High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: We Don't Have To Hate The Phillies Anymore

Episode Date: June 19, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz discuss the Phillies' red-hot start to the month of June. 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

They're back, buddy. I don't have to hate this team anymore. This is so exciting. It's fun to watch Phillies play baseball. It's really fun. It's really fun. And I'm ready to print the playoff tickets. I look forward to seeing everyone down at Sins Bank Park again for some postseason baseball.

We're back. I mean, it's not even a bit anymore. They just are. And it was funny. Especially in my mentions, because people don't like how positive I am, largely, about the Phill funny. There was like, especially in my mentions, because like, you know, people don't like how positive I am largely about the Phillies sometimes. Oh yeah, sure. Let's see if they can take two or three at Oakland.

It's like, okay, well, they just swept Oakland. Now, it wasn't the most inspiring baseball. No, but you know what? They handle business. And again, honestly, we haven't talked since we did our emergency loser podcast that we did. Which I voted should have been our last podcast ever. Honestly, I mean, it totally turned everything around. I'm just saying.

I mean, they haven't lost since it. No big deal. They haven't lost since we recorded a podcast, which is a tough thing to tempt fate. Because it's like, well, if they lose tomorrow night, it's like, well, great. That's because Jack and James. Yeah, then we're going to blame us. Yeah, we have to record the podcast. But I will say, they did win the game the night that we said they were back.

They did? No, it was against the Tigers. Then they had to come back. And they were, frankly, lucky to win that game. But they've been back. 13-15. And look, you're right. Oakland was not the prettiest brand.

Friday was nice. Friday was a nice little win. Friday was beautiful. Friday was a solid win. They went in. They handled business. They pitched well. They hit well. I mean, Taiwan, the're right. Oakland was not the prettiest, Brandon. Friday was nice. Friday was a nice little win. Friday was beautiful. Friday was a solid win. They went in. They handled business. They pitched well. They hit well.

I mean, Taiwan, the whole thing. Saturday, they won what? Like a 3-2 bullpen game or whatever. They won 12 innings. It was fun. Never doubt, yeah. And then yesterday, they handled business. They lose the lead.

They get another run. They keep handling business. It was not pretty. Oakland's not good. They've been playing better. You know what? They freaking swept a team on the West Coast, man. It could be pretty. Oakland's not good. They've been playing better. You know what? They freaking swept a team on the West Coast, man.

It could be Oakland A's Little League team and I'd be impressed with the Phillies sweeping a team on the West Coast. Well, especially coming off of winning 3-4 in Arizona. And it should have been 4. Let's be honest. They came really close to sweeping the West Coast. Should have been 4. And it was a classic letdown spot. And I think the difference...

Even the lineup was a letdown lineup It was, now Castie has the runs so hopefully that It's the only thing that can slow him down who knew What do you think he ate? Some bad food out west? Oh yeah, he definitely tried some sushi or something somewhere he shouldn't have But yeah, like

the thing that's giving me the most hope and the thing that I like the most right now is finding ways to win games they're losing earlier in the year. And not, like, it felt like early in the year when they're doing the whole win four, lose five, win three, lose six. Win one, lose six. Exactly. Like, they couldn't, it looked like they were just waiting around for it to click. And now I feel like they're going and just doing it.

Like, they're actually doing the right things to go and try to win baseball games. And I feel like you haven't seen the mental lapses in the field. You haven't seen the... The base running stuff. Dude.

So I just, I almost need to like just wax poetically. I love Christian Bocce. Oh, I know. Who'd have thunk it? Who'd have thunk it? There's still a part of me

that's a little bit of like Is it him taking third on that? Is that what made you think of it? Well, it's like him taking third It's the diving catch on Friday night The diving catch was It's the It's actually when you compare him to

He's usually replacing Schwarber out there And it's like, wow, what a difference I will say In games going forward And I know that Marsh is a center fielder But put Pache in center and put Marsh on left If we're going to do the Schwarber DH thing Yeah, I mean Pache is Is a transcendent outfielder He but put Pache in center and put Martian left if we're going to do the Schwarber DH thing. Yeah, I mean, Pache is

a transcendent outfielder. He's so good defensively. He's one of the best we've seen here in the time we've been doing this pot. He might be the best defensive outfielder we've seen in a Phillies uniform. Yeah, I mean, Worth is really smart. Yeah, I'm talking since we started doing the pot. Oh, okay. I'm saying the last seven years

he's probably the most talented defensive outfielder they've had. Definitely. And it's just like, it's difference-making stuff. Like, that won him a game on Friday. It didn't win him a game, but like... Yeah, they couldn't lose that game, for sure. And, like, him stealing, him getting third base on that on Saturday was really, really smart.

Like, it was gutsy. And he was so... What a horrible call by the ump. He was so clearly safe. Like, it was like, what are you doing? But, like, and then, you know, he had two balls in the gap yesterday, and it's like, wow. The hitting is, I mean, that's shocking.

I mean, when he got here, we were all like, this guy's never going to hit. Like, he is a lost. And it's like, Kalon got him for a week, and he's, like, ripping doubles, and it's like, what is this? We'll see. I mean, like, I'm very, I love him. Like, he's like, I love him. I'm not, like, sold, sold on the hitting. You're not expecting him to bat 340 I mean, I'm very, I love him. He's like, I love him. I'm not sold, sold on the hitting.

You're not expecting him to bat 340. No, I'm not. He did have a double up already yesterday, which was a big step forward. But the overall vibe of the team is they're getting back to winning style of baseball, which they weren't. They're playing with confidence. They believe in themselves. They believe they're going to win these games.

Stuff matters so much. We talk about it all the time. And that's why I know they play the Nationals. I know they play the Tigers. But they they're going to win these games. Stuff matters so much. We talk about it all the time. And that's why I know they play the Nationals. I know they play the Tigers. But they figured out how to win games there. And clearly that kind of momentum carried over. They went down to Arizona, a place that they've just been awful at. Just awful.

And they were like, you know what? We're the freaking NL champs. You can have your cute little 50-win record right now. But we're the damn NL champs. And we're going to go out and start showing that. They're finally starting to show that confidence, show that style of baseball.

It's like a different guy. I mean, Schwerber's stepping up seemingly every night. Again, we joke about it and we tweet this exact thing to each other, but it is the single funniest bit in the history of Philadelphia sports. Maybe in the history of baseball. It is up there. It's not funnier than Foles only funniest bit in the history of Philadelphia sports. Maybe in the history of baseball. Like, it is up there. It's not funnier than Foles only being good in the Eagles.

You're right. My bad. You're right. Like, he's terrible. And that's why I could never stand the smirch. I know. The great is the GOAT. But it –

You're right. I'll let it go. I'll let it go. You're right, though. You're right. That is a good bit, too. You're right. It's an all-time bit.

It's an all-time bit. Like, he's terrible everywhere else. He's out-duels Tom Brady when he's in an Eagles uniform in the Super Bowl. You're right. That is a good bit, though. You're right. It's an all-time bet. It's an all-time bet. Like, he's terrible everywhere else. He out-duels Tom Brady when he's in an Eagles uniform in the Super Bowl. And he's the GOAT. You're right. That's actually, you're right. But the June, it's like, it is ridiculous. Like, even Thompson, like, so, Rob, what is it with June and Trevor?

He's like, I don't know. It's like, it just, it is. It is. It is. It's just a thing that is. And there's a part of me that's like, obviously everyone's thinking, why can't you just do this all year? It's like, I don't know.

It's so weird. And I wonder if there's a part of him that's like, I'll be there. Don't worry. I'll wake up in June. I'll wake up. Also, I do think there's something about the leadoff spot. Very clearly. Jack, he's a human.

Not a robot meant to play baseball. Maybe he's comfortable there. What a thought. He is comfortable. He he's comfortable there. What a thought. He is comfortable. I mean, he's clearly comfortable there. I mean, that's where he wants to hit. And, you know, people obviously are like, well, he's slow, yada, yada, yada. I said this all offseason.

But there is something to the fear of being down 1-0. Yeah, no doubt. And he did it three times this. Three times this trip, two in the last three games. It's very J-roll-ish. It is, yeah. That's what J-roll-ish. It is, yeah. That's what J-roll used to do. It is, and it is.

It does. You could have won nothing like that. It does matter. That is right off the bat. You're down. And especially with a team playing with confidence, you get that lead and you roll with it. And also being fast and stuff,

it doesn't matter anymore at the top of the lineup. On top of the fact that the DH is here now. So you're not batting after a pitcher. Part of the big. On top of the fact that the DH is here now. So you're not batting after a pitcher. Part of the thing about the big thing about being a leadoff hitter was every time you're leading off because you're batting after a pitcher. That doesn't even matter anymore. The whole leadoff thing, just get on base.

Get on base and look to do damage. And look to do damage, exactly. Believe me, if everyone was Mookie, I mean, Mookie's the perfect mix of all of it. He's fast. He hits home runs. He's patient when he wants to be. He's one of the best players in baseball. But Schwarber, I like that he's

inching closer to 200. Oh, I know. And he's about to take the home run lead again. He's at 20 homers. I know. Shoei's at 24. Alonzo coming back quick hurts. And sadly, Shoei, I think he's going to probably win June Player of the Month. Shohei is just...

It's that you've seen, I'm not sure everyone's seen it, but the people tweeting out the Angels leaderboard page, you know, where they'll show all the leaders offensively and pitching and it's like the main categories, home runs, RBI, average, whatever, the strikeouts. He leads in all

the categories. It's like the Angels leaderboard page is Shohei Oht leads in all the categories it's like the angels leaderboard page is Shohei Otani in every category it's wild and I know we'll get back to the Phillies in one second

but I had this thought about Shohei over the weekend where I was like I can't wait to be like the 60 to 80 year old guy that's like I saw Shohei Otani play oh yeah me too

you know I had to grow up hear my granddad talk about oh I saw Ted Williams like Mickey Mantle, like all those guys, all the greats growing up, Schmitty, whatever. I get to be like, guess what? I saw a guy throw 99, lead this team in the ERA,

and also lead the league in home runs. It's insanity. I win. Yeah, I win. Again, I've said that Bond's the best hitter I've ever seen. Shohei Otani, without a doubt, is the best baseball player of our lifetime. Like, it is an arguable.

It's an arguable. He's the most talented baseball player ever. Ever. In the history of the sport, period. End of discussion. It's over. Like, that's it. We're done talking.

Yeah. No, it is. He's ridiculous. But you know what? He's not better than the Phils. Actually, they are better than the Phils right now. They're, like, what, 41? They've been playing good baseball. I know.

It's so annoying. Because there's nothing funnier than like the angels like like shohei having like two home runs and like pitching whatever i know well that's the famous tweet yeah the tungsten o'neill or whatever that yeah yeah first time since 1893 that this has happened and angels lose six four like it's the best it's the best but um but yes it happens so much it's every day It's every day. Yeah, that's great. I mean,

again, it's the biggest waste of talent I've ever... Well, I mean, as soon as Mick got there, he started winning. I don't know. That's what he does.

He's here. He helped turn his own team around. But yeah, it's just like every aspect of the team is starting to make sense. Lineups starting to hit better. Saturday and Sunday

were annoying. I'll give them a pass on Saturday. Like, you know, bad games annoying. I'll give them a pass on Saturday. Like, you know, bad games happen. Yesterday was obviously just the throwaway lineup. Yeah, yesterday was a

we have been on the West Coast for a week. We're flying home. We have an off day tomorrow. Like, let's get through this baseball game and go home. Well, and he'll never admit this,

but you can't tell me that Rob Thompson essentially wasn't like McPhail with if we win, we win. If we don't, we don't. Look at the lineup. Yeah.

Yeah. Like, it was more, honestly, and it was more important for them to have extra days rest heading into a big home series. Especially after all the wins you've had. Yeah, you've got the Braves and Mets coming up. Like, this is the most important week of the season in terms of at least opponents at the point you're having it.

I'm so with you. And look, they still found, and that's the point. They found a way to win the game. They got stuff. Like, by the way, Scott Franski says junior, so I'm going junior now. Junior Marte coming in, getting a save, closing it out, like striking out the side, looking awesome. Like guys stepping up in spots like that.

That was important, you know? And I think seeing them win games like that, that's what we saw last year. It's like Harper goes down. Boom, we keep winning games. We're 10 games above. Like that, I haven't felt that from this team yet this year until now. Yeah.

And I think that's really been the last two weeks. It's like that, and I don't want to coincide it directly with dancing on our own coming back. But it kind of coincides directly. I mean, it started that Saturday in Washington that they won 4-2 on a bullpen game. And it's so, it's like, I don't know. Going back to their happy place. Yeah, they're just like, listen, we're back. We're going to play the Nets on our own when we win.

We should have never got rid of it. I love the quote, too. It's like, we decided to second play song, but second play is a lot better than what we're doing. Stubbs needs a lifetime contract. I love him.