High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: What is Topper doing?

Episode Date: April 13, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies' rough start and question some of Rob Thomson's decision-making throughout the Marlins series. 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

So Rob Thompson said after the game, like his big fear was that they got Alvarado hot in the fifth, and they don't want to have him sit down and then come out and sit for a couple innings and then get hot again. So that's why he faced that portion of the lineup rather than waiting until the eighth to face a better portion of the lineup. Yeah, my issue is more bringing him back out again. Right. I mean, that is a Jack Fritz special. Seriously, like how many years of this pod, anyone who's listened to this pod for a long time, knows that Jack has long had the belief and been proven right over and over and

over again that it's hard for these guys to come into a big spot get big outs and then go sit on the bench and then come back out like you just don't have the same juice and we and you know we've seen it over and over and over again I let you could even broaden it out I mean let's be honest I mean he had a magic touch last year until Game 6 of the World Series. Topper has been horrendous to start. I mean, and again, it's not all on him. Players got to make plays. But like last year where it felt like every decision he made until Game 6 of the World Series would go the right way,

it feels like every decision he's making is going the wrong way. And the tough part is that I do feel like they're mostly rooted in logic, you know, for the most part. I think they're there. Players do have to make plays. But at the same time, you have to put them in positions to make plays. For me, yesterday, what annoyed me was that I think they managed fearful of a rise. And he batted second that inning. And they said, okay, so he'll get Solaire.

And then we want a lefty versus a rise. And in my, how I believe, is like, you got to get out number one. And Sir Anthony gives you the best chance to get out number one there. I mean, Solaire's crushed lefty throughout his career. And, well, crushes, but he's still 240. But, like, better, you know, power numbers, slug, and all that stuff. So what gives you the best chance to get out number one? Yep.

Is obviously Sir Anthony versus Jorge Solaire. Especially in a one-run baseball game. We're not talking about having a cushion here. I know Sir Anthony's been up and down. I thought he actually looked better yesterday. I was finally like, good to see you, Sir Anthony. Welcome to the season. You've got to have a trust in one of your back-end options there. I thought that was

annoying. And then if you're going to bring Soto back out and he strikes a dude out, leave him in there. What were you doing going to Kimball there? out and he strikes a dude out, leave him in there. Like, what were you doing going to Kimbrel there? Soto looked awesome. Like, they were swinging and missing by, like, a foot on some of those ladders. I mean, like, I just don't get the decision-making. And that's not even talking about the lineup stuff he's been doing. You score 15 runs with Bryson Satt at the top of the lineup,

and then you move him to eighth the next night? Like, I know you're facing a lefty, but we've talked about it, but the commitment to the righty-lefty thing and all this stuff, it just, he has not had a feel. And I know that, again, players have let him down, but it feels like the touch he had last year, it's gone the complete opposite way. Well, and the Boehm thing is driving me even more into it.

Why was he batting seventh? What about Josh Harrison? What is that, Jack? What is that? And JT should not be batting in front of Boehm. Nick Cassiano should not. And Cassiano, at least you can argue he's played well, but JT's batting 180 or whatever.

Why is he in the five hole instead of Boehm? None of it makes sense. Well, I would flip Boehm and JT today. Me too. I would have doneman JT today. Me too. I would have done it the other night. At this point, like JT has come up with in so many spots where it's like,

this is a chance to break through and get some RBIs. And it's like one time he had the one Homer. Yeah. And that's it. So, um, you know, and like,

I feel like we go through this with JT where he just gets like unclutched for a month stretch. And then he was back. He was used to the start. Remember last year, the start of the season, going to that Toronto series. He made those dumb comments. We're all crushing him. And then from that point on, he was awesome. Best player in baseball.

But he sucked until then. He sucked. Yeah. So like the lineup thing, the lineup thing has been annoying, you know. And I think that's not continuing to prove that he can hit and hit major league pitching. You might win a batting title someday, that dude. Like to prove that he can hit and hit majorly pitching. You might win a batting title someday, that dude. Like, he's that good a hitter.

I mean, that hit, and I know the rounding was, rounding first base was a real dumb rookie mistake from him. But getting a hit in that spot against Lizardo, I mean, what more do you need to see from this kid? Oh, I need the big hit yesterday, too. Yeah, I mean, it's just consistent. I mean, as long as Luis Uribe is not in the NL, he has a chance.

Yeah. It could be for a batting title. Yeah, Luis Uribe's going to bat over 500 this year. It's just like, it's refreshing to see in a way.

I love him. A guy just goes and hits. Like, if we didn't have to play against him, I'd love to go. Well, we don't have to play

against him as much this year. That's true. So that's a big step forward. But yeah, like Stott, I think he's continuing to prove that he should be the top of the lineup. And I just like, I like Troy Turner. I think he's been great.

I think he's been pretty good so far. I need the power to start coming because I keep betting his home runs. Like he's not, like he's been really good about like 320 or whatever. You know, the steals, all that stuff. The defense has been great. But it feels like the big spots he's been in, he's yet really good about like 320 or whatever. The steals, all that stuff. The defense has been great, but it feels like the big spots he's been in, he's yet to come through. Well, and what annoys me with him at the leadoff spot

is it's just like, he swings first pitch all the time. It's just let the game breathe a little bit. And now he's in the more of the middle line, but Schwarber's been doing it all year too. Yeah, wow. Like Schwarber has just been going up there. Like remember going into the season, Schwarber's like, oh, shift.

I'm going to play for the shift. I'm going to get some hits. I'm going to put the ball in play. Like, he's swinging for a home run every single pitch he sees. Like, it's unbelievable. Yeah. Well, that's kind of the Kyle Schwarber experience. I know.

But, like, you know, it's a little frustrating when he's not popping them out all the time. And it's not June yet. He's a slow starter. Trust me. June yet. He's a slow starter. Trust me, we know. He's a slow starter. The lineup stuff's annoying. I think there's some things that... Just see if it works.

It's early in the season. Maybe it gets on a little bit of a roll here. The most interesting part about the offense right now is that they get a ton of hits. They get a ton of hits. I think they're the highest batting average in the nl right now unbelievable but again yesterday two of 12 runners scoring yeah the first inning first and third no outs zero runs like that happens way too often with this and 15 to 3 is gonna like make it lopsided here for a little bit we needed it to even out the 16 to 3 in texas for a run differential thing we're still still, you know, negative

obviously, but that was a big one. But again, I just, the idea that you've been struggling offensively and then you go out and put up a 15 spot with a lineup, like, how do you change it the next day? Like, at a certain point, find a lineup that works and stick with it. You know, I

understand and I'm down to try stuff, but again, the idea that Bryson Stott leads off, you put up a 15 spot. I know your face is tough lefties. Eight hole in the lineup. Like, I just, that's bad managing to me. That's bad managing. Well, you know that, I mean, not every game they're going to score 15.

I mean, like. Of course not. I expected them to get shut out after the 15 spot, but not because they changed the freaking lineup afterwards. Yeah, I mean, it comes down to, obviously, what they value the most is matchups and righty lefty.

And also like how guys swing paths line up with whatever pitchers. That's exactly what I want to value in this spot. Yeah, that's awesome. It's a good swing path matchup for us. Let's make sure we move him up in the lineup. To me, it's overthinking and a little bit overthinking.

I don't want to break any news here. Smells a little bit like overthinking. How are they managing? It's okay. Again, I feel like we're back in Gabe discussions, but no one liked Gabe. It is Gabe-y. You're right. Let it go. Just roll out a lineup.

See what happens. Believe it or not, they've played baseball for a long time without any of this. How about two days in a row, give me the same lineup? Maybe the day after you score 15 runs. I don't know. Just see if it works. Also, on

Rob Thompson, because he's no longer a topper. Oh, I like this. Should we go back to topper, or are you just so devastated by that loss that you took? It wasn't a loss. I'm still right about it. But, no, the thing with Rob Thompson now, and he said yesterday, you know, it's the 10th inning, and a runner on second base, it's Christian Pache up or whatever. I couldn't believe it.

Like, what are you doing? How are you not bunting him there? Like, what are you doing there? Well, and then he said after the game, he said after the game, well, I want to go for the win there. What are you talking about, dude? It's Christian Pache. Like, freaking bunting.

That was the most, like, that might have been the most. You've long been a small ball guy. You know me, always. Seriously, though, like, you got a guy who can't hit he can't hit like that was the most obvious bun him over situation i remember in a regular season game in a while where they didn't do it it's so obvious i guess what are you doing right and and the idea of like wow we're going for the win there it's like well how are we tied up first dude you're four all right? Like, tie the game. Live to play another day.

Right, right. And I know they were down. You know how you can't win if you don't tie the game first. It's just a fact. I know you're down bullpen pitchers. Like, I mean, they're down. Like, Kimbrel, they probably didn't want to use there, but they had to. I actually don't know if they did.

Did he have to? Because he could have left Soto in. Could have left Soto in. I feel very confident that Soto in that spot could have done a better job. Now everyone's in on Soto. We've never left, for what it's worth. But he looked nasty, right? I mean, he did.

Like, he looked awesome. It's like, it's just frustrating. It's frustrating. This team should not be 4-8 right now, and they're 4-8. Well, and the thing that's tough right now is, one, it feels a lot like the beginning of last year. It does. Where it's like.

It feels eerily similar. You know what? They lost yesterday, and I was like, this feels right. I know. Well, it's even the same. I hate to do it, but the Girardi stuff. Of course. The lineups changing every day.

The weird bullpen usage. It's all the same stuff. It's all Girardi-ish. Although Girardi. Girardi's a dick about it. That makes it a little... Well, Girardi... He would never use relievers for multiple innings.

My thing right now is like, Rob, I appreciate the idea in a way here, but at the same time, it is April. It is the second weekend. Do we really need to push Alvarado? Because he's the one guy that we totally trust right now. But, you know, so far early in the season, I mean, they have found, like, they've continued to find ways to lose games rather than find ways to win games.

And that's been the, like, that's the separation of a good team versus a bad team. Because baseball, like, a lot of games come down to, most games are coin flips, you know? The very rarity is to the 15 to 30s. Yeah, what's the saying? You're going to win a quarter of games, you're going to lose a quarter of games. Sorry, you're going to win a third of your games, you're going to lose a third of your games.

It's what you do in the other third that makes a good team a great team and bad. Right, and right now, like, they're just, it's every facet of the team. Besides, like, actually, it's funny. The defense has been fine. Defense has been fine. Yeah, even Cass should have caught the ball the other day.

That one, yeah. But other than that, like, and Marsh missing that one in New York. A couple moments, but, I mean, comparatively, you're right. The defense has not been an issue.