High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: We're Not Pressing The Panic Button

Episode Date: July 9, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz are still optimistic heading into the All Star Break, even after the Phillies lost two games over the 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. You know, it was a really thrilling night on Friday night. The most fun night of Phillies baseball. Regular season baseball that I remember in a little while outside of like actually clinching a playoff spot.

So it was awesome and then kind of you know petered out the last two i'm not you know look it was a great round the road they are in really fine shape entering the second half of the season annoying way to end the first half especially against the team you're trailing but um you know uh uh amazing night friday night and i'm hanging on to that. How you doing, pal? Me too. And the draft tonight, like the most important thing.

Right. It was vintage. I'll say that. It was a nice. I think the nicest part about this weekend, which I feel like is a good way to put it, is that they're still the Phils. You know, like they're still the Phils. You know?

Nice. Just when you think you can sit back and they're just going to go play good baseball, they're like, hey, hey, hey. We're still here. We're still here. Yep, yep. So, grand scheme of things, not that big of a deal. Yesterday was annoying.

We'll get into Ranger. And today was the most it was the most day before the all-star break kind of uh effort i think i've i've seen in a while because last year last year they went down to miami and took two or three and they they're and i'm glad they won't wait so the chicago series was on the other side of the break right they came out and lost they came out they came out of the Chicago series was on the other side of the break, right? They came out and lost. They came out of the break and got swept. Totally.

Yes, yes, yes. They came out of the break and got swept. Yes, yes. So, but I'm happy they won Friday. I also think it was probably the worst thing that could have happened to them because they were just like. That's why they lost the next two, without a doubt, without a doubt. Like it was such a high that they just kind of couldn't

get back there yeah so um it happened it stinks uh it is uh again they lost two or three to the marlins who are a good team they just swept the rays they've been on an unbelievable run just like deep breaths i think that might be the title of the podcast deep breaths um that's just like it's it's it happened they're not gonna like to go in and take two or three from the marlins would have been an upset then they went down there one they won friday night they didn't get swept i don't know it's just like i can't do the whole oh they lose the game here we go everything's falling apart again kind of thing like they've earned our trust from that standpoint and um there are some good things to take away from this weekend some some good things to take away from this weekend.

Some vintage things to take away from this weekend. But overall, the drafts tonight, not letting the Bills ruin. How could they, buddy? You're absolutely right. Look, I'm 100% with you. Deep breaths. We just said we never might be the quickest into a podcast

that we've just acknowledged and agreed what the title of the podcast is. Because absolutely, man, look, there's seven games above 500. They've played great baseball since June 1st. They had their best win of the season in a really emotional moment to tie a team record. And then they had a letdown game. And then another. Like, it it happens especially with

the all-star break right on the other side of it how they come out of the break and those first couple weeks we're gonna get them you know i think they're gonna be fine and that's gonna be where you know we're gonna be able to to feel fine again or at least the people who don't but look it was also really it was like kind of a long road trip when you just take out that one random home series too, you know, like they're on the road, come home for a weird three game series against the nationals where they look completely flat the entire thing, except for the two of the three. And then the 19 to four, obviously sandwich. But then, you know, like then they're back on the road to Florida for a tough, tough,

tough six games. You know, if honestly, if we went into the Florida stretch saying, no matter how you shake it, you would take four or six in a second. You'd be ecstatic about four of six on that specific Florida trip against these teams the way they had been playing. So, yeah, deep breaths, man. It's like very frustrating to see them not trip after what felt like, all right, we're about to win 15 straight road games heading in the all-star break.

Let's go. But yeah, I'm right there with you, man. I can't, I can't get too worked up. They played great baseball going into the break. Hey,

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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. Right. And, and I think Friday is still one of those moments where it's like, we look back on that at the end of the year and we say, like I had so many thoughts of the Phillies video yearbook,

obviously like it was, it was, it was set up perfectly for it. Just set up perfectly for it. So, yeah, like the Friday night was just Friday night was just one of those moments. And I think that in the grand scheme of things, when we look back at the end of the year,

I just don't think that series is ultimately going to change that much. I think they faced Jesus Lizardo, who was just stupid today. Braxton Garrett, they actually did a pretty good job against early yesterday. But he's been really really good this year i mean the marlins are like it's it sucks it's annoying i hate like i hate garrett cooper with uh uh every fiber of my being he's i i can i just permission to call my shot here sure okay so you know how like for years in the middle 2000s the phillies just brought in a bunch of ex-Marlins that we didn't like?

Oh, yeah. Like, yes, absolutely. Conine, Wes Helms. Conine was the very first one that popped in my head. But, yes, Wes Helms. They hate that guy, as we've covered. Yes. Yes.

Derek Cooper is going to be a Phil at some point. I could very much see that. He's raking right now for them, of course. He'll come here and stink, but he's raking for them. Look, they've been great. They've been a really good baseball team. raking right now for them of course he'll come here and stink but he's raking for them look they they've been great they've been a really good baseball team like in in the grand scheme of things there's no shame to losing two of three in their ballpark i mean be happy they didn't lose three they were very easily yeah they were a christian pache not just a bat but a christian

pache ball that feels like it might have carried more than any ball i've ever like that felt like it was colorado or something it felt like it was like oh that's like a lazy fly out and all of a sudden it's like going and guy keeps running and he's looking up and i'm like what i think is this actually gonna is this gonna be a home run like it was so unlikely from every moment about it so unlikely so you know well and a thrilling win people are ripping murph people are ripping murph they're like how could you call that as a pop-up i thought it was a pop-up we all did are you kidding me like there is not a single person watching that who thought that was home run not one not one no way thought it was a pop-up so um yeah yeah i i just um i i don't know it's

annoying having to give credit to another team, and it feels excuse-making-ish. But this is like one of, like, believe me, no one's better at having, like, a meltdown about the current state of the Phillies. Like, I can get there from zero to 60 real quick. It's just not the time for me. It's just not the time, you know?

Like, I just, the Marlins are good. I hate having to give them credit, but they're good. And like they, they, the smartest thing I think the Marlins did is they went after a bunch of contact hitters and like a bunch of, uh,

like they, I think they lead major league baseball and opposite field hits. Um, and it just makes like that with that ballpark, given that it's hard to hit home runs there, it makes sense. Like they're, they're a pesky, given that it's hard to hit home runs there, it makes sense. Like they're they're a pesky, tough, annoying team. And the thing that I and I'll be curious what you thought about this.

Dude, I how in the world is their bullpen era 20th in baseball? It felt like, yeah, everyone they have come out. There's like 96 with like six sink and a white thought slider. Totally. They felt like unhittable. guys i'm right there with you and and you're right about the lineup like it's the line that just goes out there and puts a bat on the ball and gets themselves in advantageous situations and is able to take advantage of other teams mistakes when they make them and that's what happens when you're able to do it and look ariah's coming in like the least shocking thing of uh

of the entire series is ariah's coming and that spot and getting the big hit pinch hit. Like it's like, of course, of course that was going to happen, you know? So it's, they're pesky and they're annoying. And they, that's the thing is that for a while, the Marlins have been pesky and annoying just for the Phillies, like just for us. Now they're just, they're good. Like they're a good baseball team with a, with a, a lot of young talent and they believe in themselves and they play smart baseball.

I mean, look, there were certainly some Phillies moments that were incredibly frustrating to see, like Schwarber not running that ball out all the way, and I think he was safe, but whatever. He didn't deserve to be safe. He stopped running. There are so many little things. I mean, Harper, and we'll get him getting hit and that whole thing.

But, I mean, him trying to take third there, like, that was just dumb. Like, how many times has this guy – and we love aggressive base running. On this pod, like, Bryson Stott, love you, dude. Love what you're doing. Keep doing all you're doing. Like, we love it. Like, this guy goes from aggressive to stupid all the freaking time.

It's like – and you know it's because he gets hit and he's frustrated he wants to do something it's like dude like stop it that was a big spot in the game you know maybe don't lose that game like so there's so much that that you can point to over the last two games that were incredibly frustrating because it felt like a team that you know kind after we're in the 13th straight after the page homer kind of just reverted back for a couple days but that's baseball and it sucks but they're going to the all-star break like jack said too it's not like they're going into the playoffs and have to win these games as much as we want them to feel that yeah and i got a quick theory i got a quick thought on bryce uh with the base running thing i'm pretty sure i'm pretty sure he's jealous of ellie de la cruz

i like i think he's just oh i like that he's like oh this guy is so cool yeah like i'm gonna be cool guy um i mean i mean ellie is just unbelievable but yeah i just i think i the the bryce bryce bass running thing it's just like wild man it's no there's there's mostly no need for it and almost always and he's like he he's safe sometimes but he gets thrown out all the freaking time man it's wild he does i don't ever remember philly in my lifetime being thrown out on the base pass more like in my life ever uh victorino i felt like i thrown out a lot sure that's a decent one but like i just the frequency with which hartford gets thrown out on it's out of control astounding it's out of control um i mean again sometimes he'll he'll steal your run every once it's just sure it's sometimes this team is no team in baseball, I think. It's funny.

Even when they win series, I'm like, they win series. I still don't see the opposing team really doing it. When an opposing team does dumb stuff to the Phillies, it stands out, I feel like. Totally. The Mets series. The Mets series. It's like, look at the Mets.

Ha-ha. Yeah. Meanwhile, when the Phillies do it, it's like they win series despite it, where it's just like, how do you, why are you, like, that's not smart at all. But whatever, they keep winning and good vibes, baby. That's what the Phillies are.

Not fundamental baseball and good vibes. That's Phillies baseball. And they have a 185 hitter hitting lead off yeah who's like the vibes captain him and stubsy is the vibes captains it's a great point though that that really i mean again and then the defense you know trey turner who needs it guy trey turner like seems like he forgets to play shortstop every few games at first today was boom finally you know he's i was praising him like he's like a vacuum now, of course, you know. And then, you know, obviously Schwarber just at train wreck.

It was, you know, obviously you don't want to see Harbour out of the lineup, but it was nice not to see Schwarber in the field today.