High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 2: Let's Take It Back To 1993

Episode Date: September 21, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz discuss the Phillies potential wild card matchups and discuss how this team has connected with a fanbase more than any since 1993. 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. Speaking of the wildcard thing, we haven't really talked at all on this pod about kind of who we want. We have not done that at all. We have done zero talk about the Cubs and the Diamondbacks

and the Marlins. We mentioned that we don't want the Marlins, just because they're the freaking Marlins. Oh, there's a chance. I mean, yeah. Like, we just, that is, I just that we don't want the Marlins, just because they're the freaking Marlins. Oh, there's a chance. I mean, yeah. Like, we just, that is, I just, I don't want that. Like, too much history, too much whatever. But Cubs, Reds, Diamondbacks, Giants, it's not going to be the Giants.

I think we can pretty much say that. You know, they're two back of the last wildcard spot. I think they're four and a half back of that second spot or three and a half. Like, very unlikely to be the Giants. But how would you rank those teams? The Cubs, the Diamondbacks, the Reds. And if you want to throw the Giants in, fine. But those three teams, the most likely opponents along with the Marlins,

we all know the Marlins are the one we want to face the least. Just bullet, Marlins. How do you rank those other three? I would go from... Like most want to face versus least want to face. So most want to face Reds. I 100% agree. I don't even think it's a question. It's not even close. It's the Reds. Not even So most one to face Reds. I 100% agree. I don't even think it's a question.

It's not even close. It's the Reds. Not even close. Give me the Reds. I don't even care that Hunter Green looked awesome yesterday. Bring it.

Ellie's calmed down. He's calmed down a lot. He's actually been pretty bad. If we're being honest, Ellie has been bad. Which is a shame. Which happens all the time.

I know. Everyone relax out there. Ellie will be fine. Doesn't happen to Corbin Carroll apparently. No. Not Corbin Carroll. So I would go Bobby Witt. There are guys that doesn't happen to Corbin Carroll, apparently. No. Not Corbin Carroll. So I would go.

Bobby Witt. There are guys it doesn't happen to. Reds, Cubs. I would feel okay if the Cubs come in here. I keep looking at the Cubs lineup, and I'm like, I don't know. Nah. Nah. Yeah, I can't.

I can't. Justin Steele got rocked yesterday. It's happening. Don't care about that. He's going to be able to come here. Anyway. Yeah, but, like, I mean, come on. Like, who's it?

I mean, Jamison Tyon going to beat us in a playoff game? Marcus Stroman? Marcus Stroman? Like, come on. Javier Assad in a playoff game? Nice. Thank you. It's the Mark Leiter Jr. coming out of the bullpen?

Oh, buddy. Dude, if they got shut down. Can you imagine? If they got shut down. It'd be like Heath Henry coming out. The middle reliever appearance by Mark Leiter Jr., I would cease to be here. Okay, so I would go Diamondbacks.

Diamondbacks actually do worry me. No, I want them the least. That's what I'm saying. So you go Reds, Cubs, Diamondbacks. I agree with that order. Diamondbacks have been playing good baseball. They have been playing good baseball. And they are the most talented of the bunch, to your point,

between Corbin Carroll and Christian Walker and Kettle Marte and even Gurriel and Pham. They got dudes. They got some dudes. And obviously Zach Gallin and Merrill Kelly. Yes. So the Diamondbacks do legitimately worry me. I'm trying my best not to look ahead to a potential Phil's Braves series

in round two because after yesterday and the last two weeks, it's like, man, that would be insane. It's different than last year for me. Last year, because we just got in, it was so fun, and we beat the Braves. Last year, it was just like, we're in the playoffs and we're winning. It didn't matter who we were facing. This year, it's Philly's Braves. Philly's Braves.

The Braves had the edge of last year. The revenge factor. A little revenge. And look, they've been substantially a better baseball team this year. We can call it. We see it. They've been the best team in baseball.

But I do think that they don't want to play the Phillies. I think the Phillies are the last team in baseball they want to face in the playoffs. I'm not even kidding. I think in all of baseball, I think the Phillies are the last team that break. Because they know we're not scared of them. And they know we can fight them. We know we have beaten them. And we battle them and like

you know, like I'm right there with you, man. If I'm the Braves, I do not want anything to do with this Philly team. Plus going to Citizens Bank Park. You kidding me? The one shame of it is I do think when Rob Thompson says four hours of hell and what team that was, I think that was the Braves. Of course it was and guess what? It'll be way worse for the Braves than anyone else.

It just will. Like I'm sorry if it's the Dodgers coming here in the NLCS, it won't be with the Dodgers. It won't be the same. Like we'll be relentless for the Braves than anyone else. It just will. I'm sorry. If it's the Dodgers coming here in the NLCS, it won't be with the Dodgers. It won't be the same. We'll be relentless with the Braves. Maybe if tomorrow's in the first round, not quite the same. What are we, mad at Jake Berger? We'll just be scared.

Really. It'll just be our butts will clench up. Again, the Marlins are the team I want to face the least because they have the biggest upside of just despair. Yeah, just like getting in our heads and just totally messing with us. Even the people in the building, to the point, you know they're not going to be as loud.

Marlins go up 1-0, that building's a morgue. Oh no, not again. But my one gumbly, and it is what it is, it's just the way it shakes out, as I said wrong on the radio and you corrected me and I was an idiot. I do wish it were a seven gamer. I do wish that it was going to be in the NLCS and we could do the full-on, real-deal series.

I'll take what I can get. But it's a shame that they don't line up for the NLCS. Well, I just think that actually works out worse for the Phillies. If it's a seven-game series, I think a five-game series is perfect for Phil's Braves. You mean in terms of the pitching and the operation? Yeah, I get it. But it's just so much more fun. You're right. The seven-game series helps perfect for Phil's Braves. You mean in terms of the pitching and the operation? Yeah, I get it. But it's just so much more fun. You're right.

The seven-game series helps the better team in that way. Yeah. That's a good argument. It made me feel better about it. It does feel like we're transporting ourselves back into 2011 and reacting to the Cardinals series, where if that's a seven-game series, it probably goes differently. Yep.

But who's bringing up bad memories? All I'm going to say is the Phillies are 2-0 against the Babes in the playoffs. That's it. Done. They've never beaten us in the playoffs. We need to bring it back to 93. That's right. This team is the exact same team.

This is more 93 than any other. Just in terms of the vibe. Not in terms of talent. But in terms... We've talked about it. I think 93 was the last team to connect with the city. And I don't think any team has connected with the city the way this group has. but i think 93 is the only comparison i have like it's the only thing that's even close hey fantasy football owners the road to winning your fantasy football championship starts

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but I'm talking about in terms of like the back and forth between the fans and the team. And also just the like lovableness of the team. You know what I mean? Yeah. I don't remember 93 like you do. Yeah, you don't. I was a 12-year-old. For me, a 12-year-old kid finally having a good baseball team.

It was pretty special. So, yeah. I'm trying my best not to look at. I do not want to look past the Diamondbacks because they do worry me. I mean, they're very fast. They're very athletic. They're like 6'8 or 8'10. Like, they've been playing good baseball.

They're fast. They're athletic. Corbin Carroll in a playoff series reminds me of— it reminds me so much of when Carlos Gonzalez came in here in 07 and just torched us. And, like, Corbin Carroll's better than Carlos Gonzalez. Like, Corbin Carroll is going to be a better baseball player. Corbin Carroll, like, that guy might be a Hall of Famer.

I mean, if he stays on the track, he's the first person ever to go 25-50 as a rookie, ever, in the history of the sport. It's never happened before. Like, he's amazing, Corbin Carroll. I think you're underrating him. And I know Cargo is great. How am I underrating Corbin Carroll? Carlos Gonzalez was a monster for a big time. He was great, but not a Hall of Famer.

I know he's not a Hall of Famer, but if Corbin Carroll plays six years, he's not a Hall of Famer. That's pretty much Carlos Gonzalez's peak was seven years. Corbin Carroll's not falling off, that's what I'm saying. It seems like he... I mean, relax. And look, let's put this way. We're going to cut this audio when they play the the Diamondbacks and you gushing about Corbin Carroll. He's great.

No, he's great. He's great. And you know what? Look, we were joking about like, oh, we'd rather face Merrill Kelly, Zach Gallin. Give us one. Zach Gallin is the best pitcher on any of these teams that we're talking about. The Cubs, the Reds, the Diamondbacks, the Marlins, the Giants.

Zach Gallin is the best pitcher on all five teams. Boom. I mean, Sandy Alcantara, you could say he hasn't had that year, I'm saying. I'm debating him versus Logan Webb. That was the other name that popped in my head, and Logan Webb has had playoff experience and looked good, but I think it's still Zach Gallin, right? If we're just talking pure talent, it's still Zach Gallin. By the way,

is it weird to you that both Logan Webb and Brandon Webb have the same two-samer? Dude, it is... And they're not related at all. No, they're not. It's the same pitch. Brandon Webb had the... I loved Brandon Webb. ...the heaviest baseball

I've ever seen. I think. If I had to pick just one guy with the heaviest ball I've ever seen, the most balls just slam right into the dirt, it was that dude.

He was all... He was Cy Young. I loved Brandon Webb. I would say... He's like kind of a forgot... Like, we don't... Forgotten great yet. Yes, that's what I mean.

He was one of the best pitchers of a generation. I would say him, peak Dan Her a Forgotten great Yes That's what I mean He was one of the best Pitchers of a generation I would say him Peak Dan Heron Dan Heron was not As good as Brandon Webb No he was not And Jake Peavy

Jake Peavy was as good As Brandon Webb Jake Peavy is That's the same I think Jake Peavy And Brandon Webb Were perfect Like two greats

Of a generation Peavy lasted longer Peavy lasted longer Peavy had like a Kind of bounce around Career that you don't Remember at the end Like he was

Kind of like Played on a lot more teams than I thought. On the 07. Dude, you know my favorite Jake Peavy story? The 07 Padres that I went to three games out in Petco Park in 07. Shout out to my buddy Donnie McGeary. We went out there. We had a great time. And the last game we saw, 07 Jake Peavy against J.D. Durbin.

Wow, really? And J.D. Durbin threw a complete game shutout to beat Jake Peavy. Dude, me and my buddy in the ninth inning are literally standing up. The only two Phillies. Was this late in the season or early? It was like summer. It was like July, August, whatever it was. Sitting there going, J.D. Durbin.

Like the only two. There's no Phillies fans anywhere near us. And we're just like the loudest. It was awesome. It was an awesome time. Yeah. And a great park, Becca. It was great.

But yeah, I haven't been there. It's worth the trip. It's a really neat place to watch a baseball game. My only random Padres Phillies memory from out there was I remember Antonio Bastardo's debut as a starter. Hisardo's debut as a starter. His major league debut as a starter. By the way, Jake Peavy is a, if you ever want to see my Jake Peavy,

I do a perfect. Jake Peavy is one that you've got like on lockdown. Maybe on High Hopes Night on Saturday. Oh, speaking of which. Well, watch out for the rain. Yes, we know there could be some rain, but as of now, High Hopes Night is happening on Saturday night against the M we know there could be some rain, but as of now, High Upside is happening on Saturday night against the Mets.

We'll be at the ballpark, 2.30 at Liberty Landing, which is, you know, undercover, which is good, you know, if you're looking for that. But we'll be hanging out,

meeting people, meet and greet for, you know, an hour and a half before the game. By the way, it says 2.35. We've made it clear. We'll be there at 2.30.

We don't understand why there's an extra five minutes. I'm being completely honest about it. It's not a baseball game. Yeah, we're not weird like that. We're just going to be there. We did put in a request. Yes, we weren't like, we'll be there at 235.

Put 235 down. No earlier than 235. No, not 230. I'm serious about this. 235. Yeah. That's what we did. We're divas.

Sorry. For sure. Really full of ourselves. Yeah, it's what we do. Make it about us. Always. Yeah. That's what we did. We're divas. Sorry. For sure. Really full of ourselves. Yeah, it's what we do. Make it about us. Always. Yes. Cater to us.

Seriously, though, we are going to be hanging out at the game on Saturday.