High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Thank You Javy Baez

Episode Date: August 30, 2021

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies taking three straight from the Diamondbacks over the weekend. The guys discuss why they're not "back in" on the Phils, Javy Baez booing Mets fans, and much more. 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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Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the high hopes podcast. It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies on radio.com and sports radio, 94 W Y P. Is another edition of the iOS podcast. Jack, I'll be honest with you. That was the hardest yo to figure out that I've done in a while.

Because, like, they won three straight. But, I mean, come on. It's hard to really, you know. You're going to get, I know as soon as I'm done talking, you're like, oh, I know as soon as I'm done talking about it, the feels get hot. But like, you know, it's hard, buddy. Where are you at with this team right now?

Where am I at this team? Yes, yes. Are you like, you're like on board, ready to roll playoffs? No. I mean, I'm not. I couldn't have handled it. I didn't know how I was going to approach it if you tried to bring it. Well, it did. I could tell by your yell that you were conflicted i really good i was so conflicted man i know like because they won three straight so like there should be some like something there so i could

just do the yo whatever but like man no i'm, I agree. Honestly, James, like how I feel right now is kind of how I felt most of 2019, you know, most of 2018. I mean, 2020 was just a weird year, whatever. But like, remember, this is kind of like how we were in 18 and 19 when it was like, yeah, they're winning, but this isn't really sustainable. You know, and listen, I'm honestly, this is the most conflicted i've been as well um because i don't want to be i don't want to be a debbie downer because i love the philly like i i genuinely i love this baseball team and you could tell the people james what i texted you on saturday um about like being excited for the game tonight and oh yeah oh yeah and like i i genuinely am it's just my my big my big i honestly, I wish I could be more in on them.

Like, I wish I could be more in on them. But I look at the level of competition. The Diamondbacks, like, watching a team that was worse defensively than the Phillies was shocking. I was like, I didn't think I could possibly see worse than the Phillies. And then the Diamondbacks came to town. So I saw that. I see a team that's really untalented.

I mean, like, Ketel Marte's awesome. Rojas is awesome. But other than that, like, I don't believe in that team. And honestly, like, the Phillies are so banged up right now. I mean, JT's hurt. Reese's hurt. Eflin's done for the year. Like, they're just banged up.

Like, Archie yesterday, I mean, holy crap, man. Just looked like his arm almost was dead in a way. J.D. Hammer was throwing 91 out of nowhere. It feels like the wheels are about to fall off. They're floating right now. They're staying above water, mostly because of the competition that they're playing. But I can't be like, here's the run.

Here we go. Who let the feels get hot? we go. Like, you know, who let the Phillies get hot? Because they're not, first off, they're not playing insanely well. They're playing bad competition, and they're banged up. Like, unless Bryce goes on like a Ryan Howard 2008 like September, I think the starting staff will be fine. I wish Eflin could come back, but I think they'll be, for the most part, fine. And the bullpen, if these guys start getting banged up, i don't know you know how they kind of survive so it's

just it it's tough right now it's tough right now yeah and look archie i'm not gonna say that him not coming on the podcast is the reason he's having this late season swoon right but i'm not gonna not say that like i'm i'm not gonna say oh he's just this late season swoon. Right. But I'm not going to not say that. Like, I'm not going to say, oh, he's just hurt or whatever. I mean, there was probably a path towards a better season. He didn't take it. It's okay. It happens, you know.

Well, and mostly because this podcast never falters late in the season. Like, we... No. No. Never. We never, like, you know, put our support towards someone and then have that backfire. Never happened.

If we say Hector Neris is awesome, he goes out and he's awesome. Well, I will say we tested the baseball guys. We're not even talking about him. We're not even talking about Hector. Don't even bring him up. We're not doing this. Listen, I don't want to. Leave him alone.

Leave Hector. We're protecting Hector by not talking about him. All right. But James, let me just say one thing. Resign Hector Neris. I said it. I don't care. Bring him back.

This Hector. How about this? Hector Neris is unjinxable. Oh, God. Oh, God. By the way, for those wondering what you texted me on Saturday night was why I'm excited to watch the Phill's tonight. And my response was because you have a real problem.

No, that's it. And that's how I feel about this team right now. Um, look, yeah, they beat the diamondbacks three in a row. They should have swept.

Let's be honest. They lost what? 11 and 15 before 12, 16 before. So yeah, after, you know, three game wins three against diamondbacks,

it's hard to get excited. They only game one game in the standings. you would have liked to see the giants way to go gabe yeah thanks go you win games all season then it comes to one time we actually want you in games you know sure uh look i i just want it to be a fun end of the season i don't expect i mean they'd have to play like 700 baseball realistically unless the braves are going to tank to or the Reds are going to tank to make this like to actually pull this off but you know look if this next week like if we want to look at the positive like this week is it the Braves play three against the Dodgers and and four in Colorado which you would think you know oh it's the Rockies did you know the Rockies are 20 games above 500 at home like they're one of the best baseball teams in the league at home again I'm out I do not expect them to do it I know whatever but like

if they're not too out at the end of the week it's like officially cook done over oh I couldn't disagree anymore James if I have to can I can I do I have permission to call my shot on this show please you always do. Yes. This is going to come down to. No, this is what's going to happen. Oh, I saw your tweet. I knew where you were going with this.

You're right. I mean, if we're being real about the Phillies, this is the way it'll play out. The Phillies will be one game out heading into the Brave Series at the end of September, the second series before the end of the year. And they'll take two or three. They'll take first place or whatever. And then they'll go to Miami and they'll take two or three they'll take first place or whatever and then they'll go to miami and they'll lose two or three there is just there is no there is no scenario in my opinion that is more of a lock than them overtaking first place or being

tied for first place after the brave series in the at the end of september and then just laying an egg against the marlins and james like i'm only doing this because i want to protect us from ourselves that like honestly like i would quit the podcast i mean i i it really i wouldn't be able to come back from that i i just i would not be able to come back from it to have i'm already getting upset just thinking about it and it hasn't even happened yet the beautiful thing is that is as much as that is the the most phillies like way that this could play out i mean the odds are they're not gonna get that close oh enough with your odds enough with your odds i mean let's be real they're not gonna make it that interesting it'll be over by

then jack don't in all honesty they'll get swept by the braves they'll have a chance going to that series the braves will sweep them and we'll be like all right well on the next year I just want to win my bet over 81 to have at this point yeah we gotta make sure Zoe can still go to college I know I know I also met a little over optimistic about that one it might appear yeah a couple people have pointed this out I don't remember uttering this sentence but apparently I did that I said I would quit this podcast if they don't win over 81 games so that's also I mean it sounds incredibly likely that you said that well I mean I would quit this podcast if they don't win over 81 games. So that's also on the line. I mean, it sounds incredibly likely that you said that. I mean, I do remember Break the Book. No, no.

It's Bankrupt the Bookies. Bankrupt the Book. Yes, yes. And, yeah, I guess it was a title of one of our former podcasts. So it's officially on the record. So that's something to watch heading down the stretch here will i still be on this podcast uh by the end of the year this could be like the the stretch run of ios podcast yes radically yes and not just uh it's important september the philly is an

important september for this podcast and let me say this there will be no podcast if the scenario i laid out earlier happens like i'm just warning you. We're going dark. We're going radio silent if that happens. Oh, it would be just, again, already getting upset thinking about it. Do people want pods and that? I always wonder that. I always wonder, like, inside baseball.

Well, I always wonder if, like, if they, like, like us there to commiserate with and if it's, like, a a bomb for the soul so to speak to like hear some you know people who are like you diseased and whatever like to hear their feelings on display and the emotional that or i wonder if people are like bleep that i don't care i hate this team give me a break i always wondered so uh our numbers are always better when obviously the fills are like we had our first uh we had our first we had our biggest episode listened to ever with the the after they won eight straight. Yeah.

So that was we did. But I do think I do think the diehards of this podcast. We do. If we had a raise, we're our team. Like, oh, God, get there. Would we be national by now? Would we be on ESPN? They'd be playing cuts of us because, like, you know.

Yeah. Well, you see all these other podcasts that are big deals. Like, listen, just be better as a baseball team. And, like, I don't know. We can make something out of this. It is the Phillies that are holding us back. I'm going to look at it that way. Nothing to do with us.

No. Everyone knows that. Everyone knows it's nothing to do with us no everyone knows that everyone knows it's the phil's not us yeah that's what that is what it is buddy i know imagine like dude i i was i think i was actually texting spike about this um like you know before the yankees went on their their run but they were like 68 and like they're like 68 and like, they're like 68 and like 55. And like, if that was the Phillies, we would be like planning the parade down broad street. And meanwhile, they're like,

well, Aaron Boone needs to be fired and all this stuff, you know? And then there's us where it's like, we're four games over 500. And we're like, listen, playoffs lock,

lock it in where we're go time. So, um, yeah, it's just, we're, we're starving for a good baseball. Like we are desperate. Well, and that's what makes me so mad is that they want to eat straight. So, yeah, it's just we're starving for a good baseball team.

Desperate. And that's what makes me so mad is that they won eight straight. It's like the city is so back in. Like couldn't be more in on the Phils. And then they just go out and play like crap ever since. It's like, see, this is why. And this is why. This is why.

So, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Awful. I mean, that's it though you nailed it i mean we are like like starving is such a perfect word for it like desperate dying for just a glimmer of good baseball in this city that's it that's all we want we We're desperate. Just give us something. And we get an eight-game win streak, and we're literally like, World Series! Yeah! And then it's like, you know, it's like right back, man.

Right back to what we are, what we do. I'm not going to say it's soul-crushing, but, you know, some souls are crushed, Jack. Yep, mostly mine. But, yes, they won three straight, so everything's fine. All right. Let's look. Macro, like you said before, I think one of the reasons it's like,

you know, it's impossible to buy in on this team because of what we just talked about, the eight straight and then the cratering. And it's just like the ultimate hammer at home reminder of what this team is and what they've been and all that. But like that, it just I think the other thing that makes it so hard to like even really get jacked up or excited about it is the injuries. Like no reason, no Eflin. Like, I mean, they're rolling out. Like, we've talked about this so many times, but it's like when Brad Miller and Travis Jankowski and Ron Torres are like your bench guys,

they're awesome. That's a really nice bench to have. When they have to play every day, it's a disaster, Jack. Like, they're just not good enough. Like, it's a, I mean, they're rolling out a lineup night tonight, especially with JT out.

Not that JT has been a well above average hitter this year, let's be honest. But when JT's out, I mean, they're rolling out a lineup night tonight, especially with JT out. Not that JT has been a well above average hitter this year, let's be honest. But when JT's out, I mean, it's literally Harper and Segura are the only major league hitters in the lineup. Like, that's it, dude. It's bad. Yes. And they're not deep at all. Like, I think the 6-7-8 tonight, I think, is what, Jankowski, Marchand, and I'm trying to find the lineup real quick. I'm sure it's Torres.

I mean, that's brutal. Torres, hold on. It's, yeah, so it's, yeah, the bottom of the lineup tonight, it goes Miller, Galvez, Torres, Marchand. I mean, come on, dude. Yeah, that is brutal. Now, they're playing the Nationals so like it's it's probably fine but like andrew mccutchen who i love and obviously we talked about how much we love and

i think he's starting to come around a little bit um but like he can't be a four-hole hitter like when him and dd were in the four where we're like alternating in the four hole it's like this is this is what we're trying to win a division with right now is is like these guys alternating at the top of the lineup or in the four hole. Like that's not how, that's not how you win. And like the longer, the longer that those guys are in the four hole and it's probably for the rest of the year. Um, like Bryce is just gonna get nothing to the swing at because guys are just going to pitch around them as they probably should. So, um, yeah, that lineup is just is just it's just it's just ugly given what we thought we're gonna have on paper which was like you know alec bohm in the in the seventh

hole or or whatever like it's just like bohm and dd being as bad as they have been this year have really just sunk the the the the depth that this lineup should have had on paper yeah and then losing hoskins i mean we've talked about it but he's just the one real bopper in the line I mean Harper obviously is a bopper but Harper is just your best hitter by far in the the one piece that that you can't live without but like in terms of from like a lineup construction perspective like they just don't have any power and with Hoskins out it's just it's it just it like shouts at you you look at the line you're like there's no one here and and mentioning Harper it's just honestly when I look back at this season like I'm gonna be

bummed about the eight game in street and the up and down all that but the the thing I'm gonna really look back on and say like I was about to say a curse I'm gonna say bleep like long like that I'm gonna say bleep we wasted that season man like bryce harper is putting up if the phillies are first place team he's the mvp he's got the highest ops in baseball he's got like 10 000 extra base hits since the all-star break he has been everything you could want that guy to be in more like he has been again the best hitter in the sport and it's just it's just not gonna go anywhere man and it and it sucks like it's a that's what i when i look back at is i my biggest regret about this season is going to be looking at bryce harper's season and saying well that was

for nothing and that sucks well and wheeler for me too i mean uh the race the race start hurt but i mean he's still probably gonna finish finish top three in Cy Young. So, you know, wasting a top three in Cy Young year and a Bryce peak, peak, peak Bryce season is not great because, well, it's just it's just not.

So, because realistically, if you were trying to if I told you at the beginning of the season, James, that Bryce Harper is going to have an OPS over 1,000 and Wheeler is going to be top told all right if i told you at the beginning of the season james that bryce harper's gonna have ops over a thousand and wheeler is gonna be top three inside young voting you would think that they're a playoff team right no doubt without question right and they're they're not also um well they're not yet they still could get hot so i'm not gonna i'm not gonna put the nail in the coffin just yet but also i just like what would his what would his season look like if he didn't get hit in the face?

I mean. Oh, buddy. And there's basically three weeks there where he was, one, hurt and also trying to come back from that. Yeah, well, that's the thing is it's not just the time he was out. It was, like, the two weeks after. Like, he wasn't the same. It took him a little while to get back. Yeah.

And the time he was, like, hurt. Remember, like, he was, like, back for, like like a week and then had to be out again and all that. For like two weeks there, he was like the worst hitter in baseball. It's crazy to think about, Jack. We could be talking about like a 1090 OPS or 1100 OPS if that had happened. Yeah, fun times. Like Bond stuff. Ah!

It's such a bummer. But it really does, it hurts my soul, Jack. It hurts my soul that they're going to waste this Harper season and the injuries Just make it hard to like you know Get jazzed up look the Starting pitching has been great I mean like at least You know the Kyle Gibson deal I think you feel really

Good about having that guy as part of the rotation Next year I mean he's been nothing But awesome since he's been here and And definitely a guy We like here gamer attitude feisty all that stuff but um is there any way the pitching staff can carry them over the last month jack well i think they like i think they're gonna keep them in games i mean the only spot that you don't feel great about right now is the is the more spot um you know i mean like it's so funny

they trade for kyle gibson and he's like exactly what they traded for that can't be overstated might be even better I think the Phillies are one of five teams this year that have three starters with an ERA under three well because Rangers technically in there so by the way

we gave them a lot of crap for it he's been awesome as a starter. Ranger's been awesome. He has. And the thing I'm at with Ranger is how good is Ranger? You know, I think he's pretty good at limiting hard contact. It seems like he's, you know.

Clearly. Yeah, he's very good. Oh, yeah, that's an eye test thing. Like, you don't even need to look at numbers. You can watch him pitch and say they don't really hit the ball hard off him yeah like he limits hard contact like is he is he jose cantana like is that the kind of guy he is you know like 91 to 94 uh good slider good change up like is that because jose cantana was a good pitcher there for a little bit uh just got a very good pitch underrated for a long time um so maybe he's like that kind of guy

because he's not going to pitch to a 1-8 obviously um no you think no i don't you're saying he's not going to win multiple side young bold take bold take i don't think ranger suarez is going to win uh is going to pitch to an era below two but um you know you do kind of have to read like the fact that they go into next year with Ranger possibly being their five, I mean, it goes Wheeler, Nola, Eflin, Gibson, and if Ranger's your five, that gives you a chance on most nights. You hope Eflin can come back and be healthy. Gibson kind of have a similar year, and I do trust that Kyle Gibson

will have a similar year to this year. I don't know if it's going to be as great, but Ranger has just changed the whole equation for him. What he did really well Saturday, no, Sunday, sorry, yesterday, use that slider more because he needs that pitch if he's going to continue to advance

here as a starter. That slider is a good pitch and it kind of keeps everyone off balance. Changeups, fastballs are great for late inning stuff and all that stuff but uh to be a legit starter you need that third pitch and it feels like he's kind of finding it again and he kind of ditched it when he went to the bullpen because he didn't need to like when he went to the bullpen he didn't need to use the slider as much because he just needed

to get out as fast as possible um but now it's kind of giving the hitters another look so um couldn't be more impressive ranger and uh And just another solid, solid outing yesterday. Yeah, again, and, you know, mea culpa. We ripped the decision. We ripped the move. You know, I still would go back and rip it. Like, I don't feel bad about anything I said. I don't think we were wrong to say that, you know,

this guy who's never been a successful starter is thriving in this role. Like, why would pull him out of it? And, hey, good job, Phillies. And obviously, good job, Ranger, because he's been awesome. And if he's going to be this guy and and look, keep progress. I mean, think about, you know, as a parallel, we're talking about Kyle Gibson, the guy got traded, you know, who he got, who got traded away for him. And the fact that like Spencer Howard, how many starts can this guy not, you know, two, who got traded away for him and the fact that like spencer howard how many starts can this guy not you know two three two and a third two and a three and a third whatever

like and ranger suarez and like two starts of stretching out is going seven or six thirds or right i mean seriously though right like you know one versus the other right and this guy can't get through the third freaking inning start after start after start after start if you're stretching him out whatever and ranger it's like no problem so like i don't know i'm super impressed with ranger and i'm super excited about what he can be and what he can become because look i obviously our ceiling firm was way too low you know the ceiling that you and i have talked about for ranger suarez and i think a lot of people after ranger suarez is too low because right now in this moment he's already above it he's exceeding it in the moment so i'm with you man and it does really put them in a advantageous spot you know not to already mail in this season

no never you know because look they're committed to this court and and we'll get to the front office moves that happened since we last talked in a bit because I'm sure a lot of people want to hear your thoughts on that. But in terms of the here and now, like the next two years of Phillies baseball, they're committed to this core, right? We've talked about that. They need to draft and develop better, and that's what the future is all about. But for right now, these guys are here, and they're not going anywhere. Harper's not getting traded. Zach Willer's not getting traded.

JT's not getting traded. They're here. they're not going anywhere. Harper's not getting traded. Zach Willis is not getting traded. You know, JT's not getting traded. They're here. So if we're going to, you know, kind of spin it forward to next year,

the point you just made, like, to go into the offseason with a starting rotation set, at least theoretically, I mean, it gives you so many options about how to build that roster out and fill all these other holes that you have and McCutcheon coming off the books, money coming off the books. You have some money to spend. You have ways to maneuver and maybe go over the luxury tax and all that stuff. Like, you know, I think heading into an off season or, you know,

we're not there yet because, as Jack would say, they could get hot. Thank you. But I think like in terms of, you know, what you think about every year in building a team is, you know, especially with the Phillies, you know, for years is, hey, we need pitching, we need pitching, you need pitching. They're set up pretty well from a pitching perspective in the next season. I mean, that five is probably the best rotation in Phil's history, right?

Sure, buddy. Sure. You don't think so? Just roll with that. Yeah? I mean mean Raiders or Joe Blanton who's better yeah it's a great one to do

you're right Ranger it's gotta be yeah yeah it's hard to think of another it's hard to think of another rotation in Phil's history as good as the 2022 Phil's rotation people are gonna take you seriously so it already has happened. If I tweeted that, it would cause a meltdown.

Ruben Amaro is going to lose his mind. Jack! Again! What are you talking about, Jack? What about 2011? You forget that? Too young. I built that team, Jack.

Come on, buddy. Poor Rube. I love Rube. Just does not get my Twitter experience. Nor does Brett Myers. No. Turns out he does not either. So I think what Brett Myers didn't realize is that you actually forgot they won the World Series in 2008.

It's pretty crazy, you know? I did. But someone who loves the Phillies as much as you would just totally forget it. Yep. I'm so young. I'm so young. I couldn't remember 2008. Yeah.

What an experience. What a world we're living in. It's ridiculous. If you told me in 2012 that Ruben Amaro and Brett Myers would be tweeting back at me about a sarcastic Phillies tweet, I would have said, you're crazy. But here we are. So it's a fun timeline that we're living in. But we're here. We made it, buddy.

We made it. All right. I want to get to the take back and anything else you have from the weekend series. But quickly before we move to that, because I don't want to forget, and I know it's not the Phillillies but um i'm so upset that this javi baez thing didn't happen here just so that we could talk about it for the next 600 years in philadelphia i mean this this thumbs down thing is maybe i'm not kidding when i say this jack

maybe my favorite baseball story of the millennium i love it so much i i it has everything it's so great shout out to you javi bias you soft awesome man i love you what are your thoughts on this and and what if what if this were bryce harper what if this were gene segura what if this happened in philly like the meltdown Jack would WIP like burn to the ground is it possible I am begging one of them to do I mean like Sean Rodriguez did it like Sean Rodriguez did it

yeah and it's not even close to what Baez did did the best he could dude imagine imagine like Middleton having to come out and write a letter to the fans like dude it has it's so, it's so Mets. It's so Mets. It's not even funny.

It's the most Mets story ever. They trade for Francisco Lindor. They gave him $341 million. He has batted 220, been absolutely terrible, and he has the gall to be a part of Javi Baez's thing about, essentially, they're booing the fans back. They're booing the fans. Yeah.

That's flat out what it is. Dude. They are booing their fans. Dude, imagine the Phillies losing what? Like, they've lost, what, like 14 of 16? I mean, think about it this way. We've been chasing the Mets all year, right? Like, we've been talking about, like, all the Mets, all the Mets.

The Mets are three games behind the Phillies they're seven and a half out like they have cratered and imagine the one game they have against the Nationals who are terrible that they're they're doing the thumbs down thing it is it is remarkable um like I also saw a stat today that like in his last 100 I today that in his last 162, Baez has 223 strikeouts and 24 walks. He's got a sub-300 OBP jack. Dude, it's crazy. It's awesome.

It's so great. It is so Mets. I couldn't be happier. All the talk from Mets fans over the winter, like, well, we got the richest owner in baseball it's gonna change everything here we got francisco lindor we got like you know all these uh de grom mvp even though he's the best opener in baseball like it is uh everything has gone wrong for the mets it always will go wrong for the Mets. They actually might be more cursed than the Phillies.

Yeah, I think they are. I mean, it's been longer since they won it all. And I mean, it's like, like at least with the Phillies, it's like just an expected, you know, kind of a vibe that we have with the Mets. It's like, like a joke. You know what I mean? Like the Phillies are just are what we are. The Mets are a joke. And I don't know if that tracks because, you know, we are the losing franchise and all that. Don't care.

But for some reason, like the Phillies just feel like a loser. The Mets feel like a joke. Does that make any sense? No, it makes sense. It makes sense. I mean, they're essentially like the Cowboys if they didn't win all those titles in the 90s. Yeah, that's good.

I like that. It's pretty much so great. It's pretty much the same thing. Well, thank you, Mets and Mets fans. It's just so funny. Everyone is giving a take on it. The New York Post is crushing them. Tyler Kepner, who is the most down-the-middle baseball writer out there. As down-the-middle as it gets.

He's like a metronome. Just roasted him. just straight up roast him i mean chris chris chris russo's having a conniption on the air just like you know let me tell you mike i can't even believe it oh my god yeah oh dude i just uh just so jealous i'm so jealous of doing new york radio today like it would have been honestly i wanted to just do the whole show on it at wip today and i knew we couldn't but i wanted to it's my favorite it's my favorite story and thank you to the mets for us as as bummed as we are as phillies fans right now and you know we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna pay attention we're gonna hope that something

happens this year but as bummed as we are like you really do just have a way of picking us up you know just making us feel just a little bit better that we're not Mets fans so thank you I do love it really I really like honestly I'm not I'm not kidding like I really appreciate it and there's nothing that I love more than when something happens like this with the Mets than playing Meet the Mets. Like, it just puts everything into context. Because, and here's why. Because, let's be honest.

We never lie to the Ops listeners. Meet the Mets is amazing. Like, it is a great jingle. Like, a top-tier, all-time great jingle. jingle like a top tier all-time great jingle and to compare that jingle with this joke it's perfect um perfect i think meet the mets is fine if we had if we had a podcast if we were a new york mets podcast would we be meet the mets i mean given that high hopes is off of high hopes i mean we'd have to be right uh nothing Nothing, in my opinion, nothing will top Go Cubs Go, though. I agree.

There's no question. Go Cubs Go is the all-time best by far. I'm not even a Cubs fan, but I walk around sometimes saying, Go Cubs Go. They're running 2016 with that song. It was one of the coolest things I've seen in baseball. Hey, Chicago, what do you say? The whole crowd singing it?

Oh, my gosh. I literally, if I could just switch and have that here, I would be just giddy. Very with you. Like the strongest of agreements. All right. Thank you, everyone, for letting me get that Mets thing out because I needed it.

All right. Anything else from the weekend and then the take back? But is there anything else you want to point out from, you know, winning three straight against the Diamondbacks? Woo-hoo. Listen, my last thing on that weekend is that just another dominant weekend from Hector Neris. I mean, he pitched three games in a row, and he was, like, fine.

Like, he was just good. So, Hector in the middle relief. It is interesting. Hector, Ian Kennedy, and Archie Bradley are all free agents at the end of the year. If you could only resign one, who would you resign? Hector. Oh, good take. Good take.

I don't even think it's – is don't even – is this a real discussion? I would consider re-signing Kennedy. I like Keenan Kennedy. I do, too. I think Hector is easily the best pitcher of the three. I think Destiny Liguardo put this up as a poll, and, like, Hector was the last. And I was like, oh, my God. I think he's the best pitcher of the three.

And obviously Kennedy, I think, is a better closer, so there's value in that. But I think Hector's the best pitcher of the three. I feel, and obviously Kennedy, I think is a better closer. So there's value in that, but I think Hector is the best pitcher of the three. Yes. So, and boy, again, like that Archie outing yesterday was terrifying. Like down,

like his, you could just see that his stuff was not where it had been previously for the last, like two months, like Archie for the last two months, like wasn't getting many whiffs, but he was good. Like he was, he,

you know, he was getting a lot of soft contact and all that. But what we saw yesterday, I kind of feel a little IL stunt coming. Sure. Yeah, I believe it. I mean, again, I don't really know if it's the injury or not coming on the pod, but he definitely looks horrible. That's it. I'm not a doctor, but it's the injury or not coming on the pod but he definitely looks horrible yeah that's it yeah i can't i'm not a doctor but you know it's one of the two you said you wanted to come on you said you wanted to come on as many phillies podcasts as possible i know i mean like can we

just you know for a second like just don't put the tweet out bro yeah like if you're gonna go on no phillies podcast like you know pick one at least even if it's not going to go on no Phillies podcast, like, you know, pick one at least. Even if it's not us, like, go on one. Like, you went on none. You went on Chris frickin' Rose. Like, I don't know. A little fraudish, I'm just saying. Yeah, you're not handling it well.

I just, it, you know, just don't tweet it out, man. Like, don't set expectations, Mr., you know, Phillies guy's guy oh i'm so happy to be here all right don't lie to us just don't lie to us that's all i'm saying yes that's all we're saying because we don't because we don't lie to the high ups listeners exactly that's all i'm saying all right what else uh front office changes oh yes you. I teased it before. See, that's why Jack's the best. I teased it before, and then I forgot to get to it back to myself. Thank you. What'd you think?

So Bonifay gone, Proferoc gone. He's been around forever, obviously. Manitti, I think two, Manitti and Proferoc, both assistant GMs, obviously. Bonifay, the scouting director. Thoughts on the moves themselves and what they mean in a bigger picture. So I will give my take strong either way when I see who replaces them. And that's not like a cop out. But I do think that they needed everyone to get on the same page.

And all the reporting that you'd seen, it kind of seemed like everyone was kind of pulling in different directions. You had the really data-driven guys wanting to do things their way. You had the old-school guys who wanted to do things their way. And it seems like they consistently butted heads and no one could get on the same page. And the fact that, you know, Dombrowski had been here for eight months and and figured that out probably suggests that that there's something going on there um but I and and the reason why I'm waiting to to give my opinion strongly on this is because it comes down to are they going to revert back to the old school way of things like concerned about hitting the ball the other way and you know

proper bunting techniques and like command and all this stuff or they can are they going to continue to go down the path of data-driven uh data-driven you know teachings and then techniques and stuff and believe me i i think there's a lot of value in um you know like old school teachings when it comes to like you know playing the game and that stuff. You see the Rays. The Rays came to town and obviously they're very analytically driven, but they're also a really smart baseball team. It's so annoying how they do all the data and analytics and all that, but they're also smart baseball players. I think there's some value in that.

But if they revert back to old school and they move on from the, the really data driven guys down there and don't continue to advance, I will just be woefully disappointed because the sports not going back, the sports not going back to the old school way of, of, of, you know, hitting like it's not,

it's not going back to, Oh, you got to even out the swing and level out the swing and all that stuff. And, um, you know, we don't want you to throw harder. We want you to be able to command your fastball.

Like the game's going towards more power, more strikeouts, all that stuff. Um, and obviously we want to limit the three outcomes cause that's bad. But, um, the sports just still training that direction.

Like you're not catching the Dodgers. You're not catching the dodgers you're not catching the giants you're not catching the best teams in the sport the rays the yankees the red sox are getting there now like you're not catching those teams by reverting back to the old school way of things so um you know what i don't want to see is giving up on something because in two and a half those guys have been here for two and a half years and really one half with with a pandemic um like they had been they had been developing poorly um for almost an entire decade right i mean they've been bad at this for a while now a decade jack we're talking like 130 no no, I know, but in modern-ish times, like the last decade, they haven't been able to draft and develop guys.

And there have been older school people that have been here for a while that have contributed to that. So I'd rather give these guys more time to figure it out than moving back to how things were when they couldn't develop anyone and it was just dreadful and it's been dreadful for a while so um i i just if they hire if they if they continue it in in progress and data driven and seeing you know kind of what we've seen from the lower levels of the minor leagues then i'll be happy but if they move on from those guys and revert back to how things were,

I'll be furious. Yeah, I think that's pretty basic. And look, again, we say it all the time, but I mean, I know there are a lot of people out there, analytics and all that stuff, but just look at the freaking sport. Like, it is what it is. You know, like it or not, the Rays, the Dodgers, these teams that Jack mentioned, the Astros, the Indians, like whoever you want to say these teams, the Rays, the Dodgers, the, the, you know, these teams that Jack mentioned, the

Astros, the Indians, like whoever you want to say these teams, the A's, the teams that year after year after year after year, especially like the Rays, the A's, the Indians, these teams that year after year in the playoffs compete every year on a shoestring budget. Like again, the Rays spend a quarter, a quarter of what the Phillies spend, one fourth of what the Phillies spend. And they're going to end up with like 30 more wins this year, 25 more wins this year. You know, that's not a mistake. That's because they're smart and they're run smartly and they use analytics and they're forward thinking like, like it or not, that's where the sport is. And you either have to keep up and compete or just go

home so yeah i'm with you these hires are are crucially important i have no problem with the firings or the reorganization or whatever you want to call it like these guys have had ample time to to do a better job they haven't i have no problem with it keeping brian barber i was really happy about that and made a point of commenting about barber and saying that he was keeping him purposefully. So I think that's a good sign about where his head's at. Well, he's reporting directly to Dombrowski. Yeah.

So I think that's very key. A good thing. A good thing. So I'm with you. I think it's impossible to judge. I think getting rid of these guys is fine no matter what. I don't think anyone is pounding on the tables saying you had to keep these guys. It's who you hire. Obviously, it's what direction is fine no matter what. I don't think anyone is pounding on the tables saying you had to keep these guys. It's who you hire, obviously.

It's what direction is this franchise going in, and are we going to finally end, to Jack's point, a decade, but also really, in reality, 130 years of drafting and developing poorly. And that's it. It's everything. It's the entirety of the future. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I do trust Dombrowski from the standpoint, like,

I don't think he's going to revert back to, I think he believes, I think he believes that that data is still very, very important. And I think he's going to try his best to, to kind of find a balance between data driven and, and also just, you know,

the, the kind of old school way of doing things. And I, I just, I don't think he's going to revert back to how they were doing things 2010 to 2017. He's too smart. He's too smart. Look, for whatever issues we've had with Dombrowski and with the hire and stuff, this guy is a baseball hall of famer. He's someone who is a hall of

fame level executive in the sport he has a lot of success under his belt and he knows how an organization a well-functioning organization should run should look so i think that alone you know is is a positive and i'm with you i think he's too smart and i think he's been around the game too long and and recently again like, whether or not we like the way that, what he was hired to do and how he went about winning a World Series in 2018 with the Red Sox, he still didn't win a World Series in 2018 with the Red Sox. It's not like he is totally unaware of how the game is supposed to be played now.

So I'm with you. I'm cautiously optimistic about that. i just like that um he knows how obviously he knows that a good organization should run and he came in here he saw how divided everything was and and now he is hopefully gonna unite it and have everyone on the same page and may create like a philly's way you know like the way that they kind of do things and um because i do think they i do think that they need that so um it's good it's it's fine you know but again it's all going to come down to what direction they go and uh i just hope it's progressing rather than regressing yeah say that again buddy all right what else in the take bag? All right, let's get to the take bag. So, I, you know, obviously with Reece done for the year,

there's been a lot of, well, they should bring back Boehm. I don't want to have him on that I-95, you know, back and forth, all of that. One or the other, right? Right. The point is, like, have him come up and play first base every single night or don't do anything. Leave him in the minors. Yeah, exactly. So, listen, if they think he can come up and he's ready to go

and they're willing to ride it out and not have a platoon with him and Brad Miller, then fine. I know. Whatever. Platoon, I don't care. You still call Reese Hoskins Reese. Platoon. Hoskins Reese. So I won't. Platoon.

Okay, Reese. Anyway, so, but if he's going to stay down there, I would rather just let him kind of stay down there, get his confidence back up, and be ready to go for next year than thrusting him into a playoff run and possibly, you know, getting back to where he was. Like I just, one or the other. A hundred percent agree. I don't know.

He just needs to play. He needs to develop and he needs to not worry about all the things he was worrying about before. So I'm with you. Honestly, it probably, in reality, it probably makes the most sense to just keep him down there and not put any more pressure on him this year developmentally. But, again, I do think the first basing is interesting.

You have a wide-open opportunity to play him at first base every single night. I mean, we know he's not at third baseman. No matter what, for the future of his career, he's not at third baseman. So, you know, we hope the DH is coming. We think the DH is coming, but you've got other guys in the roster. Well, we don't hope. We don't hope. We don't hope.

Yeah, regardless, the point is I think if you can find out if boom can play first base probably good idea yeah yeah so uh interesting interesting decision but uh i'm totally cool just leaving him down there and letting him kind of get right rather than thrusting him up here and putting the pressure playoff run on him and all that stuff. Um, talk about some prospects. Uh, my guy, Ethan Wilson,

uh, he had four hits the other night, including a walk-off home run. Uh, he's already raking in clear water. That makes me happy. It makes me giddy. And I just, uh,

I just, I can't wait. I already can't wait for Ethan Wilson's debut. I truly, truly cannot very much much my guy. Speaking of prospects, how's this for a line for Bryce and Stott in August? You ready? Oh, buddy.

420 batting average, 680 slugging percentage, 1,135 OPS, five homers. I mean, listen, him and Bryce. Two hottest hitters on the planet. It's pretty good. It's pretty good. Pretty good. I don't hate it, Jack. Yeah, so, I mean, that's just massive.

You know, when he was... So we're saying he could come up and be a better hitter than Didi right now. Not saying it, but it's interesting. He came up and he was fine at Reading, but he was still striking out a ton. And he was striking out, and he's kind of like the ultimate three outcome. These are walk, strike, or home run. And now it's just like, wow, he's really arrived.

And, man, do they need that? I just need a prospect to come up and be good. But, yeah, it's been a massive month for Stott. You need a prospect to come up and be good for um yeah it's a been a massive month for stott so i mean you need a prospect to come up and be good for more than a half a season yes so i wonder if he goes i do wonder if he goes to lehigh valley soon i mean that would be two two level raises in a year which is a lot but um you know why not yeah i'm with you man i'm with you i'm uh look it's exciting to get excited about someone like Bryson Stott. How about that? My final thing

is that listen, DeeDee's a good guy, but you traded for Freddie Galvis. Why are you not playing Freddie Galvis at shortstop when DeeDee's here? I just don't get it.

Like, Freddie is a—other than, like, they owe it to Didi to continue playing at shortstop. Like, Freddie's here. Like, have Didi at third base. Who cares? Like, why are you continuing to play Didi at shortstop when you traded for Freddie Galvis, who's the better shortstop, and Did he's not giving you anything at the plate. Like, it just makes no sense to me. Like, just play Freddie there.

Like, Freddie is one of the best shortstops, defensive shortstops in baseball. Like, I don't get the whole, why are we playing him at third base? He's not, we don't need him at third base. We need him at shortstop. It's been a problem all year long. Like, I just, is it a legacy thing?

He's been here for two years. This isn't the Yanke years. This isn't the Yankees. This isn't when Jeter was old. What are we doing? I don't get it. Yeah, I'm like a zillion. I was like a billion, no, not enough.

Trillion, no. I'm a zillion percent with you. But have you noticed that as well? Yeah, it makes no sense. Why has no one asked Girardi postgame, like, hey, you traded for Freddie Galvis. Why is he not playing shortstop? I mean, look, you have two shortstops on the roster. I mean, in reality, like, bring Mayton up.

He's better. Luke Williams is probably a better shortstop than Didi. Like, they're all better. But, I mean, Freddie and Andreas are clearly, clearly better shortstops. And Freddie is, like, light years better. Like, the difference between Freddie and Didi is like the difference between Andrelton Simmons and Freddie Galvis, if you know what I'm saying.

Like he's light years better. Like he is a way, actually, it's probably even bigger than that. It's probably even bigger than that. It's bigger than that. Yeah, I know. I know. I was trying to do something there, Jack. He is light years better.

It is, you're making your team worse. And to your point like look maybe didi like can't play third base is that the only like logical reason or to your point it's this like oh didi's our shortstop thing oh he's signed for next year he's our guy like it's stupid it's really stupid especially for a team right now jack like specifically right now, this team that the Phillies are where you're rolling out there, a fricking quad a lineup other than Bryce Harper and Gene Segura every night now, like, guess what? Maybe save some runs defensively. Maybe like every run matters in these games and you're probably not going to score a ton of them. Like it's's malpractice honestly it really is yeah so i just

just makes no sense to me you know i mean maybe dd's not comfortable playing anywhere else but like but like dude it's third base just just go over and play third base or whatever like but but the trade for freddie and then not playing up shortstop it like why did you trade for him then did he to play third base and be like a better Torea? Yeah. It's like trade for someone who can hit better and plays third base. Those guys were out there, you know?

Yeah. I just, it just, it makes no sense to me. And I, I would like to find out what are we doing? Right. Right.

Yeah. And he gave the thumbs. He would definitely give us a thumbs down. I think he would give. Oh buddy. He might've come up with something even more aggressive than a thumbs down. Right. Like,

could you think you would have just given the finger? I don't know about that. I don't know, but he would not. I don't think he would be very happy being here. Yeah. I don't think so either. What else you got?

That it? That's all I got, my friend. That's all I got. Oh, we're having a cornhole tournament this Saturday at four fingers. If you want to come and play, if anyone wants to come and play.

So, um, I'm, I'm probably the best cornhole player this side of the mississippi so oh really yeah elite cornhole player so oh okay all right twenty dollars to enter there's a link on our uh our instagram page and uh facebook page and twitter page and you'll be able to find the link if you want to sign up shocking that you think you're a great cornhole player it's not thinking. It's more knowing.

Yeah, you think so? Yeah. Well, again, I don't think. I know. Okay. All right. I'm not going to say I believe you, but, you know, I'm happy for you. Oh, thanks, pal.

I appreciate it. All right. So this week, six games against the Nats and the Mons. And hopefully we'll talk later in the week. I'm sure we will. We'll see how the week plays out. My mom's leaving soon. It's about time.

It's about time. Go back to Florida. But just in case, and we can adjust if we talk again later. But what are you thinking here? What's going to happen? Let's just go with the Nats series. They're going to sweep. No, they're not. They're just go with the Nats series. They're going to sweep. No, they're not. They're going to sweep.

I'm sorry. They're going to sweep. I'm sorry to bring you down, pal, but they're going to sweep the Nationals. No, pick me up, buddy. I'll go two and three. I think they'd think two and three. You think sweep, huh? Yeah.

They're 100% sweeping. So that's going to be a six-game winning streak. It sure is, pal. Six games. That would be pretty poetic, right? Just when everyone's out. A tank, a tank again. Yep.

Whatever, whatever. Listen, whatever gets them to that Brave series where they're in it is going to happen. That's my ultimate takeaway. Whatever it takes to get to that Brave series, that's just what's going to happen. So they're going gonna sweep the net it's gonna be a wild month then buddy it really is it really is I'm thoroughly looking forward to it

I wish I could say that you got any final thoughts no well my one final thought is that you know like Shoya Otani and Joey Votto openly have said that they went the driveline this offseason and they came back and they've had an unbelievable year. And I would just be woefully disappointed if we move away from that stuff for line drives or level swings.

My final point is look at what those guys have done, and let's believe more in that stuff than hitting the ball the other way. Okay? That's my final point. I co-s's my final point. I co-sign your final point, and I would like to make my final point just to once again say

thank you, Javi Baez, for existing, for being you, for just doing what you do, buddy, because a lot of joy, man. You really give me a lot of joy. I would like to go up to Citi Field for the first game back and just see what that crowd's going to be like.

Yeah. Oh, buddy. Do you think they like Javi Baez more or Chase Utley? Chase. Do they like Chase more than Javi? I think they might, man. Wow. I think they might.

Oh, I love it. I love it. Javi, keep doing you, buddy. Thanks for the joy. All right, sweep. Oh, I love it. I love it. Javi, keep doing you, buddy. Thanks for the joy. All right, sweep. Jack, sweep? Yep. Never a doubt.

He's pricking himself. We'll be right back.