High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 2: The Time Is Now To Get Hot

Episode Date: May 25, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz discuss the Phillies upcoming schedule and their place in the current Wild Card standings. 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

There is no better weekend than this weekend and the Met Series to get people back. Because it was a great crowd yesterday. Dude, it was a one o'clock game on a Wednesday and it was packed. I said to Joe, so we've probably done, and there's an obvious reason for this, but over the years, the Midday Show now, we've probably done like 25 of these games with listeners. That was the most crowded one we've ever done. And they're usually night games is the point, but it's because the team hasn't been good and people haven't been there.

But still, a one o'clock game on a Wednesday was the most crowded game we've been now there were like 10 000 kids there were we saw that there's a lot of we were there early and and jack and i were like wow it was like it was like literally like from like almost all the way from first to third one was really from like behind no plate to third base full of kids yes a lot of unbelievable of kids. Very loud. Very loud. Very excited to see themselves on the big screen. Yes. Let me tell you that. Hard not to be. So, yeah.

No big deal to us. Yeah, agreed. So, like, and I think that right now, there's going to be a belief that they're going to turn around because of what they did last year, right? Like, that just buys them time. You know what I mean? And a belief in the clubhouse

exactly but i think there was a large majority of the city i would say that was like here we go again well we did the poll yesterday on our show before the game do like straight up do you think the phillies will make the playoffs we did it before the season was like 93 yes or whatever 60 people said no yesterday yeah so that that's a big turn in terms of belief just based off that sort of season. So if they go out, we're asking for a split in Atlanta. I mean, we can't ask for more. I mean, three or four would be, come on. Yeah, we're back at the World Series.

Yeah, just don't lose ground. That's all we're asking. Yes. If they split, whatever, three or four is a parade down broad. And then the Mets series, this is the time to get everyone back. And the good part about where the Phillies are right now is that they're only three games under.500. So compared to last year, 22 and 29, they don't have to make up a seven game deficit. I don't think they played good baseball.

Dude, I really think they're lucky. Like, not lucky, but like three games under.500 for the baseball we've seen this year. Like, it feels like it should be worse. There's been, I think they've played five good games. Yeah. That's the way I feel, man. I think they've played, there's been five games where I'm like, good win. Like, that's what I expect.

Right. And the other thing that, you know, I just, I keep coming back to, and yes, it's the, I know, I know the camera gets killed for this, but I do agree with him from a standpoint of like the third wild card does breed mediocrity. It does.

But also the Phillies made the world series last year. So whatever. It's just, it's good for the sport. Like more people should be interested in. It's good. It helps. I get your,

I get it. It's whatever. It's fine. Yeah, I get it. It's good. It helps. I get it. Whatever. It's fine. Yeah, I get it. It devalues the regular season and all that. And it does make it, it's like a safety net for teams that it does. It's frustrating because you want to be right now, be like angry that the Phillies are ruining their season. But instead, it's like, eh, they're only a couple games out of the wild card.

And the other thing it does do is it makes the trade deadline way more interesting. It does because there's so many more teams involved. Last year's trade deadline was awesome. Was the best I remember. Yeah. Yeah, it really was. But there are two games out of the wildcard right now, and the teams ahead of them are the Pirates, Giants, and Marlins.

And the Diamondbacks. I can't give it for the third wildcard. Oh, you're just talking about the third. I thought you were talking about teams in front of them in the wildcard. No. Because then the Mets are up there, too. Correct. So there are two games it for the third wild card. Oh, you're just talking about for the third. I thought you were talking about teams in front of them in the wild. No. Because then the Mets are up there, too. Correct. Yep, yep, yep.

So, they're two games back from the third wild card. Yeah. Which is occupied by the Pirates. Yeah. Which, like, they're a good story. No. Done. Well, that's why, I mean, really, I think the Diamondbacks have all these teams that

have kind of started hot. I think they're the only one that has any chance. I like the Diamondbacks. I know. They're legit. I like the Diamondbacks. They're a good baseball team. know. They're legit. They're a good baseball team. Yeah, they're young. They got a lot of talent.

That could be real. But look, the Marlins, could the Marlins hang around and be a 500-ish team and maybe get 83, 84? Sure. I think they could be in that range. But the Marlins are not

a good baseball team and the Pirates are falling away. They're not. It is what it is. Cute story. It's going to end. I mean, the Cubs have already started to fall off.

The Giants are the Padres. They're the ones. They're the ones. They're the, you know. But there's always something weird about it. I agree with you. I know they made the NLCS last year, but there's always something weird about it. They're just off.

Yeah, they are. Although Soto's starting to hit home runs, which is scary. I mean, you didn't think he was going to suck forever, right? Well, he was still hitting or whatever, but it wasn't like, he wasn't hitting for power. He wasn't Juan Soto. No, he was not Juan Soto Speaking of the Pirates I texted you this over the weekend

It is crushing that I have no shares of Mitch Geller I know so Jack has Loved Mitch Geller I said on this podcast which people still bring up to me When he was bad by the way I said I think he's the next Cranky And he was bad That was like his first stint up

He was like an 8 plus ERA over like a month and a half he's been awesome it's crushing he's legit it's crushing yeah well you were right though you can at least take that to the bank

yeah but I didn't you're not benefiting from it no I'm not which is a bummer trust me I know that feeling it is a bummer like when you're in on someone for years

and you're like this guy's gonna be great I'm in and then you don't get them when they actually break out it is soul crushing yes yeah I get that but it's okay it's okay i got enough yeah although jesus lizardo is blowing up our uh i know it's like come on dude our uh our lottery ticket

anyway uh the brave series so yeah can't wait it's like it's like anyway the word the worst part about this james, is that, like, it's happened every time they win, every time they have a comeback win, is, like, all I think about the next day is can't wait for the Phillies game. I know. And then what usually happens is they go out and lose. And you're like, God, that was not fun. That's why.

That's why. But I just think there's just too much here. And, like, it was disheartening seeing the bottom of the lineup the other night be Kota Clemens, Sosa, and Guthrie. It's like, really? That's not what I signed up for. But, you know, to be fair, I mean, Kota Clemens has been all right. I know.

He's got, like, one of the highest OPSs on the team. Yeah, he's got the second highest. Is it the second highest? No, I think he has the highest. But it's unqualified at best. Yeah, but he's been pretty good. Look, I'm not a Cody Clemons fan. I don't think he's the answer.

I don't think he should play every day or anything like that. But like, you know. Would you put Hall in the lineup over him? He's a major league player, I think. I didn't think that before. Would you put Hall in the lineup when he's healthy over Cody Clemons? Yeah, I would. I mean, it depends.

I just don't think Cody Clemens is going to keep hitting. No. But like, yeah, ride the hot streak, man. He's fine. Awesome. Best Clemens ever. As far as I'm concerned. Can't think of another one. No. Can't think of another one. Only one I know. So, yeah, I just... Two games out. Two games out.

I like that attitude. Alright, I want to look into the race series in a sec, but just a couple things from yesterday or the Diamondbacks series in general. But something you talked about last pod prior to yesterday was your concern about Ranger. And maybe there's kind of a book out on Ranger. What did you see? Because obviously he struggled again yesterday. Did that jive with what you saw yesterday, A?

And B, like, you know, I know it's no spring training and all that, but at what point do we start to be concerned? Yeah, I actually thought yesterday was a step in the right direction. Oh, good. I know the one inning was terrible. I understand that. But I thought he was getting more swing and miss. I thought he was locating better. I thought he had better command.

He flipped a couple curveballs in for strikes, which I think is going to be important as we go forward here. So he's pretty much just pitching spring training right now, which is frustrating to go through. But it's one of those things where I feel like a month, two from now, when Ranger kind of gets rolling here, they go, remember he's terrible for his first three starts back? Because he didn't have a spring training.

He didn't. He had a couple rehab starts where he was pretty good. And he's not Bryce Harper. He's not Bryce Harper. Few people are. Few people are. So I thought yesterday was actually closer. Good.

And I think that, speaking of fantasy, yes, I used a waiver claim on him. He's blowing me up in the last two starts. So I need him to turn around. But I legitimately felt like yesterday was moving towards getting back to being ranger all right and the other one from the series wheeler we talked about that game that was the most frustrating game in the series just from a you know go down early battle back get within a run then zach wheeler allows pavin smith to hit one and that curse the next month like next week you know do that was a tank shot. Yeah. And then we score another run and then they give us another. It just felt like it was like Zach struggled, man.

It was frustrating. Zach Wheeler started. Didn't feel like he had that kind of even when he doesn't have it. He kind of has like a toughness out on the hill where you feel like he's going to battle through. And it just felt like you didn't have. Yeah. All right. I'm just fixing my mic a little bit.

You can hear that. Did I three off that much? No. I'm thinking about all the bleeping I have to do now that you said all that stuff before and I'm cursing over here. Three bleeps. You're going to get all fired up. There's three bleeps.

I mean, you get it. That Pavin Smith shot. No, it was a 10. That was bleep worthy. It was a bleep worthy. Especially because Pavin Smith's things. Exactly. Like, Ben, that is a bleep worthy comment.

Anyway, guys. Anyway, I just, it feels like, does it not feel like we're getting the 09 Hamels? It does, man. Yeah, a little bit. Where it's like, pitch a ton of innings deep into the year and can't bounce back. Yeah, it could be. It feels like a couple good starts and then a step back,

which is not what you want from your ace. So it wasn't, again it just doesn't feel right. Like nothing feels totally right with him right now. And he didn't have any, he had one strikeout until the sixth inning, and then he struck out two guys there. The problem was like the sixth inning looked dominant, and I was like, might as well keep. Well, at that point, yeah.

Keep rolling them out there. You know, why not? So, yeah, I just don't. The scariest part about this team right now, at least pitching-wise, is that you don't really know what you're getting out of your two aces. You have no idea what you're getting out of Tywon Walker. Oh, my God. It's like as Jekyll and Hyde as it gets.

You have Rangers. You don't have a fifth starter. Rangers are working its way back. Hold on. Dylan Covey's heating up. Yeah. I mean, Dylan Covey. I was about to say Covey.

That was the best, I was like, it wasn't a start, but that was like the best adding team starter in a while. It was insane. It was a six innings,

one run. It was great. So you have no idea what you're getting out of four-year starters, pretty much. Then the bullpen right now, it's like either

shut down or blow up. More shut down, though. The bullpen has been good. It has been good. I don't think we can rip the bullpen that much. It's not ripping. It's just, with Sir Anthony, I don't know what I'm getting.

Yeah, well, that was a weird one. That was a really weird outing the other night. Soto, I trust more than I don't, but there's still that feeling of like. I think Soto, I think Soto's one of those guys who's going to look awesome for eight outings in a row, and then he's going to come out and have a complete and total blow up. Kimbrel's been good. So that's where I was about to go. I was like, Kimbrell's been very good.

And the control, the velocity. And yesterday, again, that's hard for a pitcher, right? Umpires are arguing. There's this and that going on. You're just kind of trying to do your thing on the mat, especially Kimbrell, who seems like he locks in his own and does his thing and all that. I was really impressed with him yesterday.

That was a big spot. After the Turner-Homer, like we just talked about, if you lose that game, that Turner-Homer loses. Oh, it's lost. It's like maybe it helps Trey a little bit, but it's not a potential pivot point for the season. You needed Craig Kimball to go out and shut it down, and he did. He's been really good.

Yeah. So, again, there's a lot of inconsistencies here with a lot of the pitching staff right now, and hopefully they can get on a roll and get going here. The one thing about the Wheeler start, and definitely Tuesday night, I've never seen so much, like, soft contact, I feel like, and unlucky stuff happen to them. Like, I mean, they had a ball bounce over Cody Clemens' head.

I feel like that's happened a few times at Wheeler. Was it the White Sox game? Was that the one where it was like he gave up the four runs, but none of them were more than 90 miles per hour for the bat? I remember that. Something like that. I feel like he's had a few days like that where it's kind of been like single, single, double, good contact.

But it was the whole series, too. I mean, the whole series is like that ball's down the line. No, you're right. You know, like a bleeder falls in front of Schwarber. Meanwhile, like Schwarber hits a ball later in the game Tuesday, and it's like, how does that not fall? How does that not fall? It's hung up just long enough.

It was Monday they played bad, and Wheeler wasn't great. Tuesday felt unlucky. Tuesday felt unlucky. And then they came back and won yesterday. So all hope is not lost. God, what a big win that was. Yeah.