High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - The Hopes... They Are Not High

Episode Date: June 21, 2019

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz are back for a morbid episode of the High Hopes podcast but hey at least Alec Bohm was promoted! 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

Your teen requested a ride, but this time, not from you. It's through their Uber Teen account. It's an Uber account that allows your teen to request a ride under your supervision with live trip tracking and highly rated drivers. Add your teen to your Uber account today. This episode is brought to you by Mazda. When you drive a Mazda, you'll find out why RSUVs won more 2024 IIHS top safety picks than any other brand as of June 2024. Find out what makes Mazda different at Mazda.ca. This is the High Hopes Podcast.

High Hopes. 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! Yo! Yo! It is a very depressed edition of the High Hopes Podcast. I am sitting in my basement right now looking at a little monitor with my daughter, hoping I don't wake her up. So I want to scream, Jack.

I want to scream, but waking up Zoe is the one thing that is keeping me from screaming, Jack. That was definitely a subdued yo it is. Worst series of the season. Worst series of the season. That was a very serious yo it is. It was very like, listen, this is a we mean business, High Hopes podcast. It has to be.

We are optimistic, positive guys, and we look for the best. We're also not blind. Exactly. Sometimes you have to be honest and real, and this is one of those times they sucked. Is that it? That's all you got? Should we just cancel the podcast now? I'm going to go more.

I didn't want to interrupt you. Look, Jack, I think that, and we're going to get into a lot of this but like for me at least like the way they looked obviously the 15 to 1 game in atlanta we talked about it just a pathetic effort yeah and and then for them to have two nights off to let that stew and to let that sink in. And they came out with that dog crap effort in both games, two runs. And I know you're facing Scherzer in the second, uh, two runs on the day. And just the, the bullpen is a mash unit that, that the majority of guys don't even belong on a major league roster right now and they were just lifeless and and today they showed like a little bit of by the way we're recording it at right around midnight after the game today after jack shift but um the game tonight

you know they they they showed a little spunk at times, but ultimately just another crappy showing at the bullpen yet again, crappy and just not enough offense to, to win games. And I, I just, you know, and I want to get into the Kepler cigar thing because that upsets me a lot as well, but in terms of of on the field play effort in a big spot coming off the the worst loss of the season and a 15 to 1 debacle in the span of three games in atlanta to just to give that effort there especially with all the stuff surrounding the team with the cigarette cabler stuff i just it was a the the most disappointing series of the season and and for the first time all year i totally thought this

team was going to win the division and i absolutely don't anymore like if i'm betting money on who's winning the nl east i'm betting on the braves jt ramuto for Forrest Whitley who says no oh man oh god stop it Forrest Whitley has even been good I know he's struggling to start the year okay there you go JT Romulo for Alex Verdugo who says no oh man Jack we selling Jack stop stop that's the thing is like you like uh look you do have to have patience they are not even halfway through the season but you know there are real issues with this team right now oh my god dude it's like like this whole this last well now they have a negative run differential which is unbelievable dude they they entered into this road trip i think this is this like they were up four games and now they're a negative run differential, which is unbelievable. Dude, they entered into this road trip, I think.

They were up four games, and now they're down four games in the division. That's where we're at. This whole run right now feels just like September 2018. I was watching these games, and I was like, this is September all over again. But the difference between that team and this team is, I don't know, a $330 million right fielder who's now our leadoff hitter and is 70-something in home runs.330 million right fielder who's now our leadoff hitter and is 70-something in home runs. That's our right fielder right now. We have a catcher who has an OPS of like

750 that is now our 5-0 hitter. We have a first baseman who, again, he is a streaky hitter that has been in an absolute slump for over a month now. He's got, what, three home runs since the Brewer series where he had two in that one series and uh his expected batting average and slugging percentage is that of like brutally average major league players um we have jay bruce is our starting left fielder we have a starting rotation which are number three in nl cy young voting last year is pitching like an actual number three where pete mccannon predicted a couple years ago which is absolutely shocking we have jake arietta who's making i don't know 25 million dollars a year he's been absolute garbage outside of the one national start we have a bullpen where edward ramos who had the lowest era amongst our bullpen relievers last year is coming into one run games

uh we are throwing in the towel by bringing in cole irvin down three one against and that or down three we got three one at that point. Yeah, 3-1. So essentially he was throwing in the towel there, giving a one big middle finger to the front office by pitching Cole Irvin in any semblance of a baseball game. You have Michael Franco, who is an 8-hole hitter that everyone thought was going to set the world on fire. Instead of upgrading from him and maybe bringing in a Mike Moustakis, we're sticking with Michael Franco, who blows.

And now Scott Kingery is having to play both third base and center field. Scott Kingery, who last year was batting.227 with a.277 OBP, is our best offensive player, which is absolutely absurd. The offense has been inconsistent for two years. I mean, we're a year and a half into the John May Lee era. This offense has been maddening on a night-in, night-out basis. They have not fought. When they go down and they have not fought like they they this there's

been when they go down and they're not front running they are a they have not shown the ability to ever muster up the energy to go play a baseball game um it's it's absolutely crazy it's been a year and a half where it's like it's like there's just it's like there's lit there's not there's not enough fight from this team. If they don't come back on Saturday against the Braves, this is just an even more epic disaster. Like, they're in such a bad position. And listen, if they don't come out and show some fight

and show some pride or whatever against the Marlins this weekend, someone's getting fired on Monday. There's no doubt about it. John Middleton did not invest this kind of money into this team. He did not bring in Bryce Harper. He did not authorize all his trades they made this offseason. He did not make all those moves to have a floundering team. He did not make all those moves for their starting shortstop,

two weeks removed from the McCutcheon injury to not hustle second base and then not get benched the day after. He didn't pay all that money and trades and all that fun stuff to watch his team just completely fall apart and melt down right in front of his eyes. He did not pay that much money for that. So if they don't come out and play well against the Marlins, I'm sorry. Someone's losing their job. I don't think it's V. Kapler. I think it would start with John Mailey and work their way down from there. But that's how important this Marlins series is. So we'll see what this team has.

We'll see if they have any fight. Because it is unbelievable how embarrassing this national series was. I don't care it was Scherzer. Scherzer's fine. Whatever. Corbin made them look like little boys out there. then eric fetty who blows it looks actually decently competent tonight against this this philly's offense it's it's not good it is brutal um and it's just it's not a it's not a good time there's the hopes they are not high

no man it's crazy because the hopes are low and And you said so much I agree with. I can't even keep up with it, especially the last point there. I think you're dead on that the importance of this Marlins series. And I think absolutely, like you said, I think it would be mainly before Kapler. But not only do I think someone's job is on the line this series, I think someone's job should be on the line this series. I, at what point do we have to say, Hey, John Maylee, for example, you're not cutting it. This offense is what 24th and homers like 18th or 19th and OPS. They're not even top, like they're 15th in OBP, like the thing that they're supposed to be built to do, they're 15th in the league at it.

I mean, they are not even in the top half. You know, they're right there at the top half. They are just so incredibly disappointing. And I think that that's the thing is when, look, there's a lot of blame to go around. And we're going to get to the Zagarek-Kapler thing in a couple because obviously that's been like the predominant story of the weekend. We both agree with at least the thought process prior.

We were in the same page, not with Kapler. But I think that when you look at the blame to go around this team right now, I think that Kapler deserves some team right now, I think that, you know, Kepler deserves some less though, I would say then, then the players themselves. I mean, there are so many guys who are underperforming. And like you said,

Glenn tech has left some holes on the roster, not upgrading. Yeah. Some, some massive holes, but at the same time, you know, if Aaron Nola is Aaron Nola,

if Bryce Harper is Bryce Harper, if any, if Aaron Nola is Aaron Nola, if Bryce Harper's Bryce Harper, if any of the guys you listed offensively as themselves, anyone other than Scott Kingery and Jay Bruce came to play, like they are more talented. They shouldn't be this bad is my point. And I do think, look, they need to make moves. They need to upgrade. They had some, some big mis-evaluations, but they weren't the only ones who thought Pavetta was going to be really good, right? I mean, they weren't the only ones who expected Aaron Nola to be a consistent, you know, successful pitcher. So I think that there's a blame to go around. And obviously, like with the bullpen, just a lot of bad luck that they've had there too with the injuries.

That is, again, it's J.D.d hammer edgar garcia you know there's so many guys in this penny who really don't belong on a major league roster right now and as we said look we said it at the time and i think there were there were a fair amount of people who kind of questioned it not necessarily the high hopes nation but you you know, the people who, who kind of talked about on Twitter and stuff like that, that, that losing McCutcheon was potentially the type of blow that, that pretty much ruined their chances to win the world series that kind of ended effectively that dream this season. And, and I think people are like, Oh, it's just one player. And I don't, I just think that right now, and again, anything can happen in baseball and all that,

but losing McCutcheon was such a massive blow to this team, and they have really not recovered since, Jack. Well, they haven't shown the same level of fight since the McCutcheon injury. And I think McCutcheon, what made him so great for this team was, like, he had the level of professionalism and now like he wasn't on this road trip i mean he's tweeting like you and i like like andrew mccutchen is doing what we're doing he's just sitting on his couch so relatable like i see his tweets and i'm just like man you're the best dude yo i wish you were playing right now but you know what this team needed on

this road trip they need andrew mccutchenon i mean that's a guy that that like i think he was holding a lot of guys in that clubhouse accountable i know he's not the most you know fiery guy but he's a guy that would be i i would sense that he would be a guy that'd be like yo like let's go a little bit like let's figure this out i mean since a guy who commands respect right i mean we talked about this a lot when it happened but i mean before that rocky series uh he wasn't playing that well. And then he was the first one out there on that Friday before that, and he was getting extra work in.

And that kind of set the tone for that team. And him going down, they lost their leadoff hitter. I mean, Andrew McCutcheon at that point, at the point of the Andrew McCutcheon injury, he was playing his way into all-star consideration. He was going to be their center fielder. Imagine this team right now, if McCutcheon can take down center field every day and then you have kingery at third base like that's a that's a pretty decent way to go about this now you have kingery in center field

and if you don't want to play franco then you're playing brad miller or sean rodriguez like that's where we're at with this team so like there's so much people are just trying to blame everything on gabe capler and like like, it's getting ridiculous. And I'm, like, if they move on from Gabe, like, if he's the guy that gets canned after this weekend, like, I'll obviously be disappointed. But it's not, like, this is just not Gabe's fault. Like, Gabe is working, like, he's trying to polish a turd right now. That's basically what he's trying to do. Like, the bullpen is in shambles.

The lineup is not nearly where it was supposed to be. The players in the lineup have completely underperformed. Aaron Nola has not been Aaron Nola. He's tried to trust Aaron Nola this year, and Aaron Nola hasn't given him the trust that he needs. He's trying to change and trying to become this

not totally analytical manager, but the analytics work, and there's a reason why the analytics are there. And there's just no reason. It's like he tries to do one thing, and then the exact opposite happens right now. And I can't believe it. They won five straight after the McCutcheon injury.

And since then, it's been an absolute disaster. Eight of ten they've lost. So I don't want to say McCutcheon injury, but it did. I mean, the numbers are the numbers at this point. There's not the same level of professionalism. Like, Andrew McCutcheon, before he got hurt, was getting clutch hits when this team needed it, playing a very solid defense, being an elite-based runner, doing everything this team needed to win ballgames.

And it sucks. And honestly, I don't even remember the last time a significant Philly got hurt for the rest of the season. Do you remember? I don't even remember the last time this was even happening. Obviously, the Howard injury happened, but that was at the end of the year. Yeah, the Howard injury, but that was at the end. But that tore into the next season.

But it's a good question i'm sure it's happening we're not remembering but but at the moment i can't but i i certainly i think that i i definitely agree with you on capler i think that you know i think obviously i think the players themselves and then and then clintac deserve more blame than capler i think you could even argue that John Middleton by his refusal to go over the luxury tax deserves more blame than Kapler. And I mean, cause when you look at the Phillies and the Braves, and we're going to get back to Kapler right after this point, but when you look at the Phillies and the Braves, the Braves have way more talent at the

major league level that is high end. I mean, Acuna and Freeman are better than anyone on the Phillies. We've talked about that before. They just are. And Acuna's 21 and the next great player in the game. Albies is a great young player. Austin Riley's come up and dominated. They have like 7,000 young pitchers who are top 100 prospects, it seems.

Like, they just keep churning out the Sorokas and the Freeds and all these guys. Like the only advantage that the Phillies have right now over the Braves this season moving forward over the next five years is that they're a big boy and the Braves aren't. They can be a big boy. They can go out and spend money. They can go out and be, you look back at 2011, they were the third highest payroll in baseball. They were like that throughout that whole run when they won a World Series.

That's the thing is they are behind. From what they've come into, they are behind in terms of the way their system is and the ability to kind of build a roster like the Braves are going to and have but they have more resources Jack and and I think that that's the the biggest way that they can compete with you know like comparatively to with the team that just has way more resources and assets right now both at the major league level and and lower but back to Kapler the Braves go ahead the Braves are essentially what we feared the celtics were right yeah i mean absolutely yeah they are and they went to the playoffs last year and now we're doing it again like that and and are full of young talent and again acuna is you know provided for

injury in my opinion as sure a thing at the age of 21 as we've seen since mike trout so you know he's he's he's going to be a superstar he already is a superstar um so yeah but well the only saving grace the only saving grace in the whole thing is that johnny amraz was the one that signed both akuna and azialbies and obviously he's here with us now and i and i i totally hear you where you're coming from with the Braves thing and how they've developed young talent. And this is just, once again, I want to stress this because I think it's important, even though we're being negative,

but is that Ruben Amaro left the scene with absolutely nothing from a player development standpoint. I mean, from 2003 to 2003, who was Philly's first- run pick to make the majors after hamels it was like joe savory like yeah it was just everything there may be gavin floyd and then joe savory or whatever like they were so barren from from a talent and and developmental standpoint and they're starting like they're literally only three years into it or four years into this point like he was hired in 2015 2016 was his first season all that like he's just like it's it's very early in the process of building up a farm system and and like they had to build an analytic staff

from absolutely nothing to get it to where it is now. I feel like they're just starting to turn out talent. And if you look at the prospects in the minor leagues, like in the farm system, there's talent that is starting to figure it out a little bit. So they've invested a lot of money in it. They should invest everything in it. I mean, there's no salary cap on player development. Agree 100%.

So whatever you can do it's more like listen that stuff is more important than spending money in free agency and trying to fix holes with free agents like there's a reason why teams let those players hit free agency right i mean that's the old adage so you need to you need to develop and help and player development should be your main focus and i think they're starting to do a good job with that i'm very happy with josh Bonifay. O-Chart, obviously, I just realized they brought in more driveline pitching guys, which I didn't think they had any driveline pitching guys,

but they brought in driveline pitching guys, which is all I care about. And yeah, the Braves right now are what we feared the Celtics were, and now the Celtics are falling apart. Yes, and I agree. I think the Phillies have turned the corner and have a a brighter future than we thought they'd have years ago but as of right now for the next few years like it it takes time for that stuff to develop but i do agree with you maybe find some pictures that can strike guys out and how about that that'd be nice you know all right i'd take

them i'd take them i don't know i'd take him unbelievable all right let's get to it and the capler thing and it's so funny really quickly just because when you talked about if it is capler and and obviously that the name that everyone always goes to is joe gerardi i i just think it's so funny the like misnomer out there that people think that joe gerardi isn't an analytics guy when he's a big time analytics guy and used analytics heavily when he was at the Yankees. So I called him binder Joe for a reason. Yes. I think it's really funny how a lot of people don't like people always call

WIP and they're like, I'll get Girardi. He's a baseball guy. And it's like, Kepler's baseball guy too. Uh, he played in the league for a long time and they both like analytics, but get Girardi, he's a baseball guy. And it's like, Kaepler's a baseball guy too. He played in the league for a long time and they both like analytics, but whatever.

All right, Kaepler and Segura, because, look, we both were pretty aligned here. And there's a lot of pushback. It felt like, you know, I tweeted something to the effect of, you know, because we both believe that that segura should have been benched for uh the game tonight and you we could break down why but but just on a basic level i i tweeted that that just because uh just because segura homer doesn't mean that he that him not being benched was still the right decision

but I'm obviously happy homered and I you know I went the Phillies win I was happy that it happened but um process over results is pretty much what I'm saying but Jack what was what was your thought process behind you know again we are both not people who freak out over the hustle thing too often but what was your thought process behind saying that he had to sit? Well, it would have been more effective if he benched him last night, like when it happened. Like let him finish the inning. Agree.

Agree. Yes. Very good point. That would have sent the message. And listen. Which is what Charlie did with Jimmy back in the day, by the way. Yeah. And listen, I there's if there's one thing I'm worried about with Gabe is I'm worried that that that locker room thinks that they can just walk all over him. And then and then if they mess up, it's like, ah, whatever.

Like, he won't do anything about it. Like, he's I'm worried that he's such a players guy that almost like like the guys are just like oh well he'll have our back anyway or whatever and at some point you need your charlie manual and jimmy rollins moment you need your doug peterson and cincinnati moment i mean doug peterson and cincinnati ripped his players to the media after the game and he was and people thought he was starting to lose the locker room and then that moment happened and it righted the ship everyone everyone was like all right doug means business like at some point a player's manager has to mean business and you can be a player's manager

but also also not get run over by your team and i think they respect him but they're not and there's no fear level with gabe kapler and like this is the second year in a row like the second year in a row that we've seen this team kind of just go through these long spurts of looking like they don't give a crap or looking disinterested and like you don't think if Hoskins and Harper are walking that clubhouse today and they see Segura not in the lineup they'd like oh man Gabe really means business this time like I think that I think it could have sent a a good message to less rest of the locker room like we're not gonna put up with this because like he said yesterday after the game, we all understand that this is not

the way we play baseball here or whatever. He understood or whatever. But you can only say that for so much without the guys not responding to it. You know what I mean? I was just frustrated from the standpoint of it was an easy moment to do it. You have Segura,

who hasn't even been playing well recently. He does this again for the second time in two weeks. Gabe got essentially chewed out by Angelo on the air, and just completely chewed out, and Gabe stood up for the guy. And that's how he responds to that? That's his response, is I'm going to do it again and knock it on second base and if you get some second base there they probably score in the first thing it's max scherzer who is the best pitcher on the planet so it it's just i'm i'm worried that the locker room feels like they can get away with not hustling and not playing the right way

mistakes in the base pass because gabe is such a a is such a player's guy because he was a player and he was trying to do the right thing. The great managers have a balance of both. And I feel like he's almost so far in the one direction of players, I always got your back, to where it just makes them look like a fool when they don't respond to that.

It was a frustrating non-benching. I understand they have to win every game. They need to win this game tonight. But I think it's more important to get the locker room and clubhouse kind of back on the same message than have Gene Segura play tonight. I know he hit the home run and made the great defensive play, but it's only one game in June.

But I think the locker room almost needed an attitude adjustment. I million percent agree with you. in June, but I think the locker room almost needed an attitude adjustment. I million percent agree with you. It's so funny because this is a pod where we're way more negative than normal, but it's the one where I've agreed with the most things you've said ever. Well, I haven't gotten to the Bavetta star yet. Good point. Good point. Then we can finally disagree. But yeah, I think you nailed it. I think there's a word that comes to mind for me. It's accountability.

You know, there has to be accountability in that locker room, especially in such a public situation with Segura's first non-running instant where, you know, look, you and I came on this podcast and defended Segura. We said that, you know, we can't – and you still can't blame that guy for McCutcheon's ACL tear. no there's no way i'm not gonna do that oh chance there are a million things that can happen that cause that that that could have or could have not happened whatever is you know if he doesn't move a certain way whatever like that's crazy but you know he should run there there's no question and for it to be such a public thing and then for this to happen and

again this isn't a situation where it was like seven, nothing. And he hit like a pop-up. This is the first play of the game. Like first about the game, like that's outrageous. He has to be running there. I, so from no other purpose than like, you have to send a message to your locker room that that type of behavior is unacceptable. And I know that winning games is important, but having a locker room culture that, that matters is, is more important in the long haul, especially in a sport where there are so many games and it's such a grind and that stuff is so important. I think you are dead on Jack. It really bothered me. And I don't, I don't care at all. That's a girl. Homer. Am I happy? Homer? Was I happy in the moment thinking, Oh wow, the Phillies might not lose this game yeah that was awesome I was happy in the

moment but that still doesn't mean that what I believed before I still don't believe he should have been benched period like he just should have been especially and I just can't I really can't get over it it just feels so soft from Gabe. As someone who has, this podcast has been incredibly pro-Gabe. We're Gabe guys, all that stuff. But I was really disappointed. I was disappointed with Gabe Kapler today in that decision. And you're right.

If he had pulled him out of that game, that would have been as it happened, that would have been a perfect move. That would have been the, and he would have been essentially missing a full game anyway. Um, but I, it just, the whole thing really bothered me. It makes me feel like Kapler doesn't have command to do that. And I know that, that baseball locker rooms are a weird place in the sense that Gabe Kapler is probably making, what, like one-tenth as much money as Gene Segura. I mean, there are those weird power dynamics and Kapler doesn't have any sort of long-term credibility as a manager. So I don't know how all that stuff works. And I understand that maybe there are certain things you can and can't do, but ultimately if Kapler's not going to be able to bench a guy in a situation like this, like what

kind of power does he have? Like, you know, what, what can he really do at this point? It's almost like, all right, JT, go talk to Segura and make sure that shit never that make sure that never happens again. You know, I just, I just, I, I was really, I was really, I've been really frustrated with this whole situation because it just felt like one of those situations where everybody knew that Segura needed to be benched there. Like if the entire WIP audience, Philly's fan base, everyone on Twitter, you and me as pro Gabe as, as not worried about hustling stuff as we are,

if every single person out there, at least for the most part, I know there are a lot of people who would just argue that the best players should be out there, but the vast majority of people doubt it. They haven't been in locker rooms. They haven't been around teams or played baseball, those people. I think at that point, how could the locker room not feel that way at least a portion of the locker room right how could some of those guys not feel the

same way everyone else here feels that that you gotta do something you can't just let you get run over if you're an authority figure for the team you're're the manager. You're the guy in charge of that locker room. Like as much as you want to be their friend, as much as you want to be a player's coach, like you have to be the authority figure at some point or else it's, it's all going to go to hell. Like if, if he can't do this, I don't know how much faith I have that he can do what's needed to turn this team around. I hope he can. I believe in the talent if they can turn it around, but yeah, I,

it's really, uh, and, and I still believe in Gabe's tactical abilities, but I'm really disappointed, man. Disappointed is the word that I come up with. Yeah.

And I, and I, I'm sure Gabe listens to the podcast and I would just like, sorry, Gabe, I love you, man, but I gotta keep it real.

I would like to say to Gabe right now, like that is not sustainable. Like the way you're trying to do this right now and not benching Segura and whatever, like, like that's not sustainable. That is not going to lead to longterm managerial success in major league baseball because baseball players are not stupid.

They know when they're being BS'd. And I can just imagine Harper being like, yo, dude, why is he not out of the game? Like, that's ridiculous. We need more from him. I'm just saying that that's not going to last long term. Like, you're not going to have a job for a long time if the locker room doesn't respect you. And if you start to lose that locker room i i'm worried for him and the the one frustrating part for me

again lasting on the score thing is like this team is playing like crap on the road they need some kind of tone setter and like that's that's not a good tone to set because it just brings down the whole brings down the whole locker room brings down the whole clubhouse, brings down the dugout. You need a tone setter. You need a little bit of energy to kind of get you going, game two, a double header, and it was a perfect opportunity for it. Get on second base there, make something happen, and nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Especially because it wasn't like a no doubt about it. It wasn't like a pop up to the infield or something. It wasn't the Kinsler play. Who doesn't run that out like it was it's just crazy to me yeah um that's my big it like it's just it's so frustrating that this guy could again after such a public not running it out in this city where like whatever people want to say like it does matter and i don't want my again my manager making decisions based on public pressure or anything like that like i don't want that but at the same time like this is a city where we really

care about certain things and we really care about guys giving effort. And when there are two like high profile situations like this, where, you know, the entire city is going to be like incensed about it. Like, like it just, I don't know. Again, I don't want them to make decisions based on that, but I also think that there should be a, the city should have a, the Philly should have a feel of the city. Like they want to be tough and blue-collar, and they play aggressive and all that. But, like, you know, if they're not going to run the ball out – and I know that we – again, we're not hustle people like that. But, I mean, if you're not going to run out the first fly ball of the game,

like the first fly ball of the game, like you're not going to run that out as fly ball of the game, like the first fly ball of the game, like you're not going to run that out as the leadoff hitter against Max Scherzer. Like you said, in game two of a double header, like, ah, I,

it bugs me, man. It bugs me. Well, I think we're realizing why a cigar has been on four teams in five years. I mean, yeah, well,

he had that fight with D Gordon, right. And, and, you know, you want to say, oh, well, Segura's our guy now. I'm sure it was Dee's fault. But, you know, Dee Gordon seems like a pretty good dude. So, I don't know.

I don't know. I'm just, it's frustrating, Jack. Yeah, it was very frustrating. And it's ultimately probably not going to be a big deal. Like, I think this team still has a run in them. I think they're just too talented. And listen, we'll see how much they fight. This is a weekend where just go bludgeon the Marlins.

Go set a tone. Tomorrow's Utley night. Tomorrow's Chase Utley night. Oh, man. How ironic is that? Right. It's crazy. How ironic is it that it's Chase Utley night tomorrow night?

Oh, my God. It's almost too perfect. I really think we'll learn a lot about this team, James. Sure, there's injuries. Sure. But you have Bryce Harper, Reese Hoskins, Segura, JT Real Amudo. You have Nola on the mound tomorrow night. Sure, you don't know who's starting Saturday or Sunday, but it's one of

those series where, listen, prove to us you want to fight this season. This is not the time to start being lackadaisical against the Marlins and doing the same crap. Step up and let's take down a bad team.

Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Especially, look, this organization tried to set that tone with the sending down of Pavetta, removing Eichhoff from the rotation. They've made aggressive decisions like that. This whole team needs to adopt that mentality because we just haven't seen it. Again, it's unbelievable the amount

of lifeless listless type of performance we've seen from them and and and this is like you said i mean it's it's funny to think that a series with the marlins could be the biggest series of the season well it's not really i mean it's like a no but but in terms of like right to this moment in terms of perception, and obviously playing the Braves was in terms of standings and all this stuff, but in terms of perception, if they can't go out and beat up on the Marlins after what's happened after the just debacle of the last two weeks and really obviously the last two weeks and really obviously the last you know two series especially um it's just i don't know what i can believe in this team if if they can't kind of bounce

back from this and i agree i think they have a run in them i'm i preach patience in general it's only not even halfway through the season but they have a lot of holes and if they're not gonna and and they have guys underperforming if they're not gonna at least bring effort and you know like a team like the Rays who we talk about all the time they are not the most talented team in the world but they win on the margins they do every little thing they can to gain an advantage, whether it's, you know, obviously like matchup based or, you know, looking at like guys who had fastballs, what there's so many different things that they do in terms of the types of guys they bring in, the trades they make are brilliant. Like I just like this team right now is clearly not good enough to not do all the little things well to

win. And they're not doing that stuff. And, and a lot of it comes down to effort and focus and, and, you know, being, you know,

smartly aggressive on the base paths and stuff like that. But, um, yeah, I, I'm, this is too negative. All right.

I'm already frustrated with how negative this podcast has been we're good right like we're good we don't need to talk about it i i don't think the season's over anything like that but i think sometimes you have to vent man sometimes you have to let it out because they what they've done the last couple weeks isn't acceptable play this team is way better than that Aaron Nola like bro it you're facing the Marlins at home tomorrow night you better shove as Jack likes to say you better like we need that right I mean is that is that fair to say that that Aaron Nola needs to show up against the the freaking Marlins Marlins the effing Marlins against like Brian Anderson

being maybe the best hitter in the lineup? Derek Cooper? You know what I'm saying? I don't think that's too much to ask. I need Aaron Noel to show up tomorrow night. Listen, I think for me and you, I would say the most frustrating part of where this team is at is the lifeless performances.

And, like, we don't think the season's over by any stretch. It's just that, like, they need a little kick in the pants. Like, it's too many lifeless performances. There's not enough energy. They're not creating their own energy. And, listen, you can – judging by how this last week has gone, there will be changes if they do not show up against the Marlins this week, and there's no doubt in my mind.

And there should be, and they should be. What happened to all the high fives and the celebrations and all the fun and all the attitude? Because they're frontrunners. That's what they are. They're frontrunners. They've been frontrunners for two seasons. Like you said, now we'll see what they're made of.

Seriously, now we will see what they're made of. Fritzie, final thoughts. Two final thoughts. If anyone mentions the six earned runs of Pavetta tonight, I really – No, it's not that. I just generally don't think you know anything about baseball. If you're, like, taking away from his performance tonight, oh, he allowed six earned runs. Like, dude, he allowed – I'm with you. I just generally don't think you know anything about baseball. If you're taking away from his performance tonight,

oh, he allowed six earned runs. Dude, he allowed... I'm with you. They were on a home run after he was out of the game and started pouring rain. He was not good the first two innings and then settled back into the Pavetta breakout that we had seen, getting back to the fastballs

or getting back to curveballs early in counts and getting ahead. He got ahead of nine of ten batters at one point. That's the plan. He deviated from the plan early in the game. It was infuriating. I was sitting here just yelling at my television. But he pitched better than the final stat line would show.

If you say that, oh, he allowed six earned, he sucks, well, then you're a moron. He should never watch baseball ever again. And my other final thought is, James, I've got a Bomer. I knew this one. This was what I was expecting. How about it? Shout out, shout out.

This is good. On a dreary night, this is good news. Yeah, the Phillies lost. Who cares? Alec Boehm is in AAA. He's going to be, he's making his AA debut tomorrow. Tough, tough night for the Phillies never promote their prospects crowd. He's already up to AA.

I mean, talk about a meat. There's a Phillies never promote their prospects crowd. I had no idea. Oh, it's everything he tweets, like everything he tweets, anything about the Phillies prospects. Like, we'll bring him up when he's 29. High five, bro. I hate that person. Anyway.

Me too. That's good stuff. So, Bomer is playing in Portland tomorrow night. His AA debut. Listen, man. Next May, I think, is when we're going to get the Alec Boehm promotion. I just can't.

We're already looking ahead. Well, I'm very excited for the Alec Boehm era. He's finally starting to drive the ball a little bit. I mean, he can be. And I would never advocate bringing him up now because he needs more time and all that. But would he be worse than Franco now? no i i honestly i'm not even trying to like beef i i think he's i think right now he's better than michael franco yeah i think so too uh just based on the raw talent alone i think

he is uh so that's fun uh and i have moniak and him by the way mickey moniak uh he's batting over 300 in june which is you know exciting he's got a 380-plus OBP in June. He's actually walked eight times in June, which is crazy because he never walks. So, listen, there's some fight down there in the prospects. I'm excited. Jason O'Chart, the GOAT. Look at this. So, Jack finds a way to put some positivity with that.

Yeah, because listen, this first 40 minutes of the podcast. A very mild dose of positivity. You can only handle so much negativity. Yeah, yeah. All right, final thoughts. One, rate and review the podcast. If we get to 1,000, Bryce Harper. Or don't after this one.

Pot is coming. If you thought this pot was negative, wait for the Bryce Harper's never coming one. You got to hear it. That's true. And we will have a link soon. Correct, Jack? I have the link in my email. I guess I'll tweet it out tomorrow.

This is for the High Hopes Night at the Ballpark, August 17th versus Manny. Oh, funny. Manny, Johnnyny johnny hustle machado how funny is that as well so uh there's gonna be a lot of talk that weekend what'd you say there's gonna be a lot of hustle talk that weekend oh buddy it's gonna be great it's gonna be great i can't wait so coming out of this that's gonna be a lot of fun we'll get that information out there and my final thought shout out to my daughter zoe for not waking up even though i yelled a bunch right now she's passed out did great work if only the phillies could perform with such grace and dignity and all that other good stuff as my daughter just did during this podcast jack

it's 12 30 in the morning how about that well i mean like cute performance by zoe but all she's doing is sleeping i just produced a phillies game for the last i don't know six hours and a rain delay and i did this podcast after so why don't you give a final thought towards me instead of instead of being so selfish towards your daughter yeah i have to wake up in five hours i also have other stuff that i've done jack that's what we do jack we do this for the high hopes people i'm probably i'm probably sound insane right now sounds like you're tearing up honestly i actually honestly i do feel better i needed to vent and and the only people who i know as you always say we got to keep it in the trust tree. I needed the high hopes

listeners to really let loose here and just kind of cathartic type of feeling. I feel much better. I do. I do. And again, I do ultimately, like my basic thing, which I agree with you is, is like, like to not overreact to something that is, that is, you you know less than halfway through the season but yeah definitely uh we've had better uh better times not a great stretch uh and by the way the trust tree is a counterpoint thing i would like to i would like to say that i think the trust tree version of this podcast is the rubber tree oh oh i love that that is terrific that might be your best idea ever thanks so i this is a real rubber tree podcast here because uh we needed it i needed it yeah well very fun all right jack go home and drink some beers i'm gonna go to bed

high hopes beautiful wonderful listeners rubber tree listeners uh we will talk to you guys on monday until then he's fred some seltzer see you guys 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.