High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: The Season is Over If The Phillies Lose Tonight

Episode Date: June 8, 2023

Jack Fritz and James Seltzer discuss the suddenly red-hot Phillies ahead of their series finale against the Tigers. 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

If they lose, tonight's season's over. Like, they're not, like, you cannot lose a game where Zach Wheeler's on the mound versus some guy named Reese Olsen. Never heard of him. Legit, legit never heard of him. Like, Nick Maton's batting four for this Tigers team. Dude, the whole lineup, it's like a bunch of guys batting two hundo. And I can't believe, and I loved Torkelson coming out. I cannot believe how bad.

He was either the number one pick in the draft. He was the number one pick in the draft. He's a lock to be great. He's terrible. I mean, great name, Tork. Oh my god. Tork Olsen, big power hitter. It all makes sense. Let's just make it. We are operating... You don't have one guy I'm scared of.

Javi Baez is a shell of his former self. His swing against Sir Anthony the other night was one of the funniest swings I've ever seen. I saw someone tweet, and I apologize who it was, but it was like some version of, this makes Nick Cassianos

last year look like an all-star. That's how bad it was. And having to be a Tiger just sounds like a miserable time. It does. It really does. I think I'd rather play, well, I guess besides Oakland. The A's. But they're going to Vegas. And you get cool uniforms out there.

Yeah. I mean, you're wearing the green and gold. I would say Tigers, White Sox are probably the two that I would least like to play. Yeah, White Sox, I agree with you. Especially the White Sox because you're like the littlest team in town. Yeah. No one cares about you in that town. They can move and people will be like, eh, whatever.

I know. We'll be all right. Cubs are still there? All right, cool. Like Riley Green, he's hurt. I think he's pretty good. Sure. But other than that.

Isn't he also the first pick in the draft? No, he was top five. He was a high pick. Yeah. Well, I mean, they went, so they went Torkelson, Riley Green. Oh, Casey Mize. Casey Mize is hurt. Jackson Jobe, who I like.

What's his name? Josh Jobe. Sorry, Jackson Jobe. Jackson Jobe, who I like. What's his name? Josh Jobe. Sorry, Jackson Jobe. Josh Jobe, yeah. No, Josh Jobe is the eagle. Jackson Jobe is the eagle. Josh Jobe is the eagle, for sure. Correct.

And Josh Jong is the ranger. Yes. But yeah, they just, I mean, for the amount of top five picks they have, for where they are, and the bias signing was viewed as, which was insane at the time anyway. So dumb in the moment. So yeah, they are bad. And I'm just kind of operating on they're gonna win tonight yeah like i'm just oh yeah like i'm just they're gonna win tonight and if they don't it's obviously terrible and i don't care that they took two of three already and already won the series like go out and sweep

the tie that's what i said i said it before the series i was like no i need if we do two or three here i need to sweep here like after what we saw you know, prior to winning two in a row against the frickin' Nationals, woo-hoo, like, was so bad and so upsetting that, yeah, you need to sweep the Tigers. Like, I'm sorry, especially because you put yourself in a hole. And I know there's a long season left to go, and you made a great point, which I will not steal from you and I'll let you make,

because if you're looking for some hope with the Phillies, maybe look ahead a little bit. Oh, right, right, right. But, like, you've got to sweep the Tigers. Like, you have to. You've ruined too many games. You've lost too many games against bad teams. You have to take advantage here.

You do. You do. And especially with who you have on the mound. Yes, exactly. And I think there's this whole – and maybe I'm giving people too much credit here. I just feel like they didn't watch the national start for Wheeler. He was not great, but also there was a lot of leaders and bad defense. A lot of bad luck and bad defense, especially bad defense.

He just got done throwing eight shutty against the Braves in Atlanta. I'll give him one bad start before I'm like, well, see, you had no idea what you were getting out of Wheeler. Again, making this very simple. I don't need to beat around the bush. Tonight's a win, and they swept the Tigers, and now we're on to the Dodgers, which like, if you want to

bring this city, and it's actually it's fascinating, man. They got 36,000 there. People keep showing up. Oh, and the funny thing, too, they have shown up at home for the most part. Like, they've actually been a pretty decent opening. Well, they played the, they're tied for the least amount of home games this year.

That's what I mean. And they're what, like a six, six above or something like that at home. They've just been a complete and total disaster on the road. They're like 10 under on the road. So, yeah, like, but I am surprised with the overall record, the way they played. The people keep showing up. Especially against the Tigers. Yes.

In midweek. Yes. Midweek against the Tigers. Yes. In midweek. Yes. Midweek against the Tigers. So I just think that, you know, the discussion the last week and a half has been like, oh, they're going to fall apart. The season's over. Like, they can't turn this around. There's a lot of things going wrong.

And the discussion this week is obviously, like, when they win, people feel better about the team. That's just naturally how it's going to go. Human nature. Pretty obvious. And I feel better about the team, too. But there's definitely a part of me that's like, you got it. Go show up this weekend and take two or three before I'm like banging the drum.

We start using the B word. Yeah, the B word's nowhere close right now. Which it's not. Well, it's close. It's three games against the Dodgers from being. Yeah, if they win tonight and they either sweep the Dodgers or win two of three in emphatic fashion, we will consider saying the B word on Monday. Well, that's a self-restraint.

Whatever it is. I mean, I've been, so full disclosure, it's been hard for me. Oh, I know. Not to use it. Really struggling. And I've even brought the bit onto the final out. Oh, nice. Which I'm sure resonates well with our WIB listeners.

Sure. When I'm talking about the B word. Who cares? And they're like, what's he talking about? I know. That just shows who we care about the most. Exactly. What it is.

Exactly. It's not the best radio, but it's something that I feel like I can't look the High Hopes listeners in the eyes if I go on final out saying the B word. So I don't want to do that. It's a good job by you. Thank you. I'm very wary and conscious of the word at this point. It's a good job by you.

Thank you. I'm very wary and conscious of the word at this point. So, but, like, good luck. Again, good luck trying to keep me down and keep me grounded if they go out and they take 2-3 this weekend against the Dodgers. Yeah. And then I'll be throwing the B word around like it's nothing. Well, look, Dodgers just lost two in a row to the Reds, right? Yeah, well, that's because the best prospect in baseball came up

and changed the game. Yeah, he's fun, man. Yeah. He's a big boy, too. I didn't up and changed the game. Yeah, he's fun, man. Yeah. He's a big boy, too. I didn't realize how big he was. Well, he's like O'Neal Cruz, except good. Oh, shots at O'Neal. O'Neal was pretty good before he got hurt.

He's shorter than O'Neal, though. Well, yeah, O'Neal's like 6'7". 6'7". But this guy's a 6'5", 200-pound shortstop. Listen, the game's changed. Let's just put it that way. Yeah. So, I mean, between him and Matt McClain and Jonathan India,

they got some guys. They got some guys. They got some dudes there. And I like... And the pitchers. I mean, they got some dudes. I mean, you know. I like that the ballpark's going to fill up a little bit more out there.

You know, I'm a big traditionalist when it comes to baseball. Well, the Will Benson homer, like, that was fun last night. It was. That was fun to watch. It's a good Red Sox by that was fun last night. It was. That was fun to watch. It's a good Reds talk by us. Way too much. It is a lot of Reds talk. It does show, though.

Like, all right, you boys know what they're talking about. It was just, I just, I like seeing, because the Reds are obviously one of the founding. The founding. Yeah. The original franchise. And their opening day parade is special. And I think their ownership is, I hate what they said last year about like, well, you can leave, which

is annoying. So I want the fans... Long history of poor Reds ownership. Yes, I would say that. Maybe the worst. The worst of all time. Yeah, top one. Awful. But, you said something the other day on the morning show that I totally agreed with

that I meant to bring up to you. Is that, and you and I are completely aligned on this. It's why I'm rooting for the Jets this year as one of my other teams. I like seeing tortured fan bases succeed. Thank you. They made fun of me on the word. I've said that on my CBS show. Thank you. I root for

Now, I don't think that Nuggets have been the No, but look, if you're a Nuggets fan your whole life, they've never won one. If that's your squad, like I feel for you, man. Because that was us and still is us. Let's be honest, all right? You know, I know what it's like to be a tortured fan.

I feel for you. Well, 52 years for a Super Bowl. You're damn right, buddy. So, yeah, I'm with you on that. So I like seeing fans have hope again. Me too, man. I think that just goes to show how good of guys we are. I think so too.

Just good people. Just good people. You know, naturally good people. Sometimes I give off the aura that I might not be. Yeah, you are. But I would say. You actually are. Yes.

You're a good guy. Don't let anyone know. No. I don't want anyone to know that. But decent human being. Yeah, decent. Who loves his kid? Yes.

Man, do you love your kid. Walkie. It's a beautiful thing. Well, that's what I was trying to. I said this, I think it was once in a Go Birds spot, it was like my final thought and I was like, this is going to be

a very Elliot final thought because simple and I think obvious. Why are you calling me Elliot just so he's a very, just take a little shot Elliot. He's a simple thinker. Well, no,

his final thoughts sometimes can be like really ridiculous but I was like, this is an Elliot final thought but I was like, man, I just really love my kid. Like, how do people function with how much love they, like, how are you away from your kid and not thinking about him all the time?

I just don't get it. Yeah. Although the phase that we're going through now is anytime that I hold him, because Jill's obviously home with him all day. Ah, this is a tough one. Then again, it starts crying. It's like, well, hold on, buddy. Come on, pal.

I'm right here. Yeah. Hey, I get you for only a little bit of time. You know, you can go back to mommy whenever. I totally get that. That's a tough spot. It's a tough spot. Well, especially me, because I need people to like here. Yeah. I get you for only a little bit of time. You can go back to mommy whenever. I totally get that. That's a tough spot. It's a tough spot. Well, especially me because I need people to like me.

Yeah. Tell me about it. I know, buddy. I know. I can't even get the approval of my kid. What are we doing here? Who I already have layout dreams for to live vicariously through. You send videos and pictures and you love the kid.

Love you back a little bit. He's the best. He's the best. All right. I don't know how we got on that. I don't know. How about the Bills?