High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Playing Body Language Doctor And Regressions Can Be A Good Thing

Episode Date: May 30, 2024

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies' 2-4 road trip and discuss Bryce Harper's on-field demeanor in recent weeks. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes! On the Odyssey app and Sports Radio 94 WIP. The crowd was singing High Hopes. Smiling through a broken nose. Oh, High Hopes. High Hopes. I feel a little less alone.

Oh, there it is. That's pretty sick setup. Look at this. All right. All right, let's roll. Yo, it is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. Fritzy. What up, pal?

How you doing? You know, got to be honest. Get this one out of the way early. I figured I would set the tone. I want to set the tone early in this podcast because we're a tone setting podcast. Good, yes. This is what we do. to set the tone earlier this podcast because we're tone setting podcast good yes what we do and this is maybe this is maybe the most high hopes the in sentence that i think this podcast

could ever am i ready for this i i actually don't know if you're ready for this and i and i wonder if the audience is ready for this but but i'm okay that they're regressing like i i don't think it's the worst thing in the world to to make the the needs of this baseball team to so obvious that they have to address it because like if they kept winning and like there were some things that were going on where it's like i don't know if that's sustainable, then you can excuse it away because the record is so good. And the record's still really good. It's still the best record in baseball, believe it or not.

Which, it's so funny because I kept telling myself that, James. I kept saying to myself, they had the best record, they had the best record, calm down. And then they didn't score for 10 innings. And it all went to hell. It all went to hell. But like to hell but like the good part about coming back down to earth a little bit is i think it does make it obvious what this team needs

whether that's a bat which they might need a bat i mean in the outfield i think the number one thing we need right now is probably some kind of outfield bat and maybe this place is someone i'm not sure but like it's it's not the worst thing in the world to have like a comeback to earth you've built up such a nice cushion to where like you know you're gonna make the playoffs barring like the worst collapse we've ever seen in our entire lives um and it's kind of necessary like it kind of has to happen i think this team to ultimately reach its highest goal look at you just setting expectations setting the bar where it should be raining everyone in it's nice jack it's good i i don't know about you i didn't expect them to set the wins record so you know i'm all right moving on from that you know no i i think you make a lot of points and you never want to peak too early we've been been over this. Yes, that's true.

I don't want to peak. You don't want to peak in May, James. You want to peak in September. No, you know, you can peak in May. You know, you can be the 98 Yankees and just peak the entire way. Now, that is a fun way to go about it. It does happen. Since I obviously have no recollection of the 1998 Yankees.

Yeah, I know, buddy. I know. The 2018 Red Sox. There you go. You love that gum. Dude, I love the 18 Red Sox. I really do. You always did.

You loved it in the moment. People can go back and listen to episodes from 2018 of I Oaps. Now, you'd be a sicko for doing it. But I guarantee you, if you go back and listen, you'll hear Jack waxing poetic about the way the 2018 Red Sox were playing baseball. I thought putting the ball in play, like all that.

I just, I have vivid memories of it, you know? Well, and you know, I was definitely saying that during that time I was like, I need Dave Nebraska to be my GM. Oh,

we both were. I mean, the, basically since the start of the pod, we were just like that guy. Yeah. Get him. He was our white whale. We we had one guy we had to get on the scene I mean the celebration pod when we finally got him is probably pretty great don't go back and listen to that one if you're gonna go back and listen episodes no we'll just tell you it was great we don't need to listen you know maybe

that's what we'll like maybe I know we have tucker now who's uh producing this podcast yes yes i think the next thing that we need tucker to do is if he's not busy enough is i need to go back into the podcast archives find that podcast and delete it yeah it needs to go away that's for sure tucker has all of a sudden become the oh talker will do it guy which is great it's a good thought to be in Tucker. I love that for you. I know. By the way, shout out to Miller Lite, of course, this podcast sponsored by Miller Lite, the

official sponsor of the Philadelphia Phillies Taste Like Miller Time, Philadelphia Celebrate responsibly. All right, Fritz, let's get into some of the specifics because good take to start us off. I like you, you know, getting people where they need to be setting expectations, right. And it needs things an interesting point, but let's get to the, you know, let's get to the actual series that we, you know, we talked about Colorado that sucked. We moved on, you know, losing two or three again, not ideal. Now they do win yesterday. Obviously, I think that the topic of the day is, is the Harper thing and him freaking out and, you know,

destroying the bat rag, the poor bat rag didn't do anything wrong. And you know that, look, I, we've talked about it already. I don't think either of us are, you got to run to first base guys all season long. Like I don't, I have no problem with Bryce Harper, not running out every ball. I just don't like, I want the guy to stay healthy. We just saw our other best player, our other $300 million guy, pull his freaking hamstring. Like, I don't need that. Like, I'm good on that.

But I will say, you know, it definitely seems like Harper is frustrated right now in general. I think he's just putting a ton of pressure on himself. It feels like he's coming to this season like the whole team has with this, you know, win or bust type of mentality which i appreciate but i think with bryce you know we've talked about how much he cares about legacy how much he cares about this year the game how much he cares about his own legacy like i think he's putting a lot of pressure on himself i think that's a big part of it what do you make of the the bryce thing that's happening now so it took me two hours to get home yesterday from this.

Oh God. This is why you should live in Philadelphia. My friend, I'm just telling you, I can handle traffic. I'm okay with traffic. Except I can't, I can't just,

everyone knows I cannot. Really? Shocking, right? Really? But I thought I'd love traffic, right? I would have thought you would have been like,

Oh, super calm, chill throughout the whole thing. I would have thought you'd be, you would would have thought you would have been like oh super calm chill throughout the whole thing i would have thought you'd be you would be cheering when you see the everyone's slowing down oh so that's great i can just chill out take it easy i'm not in a rush to go where i'm going ever so no big deal i feel like you are perpetually in a rush i'm the worst dude i like there is no worse person to be in traffic with than me i that's part of the reason i live in this city is so i'm in traffic less like that is an actual factor in my decision making so yeah yes so i so obviously i'm listening to the game listening to murph and by the way uh condolences

to scott yeah yeah big time big time um you know bob franski was a war vet 91 years old and and and franski lost him the other day so uh thoughts and prayers to his family of course so i listened to murph on the way home and um you know so like i didn't i didn't see the the destruction of the bat rack until this morning until after yeah yeah so like i did i did post game and i talked about it because i thought it was just the jogging the first base thing that people were were kind of up about. Did not see the destruction of the Batarac. They just destroyed it. Like a full on. I know. It's like a classic

tantrum. Here's my question. If it's destructed, does he have to pay for it? Who pays for that? There's no way the Giants are paying. My guess is Johnny Middleton's going to pick up that tab for Bryce. I think that's one of those you could

expense that one, Bryce. Do you think Bryce has an expense account? Yes, it's called do whatever the hell you want, Bryce. We got you. So what I really think, and it's not just been yesterday, it's been this whole season. No doubt.

So if I had to put my body language doctor eyes on and again that's what it is i mean that's what it is and look we are we are hypothesizing and we're inferring and all that but like we've all watched bryce harper the last five years as opposed to this year and he just he just doesn't look like he's having as much fun out there i don't think there's any other way to put it yeah i just and i if i one more, it's about the contract. Oh my God, it drives me crazy, dude. I freaked out on the camera this morning. Like it drives me like it is there.

We had a great Ken and cinnamon and called up and he's like, Joe, I'm going to, I would bet my life that when Bryce Harper was taking the bat to the bat rack and destroying it, he wasn't thinking contract contract, contract, like enough, okay? Well, and it's not like he's playing well. He's playing great. He's got like almost 900 OPS, quietly. So if I had to read this the way that I think, I just continue to believe there's something up with the back

and it frustrates him when like he feels a tense up and and he had the at bat early in the game and then he had the he was bending down on the throw by the throw to first i thought i thought that jack that like he like that that was the dugout and also that was a very gettable baseball like he did not have to stretch that far to get it and he like it looked like he just couldn't go further. Yeah. So I think he's just so, so I think he feels like the back is robbing him of a,

like a God level price here. And I think he wants to win the world series so bad. He's not going to take himself out of games. And I think when it tightens up, he gets mad. And like, I'm not comparing myself to Bryce Harper, but when like things like that happened to me,

I get mad too. Like my first instinct is, is to get mad is to get mad about why is this happening? And then I think he has to be smart about picking and choosing his spots. So a ground ball to shortstop, I don't think he's going to fully bust it. But if he has to go first or third, I think he can do it. I think there's some days it feels bad. I think there's some days where he feels fine.

And it's something you just have to kind of manage. I just have this. I hope it's not something long term. That's all I ask for. fine and it's something you just have to kind of manage i just have this i just i hope it's not something long term that's all i asked for we know it's a violent swing you guys kept mentioning tiger this morning and i think that's fair you know i think that it does remind me of that but i really just think there's there's good days and bad days with the back and i think he gets mad when it tightens up and you can kind of see him check out of some of bats but then like he comes through in the, what was it, the eighth? He had the extra, he had the hit.

So whenever you start being like, oh, I feel like he always kind of gets a hit. But this happened in Miami, man. Like in Miami that Saturday, he swung and I was like, oh, there it is. There's the back. He gave out and he kind of, he went over five, I believe, even though he smoked the ball in the ninth. I just, I really think it's something with the back yeah i mean it makes a ton of sense i think it's i think that it's the pressure he's putting on

himself combined with the back i don't think we can ignore the fact that to the point we both made i think bryce came into this year and again of all the honestly all the players i remember watching in a philly's uniform in lifetime. Like I don't ever remember a player who so openly cared about legacy, about the history of the game, about his place in the history of the game, about winning a championship, about winning a championship here, all these things. Like, I think this guy puts so much pressure on himself for this. And I think he came into this year with the whole team feeling this with John Middleton, stepping up in spring training. And, you know, they're talking about the 27 Yankees and all time greats and all this

stuff. And I think Bryce came in and was like, I have to win. Like I have to win the world series. There is nothing else that matters in the world to me, but winning the world series. And I think that he's putting so much pressure on himself and he feels all this pressure to be the guy to do it all the time. And I think that's a hard spot to be in and i think you combine that with the back and look let's be honest that you know he is a human being he did just have his third kid like there's probably a lot of stuff going on in his life man so my i think i think the back absolutely makes a lot of sense but i think that because because even on days where the back it seemingly feel better when he has big days like it's it does look like he is laser focused it doesn't

it's kind of hurts like you know when we kept saying last year they're 10 and 1 and hurts is never smiling he's never happy like it kind of is a similar feel of the like bryce is so focused on winning that he's just not in it for the, for the frills and the fun right now. I can see that. I can see that. I, I, and I guess the only thing on that where with the pressure thing is he's

talked a lot about pressure and he's, he's like real pressure is what is, you know, providing for your family and all that. And while I do believe that, I do think there is added pressure when you get as close as you did last year. And plus when you have, when you, when you are as diehard of a WIP fan as he is, when you have the added pressure of listening to people say they got to get it done, I'm sure he kind of wears that on his sleeve.

Well, and they had that series in hand. I think that they look at that Rangers team and say, we could have won the World Series last year. I think they'd probably look at say we could have we could have won the world series last year i think they'd probably look at it and say we should have won the world series last year yeah and and i'm sure he adds extra pressure to himself when the team's not performing the way they should be so they're not playing and when he's not when he's going through these oh for tens and stuff like you can see it like with each and pat he's like more and more angry at himself and that's why i think it's the back too because we have we keep waiting for that like two week stretch where Harper, like his hitting 400 and now his main numbers are really good.

I think he's still hitting over 300 in May, even though I don't, I got one hit in the giant series. Um, but like, but I keep waiting for that, like six home run stretch over two weeks. And it,

and it just seems to me like the back is kind of hampering them from being able to do that. And that I just, I really think it like the back is kind of hampering him from being able to do that. And that I just I really think it's the back. And I just have this fear that I just hope that it can loosen up and he can kind of get going and put it behind him to where it doesn't become kind of an issue here at all or doesn't have to miss time. Seems like they're managing it. But, yeah, it's it's been a lot more of jogging up the first base. Seems like they're managing it, but yeah, it's been a lot more of jogging up the first base. And I'd be surprised if all of a sudden it's a big character shift

from the guy that we've seen, like, be Mr. Philadelphia, know how we are. Yeah, exactly. I mean, look, and he's still throwing, like, he still threw his body into the freaking well to catch a ball, to try and catch a ball. Like, he's still throwing his body around on defense. It's not like...

The most diving stops by first baseman in baseball. There you go. Like like so it's not like he's not giving it his all when he can it's look and honestly i think one of those things we talk about this a lot where especially with baseball and especially with the phillies like you and i we watch the package we try and watch as many games as we can i'm texting you over the weekend about royals a's games or whatever the hell i'm watching like i think it was the royals or a's rockies extra inning thriller that i was watching last week what a great game that was i'm texting you about but like i think i think most phillies fans watch the phillies day to day that's what they watch and that's what they care about so you get kind of myopic and focus on your team like there are a lot of stars around baseball who don't run out every ball like i'm sorry i know we all want them to we all want everyone to be ugly and run the

first as hard as they can every time like but like it's just not the way it works over 162 like i'm sorry you know it's just part of baseball well and the unfortunate part about the other thing is maybe if he ran 80 on some of those. He might have played longer. Wow, he played pretty long. He might have had a longer. Well, you're right. He might have had a longer peak. He might have been more healthy.

Exactly. Yeah, you're right. Utley hung around a lot longer than he probably should have. Well, listen, he's basically a manager on the bench. True. I would love to see Utley as a manager. I mean, I would be, I'd just be curious to see how it would go. Like, he's – it's been so interesting watching him kind of open up more.

Like, when Utley was here – It's been fascinating. Like, when he was here, it was, don't even look at him. Like, he's just so locked in all the time. And now it's like, he's Mr. Storyteller. He's the ambassador to baseball to London. It's been cool to see. It's been wild it's like

a guy who we loved had no personality now he's actually showing us a little personality i mean that story on on you know with ruben about trading that was great like that was really like they're gonna kill you like i mean like you're gonna get fired if you trade me like it's great stuff and no it's good good. You know what else he has too? He's got that little confidence smirk. Smirk thing, yeah. It's good. If I could develop a confidence smirk, I would like to develop a confidence smirk.

Yeah, it's pretty cool when you can pull out the confidence smirk. There's a reason Chase Utley's confident. Am I right? He's earned that confidence. I guess if I can teach walk, if I can still one thing in walk, if it's a good handshake or a confident smirk,

I might go good handshake or a confident smirk. Confident smirk, yeah. I think, dude, confidence, period. It's key. It's important. Yeah, you're pretty confident. You're pretty confident. I'm probably more confident than I should be in certain situations.

Yeah. I wasn't always, though. You're in development. I am old, Jack. I'm not pretty confident. I'm probably more confident than I should be in certain situations. I wasn't always, though. It's development. I am old, Jack. I'm not that confident. No, not as confident. But you'll get there. You don't need to.

It's fine. I'm all right. Seems like it's working out okay. I'm just me. That's the title of the Jack Fritz autobi Okay. I'm just me. That's the title of the Jack Fritz autobiography. I'm just me. What do you want me to do? What do you want me to do?

All right. So let's hope that it's less back and more pressure. But if it is the back, we got to monitor it and hope. And look, if it does come down to him needing to take a little time, I'd much rather he take time than play through through it i know he doesn't want that but like if necessary especially that's why you win a bunch of games early if you need a little time before the playoffs like i hope they're i hope he's willing to take that if that's what's needed you know what i mean yeah i'm actually glad you brought that up because i remembered something

about the peeking through early conversation oh yeah bringing it back i know i know this is like this is horrible podcasting and as it's going to contribute absolutely nothing to the conversation good i mean well you know what else is new total problem total problem do people forget that the 2022 team was like horrible until the basically until the playoffs they won one game yeah like you don't have to be playing good heading into the postseason. Very clearly. We thought they were collapsing. We were like, oh, September again.

It took until the third to last game of the season. Honestly, what we don't talk about enough is if the Brewers didn't simultaneously play like crap, the Phillies don't make the playoffs. The Phillies did enough to blow their spot. the brewers just didn't let them blow it yeah well the marlin and the marlins are our guys went down there and took care of and handled business always love the marlins it is it is nice how the marlins are now like i could go for the you know keep the marlins being the worst team in baseball where they're so bad that they don't even like they're not even frisky you

know what I mean sure the other thing I was I've been thinking about with like the post season and how everyone like in May likes to say this is going to haunt them in the postseason because of course like okay this is it like and it sounds so

dumb and simplistic but it's it literally just is baseball like it the offense could go cold I mean they might just not be able to hit for three games in a row we've seen that before

I understand that watching them in Colorado and in the Giants I feel like it brought up and brought back a lot of like oh my god this is what sunk them in the giants i feel like it brought up and and brought back a lot of like oh my god this is what sunk them in the postseason last year it's gonna happen again i mean it's pretty much gonna come down to either they're good or they're not like it's it's like that's it are they gonna be able to just be fine or not i don't know if like they're gonna be hot

and cold like it's gonna be either they're they they're gonna be fine or they're not gonna be fine a hundred percent and that that's the that's what baseball playoffs are that's why we say it's going to be either they're, they, they're going to be fine or they're not going to be fine. A hundred percent. And that's the, that's what baseball playoffs are. That's why I always say it's chaos, you know, cause it is about a team kind of can just get hot for a month and actually win the world series. The Texas Rangers,

a perfect example. We just saw last year, the Phillies almost did it two years ago. A hundred percent. I've said it before. And the thing that concerns me the most, and I think we even just saw it. I mean,

we see what every time tyler walker's out there i mean should have been out in the fourth inning they're up four three like do you want to win the baseball game or not you left him out there i my concern for something we're seeing in the regular season that we've seen both the last post seasons that if we're talking about something that i think is a real concern now for the playoffs it's topper trusting his guys too much it's the fact that Nick Castellanos is still out there every single day. Like, and I know a bad day to do it. I feel like whenever either we rip Cassie and then he goes out and has a good game or we're coming off like the one good game he's had in the last three weeks. But like, I think Cassie, Cassie is what he is at this point.

But I think that is an example of what I think, if we're being honest, could screw them at the end of the season. If you're looking for something that could be a real worry, it's Topper leaving Taiwan. It's not going to be Taiwan in the playoffs, but Topper leaving Taiwan in too long, so you trust him. It's Topper leaving Cassianos in every single day. If Cassianos is struggling like he's been in the playoffs,

you have to be willing to pinch hit for him in the ninth inning of a game. You have to be willing to sit him potentially. If it mundo Sosa's raking and you can, whatever, like the point is, is that I do think that that, that if you want to talk about something now that I agree with you, like the bat's going cold,

that's either going to happen or it's not, but topper trusting someone in a spot, he shouldn't. That could be a concern. So I have a Taiwan theory. Ooh, good good can't wait I think this is payback for the for the tweets on the off season oh he's like letting him die out there yeah go go get it you want it you want it oh so I thought I heard uh I thought Spike had a wild Theory too on the show on on your show, the afternoon show,

where he's like, this is Topper saying to Dombrowski in the front office, fine, you want to keep this guy here? I'll roll him out there. I'll show you how bad he is. I don't think that's it. But like, I mean, it makes, it doesn't, it makes as much, let's put it this way. It makes as much sense as trusting Taiwan to go back out there in that game, in that spot multiple times. Like, what do you think it really is with the, like, these are like, maybe it's that, but do you think it's like, is it just, all right, I'm getting innings out of the guy. Is it, we have such a good record.

I don't need to win every game. I'm not going to play to win every game, but like in that game, they're up four, three, they take the lead back after Taiwan gives up the three down three nothing you fight back you take the lead and you have a completely fresh bullpen like it made no sense and instead the next day where you could have just brought Turnbull in if you'd use your bullpen the day before you get the start that you get out of Sanchez which by the way shout out to Sanchez didn't realize his first start without giving up a run all year. He was awesome yesterday. Sanchez, the stopper, baby.

But, like, then you put the – wasn't the whole idea Turnbull's going to pitch three innings at a time or whatever? Like, I just – it has not made – especially the Taiwan thing and the way he's managed the bullpen around Taiwan. Like, it doesn't make any sense. Which is why the theory – Like, I mean, seriously. It's a good theory. i mean it's a good theory no it's a good theory it is like just just just okay you want you you think you should have been in the playoff rotation like go show me buddy yeah show me show me like you want to earn it go earn it like i'm giving you

the opportunity to go earn it and i think they're trying to make it abundantly clear that you don't you haven't earned it and the funniest uh you want you want a good taiwan's that i'm sure i can't can't wait hitters are hitting 5 15 off of his splitter what with a 758 plugging for his stomach. What? So why is he throwing a splitter? What are we doing here? Don't throw it! It was good last year. It was good last year.

Dude, they hit 205 against it last year. They're hitting 515. That's unreal, man. I mean, that's hard to believe. Well, he's like, he is second in barrel percentage in baseball. He is.

I mean, he's like top 10 and all the hard. Oh, I know. Yeah. He's been with Sanchez, by the way, the other end of that Sanchez does not give up hard contact at all. It's been impressive.

I don't know if you looked it up, but off the top of your head, do you know what Sanchez is? The RA is. I saw earlier. It's like, it's in the twos like 283 or something like that yeah i mean think about that i mean it's phenomenal yeah three

to one strikeouts walk great i mean he's been great especially the walks like he's he's curtailed that in a big way and that was a massive issue for him in the past well the funny the the fun part about sanchez like i when sanchez gets on a roll and he finds... He's dope to watch, man. He is dope to watch. I mean, in the sixth, seventh, he was getting that fastball up to like 97. Yeah, and then when he throws that change with it, man.

Oh, it's unhittable. I feel like he has more batters swing over balls than any Phillies pitcher I remember. It's just every time, every time. So if he's going to turn back in, if he can hold his command and turn back into a 97 mile an hour, Chris Sanchez, like I'm starting to get excited about like two years from now,

Sanchez, when he, when he really finds it, like he's already good now, but it feels like he has spots where he loses command for a couple of starts. Like he did like five starts ago. Like when he

finds that command and he's hit 97 and he can figure out how to hold runners and all that stuff it's a good picture there's a good picture in there i mean i i'm in on sanchez dude so am i fully in guys they have they have four starters that are really good yeah and like andrew painter like the number one pitching prospect before paul skeens existed is is is still coming like they like sanchez might be the five next year and like a painter if he lives up to the hype has a potential to be a one but it's just like it's ridiculous how good this starting staff is on paper yeah it really it's and it's why it's why you know when we talk about concerns and stuff like that and the bats going cold and topper leaving guys in too long it's what i keep coming back to as as like my constant it's like no you know what they're gonna be okay

because they have those four dudes and when you go into a playoff series you've got those four guys starting games you know and especially those top three for the most part like it's such a massive massive thing and especially with these guys all having playoff experience all understanding what it takes like uh you know the the pitching outside of taiwan continues and the pulpit by the way you know look great again yesterday oh sir anthony dominguez looking pretty pretty pretty good man he's great ever since you said it ever since you said it credit we're due he's been using lights out oh that's why i have the high hope safe space that's right i know you know where i think he's gonna be okay well if if it holds if it holds like if he's like if if he's just back, if he you know, if he has figured it out.

Dude, I mean, that changes the whole complex. I mean, we talked about it. You don't need a right hand or arm anymore. Like it changes so many things like all of a sudden. Well, I think that's part of the reason why I'm not too like upset or worried about the current dip there is because it's not like I kind of expected the offense to go cold here a little bit I know last podcast I was like all in on this is who they are now like they're just they're consistent but like you could always kind of feel it coming like the fact that it's not

like the rotation now is getting lit up and the bullpen is now getting lit up like that's I think that's just better like that that's it would be more off character than the offense going cold for a couple games now some bullpen thoughts some bullpen thoughts real quick it's very funny that we keep talking about this like this huge slide that they're on and they went two and four on a west coast trip and we're talking like they they got swept out there it's over good it's over so sir anything does look good but i think the the the guy that i'm more in on after this week and and I think he is starting to really, really assert himself as someone who deserves high-leverage spots, is Kirk Haring.

Yeah, he looked awesome. Dude, he finally has confidence in the fastball. I mean, I think when he came up, he's like, oh, my sweepers are so nasty, these guys won't be able to hit it. And they are. I mean, they're major leaguers. And I think that he didn't have the confidence that he'd be able to blow like low 98 that pass guys. And I think what's happened in the last, I don't know, two weeks, week and a half is he's like, okay, I know how to get my fastball by bats or spotted on the outside corners to the righties, whether it's a they're not going to crush it because it'd be like it is. It's not a great fastball it's it he throws hard but i think it's a hittable 98 which i know is funny funny to say yeah yeah but i think it's a hittable

98 he's added some sink to it he's getting it off barrels he's still throwing it hard he's throwing strikes with it and he kind of see the the moxie starting to come through you're seeing the kirkering moxie start to show here a little bit. And I think that's massive. So when you have Hoffman, I mean, Hoffman on, on in game two,

just getting out of that spot. First and second, no outs. And just like stones, you Kirkering stones, Sir Anthony showing some stones, Jose Ruiz, always,

always, always, always Jose Ruiz. Like I feel much better, much better about where we are with the right handed bullpen options that i did like two weeks ago hey fantasy football owners the road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now i'm matt harman from reception perception join me and james co as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster

wide receivers we analyze route running target, and all the metrics that matter, giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers. As you prep for your draft, let us give you the coverage you need. Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, before we get to the take bag and before we get to your inevitable draft talk, which in case you didn't see Jack's tweet, get ready for draft talk, apparently.

As I said, I can wait. I can wait. Yeah, thrilled about the draft talk coming our way. As, oh my goodness, now I totally forgot what I was going to say. The draft talk totally psyched me out. Good. I know, I know. Anyway, let's get to the take back.

Here we go. Okay, how about Schwarber, man? I mean, Schwarber in May is hitting over 300? It's not a 370 OBP, or a 368 or something like that. If you told me Kyle Schwarber was going to hit over 300 a month at any point for the rest of his philly's career i would have said you were crazy i would have said you have no idea what you're talking about that is not possible but uh yesterday i thought was another kind of like things are shaky how are we gonna pull ourselves out of it and bang there's

a leadoff schwarbaum uh like i just he's the first guy it seemed like out of the dugout they needed that yesterday i agree yeah like he's just but and he's done that like he's done that ever since he's been a philly is like when they needed him he's he's there to kind of calm everyone down so uh i think corporate's been really good and he's been hitting more singles which is fine i hope that makes everyone happy it was good to see him mix in some home runs yesterday i remember what i was going to say getting back to it i and it is my fault delinquency 30 minutes in the pot or whatever do you want to address the spencer howard thing you know you i did did you you're still here oh no are we having technical difficulties can you not hear me we're back okay so uh surprising that was the timing for

it do you want to address the spencer howard thing because you are here right now all right you know i mean it is something that i you know should be addressed it was really tough to go through it was really tough to go through i just he sucks dude he sucks he sucks so much it was the most of course thing that ever happened the fact that no way i'll quit the pod for for no hit it was sick thing it was absolutely sick thing and to have like eric miller start the game too i know like where's carson ragsdale where's carson ragsdale where's carson ragsdale to come in and just add some you know pour some salt the wound uh i think that they they were waiting for spencer howard and every single one of them was trying to hit the ball seven yeah i

think so too he sucks he 100 he 100 sucks oh i just it was like like game two was one of the worst baseball games i've seen in my entire life it really was like i i couldn't have hated a baseball game more than game two of the job 9 45 at night you're sitting there like 11 30 just just stewing about yeah i'm getting shut down by spencer hour it was was sickening. It was absolutely sickening. I'm here. I was never going to quit the podcast. I will stop saying. Not a true threat there. I should probably stop saying I'm going to quit the podcast.

But it's more just to lay the gauntlet down and let everyone know that things are serious. And I appreciate that. Stakes. To keep the chip on the shoulder of the team saying, if you ever get shut down by Spencer Howard again, don't ever...

You might quit the podcast. He is awful. Like, truly awful. But, like, Castellanos missing 94 miles an hour right down the middle. Right down the middle. Spencer Howard. How? How? How do you do that? How do you do that how do you do that but cassie's

back and cassie's hitting up okay yes yes many many many say june castee shout out to our buddy blg who is every time castee has the the good night once every three weeks we'll get a text from blg who is cassie's biggest supporter yeah always saying don't worry about him he's like it's got it just let casty be casty baby yeah it's really it's good it's good it really dynamite production from centerfield right field and it is pretty wild a lot of people have been pointed at lately and it's funny because we point to all these things like the peaking too early in the schedule which by the way the phillies now have the best record against above 500 baseball teams in the league no big big deal. Yeah. Yeah. But it's always these things. The new one has been, how can they win with an outfield? It's like this. It's like, well, I don't know. They're

39 and 18. So it seems like they're kind of winning with an outfield like this, but it is stunning. I don't think I ever remember this good a team with this bad a hitting outfield. Like it's, it's pretty's pretty wild i mean now granted the reason is because you have the best hitting first baseman a top three hitting second baseman a top hitting shortstop even with the mundo sos out there you got a topping third baseman like topping catcher that's the way it works but it is it is stunning it's pretty stunning to watch yeah i hope that pat burrell is ashamed of himself oh could you believe it hey who do you think you are are you a philly are you a giant i think he told us i think

he told us who he is yeah it's outrageous you were with the giants for a second like come on come on like it's just you think you know a guy you do it's right so i said i said this last time on the final out but it it reminded me of when uh you remember when when corota went after victorino oh yeah and ben just ben just cleared and like bo was the first guy out like like like charging hard at the at the at the scrum it's like hold on though what are you, we... Yeah, you know who you are. And I think, yeah, Buzz pointed this out. It was funny that for a period, like, I didn't understand the Lopes thing at that point,

like in 08. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. But it's so funny that it was Lopes-Boa. I know, it was hilarious. I've heard Boa talk about that before, too, how odd it was that they were on the other side of the rivalry now like that as the coaches it was very funny oh yeah it was it was so weird so uh pat burrell don't appreciate

that and uh you are a philly and and just remember that just remember that yeah here's what i don't want to say pat i don't want to say you were a philly right okay i want to say you are a philly and i want to still i want to still have the great memories of you. You started the parade down broad. You got that one hit that really mattered, buddy. You might have the lowest batting average in the history of the World Series.

It's okay. It won in your entire career. That's fine. You have one of the biggest hits in the history arguably the biggest hit in the history of world series games that got interrupted in the middle and suspended to two days later i mean you're the guy he's he's the one he's the one so just calm down you are you're you're our guy i did like that Schwarber is ready to go though

Schwarber is ready to throw in can we just get listen I obviously I hope no one gets hurt can we have like a real baseball brawl I was ready for it I was psyched man yeah you seem like a top step guy I'm a top step guy

if we ever had a like a you know an anchorman when all the stations come together. Oh yeah. It's the best scene in the movie. It's amazing. Yeah. Like if we had a WIP thing like that. I killed a guy with a trident.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, you know, I would be, I got like that, like the quick twitch. I'm ready to fight immediately.

You know where I'd be? Yeah. You'd be at the back. You'd be the guy in the back. You'd be like, get him, get him. Yeah. No, I'd be yeah you'd be in the back you'd be the guy in the back be like get him get him yeah no i'd be i'd be at a local you're into camera back there in the back egging everyone on no i'd be like you guys yeah you guys you'll be all right i'm on the bottom of the pile like 30 guys on top of me trying to fight my way out yeah It'd be good.

Like a bulldog. I might bite people out there. I've done it before. I've actually been thinking a lot about the trade deadline. I'm shocked. Dude, I don't know what the bad is. I don't know what the bad is. I wrote down some early names here.

Brent Rooker. No one knows knows him but he's been really good i love brett rooker just in general i don't know if you've seen his twitter at all like he seems like a an awesome guy and i like the way he talks about the game i like the way he likes advanced stats but isn't like too over the top with it i'm a rooker guy i like brent rooker i think people would like him if he were here um i listen they gotta find they i don't think they'll trade them but they gotta find a way to get veerling back i need he's been on fire was he got three homers last three days or whatever he took skeens yard yesterday dude no i know and he's playing center field like like bring back maddie v man he's 2022 pennant winner with the phils and we got gregory soto for him and somehow he might have lost that trade which is yeah yeah well i don't know though because you remember the

other part we got back in that trade clemens so just saying okay that's not playing all over the diamond buddy who knew i just i really used veerling back just play about tyler o'neill that's a name you've brought up throughout the years i'm surprised you're not going there quickly you just don't think you'll get moved well you jumped you jumped my sheet here there we go all right now he's banged up when we pod too much together he's been banged up but yes i'm interested in tyler o'neill also also like it's not a sexy name at all but like i if rob ref snyder could be a philly i would be over the moon it's not it's literally not just not a sexy name for like a trade target it is the worst name of all like what a hard not true it even looks ugly when written like ref snyder is horrendous yeah and then you see what he does against lefties and you're like sure i mean you're you are you are

the originator of the name test like anyone else who tries to claim name test superiority does not know about the counterpoint pod does not know how long this goes back. I mean, Rob ref Snyder is a, like a, a F minus on the name test chart. By the way, I've ran into like two counterpoint listeners in the last like two weeks,

really? Which is, which is hilarious to me. It's absurd. Yeah. Given how I currently talk about the Eagles, how I, I used to talk about the eagles how i a lot of change winning let me just put this out there yeah again this is a high hope safe space

for me yeah yeah them winning the super bowl is the worst thing for my eagles and it's not that i didn't want them to win the super bowl like i wanted them you are one of a kind buddy i just i cared so much about them winning the Super Bowl that now it's just like, eh. I will, not to your level of this, but I get a little of that. Like, I do get a little. It's the edge. It's the edge. And it's almost just like, no matter what happens, like, for the Eagles, it'll never be that.

Like, that was it. That was the the peak that was the pinnacle like it will never get better than that i i agree with that actually it's hard for me to bounce hard for me to bounce not a bad take yeah decent take better than i expected going in by the way rob rapsnider against lefties this year yes 343 with a 911 ops i'd like him a lot of his name or rob snyder just get rid of the ref nah i'm in a thousand ops against righty so he's rob ross that's had a good year uh tommy fam for the perpetual trade oh let's go tommy it wouldn't be a trade target list if tommy fam weren't on it yeah welcome back tommy yeah come on um uh mark kanya and mark kanna whatever his name is yeah he's like it makes a ton of sense like of all like in terms of someone who

i think will get traded or very much likely could get traded who just fits kind of everything we're talking about it's such an unsexy name but mark Mark Kana or Kana, whatever, Kana. I think it's just Kana. I think it's Kana. It's a great name. It's a perfect type of name. And they were obsessed with the patient righty. He's a 360 OBP right now.

He's going to be a Philly. Can move around a little bit if you need it. Yeah. Yeah. And then the name that I would love to be like pushing the the trade for this guy movement but i just i don't feel it is louise robert who well yeah i mean i i feel you it's like it just feels like too much it feels like first of all you'd probably have to give up a ton to get him still three and a half three and a half years left yeah i think you'd have to give up a ton to get him. Still. Three and a half years left.

Yeah, I think you'd have to give up a lot to get him. He's obviously got the highest ceiling of the guys you talked about by miles. But yeah, it feels like it's not what they need. They don't need someone who's coming in who should be playing every day. They need someone who they can come in and play when they need him and pinch hit and all that. I don't think they need to trade for a starting outfielder. Unless, well, he's, I mean, if you're looking for a center fielder that could hit oh yeah don't get

me wrong like if they trade for louise robert i will be like in like don't get me wrong i'm just saying i don't expect that that me either me either it's like it's such a huge swing i i guess the the reason i would be the most in or the reason why I would be, you know, the thing I talk myself into the most is just getting him out of Chicago. And like, it's such a horrible franchise to be a part of. Like being able to rejuvenate yourself, totally get the real Louise Robert, who I still,

the only issue is his hips might be like cooked. I mean, yeah, well, that would be, that'd be a shame. So I mean, that one year, I mean, when they when they were good i mean he was freaking awesome that year he had he had 38 home runs last year yeah i mean yeah yeah we hit 38 last year wow yeah he's good man

he's good so that's just my uh and obviously trout um well taylor ward's did the bat that i really want taylor ward. Own him in fantasy. Good player. Yeah, I would be very fine with Tyler. And that's another play every day guy. And this I'm ashamed of myself for even saying this because of how much he bothers me and how I don't think he's ever been good, but he's been on a bunch of themes. I could use a little Kevin PR in my life. Oh, no, no, no, no, no no no no we're done before the braves

do before the braves do he's gonna be brave yeah yeah he's been hot he's been hot he's been hot and then final thing before a quick draft thoughts how about like you throw that in to make sure we we don't forget about the draft thoughts how How about the Mets? Oh, it's amazing. Were they 7-17 in May, I believe? Well, in the Jorge Lopez thing yesterday. Oh, dude. The worst team in baseball. I'm on the worst team in baseball.

I threw his glove into the stands and got cut. I think he wanted to get cut, too. Really? What gave that away? What gave that away? Was it when he threw his glove on the worst team in baseball really yeah it's a big thing it has been and also like the numbers the mets uh i believe it's something like nine games they've led after seven innings and lost i think the next most is like four or something they have been i

mean edwin diaz now on the il but obviously a i mean a potential like career ending season he's been pitching it's uh it's really falling apart it's great stevie cohen wait you know what's crazy too i i know we talk about it but i just saw a list um of the of all the owners in baseball and what they do uh like for their jobs and how much they're worth he's worth like three times as much as any owner baseball like the next highest richest owner has like three times less money than cohen much less everyone else it's wild how much richer he is than everyone else no it's it's insane and i was so worried about steve. He has been. It hasn't been a problem at all.

I think you could say that. Yeah. Like at all. And then. All right. And then. Quickly, quickly, before we get to the draft dots. Shout out to the Miller Lite account of the week.

Blue Dog. Love Blue Dog. Today's show is sponsored by Miller Lite and the Blue Dog Pub in Lansdale. Check the blue dog for every philly's game and enjoy their famous two dollar and 99 cent miller light 22 ouncers that's a great deal uh along with their quintuple grilled cheese sandwich how about that uh miller lights for phil's win celebrate responsibly all right do your thing buddy i'm gonna just check out and you're lucky you're lucky. I really have to go to the bathroom. Oh, good. Because this would be this would be much longer. So my my bladder is is I mean, it's been a lot of water today for sure.

So let's let's get through this. So. So full disclosure, I I been like, check down the draft, like slowly been, you know, working my way into it. And then last night I couldn't stop thinking about the draft and I was staying up till 12 watching the, the all American classic from last year. So of course you were.

And then, and then I found my guy and I have not been able to stop thinking about him and affiliates uniform on, on draft night. So draft Jack is here. Oh, thank God. You know, everyone's really worried. The Phillies have the best record in baseball,

but people were thinking there's not enough draft talk on the IAP spot. Well, it's about to be June, so we are a month away from the draft. We are a month away from the draft, so very exciting stuff. Okay, with all that said, with the 27th pick, which by the way, they got Aiden Miller at. Which, by the way, how did he fall to 27?

No, it makes no sense. He is the most doubles in the league down there. He hit a grand slam in the ninth last night. He is leading the league in OPS. Stud. The next Gunner, but whatever. By the way, Gunnererson has 50 home runs already and he's 22 oh gunner henderson is a freaking stud dude he's i love him i love him with the 27th

pick in the 2024 mlb draft the philadelphia phillies will select pj morlando a first baseman slash outfielder i could use a corner bat i could use a first baseman slash outfielder. I could use a corner bat. I could use a first baseman. He is a vintage Philly because he is the former number one perfect game prospect in the country. Oh, buddy. Just like Painter was, and then there was fatigue. Just like Aiden Miller was high up, and then there was fatigue. Some guys just around so long that you have some fatigue with them. I think that's what's happening to this kid.

It's not like he's a sexy shortstop, center field guy. He's a corner back. That's what he is. They need that in the system. They need some power in the system. They need some arms. They need a catcher. I hear all that.

But it's just he feels like a Philly. He won the home run derby just like Aiden Miller did. He just screams Philly. His favorite player is Bryce Harper. He plays the same kind of edges, Bryce. be just like ada miller did like he just screams philly and his favorite players bryce harper he talks about how he plays the same kind of edges bryce oh so is he a college kid high school kid we only draft high school kids in the first okay good can you bring a chair yeah yeah yeah no he is is he about right in it or left in it he's a left-handed hitter that would hit he's gonna hit he's gonna hit 40 home runs here he is he is so pete morlando is like orlando with an m pj orlando pj more okay pj i like pj

i can get it on pj he is he he's a barrel finder he is i think he struck out once in the perfect game circuit last year and it was in the all-american classic like guys a stud so uh pj morlando come on down i got more names i got more names oh yeah everyone we know buddy we know when the draft gets closer we know we know we'll dedicate a portion of the pod to you just rattling off names and describing people we've never heard of and most likely we'll never care about it'll be great pj marland okay good beautiful uh go to the bathroom uh cardinals this weekend so that'll be fun should be able to handle business back home for six before heading to london i feel like nola shoves against the cardinals i feel like he does too what is uh are you are we gonna podcast from london i don't know i mean

we gotta make something happen right all i know is i have to do leading off on sunday morning at 8 a.m so that's fun all i know is i get to do my radio show at 11 in the morning instead of six in the morning so you know what freaking psych buddy yeah say hi to dave shaw and chase out late for me oh you know i will buddy dave but dave and i have already been texting can't wait well i mean and if you see hamels can you tell him like uh thanks for the help with the the camp back when i was like in a freshman year in high school yes yeah i'll tell him hey hey my yeah and sorry for it and sorry and if i get like a sentence or two to call hamels which is probably what it would be like hey, hey, Cole, blank. That's what I use it for.

And if you could apologize for me chasing him around the Westchester Giant when I was in middle school. Did I ever tell you that story? No. I was in Giant, a grocery store in Westchester, and he walked in

and I was just dashing in oh my god oh my god yeah yeah so if you could do those two things for me that i appreciate that all over it buddy yeah and ask them and ask them why they're giving away the oh nine okay you're pushing yeah well yeah that's actually what i'll do you're pushing your luck there with requests but we'll go with it uh all right uh obviously we'll be back before i go to london because they got a series this weekend we'll be back sunday monday something like that we'll figure it out um that's all we got pj morlando write it down in pen he's for himself Thank you.