High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - I Mean, They Practically Swept The Diamondbacks

Episode Date: April 13, 2026

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies dropping two of three to the Diamondbacks, but Jack's hopes are high after seeing some encouraging signs from a couple key players. Presented by Miller Lite. To purchase Ring The Bell by Jack Fritz and Kevin Reavy go to RingTheBellBook.com 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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in Sports Radio 94 WIP the crowd is singing high I feel a little less along. Yo, it is another edition of the I-Hop's podcast,

sponsored by Miller Light, official partner of the Philadelphia affiliates like Miller Time Philadelphia, is celebrate responsibly fritzy. What an annoying series that was. I know we're probably going to battle a little bit today. I think you're a little more positive than I am, but you cannot deny whatever you want to, never tweets you want to put it out of the series.

That was an annoying, series of baseball this weekend, man. That was not a super fun weekend of baseball. No, no, it was not. No, no. It was actually pretty gross. I mean, it was a beautiful weekend. You know, very springy.

And I tell you what, they really, they really mucked it up. They really mucked it up. Yesterday was a just disaster class of baseball, like how to, how to lose a baseball game 101. Like they're back in the day, back when I was growing up, James, you know, you could turn on a Phillies game and every coach would say, you see the way J-roll plays shortstop. You know, they would say, you see the way Utley plays the game. Model yourself after those guys.

And then these guys, I don't know. Don't. Don't model yourself after them. Don't do it. The funniest part about Bryce is that it's clear because he's been the best player, his entire, life. No one ever really thought him. Nope. No one ever said, hey, moron, stop doing that. Don't. You're the worst base runner on the team, big dog. Like, yes, Alec Bowman is slower than you. He is worse because he is slow. You are the worst base runner on the team. He might be the worst Phillies base runner. I remember my lifetime in terms of just pure decision making. Like take ability and speed out of the equation. Just should I go or not? I think he's the

worst I've ever seen the Phillies uniform, Jack. It's crazy. Yeah. I mean, he now, at the same time, usually when it starts getting cocky on the base pass, he's feeling pretty good at the play. Yeah, good. I'm happy he's hitting the ball well, but I, talk to him. Rob Thompson and Rob at the game, it's like, did you talk to him? He knows. He knows.

He knows this is the 8,000th time this happened in Fleets uniform. Like, clearly he doesn't know, Rob. Like, I'm sorry, dude. I just, it's, look, it's not the end of the world. It's not like the biggest deal, but it's, it's freaking annoying, man. And in fact, it keeps happening year after year, after year, And it's just like, oh, well, he did it again. There we go.

Another out. Thanks to breaking an idiot on the baseball. Now, the one on third baseball wasn't his fault. No, no, no, no. I'm just talking about going to say. That one and the Marsh one are the ones where I'm like, what are we doing, guys? Well, what are we doing? So the Marshall was bad, but I was more, I was more annoyed at Adoles.

Like, what do you swing in 3-1 like that for? Well, yeah, that too. That was not great. Yes. Just, just piss poor situational baseball. But like, they're a whole, I mean, they've always been a horrible situation. They are. But the problem is they're not good, like regular season, regular season.

Oh, yeah, yeah. They're not good enough to do. And we saw it last playoffs. Like, they can't make these kinds of mistakes. They don't score enough runs. They don't have enough power. Like, they're going to play close games in the playoffs. Like, most of the games will be close games.

And these are the way you lose those games, you know? Do you think in a million years, this, this specific baseball team could execute the wheel play the Dodgers roll off? Oh, my God. No. There's a zero percent chance. Yeah. Just a zero percent chance.

It was shy and just some brutal Stod at Bath and some big spots. He can't like. Yeah, why is he still there? Why is he still there? It's so crazy. Like you made the change. You move March to four. Why is Stott still there?

It made no sense. It was crazy. To stack the lefties, I guess. But oh my goodness. He should put another Crawford there. Like what are you like? Yes, exactly. Like what are we doing?

Put Crawford there. Yeah. So it was an unbelievable. annoying weekend at baseball, but. Yeah, here, so here, yeah, so you might not have seen it, but Jack got a real, a real uplifting, optimistic tweet about why it was, it's actually a good weekend for the Phillies, not a bad weekend. It should be positive about the Phillies after that weekend.

Never says it's fine. Never says it's a good weekend. Never says it's a good weekend. Acknowledge, acknowledge the losses, but, but not every loss is created equal. and they pretty much swept the diamondbacks. They did. I mean, I would say that would be the pod title, but people might get really mad if that's a pod title.

I don't care. I think it's a pod title. They wrote that down, Tucker. They pretty much swept the diamond bags. What was there freaking out about? They pretty much swept the diamond backs. You could all say a dime bags pretty much swept down, but yeah, let's do it.

You're right, yeah. Well, and listen. You might even say a dime back. seem closer to through them, but you know, good. Well, on this side, on this side, the Phillies basically swept them. On your side, the Phillies basically got swept. Yes. But listen, the Lazzardo blew a four-nothing lead.

And I know they only scored in one inning a game, which is so baseball, it actually, you know, it's one of those things where it's like, why do you have to be so baseball baseball? Like them going on this streak of only scoring runs in one inning or just none at all. It's either all in one. or zilch, which is impressive and annoying. It's annoying. It's not fun to watch. Like, I don't like it.

It's not fun. But the moment's where they all score the one. It ain't fun, right? That's fun. Can they tell me what inning is going to be in advance and I could skip them batting the ironities? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, listen, the, like, Lizarro,

so Lazzardo might just be more volatile this year than he was last year. He'll have his, like, peaks, which are still really, really high. The Rocky starts. was an example of that, but, you know, he's going to have these starts where all of a sudden it's just going to stop. And last year, that didn't really happen. Like, he had the two starts, we allowed 20 runs. And then what was it, the Red Sox start in the middle of the summer where he was Cruz. I think he retired the first 11.

And then all of a sudden it kind of fell apart. The Mets started fell apart early in the game. And then he had retired like 22 straight. Like maybe there's just going to be a more regression to who Jesus was before he came here where, like, this is, what happened in Miami sometimes where he'd be disgusting for four and then all of a sudden it would just like fall apart in the fifth maybe that maybe we're going to get more of that this year but I still like em bullish on Hazel's Azardo long enough for nothing leave was annoying not scoring for the rest of the game was annoying although Harper almost went yard and Adelis

almost went yard so that could have changed the entire game Saturday Saturday yeah they won Saturday I'm surprised you didn't even mention the Crawford ball off the wall that and the problem I thank you I thought I would have been the first one I mentioned you know well unfortunately like i had to the to say multiple times i am disgustingly locked in on everything because now i feel like his number one protect yeah you are yes yeah it's be you had to get the guns out and protect exactly yeah like for most of the baseball season i can kind of just like there's like a malaise in a way where you get into the rhythm the season but painter absurdly locked in on uh and and brys arper at bats absurdly locked in on so harper

goes yard, Adolese almost goes yards, Cropper's home. It's a different ballgame. This week, those are home runs in 80 degree weather. So that's basically a win. Point one for Jack. Game two. Game two, they actually did win, and Keller, I don't know why, all of a sudden in the middle of the inning just decided to stop

both Keller and Bolin. Let's just have a message for you to. Throw your freaking fastballs up in the zone. And like, don't mess with, you can mess with the other pitches with two strikes and you want to be cute. Like, enough with trying to be cute.

He got 98 in the back pocket. He's elite fastballs. Blow it past guys. So they won Saturday, one through three, nine for Duran, never a doubt. And then yesterday,

they pretty much won that game. I mean, they had, they had bases, runners of first and third with no outs twice in the sixth and eighth inning. Like,

they messed up. They messed up. But I leave this weekend, feeling more positive about the team, maybe because Harper and Schwerber, and Turner at the home run yesterday. And man, it seems like every time Crawford's up, something good happens.

I love that kid. So the middle of the lineup is going to give us anxiety and hopefully Mars can keep it up. But oh, my goodness. You mean the majority of the lineup is- Oh, oh, 6, 7-8. That's three badders. It's three? Well, don't get a bad weekend.

The five. Bad weekend. I get it. On five, too? I get it. I understand it. I get it. But overall.

I'll leave the weekend feel pretty good. I'm happy you do. And look, I get, I do think, I do think the one part of your tweet I do agree with, I do think that they are going to settle in. And at no point with my concern with this team, do I think they're going to be a bad team? Like, I think they go with 95 games. I think they can win 87 games. Like, I think there's somewhere in that range depending on injuries and all these things that

happen. But, man, it's hard to. watch this team and not feel it, man. Like, and I know we do. And it's not like, it's not like to wake me up in October. It's not that specific thing. It's more of, of, uh, of, uh, watching them with concern knowing that these things are going to matter, like not being able to just look past the holes in the lineup.

Like, the reason they score in one inning all the time is because they've got automatic outs for multiple innings at a time. It's just like, all right, well, I could settle in and just knock these out. no problem. Couple innings, get a couple, couple easy innings coming for me,

man. Like, I just, we always talk about putting pressure on a pitcher, on a defense, on, you know, making it not easy for those guys,

especially in the playoffs when it's like every pitch matters and there's that much more intensity on the pitcher. Like, don't make it easy for the guy. Don't give them like stretches of time where they can just settle back

and be like, all right, I can got to take it easy now. And this Philly's team feels like that. Like they feel so like, just for stretches of time, just like the worst team in the sport for stretches of time and then they'll get a little hot

and love an inning and then it's like all right let's hang off for dear life and then you know and we'll get to the other because the bullpen I do want to talk a little bit more about but just as a whole the way they play and it's it is ridiculous how on brand it is but I do think that it is more concerning because like you it puts way more pressure on those three guys like you talk about they had a good weekend but yeah you know they need They need college reward 50 homers again. They need Bryce to get back to 35. Like, they need this.

Not in a way like it'd be nice in a way like they needed to happen to be great. Yeah, I guess it was a good weekend for one of the things that I push back the most on that I hear is the stars have to be the stars. Well, the stars are pretty much stars and they lost two or three this weekend. Yeah. Not that it's the biggest sample size. I get it. My main point is that the stars have to be the stars. Sure.

They can't be zeros at the plate. But we also know that they're going to fail seven out of ten times that they succeed. Three or ten times they're having a great series. So it's imperative that all the other guys have little moments. Like, I mean, boom. So on one hand, it's like, is he crumbling under the pressure of the contract here? We have no idea how much the parent stuff is affecting him. Which is an important thing to bring up.

I keep, you kind of keep forgetting about it because we've, you know, had this bone for so long and you kind of just watch him and get refrustrated. But it, you know, outside of the baseball part, it is an important perspective to remember like he's going through something horrible. I can't imagine your parents like screwing you over like that, not being able to trust your parents in that situation. Like fundamentally, that has got to raise a lot of questions, you know, psychologically. So I get it, but it is, it is tough to watch this guy play baseball. baseball man. Oh, excruciating. And he's starting to get really, he's getting real close, real close, like one tier. Oh, yeah. I'm expecting, I'm expecting, we're, we're on the edge of it, you know. Now, defense, looking pretty good, looking pretty good. But like we always said,

we knew we could pick it. It's just, can he hit? And I do wonder if Rob Thompson, you know, again, did bench him in a playoff game for more energy. I mean, Bowman is hitting 148 right now, 148. So I think he has, what, two extra base hits and one was the home run on opening day. One was on opening day, yeah, exactly. And the other was that little slapy double down the line against the giant. Yeah, the little squibbler that kind of, you know, did that little spin move out. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, by the way, Sosa could also be playing second. Honestly, you know what I think of when I see those hits and this is, there are people listening or, you know, might even forget that you stuff. But that was such a pitcher hit. Like, I feel like all you see pitchers just kind of tap it down there. and it would squib out down the line like that. Like it was such a pitcher hit. I think it was a halida hit.

Yeah, it's exactly right. Yep. Whenever you got a hit, it was like that. So, so yeah, I mean,

again, like I, Crawford, I think should be moved up. I know there's a yearning to, to put him in the lead-off spot. And I, it's,

I'm fighting my, my new school mindset versus like the old school, just put them up there. Yeah, classic leadoff in her, baby. Classic. Put some out of the ball. He's fast. Let's go.

Yeah. I mean, good things happen when he, when he hits the ball. It's, I love Justin Crawford. Me too. He's been one of the real bright spots of the start of the season. Yeah. So, again, I would rather bat Schwerber first. If we're, if Turner was going to struggle from that spot, I would put Schwerver back up there. And like, you know, I would, I would put Crawford. I would at least start him at seven and let him continue to work, hopefully work his way up from there. But like at the same time, I don't care.

If you put him in the lead off spot. I know that's like, sure. I'd rather him bad lead off than not, like at this point. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, it's just like, I want to see more of them. He makes good things happen. He seems clutch. He puts the bat on the baseball.

If you want to put in the lead off spot and like, again, I wouldn't do it. But like if you put the lead off spot, put try two, so you can break up the lefties because he isn't to put Stott 9, then it'd be Stott Crawford, Schwerber, Harper, that's not going to happen. So you go Harper, Schwerber, you have Schwerber, protecting Harper. Yeah, Harper. Yeah, you would go Harper three and Shwerber four. I mean, like, it's not bad. Yeah.

So, like, I wouldn't do it, but if they do it and they feel like it's going to generate a spark and he can be the energy at the top of the lineup, who cares? Like, ultimately, I just want the Phillies to win games. I don't need to die on my, my Crawford should not be a lead off hitter take. Like, I want the Phillies to win. So, you know, but it better really, again, we've talked about this on this podcast, but like Adolese is such a swing guy because he can be a guy who can help lengthen out the lineup, can add some thump in the middle of it.

But he had a brutal weekend. And it looks like pitchers are just starting to jam him in because I think he's trying to consciously see the ball travel and go the opposite way with it. Maybe that's part of his, you know, part of the new swing. But at the same time, I mean, he's getting busted in. I mean, just they're getting right in on the hands and it's generating a ton of soft contact. So it's on him to kind of adjust back. And what the problem is when they're missing out over the play, he's not making him pay. I mean, there was a couple times over the weekend where he was.

this close to hitting it 700 feet it look like, but he just missed it. But he's really, really important. They can survive. They can survive, boom, like the way he's going through. If he can hopefully figure it out, Stott, to his credit,

I thought he did smoke some balls this weekend, at least finally. It wasn't as limpy as it's been, but, you know, he still had a bad start of the year. And JT, I'm just not expecting anything. So they can survive. Vodalis can do it.

If he can't do it, which it seems like he's going to be in four spot tonight, it gets, it gets just super, super dire. Though the middle of the lineup is something that I cannot in good faith sit here and say, I expect to get better. Yeah, I don't know how it does. Again, you know, maybe the trade deadline and they add someone. I think that's honestly that the best way to improve the lineup.

Jorge Solair. Sure. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, in a second, I'd take a guy like that. I mean, the DH thing is the issue, but you know, he has played outfield issue. No, yeah. No, he can you can stick him in right field and hope for the best, you know, stick him in left, hope for the best.

But left, yeah. Yeah, well, used to be right. But, yeah, probably not right anymore. Look, he's a DH. But I, yeah, I just, it's a frustrating line up to watch. And I agree with your point. Like, it is both things are true. Like, yes, the top three have to be good.

Of course. But they can still be good. And if the other guys aren't hitting, it's not going to matter. So I think my biggest concern with the offense right now is is the one inning of it all. And just what it says about the offense is that no matter what they do, no matter what they try, they're just not an offense that can consistently put pressure on a defense inning after inning. You know, they really have to wait for those spots and get those big moments.

And it's, that's concerning. That is a concern. And the other thing, and I felt this way last year as well, but I feel like every base hit or every walk they get is with two outs. And it's so hard to create rallies when it's just two outs. Now they had a couple times yesterday where it was first and third no outs and that was great. That was great. But yeah, I just, the reason why they score seemingly and only one thing is because it's usually a home run.

And most of their base runners, I feel like 80% of them happen with two outs. And it's just with pitchers the way that they are today, with where it's just harder and harder to string together, you know, base hits and back to back to back. It's just it's hard to do that. So, yeah, I mean, the one anything thing I do expect to write itself out. I don't think this is going to be a, yeah, it's not going to be an all season long thing,

but it does feel like it is emblematic of who they are as an offense. Like it doesn't feel like a total fluke. You know what I mean? Well, yeah, because everyone's just waiting for the top three to see if they can drive runs in. And if they don't, we'll wait until the next time around. Maybe that's the case. Maybe that's the case for keeping Crawford nine is at least he's getting on base before the big guys.

I suppose, yeah. Yeah, there you go. We figured out. One question about Tapper before we talk about the bullpen. I mentioned it before with the Harper thing. Do you think Tapper needs to have a conversation or should? Do you think Tapper should be handling this differently? Because we know Tapper is a player's manager.

And we've been pretty fine with kind of how he handles the team and all that. But it does seem like there are situations and have been situations over the years where, you know, you could use or potentially use a talking to or a situation where you go to. Do you think Topper is a little easy on these guys in these spots? Bryce, the example of like keeps has done this the entire time he's been here. And it seems like Topper just has never ever once done anything about it. He's just been like, I know, he knows. Like I don't know.

Say something. I agree with Thompson. I feel like it would, I feel like it would generate an eye roll. It'd be like, all right. Like, I get it. Because when you mess up in baseball, you know he messed up in baseball. But, but, but he keeps doing the same thing. Like, I get it.

This is not. Only one this year. Yeah, you only, yeah, sure. Like, you know what? I don't know. I get your point, but I, he keeps doing it. Like, it, I don't know if it's an I roll. I think you say, hey, Bryce, don't run in those situations.

Like, I like your aggressiveness. Like, I would prefer you don't get the double and we get the hit. Then you try and take, then you get thrown out. Like, I would prefer that. You know, like, yeah, I mean, by the way, I do think he talks to the guys. I would be surprised. I know, but I don't think he went to Bryce and said, hey, Bryce, you got to stop doing this. Like, you've been thrown out going to second base a hundred times in the time I've been here.

Hey, maybe be a little less aggressive. Like, he could do that. I'm sure he hasn't done that. I don't know. He said he hasn't. They asked if he talked about. He's like, he knows. No, I don't talk to him because he knows.

Okay. Doesn't seem like he knows. Yeah. I mean, at the same time, I also don't think you're going to. the tigers and a change of stripes. It doesn't mean you let him do it. Like someone's got to talk to the guy. Like enough of this nonsense.

Like you're Bryce freaking Harper. Stop being a moron. Like it's not that hard in my opinion. And it might not be able to look. You might just be aggressive and it might keep having. But I think you at least try. You don't just let him keep doing it. It's nonsense to me.

I think it's crazy. Just let him like keep doing it. It's crazy. Benchum. Benchum. I would talk to him. I would make him out of the game. I would talk to him.

I really would. I think that's fine. I would talk to him too. I would talk to them too. All right. The bullpen. I mean, I want to get to all of me. Just go off, but sorry with Avarado because I do think that of those, I'm not, I'm not super concerned about Keller.

I think Keller will be okay. Like, bowling, like, I'm not. I'm concerned. I'm actually concerned about Jose Alvarado. I know, we know Jose Arborado could be a streaky guy. And, you know, I wouldn't want him in a game with a runner on third and less than two outs, you or even two outs. Like, you know, like he, we know, he'll throw a while.

pitch he'll do it but he has looked really off so far the season obviously looked off when he came back last year and all that there's a whole steroid part of the whole thing i'm i'm legitimately concerned about i'm rather right now yeah i think that this is uh i i think it's over to be honest wow wow oh you took that a step further yeah i i think i think the stuff's flat i don't think it's gonna all the sudden start coming back he still is walking play people um he's all over the place. Yeah. Oh, yeah, he's looked bad, man. Yeah. What was disappointing is that, you know, in spring up to 100 and the cutter was down and down and down. And where it's at right now is everything's up and it's, and it's flattening out. Again, maybe it's a, maybe it's an adjustment

with Caleb in the in the bullpen. But I, first off, he should never see a, a seventh or eighth inning. Now, Thompson's going to be way too slow with that. He's going to, he's going to wait until May to do that because for some reason he he Thompson critique of 162 is he does stick with guys in spots a wait like longer than they should I totally agree and he is not a a leverage reliever now maize is a much better option which I without a doubt I don't think it's close right now I mean just this season so far 95 was sync again somehow is a an uptick and stuff at age 33 or 34 He looks legitimately good. And what I like about him and Banks is there are two lefties that come in and just throw strikes.

They throw strikes, they attack hitters, they're bulldogs. Alvarado is way too volatile for late innings, one-run game. Like the upside can be the upside, but there's far too much downside for where he is at. So, yeah, I mean, I'm pulling for him because I really like Jose Alvarado, but this looks how it looked when he came back last year. and the stop does not pop the same way. It looks flat and he can't be pitching in big in big spots. And then what is he?

Just like a fifth, sixth inning guy. I think there's like as we approached the deadline eventually. It's an important thing. Yeah. They might need to go get another lefty or, I mean, again, Alvarez only on a one year, nine and a half million dollar deal. So, you know, who knows how much it would be left on that deal at the time of the trade deadline, but that could be something that we're talking about is, do they need to go get another

another real lefty out of the bullpen? Hopefully, Mesa can step up and do it. Banks, I think we like banks a lot. Bacques has actually looked good at Lehigh Valley, but we don't need to use AAA stats as a reason to believe that someone is a great player as Garrett subs, as an OPS over a thousand. But, um, yeah, I just, I don't see it without rock. Yeah, I'm, like I said, I'm super concerned. And it does raise a real I mean, he was, he's not just supposed to be, you know, a lefty in the pen. He's supposed to be one of their two best, you know, three best relievers, their best lefty in the pen, their go-to guy to your point for high leverage situations when you need a left-hander. And I love what I've seen for Mesa, but I'm not, I can't say I trust Mesa in those spots,

especially, you know, big spots down the road yet, you know, so that's a concern. Go ahead. Well, I just say, you trust Pesack guys, some big spots. Of course, I would say that. Yes. Yeah. Get Lut Trevino back. Where is he?

the rest of the pen not too concerned about Keller or Bolin or any of that I'm assuming no no I mean Bolin might not be a dirty inning guy he might not be but I think when he starts an inning he's fine and pretty nasty again I just want those two to eat with their fastball just eat with the fastball make those guys square you up get it up in the zone you have you have you have two fastballs that you can get past headers up in the zone use them and it was annoying like the last two two games they both allow runs because in the middle of the inning they get cute and then they get mess. mad and they just blow guys doors off.

And it's like, just do that. Do that. Do that. Do that. You guys are, you guys have nasty fastballs. Use them. I think Kirkrys looks really good. I do think that they adjusted his sweeper a little bit. You know, last year was more a smidge loopy, a little loopier of a sweeper. I think they added some real vertical drop to it and, and tighten it up a little bit.

So that's kind of one that's interesting. He hasn't, he's thrown the splitter, but he hasn't like flash the splitter. yet. So I like that hopefully he's just keeping that in his back pocket for, for, you know, a couple times through the league. He doesn't want to a leash. Yeah, of course. Yeah, smart. Why would you do that? Of course. Hey, Ontario, come on down to Betmgm casino and see what our newest exclusive, the Price's Right Fortune Pick, has to offer. Don't miss out. Play exciting casino games based on the iconic game show only at Betmgm.

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and accessing one of the biggest data networks powered by one of the biggest delivery networks. Level up your business with FedEx, the new power move. All right, two more things than the take bag. One of them is Andrew Painter. How about that yesterday? I mean, I started the day being like, are you kidding me? Really? A migraine.

And look, migraines, I know they're real and all that, whatever. They can be bad. I was like, really? And then it's like, we're out of the bullpen. Here he comes. Who did thunk it? Painter. And look, a lot of teams, and it wasn't the purpose,

but a lot of teams will do, or not a lot, but teams will do that opener into their starter thing. Oh, yeah. They kind of get the opener, get through the top three or the top six, and then be like, are you a nice way to settle in

with the back of the lineup? It worked well. Yeah, I mean, that's what Chase Dolander's doing with the Rockies right now. And we see a lot of these. Brewers do it have done it a lot the past few years. Well, teams love doing against the Phillies.

They love starting their little lefty. I know, I know, which makes sense. Again, it's not a crazy thought. Yeah. So, I mean,

you know, migraine painter might be a problem. I mean, but I love about painter too and maybe because he kind of looks like a kid. I find it funny how like intense he is, but also I feel like he's goofy in a way.

He just looks a little good. You know what it is? It's got such a kid like face, but he's huge. And he's out there and he's so serious. I know. You know, you're a parent.

There are very few things cuter in life than a little kid acting like an adult in any way, whether it's the clothes they wear, whether it's the way they talk. Like, it's just always cute. It works every time. I think there's something about the kid face on the tall dude super serious that, like, just works.

Yeah. I'm like, you know, you're not like, he's trying to be, you know, holiday. I'm like,

I know howlady. It's like, I appreciate the intenseness. But I do wonder if he's, I wonder if behind the seat, like, off the, you know,

mound or, and not on camera. he's just like more goofy because he seems he seems i agree i agree i appreciate the seriousness no he was uh man that i do think they made i think they made an adjustment between his last start and and yesterday because i thought his last start you know his command was off by just a tick fastball was cutting a little bit maybe they felt like he was falling off the mound a little bit i i don't know but yesterday i thought specifically he was way more on top of the baseball and i thought the fastball was great, although the reason why the fastball did not get, you know, blasted

was because every other pitch was working. He could have done that splitter more if he wanted. I love getting the curve ball over. I think the slider, I think the slider was discussing it. I think I had 63% whiff on the slider yesterday, which was amazing. So I think the slider arguably is like his best pitch. Through a couple sweepers. I like to get me over a curveball. But the simple fact of matter is like when he has all those pitches and they're all working, he's going to be fine. It's when they're not on and and he has to use everything else. He has to use his fastball more and more. That's where the issue will come in.

We got like a kid there, your kids? There it is. I could tell. For those not watching the video, as Jack was giving that answer, he just kept looking to the side. I can tell he's completely distracted.

Yeah. Well, I still delivered the answer. Oh, you job was amazing. Yeah. We're still able to talk with it. Dude, Walker this weekend hit me. So Harper hit the home run.

Uh-huh. And he was rounding the bases. And he goes, uh, is that Bryce Harper? Oh, and you melt, melt. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. So it is a shame. Hey, buddy, good to see it.

It is a shame that your son decided to come for this moment because I would. What? That's right. What's that man doing with you? Hey, what's that man doing? Hey, buddy. How you doing? We're talking on a,

on the podcast. Yeah, we talk about the Phillies. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you think, pal? All right. Yeah, you see. All right. That's right, buddy. Look at that. The debut. I love it. I'll be done in a little bit. All right. Thank you, bud. My God, that is adorable. I was too. I will wait for you to come down. Okay, thank you, pal. Adorable. Yeah. Too cute. Oh, my God. It's probably. good he wasn't here for the next question I was going to ask though because I was going to joke that if we had the sad violin music, I would ask Tucker to add it right now. Don't ask me do anything to talk about Aiden Miller. I know.

My other son. So for those who didn't see it, it was a Matt Gellb, I believe, right? With the report this weekend. Oh, yeah. Doesn't look like our boys can be playing baseball anytime soon. Yikes. Yeah, I don't, man, I don't know. The Aiden thing is one of those things that I just keep.

putting off in the back. Trying not to think about. Like, I'm just out of sight, out of mind, hopefully. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, it's first off, it's a bummer. Second, you hope this is not something that's chronic. Yeah. For his entire career.

Listen, if he ends up missing two months and it knocks the back thing out and he's back, I don't care. It's, agree. Agree. It's the fear that this is something that's going to, you know, keep coming up every once in a while. And like, I've talked about, he's, he's battled little groin injuries. He's got a lot of Knicks and knacks and stuff.

Yeah, the hamlet bone that he broke, that's not any of that. But, yeah, it really, if it's true that he might miss, like, months, that's. And again, we're just going, Gelb said that, like, he didn't report it, report it, but he basically was like he's not going to be. Weeks, if not months is what he said. Yeah. And, but also, I don't know, I think he's starting to ramp up a little bit more and start doing a little bit more. and maybe they just don't want to push it. They don't want to like get to ahead of themselves.

I don't know. I really don't know how to talk about it besides like it. It sucks. And we don't have enough information and backs are weird. You don't really know. I didn't love Dombrowski throwing up. I can't say what he has because of HIPAA laws. Yeah, that's a weird.

That makes me feel like Mark L. Fultz with Brian Galangelo. Yeah, not great. And I look, it's really a shame too for, obviously for Aiden and just for everyone. I mean, and I mean, I guess it's not a shame for

like boom but i mean if aiden had just been healthy and we're you know in the miners right now like the chorus of people on calling for him would be just deafening at this point you know so it saved the phillies from that i suppose yeah no i know and it stinks because i was already getting ready to set the trade deadline of trade boom and bring aiden up especially because you know mcgonnegal yesterday like three oh god dude he's been all he's about like 320 or something he's great he's great And he's leading off for that. He's their lead off at her, man. He should be.

He's great. I know. I'm just saying. Like, what, yeah. He's great. And you see what Cropper's doing. And you see, like, painter's been so good and cropper's been so good. It's like Aden's right there with those guys.

Like, I just, I'm so ready, like, ready for the, for the kids to come up because it does make it more fun. But yeah, no, it, it's thanks. Hopefully it's weeks. Hopefully it's not. Hopefully it's not. And hopefully, and again, to your point, like, whatever time he is, you know, not playing, hopefully it's just get back and feel healthy and be good when you get back like whatever the time it is it is just to get back and be right you know yeah 100% and you know we we do have an

aid in game to go up to lehigh valley and see him play so we also have that we yeah let's hope he's playing for that yeah it's it's figure it out so um yeah super bummer did not love to see that would love to see swinging the bat feeling good and they expect him back beginning of may that is not what we got. All right, let's take back it. All right. Well, listen, there's a couple of things I noticed over the weekend. The worst part about when Harper starts heating up is people to stop pitching to them.

And it was nice, like Marsh made the devax pay and they should have won the game yesterday. And on Friday, too. Friday, yeah. Well, Gankold has completely avoided. I think he walked him on four pitches and started the ending yesterday. So that is one to monitor. and it could be one where maybe let's flip-flop him and him in shore, but nevertheless,

speaking of Schwerber, I thought his comments were funny after the game on Saturday about how like, did he feel that the team needed that? And he basically said something to the effect of, yeah, I mean, sometimes we get into these modes where we all try to do too much. I feel like I've heard that.

Trey said it. Trey said it too. And it's just. Tray said the, yesterday was, I think Tray said it after yesterday. The exact same thing. Like the exact,

I think, you know, you're trying to do too much. Like we get, he said the exact same thing. And it, it might be the fatal flaw of this Phillies team. And maybe it's like the,

the, the, the bad part of the 22 run is that they're all trying to just or a farm and recreate moments and like, rather than just go and stay within themselves and pass a ton and play good baseball, they all just try to do so much. And that's why they get super tight.

It might just be the DNA of this team that in big moments, they shrink up because they go. They're trying too hard. They want it too bad. Yeah. That might be their fatal fall. It's possible. That might be their fatal fall.

And then, like, Schwerber, I think he's fine with it. But it's like, I think he sees everyone else. And he's like, just calm down. Just calm down. I agree. Don't run a second base on a single up the middle. Yeah. It was a single up the middle.

Like, what are we? And his answer's like, well, on those usually, I think I can say, what are he talking about? No one tries to get the second on those. No, no one does. Speaking of one innings that are big problems for the Phillies,

if Taiwan could just get out of the first thing. I know. He was all right. He's fine. It's the first inning. The first inning, the first pitch is usually, you know, blasted.

And then he said, everyone's like, oh, freaking Taiwan. And five innings, four rounds for less. Yeah. Yeah. It's what he does. It's what he does. It's mostly it on the major league stuff. Cubs this week,

which would be a good little test for this team. Tonight feels like they, tonight feels like they hang eight on them. And they score. Javier Assad. They score him multiple innings, you know, and they just, you know,

they calm everyone down for a night for a night after the whole talking point today. And they get blanked by whoever's pitching tomorrow. Yeah, that sounds about right. So if I remember, if I remember to do this, I'm going to try to start a new feature. Ooh. But again, only if I remember to do it. Now, real quick, let me just a little clarification.

Do you want me to remind you if you forget or is this totally on you? And if you forget, you just forget. You can try to remind me. Okay, okay. It's probably only going to be Monday or Sunday pods because Thursdays in the middle of the week. Okay. So who stood out to me of the miners this week? So basically just geomnormal. Yeah. It's a new feature though.

I like it. You focused it. This is good. It's real sellable. Exactly. Miner's Minute with Jack Ritz. Package this one up and then sell it to someone. The gauge was dominant again. I mean, just dominant. Like needs to get out of clear water, A's out. Now, I know there's me a yearning to fast track him. I get it.

I get it. I get it. He has never passed pitched more than 40 in a season. 40 at Arkansas, 38, 40, and 39. That is nothing. Now, you've got to slow play him a little bit. He is on a pitch count right now. If you want him to be a factor in September, which I don't know how he really would be,

like outside of rotation injuries. I don't think you want to put him in the bullpen. But hey, maybe they need them in the bullpen because Alvarado can't do the job and they need another real arm out there. So I text this to a couple people. His fastball is a unicorn. I love his fastball. It's a special, special fastball. When you put your little head down on the pillow at night, you can think about Cagewood's fastball.

Sliders right there with it. All of a sudden, he's developed the 80-grade slider. it looks like hitters we're on YouTube hitters were missing it by like this much it was crazy yeah that's a lot that's significant he he needs a split to to fully reach his ceiling but he pitched he pitched into the fourth and then it was a nonsense

ending but in the first three innings he didn't allow a hit didn't walk anyone and struck out eight that's that's domination that's pretty good I don't know what the future is though I don't think they can trade him at the deadline like I wouldn't trade him at the deadline because while the rotation is in a good spot, right?

You have Lazzardo, you have Wheeler, or you have Lazzardo, you have Sanchez, you have Nola, you have Painter, all in a contract into the, into the 2030s.

Like, Wheeler's the big one where if he's done after the next year, you need Gagewood to get in there. So, um, it's super exciting.

It looks like they got another. For as much as they haven't really found someone in the second through, you know, Kirkering in the fifth, whatever they've hit on their first rounders pretty, pretty consistently. They've done a good job in the first rounders. Donka Noor was another one I wanted to bring up.

Went opposite field yesterday. Crawford and Miller and Painter. Yeah, they've done it. You're right. Mick Abel, they turned into it. They've done a great. You're right. They've really hit the first round.

It's a really, really good call, actually. They haven't missed on any yet. Yeah. No, not a, well, Painter, hopefully a star. Crawford, very good player. I don't know if he's like a star star, but a very good player. And Aidan should be a star, but hopefully the back doesn't happen.

But Norah hit an opposite field home run yesterday. I think he's in like 385 with an OPS over a thousand. And, he's all doing it with a shoulder that's a little banged up. He's not playing in the field. So he looks great. Dante Nour looks great. And then this is the true sicko hours for those out there that care about this.

And I think he will be a favorite of James Seltzer. Ooh. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So it's Luke Gabrish, who I think I've talked about on this podcast before, but he's a St. Joe's kid, big Phillies fan. Yeah. And he was like feet away from. Catching the Hart for Home Run.

Oh, you have talked about this. I do love this. I love this. Yes. Yes. Ty Dobert wrote about that for Philly's Nation after he was drafted. And then I think Alex, I think Alex Coffey wrote another thing about it. It's pretty, it's pretty cool little story.

So, yeah, he, he struck out nine in four no-hit innings the other day for the Jersey Shore. Let's go. For Jersey Shore for Haye. And it's a, it's, it's an, it's an interesting setup that he has. Like it's, it's 96 up in the zone with some good ride to it and then a pretty whiteout slider. So he looks the part as a, uh, as a pitching prospect. Love it.

Yeah. He was awesome. He was awesome. Yeah. I'm in for miners's minute. This is great. Yeah, we're trying to make it quick with people. Trying to make it quick with people.

I love it. Love it. What we do. All right. Uh, two or three from the cups. They're taking two or three. I feel very confident. I actually think they're going to win two or three here.

I, I, I, this is when they win two and three, you know. Yeah. I agree. They're going to start rattling off series wins right about now. Because the way they play this weekend, under the hood, was actually pretty good. That was a good use under the hood right there. All right. We'll be back after the Cubs series.

Until that, it's Fritzem Seltzer.