High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Jose Alvarez Deserved Better

Episode Date: August 21, 2020

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it is. Another edition of the IELTS podcast. What the hell was that, Jack? What was that, man? Like, usually you don't have multiple gut punch losses in like a 10-game span. We had that Orioles loss, the Segura game, game and then game two both of the losses today sucked ass but game two like really really really sucked like what a loss what a horrendous loss jack i've spent all i think about is the the Phillies pretty much. I know. Like, and I just, I just love them so much.

And I just, I'm beginning to get to the point where I'm wondering if they're ever going to love me back. Like, how are we supposed to handle this? Like, how am I supposed to sit here, do this podcast with you, and just say everything's fine? Just talk it out. I don't even want to talk it out. What baseball team does that? What baseball team does that? Why do they always have to lose the worst way? Why can't it just be a freaking simple loss?

Why does it have to be a 7-0 lead in the first inning, which, by the way, it was like the luckiest seven runs ever. I don't know. No homers, like a bunch of singles. Dude, the first four hits were 75 miles an hour off the back exit velocity like i know it's certainly not the rowdy tell as 117 mile per hour homer he would hit later in the day and it's like 17 117 117 and it's like you know vinny actually settled down and i was like all right we're good you know, Vinny actually settled down,

and I was like, all right, we're good. You know, this is perfectly fine. And then, you know, honestly, when they're up 7-0, I was like, they're going to lose. That was the first thought I had. It was like, sweet, we're up 7-0. This doesn't matter. They're going to lose.

They're going to lose. They're going to lose because this is what they do. This is what they do. And it doesn't matter who they add. It doesn't matter the good players they add, the bad players they they add who they bring up from the minor leagues they all can't handle it they all can't handle it they all can't handle it it's just why why why how is this team supposed to compete with this bullpen like how are you going to sit there at the opening press conference of joe gerardi and how are you going to sit there with a straight face and say, it's time to win now?

You know, like, how do you do that? How do you walk into this season and say, this is good. This is fine. Everything's good. This doesn't matter. We're good. You see this bullpen, it's fine. We're going to bring up a bunch of young kids.

We're going to not pay the only decent relievers we might have that might actually help this ball club. Like, how do you have a general manager job in this sport, and you were, what is he, five years in at this point, and you still suck? You still suck. You can't find any freaking talent if it slaps you in the face. He can't find talent.

He can't find talent. He literally can't find talent. The Blue Jays suck suck and they come out and that bullpen is like 98 everyone's throwing 98 and it's like what do we have nothing absolutely nothing no one can they like whatever i just i just hate this team i just uh today was today was a real a real real real punch in the gut well how about this who had a better bigger punch in the groin today us or jose alvarez talking about punches in the gut the one reliever we can count on goes down jack we'll get to alvarez and what a har horrifying injury that was and scary, scary scene and all that.

Unbelievably made the play. One of the plays of the year, considering what happened. Well, now I have one thought on that real quick. Oh, goodness. I'm not. I'm not denying the toughness. I'm not denying. Oh, God.

But I'm sure you've been hitting that area before, as have I. It doesn't really set in until at least 10 seconds, five to 10 seconds after. That's a fair take. It's a fair take. He was able to just kind of use the emotion and the adrenaline and get through it. So I heard that take a lot of like,

how did he complete that play? As someone who has been hitting that area before, you have to remember doesn't really set in until at least five seconds in that's it okay fair point regardless this bullpen sucks jack they suck i'm gonna wake up my daughter zoe i'm sorry i'm gonna get my dogs all riled up i got them riled up when jack and i started talking even before the pod started i woke up my dogs by yelling. I just, I can't believe you would go into a season with a bullpen like this, Jack. I can't believe that you would

rely on a bunch of guys who half of them are major league pitchers. Cole Irvin's back on this team somehow. We didn't see him, but none of these guys are major league pitchers. I mean, even Hector Neris, the guy we're supposed to count on, we can't even get a Hector, right? Like it's infectious. And that's probably not a word I should use right now, but how much this bullpen sucks. It is spreading from guy to guy. They are all terrible. It is a disaster. I hate this team, Jack. I hate the feeling of watching them and knowing that no matter what the lead is, seven to nothing even, I know they're just going to blow it. It is an infuriating baseball team to watch. And it sucks because as you always talk about, you used to say this all year last year before we realized they weren't actually going to rake. A baseball team that rakes is supposed to be the funnest type of baseball team. That's what you want. You want a team that's just going to rake a baseball team that breaks is supposed to be the funnest type of baseball team. That's what you want. You want a team that's just going to rake and put up runs and have fun doing

it and batting is contagious and all that type of stuff. And instead we can't even enjoy it because we know, we know that hammer is coming down every single time, Jack. It's infuriating. This team is infuriated. Yeah, and I don't want to pile on what you just said, but we didn't see Cole Irvin. Well, if they tied the game up, guess who was coming into that ballgame? It was Cole Irvin. I mean, it was Cole Irvin.

And then you mentioned Hector Neris. Hey, you know what would help Hector? Scott Kingery, who I was told was going to be a Hall of Fame level defensive player at second base, if he could throw a freaking ball to first base. And if Didi... Didi...

I was starting to trust Didi with my life. Every ball to Didi, I was like, all right, that's an automatic out. And then he pulls that today. I know. I literally... I just said on the show the day before, I was like, this that's an automatic out and then he pulls that today i know i literally i just said on the the show the day before i was like this guy's automatic he makes everything look easy he's smooth and then of course of course of course of course of course i mean it's just like, see, and that's when you have just a dreadful baseball team, is when one thing goes wrong, they just fold.

And, you know, that's what sucks about having a bullpen like this. Because you can't tell me if you are a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, you cannot look me straight into the eyes and say, this is a bullpen that is good enough to compete. And you know that every single one of them, when those guys come into a ballgame, they're like, oh, bleep, we start spiraling out of the control, everyone takes it up to another level. And then they just, they just, they just fold. Like the, the bullpen has literally infected the entire team because when, like, honestly, when you're on a baseball team and you know, your team has a hole, it's all you think about.

It's literally all you think about. You just think about, okay, this is nice nice but what happens when the bullpen comes in and then when those guys get in i have to be perfect or else we might blow this game and like it's to to sit down every night and and think that matt klintak one has a job and two like this is a make or break year for matt klintzak he's he's i would hope it's a make or break year either way yeah i i pray it's a make or break year but i'm hoping that the the just how bad the bullpen is, the levels of bad that it is, are enough to sway or tip the scales, as it were. But, man, I don't know. I don't know, Jack.

Listen, here's the thing. Here's the thing. Jeff Lurie fired Chip Kelly in a similar kind of situation. Now, I think he would have pulled the plug last year if he was the owner of this team. I think he would have seen that it was trending in he was the owner of this team like i think he would have seen that was trending in the wrong direction but he gave him one more year and he pulled the plug on a guy that had was coming off two 10-win football teams and matt klintzak has not even come close to achieving that with his baseball team he all he's done is

spend 200 million dollars a year of of John Middleton's money. That's literally what he has done as general manager. Well, I mean, think about it. Again, we talked about this last time, but there are so many teams that operate at a quarter or a third the budget the Phillies do. The Indians that raise these teams year after year are able to construct not just bullpens, but playoff caliber rosters.

Matt Klintak is such a failure of a general manager that not only does he have this gigantic payroll that compared to most general managers that are able to construct these type of teams, do not, whether it's Billy Bean or Antonetti or any of these guys. That's what having a smart GM does for you. Imagine what they could do with that type of money. Imagine if you brought in someone who knew what he was doing, could do with $200 million payroll. And the saddest part is they don't even have guys in the minors coming. Now that Bowman and Howard are up, have guys in the minors coming like now the Bowman Howard are up like it's ugly man like it's bad Mick Abel better be good you know Casey Martin better be good they are barren comparatively to

a lot of teams and this has all been under the reign of Matt Klintak not only did the team lose 190 whatever games it was they were close to 100 lost team essentially not only did that happen where they they never got better on either thing like they never got better enough on the field the product we're seeing and they didn't build through the minors to get better eventually like it's a disaster well basically that is that honestly i was thinking about bringing this up a little bit and there before we started recording this but you know they do this whole rebuild and and what do we have to show for it it's like they just it's like they just waited around until they could just pay bryce harper whatever it took and trade six dough for j3 real amido and by the way

six is coming up so you better bet he was apparently touching 100 or sitting 100 i don't know in his in his uh in the alternate just sounds so ridiculous yeah yeah well he's doing that in the alternate site and meanwhile we're we're bleeping around to to figure out if we're going to sign jt rilamito or not like you know most teams come out of a rebuild with a freaking talent galore and it's something to get excited for this team comes out with just nothing and then and there's buys their team in in the offseason and trades their prospects away they're just so they're just so poorly constructed but like the thing with baseball is that it doesn't really matter. You can find talent over the draft.

You can find international talent. You don't have to pick at the top of the draft to find studs. You have to have a general manager that knows what he's doing. And these teams, you just said it, but these teams with low payrolls that get the most out of these guys, that believe in player development, and just maximize what they're given. Imagine them watching what Matt Klintak has done here.

They're probably just cackling. I can't tell if they'd be cackling or jealous. I would be like, are you kidding me? Imagine what I could do with $200 million. He is so in over his head. He it's he just doesn't know what he doesn't know what to look for like the the blue jays who who aren't very good i mean they have talent i mean vladdy's been pretty much a disappointment kevin biggio is pretty good i like the oscar hernandez bichette's a stud um but like look at that bullpen.

That's what you're looking for in 2020. What the hell are we doing? What are we doing? Look at the Blue Jays. That's what a bullpen's supposed to look like. And meanwhile, Blake Parker's developing into one of our most trustfully bullpen guys.

Hector and Aaron, I believed in him. Jose Alvarezarez we'll see if we'll see if he makes it back oh god i mean you know that poor man yeah you know he lays his he lays his life on the line today and and it gets swept in a double header and they're seven nothing in the second game it's like how do you what bait what good baseball team that is supposed to compete for the playoffs it's supposed to make a run it that's supposed to, I don't know, be a threat, blows a 7-0 lead to the Blue Jays. How do you not have enough in that bullpen to navigate that?

How do you let that happen? I don't get it. I don't get how you can be this bad at your job. You shouldn't be this bad at your job. You're a Major League Baseball general manager. You have $200 million payrolls. It's mind-blowing. It's truly mind-blowing.

Look, you said it last time. I think it's a great point. Look at where Matt Klintak came from. Look at who he's trained under. All that type of stuff. Instead of doing what the Red Sox just did and getting the number two guy in Tampa who's super smart and super well-respected and everyone loves him, they go and get a guy from the Angels. What do you expect? What do you expect?

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I think over in, over his head, clueless. I mean, these are really the, the, the words and phrases that come to mind for Matt Klintak. Like the, the Phillies will never succeed with Matt Klintak as general manager ever, never like, and they won't start to be on the path to being successful until he's gone. Like it's that dire situation. He is among the worst general managers in baseball. Like he's bad. He's the one that other general managers make fun of. Like if Billy Bean and Chris Antonetti are in a room, they're joking about what Matt Klentak did. Like, that's what it is. Like you said, Jack.

So, look, until he's gone, they're not going to be good. And they're not going to be organizationally sound. They're not going to be a good baseball organization. They just won't be. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. You know, I just, honestly, I started thinking about this week. I can't wait to do the GM Search podcast. It's all I've thought about. I can't wait. I can't wait to do the GM Search Podcast. It's all I've thought about.

I can't wait. I can't wait to do the GM Search Podcast because we did not hold this organization accountable the first time, James. And I promise every single person in the High Hopes, in the family of the High Hopes Podcast, we will not let you down like i will spend every waking hour every breath finding the perfect gm for this baseball team so we don't have to sit through what we sat through today you know and the thing that sucks the most is because i honestly felt like they turned a corner you know i thought they're going to start hitting the cover of the ball they duped us jack oh every time every time and i tried i try not to do it i try not to do it every time like this is a mistake this is a mistake they're going to hurt you they're going to hurt you they always hurt you and they did they did again they did

again after the red sox series i was like they're gonna just hit they're gonna get at least six runs a game and everything's gonna be fine you know the bullpens they're starting to figure it out a little bit down there and the starting the starting staff is just good enough like they're just good enough um and and then today happens and. I'm just contemplating what I'm, what I, what I, what am I even doing here? I do. It makes you question the meaning of it all. Look again, I think what it comes back to and kind of what I still felt last week, but I, I was maybe not quite as duped as you, but I was definitely feeling positive.

I was feeling excited because it felt like this offense was good enough that it could kind of carry this team. And it just comes back to the fact that this bullpen is so bad. It is so far below a major league quality bullpen that you literally can't compete with it. It is that bad. It's like having a horrendous offensive line in football. You could do everything else great.

You can have a great quarterback. You can have great receivers, whatever. But, like, if your quarterback doesn't have time, the offensive line's a true disaster. You're just not going to win, you know? So that's what this bullpen is. It's a crappy offensive line. Dude, Daly Skara was the guy to bring into a tie ball game.

It always is. And again, I can't figure out if it's just because nobody gets outs. Nobody gets outs. So, like, I don't know whether to blame Girardi or not, and I lean towards not, but I feel like Deleuze Guerra or De-lo-ee- De-o-lease. Deleuze Guerra. Such a tough one to say. I feel like Deo Luis Guerra or Deo Luis Guerra,

such a tough one to say, Deo Luis Guerra is always coming into games and it matters. It's like every single appearance he's had this year has been in a game that was two runs or less, I feel like. Hey, new rule, new rule, not buying into this ball club until Deo Luis Guerra is not taking down my high leverage in it is that is that a fair rule to to implement on the high hopes i think it's a brilliant rule i i couldn't agree more like again i know we talked about how matt klintzak probably doesn't watch baseball but do you think he watched probably yeah do you come on do you think he sits there

and watches these games and says like nailed it did it again like what do you i think he looks at the box score and it's like oh all right dude honestly i listen we rip middleton a lot and and most mostly it's justifiable but i still believe the dude wants to win and i think if he had the right guy in place he would just leave it alone i don't think that he believes he has the right guy in place but then why is he i understand no but i know i know but that's my point i'm saying that it there's i just fundamentally do not believe that john middleton watches this every night and doesn't feel the way we feel i just don't believe it i i that's why i'm confident he's going to fire

glenzac at the end of the year and mcphail like because he he cannot i don't believe a guy who says as he's he's as competitive as he is can sit idly by and just be fine with this like no true philadelphian now this is this is where you're breaking out the philly card no true philadelphian watches this and doesn't just want to stab their eye with a spoon like there's just there's no way there's no way i know you went to haverford school so i know i don't know if that counts as a philly guy i did not go to haverford school not the george school not you but middleton went to the haverford school uh it's like i didn't the average school uh so i don't know if that counts as being a philly guy but if you if you you know that no true philly guy can sit there watch this bullpen watch how this watch how just it just mind numbing it is

on a day in day out basis and and and not want to punch a hole in the wall and demand change he better be angry and i i think an angry middleton will do the right thing now what scares me and i don't want to put this into your head or everyone else that's listening to this podcast great great that's a great way to start i know and i'm very sorry i apologize straight from the jump but doesn't it feel like this is all setting up for a dave dombrowski like over a correction doesn't it doesn't it doesn't it i mean i can't i can't think of anything worse i would i think i'd rather have glen tack for a year honestly than than dombrowski i i dombrowski is a worst case scenario.

Worst case scenario. But it's, but it's like, it's like the same thing with Girardi and Brian Price. That's because again, it goes back to, I think you're giving Middleton too much credit. I think, look, do I think Middleton wants to win? Yes. Do I think he's smart at how he's running this organization?

No. And do I think he's smart at, do I have faith in him to hire the right guy? Like, yes, look, he got the Girardi thing, right. But to hire the right general manager, to hire someone who is going to be allowed to take the role and just do what he sees fit with it and not have Middleton involved in whatever, like, I don't know that I believe that. Like, I don't know that I'm there. I am, for me, the jury is very much still out on John Middleton and whether he's a good owner. Like you mentioned Lori earlier. I mean, like Jeff Lori is, is 10 times the owner John Middleton is. They're not even the same hemisphere as far as I'm concerned. Like wholly unqualified to be doing the job that he is doing. He is like the Phillies bullpen pitcher of general managers, to make an analogy.

It's fair. Thank you. I felt pretty good about it when I thought of it there. That's a separate situation. The point being that I'm done with Matt Klintak. We all are. But Middleton, like, he's got to prove it to me. I'm not saying I'm out on John Middleton because I do agree with you.

I think he wants to win, and I think that's an important trait in an owner. But I've seen a guy who's way too involved. I've seen a guy who was unwilling to make the right decision last year, and I'm in fear won't make the right decision this year because he gave him a new contract and all that type of stuff. And there's always excuses and injuries and look at all the injuries and all this stuff and whatever, like Middleton needs to prove it to me. And like you just said, like the first thing he absolutely has to do is fire Matt Klintak and hire someone smart. And until he does that, like I'm out on John Middleton until he proves to me I should be it. Yeah. And it's fair. It's it's not a great place where, you know, I think you're at

because, you know, it's just nice believing that your owner is going to do whatever it takes to win and do it the correct way. But I just want to know, is it is it this set of quotes that is giving you pause oh god i'm so terrified for this right now i'm so tired are you ready yeah i guess that okay this is philly's minor no philly's majority owner now right uh john middleton okay uh days after signing bryce harper i mean seriously Branch Rickey never had this kind of offseason. Pat Gillick never had this kind of offseason. I'm not telling you Klintak had the greatest single offseason in the history of baseball, but you know what?

If you make that statement, people might quibble with it, but they can't really argue with it too hard. Oh, my God. Because nobody's ever done what this kid did i've always thought this was an exceptional young man he has great instincts watching him create this strategy to fill all these holes and have to do it sequentially and still leave that last big piece in the signing of manny or bryce honestly it was brilliant i've always known matt had the confidence that he could step up to the plate

and deliver when the time came but the difference is today he delivered and he knows that he can perform this guy really this guy really he is a full-fledged elite gm in this game. Oh my god. Oh man. Drink some bleach. What am I supposed to say to that? I don't know. That makes me feel like my owner's a moron. That's what it makes me feel like. Great. Awesome. My owner's dumb. Terrific.

Well, at least he extended him immediately after he shelled out the $330 million for Bryce Harper. It's truly unbelievable. Yep. Yep. That's the guy. Everything's fine. Everything's fine.

Hey, at least we're starting to realize why this team has 11,000 losses. I mean, are they... Why did... I know we say this every year because losing a baseball game always hurts, we're starting to realize why this team has 11 000 losses i mean are they uh why did this it does i know we say this every year because losing a baseball game always hurts but like it feels like they lose way more painfully than anyone else like who does that today like what again what team who is trying to complete compete for a playoff spot and and say that they want to compete and win who does that who does that who has these just

like true disastrous gut punch losses like on the regular i mean i was thinking about before like just think about how many we've had over the last three years like this group of philly's guys oh dude i mean remember the remember the nationals game and The Max Scherzer one. Of course I remember. Wilmer Devo with the walk-off. How about the Dodgers one where Neris gave up the, what was it, back-to-back-to-back homers? Do you remember that one? Yeah, that was the night that the Flyers got Nolan Patrick in the draft lottery.

Dude, there have been so many of those games. The Victor Robles game last year. I mean, it's just like, look, we don't watch, we watch a lot of baseball, but like, we don't watch every game of other teams the way we do the Phillies. Like whether there are teams, like I watch a lot of, like, I don't have that day-to-day type of experience with them, but I watch a lot of baseball and I very rarely see many losses, certainly not with the same teams over and over again that are as gut punchy as these Phillies ones are.

And granted, I'm a Phillies fan, so I feel them more. But man, it really feels like they have a lot of how the F did you lose that game type of game. And even and even even under Girardi. And I know it's not all Girardi's fault but I just thought it would be different I just thought I thought it would be different I I I am shocked a Joe Girardi led baseball team and I know it's not his bullpen I I get it I am shocked that happened to a Joe Girardi team especially with how well Velasquez was throwing that can't happen that can't happen i

and i know he got screwed because he had to use alvarez and in the game before and he took one off the nads and that's why he had to bring tommy hunter in and he blew the game nice use of nads by the way yeah yeah it's good i know whatever i just whatever this this whole this whole like honestly sure i'm sure jose alvarez hurt for like 20 minutes imagine imagine 20 minutes he might have had a ruptured freaking test i know i know i know but imagine imagine that but then his testicle might have exploded into a million pieces like that's what it looked like i mean it was only 105 off the bat um oh my god can you imagine oh my god it hurt i'm hurting right now i'm actually physically feeling well at least you

have zoe i mean i don't know thank god to give me a point jose might not be able to do it anymore that's not good but as bad as that is and looks, imagine that for six straight hours today. I love that. I love that you are comparing the experience as a Phillies fan to what Jose Alvarez went through, Jack. That is like masterful stuff right there. There's nothing worse.

Truly. There's just nothing worse. I mean, I'm sorry that I had to bring it in, Jose. I hope you're feeling better. Honestly, like we need you desperately. Like,

Oh my God. Hey, let's talk about a massively important injury to Philadelphia Phillies team. Like who the hell is going to get out? Hey, like Parker, every inning. Let's go.

Jose, can you get out there tomorrow night? I mean, we got the, it's the brave series. Can you, can you toughen it up for i mean we got the it's the brave series can you can you toughen it up for one time for us or no dude imagine all right so inside inside the podcast

for a second oh i love that so i texted james uh uh wednesday yesterday and i said listen if they if they beat the red sox today we gotta do a podcast tonight and capitalize on the momentum. You know, this team's going on a run. We're very excited. They're going to score at least seven runs a game. And, you know, it feels like the highest people are with us, behind us, all ready to jump aboard this Phillies bandwagon, and we're going to go on a run.

Well, then they, you know, they sleepwalk through a day game against the Red Sox. And we're like, all right, whatever. The spirits are down. Yeah, and then the Jose Alvarez of doubleheaders happens today. Just our luck. We should have recorded yesterday. We should have recorded whenever they win

because that's one of the only times I feel happy. That's the thing, too. I love to go through the games with you and talk to you. Like, what did you think of Arrieta? What did you think of Evelyn? I don't care. I don't care right now. I just don't.

I don't. I know. I can't even muster up the energy to say I can't wait to never watch Jack Arrieta pitch on this baseball team ever again. Cosign, man. Cosign. What a disappointment that gets. I just hate. I just can't stand it. He teases, too. He. Cosign, man. What a disappointment. I just hate it. I just can't stand it.

He teased us, too. Not that we bought in fully or anything like that, but that second start, he looked nasty. He looked good in that start. He legitimately looked good. Well, he's back. Here's what the Phillies have taught us never never believe in anything i mean never love anything never care about anything never go invest you know i feel bad for bryce you know he came here with so much hope and i wonder if he's

starting to realize that there's just you know i legit i legit do feel bad for Bryce. I mean, this is. Who do you feel worse for, Embiid or Bryce? Bryce. Really? I feel. Yeah. Because Bryce came here. Yeah, that's true. Like, and Bryce got sold a bill of goods to come here.

And now he is slowly finding out that he was conned by a con man. And like, that sucks. Like, I feel like. that he was conned by a con man. And that sucks. So she goes, Bryce is more of a baseball freak than Embiid is a basketball freak. Bryce's whole life is baseball. That's all he wants to do. That's all he cares about.

Embiid likes other stuff. Embiid definitely is competitive and wants to win, but you can't tell me that Embiid's whole life is basketball. I truly believe Bryce Harper's whole life is baseball. So I feel worse for Bryce. I really do. I mean, especially like what a season this guy's having. Like I've gotten to the point like this is, you know, pre-today's disaster where like

one of the things I want to talk to you about in this podcast was just how like it's at the point where like we have an appointment television guy again like every time Bryce Harper's up I have to be there like if I'm listening to Scott in LA or Scott and Franzen or whatever like when which I'll do like when I'm putting Zoe down or if I have to walk the dogs where I always put them in during the game and like I will like base those times around when Harper's coming up to make sure that i'm in front of the television to watch this guy hit like it is it's it's thrilling to have this guy on our team and to have him doing what he's doing and it's just like sorry bryce sucks for you you're doing it all for not because you can't have a freaking bullpen who can get anybody out ever so all good just keep

plugging away have an mvp season for a last place team. Sweet. Great job. Like, it's like, this sucks. Yeah, but it's still like,

well, I, I love watching it. It's amazing. I think I, I think I've gotten to the point where I tune in every night to, to watch Bryce. I do the same thing you do.

You know, I, I stop what I'm doing and I make sure I, I know what Bryce is about to do, which is great to have. It's like have it's like it's like what uh howard was like back in 06 07 08 like totally for as much as we're utley guys and whatnot like dude if you know howard's about to bat third you're like okay i'm i'm gonna hang

around and see what see how far he might hit a baseball and yeah that's that's pretty much where we're at with price um but yeah you know just to tune in and i want to watch him i want to watch boom i want to watch howard and i want to watch nola and i want to watch wheeler that's that that's emma cutchen's fun again yeah well it's good to have cut back um it's i needed that yeah i needed it i needed it love that and barrels can we can we just have barrels in life every day? What? I mean,

great. Yeah. So, uh, dude, you know, what sucks is that I had like actually interesting stuff written down that I want to bring up.

I know. I know. I'm just sad. Um, I don't, I don't think anyone wants to hear it. Like no one cares right now. Like it's an emotion.

Today was about emotion. It's not about, you know, and again, cause like, we're still seeing, like you talked about with the Joe Girardi thing before, we're still seeing these fundamental miscues and mistakes. And look, I'm not going to bang Didi for making his first error in a season where he's been just delightful to watch. Like he really is. He makes hard plays look easy. Like he's fun to watch like he really is he makes hard plays look easy like he's fun to watch but it just seems like there's a lot of that like there's a lot of mental miscues i mean roman quinn is a disaster in center field who knew was he supposed to be a good fielder he's like the

fastest guy on the planet he never gets to anything he's a disaster like he is a a true bad center fielder like the moment hazley can play he has to be playing every day like i just i mean roman quinn did you have any faith any hope at all when after that rally with bomb bomb standing on third base of course boom you know two outs in the ninth ripping dude i thought it was gone right i thought it was what a beast i was too i was i got up out seat, but like, what a good hitter. But like, did you have any faith in the world at all that Roman Quinky? Cause I'll tell you where I was at.

I said to Emily, I said, maybe he'll ground out, but beat it out. And that's maybe we could score way. We score a run. Like that was my hope was that he would hit like a soft grounder that he could maybe beat out.

Like I, I had zero hope he would get it. Yeah. Roman Roman is kind is kind of like the uh he's kind of like revere in center field where revere had no idea how to play the position but he's so fast that he caught up the balls and everyone's like well might be good at this and like like how do you how do you let that ball go under your glove in the seventh of the unbelievable before. Unbelievable. A disastrous play. And it's his third disastrous play like that this season. Like three. Yeah, he's... The Austin Hayes one is an all-timer.

I mean, that was just unbelievable. He's a really... He's just not a good baseball player. He's really fast. He can change games. But just make him an eighth, ninth inning guy off the bench that can steal it back. Yes, he's your guy who should be on second base in extra innings.

Like, you know, that kind of shit. I know, I know. It's a very, very tough podcast. I just... Yeah, good times. How did that happen today? How did that happen? And you know what sucks the most?

It's like, dude, we're legitimately 11 days from the trade deadline. That's unbelievable. happened today how did that how did that happen and you know what sucks the most is like dude we're legitimately 11 days from the trade deadline that's unbelievable i mean we're 11 days from the trade deadline are we like what should i don't even know what they should do sell sell sell sell yeah but what are you selling i mean no there's nothing there i don't think that i honestly think this is going to be the quietest trade deadline ever just because it's a weird year. There are so many teams who are in it. There aren't going to be that many sellers. If you can add a reliever, great, I guess,

just because of the 10,000 playoff teams, you actually have a shot, I guess. You know what I can't wait for is – The bullpen. They're not going to win anything in this bullpen. It sucks. Right, but you know what I can't wait for? I can't wait to come up with all these names of guys with really good spin rates they might have stuff and and they might be underrated talent and and just to give them a shot and try to steal them from a team and whatnot and like i just i just know clint axman a trade for like trevor rosenthal or greg holland

you know these guys who are having pretty good years but are like 90 years old. I just know he's going to trade for one of those guys. There's no doubt in my mind. There's no doubt in my mind. He's going to trade for Greg Holland or Trevor Rosenthal. They're going to come here, and they're going to suck. And they're going to suck.

The lock of all time to suck. They're going to suck. They're going to suck, dude. And again, honestly, is it even worth it? Like, look, make the team better, please.

And look, we know they're not going to do anything drastic because we know they're definitely not going over the luxury tax. Cause you know, we know, but like, is it even worth bringing in a, a,

you know, I guess you could try and steal someone for next year. You still have these same issues that, you know, you get a Michael Givens in here and and and keep him for a year or whatever but i don't know man i just yeah i mean i can't i'm very down on this team's ability to do anything because this bullpen is not fixable in season and you know it's it's it's too bad like it's just too bad yeah i kind of I kind of had this idea earlier.

There are some interesting relievers out there from bad teams that are controllable for the next couple of years. And I think they should be aggressive and go get one of those guys because the bullpen is not going to be magically fixed next year. They should bring up Damon Jones. They should bring up Addison Russ, Seabold, guys that they might possibly believe in and give them a chance. But this team is not going to be magically better in the bullpen next year. You're going to have to get guys in here. You might as well go over pay and try to get in, get in like a nasty

reliever that is under team control for the next couple of years. Like a 27 year old guy that just started figuring it out, but has good spin rates and spin efficiency and all that good stuff and get them in here and, and, and at least give you a chance next year. They have to think about both this year and next year, because I mean, this is pretty much their team. You know,

DD might not be here, even though I don't know. I would, I don't know if he'll sign a two year deal, but I would sign DD to a two year deal. I would love to have DD here. He is proven more than enough to me. How about about that 14 pitch at bat yesterday it was unbelievable and he's been great like in the ninth inning in game two like with two outs like i was like he's gonna get on

base i was like i don't know how but i feel like dd's gonna do something here and then obviously the bone double like you know just i feel confident with Didi in a big spot. Like, and I feel confident with Didi period, but historically he's done great things in big spots. I just, he feels like he's a player, man. Like Didi feels like a player. And again, defensively, I know the error today, but he is so fluid. And so it makes it again, he makes plays that should look really hard, really easy. Um, I've been, I love that that should look really hard really easy. I love that guy. I love having him here.

I'm all in on Didi. Yeah, but this is pretty much your team next year. You know, Arrieta won't be here. I don't think Robertson will be here. Now, Robertson might be their big bullpen addition, but I think I saw the other day he hasn't really hit 90't, he hasn't really hit 90 yet, which isn't great, but you know how I feel. I know.

But at the same time, at the same time, he's never been a velocity guy. He's been a perceived velocity. Yeah. He's like a 93 type. Um, but this is your team,

you know, and, and give them a chance. Go get a, go get a legit bullpen weapon. Go get a weapon. Don't, don't,

don't do this whole bottom of the scrap heap, Daley's Guerra, Blake Parker, who has been all right, but whatever. I hate them all, man. Blake Parker is pretty fun. Yeah, just give him a chance. Also, I mean, Girardi cost him game one. I like Joe Girardi, but what are we going to match up bullpens in the fourth inning against a really good bullpen versus a really bad bullpen?

It was crazy. Plus, you've got to figure out if Spencer Howard can get out of those spots. He's at 67 pitches. Let the kid pitch a little bit. You have to give him a chance there. Again, if it was flipped and you're the Blue Jays and you have that pen behind Spencer Howard, sure. Then I understand making the switch to the pen there, but like,

what are you bringing in? That's so special for Spencer Howard. Like let the kid pitch, you know, I'm, I'm very with you, Jack. That annoyed me, especially cause early on, especially at the Howard stuff had some giddy up to it. And he looked like he was kind of grooving a little bit, you know, obviously he needs to cut down on the base runners no question but um i'm with you i thought gerardi really overthought that and you're not you're in a double header what do you what are you rushing to get into the bullpen for now it's a great now speaking of spencer howard i i have to bring some positivity i mean our dudes figured out a little bit i mean that was that was that's what we were that's close to what i was

expecting from spencer howard you know the swing and missed off the first couple starts is kind of concerning i mean he he generated it i think six swings and misses on his fastball which we didn't see at all in the first couple starts um and he kept the ball down you know he was trying to live up in his first couple starts and we saw that did not go well at all um but he kept the ball down and you know that's that's a start that we can build off of that's something to get excited for um that's something that you can kind of see where we're trending here with sp Howard, but unfortunately offer not. And Vinny looked good.

Vinny actually looked good. Like Vinny. Yeah. He had that rough first inning. I mean, look to come out and walk the first guy when you're upset. I mean, that's, it's legitimately unacceptable, but I'm with you. Look, I thought again, Girardi, he probably shouldn't have brought him back out in the sixth. I think that ended up being a mistake and obviously ended up costing him another run there.

But I thought Vinny, I was more impressed than not with Vinny today, considering how it started and how it played out. Yeah, well, and he finally just started to trust Knapp. Yeah, he just kept moving towards it. He finally was just pitching and moving, and he would just look for the sign, take the sign, and go. He's so much better when he does that. I know. Just stop thinking, man. Just stop thinking and pitch. Just throw.

Whatever the catcher puts down, just with it and and just execute the pitch it's not doesn't have to be rocket science stop thinking so much everything would be better if you just stop thinking um and really they're they're gonna need a six-man rotation because they have so he's gonna he's gonna start again if they can get whatever i don't want to say if they can get whatever you know what if we can get something out of vince velasquez we'll take it i'm not telling you to buy in but like again this is what's so annoying watching vince velasquez is like watching the sixers offense the first five quarter five minutes of the first quarter where it's like oh they figured it out and then they'll just go back to being horrible this is where we're at with vince velasquez like today's today's start

was like the sixers offense in the first, first, first five minutes of the basketball game where it's like, Oh, he figured it out. But then the rest of the game happens and it all goes to crap. So, um,

but you know, signs of encouragement. I mean, Jake Arrieta, would they have, would they have the stones to pull Arrieta from the rotation if Vince keeps it up? Um, yeah, I think so.

He's in the last year of his deal. So I think it would have to be a stark difference. Like right now, it's not a big enough difference. But if Vinny starts to kind of figure it out and gives you like five or six with the run or two for a while and Arrieta's this guy, then yeah, I think Girardi would do that. And it also depends how competitive they are and all that but i think he might um one more thing i want to get to before we just get to the male take back because like again like i don't think

anyone cares about specific nerdy stuff that we get into but really quickly i do want the i want your thoughts on kingery just because like i it because he is a black hole right now. He is useless as a baseball player, but at the same time, he is supposed to be part of this team's future. He's under contract for a while. You can't just give up on him. You need to develop him. What would you do if you're Girardi to try and get Kingery through this

but also win games that matter I'm sending him to the alternate side and letting him figure it out there I don't know why like I don't know why I don't know why he's here I literally don't know why he's here he's clearly not he's not ready to be here and it's not that I'm giving up on the talent or I I am giving up on Scott Kingery it's go, go down and let him get right for a little bit. Let him just take a deep breath. Let him get his full strength back up. Going out there and facing major league pitching right now is not a recipe

for success for him. And he's, and now it's affecting his defense, which I actually thought was pretty good. You know, Segura is back. So we're going to play center or Segura can play second base. He easily seems like he's on his way back.

And obviously Quinney can play center field. So easily seems like he's on his way back. Um, and obviously Quinney can play center field. So you don't really need Scott Kingery. I mean, you know, if you want to get DD a day off, he could play short. Um,

if you want to play in at 30, you put boom at first for a day. Um, if you want to get Hoskins, you know, a day off. But if, if I was them, I was, I would send them to, I've sent them to the alternate camp and just try to get Hoskins a day off. But if I was them, I would send him to the alternate camp and just try to get him right.

Because this is only going to tank his confidence more. Listen, he's obviously not going anywhere unless they want to put him in a trade at the trade deadline and maximize the value if they think they need to do that. I don't think scott kingery's bad like i just don't think that he's this bad i think there's a good player in there i think he's gotten way too launchy and i would like to see him get back to being a baseball player and and you know thinking line drive and just dropping the bat head and letting your natural talent take over.

I'm not I'm not giving up on Scott Curry. And I don't think the Phillies want to give up on Scott Curry. I don't think they should. But I think setting him down to triple A and just and just letting him get right is good. And it's not it's not a demotion. This happens sometimes. And then if he gets right down there, let him come back up and try to build off that.

But to keep throwing him out there against major league pitching is just, it's just not helping at all. Yeah, no, that, uh, like I was going to say, play him like one day a week.

I actually think that your plan makes sense either way. I think we both agree. He can't be playing on a consistent basis. I mean, especially at the expense of guys like Gosselin who are just hitting right now. All right, Jack, what do you got in the mail to take back, if anything? It's so unfortunate because I had a lot.

I generally like Bryce's two-strike approach. I like that he spreads out, and like that he's not he doesn't care about um or he is caring about his strikeout numbers this year i think it's nice it's refreshing and i think that his two strike approach is only going to lead to uh being a tougher out and but the one thing i don't like at all is i don't i don't like the bunning i'm just i'm just out on the bon body especially like today with two outs and no one on like what are you well no no there was there's a runner on first base and a runner on first that's right man excuse me like it's just like what are you doing man like

he it's he's getting too bun happy like i get it if every once in a long while you want to put a bunt down because they are shifting so aggressively on you and you want to keep them honest fine but they're not going to stop shifting against him at an excessive rate because he's putting these months on. They're just not. Yeah. And it's totally killing his exit velocity numbers on baseball. So when I checked the leaderboard every day,

they keep going down because it was stupid bunny. The important stuff, right? Yes. Yes. Um, I had written down here, Brock didn't relief relief and then today happened

whoops because i still i still think he's gonna be a dude yeah yeah i'm fine i think i think he's gonna be fine um uh i think gerardi cost him game one hey vinny was actually up to 97 today that's nice to see from my company yeah take it howard was also up to 96 97 so it seems like their their uh velo is starting to come back which is good to see um and yeah i'm jealous of the blue jays bullpen you know they they brought in a bunch of dudes throw our jason room guys like jason romano and brandon merriweather and these like they're just just dudes or not brandon merriweather whatever it's coming out of nowhere and throwing 98 it's's like, what are we, you know, I don't know. Like, look, the Red Sox, the Red Sox team, honestly,

their pitching staff was, I felt Matt Klintzak's like dreamed it. Philly's ass. And, I mean, Haim's clearly just tanking to lose and then get to. Yes, he's absolutely tanking. He's tanking, but then he's going to get fired and then come down here to philly so oh look at you he's playing yes it's the long game it's the long game which means we have four more years at clintac i would there would be no more i hopes yeah we would change honestly honestly

that should be i think that should be our threat if matt Matt Klintak is the GM of this team next year, High Hopes is done. It's a big threat, Jack. Yeah. Would you like that, John? John, are you listening? Yeah. All right. Well, we still have High Hopes now.

We'll be back next week after the Braves. Well, we have a braves for now well we have a podcast called i have site we did definitely don't actually have real uh dude you know what i can't wait for i can't wait for them to get blitzed by the braves tomorrow after playing it it's gonna be great it's gonna be great max free max free is gonna know hit him it'll be terrific yeah especially after today's debacle they're probably they'll score no runs for nola nola's gonna go like seven innings one run 10 strikeouts and the phillies won't score they'll score no runs for nola nola's gonna go like seven innings one run 10 strikeouts and the phillies won't score they'll lose one now yeah there's or no they'll lose

they'll lose like eight nothing because the bullpen i'll give up seven runs in the eighth yeah there's there's just there's just no way there's no way they win tomorrow night it's gonna be great i can't wait for a nice disheartening break. Oh, buddy. All right. We'll talk to you guys later. He's friends himself. We'll see you.