High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Just When You Thought This Team Couldn't Stoop Any Lower... They Do

Episode Date: August 26, 2019

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz are back as the Phils go full Phils and lose two of three to the Marlins in Miami. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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High Hopes. It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Philadelphia Phillies on Radio.com and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yo, it is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. Let me clarify because that yo was not for the Phillies. It was a happy anniversary yo to Jack and Jill. Happy anniversary. The Phill to Jack and Jill. Happy anniversary. The Phillies deserve a yo.

That's their yo. That's it. I hope you had a wonderful anniversary dinner, Jack. I hope you and Jill had a wonderful one-year celebration for your anniversary. But the Phillies suck, and I'm pissed off, Jack. Well, they ruined it i mean they always oh man they always find a way no but do you remember do you ever this time last year uh we were all i mean you were there how could i forget what i what a special evening it was jack

for those who don't know actually had a really nice wedding yeah it was pretty it was pretty classy when you listen to me talk you're like oh this guy's you know oh yeah you would have thought total d-bag had a d-bag type wedding it wasn't yeah well uh people forget that pivetta was pitching up in toronto on this day oh man and he got shelled yeah should we just start there and then get to it do you want to just get it out i mean the the i mean, not since Tom Kelly turned on Game of Thrones has someone turned on their former love like you have turned on Nick Pivetta. Well, listen, here's the thing is that I am an eye test guy,

and I just, when I see something, I can't, I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to be dishonest to the people. I'm not going to be, give them things that I don't actually believe. I mean, James, this whole podcast is predicated on we've never lied to the High Hopes people. And never will. And never will, Jack. And never will lie to the High Hopes people. I still think Nick Pavetta is going to be good i think that's

at some point i'm wavering it is really something that here's the thing is that he's just too talented to be as bad as he is whereas which is the frustrating part but like right now there's no reason for him to really be in the big leagues i'm fine with it. I understand people want me to overreact and freak out. This spin is amazing. Yeah, no, you know what? Not only am I fine with it, it's probably the best thing for him right now. This is for Nick to make him better, and it's the right move.

Well, yeah, I mean, listen. He seems like a guy that needs to be embarrassed to eventually motivate him, and if this is the best way to do it, it's the best way to do it. He deserves it. Like, he absolutely deserves it. It's not, again, I'll say this until I'm red in the face because for some reason people, like, they love seeing Nick Pavetta fail because it invalidates me, which infuriates me.

But regardless, like, me believing in Nick Pavetta is not the problem. The Phillies thought that Nick Pavetta was going to be their number two starter this year. So they did not make moves this offseason to upgrade from Nick Pavetta. That's an actual problem. Me believing in Nick Pavetta is not a problem. That is a huge, huge problem when we're looking at where this team is at right now. We're looking at Jason Vargas as our number two right now. Vince Velasquez was our number three at one point.

Like, them believing so much in Nick Pavetta being this guy is ultimately going to be the downfall of this Phillies team this year. Yeah, it's actually a great point. And somehow, someway, you've actually a great point. And somehow, some way you've made a great point while somehow diver guy? The fact that the Phillies counted on this guy to take a big step forward, to be essentially their number two starter this year for all intents and purposes from a talent and production perspective. I mean, that's a much, that's a big issue. That is a big issue because this kid,

especially for you to call out Nick pavetta and and call for a breakout or whatever it's based on what you see you know the eye test that you know what you can see him doing stuff not the numbers you don't know nick pavetta they know nick pavetta they should have known that this guy is is is just has no toughness he has no fortitude. He is not someone who you can rely on to go out and take the ball in what is among the most mentally tough positions in all of sports to play where you need to go out there and outthink your opponent and out-execute your opponent and not let mistakes by other people bring you down. I mean, that's the definition of

who nick pavetta is you know he just he just crumbles oh i mean just think about it this way like like gabe capler doesn't criticize anyone and he just like basically roasted nick pavetta to the to the to the local media down in miami um which leads me to believe that he probably had a freak out about mike alfranco or something to believe that he probably had a freak out about mike alfranco or something like he probably he probably blamed his whole outing on mike alfranco not being able to make that routine ground ball uh double play that i mean listen i also blamed him at the same time but like i i am not supposed to be on the same wavelength as nick cabetta um yeah it's totally disappointing and it's like, it's almost to the point where

I'm frustrated at watching a guy with a talent that he has. Like, I put out that tweet yesterday about how he's talented and whatever. And people are like, well, does he really have talent? It's like, dude, it's 95 to 97 with a curveball that has a 2,700 to 3,000 rates per minute. Like, that's a, that is legit stuff. Like, That is talent when you're talking about a major league baseball pitcher. Him not being able to fulfill that potential, it's frustrating to me. It's frustrating watching a guy just never be able to learn a third pitch, never be able to take that next step forward. This is what you deserve when you do that. This is what ultimately you deserve if you're not going to bear down and get

better because that's what happened like he he had underlying stats heading into this season and then didn't get any better at any facet of the game like usually when you're projecting a breakout you're expecting a guy to to learn a new pitch or or something that would help him get better like usually year-to-year growth is a thing. And for him, it's just like, I'm going to be the same guy I was last year and expect the same thing to happen. It was crazy, and I don't blame the Phillies. Now, after we've said all this, like, getting rid of him this offseason, I think, would be a stupid decision unless they're getting pretty good value for him.

Like, I can just see him going to a smart team and him figuring it out and me parading down Broad Street saying I was right about Nick Pavetta. So I think a smart team is able to figure out Nick Pavetta, and I would like for the Phillies to be that smart team. And I don't see the value in selling him at his lowest this offseason. I would rather bring him back and just see if an offseason of being humbled could ultimately be good for him. Yeah, look, I don't know what else will work.

It's possible he is a change of scenery guy. We see that. It happens where guys just need to get out of that situation, and that's really the only thing that can truly humble them and make them realize, oh, maybe this is my last chance to make this work. But I agree with you conceptually. It would be a mistake to move on from Pavetta at his lowest point of value,

especially because there is real talent there. There's no question about that. But right now he is far away from reaching that talent. And, of course, it seems like Kavler is willing to rip anyone who's about to head to the minors. But anyone who's going to be on the team, he is a lot less willing to rip. Well, I don't know. I don't know if you heard Gabe,

but he did mention that he wants Pavetta to learn a splitter, and I would just like to say, Gabe, welcome to the podcast. You're welcome to hop on. When did you start listening, buddy? Come on. Yeah, I mean, listen, this has been a thing on the podcast since for like two years. Yeah, you said it could be kurt schilling that's what you said one member of this podcast not me said that he's a splitter away from being kurt schilling and um i'm glad that gabe listens

to the podcast it's a huge moment for us but i would just like to like gabe if you're gonna if you're gonna blatantly show that you listen to the podcast, just hire us. Like, it's not that big of a deal. It doesn't have to be a serious position. Just something like, you know, throw us a little bone. I could break down all your pictures. I'm just as useful as Chris Young. That's not hard to do.

Talk about a waste of time. I mean, like, just watching him ruin half a season over Aaron Nola and, like, having Nick Pavetta throw 27 knuckle curves the other night as opposed to 21 fastballs, it's like, oh, my God. Like, you are just brutal, man. And Zach Eflin, did you see the Zach Eflin story from this morning? That he went away from what Chris Young was teaching and got back to throwing two-seam sinkers and had his best outing since, I don't know, like June.

So not great feathers in the cap of Chris Young. I'll tell you what. Today was one of those losses where I just needed to go walk around. You needed one of your patented walks. Yeah, I just needed to take a long walk. I just didn't want to be around. I mean, obviously, Joe was with me, but I just didn't

want to be around people at all for this Phillies game. We tried to warn people about what was going to happen, and for it to actually happen and play out the exact way that we laid out was just awful. Yeah. Look, when we were saying,

oh, they're probably going to go down there and lose two of three, we were saying it hoping we were wrong and that joking about it might actually make it not happen. But of course it happened. Of course. What else is it? They're the most predictable, disappointing team I've ever seen in my life. That's all they are.

They're so predictable. This was so predictable. How they did it, that it happened. It was just, of course, of course, of course. It was so funny how Friday night was like, this whole season, it feels like it's been a collection of, okay, this is rock bottom. Oh, yeah.

Well, it's one of those things where like, I don't even know if you could make a list of the top 10 worst losses and be able to confine it to 10 and feel good about it because there have been just so many horrendous gut punch losses how many how many gut punch losses have we had since all right well i mean opening day last year was a gut punch i mean 68 pitches arenola whatever that was a good there are a couple and last year in la i think., I feel like there's a gut punch in L.A. every year. Yeah.

Well, I was more going from the point of, like, how many gut punch losses have we had since the three-run lead against the Nationals and Hector Neris blew it? Oh, yeah. In, like, June of last year? When he let in Wilmer Defoe, the game-winning hit. I remember that vividly. That was the Scherzer one.

Yeah. So many. Like an impossible amount of gut punch losses. Honestly, it's what they do. It's what they do, Jag. They can't just lose. They have to make it worse than losing. I mean, we've been making the joke all season.

When they lose, they lose. And then, like, you know when they lose they lose and then like you know they were up seven nothing and then it's just like and like you said velasquez who up until that game had easily felt like the number three on this team and and of course you know vincent velasquez exactly what we thought he was back to being who he is i just look it was predictable this team they're just not that good man and the funny thing is is after the whole weekend or whatever they're now again just one and a half out only a game and a half out. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. I, I, I honestly like, what is this? They do not deserve it. They,

they, I here's, here's where I'm at with this team. It's like, I really want them to make the playoffs. Like I, that'd be so cool. They don't deserve it.

Like they really don't deserve to make the playoffs. This team being a quote unquote playoff team would be such a travesty of what it means to be a playoff team. That's not true. This is the quickest turnaround in baseball history. All right. The quickest turnaround. I mean, anytime you can lose three straight series to the worst team in the NL

and lose Friday night on the road 19-11, have a seven-run lead, go through all of that, and then come out today against a pitcher that I'm watching and I'm like, are you guys serious? What was special about the guy that pitched for the Marlins today? There was nothing special about him. If it was Yamamoto, they even crushed a little bit. Like the offense wasn't really the problem. And then today happens like they're facing a nobody and they did the same

stuff. I don't know, man. It's just, this team is just they're a game and a half out and they're ultimately going to be it until the end. But there's just no possible way that you can feel good about this team. Because you know that in the offseason they have so much work they have to do. Like they have to find a number two starter this offseason. That's how they are technically in the playoff hunt right now. While they have to find like at least two bullpen pieces.

At least. Jeez. At least two bullpen pieces and at least. Jeez. At least two bullpen pieces and at least two starters. At least. At least. That's the crazy part. Like, why are they even – how are they even in this thing? Like, that's why I keep going back to – like, this is the same exact thing as last year.

How are they even in this thing? But they are, and they're only a game and a half out and a playoff and a and a and a september that matters will be awesome but like it's hard to feel good about this team it's impossible yeah it's impossible like and i'm with you and we've talked a lot about it like i really do think that a september that matters for the players is important i think it's important for for a lot of those guys you know of them, like Harper and a few others, have been in playoff pushes before, but the vast majority of those guys have never been through it. I mean, that's cool. That's important for them to get that experience,

to understand it. I think a playoff game itself would be so cool and so fun just to have that experience again in this city, and it would be really cool for the fans and all that. But at no point is anyone going to have any delusions that this team is, is good or that they could actually do anything. And it just, it really puts a hamper a damper on the whole thing. Cause it's like, what are you really getting excited about here? We're, we're getting excited about a short term thing that is, that'll be pretty neat and kind of fun but ultimately has a a hard cap on what an end is i don't want to hear any of this oh but it's baseball anything could happen no no it can't it can't this team

cannot win the world series even if they make the playoffs i'm sorry like they just can't do it so then you just think about like all right all right, once the playoffs are in, it's like, oh, like you said, Jack, how are you supposed to feel good about moving forward? We were supposed to be like, this was supposed to be like 07. We kept making the 07 comparison. This is the beginning of the excitement. Then they go on a run, and then they start to build,

and then it builds and builds, and then it's all of a sudden this great run that we're on with this team that we've grown for the last few years within all that crap. That doesn't feel anything like this, Jack. Nothing like this. That's because baseball has changed so much from what 07 was and the way it was.

Baseball now, it is like you have the top teams, and the top teams also have the deepest farm systems. That's where baseball has evolved to where it's a top to bottom organizational um just just a fully functioning machine you have the analytics you have you have a good team on the surface already and then you also have a bunch of guys in the minor leagues ready to go whenever and even if this team makes the playoffs it's like it's like they don't have a real number two starter they have spencer howard in the minor league so you hope so number two starter um you have alec bohm who you know i mean we hope that he can be oh i think he can be a number four hitter at some point and i think he can be a key cog in the middle of this lineup but

like that's it like when we're talking about legit high-level prospects, it's those two. Meanwhile, you see other teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, all these really, really well-run, smart teams, and they have a loaded roster on the surface, and they also have everything in the minor leagues because they're not just giving away prospects like teams used to back in 07, 08 or whatnot. So the 08 Phillies trying to compete in today's league,

it would be like, well, it'd be just this team in a way. Like you would have Nola be our Hamels, and then you would have a mediocre rotation behind them and a lineup that you hope can carry you. But this lineup right now is not even comparable to the 08 lineup. you but this lineup right now is not even not even comparable to the oa lineup yeah and and again there's not that that you know youth to get excited about there's not that core that you're really excited about you know like about harper but you're excited about cory dickerson and cory dickerson's gonna be gone in a month i i love cory dickerson like he's great he's super

fun to watch he's a legitimately good hitter. That dude just understands how to hit. He understands how to take a baseball and put it where it's supposed to go and all that. But, yeah, look, I mean, he's not the future. Look, all right, we're getting into super depressive mode right now because it is frustrating that where they're at right now, but then thinking about what it means on a grander scale but um but let's get back to this weekend because it's already

depressing enough what's happening and we have a lot of time to dive into the the lack of future and what they could do about it for right now let's get back to this weekend because there was one other thing and i'm sure you've got some other stuff to mention, but we've got to talk about Cesar not running the ball out again today because we saw it again. I mean, ultimately didn't end up hurting them, but it's just another example. Yet again, I mean, how many times do we have to keep having this same discussion where someone doesn't run a ball out, Kapler does nothing about it,

after the game says it's unacceptable and that's it. Like, I don't know. Where are you at with this? Um, so I don't care anymore. I just, you're just beaten down.

No, like it doesn't matter to me anymore. Like I, I think that Kapler is a guy that is going to rely on his clubhouse to police itself. So I actually, I know like you expect me to come on and be upset about it but i actually thought it was super impressive jay bruce going

over and and kind of saying like yeah man you can't do that and and and in the moment cesar you could just tell in his face he knew he messed up and when and when reese got around home and and cesar said thank you like you could see it in his face how upset he was and I understand like the standpoint of oh like you gotta hold guys accountable but I just think I think you have to pick and choose your spots I know he's never really picked and choose his spots but I just think in watching Cesar he seems he seems like a guy that would shut down if you kind of made an example of him and you wouldn't get the best out of them. So, like, remember earlier this season when Cesar was making those mistakes and just kept on snowpiling and getting worse and worse and worse

until eventually he snapped out of it? Like, I just think that's kind of what would happen if you made a public example out of them. And also in that situation, like, if I'm Gabe Kapler, right, and I need to win this game, I need to win this series because the Marlins are bad, you have the Pirates, and you have a super tough stretch. And, like, you're taking out Cesar Hernandez for who? Like, who are you putting in that situation to try to make an example, quote-unquote, of Cesar Hernandez?

Because ultimately it's going to make your team worse. And I know everyone's going to bring out the Brian Siniker and benching Ronald Acuna. But when you bench Ronald Acuna, you you still have star level talent around him and also you have a seven game lead in the nl east like imagine they pulled cesar and they put in like sean rodriguez or whatever and he makes a huge error or a hit in the seventh inning and gets and gets out and ultimately does sean rodriguez things then we're like well why did you take cesar hernandez out like i just think that i think i understand the standpoint of of you need to make an example but you should have made the example back in june if you're gonna do that like back in june when it didn't it mattered but it didn't matter to the extent that it matters now you should have done

it then and set the tone then doing it right now kind of feels like a waste and i didn't have a problem with pulling cesar today obviously he knew what he did was wrong but you had to win that game and there was no one else behind him that I thought they could have brought in that would have been better than just letting Cesar play yeah look I understand that that's a very rational thing to say and you know that's fine but at the same time it's, it's just another indictment. Like the fact that we're at this point in the season and you're right, like from a practical standpoint, you're right. But Cesar's done this before already this season. This is not even the first time it's happened with him. And you're right. Not benching Segura in Washington when Segura started that

game off without running that out. Like the very first play of the game he didn't bench him there he basically had signed his own death warrant in terms of being able to bench players in games i think you're right about that and that that's kind of where he lost it but that doesn't mean that i have to just be okay with it because it i it still bothers me it bothers me that that this is just okay and i know that cesar like said, he knew he was wrong and all that. But again, that doesn't mean that it's all right. Like, it doesn't mean that, oh, that's fine. You know, it's just if there's just no accountability.

There is no accountability. And it's interesting because Gabe talked about, you know, Nick Pavetta when getting sent down, not having accountability for his actions. And he's dead on with that. Like, that is absolutely true. Nick Pavetta, you know, like Gabe said needs to look in the mirror and take some responsibility for his actions.

But I just feel like there's no accountability in the locker room for stuff like this. But I think that's developing though. Like I just, it hasn't really been a problem since June. Like I know what happened early in the season, but I just haven't noticed it. Like I think it's ultimate. I think it's i think i think the older guys in the locker room are starting to feel like this is kind of their team and like seeing jay bruce do that like i

think learning for having your teammates publicly or not publicly but privately come up to you and say hey that's not how we do things here i think that's more important than a manager coming out and doing what he whatever he's going to do like gabe kapler's not brian snedeker and if he's going to put it on his players to police the locker room then ultimately i think that's a good thing like i'm ultimately encouraged by how how the team has started to play recently friday night notwithstanding like how though how could you possibly be because because because they played better baseball like they just encouraged? Because they've played better baseball. Like, they just have. They've played better baseball.

These guys have talked about how they just lost two or three to the Marlins. They just lost two or three. I know, but, like, today was one of those games where it's like, oh, the offense just didn't show up. Friday night was a disaster. But overall, like, they've won eight of 12. Like, I just think they have. Man.

That's just a fact. Yes, yes. Sure, it is a fact. Ultimately, they've played better baseball in the last two weeks, or two or three weeks. And I just think that the locker room feels different since Charlie's been there. Like it just feels like a happier clubhouse to be around. I mean, Corey Dickerson's talking on the pregame show today about how, like,

everyone's best friends in that locker room. And I think that's important. I think that's important, too. Look, I do i do i just again i i understand what you're saying i just look i'm done i'm done believing in this team until they prove to me that that i should believe in them like oh yeah there's no reason i mean they're they're number two starters jason vargas right now like there's no reason to they're getting big outs from mike moore and Jose Alvarez. Like there's no reason to believe in them, but I think we can take small signs as, as hopeful or to be hopeful towards next season.

Jackie positivity. All right. What else you got from the weekend? Anything else stand out to you from the weekend? It was a great weekend. Friday night was Friday night was just something that I never want to experience again. It was the worst, just the worst experience again. It was the worst. Just

the worst. I mean, just the worst. I guess from today, that was frustrating was, I feel like they, and this goes back to Chris Young, is that I feel like they develop a nice little game plan and they get it going.

They'll go in the fifth or sixth inning, and they'll just start mixing in and only throw off-speed pitches and only throw curveballs or whatnot. Aaron Ola should be a guy that's relying ultimately upon his fastball, and I think his breakdown today was like 39 fastballs, 31 curveballs, and 20-some change-ups. And Aaron Ola should be a guy that's using his fastball more. And it's been my main problem with a Chris Young-led game plan

for most of the season is that he has gotten away from an Aaron Nola fastball where an Aaron Nola fastball is how everything else works in his repertoire. His curveball and changeup are not good enough to where he can just rely on those pitches. He needs his fastball to work with those pitches off of that. And today it was so weird. It was like the sixth inning when he blew the game, it was just like curveball after curveball after curveball. And I feel like the same kind of thing happened on Friday night when Pavetta was kind of slowly unraveling. It was just curveball, curveball, curveball.

And it was like, I mean, curveball and it was like it was like i mean this is this isn't a good plan of attack like you use those pitches off of a fastball unless you've like a hector narris like splitter like you still want a fastball to kind of set the tone and then and then move on from there and i just i think it's weird how they just get away from from aaron nola's bread and butter as the game goes on um and I just I I don't I don't like the idea of most of the staff pigeonholing these guys into being a certain way they're not really letting these guys be the players that they have been growing up I mean Zach Afflin's a perfect example of this I like the idea of of forcing fastballs up in the zone is good

but if a guy doesn't feel comfortable throwing that, like, ultimately, it's not going to work. And I feel like Maylee was kind of big in that way, too. Maylee was big in his way or the highway, and it feels like Chris Young's kind of the same thing with the pitching staff. So, yeah, it was a frustrating Aaron Nola start today. He was mostly good. It was just his fastball location was off all day,

and then all of a sudden, he went to only throwing off a few pitches in the sixth inning. It was like, what are we doing? Like, you have to throw his fastball location was off all day. And then all of a sudden he went to only throwing off two pitches in the sixth inning. I was like, what are we doing? Like, you have to throw your fastball. It's the only way Aaron Nola is successful. Yeah, it was incredibly frustrating, especially, you know, when Hoskins hit that homer. And it's like, oh, my goodness, he's actually homered. This is so exciting.

I forgot what that looked like. And you're like, we're good. Aaron's on the hill shut this down and and then uh so quickly uh it went away one other thing forgot to mention from from prior to the weekend the beginning of the weekend but um uh where are we at with baby harper are we is it does all of philadelphia hate baby harper for keeping price away this weekend needed you bryce actually i mean the offense didn't even really need him until today. Could have used him today.

You need three days, Bryce. You couldn't take two? Really, buddy? Well, I just want to know where the picture is. I'm surprised there hasn't been an announcement yet. I would have expected. I mean, is the baby born? Like, what happened?

We know nothing. Yeah, man. I hope everything's okay. Me too. Me too. And obviously, I'm kidding. I'm, as someone who was there for the birth of his daughter, I'm totally okay with Harper missing some time to be there for the birth of his kid.

No problem with that. It was a bummer that he wasn't there. The people aren't sure if you're actually on board with him being away from Marlon's here. The people want to know. It was a real bummer. It was a real bummer. That's what I'll say. It was a real bummer. It was a real bummer. That's what I'll say. It was a real bummer.

Yeah. So, I mean, hopefully we get an announcement soon. So we know everything's, you know, good. Totally.

I mean, I don't know how long this, I don't even know what's going on, but me either. I'm surprised it's a, either a super long labor or, or whatever. So fingers crossed.

I mean, I mean, think about the pressure. I mean, they're birthing someone who's going to be, is uh he's already what is it birthright to your daughter zoe so there's a lot of pressure i know it's always pretty amazing so yeah there's a lot of pressure going on right there great point jack it's a great point no point yeah no problem all right um hypothetical uh if the phillies again, I'm not expecting to do,

but with the Pirates coming up this week, if they sweep the Pirates, will people be back in again? Will it just be a roller coaster, or will it be something where it's like, you know, I'm good. I've done this. Come on. You know people are going to be back in. I don't know.

I don't think I will be. I think it's going to take more than sweeten the pirates. This weekend really took it all out of you? Man, look, I wasn't as far back in after Boston as you were. I don't know at this point why should I believe this. I wasn't even far in after Boston. After Boston, I said they're going to lose 2-3. Exactly.

Why should I believe that they're going to go on, even if they sweeten the pirates? Why should I believe that's a thing? Well, because the Marlins own us. I mean, that's just the fact of the matter. The Miami Marlins, the worst team in the NL, own the Phillies. Yeah, they do. We lost three straight series to them. I know.

I know. It's really bad. It's really bad. It's embarrassing. It's the different thing about this. Ultimately, their inability to beat the Marlins could be what keeps them out of the playoffs. Dude, if they didn't play the Marlins at all this year, there are three games back in the NL East.

Yeah, it sounds about right. That's insane. They're the worst team in the National League. It's so brutal. It really. I'm so down about it, Jack. I really am just in a bad mood about it. It was really a disappointing weekend for me for the Phillies here.

Yeah. Today was just like, oh, we're just not going to hit, and we're just going to get ready for our getaway day. That's really the path we're going down. Yeah, it was on It was an... I mean, it was predictable. It was on brand, but also predictable. I don't know what you people... Did you people expect a run by this baseball team or not?

I mean, they're only allowed to win four games in a row. They're not allowed to win more than that. God, how fun was that Bryce Harper walk-off? The good old days.

Yeah, well, hopefully he'll be back tomorrow night. All right, final thought. Are you got anything in the note bag before final thoughts? No my only other stuff was about like i hope that like i just i don't like the pigeonholing of of guys on this on this team um you know i think that i think you have to let baseball players be baseball players and you can't force everyone to do what you want

them to do and and just stop just stop going away from Aaron Nola's fastball as the game goes on as my final uh final thought before final thought like it just like today it did the sixth inning today just made no sense to me it was like we're just gonna start throwing off speed pitches for no reason and we're gonna go away from your fastball which is like your bread and butter is you you paint your fat and his fastball location wasn't even good today but it was getting better as the game went on and then the sixth it was like oh here's a fast but there's nothing and here's a bunch of off speed pitches and uh here just sit back on this and drive it i don't know they made starling cash like starling cash is

going to be the most innocuous player with 3 000 hits yeah it's like embarrassing to the 3 000 hit club and they should just redo the hall of fame if if we're only counting 3 000 hits because starling castro shouldn't even sniff the hall of fame um but that team just kills us man like i i watch that team and it's like oh gary cooper is gonna kill us oh brian anderson even though he got hurt on Friday night, is probably going to magically have his wrist fixed so he can come back and kill us on Sunday. Like, Starling Castro always hits a big hit against us. It's ridiculous.

It's ridiculous. And then everyone out of their bullpen, I'm like, oh, this guy would be our second best reliever. Like, there's a small part of me that's, like, semi-jealous of some marlins players oh man that's how bad that's how bad this is like they brought that lefty out of the bullpen today i was like oh this guy's disgusting yeah it's good times jack it's really this is it's not good times i know awful times all right what's your final thought i'm done talking about this

team you're done wow you're throwing in the towel. Well, for tonight, I'm tired. Oh, and I cursed. I'm going to have to edit that out for all the people who are high up tonight.

They know what I'm talking about. All right. I'm tired, Jack. My final thought is that, is that Adam Haisley's swing is getting too long. And this is what happens when you, when you're not around Jasonason ochart for long periods of

time and jason ochart should probably be the team's hitting coach next year um yeah his swing's just his swing just super long right now it's it's uh his top hands flying off the bat which we never really saw like when when hazley was going right he kept he kept both hands on the bat all the way through the swing and was staying strong. And also, I think he's batting like 118, I want to say, on breaking pitches. So trouble with the curve, Haseley. Not a big fan. But I think his swing's long,

and it's crazy to me how you can just get sent down, even though he wasn't really sent down, but he gets optioned to AAA and was physically at the San Francisco airport ready to fly home when they called him back. And it's crazy how much that, that just meant mentally messes up a player. And, uh, they should probably consider not doing that next year. They should probably think more about these players as human beings and not just assets. All right. I'm with you. I think that is a – we've seen that happen multiple times this year in terms of the way they think about players.

All right. My final thought is Zoe just started crying because she's mad, because I'm mad, because this team is making me mad. Did you force her to watch all nine innings today? I gotta go upstairs. Alright, I'm on Zoe duty now. My final thought, rate and review the podcast. I love all of IOP's Nation.

I do not love the Phillies right now. Hopefully they sweep the Pirates and we'll be, you know, fake in again. Well, you'll be fake in. I'll be all in. Alright, can't wait. Until then, he's Prince. I'm S all in. All right. Can't wait. Until then, he's Prince of Seltzer. We'll talk to you later. All-star closer, Kenley Jansen.

We have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? Baseball isn't boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford, and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago.

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