High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - It's Miller Time, Phillies.

Episode Date: May 27, 2022

James and Jack are back and they are presented by Miller Lite! The guys react to the Braves series, talk about firing Joe Girardi cause he's a terrible manager, and more. Did we mention, James and Jack are Miller Liteman now? Cause they are. Cause Miller Lite rocks. Celebrate Responsibly and Go Phils. 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

This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies. On Odyssey and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo It is another edition of the High Ops Podcast. Don't let that yo delude you. We will be crushing this baseball team. Aaron Nola tonight excluded. But what that yo is all about is it is welcome to another edition of the High Ops Podcast

presented by Miller Lite. What up, we big time fritzy did you know what it is it's miller time jack yep james and i we are officially miller light guys uh always have been jack and it's miller lightman that's what we are. We're Miller Lightman. And listen, I'm not one to spring ideas on you in the middle of a podcast or new bits, but I have an official new bit for... Oh, good. I can't wait to find out what it is along with the rest of the listening audience. Well, because frankly, James, I've been bitless for a while now you have honestly i people have been talking about it you know it's kind of been whispered a little bit as he lost his edge is he kind of getting

complacent but i'm happy to hear you're back even if i don't know what this is yes but i think you'll be on board i think i hope so i mean i better, I better be. It's going to be it's going to be a really awkward Miller like comes on board and then we have a pod beef right away. I mean, that would be pretty awkward. So I better be on board. Yeah. So I've just been bitless for a while now. You know, last really big movement I had was run for its run. And and obviously that was a massive success that brought the town the title it's been waiting for. Hey, hey, hey. It did bring them five straight wins. Plus, they won eight straight during that.

Honestly, that is an unbelievable achievement in this era of Phillies baseball. Yeah, so please put respect on that. Yes, yes, for sure. Yeah. Yeah, so please put respect on that. Yes, yes, for sure. Yeah, so I finally realized it with Miller Lite coming on board. The official movement of the High Hopes podcast, our listeners, you and me, is Miller Lites for Phil's wins, baby. Every Phil's win, crack open an ice cold Miller Light,

and we enjoy it together. Because honestly, you're going to need some Miller Lights, you know, as we're watching a Phil's bullpen. Like if you come through, they win, they hang on. You're going to need a beer to kind of calm your nerves down a little bit. And there's no other beer we'd rather do that with than Miller Lite. So Miller Lite for Phil's wins is going to be exciting, and I look forward to hopefully consuming, I don't know, James,

maybe at least 65 more at a minimum for the rest of the year. Yeah, I mean, let's hope, buddy. Let's hope. 65 more at a minimum for the rest of the year. Yeah, I mean, let's hope, buddy. Let's hope. 65 more. A modest goal. 86 wins. Let's do it. Honestly, let's do it.

But, yeah, I'm in for – I'm into just drink Miller Lights all game and then, you know, crack one for a victory. I would like them to force me to crack one for a victory i would like them to force me to crack one for a victory we'll get to the team we're about us jack all right this is about us not about the team that had a thank god they won this game buddy by the way and it's probably only because of this miller light thing um some some stuff to get to with this because you know uh we are the official miller light phillies podcast so you know that is uh that's pretty cool um miller light official miller light phillies podcast i don't know if

we can say we're just a miller light podcast i said phillies are you listening to me i said well i'll report i don't know like do you want to break down hops like should we start breaking down pilsners and i mean we could do some so many calories so little calories so much once upon a time jack fritz so you know nice same i i could yeah i know i could talk about it um look uh we're gonna have a lot of awesome stuff with this too this is um the cool thing about miller light is they're like really going to be involved with with some awesome events for us we're going to have multiple high hopes nights down at the ballpark including one coming up really soon jack june 11th we're going to be doing high hopes night

down the ballpark yeah so if you ring the bell a ring the bell high hopes night yeah so you're planning to come to our other event that we're going to have June 11th, reschedule it and divert your attention towards June 11th down at the ballpark. I remember last year, like, it was just so much fun. Like, we were supposed to just hang out before the game and just then go down to our seats. Ended up just hanging out and talking to our people, High Hopes people um for the

entire game so the entire time the entire time we stayed the entire game up there i think we're uh i think we're scheduled to have only two high hopes nights this year uh and this is one of them and i know it's fast and i feel bad that it's so fast um you know that that's kind of creeping up on people and and kind of coming out of nowhere but obviously uh we love to see everyone down there if we can so we'll have this event which will be fun june 11th uh at the miller light flight deck you know my problem is james like i'm very excited that that mill that miller light is is involved the podcast like a long time coming i i very much enjoy miller light beers I was drinking it regardless.

I can't say Miller Lite right. I can't say it. I just heard you stumble with it there. I know. I literally have to pause and think every time I say Miller. I got to really enunciate it. Why? It's not hard.

This is not like a difficult word to I've always been bad at it. Miller is the one thing. I was trying to think of a difficult word to say. It's not like perspicacity or something like that, Jack. That's not a word. That's not a word. That is a word. I know.

So as we go along with this journey with Miller Lite, I got to get it down. Because for some reason, the way I talk, it just trips. It trips me up. So here's what you need to do. So inside baseball on Fritzie, you know, Jack will do some some, you know, test monologues like during the day, like when he's, you know, at work coming, you know, because we all practice and work on stuff and he'll like do an open or whatever. practice and work on stuff and he'll like do an open or whatever and i think what you need to do is add to your your practice schedule to just kind of say miller light into a microphone like a hundred times a day maybe if that's what it takes but it's literally been my whole life so now what usually happens james is that when people bully me about something, I immediately change. Because like, I don't know.

You've bullied me about a lot of stuff in the past. No, I'm a bully. That's me. That I have that I feel like, OK, am I wrong in this instance? And I have just committed myself to never being embarrassed again. And I will do that with Miller Lite. I will get it right. But I'm just, Hey,

this is a trust tree. This is an honest podcast. We are very much ourselves. And I, I struggle to say Miller light. Like, I don't know why I, I, it's nothing personal. Um, I hope you don't stop sponsoring the podcast now, but this is, yeah, not ideal. I mean, it's not the greatest. I'm going to work on it. Yeah, we'll make him better. Miller Lite, I have no problem saying. Yeah, you have no problem with it. You sound way too natural saying.

Me, I'm like Miller Lite. Miller Lite. It might be partially in your head as well. Oh, for sure. I got the brocious yips over here for Miller Lite. All of a sudden, we're sponsored for FritzCat Talk. I love it. But it's always been this way, and it's always been my worry if they sponsor

the podcast, like, oh, we have a guy who can't even say our name right, and it's like, one of the easiest things in the English language to say is Miller. Why can't he say it right? He can say, who let the Phillies get hot? He can say, like, Aaron Nola's back, but when it comes to Miller Lite, this guy struggles. He can correct me on every

baseball name i've ever said wrong yeah and yeah so um listen i'm uh i'm uh i will work on it i will nail by the end well i hope the partnership never ends but um how about by the end of this season can we get it good by the end of the season by the end of the season? Can we get it good by the end of the season? By the end of the season, we'll, you know, like, look, I'm the one who has to say at the beginning every pod. So, you know, that helps you a little bit. You don't have to, you know, say it at the open. That's a good thing. We can kind of, you know, mix it in throughout.

Make it kind of, you know, look at this. Who knew? You come in with a bit and maybe we get a bit out of thin air you know when you're as in on the big game as i am they kind of just come out of nowhere sometimes so i totally get it um but listen i as we hopefully watch the phillies grow and yeah they better we're seeing it we're gonna get to the phillies don't worry we We will. But as we hopefully see their growth process and their growth mindset, I hope that everyone joins me in my journey, in my own growth of being able to properly say Miller Lite.

I believe in you, buddy. I believe in you with everything that I have. Because if I can't believe that you can learn to say Miller Lite right, then we might want to just end this podcast because I need to expect more from you over the course of this pod. Is that fair? It's fair. It's more than fair.

It really is. It really is. We're setting a low bar. We're setting a low bar with this one. Just say the name right of something that's not hard to say. An incredibly low bar, which I like. I'm a fan of that. Yeah. Jackie Fultz over here. Jackie Fultz. All right. So June 11th, Jack's Ray. We apologize. It's so quick. Obviously,

if we could have picked the exact one for the first one, it would be a little more time. But maybe you already have plans for June 11th. You can just kind of pivot those plans. There'll be more details about it on WIP. We're hoping to be able to give tickets away and all that type of stuff. So we'll see how it all kinds of goes. We're not sure exactly about that. But there will be another one. And there will be some other like smaller High Hopes nights throughout the season.

We're going to be doing other events. Like this is going to be a pretty cool thing where it's going to get us the chance to get out and see people. Which, you know, you've heard us talk about the high hopes nights we've done in the past. And that's, you know, like our favorite thing we've ever done with the pod, you know, so getting to meet everybody is the best part of this because, you know, we all take this excruciating journey together. And, you know, it's nice when you can, you know, put a face to the tweet or put a face to the listener or whatever and, you know, commiserate together in person because it does, you know, feel better to know that we're not alone. Right, Jack? Uh, yes. And, and our, our people are always so, so nice. Uh,

we meet them in person. Uh, and my favorite, my favorite is when everyone's kind of in on the bit. So I, I, maybe I shouldn't have been so outward in my struggles with saying miller light like i just rush it like i just i'm really happy i'm really happy you you felt see that's the point that's why i'm gonna meet everyone because everyone is so nice and you felt comfortable enough to bring this to the table people are gonna be like hey what is this and then hand me a miller light and then i'll have to say it over and over and over again. I support that in every way, shape, and form. It'll be good.

All right. So we'll have more details. And also, shout out to the Miller Lite account of the week. If you're in the Exton area, check out Appetites on Main in Exton. Miller Lite $3 draft specials or Philly games. Have a dog-friendly patio patio as we are a dog friendly podcast you have all heard for sure you've all heard Ruben many times on this podcast if you're a loyal listener all right um that's a cool spot I've been there before it's it's a nice

little uh nice little spot in a good little area in uh the Axton little uh outside mall area so good beer good times good Phil's wins good, good times, good Phil's wins. Good Miller Lite. Miller Lite's for Phil's wins. Miller Lite, celebrate responsibly, Jack. And Miller Lite, I think there's no better way as we pivot to Phillies baseball, no other better way than to welcome Miller Lite

to the podcast and the first Phillies thing we say to be fire Joe Girardi, Jack. Like, can we please get rid of this guy? I know we won today, but this series in Atlanta and somehow I know in the end of it, they split the series. You know, they split the series. It feels like they lost 10 games in a row with those two games in the middle. Like they lost 10 games in a row with those two games in the middle. And, you know, obviously we'll get into the bullpen stuff and then just the lack of energy, the lack of fire from him and this team all season long and all that type of stuff.

But I just feel so despondent with him as the general of this baseball team. It feels like this team takes their cues from him and the cues are you know it's it's early it's fine you know we can lose some games it's not that big a deal and then you look up at the end of the season and the Mets are 10 games up and you're you know three games out of a wild card spot you know i don't know um where you at right now with gerardi because i think clearly it is the the number one kind of thing hovering around this team and there's a lot to get into but gerardi feels like you know it's been a it's been a rough week for joe gerardi jack yeah and um you know it kind of feels like it really is miller time to fire him pretty good right oh it was really good it's either really good or really really really bad and either way i'm really really a fan of it so that was terrific i mean miller light you're

welcome you know you should have come on board sooner. This is the content you were missing and you will get moving forward. So you're welcome. The hashtag. Hey, hey, guess what? It's also Miller time to go on a run. So, all right. Listen. I know it's hard. It's hard. It's hard to bounce back. I'm wondering if I should just like, geez, Fritz, I'm sorry.

We'll see you later. Just add that.'s that's you know we're there we did it um so the phillies uh this year have the same record as the 2009 yankees so what a pivot right there maybe they're both slow starters no um i you know so i do this whole thing where i talk myself into the phillies and then i because i genuinely like all i want to believe in is my baseball team you know if i can't believe in many things in life like the good quality taste of miller light and and a good baseball team i just just don't know, really. Like, it's just, it kills my soul, frankly. And even when I was, like, trying to talk myself into them being a good team

and I was trying to say, okay, I can go all in. I can cannonball off the deep end. And I can truly believe that they are going to be able to compete at the top of this division. The one thing that was always holding me back was, do I believe in the manager? And I was never a big manager guy. I just felt like in most good clubhouses, I felt like the players kind of policed themselves, and I kind of felt like there's nothing they can really do, especially in AL style baseball that is now in the NL.

And like for the first time, he has literally cost this team. It's at least been five games. Yeah, I was going to say's at least been five games yeah i mean i was gonna say five at least two it's it's been it's hard to do the whole like a manager blows a game but it's just the the decisions that you see they don't make logical sense and you know how it's gonna end before you even give it before the the inning is even over like feels like a loss is is a bit but also at the same time like they legitimately do every time like it's not like it does they do feel like losses so um that's like it's like every night i know well it's funny that you say that because i see the tweet and i'm like i know

it's a bit but yeah it really feels like a loss. They're well-timed. They're well-timed for a reason. But it's just – it frustrates me how little of want to it seems like there is from him. And you see how they play. And you see how they are at home. You see just the – even the play last night. I know it's not the manager's fault, but, like, the lack of accountability,

and then Oduble's back out there tonight. And, yes, it mattered because Oduble got the big hit late, and that's good. And they needed that hit. But it's like, what did they really learn from that? Like, they learned that it's okay to make a mistake there. And JT talked last night about why does this keep happening to us. that they really learn from that like they learn that it's okay to make a mistake there and and jt talked last night about we why does this keep happening to us it's like well because there's there's no accountability there's no there's no uh hey repercussions yeah there's no yeah so

you know i've seen the last two days we'll play i've seen them not look fired up i've seen them not have energy and it just continually looks like they're taking after the lead of their manager like uh for example i felt the same way as i do about giovanni um as i did about gabe because i felt like gabe was the same way where he's like nah it's not a big deal like it's still early and then it was like it's august and they still were playing the same way um and what gabe I believe took with him out to San Francisco was like, nah, screw that.

Like, we're going to be aggressive all the time. We're going to come in. We're going to try to beat you every single night. And, you know, I think that that team has kind of taken on the personal or their manager.

They're doing the whole breaking of the unwritten rules and they're, they're kind of, they're, they're trying to win and grind out every inch. you see this team they don't do that and then i look at buck show walter and what he's created up there with with the whole uh us against the world with getting hit by pitches and he's he was crying the other night over a player like players respond to that stuff and and here i just don't see any player response to anything that he does. And, and he seems, you know, kind of tired after games.

And, um, you know, as a fan, as you and I are, and, and as our listeners are like, I'm just telling you how I feel as a fan watching Joe Girardi is I still don't get the sense that he wants to be here. And it, it just looks like a big, if Girardi is I still don't get the sense that he wants to be here and it just looks like a big if we don't we don't and and that's just frustrating for a a a group of fans of you and I that are on the verge of going 11 seasons without making the playoffs so I can sense at some points he's frustrated but I don't see any fire and i just think that a large portion of why they look so lethargic a lot of times is a reflection of the manager dude i you just hit on everything i was gonna like that was perfect just rewind the last four minutes listen

to what jack said and that's how i feel like that i i couldn't agree more and i actually i've noticed it and and even in the way a few players talk, like Knabel after the, you know, Girardi's rules thing and all that, and we'll get more specifically into that. But, you know, he talked about, you know, oh, yeah, you know, we just, you know, we can't worry about it. It's just one game. You know, we got to just move on and, you know,

keep going and forget about it the next day. And we had Schwarber on the midday show today, and he did the same thing where Joe asked a question about, or Marcus Hayes, I think, asked a question about, what can you guys do to correct the nightly miscues type of thing? And he's like, oh, just forget about it and go to the next game. And that was the message. And it's like, I think that to your point, what you're talking about, it's a message

that Girardi sends to this club. It is like, yeah, you know what? It's just a game. Don't worry about it. It's way early, man. We got so much time. Like, don't worry about it. It's just a game. No accountability, no repercussions.

Like go out and get them the next day. Like, it's just, it is. I am so with you on this. I think that this team takes their cues from this guy and this guy, I love the point you made about him looking like dead after a game he's like pale and he has no energy it's like you know if you go out and win a baseball game aren't you the manager and you're coming to me like man like yeah we had him tonight and this even gabe you remember like people might not like the content of what he said

but at least he had some energy and the way he delivered it was was engaged and all that gerardi it really does feel i'm happy you said that, it really does feel, I'm happy you said that, because it really does feel like he doesn't want to be here. It feels like he doesn't want to be here, that there's no fire. And again, the Gabe thing was perfect too. It does feel like, Gabe, you watch the Giants play, and they're on late, and when I'm doing work and I'm up late, especially on the weekends, I watch the Giants, and it does feel like they just are a fiery baseball team

that is fighting for every inch. And the same thing with the Mets. And I do think those cues, I agree from a tactical perspective, and Girardi has been particularly bad at that and has cost the Phillies games. But for the most part, managers don't cost that many games tactically speaking. But I do think from a culture clubhouse taking your cues from the manager how you play as a team the attitude you have as a team that stuff can matter and i think we're seeing the opposite ends of that with show walter and capler what they're doing now as opposed to gerardi well and you know what's annoying is

maybe this whole like oh like it's a long season it's a long season it's a long season do you think that buck showalter walked into the mets clubhouse and said hey it's a long season no like it doesn't matter if we start the season off slow um like gabe has not done that from day one i mean they're still bunting and stealing bases up seven runs late in games like that shows you how engaged they are. I mean, the Mets bench has cleared multiple times this season already. Like, you know, like, they're ready to fight for each other. They're ready to fight for Showalter.

They believe in what they're doing, and, you know, they have, like, a mission, to your point. Like, it is us against the world. You know, I've talked about that so many times. I think us against the world, you know, we've seen it in football. So, I mean, the Eagles won a Superbowl that way. You know, I think it's such a powerful, motivating factor, you know, just these guys in the locker room, it's you guys versus everyone. No one believes in you. You know, you're the freaking Mets. You lose every year. Like I think that stuff matters.

And I think it can really matter, especially if you've got a group of guys that you know want to win and buy into it this this team is a bunch of mercenaries that don't have a guy to lead them in any way shape or form and it seems like it's impossible for them to come together like these other teams Jack yeah and for as much credit as we give Showalter and I think that he deserves a good amount I do think I think Scherzer definitely has a lot to do with that as well. Yeah, Lindor. Those guys are winners. They're great players and they're good dudes and they go out and compete. Yeah, and

I still believe that it's going to be Schwarber and as he continues to get more comfortable and settle into this, I just think that he's going to eventually be that guy. I just think it's just hard. It's hard for him to walk into a clubhouse with Bryce, who's the MVP of the National League and is obviously a huge presence.

But it's hard to like, okay, well, whose locker room is it? And I just think Bryce is a lot like how Otley was, which was just kind of a lead by example. I'm going to do my own thing. And Bryce is doing about as good of a job as you could ask for. Oh, my God. What more can the guy do? I mean, he's four-hit game, three-hit game, three.

Have PRP injection, come back, three-hit game, four-hit game. I mean, he's playing at MVP level again. And I particularly felt it in last night's game the 8-4 game the four hit game for him where it was just like just felt like this poor guy was out there just doing especially because he can't play the field and all he gets is those you know those those at bats and he just felt like he was trying to do everything he could Jack and he was just you know especially after the night before and and let's talk about that night because i think that's you know the game that you know since we've last talked probably the most you know we had the the crap series you know at home that you know just a horrible homestand and a disappointing homestand but

you know that game in atlanta with uh you know the back and forth and harper taking the lead in the ninth and then you know the decision to stick with nick nelson first of all i mean honestly the i think the the decision to go norwood in the six was just as bad i mean that was at a 2-2 game and fell apart obviously immediately i mean that was a absolute disastrous decision and you know then the knable decision you know to not go to knable three nights around not do sir anthony after he had only thrown 11 pitches on Sunday. You know, we'll get into the, I mean, it's part of it now. Let's just get into it. The idea of the way he's used his relievers as well with using guys for wraparound innings in weird spots. At home, that home series, you bring Brogdon in and get a big out or two, and then you bring him back out, and he was terrible.

Same thing with Alvarado. Like, this guy has zero feel for this like unbelievable what did you make of of the the first the the you know that horrible loss the ninth inning you know nelson debacle the outfield play the whole thing and then gerardi's management of the bullpen over this stretch which is I think has been particularly bad the last two weeks. Yeah. I mean, it's been infuriating. And we talked about this actually a lot when Gabe was the manager, was how he was obsessed with putting guys out there for a second inning after they would get out of big jams. Yeah, you brought it up all the time.

It was one of your bugaboos. You brought it up a lot. Well, and I bring it up because I just, I kind of, I never pitched the major league level. I never pitched the minor league level. But when you get out of a big spot, there's just an emotional letdown. And to get yourself back up to where you were with all the adrenaline pumping, like, it is hard, and it's a human adjustment.

And it just, I don't know. I don't know why he keeps doing it. I can't remember one time, James, where it's, it's legitimately worked out. I can't either.

Like there was a couple of times early in the year when, when Nelson gave, yeah, but that was like four innings. He gave him or whatever, like that kind of thing. Like, you know,

it was rare that it worked out where it was like the seventh inning and he brought the guy back for the eighth and the guy didn't get hit. It's so weird. He does it all the time, Jack. Well, yeah, he does it all the time. And it's like, yeah, every time it's like, yeah, he's throwing the ball well. It's like, I know he's throwing the ball well, Every time it's like, yeah, he's throwing the ball well.

It's like, I know he's throwing the ball well, but that doesn't mean he automatically goes back out there for the next inning. So it's a lot of that. It's a lot of no feel. It's a lot of between having no feel and then also not having guys up and ready to come in if a guy does fall in trouble. Like, dude, every time Alvarado starts an inning, someone should be up. It doesn't matter. If he gets through it, great. They probably threw

six pitches. Him, Familia, Norwood, if he's still here, I think Falter's starting tomorrow. Norwood has to go. I think he's got stuff. He clearly has stuff, but he has to go right now. He's just not ready for this. No, he's got stuff he clearly has stuff but he has to go right now he's just not ready for

this no he's not and and dude putting him in in a tie game two two game in the sixth inning when you just won the night before and you have a chance to to take the first two games of the series it was it was it was infuriating jack i. Honestly, I hate just individually, I hate that decision more than the Nelson for a second inning. At least Nelson has shown he can go multiple innings and has been decent. I hate that decision too. Don't get me wrong. I hate both.

But if I had to choose which was worse, I actually think Norwood in a 2-2 game in the sixth was worse. Well, because at least Nelson's pitched well. That's the point. Nelson's gotten outs at least Nelson's pitched well. That's the point. Nelson's gotten out, at least. And in what world was that going to work? I know. What was the...

Again, I just didn't know what the thought process was. And here's the thing that I keep coming back to on that Blum game. process was and here's the thing that i keep coming back to on that blown game is that i felt like he went into that game thinking well we're not gonna have to lead any yeah he's like i was freed versus gibson we're gonna lose this game yeah and it's like so okay so you're walking into a game that basically feels like a scheduled loss like you don't you don't game plan you don't game plan to have nick nelson take down the eighth and ninth innings there's no way that can be a possible game plan there's like he basically said after the game like yeah i threw him back out there because he was throwing well

like so so you're basically like you're basically admitting that you had no plan for the ninth and god forbid you get the the lead you don't have a backup plan. I just don't understand how you go into a NL East division rival game in a place that you have really struggled with. And two things. I don't know how you go into the game down three of your high leverage relievers. I know one of them was familiar. I got it. But regardless, you're heading into a game with down three of your big guns.

You was one of the guys that has closed games in the, what's, eighth in broadhand or seventh? Seventh. In broadhand, which feels like a mistake. Just save him for the ninth in case you get the lead. Yep. And then the other thing that really just bothers me is that Bryce hits that big home run.

It's a possible season turner and it's like a must swing game in that moment yeah and the momentum changes and can able wanted the ball he wanted the ball yeah so and like any reliever worth his salt if a if if the manager is calls your name he's going to take the ball he's going to take the ball. He's going to take the ball. And Corey's right from the standpoint of that's my game to lose. I'm the closer. You pay me to be here to be the closer.

Nick Nelson's been really good, but just let me close this game. And, you know, you have to have a feel in that moment of what that win can do for you. And I think a part of the reason why they came out the night after was because they blew that game last night yeah and they were just deflated when they came back and they tied the game last night and made it 4-4 and then immediately the bullpen gave it up like yeah i mean he left alvarado out there for like six batters or whatever it was it was like what are you doing man yeah so there was just there's a lot of frustrating things from it not having a real plan for the

ninth in case you get the lead not being able to adjust on the fly saying hey cory that's a big home run and you know core can it would be like yeah give me the freaking ball dude yeah and or sir anthony who hadn't been since sunday now i know i know it's sir anthony and the you know it's sir anthony so i get it but no no no no I'm saying that Girardi did say he did have a case of tired arm in a way, or dead arm. Okay, all right. But I still don't. I don't really buy it.

I mean, it was 11 pitches on Sunday. I know he threw a lot on Saturday and Sunday, whatever. It was 11 pitches. He had a whole day in between. You got to be able to go to him. Here's the bigger thing. Here's the bigger thing. We both,

I know you do. I do. I hate this like hard and fast rule that pitchers can't pitch three days in a row this early in the season, but like whatever. All right. I can at least say like, fine,

it's early in the season. Like I understand wanting to keep guys healthy, whatever. Like if you truly believe that this will keep guys healthy, I can at least Miller light. It's Miller light time. I can understand if you want to keep it, you know, if that's something you believe in, whatever. I disagree with it, but whatever. But if you're going to have this policy,

this rigid policy, and you know that you're in the middle of a 16 day stretch of baseball, then manage your bullpen differently going in. Then don't use all those guys in those spots. I understand there are situations that you need to win games and you need to do stuff, but don't use Kniebel in a four-run game. Like, I was all right with that in the moment because I think you want to win a game,

but, like, if you know that you're not going to use him in three games, then maybe don't put him in that game until you have to or whatever. Like, it just, there's no foreplanning. Like, if you're going to have this rigid, hard and fast rule where it almost feels, Jack, like where he's like going into that game the other night where he's like, yeah, this is a Norwood day.

Norwood's going to pitch at some point. This is a Nelson day. Nick Nelson's going to pitch at some point. Like, he goes in with this plan regardless of how the game's going to play out. Like, again, it almost feels like it's like bingo or yacht not bingo like yahtzee where it's like you just oh you know who's up this time out boom you you're you're it let's go you know it could be anybody like it's just like a day where these guys are pitching and has no no bearing on

what the actual score of the game is in this situation. It's infuriating, man. Again, I feel like he should be fired doubly, where it's like either one of these things, his in-game management, his management of the bullpen, is bad enough where he should be fired for it. And I think even worse is his management of the team and the people. It's just a disaster. I'm so frustrated. I keep coming back to fire gerardi

i i can't help it um let's get into some other stuff there there are some like where you know we kind of i jump right into joy where you at with the team overall because usually you're the one who's kind of being like hey man you know it's all good you don't worry so you know maybe i can i could probably use some of that right now um where yeah on the whole with this team right now i mean we had you know the last time we had spoken we you know sorry we waited a little while jack wanted to wait till at first we were going to record monday and then i couldn't record sunday i couldn't record and then jack didn't want to do it to the end of the series with the braves, so that worked out. So I apologize for that. But last time we spoke, you know, it was good.

Things were good. Things were better. We had had that rough loss against the Dodgers. But, you know, we were feeling good after the 5-and-2 road trip. And then it was really a tough, tough homestand, you know, with, you know, three runs scored in the Padres series. They lose a series where their team scores five runs. I mean, that's flat-out devastating. And then this kind of weird Brave series where it's win the first,

you feel good, and then just a gut-punch loss and then a no-show, and then you win the last. The starting pitching has been great. The offense has been super inconsistent. The bullpen has recently been really bad. Are you still feeling they're going to be fine? Not really. I just feel like they're about a 500 baseball team right now.

Obviously, there's causes for optimism. I think that you feel pretty confident when at least three of your starters take the mound. I would say on most nights at this point, Nola tonight, being able to do that in Atlanta, which has been a place that he has struggled ever since the opening day in 2019. The 68 pitches or whatever. Yeah. Well, that was 2018. 2018.

But, yeah, regardless, I feel like he's just struggled there for a long time. And a spot where they needed a win, too. A spot where you lose the series. If you lose it, you're coming off two ugly losses, each in their own way. We have not seen Nola be a stopper kind of guy you know and and today he was like they really needed to win this baseball game today jack for i think a lot of reasons and and you know nola really stepped up i mean he was magnificent yeah and and uh we we talk a lot about it coming back to fastball command and and

being able to use his fastball and then everything looks better off of his fastball that's what he's been doing and it's not it was never rocket science it was never like oh my god like crazy idea use your fastball more it's a really good pitch um so um i do think it's officially miller time to declare that arinola is back so i think that's an Miller time to declare that Aaron Ola is back. So I think that's an important thing to get out of the way. But yeah, he just... Evelyn the other night too? I think, listen, I'm glad that...

I mean, he was nasty that game. I'm glad that they were able to get the deal for this year out of the way and then have a nice little mutual option for next year um so hopefully that effle not going anywhere because he's just a good pitcher when he's healthy and and um like he was just i mean he had 12 case that's just dominant stuff against the best lineup in the nl so um whenever whenever efflin wheeler nola are taking the mound for the most part i think the the Phillies have a good shot that night. Ranger is worrying me a little bit.

Even when he was pitching well before his last start and the start before last where he went three innings last Friday, it was a lot of working himself in and out of jams. His K per nine went from 9.1 last year down to about seven, four right now. Um, which is just a pretty big loss. And like for a starter, I just don't love that. And pitching can talk to contact are way higher too, from the walk rate. Yeah. And pitching to contact can still work, but you still need to be able to, to, to generate swings and misses. So there's that concern with

ranger when he's off playing when he's like falling off to the to the right side of the mound um that he he just can't control all this stuff he needs to figure out uh consistently staying on plane and throwing through jt rather than to jt so hopefully um he can kind of because i actually thought we got into a good rhythm yesterday. Right before he got pulled. Right, right on time, right on time. Whatever. And then with Gibson – And real quick on Ranger.

Real quick on Ranger before you get to Gibson too, I'll just say, like, look, we both were confident in him coming into the season, and I still believe in him. But, like, he's only had one great year, and it was, like, one great year where part of it was in the bullpen and part of it was the starters. So, you know, he's no short thing. So, you know, it's not like a lock that he's going to be great.

So it is a concern, you know, that you want to see him kind of get back to what he was. Yeah, and he probably won't do, obviously, what he did last year. No, I'm not saying 1-5 ERA, Ranger. Yeah, and he probably won't do, obviously, what he did last year. No, I'm not saying 1-5 ERA, Ranger. Yeah, if he does that, they might just punch tickets to the World Series by this point. But, yeah, and then Gibson, I just think he's fine. I just got to get the expectations out of my head with him.

Like, if he gives them six innings, four runs or less, take it it take it and run um which he's done way more often than not this year like way more often than not yeah it's just like when when runners get on base for him it frustrates me a lot because i feel like it just it compounds rather than stops um which i guess is the reason why he's been had an up and down career so either way like you have three starters that I feel on a night-in, night-out basis can give them a win and should put them in a position to win. And then Ranger and Gibby should be pretty good. And Ranger has the potential to join that group of three as a fourth guy you feel could give you a chance to win every time out.

Yeah, for sure. The lineup, I know all the offensive stats. I know where they are. I know technically they're in the top five of most of the offensive stats, but it's

still little inconsistencies. They still had one run or less in 11 games. 11 games, yeah. More than a quarter of their games. So I think you could say a lot of inconsistency, Jack, honestly. And they'll obviously have the big games, which is good and fun for that one night. But you definitely want to see more inconsistencies or more consistency. They are batting like 227 with the bases loaded, which isn't like a great sample size,

but still that kind of tells you some inconsistency problems with them. So they're definitely more boom or bust than I thought. But we all know the talent on that lineup. And if you can just hopefully bank on the back of the baseball card, they should be fine. So that's a cause for optimism. I thought Castellanos had two good at-bats and his, his mom tweeted something that they had a really tough family week. So, um, it, it did seem like he, something was kind of weighing on him all week.

So hopefully everything's fine with them and, and, and nothing. I don't know. I just hope that everything's fine with the Castellanos family. family. But he had a big hit late tonight that made a nice little insurance run, which made me feel a little bit more confident heading into the ninth. So Cassianos get going, Bryce being Bryce, Bomer being consistent in the two hole. I think Schwarber is put together good at bats. I genuinely, I don't get the Schwarber freak out all the time, I guess because of the batting average, which is fine. But I think he's been the third most productive bat in this lineup. I think it goes Bryce Segura and then him. I mean, he basically went a week and a half after hitting the home run on opening day

without getting a hit. I think that sunk his overall numbers. But I think he's eventually going to settle into like a 230 average and 350 OBP and hopefully 30 home runs. I think he's eventually going to settle into like a 230 average and 350 OBP and hopefully 30 home runs. Like, I think that's kind of what he's going to settle into. Um, and hopefully there's more there. June was when I really took off last year. So, um, you know, the, the, the offense has been inconsistent. I only put up a whole number runs, but when you watch him every night, it's not like been that impressive and especially when you look at offensive around the league being down it's not like what they're doing and being top whatever and in these offensive categories really matter as much when the ball's been as dead as it is

and often it's been down so um that's something i gotta figure out and dude i don't know about the bullpen like i think there's i think there's one arm i trust on most nights, and that's Sir Anthony. That's about it. And like Bilotti in not super tough situations. Yeah, and I think Kniebel on like three days rest is pretty damn good. He did hit 97 tonight, which was nice. Yeah, it seems like when he's rested, he's really good, and he kind of erodes over multiple starts. But regardless, better than Nick Nelson. Being in the Dodgers bullpen, I guess, helped Knievel

that he didn't have the pitch every night because they had like 16 closers coming out whenever. Yeah, it really is a tough scene out there in the Pan Man. It's, you know, who to thunk it. The bullpen and the Phillies not working out. You know, no one saw this coming, Jack. No one could have possibly Seen this coming

I believe my bold take about the bullpen heading into the season was Yeah top 10 or bottom 10 You're looking really good with that one buddy Yeah except The wrong way You must have said top 5 or bottom 5 Because there's no way Top 10 or bottom 10 is not a very bold take

Because that's 20 out of 30 Yeah well listen Now that we're on a middle of light podcast we only do bold takes that's right here that's right and i did say top 10 or bottom 10 did you really i didn't think about it till just now that's that's really not that bold gotta have a feel you know you gotta know baseball team in the moment um yeah i uh and we'll get to i'm sure you got a a top five and i know you got the take bag and there's a lot to get to so i don't really have much more to say about the team before that you know next 30 minutes are taken up by your take back and um top five but i'm right there with you i'm i'm a little i you know you you made the

curse joke thing a couple pods ago or whatever it was and and i told you i said i don't believe in curses and all that i'm thinking about rescinding that statement it just it feels so similar and so eerily similar year no matter what they do, I mean, how they went out and signed Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos and, you know, at least got bullpen guys who have gotten out to Major League Baseball before. And, like, they're better than the 82-win team last year, right? I mean, we remember the team that was being rolled out the last month.

I mean, Jack, like, how like how how how does this happen how like gabe kapler won 80 games with reese hoskins in left field and and and no bryce harper like and it's still the same bleeping thing i came really close to cursing and then maybe or maybe not bleeping it out like it's the same bleeping thing i came really close to cursing and then maybe or maybe not bleeping it out like it's the same bleeping thing jack so i am right now in limbo when it comes to are they cursed do i believe do i not believe i am right there with you know what show me something different please okay honestly i would almost be fine with them going 20 games under 500 and just becoming a train wreck because it wouldn't be 500 jack it wouldn't be the same freaking thing um but don't do that like win games well yeah i want to go on the record i want to go on the record and say i would rather have them be 20 games over 500. That's a great point.

All right, get your take back. Let's start the nonsense. Go ahead. I just want to make sure that I'm on the record saying I want them to be. I rescind my statement. I want them to be 20 games over 500. How about that? You know what, Jack? How about five games over 500?

How about that? How about a game over 500 right now? All right, go ahead. They're working on it. Yeah. That's what I'll say. Slow pace, buddy. Slow pace.

Hey, hey, hey. A baseball season's a marathon, not a sprint. That's what my guy Joe Girardi thinks. So take that for what it's worth. Mick's coming, obviously. I mean, how about Mickey? Oh, Mick. I should have led with that after the Miller Lite thing.

It should have been Mick next. That's my fault, Mick. I apologize. You know, I just didn't want to let Jack get too big for his britches because, you know, Miller Lite, light sparked the pod you know that that's a big deal it's really exciting but then you know the whole like what's up pretty and all that like i just didn't want to let him you know do his peacocking thing too much but go ahead you get we're 49 minutes in 48 minutes and you can peek out go ahead buddy well i just want to know like was

there a little bit of you like a little bit of jealousy that he was able to call me fritzy like because that was kind of your thing you know it is my thing it is my thing and jealousy is not the word because it's mickey moniac so i'm gonna i'm gonna change the word from jealousy to I'm honored that Mickey would want to use my thing. That's the way I'm choosing to look at it. I honestly think it just validates that I'm a baseball guy because Fritzy is a baseball guy term. Yeah, it is a baseball guy name. I agree. He knows that I know ball, which I appreciate.

Can we double that? ball, which I appreciate. Can you – we done with this? No, in all seriousness, me and my good friend, Mickey. So I'm really excited for him to come up. It's just like – and I know spring training was spring training. I just – I feel like the expectations are starting to get, like, a little bit out of control. Um, I'm very excited. He's my favorite player on the team. I want to see him come up and just take their center field job and run away with it. I just know it's not going to be that easy. Um,

so I just, I, I would love for him to come up and hit 300 and hit like 10 homers for the rest of the season. It's just, you know, I think I just want people to temper their, their, I feel like outlandish expectations, um, you know, down a little bit, you know, I think he's going to be around two 50 and hopefully hit like seven to eight home runs for the rest of the year and hopefully play good defense out there. And hopefully if a ball's coming in to him uh in center field on the ground uh that is thrown by the catcher he's able to have his glove on the ground and able to you know keep that within uh you know not allow the runner on first base to score that that's the bare minimum like yeah

yeah but that'd be that would be what an embarrassment and i know to your point he got that tonight and i know he's had some hits and the batting average looks good but the lbp is literally like the same thing he's got an under 300 on base maybe it's above 300 after tonight like and again like he's just the dumbest player i hate watching him play i hate watching him play baseball like how many times we have to see him do dumb stuff over and over and over again i am so excited for for Mickey to come up for many reasons, but replacing that guy is one of them. And to your point, yes, temper expectations, like give Mickey a chance.

He's still a 24-year-old kid who has really not played that many games at the major league level. So temper the expectations, but I will say it is exciting to see people other than you and me excited about Mickey Moniak. And, you know, yes, part of that is because the dude playing there now and Roman Quinn, who is really, I think everyone is rooting for, but I don't think anyone has any faith that he will still be healthy tomorrow, much less a month from now, much less at the end of the season.

You know, and I hope, we all hope he he does because he really does seem like a kid. And he does add stuff as a bench player. I think Roman Quinn is a bench weapon. It's actually a valuable thing to have with obviously the speed and the defense replacement potential and the switch hitting and all that. I do think as a bench player, he's a really nice player to have on your in your 25 or 26 man roster, whatever it is now. But I mean, Mick has a chance to come up and and

actually make a difference in a spot of need and I'm so with you I'm really hoping it can happen and it's just exciting to see other people excited about Mick because he has you know had a tough go of it from the fan perspective because he was drafted so young and it takes time for a 17 year old kid who's undersized to get to the major leagues. But for everyone else, it's like, Oh, first round pick.

Oh, he stinks. He's never going to get there. All that. Like I really, I'm excited to see people excited for him to come up and, and I'm just hoping if he can get something done, it just be such a,

you know, obviously we love the guy. He's our dude, but, but it just be such a great Philadelphia sports story, you know, because I do think, you know,

the vast majority of Phillyies fans counted him out. Yeah. And you summed up how I feel. You know, I have this, like, I do genuinely have a little bit of nervousness of him coming up. And people just, like, I do. I just, like, genuinely do. So, and honestly,

it's going to be interesting to see what they do with the outfield because I think Sunday they've got to take the pitchers from 13 to 10, which I'm sure is going to be great for our manager. We'll see if Norwood makes the cut. Oh, my God. Yeah, it's something like that. I don't have it exactly in front of me, but they've got to make some kind of roster crunch on Sunday. It probably won't go down to 10. 10 feels low, but either way, I know something like that. I don't have it exactly in front of me, but they've got to make some kind of roster crunch on –

It probably won't go down to 10. 10 feels low, but either way, I know what you mean. There's something coming. I think they lose two roster spots. I think it goes from 28 to 26 maybe. Or no, they go from 30 to 26. It's something like that. Anyway, go ahead.

But like I just don't know how the puzzle works. Because Mickey's a lefty. Oduble's a lefty. Roman can play as a switch hitter. And, like, what's really the point of having two lefty center fielders? None of them, I don't think. Obviously, Mickey probably has options, but they're bringing him up to play so i don't think oduble has options and i don't think roman has options so um it'll be interesting like i wonder if they just dfa roman i wonder if they just but oduble's swinging the bat well enough to where i guess they would keep him around yeah i don't think

they get rid of him yeah well i just until he's officially maybe retired i think he's always gonna be like um um so it's gonna be interesting but like roman if he can just be a bench guy like i mean he threw the ball a hundred miles an hour from center field like i love him as a bench piece i love him as aese. It's probably the most wild thing I've ever seen a Philly do, honestly. Like Roman Quinn, a random Philly athlete, like Roman coming out of nowhere and throwing the ball like 100 miles an hour. Well, remember he pitched back in the day?

I think it was Gabe maybe. He pitched, and he was pretty good. I think he was throwing it like 90 miles an hour or whatever. But I think it's also especially stark when you compare it to, like, I mean, Castellanos' arm is terrible. Schwarber's is that much worse. Schwarber has, like, man, one of the weakest arms we've seen in the outfield. And then Oduble has a pretty bad arm too.

So I think it's not only was it so impressive in the moment, it was like just seeing a Phillies outfielder this season throw a ball like that was thrilling. It really was. I know. There can be some fun in a baseball game. I know. It really reminded me of the Victorino throw in 2008

to maintain Lidge's perfect season. You ready to nerd out about some pitching? When am I not? Are you going to talk about curveball pitching? When am I not? Are you going to talk about curveball break? Yes, I am going to talk about it. I know it. Lay it on us. Horizontal and vertical break on the name of curveball.

So many accuse this podcast of just being hype men and with no real baseball analysis. Oh, get ready, people. Fritzy is coming for you if you ever think that's the case send this clip to your friends and tell them it's miller time um but coric enables curveball has taken a new shape james it's got a new pitch shape to it it has been a traditional 12 6 hammer but what you're getting more recently is more of a sweeper action to it oh i love it

you know it's getting a little bit more slider ish um so for example cory can able is averaging 64 inches of uh vertical depth to his curveball this year, which was up from 56 inches last year with the Dodgers, which would suggest that he was throwing it tighter last year slash harder and getting it to have less spin, thus being a more effective pitch. But what's happening this year is that it's gotten more loopy, and with it getting more loopy, it's been getting hit way harder.

So he's made an adjustment towards having more of a sweeper action to it, thus having better results in his last two outings. I like how you kind of kept the voice for that. You know, you kind of kept that like thus and da-da-da-da-da, like the cadence. You didn't just start with the kind of mocking voice of like, I know baseball, bitches, kind of mocking voice of like i know baseball bitches kind of thing you know like all right enough of this like you did it you went with

the voice i don't just tweet i just don't tweet and talk about who let the phil's get hot this is clearly people you you people got to you somehow and made you they let you feel a little bit like yo enough of this all right i i'm i'm i'm a baseballman for that i'm a miller lightman first a baseballman second and everything else third yeah it's just like it's like yeah i tweet who lets the bills get hot and i don't feel like getting in twitter debates because it just drives me crazy. So I just appeal towards positivity more. You don't have to tell me, brother. I didn't need people. All you do is tweet.

Send them the clip of me talking about Knievel's curveball and then to just say, oh, he doesn't know baseball. Bang. Let's have a minute breakdown of a change in Corey Gnabel's curveball. I feel like this might be a straw man kind of thing. I don't really know if there's anyone out there who's like, yeah, Fritz doesn't know baseball, loser. But I like the idea.

Oh, yeah. I like that. Again, it's us against the world. It's you against the world. I like it. Oh, it might be like three people on Twitter. This is strictly for three people. That's all this is.

But no, in non-bit form, he actually looks like he's changed shape in his curveball because honestly it was getting loopy there for a second, and it was like, dude, I've watched Corey Knipple curveballs. They are disgusting. I don't know where this kind of bad curveball has come from. So I think it's a good adjustment. He's been getting better swings on it. And last two outings, I think, have been pretty good.

And it looks like he kind of changed the spin on his curveball. So that's one to monitor going forward and hopefully can kind of put the little shakiness behind it because I think Knievel's nasty. Yeah, he's good. Yeah, I don't think that takes much crazy analysis. Shout out to our guy joe cornyk after june 16 this is a great point well done joe cornyk after june 16 40 of the phil's last 99 games are against the reds, Pirates, Cubs, and Nationals.

Yeah, and it's not just that. Like if you go just if you want a fun little exercise, go to like ESPN schedule or whatever, and they have the first and the second half split up, and you look at the first half and you scroll through, and really we all know this gauntlet they're in the middle of now where we still have the Angels and Giants and all that stuff coming up and the Mets obviously and all that.

The second half of the schedule is to Jack's point. It's a lot of reds. It's a lot of pirates. It's a lot of nationals. Think about they haven't played. They play again, 19 games against nationals. They've not played them yet.

The nationals are far and away the worst team in the NLE. So, you know, there, there, there is really, if you are, are looking for the patented,

what Jack normally gives you and did not give you tonight, the it's all going to be okay of it all. Like looking at the second half schedule is about as good a, a good thing as you're going to get right now, I think. Yeah. And I don't want to be the whole, you know,

I, I, I, I'm backtrack. It's okay. It's okay. You'll be back. They'll win two in a row and you'll, you'll be throwing a parade. It's okay. It's okay. You'll be back. They'll win two in a row and you'll,

you'll be throwing a parade. It's fine. We know you. I mean, probably you're not wrong, but what do you said? What you said earlier about how it just feels like the same, like it just feels like the same.

So until something, uh, noticeable stick sticks out, um, I'm kind of in the, it's the same kind of thing. You know what I look forward to James around? I don't know.

July 22nd through July 31st. Do you know what I'm looking forward to? Ooh, I love a good specific date. July 22nd to July 31st trade deadline time. Yes. What am I july 31st trade deadline time yes what am i looking forward to around trade deadline time the phillies to trade for a reliever maybe i don't know no i mean obviously that oh draft is the draft coming up around then the drafts earlier you know what i'm looking forward to j earlier. Give it to me. I'm looking forward to the brave selling at the deadline.

That team reeks, man. Like they are, they are like, I am so glad they're finally paying for the Freddie Freeman, um, letting him go and just saying, Oh,

Matt Olson will do the thing. Like the Phillies willfully let Austin Riley heat up. They let Dansby Swanson heat up. They even let Matt Olsen then heat up. That team stinks. They don't have it. They have holes in the lineup. I feel like this is a dangerous game you're playing right now, Jack.

Whatever. It's killer time yeah i mean we darn your history with these specific type of things is horrific if we're being honest your passwords all your all your like jack always tries to like in the past is trying to people with his passwords and it always backfires the bio like well i don't know if that's true james i really feel like we we don't we don't edit the podcast i really feel like we should consider taking the last two minutes out pretending it never happened you brought the passwords thing yes and while i agree it got off to a slow start at the beginning of this year james yes i believe frankie lindor has been had a down year there's been a lot of talk

up in new york about frankie lindor and how that contracts a bus now i might have got the player wrong you know i probably should have picked pete alonso for my password this time but but lynn door has not been doing well so i think the password bit we're gonna keep that one going because i think it does more i think it helps the team more than it hurts the team at this point i like it i like it but yeah no that breaks teams thanks so um don't edit it out it's's going to age gracefully. Okay. I'll leave it in. We'll remember it. That's for sure. Yeah.

No, you really will. So I'm not looking forward to that. We brought up Gabe versus Girardi earlier. And it's just so funny how the critiques of Gabe were like, dude, why are you trying to win every night? Remember the one time he pulled Scott? Oh, totally. In the second inning.

Yeah. And how it just felt like every night he's like, go for broke every single night. Like, like whatever. If you get a chance to win, he's going to do everything it takes to win that game. And then you go to Girardi, who's like, yeah, we need these arms in September. It's like, well, hey, Joe, what if we're like 10 games out in September? You know? It's just so funny seeing the difference going from

Gabe, ultra aggressive all the time to Mr. Not aggressive and Joe Girardi. It's a great point. Okay. So, that's it for the take back. Top five. The top five worst Joe Girardi decisions so far this year.

It's only May, James. It's only May. Wow. I have been keeping the Girardi files. Love it. In my notes. I just always kind of forget to always bring up my podcast. But here is my top five worst Girardi moves.

I'm very excited for this go ahead um number five was against the mets on may 8th and you really have to keep it this is great good work uh i guess the mets on may the phillies were down but they're in the process of rallying late in the game and he let bryson stott who i still believe in but man is just struggling at the plate right now but even back in may yeah it's a tough go of it um late in the game he has a lefty on the mound camargo is is right there uh for a natural switch yeah runners on first and second with the lefty on the mound and one out, he let Bryson Stott bat. Again,

what are we doing here? What was the point of that decision? It was a natural move you could have made and it might have not worked out, but I think it would have worked out better than Stotty in that scenario. Real quick, I love that you could have easily

probably gone with 10 pitching decisions and i appreciate you starting with the hitting decision that's good work well you know it's a they're both both things matter in this in this scenario don't worry the rest are all pitch that's what i figured because i can only think of pitching ones good now you may think that how could two of your top five of this entire season be happening in the same series i'm so happy they are because i agree with you pulling ranger last night after 88 pitches when he's on a roll for jose alvarado in in the the sixth inning, and we mentioned it earlier, not having anyone ready to go if Alvarado doesn't have it that night, which on most nights he doesn't, and all of a sudden they're down,

like two runs. It was a very, very quick explosion by Jose Alvarado. So my fourth worst Girardi decision of the year was pulling Ranger last night. Yeah, it was disastrous. And again, coupled with the Alvarado, I think pulling him in the first place for anybody was the wrong move, but then the Alvarado thing just obviously just compounded

it. This game, they ended up winning, but it was based on pure luck. But number three, this whole inning was a disaster, but this one really stuck out. When they were in the process of blowing the seven,

one lead out in LA seven, three, when Alvarado got in runners on second and third with one out, he lets Jose Alvarado pitch to Chris Taylor. Oh yeah. With a, with a base open and Gavin Lux on deck. And Chris Taylor tied the game up milliseconds later. I mean,

just egregious manager decision from Joe Girardi. Yeah, that was a horrendous decision. Number two, out in Colorado, pulling Sir Anthony. Oh,

this, yeah. If it weren't for two nights ago, this would have been number one. Putting in a very similar throwing pitcher in Familia to face C.J. Crone. And the pitch selection was not Girardi's fault. But putting Familia in that situation, Crone ties it up. Or no, Crone gave him the lead and they lose the game out in Colorado and we all know what number one

is Tuesday night or Tuesday night with the first Norwood I mean Norwood in the sixth was egregious but I honestly think it's worse they're both bad I personally think Norwood in the sixth was worse it was bad process especially like when Belotti came in and was obviously good. That was the point.

It's like Belotti came in and somehow managed to get out of bases loaded, no outs, with only giving up the one run or whatever it was. I think it was maybe, yeah, he only gave up one of them. It was 2-2, Norwood gives up a run, it's 3-2, and bases loaded, no outs. And then Belotti came in and only gave up one run on a sack fly otherwise was like really good so that's what i got the top five worst it's a strong strong list could have been don't worry there will be more by the end of the year yeah let's hope not jack let's hope there are fewer and fewer um all right this is a long one this is good we came back

we brought it well i didn't realize it had been so long since you recorded but you know been a while um i listen i with with miller light on on board now uh there's gonna be a higher frequency of yes the analytics will change yes Yes. And I think, uh, we definitely want to do, you know, we usually try to do after series after, um,

you know, mostly after series. Um, but we definitely want to be committed to, if something big happens in a game, like a walk off or, uh, just an Epic meltdown,

just committing to doing a little bit of a, a reaction pod to that. So, uh, we'll be back in full force and again june 11th yes june 11th uh again drink miller light again if you see jack fritz ask him to say miller light and um and you know how about you know it'd be cool now that we have this middle light thing going in and the Phillies are wanting to know since we've started it, you know,

let's keep winning games. How about that? How about we have a fun baseball? How about you? I didn't know. I didn't know we were turning into a hot take podcast. Now that we are with a, with a sponsor.

I didn't know that. Not on my watch, Jack, not on my watch. I never really have given out hot takes, but if we're going full hot take, given that you just opened the door. I did.

What? Go ahead. Give us a hot take on the way out. I think the Phils need to win more games than they lose for the rest of the year. Oh, buddy, that is a really good one. I'll go a step further. They have to win like 10 more games than they lose the rest of the year.

Maybe like 15 more games the rest of the year. So let's do it. What do you think, buddy? No time like the present, Jack, to start it. You ready for a real scorcher? Yeah. Spencer Strider and Griff McGarry remind me a lot of each other. Spencer Strider is...

Disgusting. Nasty, dude. Like, nasty. I was super jealous of the raves I've been in that guy. He's good. That's all right. Griff's coming soon. Griff's coming soon.

Griff. All right. Yes. I'm going to bed. Well, I'm not. I have to edit and post it. But after that, I'm going to bed. Miller, I'm not. I have to edit and post it. But after that, I'm going to bed. Miller Lite.

Drink Miller Lite. Thank you to Miller Lite. We're super excited. It's going to be a fun season and the Phillies will win games because that'll make it more fun. You got anything else? Can we go? Are we done? Hold on.

One final thing. He's Fred Sopcich. See you later