High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: We Are NOT Using the B Word

Episode Date: May 11, 2023

Jack Fritz and James Seltzer react to the Phillies sweep of the Blue Jays and comment on just how different the team's lineup looks with Bryce Harper in the middle of it. 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

You look at how they are right now, and I'm not going to use the B word, because I don't want to use the B word. We have a negative connotation with it. Whatever. Yeah. No B word. But, but, when this thing starts to turn, and the Dodgers series is bad. They were on the turn, and they took a minor step back.

Minor step back. Five straight. Five straight minor steps back. Five straight minor step backs. But, Ranger back on Saturday. Yep. Lineup will eventually, like, it's naive to think a lineup's hot at the same time. Like, it just doesn't happen.

It never happens. We always say every year we're like, oh, it never happens. It's not possible. I'm sorry. It's just not. But they have enough talent in it to where it can supplement guys who wear cold. No doubt. You know?

And you just look at it with Bryce especially being back, and it's just like there's no – like Stott right now is an easy out, but like – He's not necessarily an easy out. He still does work at bats. Yes, he does. Like, give him credit. Like, he does go up there, and he works counts, and he fouls balls off.

He just has not been hitting the ball where they ain't. Right. He doesn't have the exit hits right now. But at the same time, I agree with you. He's working a ton of pitches. They are 3-0 in their last three with him in the lineup. Yeah, undefeated as soon as they made the switch. Yep. So you

gotta factor that in. They might never lose again with him in the... That'd be good for the brand because we're complaining about it. But yeah, the lineup is just gonna be good. Imagine we were so upset they were 70-19. Now they're 119. How cool is that?

I know. It's pretty crazy. Best team ever. So, you know, the lineup I think is going to be fine. I think Ranger coming back is a major lift to this team. The Alvarado injury stinks. It's a real bummer. It is a bummer.

But they actually, it's not going to crumble. They got other guys. It's not going to crumble the bullpen. Especially if Sir Anthony looks like he did last night. And Strom is back. So Strom is in the bullpen. So they have another lefty option to where it's not like. And you already had Soto to begin with, so.

Correct. Correct. So I'm just saying, I know you're not smelling it. I know that there might not be a lot of people out there that are currently smelling the Phil's run. Smelling it. But I hear it. Let's just put it this way.

It's like when you're younger, and it's like a weekend morning, and your parents are already downstairs. Nothing better. Right? Your parents are already downstairs. They're cooking up breakfast, and when you wake up, you smell the hint of the bacon, right? You smell a hint of the bacon. That's me right now smelling this Philz Run. Smelling this Philz Run.

Is that a Lehigh Valley shout out? Sure. Go pigs, man. I can't believe it's been 15 years with the Iron Pigs, by the way. Has it really? Wow. I was a Wilkes-Barre Scranton Barons. Wasn't that what they were? The Red Barons.

The Red Barons. Look at you. You're feeling it. Real quick. Beating Gosman and Manoa has done some They didn't really beat Gosman No they didn't But they worked enough pitches Literally did not beat Gosman

But I don't know if you can deny this Good luck with that But they won the game that Gosman started They did Dude Swanson was annoying He annoyed me because good luck with that. But they won the game that Gaussman started. They did. Dude, Swanson was annoying. He annoyed me, Swanson.

Yeah. Well, my problem with adding Swanson now is I just always just keep saying in my head, like, Samsonite, Swanson. You know what I mean? I was so close. Yeah. So that's my problem with Swanson's. That's a good one.

You've really been in Dumb and Dumber lately. I feel like we've gotten a lot of Dumb and Dumber lately. Well, that's because I am Dumb and Dumber. I feel like we've gotten a lot of Dumb and Dumber quotes from you recently. Well. It's good work. Because I would say that this podcast right now is Dumb and Dumber. Which one am I? I don't know.

I'm definitely more Jeff Daniels. Yeah, I'm definitely Jim Carrey. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, which makes me Dumber, I guess. They're pretty close. They're both pretty though. They're pretty close. They're both pretty though. They're pretty close. They're both pretty though.

So how's that? It's good. I appreciate it. Thank you. No problem. All right, let's start with the Alvarado injuries because I think that is clearly the biggest news since we last spoke. Elbow inflammation, you know, Thompson said he's a little concerned.

I think anyone would be a little concerned with any sort of elbow injury to a pitcher. That throws 100. That throws 100 miles an hour, exactly. How concerned are you? Talk to me in a week. Yeah, I know what you mean. You just don't know right now. If it's a week from now, they're like, yeah, he'll be back.

It was more precautionary than anything. He did say after the game that they got a good news on the elbow thing, which is good. Which is great. But at the same time, the way they've talked about injuries recently has just annoyed me. Like, because they just give you hope when they're like, hey, he could have gone today. And then like, oh, wait, no, he's actually on the IL. Well, and then also the Bryce thing

just totally, like, obscures everything. Yeah, true. It's like all this positivity. And it's true. It turned out true. So now it's like, all right, they positive. He's like, Bryce, we'll be back. I know.

Maybe they're just overly positive about injuries. And then they're just like, yeah, we'll see what happens in the morning and then they come back in the morning it's like well there's a 15 day ielts and so uh well even like reese remember topper's like well he's walking around oh my god yeah that was the worst yeah yeah yeah he's walking around clubhouse might be all right i don't believe he looked all right we talked next day done for the year boom like immediately the next morning it was like yeah he had us hoping for one night that everything was going to be all right.

I believed him, too. I was such a sucker. You didn't. You were better. I remember being like, we're talking about should we pod, should we not? I was like, let's wait. We're going to pod, and it's going to be out four to six weeks or whatever. He's like, I don't think so.

I'm like, look what Topper said. I know. I was like, thanks, Topper. I know. Well, quick thing on Reese. Imagine him in this lineup. It's so annoying that he's out. It's so annoying.

I know. It is. It's mattered. It has mattered. And I talked about this on the final out the other night, but the one, the most underrated part of Bryce coming back for me is obviously his presence, whatever. But they finally have another guy that's patient.

They have so many aggressive guys in the lineup that he balances. Oh, like Trey Turner? Yeah. He walked the gang yesterday. That, like Trey Turner? Yeah. He walked again yesterday. That's two straight games at the walk. Dude, his K percentage is 25.7. He's like 18 for his career. Awesome.

That's drastic. He is striking out at a significantly higher clip than he ever has. What about his 6 for 33 with a runner in the scoring position? What about another guy who's like a 3 to the scoring position What about like He's another guy Who's like a 310 OBP Or whatever OBP What about

What about 2 for 19 In late and close situations Is that good Is that what we want He'll be alright He'll be fine Alright We'll just keep saying it

Next season He's gonna be awesome Alright That's what happens I'm just Sign big guys They suck for They're in trouble

They suck for a year And then they're good I'm just saying I'm just saying. I'm praying for the Trey Turner turnaround. Cannot wait for it. No pun intended. Because when it happens, if it happens, Dude, Turner, Harper,

Castellanos, especially this version of Castellanos. Schwarber. Turner grabbed that, too. That's what I mean, though. Once he gets rolling, I mean, that four in a row is like... Imagine if you had said in 2018, we're sitting here plugging away at this little podcast, talking about Reese Hoskins and how excited we are

about Scott Kingery's future and whatever. And Nick Williams. And you said to us, hey, in five years, your two through five hitters are going to be Trey Turner, Bryce Harper, Nick Cassianos, and Kyle Schwarber. And JT. Yeah. We would have been like, get the bleep out of here.

Like, no way. That would not happen. It's not possible. Would you tell me that our ace is also Zach Wheeler? I know. I know. Well, I guess five years ago, I probably would have been like, ah. We would have been like, ah, he's okay.

Yeah, we'll see. Come on. I don't believe in him. Maybe for the second half or the first half. I believe one member of this podcast heading into that free agency year said, what dumb team's going to sign up to a $100 million contract? I remember that. This guy.

This guy. So listen, it's okay. But yeah, so again, it is funny when you put it in perspective, everything we've been through to where we are now. It really is. And they got to figure it out, but they will. We're in much better shape today than we were five years ago i think that's the same same thing to say well it's funny because five years ago it was like they're a sleeping giant yeah you know well getting close they're getting close um but yeah like they just that's i forget

where you alvarado alvarado Alvarado. Alvarado. I thought you were going to get back to it there. I was like, oh, he's got this. Alvarado. So, yeah. So, like, a week from now, like, he was only 13. They made it retrospective or whatever. So, it's 13 instead of 15.

Not retrospective. It's not retrospective? No. What does retrospective mean? Retrospective is like looking back on a time. But they made it retroactive. Thank you. Retroactive.

Well done. Dumb and dumber, dude. I told you. So they made it retroactive for 13 days, whatever. So a week from now, if they're looking to extend it or he's already pitching up in Lehigh Valley, whatever. But right now, I have no idea. Because he just didn't look right. He didn't look right the last couple hours. We literally talked about it on the last pod.

You literally said it on the last pod. So I hope it's just like a shutdown and it could work out well for the Phillies. Well that's what I was about to say. You might have been a thing where we've talked about, like the kind of thing where at some point they would have to give him a few weeks, a month off anyway. You know what they work with.

And I guess this is the pocket to do it if they wanted to. I mean, the schedule lightens up a little bit. Yeah, you get the Rays, you get the D-Bags, you get some of these. And the D-Bags played well, but. Yeah. I mean, not the Rays, the Rockies. I was going to say. I meant to say the Rockies.

I don't know why I said the Rays. Well, we're doing well so far. Dumb and dumber, man. Rocky. Well, they go to Rocky's Giants. Rocky's Giants. Then home for the D-Bags, I believe. Okay, they go to Rocky's Giants. Rocky's Giants, then home for the D-backs, I believe. Okay.

Hopefully Zach Gallin's not pitching. Someone else. Zach Gallin, you mean the best pitcher in baseball, Zach Gallin? Should have made him my Cy Young ticket. Dude, he is. That's what I get for opening it. That's actually Leslie Knope. How about that?

Oh, nice. Trying to get into. It won't stop. Shout out to Leslie Knope. Okay. Oh, yeah. This is good. So it goes Rocky's Gi Cubs, D-backs.

Like, that's a nice 12-game stretch there. Yeah. Then you get the Braves-Mets for the first time. But then after that, you get six against the Nationals and the Tigers. You got the A's coming up in June. Oh, man. Schwarber's going to be on fire. Oh, June Schwarber's going to be.

They better go 20-6 in June.