High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: Phillies Take 2 of 3 In St. Louis

Episode Date: September 18, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz discuss the Phillies' series win over the Cardinals this weekend. 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

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 B.I.B. 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. Jordan Walker hit that ball 700 feet yesterday, and for the first time in a while, and it's been a while, I felt nothing. I was just like, eh.

I'm with you. All I wanted was two or three. I know the Cardinals are bad and a sweep would have been nice. They already got two or three. And like Jordan, and Sir Anthony, obviously like it's really important

to get him right for the postseason. But he just hit it and I was like, eh, they already took two or three. Like this, it would have been selfish to be like, go for a sweep and then go down to Atlanta.

Like, I just, yeah, it's, hey, hey, that's baseball. And I was like, I was really happy with the way they fought back. You know what I mean? I was shocked. Honestly, I know that, you know, they always fight back. But for some reason, I just, when they were down 5-3, I was like, it's probably over. Well, and even when Boehm hit the home run, I was like, yeah, nice. I see.

By the way, that's got to be the furthest of his career. Freaking crushed that. Smoke shot. So, yeah, like, you know, Friday was excruciating. Saturday was mostly fine. Sunday, I mean, there's just, is there a pitcher in baseball better when they've already allowed five than Tywon Walker?

Oh dude, it's like he's freaking Cy Young as soon as there's five runs on the board, he'll shut you down. As long as he spots you four. After that, he's one of the best pitchers in baseball. Love to know his stats after already allowing four or five. He's so good.

He's so good after allowing five uh that's the yeah again has to do that first before he's any good um and they lost and the Cardinals aren't very good and like I don't know man Arenado was a freaking vacuum a lot yesterday where like if there's like any other third baseman over there it's probably a different game I agree um overall it was a it was a positive weekend for Phil's baseball. I was glad that they had a tough series against the Braves, and then they go out, it's on the road, you're back out there, and they kind of just did their job. And that's all we're, again, we're a fan base, we're a podcast, we are listeners that are, I just, I need it to end.

I just need this, these next two weeks are, just get me I need it to end. Like, I just need this. These next two weeks are, just get me to the first playoff series. That's where I'm at. Just be done with this. And the funny thing is, is, like, we would have killed for this series last year. Last year at this time, we were like, just win a freaking series, guys. You're going to blow this. And instead, like, they're not playing great.

You know, they did lose three or four to Atlanta. But it's those other teams that are sitting there yelling at their teams. It's Cubs fans. It's, you know, the Reds fans, Marlins fans. Like, what are we? Marlins had a good weekend. But you know what I mean? Like, Diamondbacks finally turn around.

Like, it's watching those other teams kind of flounder. And we're like, all right, we're just kind of maintaining just enough to stay up top here. We live for a flat line. Dude, I'll take it, man. Go 500 the rest of the way. I'll be freaking ecstatic. Yeah. Best team in baseball.

Totally. They've got 13 left, 6 and 7. Sure. I'll take it. It'd be great. Sign up for it right now. Go down to Atlanta. Just win one. Yeah.

Am I crazy to think that I'm more nervous about the Mets games than the Atlanta games now at this point? No, I don't think that's crazy. Yeah. Because you know the Mets want to play spoiler, I think. And Atlanta already clinched. Acuna's probably at least out for a game or two. Like, I don't know.

The Mets just are, the Mets are winning. The Mets are like kind of fighting. Wow. And it's the Mets. The fighting Mets. I love that culture they're building up there. Oh, that's great. I'm just trying to think. Who do the Cubs have? That's the Mets. The fighting Mets. I love that culture they're building up there. Oh, that's great. I'm just trying to think.

Who do the Cubs have? That's a good question. The Cubs are at home versus Pittsburgh. They should get back on track. But, yeah, like, again, it's a funny kind of time right now because you would think there would be all this talk about like the Phillies and like maybe they can do it and like you know but I think the entire fan base is in the same mindset where it's like you're gonna get in like like unless again you just completely fall on your face I mean it would

have to be there they're they're essentially with the tiebreaker what like four up or five up four up I think with five on a playoff spot, four with 13 to play. Well, you said on the air today they played the Dodgers in the second round. Yeah, we got that wrong, all right? We realized it quite quickly. I don't know if I can trust you on anything anymore. That was a bad job. It was a terrible job.

I admit it. It was a terrible job. But I think everyone's kind of in the same boat where, like, they're a good team. They are staying above water. They're not totally collapsing. But they're not playing the most inspiring brand of baseball. And, like, it's so easy.

It's the easiest I've ever felt about how, like, determining how far a team can go. It's very easy. If Sir Anthony can get hot and some of the back-end options can get hot, they have a chance to go far. If they don't, it's going to be a quick exit. If Ranger can ascend and be your number two, because I don't think we're going to see that from Aaron Nola this year, they can have a little bit of a run.

It's like those are the only – those are it. That's it. That's it. And it's not like you can't break it down any simpler than that. If those guys get hot, they're not hot right now. They can do some damage. But until you physically see it, it's hard to just sit here and be like, they're going to do that.

No, totally. And look, Sir Anthony was like this last year. We forget. He really struggled until the very end. And then all of a sudden, the playoffs, he was awesome. He can do that. And I also think last year in and of itself kind of plays in how we feel this year in that last year this time we hated them we were talking about them being losers

until the last series of the season we were like a total group of losers September again and then they went on that run so it's hard to like as much as you look at it and say alright this needs to be better that needs to be better it's also hard to forget how we felt this time last year and then what they did so we know that

that's possible too. Depends who you talk to because there are people that are like well they were hot at the end of last year and then it's like well I'm not sure you were watching. I'm not sure you were watching. So yeah it's last year has definitely clouded

I think how I know how I thought about this year. Totally. Even when I want to do the meltdown stuff, it's like well, they're fine. There's been periods where it feels like meltdown worthy. Totally. But it's been more of a year of, eh, they're

fine. Totally. No, I agree with you. Which is, I guess, a sign of a good baseball team and a sign that maybe we're losing the edge a little bit. But even yesterday, I saw some criticism of like, and maybe this just isn't paying attention, but people were like, how are you going to put Serenity in that spot?

It's like, well, Hoffman pitched two days in a row. You're not pitching in three days and you have the lead you have in the wild card. You have to get him right, CA Finning. And you've got to pitch him now. Who do you want him to turn to there? Do you want to go Alvarado there, who has also been okay?

Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship turn to there. Do you want to draft the best wide receivers. As you prep for your draft, let us give you the coverage you need. Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Like, it's just like, I swear, man. It's just like people complain just to complain. Like, it's just like, someone has to pitch, man. Like, unless you're telling me

you want Junior Marte in that spot over Sir Anthony, then I don't know what to tell you. Yeah. So, but yeah, it's really, and I felt it coming in.

I'm excited to talk about the Phillies, but I'm very, like, wake me up. Yeah. Like, wake me up for the first postseason game. I'm right there with you.

And I think the city will get there. I just think that right now, it's been a long year. They're outside of a major collapse. They're on in the background, but people aren't dialed in on every single pitch. Well, and the Eagles season just started. It's a fact of life.

People are talking Eagles. The Eagles are struggling. There's a lot to talk about with the Eagles. It's what it is with Philadelphia. We saw it last year in October where no one wanted to talk Eagles, and they were undefeated. Sometimes a team can kind of grab the city for a moment. And because of what's happening, where it's the Phillies, we're all like, yeah, they're going to make the playoffs.

Wake me when the playoffs start. There's nothing else I need to know. There isn't intrigue for the division. There isn't really intrigue for even positioning. They're almost definitely going to be the four seed. It's just like, all right, let's just get there. Yeah, and now, but the funniest part is, is that these next

two weeks are going to kind of be a malaise. And then that first love. Oh, buddy, it's going to be the most intense thing that ever happened. There is no bigger switch in intensity from a regular season to a postseason than in Major League Baseball. Again, we remember the end of last year, and then it was like, boom. It's like, oh my, this is like, it was like, boom That first game on St. Louis Was excruciating We hated this team

Until the Gene hit Until the Gene hit We were like, screw these guys And then Gene got the hit And it's like, let's go, run time Favorite team ever Actually, yesterday It felt just like game one

of that series because Helsey came in and almost hit Alec Boehm. And I was like, wow, I've seen that before. And obviously the Jordan Walker home run was the one that's home run all over again. So yeah. But again, it's

they are not, they just look more together this year. They're not playing great. And what has to happen is you have to hope that once they get the feel again and once they get in the ballpark again. Yeah, lift some up. Yeah, August was such a run. It was such a rush.

It was such a high. I think it was natural to have a come-down month. Unfortunately, it's always september for this team um but once once the the the playoff starts i think especially if that says the bank bargain it should be a citizen's bank bargain it's not uh will obviously be despondent but that's where that's where it's we're in now it's go time like we've kind of took our foot off the gas for a month like now we get in and let's let's go do our jobs and at least we know that this group knows what it takes to do that you know they literally just did it they know what they have to do so yeah look it it is it it's

frustrating because it's like all right well let like i don't really have anything to say we all know what to say like aaron nola needs to be better. Really? 2-1-5 5-9-2-94-94. Let's get to the playoff rotation because I don't think it's going to be any different and I know whatever. If it's me, I'm Wheeler, Suarez,

Sanchez. That's my three. I'm not even kidding. That's what I would roll. I mean, there's no way it happens, but Nola will be my fourth starter. Tom Walker, watch the playoffs from I would roll. I mean, there's no way it happens. But Noel will be my fourth starter. Tom Walker, watch the playoffs from home. Yeah, I mean, Tom Walker can enjoy the Kyle Gibson role. Like, absolutely not are you starting a playoff game. You need three outs in a playoff game.

I don't know how this ends up happening. Dylan Covey. Dylan Covey or Tom Walker. I knew where you were going. I would take Dylan Covey. That was my answer. Yes. 100% say Dylan Covey. No doubt. was my answer. Yes. 100% say Dylan Covey.

No doubt. What a time. 72 million. What a time. By the way, Senga might win the Cy Young. Oh, Senga is awesome. We said it. We loved that time when they made it.

Yeah. It's a shame. What can you do?