High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: Can the Phillies recapture the magic?

Episode Date: January 18, 2023

Don't have time to listen to the entire High Hopes pod? Check out this segment where Jack Fritz and James Seltzer discuss the Phillies future and dream about the playoff runs to come. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

is there any loss in this upcoming eagles run that like i just i don't know how to feel about the world series yet james like you know what i mean like i don't know how to feel about them losing the world series yet like when it first happened i was crushed and it was like that stinks and um you know i think they kind of blew an opportunity here to ultimately you know steal a world series in a sense um and then i would say like two weeks out i was like you know what that was freaking awesome i watched all the highlights like time in my life you know and i miss it so much and i want it back and i it's almost like I've gotten over this the sting of the loss and the only thing that would make it more painful James it's one of those things where it's going to age painfully

like I wasn't alive in 93 but I'm sure that sorry to make you feel old again but I'm sure that we're back to what we do I'm sure that in like 94 95 like you were thinking oh we'll get back like we'll get back we'll get back like we'll get back we'll get back um and it wasn't until they went into the depths of terrible baseball they were like well damn it like that was our only only run yeah and the the difference is obviously that this team is just much more well positioned um but at the same time you know it was hard it's hard it's really hard like you and so it's funny that you're bringing this up so like because i actually i've thought about a lot and the thing that sticks with me was

was what you said right after it happened like that's kind of what stuck with me the longest the the, they, they had a, a golden opportunity where 8,000 unbelievable things went their way and they came up short and it's really hard to get back and do it again. Like that, that I, I, it will go down as one of my favorite Phillies's teams of all time it will go down as my favorite run of all time just because of what we got to do in the experience we had um but i think it's also like gonna be maybe my most painful loss too if that makes sense but does it feel painful right now yeah yeah yeah it does it does interesting it Interesting. It really does. It still does. Again, and to your point, I think with each year they don't win, it will be like they need to win to erase it.

Like they need to win or else each year it'll feel that much more painful. And look, it could have more painful losses and hopefully we don't. But I mean, I think they'll make the playoffs. I'm excited for the possibility and what could happen And look, it could have more painful losses and hopefully we don't. But I mean, that, you know, I think they'll make the playoffs. I'm excited for the possibility and the what could happen in their battle tested. And, you know, I am hopeful and I do think they have a real chance. But like if they don't win one, it I think it's such a great point by you. Like, you know, the more we're talking this out, I think like each year it'll be harder and harder to to not feel more that it was a missed opportunity than it was uh you know uh then it was just like oh great run you know what

i mean and you know it's gonna be you know what's gonna hurt in a way james is that when they make the playoffs again whether it's i hope it's this year, obviously, it could be devastating if they don't, but the difference between the next time they make the playoffs and what happened last year is that there was no expectations. And now it's going to be like,

okay, go in and create that magical run and get us back to the World Series like you did. Now, there are teams like the 14-15 Royals that got to the World Series like he did. Now, there are teams like the 14-15 Royals that, you know, got to the World Series, lost, and then went back and won it. And it's like that's the perfect outcome of this whole entire thing. Yeah, totally. Obviously not like tearing it down and whatnot.

But, you know, now it's so hard to recreate the magic that that team had. And it's going to take longer, I think. The city will be more in on a regular season. The city will be, you know, the ballparks will be more filled up. But I also think there's going to be a bit of a portion that's going to be like, all right, we'll hurry up and win. And that was the difference of that mindset versus coming out of nowhere, going on a run, and the city being like, I need to watch the fills right now. I need to see what they're going to do next.

And that's the part that kind of sucks is that you almost had to go through the 10 years of pain and misery to get to the point where it's like, this is freaking incredible. of pain and misery to get to the point where it's like, this is freaking incredible. And, you know, when they make the playoffs again, it's just going to, if they don't win it again and they don't get to the world series, it's just going to make everything that much more painful. And it's going to make this age, this, this loss age worse. Um, but what, but where I'm going with this is, and I know this isn't an Eagles podcast, but I was thinking about it today. with this is, and I know this isn't an Eagles podcast, but I was thinking about it today,

like, this Eagles team is so good. How do you view what an Eagles lost this year if it's like, in the Super Bowl, it's like, okay, that's fine, whatever, we're going to be back. NFC Championship game, is that crushing? Is that like one of those losses that we

look back on, like, Rondé Barber, Joe Carter, Howard Achilles, you know, is it going to be one of those, or is it going to like oh wait we're like they lost the championship game but it's not like something that people always bring up so first and foremost such a sign of what this philly's off season is that you're bringing up freaking eagles topics on i hope so. Just to really hammer that home, you know, scroll down in your pod feed. You might see a pod called who cares about the Eagles.

Well, I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm trying to combine the Phillies losing in the world series versus how it, how it's actually, it look, it's actually a really apt and interesting comparison and thing to think about.

It's just hilarious. Cause you know, you're the no Eagles guy. Again, again, believe it or not, I do like the Eagles. I know you do. I'm saying on this pod, you know, you're not the one to bring it up. All right. So I actually think that the reason you bring it up is is how i feel like i with the eagles the way i look at it is you know on a basic level you know i think hertz and sirianni if you believe they're the guys and i do then then i think this season in some ways is is successful

already in the idea that you found those two and that's the most important thing in the sport but i honestly think and i know it would be quote unquote a successful season if they lost the nfc championship game and i know that if they get to the super bowl like it can't be disappointing or anything it's like wow what a great year everyone thought they would win you know nine games or 10 games or 11 maybe whatever um now they're in the super bowl but i actually really think that you know and i felt this way really most after the ironically enough the the giants game that made it you know, and I felt this way really most after the, ironically enough, the, the giants game that made it,

you know, 12 and one or whatever, when they beat him 48 to 22. And it doesn't really change even with the injuries. Cause the guys are coming back. I I'm kind of going to be disappointed with this equal season. If they don't win the super bowl, almost no matter what.

And I think, well, that will it match the Phillies losing the world series? Like which, which would bring, which would bring... No, no, no. I won't be as crushed as that Phillies loss.

No. So they lose the Super Bowl, just like the Phillies lost in the World Series. You're more crushed by the World Series loss. Absolutely. Absolutely. And there's a ton of reasons for that, but absolutely. What about when the Flyers...

Just kidding. Just kidding. No. Well, what's interesting is that... absolutely what about what about when the flyers just kidding uh just kidding no no no uh well what's interesting is that because like bringing this to all the the sports now which is what we do here wip um is is like with this with the sixers is that it's pretty much just like what are you doing it's great well i'm just saying like i'm looking at the expectations for all the teams right and the expectations for all the teams right and the expectations for the phillies were just like this is freaking awesome but yeah i get

it but it's also now now it's win the world series but now it's when the world series which and the sixers it's you know win win the second round and i and there's a part of me that wonders like are we going to get to a point with this phillies team that they don't get it done in the next couple years where it's like wake me up when you get there because that's where that's where I feel like a lot of the fan base is with the Sixers it's just like yeah you know like wake me up when you get out of the second round but the Eagle I mean the Phillies just last year had multiple rounds more success than the Sixers have had of course the Sixers thing I think is that they haven't come past the second round they were the one seed the one year.

Embiid's been MVP candidate for years now and all that. And, like, they haven't get past the second round. So I think it's a different situation where I do think the Phillies have that pressure on it. But I think the Phillies, it was just one year they made the playoffs, and it was an unexpected great run at the end. I think people will, like like i think people's expectations while they'll say they want them to win the world series i think people will go into next year

expecting them to make the playoffs i don't think people will expect them to win the world series i think they will think they can i think that that you know obviously some people will but i think on the whole i don't think that the expectations will jump to what you're talking about quite yet. I think it's a couple more years of this and then they're fully there. You know what I mean? Whereas with the Sixers, and it's not even when the championship, like the Sixers, we just wanted to get past the second round of the playoffs because it's

every year, you know? So I think it's a little different. I get your point, but I think it's a little different. Yeah, I agree. But my overall point is just win the World Series. It shouldn't be that hard. It shouldn't be that hard. My take is when you have an opportunity to become legends,

become legends. That's pretty much it.