that. All right. Baseball.

JT Romito leading off. Look, I think the McCutcheon thing, we had talked on the last pod that it looked like he wasn't going to be there to start the season. It looks like probably we're looking at hopefully the beginning of may who knows how long it lasts kind of thing you know 31 coming off an acl tear only nine months out um you know it's not surprising that it's going to take longer it's obviously a bummer i think all of us are just ready to see andrew mccutcheon playing baseball again i My death knell of saying he's my favorite Philly, like two weeks before he got hurt. But I'm dying to see that guy play again.

But in the meantime, they're going to have to figure out the thing. Like he is the leadoff guy. He will be the leadoff hitter when he's ready. That is clear. That is a fact. But we kind of questions, what are they going to do in the meantime? JT leading off down in Philly, down in Clearwater Day bryce hits two bombs as well but we'll get to that um what do you think about the jt in the leadoff spot well let me i just want to talk about mccutchen for a second because like i'm actually i'm more worried about

mccutchen than i feel like most people are like he's gonna be he's 32 he's coming off of an ACL injury. He is, from everything we've read, everything we've heard, doesn't look like he's totally trusting the knee right now. I don't think we're going to really see, even when McCutcheon comes back, which is hopefully May, I don't know if we're going to fully see Andrew McCutcheon being Andrew McCutcheon until July or maybe even August because I just

he's favoring it a little bit and he's not moving as fluidly as he used to it's just going to take him longer than most because of his age and what not so I'm kind of nervous for McCutcheon. Me too.

It's a bummer. I hope he can get back to being Andrew McCutcheon, the guy that we saw last year. I mean, before he got hurt, McCutcheon was awesome, and he was kind of threatening to make an all-star team. So I'd be surprised if we saw that kind of player next year. I would just love it. I want him to get back to being fully healthy, being happy again.

I think left field could be an early Achilles heel for this team. So that's going to be one to monitor, whether it's Haseley and left field. Yeah, and on that point for all the people who are like, oh, McCutcheon can play center field for long stretches of time if they need him. Yeah, let's get that completely out of your mind. Like, let's get that as far out of your mind as you could possibly have. McCutcheon's playing left field when he's back, and they are not even going to mess around with putting him in center.

Right, right. Nor should they. Could there be days where Roman Quinn's in center and Haseley's in left, or Bruce is in left and Haseley's in center? Yeah, that's just not great for a team that you're hoping can win 88 to 90 games. So we're completely out on Jay Bruce? I mean, there was a time where Jay Bruce was the savior of this franchise before he got hurt where it was, you know,

Jay Bruce is the greatest filly I've ever seen. Why are we totally out on Jay Bruce? I'm not, like, out on Jay Bruce. I just don't think he can start left field every day. Get the lion's share. Certainly against right-handed pitching, get the lion's share of that left-handed left field spot. And I think he will, honestly.

I think that's the most likely guy to play the most in left field with mccutchen out and like why can't jay bruce be a solid contributor i mean look it's not gonna be mccutchen it's not gonna be the same type of level of production all that but like jay bruce is fine i think jay bruce is okay yeah i think i think jay bruce is fine i just don't want i don't trust him to start every day no no again again i'm saying like the the lion's chair though again like jay bruce start 90 of the games against right-handed pitching why not yeah i mean you worry about the uh the defensive shortcomings but it's gonna they don't they don't really have a choice they don't really raise hoskins in left

field for a year i mean come on well that. Well, that was with the Gabe experiment. So they're doing whatever they could. Girardi would probably have a heart attack. Like Jay Bruce, look, Jay Bruce, he's a bad left fielder, but he's not the worst left fielder in baseball. At least he knows where he's supposed to be. At least he knows what he's supposed to do out there. He's just big and oafy and doesn't have a lot of range. But at least he's like he's supposed to do out there you know he's just big and oafy and

doesn't have a lot of range but at least he's like burl yeah that's actually a great comp he's like burl like you could get by with that if he's hitting i mean we don't know that he's gonna hit but if he's hitting you can get by with that i feel i just feel like jay bruce has kind of almost been like a forgotten guy like i think there are a lot of people who don't even realize Jay Bruce is still on the team. That's fair. I see that. I kind of just have this weird sense that I like Jay Bruce a lot as my left-handed option off the bench late in games

that can go out and pop a home run. And I would be intrigued to see what a Roman Quinn-Haisley center field-left field combo would do because I still think that Jay Bruce's best role in this team is going to be a left handed option off the bench but I guess at that point late in games you can go Haseley and left and

Quinn and center like what Charlie used to do with Burrell in the eighth all the way back in the day so and again counting on Roman Quinn to be healthy in May or wherever is, you know. Well, just in a season. Yeah, and that's my point. I'm talking like starting in April, he'll be healthy hopefully.

Like counting on him to stay healthy for a month is, I mean, it's just a tough proposition. He's never, ever done it. So I just, you know, I think you limit those opportunities. I think you have to. I think, and as a result. I think you have to. And as a result, I think, look, it's going to be some combination of those three guys. And look, Logan Forsythe against tough lefties.

Logan Forsythe just continues to crush the ball down in spring training. Logan Forsythe, like a 460 batting average or whatever. And I told you, I like Logan Forsythe as a 25th guy. I like him. He can hit left-handed pitching. I'm liking a lot of the guys they brought in. That was one of the things that we talked about a lot with the minor league contracts that they sent out there, was that you're asking veterans who have been productive in Major League Baseball to all come in and compete at the same time. And I think that gets the best out of guys.

So I'm with you on Forsyth. I love Josh Harrison. I think Kyle Garlick is intriguing. They've brought in, I don't think the bullpen guys have worked out as well. But if you're looking for really, really good 25th, 26th man guys, the Phillies, I think, nailed it. So I'm so with you. Forsythe I thought was kind of cooked.

But, I mean, he's raking so far. Yeah, and again, he's a guy who could do a specific thing. I like the idea of with your bench spots, guys who I know Logan Forsythe against a left-handed pitcher is going to give me a shot every time. Like I like that. I like someone who I feel confident in that situation. When you have a guy like Bruce who does mash right-handed pitching, and I just like the idea of platooning or loose platoons or whatever with guys who do certain things really well. And if nothing else, I feel confident even at this stage of his career, Logan Forsythe is going to give me a chance against a left-handed pitcher pretty much every time he goes up there.

So I do think that the depth they have, the moves they've made, obviously we've talked a lot about Josh Harrison, those types of guys. I think it can be serviceable to get you by. I think the real question, like you said, is A, when does McCutcheon come back and how viable is he when he comes back? How long does it take for him to get back to being some semblance of the Andrew McCutcheon we saw last season early on obviously before he got hurt yep I I agree we'll see all right uh Harper two bombs today Jack there we go I'm all in on the Harper MVP season I've been saying it for a while. I think he's the best bet in terms of the odds.

If I were to place my money on someone based on the odds to win the NL MVP, I would bet on Bryce Harper where he's at. I think they're really fantastic odds ending in his 27th season. But I just think he's going to be an MVP guy. I don't know if he'll win it or not. There's a lot of different factors that can go into that, and you never know what type of season people have. Last year, Christian Yelich had

as great a season as a player can have and got hurt three weeks before the end of the season and doesn't end up winning the MVP. I get it that things like that can happen, but I think Bryce Harper is going to be one of those guys at the end of the season, one of the two, three, four guys who are saying, oh, he's an MVP contender. He can

win the MVP. Are you on that same line of thinking? Yeah, I mean, I don't know about the MVP of it all. Again, that's what I mean. There's a lot of factors, but will you have an MVP-type season in your eyes? I think this is the season that Bryce Harper reasserts himself as, oh, my God, that's Bryce Harper. You know? Yeah, that's a big one.

I just can't wait and i was texting i know you don't like when i do this but your name dropping your name dropping i was texting with franson today yeah buddy and i was after the second home run i was like i was like oh bryce is about to do it and he's like he's dude, it's just effortless right now. And the thing that my main takeaway from today, and obviously you couldn't see it, but just in the videos that I was able to find, he went opposite field.

And I think if Bryce Harper's already going opposite field, I mean, it's game over. And the swing looks fast, it looks quick, but it looks almost effortless, like Franny was talking about. I just can't wait. He looks so relaxed. He looks so calm.

He looks like he's just settling into Philadelphia. We've said it a lot, but I think that Philadelphia legitimately got the best version of Bryce Harper. And I think the fans in the city pushed Bryce Harper to a new level. And I was on baseball savant the other day and i was just i'm trying to find like diamonds in the rough and in fantasy in fantasy baseball and obviously sometimes you can look at baseball savant and a guy jumps out and i was just looking at um uh expected wobah and stuff like that expected

slugging um and like harper was top 15 in expected slugging and expected Woba. And for a guy that had a pretty bad first start to the year, first half of the year, to end up that way, it's almost like we've underrated how good Harper was last year. And if you look at his numbers from really the second half on, but even when he started toe-tapping, from really the second half on but even when he started toe tapping which i think was august 14th uh against hamels and they owned hamels and they they they destroyed that trader and they kept him off the philly's wall of fame and they should never retire his number um bryce harper toe tapping the number one hamels hater out there it's too well um toe tapping bryce harper number one hamels hater out there it's too well um toe tapping bryce harper was was born that night and his numbers from that point on i mean an ops over a thousand

so um now he hasn't he has not changed from the toe tapping from the off season to spring training and for a guy that tinkers as much as Bryce Harper tinkers, for him to stick with that kind of plan at the plate, I think is massive. Like, I just can't wait, man. I think he's going to be, I think he's going to go down in the Dawkins and Nutley category. Like, I just think that's a guy that connects with the city, plays hard night in, night out, and just hits tanks. And I can't wait.

I can't wait for Bryce. Every single night just being able to watch Bryce. This is the year that everyone's going to be like, oh, yeah, that's Bryce Harper. That's the child prodigy, the face of baseball. Reasserting himself and could carry this team on a bit of a run here. Well, and the Utley thing, that's the thing. I think that I think most people weren't ready for last year.

We're the first and foremost, obviously he comes here and he just says all the right things and does all the right things, but it's, it's more than that. It's the way this guy goes about his business, the way he plays the game. I don't think people realize how hard he plays the base running the dare i say elite

right field play last year the cannon of an arm that the like five tool play like it's such a cliche but like he's a five tool player like he's that guy who can do everything a baseball player is asked to do and do it all at an elite level and we saw that in spades last year i'm not a name trapper like you but i'll just say someone who works on a Phillies broadcast team was listening to the Midday Show and texted me 275-42-125. And I think those numbers might be light, at least the first two. So I feel really good, really good about Bryce Harper. And I think from a leadership perspective from a

setting the tone perspective you know we've talked a ton here about him and Romito and kind of like that that leadership group that they're gonna have here um and I think that Harper's really at the core of it and and I know we talked a lot last year about when he came here the idea of it finally being his team that in washington he was always the 19 year old kid the prodigy whatever but he was always that kid who came up it was never his team it was max scherzer's team it was you know it wasn't his like he was never looked at as a leader because he was always that kid he was was always the young guy who came up. Played Zimmerman. Like Zimmerman at work.

Exactly. Like here, this is Bryce Harper's team. Like he's the guy. Like him, Romulo, whatever you want to say. But like he's the dude. And he exhibited with his play last year. Exhibited with the way he handled the media. I mean, again, going back to the, you know, I would boo me too.

Like all that type of stuff. Like not only does he act like a leader, not only does he talk like a leader, not only does he play like a leader, but he just gets it. He gets Philadelphia. He gets what we want from an athlete. And he just, whether it's manufactured or not, like who cares? Like he gets it and he plays right into it. And it's awesome.

Like I'm here for it it i'm so here for it and i just think his 27 season i think especially when you look at all the and i know we talked about last year but all the reasons that you can explain away the first half last year the new town the being a leader for the first time that his clubhouse a new place like his wife being pregnant like this and that like there's so many reasons to say all right like there are real human reasons to why he started off slow you look at that second half i think we're gonna see the second half guy way more than the first half guy look we know bryce harper's always been a streaky player he's gonna go through slumps in his in during a season like like every player does to be fair but he's definitely a guy who can get into a rut here and there but i really think that that

on the whole when we look back on next season i really think it's going to be an mvp type like you said reassert himself on the the national stage as the face of baseball type season and i'm just so ready for jack i'm so i'm getting like I'm getting like, I'm getting like, I'm like shaking. I'm getting like giddy thinking about this here. I'm just ready. I feel like you're, I feel like you're about to tear up. I am. I'm tearing up a little bit.

Like you said, though, like that's the thing is like, it's crazy to make a Chase Utley comparison. You asked 90% of baseball fans my age or, you know, really from my age to even like close to your age, like who's your favorite baseball player? It's Chaseley like that was our dude that was Philadelphia like that was that guy like Harper's more talented than Utley and I think he is gonna have that same type of Philly mentality and where it's gonna be like like that's like a lot of people you say like a Chase Utley comparison in Philly and it's like heresy.

It's not with Harper. It's on point. And if we can get that type of guy, I mean, I just – I feel like he could be special. I feel like Bryce Harper could be a special athlete in Philadelphia. Someone we look back on as a real meaningful person in our lives. And it's exciting, man. It's really exciting. It's,

I'm pumped. Yeah. And I just think that year two and just, and it's 27 year again for year two in Philly, but also like the historically in baseball, like the age 27 season is a thing. Like if you play fantasy baseball, you know,

like it's a thing that people like draft based on and this and that, like in the age 27 season is a thing it is the year that players break out in their physical prime like that is the year where historically most players reach their physical peak like 27 28 like that's like the time like we're in that wheelhouse here and and i just man i'm like i'm geeked about it jack i'm really like i'm i've i can barely speak right now i'm so excited about it it feels like we're doing the emergency i know i guess all over again hey shout out to the one year anniversary of intoxincen like that was pretty cool it was pretty i feel like remember the moment i remember where we

were and watch us running around then going back to record again and it was pretty i feel like remember the moment i remember where we were and watch us running around then going back to record again and it was just awesome i feel like once a year we need to do a bryce harper appreciation like oh that's our guy now that's our guy he's our guy and he signed a 13-year deal with no trade clause and all this stuff like he's here he's in he's pot committed to philly and we should be bought committed to him. Yeah, and just in watching and looking from afar and whatnot, it feels like this team has kind of taken on the personality of Bryce and JT. Thank God. Thank God.

That's the kind of team I want to root for. And Girardi. That's a Girardi personality, too, for what it's worth. Yeah, it just seems like those two, you know, I said it a lot last year, and I'll say it again. Like, you're coming into a brand new clubhouse, you're thought to be the leaders of that clubhouse, but you just got there. Like, you see this problem with the Sixers, like, Josh Richardson's talking about how he has to do the team meetings, and it's like, I'm Josh Richardson, I just got here a minute ago. And I'm like the fifth most talented player on this team like that's ridiculous right and and last year i felt like no one really knew how to step up but now jt is is a is a lead by example guy and then harper is the same kind of way but also the face

of the franchise the guy that's going to get the media coverage um and he just seems very comfortable talking about where he is like every time i see him, I'm just shocked by how relaxed he is. And I'm always shocked about how much I used to not like him. And now I love him. So it's been a big 180 for me and Bryce. And I am already counting down the seconds to when I get to say hi to him on Monday morning. Oh, yeah. Let's talk about that.

Jackie Clearwater here. You know, kind of messed up that, you know. It's not like I went to Clearwater. I've been producing the Midday Show for like three years now. And they go to Clearwater. But I don't get to go. But all of a sudden, you're producing your first chance. And you're going to Clearwater.

Yeah. What the hell, man? It's a shame. It's messed up. As you know, I had nothing to do with the decision not to bring you down in the years past. All I'm saying is that I can't wait to be down there. For the first time since 08, I'll be in Clearwater.

I've never been. It's number one on my sports bucket list. I've literally never been to Philly Spring Training. So which do you think is more disappointing to the High Hopes listeners? The fact that you've never been to Spring Training or the fact that I've never been to a playoff game? Oh, I mean, that's way worse.

I've been to two world series games and and multiple playoff games so i feel actually much better about this now i think yeah you've never been a playoff games absolutely more disappointing yeah well my parents didn't see the vision you know what how about this uh oh god this is gonna be really sad because yes i'm trying to do the math and i'm guessing you weren't born yet do you know what the first world series game i went to was um i mean 93 yeah obviously by the set were you born yet not yet no no no no i went i went sure wasn't i went to the highest scoring world series game in this through the world series 15 14 i want my dad oh the game that Schilling started? Yep. 1514. My only memories are of just balls flying out of the ballpark.

I remember Lenny Dykes running two homers and losing, sadly. But yeah, my very first World Series game I ever went to, and I went to one in 09 too. I didn't get to go to 108, but I went to one in 09. I actually went in 09. I went to the A-Rod,9 i actually went in 09 i went to the a rod uh the first uh replay review and world series game the a rod homer off the the yeah yeah off the camera yeah yeah off the camera i went to that one too uh but i've been to multiple playoff games i was

at the game where howard tours achilles which was like the biggest bummer because you like see the play play out and you're like oh like oh that sucks he lost and then you look at home plate and he's like crumpled at late and you're like what just happened like what what's happening right now oh that was that might be my least favorite sporting man i've ever been in my life for what it's worth but yeah i was at the 15 14 game in 93 which is crazy uh god you're so old and i actually no i actually jack i i'll show it to you something i actually still have a program from that game um that's so old of you i know so yeah i think the answer is and look i need to go to clearwater it's like absurd that i haven't been it's number one on

my list like literally on my sports bucket list it's not going to lambo it's not going to like because i've been to wrigley i've been to family i've done every baseball thing i need to do um it's not going to like some like cool stadium it's not going to like like a final four game or this or that or any cool thing it's no it's going to spring training clearwater like that's number one for me so well but yeah it's way way way way more disappointing that you haven't been a playoff game like that's ridiculous well the good thing for you is that you're getting close to retirement. At least you didn't say death, buddy. Thank you for that.

I appreciate it. No, you've got a long time. You've got a long time to go before that. But retirement is in your very near future. The gray hairs are getting more and more. If only, Jack. Let's say that. If only.

Here's the thing.'s the thing people always say oh if i won lottery if i retired if i won the lottery i would totally quit my job oh like sorry whatever i wouldn't this is the only thing that i would keep doing high hopes is the only thing that i would do no matter what like i wouldn't want to stop this i don't know if that means anything to you but that is in soul, the God's honest truth. I would quit everything else I did if I won the lottery. I would retire from everything else I could. I wouldn't stop this.

I love to hear the commitment. I appreciate it. It's the truth. I swear to God, on Zoe's life, that is actually the truth. Good, good. As the Phillies hopefully get better, you know, hopefully we can start doing more and more fun stuff. Yeah.

Well, we got some fun stuff coming up we're going to talk about. For sure. All right. You got any more baseball stuff before we get to fun stuff? Because we do have some fun stuff to talk about. Yeah, well, we didn't. What are we doing? Why don't you just talk about Pavetta?

I'm sure you have something to say. Oh, I mean, I'm just here to spin it. Like, I mean, he allowed three runs tonight. And, you know, I got minimal tweets, which is good. I just – the way that I view it is that when I get minimum tweets about Pavetta, it's that those people were actually listening to the game and they realized that if the regulars were playing he gets out of this the first inning unscathed but since it was Ronald Torres who's like you know five foot six and not Didier Glorious

the plays were not made behind him so I know Nick can't say it himself he can't come out post game and say if the regulars were out there I don't allow any runs so I'll say it himself. He can't come out postgame and say, if the Regals are out there, I don't allow any runs. So I'll say it for him. And I will take that for Nick Pavetta. So that's the Nick Pavetta spin zone. Good looking out. Good looking out. We didn't really get into JT leading off, but I just...

Yeah, you're right. I led with that, and then somehow we really didn't get into it you just talked about kajan and then harper real quick what do you think about the jt leading off thing so i i've been a big fan of getting a guy in the leadoff spot that is going to make hard contact um like the astros did it for a long time with springer he's been a long time leadoff guy and actually i was looking at his stats from last year. I didn't even realize he had a 380 OBP. To me, he's always been a 340 OBP.

I'm having trouble hearing you. I'm hearing a trash can banging sound in the background. I'm not sure what that is. I was actually concerned because of the name. It's trouble listening. Getting a guy at the top of the lineup. Obviously, Real Muto's not the biggest walk guy,

but he's a guy that's going to put the bat on the ball and usually create hard contact. He's an elite base runner. I was just about to say that. He's obviously fast for a catcher and all that we talk about, but he's one of the better base runners in the league in terms of taking bases when, you know,

they're not there to take and all that, like really a great base runner. Dude, you want to know what I'm most excited about for this Phillies team? It's just like fundamental, smart, smart baseball, baby.

Oh, please give it to me. Like, like Franzen was having a meltdown of happiness on the air tonight because they, uh, they went Hoskins and Hoskins and whoever was on base in front of them went the proper length on a fly ball to left field that may or

may not have fallen so they get back in time and like it's I'm excited to get back to enjoying the little things about baseball and uh I I know like we liked gabe last year or i liked gabe but there's there's a big part of me that's excited to watch what baseball now baseball is kind of meant to be played um this year just little things um you know clean cutoffs like i saw i saw him practicing cutoffs the other day and i saw him practicing pfps was like, wow, that's a crazy concept. So I'm excited for the little things. I think Philadelphians are going to fall back in love with the intricacies of baseball this year.

I'm so excited. And real quick, you mentioned listening to baseball. By the way, the point is we're both in on JT leading off, right? That's the takeaway well yeah it's like it's like sure we could put uh i can't remember he kind of went into a nosedive when he was there last year uh roman quinn obviously is fast enough to do it but i i just i i don't want him leading off i'd rather have him down lower in the lineup and try to create havoc that way i mean real muto just makes sense if you're a real muto harper get your two best guys up there and let them kind of try to do damage fast also if if dd could get a hit this spring training

that'd be great but uh because he's probably training five full hitter i know i know i know i mean i never look into spring training results so you you mentioned um listening to the phillies which is by the way awesome that it's back. Shout out to Scott and Kevin and Larry and oh my god, give me all the Sports Radio WIP Phillies baseball I can get, because that is the best team target. It's just so good. But

look, I get it. I would really prefer to see the Phillies playing. I get it. I'm in on it, but can we stop with the whining about them not showing spring training games on TV? Oh, this is horrible. I'm so tired of it. Like, I would love to see them too.

But it's like every day. Well, not on TV. I'm going to whine about it. Like, I get it. Like, I would like to see them too. But it's spring training baseball. Like, really? Really?

Can we stop whining about it? You're on're on the wine team you're on team one i mean i don't i don't want really whine about anything i find whining to be it's like i get it if you want to mention it once like one time that's fine but it's like every day the same people saying oh what not on tv again like all right it's i get it like trust me if they were on i would love to watch it i'm in on that but like can we not whine about it every day can it be something that we say once and move on that that's where i'm no i haven't been i haven't seen one pivetta game yet and he's pitched three games you're so you're so the wrong person to say this to. Yeah, tell this to the camera, all right? Like, I need my seventh inning. I need my seventh or ninth inning.

I wish it was. I'm not saying, like, I wouldn't prefer it. It's just, like, I think, like, one tweet about it, that's fine, and we can move on, right? Like, it doesn't have to be every day, right? Every time you're on TV, I don't have to hear about it.'s just james like they had a double header today and i'm not gonna there's no proof there's no proof that bryce hit two home runs like i just all right i need i need at least a game a week you can't go seven days without me actually you know that's fair a game

a week i think that's a fair gripe i'm just i get it the point is everyone on twitter like i get it i'm with you i would much that's the basis of my point is i i agree i would love to be watching the phillies like i much prefer to be able to see what's happening but it's like i get it all i'm saying is i get it that's all i got you i got it but here's what i had to do. I had to go to Clearwater this week to watch them. That's how deprived I've been of Phillies baseball. All right, so that's going to be fun. Jack's hopefully going to get us some interviews down there. We're going to hear Jack's interviewing prowess.

So low for its interviews. I'm excited for this. Oh, it's so bad. It's so bad. I'll have some papers up, buddy. It's going to be good. It's so bad. It's so bad.

I'll have some papers up, buddy. It's going to be good. What's so funny is that I'm going there for Marks and Reeves, so I'm obviously trying to do the most work I can for them to prove my worth there. But I just know I'm going to see people that only high-up people care about. Yeah, get us a Brian Barber interview, will you? Could you do that? Like Barber, O-Ch ochart moniak yeah the you know dan o'coyne like the new the new uh driveline guys

like whatever get those guys that's what we care about yeah i'm gonna spend all my time trying to get the people that like no one from marks and reese really cares about and that only I care about. So I'm trying my best to balance super nerd versus like, oh, hey, Bryce. Jack, what's really important to you? Oh, God. Hey, Bryce. Oh, God. The Jack Fritz, Bryce. I can't even.

I'm actually happy I'm not there to see the awkward interaction that's going to be. All right. I mean, the first thing I have to say to Bryce, the first thing I have to say to him is i mean oh you're happy i brought you here bryce ho ho ho ho ho you're welcome you love philly you're welcome it's the only way to go all right let's talk some nonsense real quick um okay first and foremost uh some sad news in the fritz household not for me because i want jack to live in philly but um you got screwed by a mets fan buddy what happened yeah so um we were all in on moving into philly and and experiencing that but we always said like if the perfect place comes up or shows

up in ardmore like we got to take the we got to take that shot and the perfect place comes up or shows up in ardmore like we got to take the we got to take that shot and the perfect place came up right where we wanted it to be and like monday night i went to bed thinking it's a lock like you know we got the call saying it was ours whatnot and then next morning i guess when the the final offers or whatever came through the the one couple waived their appraisal and like i don't really know what that means at all all i know is that well yeah i would not for what it's worth i would absolutely not waive my appraisal if i were buying a house so okay well we didn't but good like come to me don't don't make mistakes here so we toured the house i bought a house i used to sell real estate i used to sell mortgages like i can help

you here don't don't don't make a foolish decision here all i'm saying is that i toured the house on on Saturday and I saw a Mets apron and I decided at that point that is my sole purpose to get rid of a Mets fan from this area and that's all I cared about and the fact that I did not was not able to deliver on that is very sad and I just I really had this image in my head of getting a M mets fan out of the area even though here's the thing find a mets fan in philly and get rid of them that'd be even better that that's like in the heart of where it matters i in my head in my head he saw so we wrote like a letter to them to like try to help convince them and we mentioned what i did and in my head he looked up who i was saw the philly stuff and said no far more likely they were

like wow they're they're not gonna do the appraisal our house is not worth what we're selling it for so sweet let's do that that's actually what happened so you should be very happy the appraisal is telling you what the house is worth so the fact that they waived the appraisal means that it probably wasn't worth what they're selling it for, and you got a deal. So you should be very happy. Yeah, well, I'm not that happy. Well, you should be.

Move to Philly with me, and it'll be way better. All right. Well, we're probably moving to Philly. So the dream is on. And now I have to find a rooftop. Maybe I'll find some A-hole Braves fan in Philly and you can kick them out. Wouldn't that be better? Truly would love nothing more.

All right. More importantly, March 28th, Jack. Yes. Yes. So mark it in your calendars. March 28th is going to be a hot. It is locked in. This is locked in.

Locked in. Philly's Marlins. High hops night. We're going to drink high hops beer and we're going to watch the Phillies. Right. So come out. Come out. Watch the Phillies with us.

It's the third game of the season. They're against the Marlins. They'll definitely lose the first two games of the series. Corey Dickerson is going to have no less than at least five hits against us. Jorge Alfaro is going to – Yeah, his only home run of the season is going to happen in that game. I was going to be like, well, should we have just kept him instead of JT Romito?

So, yeah, come out. High Hops Night at Four Fingers Brewing Company. 4,500 Aston Mills Road in Aston. Right down the hill from Newman University. We're going to drink High Hops beer. It'll be done by the end of this week, and we're going to have it carbonated and ready to go for the big night, March 28th.

It'll be a lot of fun. Come watch the Phils. Come drink some High Hops beer. Game's at 6. I'll say we'll start at 5. I think that seems fair. So we can hang a little bit and then lock in for the game. Because I don't know about you, James, but I don't like talking during games.

I like my solitude. But around the High Hopes listeners, I will keep talking. I know, but I want to hear the game. But yeah, we'll lock'll lock into we can do both we get look look as you always say our fans are diseased our listeners our listeners are diseased fans as well so i'm sure they're going to want to lock in as well so oh yeah and and the point is the point is it just boil it down to one very simple thing. Come, drink beer, and watch the Phils. And hang out with us.

Yeah, and take home a growler so that when you're watching a game, you can drink the best beer to watch a ball game with, period. Hi, Hoffs. I'm so excited. It's the greatest name for a podcast and now the greatest name for a beer. It's very exciting. Also, speaking of nights, we're working on the High Hopes nights. We think the first one's going to be May.

There might be a twist to it, but we're thinking about having multiple High Hopes nights this year. So give us some time. I've actually had multiple people, believe it or not, already ask me, when is High Hopes night? I can't like tweet certain things out about other events that I'm doing without people saying oh I thought it was high hopes night being announced like I love you it's awesome I can't wait we're working on it

good I hope people still keep doing that like I need people to remind you I'm good with it too I'm good with it um I know i know where my bread is butter jack yeah exactly all i'm saying is that we're shooting for the first high hopes night at citizens bank park in may shoot for the second one august slash september and there might be something in between that in between baby, baby. Plus, yes. We're what? What were we going to say? We're, you know, we're doing something.

Maybe we're on a minor league journey. Maybe. Like the Phillies prospects. Maybe. Also, speaking of prospects, decent chance Zoe shows up for multiple of these things. That's all I'm going to say. Wow. Is she ready for that?

multiple of these things. That's all I'm going to say. Is she ready for that? Cindy Webster is very intent on Zoe being a part of things. If you ever wanted to meet my daughter, you could do that. Talk about a tease. I know, right?

Alright. We came into this and said, we're going to do a 30-minute podcast for once. Yep. Never. You got any final thoughts here i i do i do have a final shock i'm shocked is that i watched the have you watched the video yearbook yet uh yet no i've not ah there's nothing that gets my juices flowing quite like a good old... I know. You're such a video yearbook guy. Dude, I love a video yearbook. How are you doing? You were like so the target audience for a video yearbook. Dude, I'm not even kidding.

I love the video yearbooks. I just... I love going back and watching them. I love going back to the 2007 video yearbook and remembering Adam Eaton. Going back and remembering the players I truly loathe and just filling my head. By the way, booing Adam Eaton at the game where they got the rings in 09 is one of my favorite moments as a Phillies fan. Hey, I was there too.

Were you really? Yeah. That was special. That was fun. That was a great game. They were down like eight runs. They came back to win or like five runs came back to win. I've never been more proud of being a Philadelphia fan.

Yeah, it was really cool. It felt right. Yeah, it was like, you know, this guy sucked. And they won the World Series. And he comes out and gives that sarcastic-ass wave. And I booed him. And I've never been more proud of a boo in my entire life. Me too.

It was epic. Nothing. There was just, I couldn't stand that guy. Anyway, the video yearbook from last year was just mildly depressing. And I was sitting there after I lost the house. And I was very sad. And I was watching the video yearbook. And I got even sadder.

And I just need them tough nights in the fritz hassle i just i just need them not to suck this year like just please be good and i think they will be they're gonna play a fun brand of baseball we're not gonna be frustrated on it like we're not i don't think we're me and james are gonna be sitting here in may or june and they'll be in first place or whatnot. And I don't think, like, the last couple years we've been saying, yeah, they just don't feel like a first place team. You know, I think that's going to go away.

Please. But just, like, oh, it was, like, the one week in L.A. and San Diego and McCutcheon got hurt and then Sir Anthony got hurt and all and all. It was, like, oh, man, that was brutal. Like, I almost forgot about how bad last year was. But hope springs eternal. There's nothing more – there's no more optimistic month in the entire calendar than March. Like, it's just seeing those guys play baseball gives you hope every single day.

Bryce Harper had two home runs today. He's toe-tapping. He is mashing. It's just seeing those guys play baseball gives you hope every single day. Bryce Harper had two home runs today. He's toe-tapping. He is mashing. We get a full season of Bryce Harper. Aaron Nola is fine. Pavetta, if the normal starters were in, has a shut-down performance. So, like, we're close.

We're 22 days away. We're Andrew McCushion days away from Phillies baseball. And I already can't wait for next year's video yearbook. All right. My final thought, first and foremost, as always, rate and review the podcast. It's almost opening day. You want your friends to listen to a good Phillies podcast, right? Yeah, and it matters to Jack. And like I said before, like, if you you care about us it actually really does help us because

it helps people find the podcast especially at a time where the season's starting people looking for Philly stuff like it the the more ratings and reviews we get right now it pushes us to the top of those lists and all types of stuff and it finds you know when people search Phillies we pop up sooner so if you want people to find us if if you care about us, it really does help. The other thought to what you said, Jack, like how amazing is it that we get eight straight days of baseball to start the season? Let's go. Let's go. We finally don't have the dumbass.

Let's go. We don't have the two days off after opening day. We get to jump into the season and roll. I'm so ready. Can baseball please start? Just start. Just roll. I'm so ready. Can baseball please start? Just start. Just start. I know. I need these next two and a half, three weeks, whatever.

It's actually three weeks from tomorrow. I need these three weeks from tomorrow to go so fast. I need it. I need it right now. I need it desperately. Phillies baseball, please, please come. Next week in studio, we good for that for that i mean i can commit if you can commit jack uh yeah we should be good also uh last thing here is that i would like to congratulate

al horford for surpassing jake arietta as the worst contractor in philadelphia um congrats jake it's been a long struggle. Which is actually really funny is that Jake has actually already dropped to third because both Tobias Harris and Al Horford have already passed him, which is a beautiful thing. Yeah, well, let's not depress people. Tobias Harris might be the most overpaid player

in the history of Philadelphia. I mean, let's be real. Tobias Harris should be thanking his stars that Al Horford's here. Here's what I'll say. Sorry, boss. Thank God we're not a Sixers podcast. That's what I'll say. How about that? It does sound

awful. Alright. This was fun. Yeah, always. I don't know how we did 50 plus minutes. What's wrong with us? What's wrong with us? Something. What's wrong with us? What is wrong with us?

I texted Jack before we started. I was like, I got nothing. I don't know what we're going to talk about. Well, here we are. I hope it didn't suck. Hope it didn't suck. Hope you enjoyed it. And before we get out of here, we just have to give a special shout out to one of our

loyal listeners out there this uh this young man has been a big fan of the podcast and we can't tell you how much we appreciate him being involved and and hopefully he can make it out to i hope's night or something we'd love to meet him but need him at high hopes night he what'd you say need him at i hope's night we need him at i hope's night seamus holmes seamus if you're out there, we spoke to your dad. We can't tell you how much it means to us that you're a fan of the pod, that you're a loyal listener, you don't miss an episode. So Seamus, if you're listening, not only do you have an awesome name.

Seamus is an awesome name. Seamus is an underrated name. It's a great name. But Seamus, we really appreciate you being a part of the High Ups community. The High Ups community is all about bringing people together and love and love of the Phillies. And Seamus, man, thank you. We love you, buddy.

So thanks for being a listener. So again, rate and read the podcast. It means the world to us. Until next week, you shred some seltzer. We'll talk to you later. All-star closer, Kenley Jansen, we have a question. What's the best podcast

of all time? Baseball isn't boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game 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 BIB Express.

Follow and listen to Baseball Isn't Boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.