High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - THE GABE KAPLER HAS BEEN FIRED EMERGENCY PODCAST

Episode Date: October 11, 2019

Gabe Kapler has been fired and Jack Fritz and James Seltzer are here to react.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Contact a licensed TD Insurance advisor to learn more. This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Philadelphia Phillies on Radio.com and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yo! It is a sad day. Yeah. At the High Hopes podcast.

That yo was for you, Gabe. The yo was for you. All right, so first and foremost, sad because thanks a lot, Phillies, for not announcing this yesterday when we were recording anyway. The worst. It's not the worst. No, seriously, the worst. We are at the studio at 9 o'clock at night recording because thanks, Phillies. Yeah.

Good thing I wasn't here long enough today. Oh, buddy. What a day. Yeah. Poor Gaber. Honestly, like, I can't believe it's over. It's only been two years. It feels like it's been longer.

Yes. Like, the Jay Gruden era in Washington felt shorter than the Gabe Kapler era. It's crazy. And it was noticeably longer. Look, I said it yesterday when we recorded that at this point, after making him go through it, somehow the Phillies found a way to take a manager who, and obviously we

were hired the most, but a manager who, for the most part, for the majority of his tenure here in Philadelphia was not well liked, to put it nicely. They found a way to make him sympathetic, man. We got calls at the station today, and it was people being like, oh, I'm sad.

I feel bad for Gabe. I was expecting victory laps. I was expecting all the, oh, thank God to save the team, get rid of this guy. Somehow, the Phillies found a way to fire Gabe Kapler, and it's still not worked out for them perception-wise. It's unbelievable, Jeff. It's unbelievable.

If they fired him after last Sunday, it would have been like, oh, kumbaya. If they fired him in June, the city would have rejoiced. If they had fired him in September, the city would have rejoiced. If they had fired him the day after the season, the city would have rejoiced. Nope. Not their style. I feel terrible for him. Poor guy.

They may get to a point where it's like, just make a decision. Like, no one cares anymore. No one cares anymore. No one cares anymore. So, Gabe Kalber's gone. And I am weirdly, I'm weirdly excited to see what an older school-ish manager will do.

Sure. I don't love the idea of an old school manager. Obviously, I think progressively when it comes to baseball, and I don't love it. But I just think there's a – and I've said this many times, and it bears true. I think this team would respond better to an older school manager. I agree.

And the thing I keep coming back to is this video from spring training where Bryce Harper is sitting down with Larry Boa. And he goes, Larry, there's only two managers I wanted to play for growing up. It was you and Lou Piniella. And it's because he wants that fiery guy they can kind of adult in the room, look up to, and for as nice of a guy as Gabe was. And I think Gabe's going to be a good manager.

I think Gabe is smart, and I would like the Phillies to bring him back as a minor league instructor, coordinator, or something like that. I would like them to keep Gabe Kaplan around because I think he's smart. Likely he wouldn't want to do that is the issue. Unless he doesn't, if he doesn't get the Giants job, I could see it. Well, obviously, if he gets the Giants job, he's gone.

No, obviously. Yeah. But the Giants job is probably the only thing holding him back unless Dave Roberts gets fired, who he probably should be fired. I mean, bringing Joe Kelly out, I mean, bringing him in the first place was unbelievable. Putting Kershaw back out there, then bringing Joe Kelly out in the first place, it works.

And then you bring him out for another inning. Joe Kelly's still pitching. You might not know that right now, but he's still out on the mound laboring. It was unbelievable. Joe Kelly stinks. Yeah. I can't stand neither here nor

there to your point um look i i agree with the general idea that this team coming off a guy like gabe who for all of his good qualities was not a kick in the butt type of manager was not someone who as we know is going to call players, is going to have accountability publicly for the team. And you're right. I think that sometimes, and we saw it with going from Larry Boa to Charlie Manuel. And that's the reverse. We saw it going to Boa and then to Manuel,

that sometimes you just need the opposite type of guy. You just need someone in there who's different, who brings a different voice, different mentality. And like you said, for a team that, it's not that this team is like super young they're young but it's that the leaders of the team are guys who are a young like Bryce Harper to be the leader of a franchise at 27 years old 26 years old that's you know you're young for that but they're also guys who don't have a ton of experience in these roles in big spots. So there is an Emma Cutch and we saw the leadership void when he went down. Like it mattered and we said it was going to matter and it totally mattered.

I am with you. It kind of sucks that it mattered. It's unbelievable. It shouldn't matter. We saved the time. We said they can't recover from it and people thought we were crazy. But it should not have mattered. Agreed.

It should not have mattered as much as it did. Well, that's an indictment of Matt Klintak, but I'm sure we'll get to that more. But I do think that when you look at the—he totally threw my train of thought off. That's how messed up I am right now because Jack just did something that I can't repeat, but he definitely just made me laugh while I'm looking at him here. This is what you get for me coming to the studio and looking at you. That wouldn't have happened. Yeah. Yeah.

So anyway, the point is I do think i do think a show walter or someone like that i think this this team needs someone who commands respect the moment he walks in the room and and that just sadly wasn't game and hey maybe it's another first time manager right it could be another first time manager alex core demands respects carlos beltran i was literally about to say carlos beltran beltran would demand respect. Abanias took himself out of Mandriel's things, so he's not going to come here. Phil Nevin's a guy that demands

respect. Those kind of guys. The weirdest part about Gabe was that he played the big leagues for 14 years. He was a gritty baseball player, but he was just not a baseball guy. It's unbelievable. He wasn't. And I know that sounds crazy, but he was just not a baseball guy. It's unbelievable. He wasn't. He wasn't. I know that sounds crazy, but you just know a baseball guy when you see a baseball guy. And he was just not a...

And I don't think we made a big enough deal about it at the time. Certain people did, but I don't think we did enough, was when the curveball machine thing happened and Bryce laughed. That's how I... I think they liked Gabe. But there's a difference between being a player's manager and just being like, yeah, that's just the Gabe being Gabe. Yeah, that's just Gabe being Gabe. And I think after the season, Real Muto made those comments, right?

Like, they like Gabe. But I think if John Milton flew to go meet with JT Real Muto and he had a one-on-one sit-down conversation, I think if JT Real Muto was being honest, it would have been like, listen, great guy, liked being around him. But we need a leader. Leader. We need a boss. We need a clubhouse.

We need someone who demands our respect, who there's accountability, who it shouldn't be on JT Romulo to tell guys what to do or to tell guys to focus on what they need to focus on. You need someone who they're going to listen to, and Gabe just didn't, it seems, didn't hold them accountable in that way enough, neither publicly or privately, it appears. Right. So it's interesting.

I'm excited to see what they're going to do. I think the Phillies are the perfect scenario. They hire Girardi. I don't think Girardi's coming. I don't either. I think he's taking the Mets job. I think Madden's taking the Angels job. I agree.

And I think we're getting... Buck Showalter. Or Dusty Baker. Yeah. Buck makes a lot of sense because Dusty obviously knows McPhail well. Buck knows both. Well, that was my point. And Buck even more so because he knows Klintak as well.

So Buck just makes a lot of sense. There's been so much smoke there. You know, it just feels like it's the right type of situation for a guy like that. But, look, I'm with you. I do think it'll help. I think it matters. And I think that this particular group of guys need someone.

But it is, look, it's a shame. It is a shame the way this played out. I think that, look, you know I've talked a lot about that. I do think that Gabe's, the way he comes up in public, like to your point about the curveball machine and stuff, there were just so many times where you know, you were in too many clubhouses to not know that there were guys in that locker room rolling their eyes saying, dude, like, come on, man.

Like, really? Really? And that was mostly everyone's fault. were guys in that locker room rolling their eyes saying dude like come on man like really really so that was mostly everyone and like look i think this game's a smart guy i think this could be a real learning lesson for him wherever he goes next that he learns that hey i need to be a little more accountable i need to be a little more um tough at times it's almost like he made his bed and he couldn't get out of it yeah look even when last year andy mcphail who you know we all know how we feel about any mcphail i really trust that guy yeah the the actual worst um but mcphail at the end of last season point blank said hey this guy's got to be more honest he can't be this rah-rah thing when he's doing this post-game stuff when he's talking to the

media he has to be more real. And Gabe couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. He still had to come out and talk about how hard they fought after a 7-1 loss or this or that or whatever. And at a certain point, especially when you're not winning games, it wears really thin. Sometimes we fought too hard. I believe in this group of guys um and if i'm being honest i i do think that we're gonna see a bump in wins next year if if a show walter comes in i think we're gonna see a small

bump like i i think show walter's gonna come in it just feels like show walter's gonna be the guy i'm not saying no but we were you we use him as a proxy because i agree i think if i were betting money on it i would bet on shoulder yeah and it just thinks it just seems like they wanted a guy for two to three years and kind of right the ship and then bringing a new guy after him to kind of take him over the top the weird part is is that like what is his what is buck showalter really gonna do like he's not gonna listen to what clintzak has to say right like he's just gonna come in and be buck showalter and he's not going to listen to what Klintak has to say. Like, he's just going to come in and be Buck's show author, and he's going to make, like, Buck is, he likes analytics. Yeah, he's open to them.

He questions analytics. Yeah. But you know what? With this group, with Klintak and stuff, with them going, still being there, like, I want someone to question their analytics. It's probably a good idea to question. It's a good idea to not just do what they say automatically, which I think was another issue with gabe and it's not gabe's fault but he was just in a situation where they hired him he was their guy he had no power over them yes man yeah exactly

whereas and again i think that's what's so interesting in to john middleton's statement where matt klentak is gonna lead the search for the new manager. It's like that was the most obvious of all time thing that was said to not neuter his GM in public when we all know that John Middleton will be the person who is picking the next manager. Period. That's what's happening. John Middleton. Look, let's put it this way. No manager is getting hired without John Middleton being the guy who says so.

You don't think Gabe was the same kind of way, though? No, but my point is I think there'll be – John Middleton is not just going to say, okay, Matt, you want this guy, let's sign this guy. He's going to say, no, I want one of these guys. I want someone with experience. I'll bet you the managerial experience thing that's come out, you know, it's Morosi said it,

other people have said they want a guy with managerial experience. That's for Middleton. That is for Middleton. Matt Klintek doesn't want a guy with – he doesn. That's for Middleton. That is for Middleton. Matt Klintec doesn't want a guy with – he doesn't want someone who comes in with cachet, with power, with clout. That goes against him, especially when it's not someone who is his hire, his handpicked guy, whatever. He's being told, get someone with experience,

and inherently that person who has experience is going to come in with more clout than Matt Klentak. Well, here's the thing. Is that, I mean, I would trust Matt Klentak to make another managerial decision. He's already one for one. He hired a good manager. He did. He did.

He hired a good manager. Part of hiring a good manager is knowing a guy and how they will will work in a city and knowing how like knowing this city knowing this fan base you think this this team knows anything about the city the people that know that's my problem nothing exactly again that's what we hear every time matt klintak talks to us where he talks down to us talks arrogantly like you don't know't know, I know, and then of course, if we don't, we don't guy over there. I mean, no, I don't think they have any idea

what this fan base wants from you. Andy McPhail, when he said, if we don't, we don't, he was just talking about the chefs. He wasn't talking about the baseball team. He was talking about, hey, if we don't get the new burgers, we don't get the new burgers. It's fine. Oh, man.

What does he do here why is he here i just don't get why he's here i i don't get why any of us are there what is the point of enemy fail what is the point why can't we just bring in why can't we just bring in i am to be the freaking president preaching the choir man i don't get what why are they here well that look why are they still here why is any mcphail's have a job yeah i don't have an answer there is no answer here's what i want because john middleton doesn't know what he's doing that's the only answer i got james to you it's the rest of the high hopes listeners i want you and everyone out there to find someone that loves you as much as john

middleton loves annie mcphail and matt klintzak it's a love story yeah it's a love story with with a flawed lover it's a horrible sad bad story it's a horrible story hallmark wouldn't even pick up this story no so. So, all right. So let's drill down on some things. Okay. Okay. Quickly, before we move on from it, sum up the Gabe Kapler error in 30 seconds. Sum up the Gabe Kapler error in 30 seconds.

Many ticks. A lot of drops. I like that idea I love it so many drops just so many drops I just love angering a certain part of the population of the city

and Gabe did a really good job of that I thought I agreed with most of his managerial decisions ultimately ultimately there is I thought I agreed with most of those managerial decisions. Ultimately, ultimately there is in my gut. September collapses were a lot on. Yeah,

it's an issue. I mean, look, they were objectively awful in back to back September. And I just don't, I don't think that's going to happen under Buck. Yeah. Well, again, it goes back to accountability. I can't believe we're waxing politically about Buck Showalter. It's what has happened to this podcast.

I'm excited about seeing what a Buck Showalter is going to do. That's how beaten down we are. It's crazy. I know. Honestly, for me, and I'm younger than you, obviously you're nearly in your 50s, I have not been around. I love learning new things about sports.

I love adding it to my encyclopedia or whatever, my brain encyclopedia. Yes, sure. Let's go with that. Sounds smart. For someone, so I'm young. I've only really experienced. Gabe was the first guy I was day-to-day following, seeing what i like

seeing what i don't like and whatnot and i fell into the same trap with chip where it was like this guy's just a genius everyone's gonna love him right sure and then now i the case study of doug peterson and what i think actually works you know what i want to look for in the future when it comes to like the future takes right so i'm i for myself i'm curious to see how an older school baseball guy will work with this team because in my gut i think it's gonna work well and in my gut gabe was a medium part of the reason as to why he was a bad fit like they were not the main reason he was not close to the main reason that this thing didn't work but but he's not he's not completely blameless exactly and he's a look again perception fan what the fans want like that should not dictate what baseball teams do but practically

speaking he was a bad fit for this city right just was the beginning yeah and i think i think people and i think my generation's guilty of this i think we're just too quick to think old school doesn't work anymore and i think we're just too quick to just completely dump on it and think there's no chance no shot it's ever gonna work or whatever i just want to see if it'll work uh like i know people are gonna listen to this and be like oh they're buck showalter apologists or whatever they just want i just want for me it's more about seeing if it'll work i don't think he's going to destroy the team i think it would i think he's going to be a good thing and i i am behind an older school manager coming in here yeah now and now front office wise i want all the new school yeah i

want all that i don't want any old yeah i want new people right dave dombrowski no i would i would rather not be here but like and then again there's a difference between an old school manager who wants nothing to do with new school ways and an old school manager who is at least open to new school ways. Like social. Like social, we both do not want to touch my social. It's our last choice. Like, I, again... Would rather root for another team.

Yes, I would rather Ruben Amaro come here and be our manager. Probably. I mean, sure, at that point. Mr. What's-OB-Pick? Sure, yeah. Sure. But, yeah, at that point. Mr. What's-OB-Pick? Sure, yeah. Sure. But, yeah, I'm with you. Look, I think that, and again, in this specific case,

coming off this specific guy, I just think that, look, that stuff matters. These guys are human beings in the locker room. I think that they will respond to someone who comes in with some, again, like, yeah, I think it matters. I think it really matters in this case, in this specific case. And, again, I do think they need someone who's going to be a little tougher with them. Not let people get away with what they got away with.

And baseball players want respect. Yes, and they want discipline. And they want to trust the guy leading the cause. Of course. So I think it's going to be a positive on this clubhouse. Okay, next question. I think it's going to be a positive on this clubhouse. Okay.

Next question. Do you believe that if the Phillies struggle again this year, it will be Matt Klintak's last shot? Yes. Unequivocally. Okay. I think he's gone. He's 100% gone if they don't make the playoffs.

Okay. I agree with that. At that point, he would only have one year left on his contract. It's a really tough kind of spot here because you want him to make the playoffs and win for the team but like, God, I want that guy gone. I will not root against them but I definitely want him gone. Oh, definitely want him gone. Definitely want him gone.

Alright, so let's a little more on the managerial search. We both think, Buck, who are some other names that you wouldn't be shocked if it were and give me a dark horse name other than beltrane um i mean i just i think it's going to come down to i think they want a guy with experience that's done it before right so the obvious ones are buck baker gerardi madden those are the four guys who are on the market right now looking for jobs openly and

i'm so shy, I suppose. Well, Matt Klintzak will never. No, and I'm just saying he fulfills the qualification of it. But I just think Buck's the guy, given the mutual interest thing the other day, maybe that's why it took so long. Buck really wants to get back in. The Phillies seem like a logical fit. I mean, if you're looking at the other teams, why would he go the Royals? The Mets don't seem very interested.

Padres. Padres, he doesn't. Buckshot. Oh, although Manny Machado. They got some talent there. And apparently Manny Machado went to the organization and said, give him an interview. So Padres, I wouldn't completely rule out. He just seems like an East Coast guy.

I mean, he's always been one. He's always been one. Now, give me the Buckshot alteralter because you grew up with him. 95. Yes. Disaster? No. So that's the thing is he got that team ready.

It's a very similar type of thing. They went from a guy, Buck Showalter, who was fiery, was even more fiery back then, like attitude type of manager, and they went to Torrey, who was like the most laid back manager in the history of the game, just like sat back and let them do their thing and made sure no one lost their minds. Like he was, I do think that's a perfect example of Showalter kind of got them right on the precipice and they needed to make that change to get over the hump. And that's what they did.

Right. This seems like what Showalter does. Yeah. He's like a get teams in the right spot. So like the Yankees, but like, there something in the 95 game against the Mariners where he had his all-star closers, left them on the bench and brought in some guys? That's what he does? Yes.

So just here. Just don't have an all-star closer. I was trying to say, we don't have anyone in the bullpen anyway. Yeah. Can't mess it up. It's fine. Perfect scenario. Go for it.

So then he did that, right? Then he goes to the Diamondbacks, an expansion team, and has them winning 100 games in 98, like 98, 99. And then that team ultimately gets over the hump with Bob Renly. Right. He was a horrible manager. Unbelievable. The guy's never managed again.

Think about it. He won a World Series with the Diamondbacks. He's never managed again. That has to say something, right? I mean, that's pretty crazy. Yeah. And he did walk Barry Bonds to the bases low. He sure did.

Buck Showalter. How about that, Buck? And then he went to, was that when he went to the Orioles? So, okay, he just had the whole long time off, and now he's probably going to be the Phillies manager. Look, it seems like the most likely name, and again, there are so many connections there. He knows McPhail, he knows Klintak, he knows Middleton, apparently,

so it makes sense. And just the fact that that name seemed to be kind of ubiquitous with the Phillies' coverage since the managerial weight search thing has begun, that's a name that keeps coming up. Right. So honestly, I never lied to the high hopes listeners. We know that. Never lied to the high hopes listeners.

I've been here since 10. Yes. And I've been here since 11. And I haven't really, like, I plan on going home tonight and getting into some managerial guys besides Buck. I like this. Okay,

so the next pod, if they're going to sign somebody, I feel like if it's quick, it's Buck. If it's going to be very quick, it'll be Buck. Otherwise, they'll interview people

and kind of go through the process. Right, like, I just, Josh Bard is the Yankees guy that has been linked. Phil Nevin, I've seen is out there.

I haven't done my managerial deep dives yet because I've only been here looking up Gabe Kapler cuts to play on the afternoon show. So I was a bit busy today. That's fair.

We'll accept it. So I have not, I will be more prepared for the Gabe Kapler replacement next time. I just, I think it's going to be Buckshot Watson.

Yeah, I do too. I really do. I know Dusty, there's been a be Buckshot Watson. Yeah, I do too. I really do. I know Dusty, there's been a lot of smoke there. Beltran would be cool. I think Beltran would be really cool. A Moneyball guy, got really into Astro Ball, if you read that. He's really interested in analytics. Someone bilingual, all that type of stuff.

Garner's a ton of respect. Always seen as a real leader on the teams he was on. A very successful player, obviously, in terms of winning baseball games as a player. So, yeah, it'd be really interesting. I just, again, I think that sometimes, and we learned this with the whole Bryce Arbor thing, where sometimes some of the stuff you hear is just not true, blatantly,

but them wanting a manager with experience thing just feels real to me. Well, that's what Middleton, you can just see him being like, I need it. It just feels real. Well, that's what Middleton, you can just see him being like, I need it. It just feels real. It feels right. And maybe that's what the players have said to him.

Absolutely. And maybe that's what they need. Again, maybe that's what this group of guys needs. So before everyone in Philly's land, in the younger crowd, just immediately craps all over Buck Shulther, all I ask is for people to give it a chance. Yeah. See how it goes. Yeah. And I ask is for people to give it a chance. Yeah.

See how it goes. Yeah. And I don't think Buck's like, is he that hated? I mean, like Dusty Baker is. Like Socia is. Socia is way more. Baker's not great in terms of like the analytics crowd and what people think of him.

I feel like Showalter is the best of that group of guys. Well, Madden. No, no, I'm not including. Madden and Girardi are separate things. Like they're way more highly thought of in terms of that community. I'm saying of the three old school guys, really old school guys we're talking about, I would say we'd go Buck, Baker, and

Socia last in terms of how they would rank those guys. Dead last. Dead, like way last in the bag. Yeah. God. God. Don't hire Mike Socia. Anyone but Socia. Literally. Anyone but Socha. Literally. Anyone but Socha.

Seriously. Well, and Freddy Gonzalez, who is interested in the job. Oh, God. Yeah. That was the funniest tweet I've ever seen in my life. It's like, thanks, Freddy. Cool. Good to know. Yeah.

Freddy Gonzalez is interested in managing the Phillies. Lives close. Cool. Thanks. Jack Fritz, interested in being a pitching coach. Lives close. All right. I mean, Freddy Gonzalez. close cool thanks jack fritz interested in being a pitching coach lips close all right i mean did he text bob nightingale yeah hey bob i'm sure he did bob interested interested in media freddie probably knows the people now i'm interested in the phil's job there bob put that out there bob can you put that out there? Bob Nightingale,

friend of the pod, so maybe we can get Bob to put it out there for us that we're interested in. Radio.com insider, Bob Nightingale. That's true. Look at you.

All right. Company man. It's late at night. Gabe Kaplan's gone. It's over, Jack. Gabe's guys, there are no more Gabe's guys or Gabe's guys

are going to have to migrate. Until he gets his new job. Yeah. All right, final thought. I wonder where he's going to go. Probably nowhere at first, his new job. Yeah. Alright, final thought. I wonder where he's going to go. Probably nowhere at first, I would think. Alright, so do you think Gabe Kabler manages again

in the major leagues? Yes. I do too. I think he's going to have the Giants job. He might. Far unhired him. I would love that, just in terms of a little F you to all the true Gabe haters, the ones who just never gave him a chance from the job and never going to like,

if he got hired immediately, that would be a nice little like jab. It'd be awesome. Be good. Um, I, I think my final thought, and I think it's important and I hope that John Middleton is listening just

because, um, an analytics minded manager did not work out. Does not mean they should go away completely from analytics. Like, the one thing I'm terrified of is that John Middleton saw the analytics stuff and was like, oh, I don't want this. And he talked to a player that said they use analytics too much, I guess, that's what Jim Salisbury wrote up.

Here's the thing. It's not that the Phillies use analytics too much, I guess. That's what Jim Salisbury wrote up. Here's the thing. It's not that the Phillies use analytics too much. They use them wrongly. Yep. The Phillies are not using the numbers, the analytics, all that stuff.

They're not using it properly. Analytics are not the problem. The people that are applying the analytics and sending the analytics to the baseball people are the problem. That Clem Tech is the analytics to the baseball people are the problem that clem tech is the problem the analytics department is the product problem analytics

are not the problem if you're telling me like if they go away from analytics oh my god and they move away i am going to lose my mind if you are looking at the teams that are still alive in the playoffs yep and you're telling me, you know what? No, let's get away from that. Just sell the team. I am not interested in rooting for a baseball team that is going the opposite way of what all the good, smart teams, big market teams are doing.

Cosign. I'm terrified. I'm terrified. I'm terrified that John Middleton is like, analytics, that didn't work. Let's bring back. Let's go old school. You can have a blend if you want.

I think the best manager in baseball blended. Do not go away from it at all. To be more into it. Yes. Invest more. Yes. And To be more into it. Yes. Invest more. Yes. And invest everything in Blair Development. Yes.

We agree. I couldn't say anything better myself. That is absolutely perfect. 100% agree. Don't screw this up. Even though Buck Showalter is old school. Yeah. Right?

He is open to analytics. He just questions them. And I think it's important to ask questions. Well, again, especially with this group and their analytics, there's no question about that. So while I don't mind the idea of an old school guy coming in and kind of shaping the clubhouse and whatever, do not go away from what wins. Okay?

That's all I'm asking. I am with you. My final thought, I will give a shout out to Johnny Heller on Twitter. He's a great'm asking. I am with you. My final thought, I will give a shout-out to Johnny Heller on Twitter. He's a great Twitter follow. Of course. People should follow Johnny Heller on Twitter. He put this out a few days ago, and just to rub it in there with the Matt Klintak thing, in 2019, the Phillies paid a combined $61 million

to Jake Arrieta, David Robertson, Pat Neshek, Tommy Hunter, and Juan Nicasio. $61 million. The Rays paid $63 million for their entire roster. God damn it. And you don't want Kai and Bloom instead of Klentak? Really? Really? That was awful.

I know. I'm not awful with it in this podcast. I had to. Knowing that we have to keep him for one more year. Well, hopefully Buck can save us. Shout out to Buck. Garrett Cole can save us. That's who can save us.

Speaking of Garrett, dominating again in the elimination game. That's who can save us. Sign Garrett Cole, John Middleton, and then we can start to think about forgiving you. How about that? Think about it. Yeah. I think that's fair. We'll think about it.

That's our new thing. John, if you sign Garrett Cole, will consider forgiving you you're still not Jack that's a far way away if you hire Chaim we will call you Jack well obviously I will do whatever you want if you hire Chaim Bloom change your name to whatever you want

alright rate and review the pod it makes me happy oh shout out to Neighbor Dan who I just saw the other day for a first time in a while it's fun to see Neighbor Dan you've trained the pod, shout out to Neighbor Dan, who I just saw the other day for the first time in a while. It's fun to see Neighbor Dan. Always good to see Neighbor Dan. It is. Never met Neighbor Dan. Shout out to Neighbor Dan.

I'm tired, Jack. I'm super tired. I am so emotionally and mentally tired. I've been here too long. Me too. So let's get out of here. We'll talk to you next week. He's Fred Simselter.

We'll see you later. All-Star Closer, Kenley Jansen. We have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? Baseball isn't boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford, and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast.

It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod there is. Another fact. So jump aboard the BIB Express. Follow and listen to Baseball Isn't Boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.