High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 2: Do The Phillies Have The Best Bullpen In Baseball?

Episode Date: July 7, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz discuss the Phillies bullpen's dominance and wonder how that will impact the team's decision-making at the deadline. 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

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See Kraken.com slash legal slash ca dash pru dash disclaimer for info on Kraken's undertaking to register in Canada. 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. I think they

with the healthy Sir Anthony like they might have the best bullpen in baseball. It's certainly top three. They are that great. And look we talk about it every year and we saw it in the World Series your starting rotation and your bullpen are

just the most important things in the playoffs they just are. Well and we're not even like what do they do at the deadline? They could go in the deadline, and obviously the impact that I think is something that we are looking for. We are. But even if they wanted to go out and get another bullpen piece

and just make it like a freaking superstar back there. Yeah, let's go. Yeah, no problem at all. No problem. It's just exciting, man. Like, it's fun to see them finally firing on all cylinders. And again, like, 12 straight road wins seems impossible. Dude, you were right.

When I said the Kimbrel thing and then you wrote the 11 straight at the time and now 12 straight, you're right. That is the most shocking. It hasn't happened since 1888. So, yeah, let's go with that as the most shocking thing that, you know. And 76. And 76. I think 76, they won 13.

So, we got one more. Okay. We got one more okay we got one more one more one more tonight yes uh regardless like the fact that this team is just like for the first time all season over the last few weeks like it's like that's the team we expected to see the two more wins team yeah that team that we talked about we got them yeah they're grinding it out being tough tough. They feel like winners. They look like winners. To your

point, I know it's silly and stuff, but it's something that we've cared about on this pod. The entire history of the pod is just chemistry and culture and guys looking like they're having fun out there and guys looking like they like playing with each other.

That has always been something that we have harped on and cared about. And this is the best. The playoff run last year, and this is the best I've seen it in the history of this podcast without a doubt. That's why I think going on the road is actually important for this team. Because it's not an indictment of the crowd at Citizens Bank Park. They've been winning at home, too. They have been. They have been.

But I do think there's a little bit extra level of tightness at Citizens Bank Park. They've been winning at home, too. They have been. They have been. But I do think there's a little bit extra level of tightness at home because the crowd wants it to feel like October every game. You know what I mean? So it's not. It's almost like too much pressure. Exactly. Exactly. At home, it's like we want to go.

That's why I think they make so many base running mistakes at home. Yeah, that's a really good point. They want to impress the crowd. I think they want to impress the crowd. That's a really good point. And I think going on the road, they just can go play. Just go play. Just go play. And I think

one of the more impressive parts of what they've done on this road streak. I know Chicago was great from an atmosphere standpoint, but remember the last couple years they would go to Miami and there'd be five people on the ballpark and they would play like it. Oh yeah. They went to Oakland, won three straight. They went down to Tampa and won three straight. They went down to Tampa and 1-3 straight.

Like, they're doing it in these ballparks that are dead. Now, I know. Now, Tampa had some Phillies flavor. A lot of Phillies fans. You just bring your Clearwater. I was thinking about it. I was watching the game, and I'm turning to Emily, and I'm like, man, like, it's really loud down there.

And I'm like, oh, yeah. Wonder why. Clearwater. Wonder why. That makes sense. And, oh, yeah, no Rays fans. No Rays fans. But, yeah, it's just like their ability to go into these ballparks

where you have to almost create your own energy. Yeah, which they never used to do. Never. It didn't matter if it was Miami, Cincinnati, whatever. Hundreds of times we've talked about that on the pod, of just like a no-energy team on the road, an empty stadium. You've used that phrase, that exact phrase, Jack. I have

it burned in my mind of you going, they need to create their own energy on the road, and they haven't been able to do it. You've said that so many times. Well, and that's why. Garrett Stubbs, the second most important Philly behind Schwarber. He really is important. He's very important. I was thinking about it when I was watching the game last night. And also,

by the way, a really solid backup catcher, too. Got a good arm, makes great throws down to second. Calls a great game. Seems like he calls a really good game, though I will say I feel like he drops more strikes than any catcher I've ever seen for some reason. You know what I mean? Not a big deal, but they just kind of bounce off the bottom of his glove. It's because, again, he's a little leaguer.

He's a little guy. He's a little guy. But I feel like it happens all the time. But he's a really solid player, a solid hitter. Obviously took one for the team last night. Oh, he wore that. I will say, I was thinking about watching last night because I think it's most startling when you go to a normal Phillies game

and he's doing that catching in between innings, like if JT was batting or whatever and he's getting his gear on. And Stubbs comes out and when he's got no gear on, he looks so absurdly small out there. But I always think about like, he was the best player on his freaking high school team. He's the best player on his college team. Like all these dudes who tower, like now he's like not the best player. Obviously he's a major league player.

But like I think about like Garrett Stubbs with a bunch of dudes on his college team where he's like the little guy and he's just way better than all those guys. That's awesome. At one point he was the top 20 prospect for the Astros. That's what I mean. But he is the cultured dude, man. Of course he is. They all love him.

Those guys love him. Sure, they could go find a better backup catcher, but I don't need it. And even then, honestly, that's the kind of thing. And Andrew Knapp, I do think, was particularly bad. But it was one of those things where, look, backup catchers are bad when it comes to hitting. You couldn't get past that with Nappy. Nappy worked a great at bat, called a good game, and all I heard, oh, Nappy's the woe.

Grow up. He was the woe. You know why? Because he got us Garrett Stubbs. Don't you love Stubbs more? I do love Stubbs. I do love Stubbs. I was right.

I called for a better one, and I got it. Congratulations. You nailed the backup catcher thing. Everyone, you're welcome. And he's a Jew. And he's a Jew. In fact, I'm going to claim ownership of Garrett Subbs. Garrett Subbs is a Philly because of me.

Yes. And he is just like, again, he has all the playlists. He has, you know, like, he's just, he's the energy guy. And him having, I believe he came up with a new celebration too. If I had to guess, it was because of him. It was because of him It seems like a Garrett Stubbs This is going to be our new thing He's like walking up and down the Dugout before the game

He's very important They would not be as good as they are without Garrett Stubbs I'm a big glue guy guy Because many say you're the glue of WIP I agree with that, thank you You are the glue guy of this radio program. I'm a friendly guy. I think it's important. And I'm so with you, dude. I think Stubbs

has been an underratedly, incredibly important part of this team. Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Coe as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break

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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. All right, what else stood out to you?

We talked about NOLA, obviously. I think that, at least for me, outside of just them going to Tampa and winning these games, if I had to pick one dude who I think is the most important thing we saw in Tampa, it was that start from NOLA. Would you agree with that? I would say that. I thought Tomlin Walker.

I think it was important. Yeah, just being able to go do that. And the other thing that I thought was interesting, they didn't do it with Sanchez yesterday because I don't think that, you know, maybe two starts from now if he continues to keep this up, they will be more open to it. But I thought it was noticeable, and we talk about these guys trusting Rob Thompson because he trusts in them.

Talked about it with Jeff Hoffman. Talked about it with Junior Marte. Noah going out for the eighth. I thought about it in the moment because you said this last time. We talked about it with the Wheeler thing. I am so with you. So Noah going out for the eighth. And then he gave Tom Walker the seventh.

And he got through it. He handled it. Yeah, and he's done that a couple times with these starters. And it saved a couple pieces of the bullpen, which is good, which is important. But I do think it gives those guys, like, all right, Rob's got me. I've got to go do this. And we talk about the importance of a manager.

What does a manager do? Everyone's questioning. Like, oh, they do a set of lineups. They even matter. Right. Right. That stuff. That's what managers do.

That's why they're not coaches. No, it's like Joe Torre. Everyone used to be like, what the hell does that guy do? It's that he kept the clubhouse together. Everyone loved him. He was able to find ways to get players to motivate guys and all that. But, like, you don't, but the funny thing is. I think Rob Thompson's winning percentage is like 638, right?

Dude, just saying. I will say, too, I think with Thompson, we're starting to see something that was, you know, basically until game six of the World Series, like, Topper had it. It just felt like whenever we would make these moves where everyone's like, why are you doing that? It worked.

And we're seeing that. Like, the Josh Harrison starts. Like, it seems like the dude Homer's when he starts. Like, it's like Topper keeps doing these things where it's like, why are you doing it? Like, the other day, I can't remember what it was. They're facing a lefty and both stop and marshal down. And, like, you know, Pache comes through.

And freaking, you know know pache comes through and freaking you know uh josh harrison comes through and it's like i feel like we're starting to get back to that point where like even when it maybe isn't the smartest or best decision like it goes right for taver yeah but he's on a he's definitely yesterday was the heat check for him yeah i mean he had five straight lefties batting like what are we doing i mean you don't have to do that because it was almost like all right raise i'm gonna outray you because that's the kind of thing the rays would do like the only team that i she said all right what team in baseball is gonna have five straight lefties in line be like the rays they'd obviously the rays might have nine straight lefties in line five straight lefties i was like what are you doing and then and then the other hot streak

moment was in the 10th he let derrick hall bet yeah that's another great point like i mean unless they just want to give jt the full day, but I don't know. Which they might. They've been weird with the days, the double days. They've liked to give guys the two days off and all that type of stuff. So, look, hey, I will give them credit in that they've done a nice job keeping guys healthy so far this season, especially with how taxed the bullpen was early in the season. I a guy like strong we talked about he's already surpassed his innings for

combined the last two seasons so you know like i do think toppers found a way to really navigate this yeah and and he's got he's got a really good feel for this roster well and i think i think a lot of it comes back to also this kaufman his staff and then kaufman his staff putting together the game plan like thing long the, Law and the Biomechanics, the whole group. Again, back up to the top. The guy we always loved, the guy we always said was going to do a great job here. Dave Dombrowski just deserves a ton of freaking credit for how this organization functions, how they look.

The fact that there are real checks and balances, real best practices, all these things that high functioning organizations have that we have not had in a really long time, Jack, or ever. Like, it just feels like it's, it's a really high functioning organization top to bottom. And it started to, to, to bear itself out in the field, which is the, which is the best part of it all. So, um, yeah, it's, it's, it for, cause the beginning of this podcast, first couple of years of this podcast, it was like, are they a well-run team? Does anyone down there know what they're doing?

Last two years, I mean. It's like a night and day. The organizational shift, even like getting the analytics right. And I mean, it's a minor thing, but having Stott playing up the middle last night, he dives. Double play. That was a big play in that game. He's in the right spot. He might lose that game if he's not, because the run score is there. Who knows? night. He dives. Double play. That was a big play in that game. He's in the right spot. He might lose that game if he's not

because the run score is there. Who knows? Yep, totally agree. And it's just they are finally doing it. I mean, dude, when Gabe first got hired, they had the wrong shifts for an entire year because they had no idea. They couldn't read the analytics.

They didn't understand it. Dude, that was so funny. It was one of the most funny storylines of the early game was that they tried all this advanced stuff that didn't make any sense because they were reading it wrong. Because it didn't. They were reading the information wrong. It didn't make sense.

I was watching it like, oh, Freddie Freeman. The amount of balls that were hit to no one. I remember us just being like, like normal baseballs. Like there, there were a few things. Don't get me wrong. We all remember the 2020 bullpen. That was the worst.

But in terms of just watching a baseball team and feeling deflated, there are a few things more deflating than just seeing balls hit to the shortstop and there's no one there.