High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - The Joe Girardi Has Been Fired Emergency Podcast

Episode Date: June 3, 2022

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies firing Joe Girardi. Presented by Miller Lite - Official Partner of the Philadelphia Phillies. 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

This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies on Odyssey and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yo! It is another edition of the High Hopes podcast. An edition we have patiently, well, maybe not patiently. We've been waiting for it.

Calmly, yes, calmly. He's gone. What'd you say? Calmly. We've calmly. Yes. Yes. There's no passion behind it.

No complaining. No. And look, I don't revel in anyone losing their job. He seems like a wonderful man. He had really nice comments on the way out. But thank God, Jack Fritz, because we – I mean we don't need to dive into why it happened. We talked about it a million times, the in-game stuff, the culture, the literal corpse of a body that he would sit in the dugout with

and not pay any attention to a baseball game. Like there are a million reasons, but you know, I didn't see it coming, Jack. After they won the game on Wednesday, they didn't do it yesterday. I was sure if it was going to happen, it would be on the off day. And then of course it happens this morning. Take me through the gamut of emotions. Cause I know Jack, Jack calls me on the, I'm producing the show and Jack calls me. He's like, did you see what I sent you? Like, no is it he's like salisbury check salisbury so i check

and it's like buzz that it's happening oh actually i think you had actually just gotten in i think you know i called you no i called you that's what i thought because you got him right after it happened and i was like oh my goodness and i go to like look at it and literally two minutes later jason stark boom it's done. Just a bunch to undo. This will be a shorter one. Obviously, we told you the analytics are changing. Oh, by the way, presented by Miller Lite.

Thank you, Miller Lite. If Miller Lite had not come on board, I don't know if today happens. I mean, it changed the whole ethos of the season. Celebrate responsibly the official part of the Philadelphia Phillies. We love Miller Lite. We'll tell you some more about that later. But, Jack, take me through the official part of the philadelphia phillies we love miller light we'll tell you some more about that later but um jack uh take me through the gamut of emotions i mean if we talked about this a lot it finally happened yeah it did and um a part of me is sad that i have to delete the gerardi files from my i know you were like coming in every day and being like

three new entries man three new entries yeah yeah um know, I was always that guy that was like, all right, the manager can't really affect that much. The manager can only do so much, and it falls on the players. They're the ones that have to step up. Until I saw Joe Girardi manage a baseball team. And I never used to do the whole, well, he's costing them this game, and he's lost them 10 games this year. Dude, Joe Girardi has cost them at least five to 10 games this year alone.

And that is too much for even a team with as much perceived talent as they have to overcome. It was every single frigging night. and it wasn't even making mistakes is whatever it was never learning from mistakes it was how they played how lifeless they looked on a night in night out basis how i mean the last week with the little league errors that they have had uh for really the last like few weeks i mean the the atlanta stuff i mean it was like back to back the idea doable play obviously which was worse but the night before we don't even talk about the cassiano's quinn play because the doable play happened the night after the schwarber play the other night that like it's really been like a week and a half two weeks familia play the

familia oh my god and not just that how about tie your shoes buddy like i mean it really it really you know we joke around about bad news bears type baseball. And we've seen a lot of it in Philly over the last decade, like the last week and a half. To your point, Jack, it felt like it was amplified. It felt like it was every night there was going to be something so stupid that we would lose our minds about it. Yeah. And at some point that stuff just it just culminates in having to move on from the manager. So I saw it coming out as I was on my way in. And James, I'm being dead serious when I say this. And a lot of this podcast is telling people exactly how we feel about the baseball team.

Almost to a fault. I know. And I'm just telling you that I feel like I got my baseball team back. That's awesome. I feel like I got my baseball team back. I couldn't take the lifeless performances. I couldn't take the post-game press conferences where I felt like the guy didn't want to be here.

And as you and I and our listeners know, it's been a long time with losing baseball here. It's been a long time with the longest playoff drought in the National League. We got over 500 for the first time last year in a decade, and it was 82-80. It wasn't even an accomplishment. And I just felt like the guy that was supposed to be my leader, the guy that I was supposed to turn to that I could trust

didn't want to be here. If I have that feeling, I felt like the players had that feeling. I'm sure he probably lied to Dombrowski and told how much he wanted to be here, but I don't know how you're Dave Dombrowski, you've seen baseball for, I don't know, 50 years now that you couldn't get the

sense that he didn't want to be here. So, will it work? I'm not sure, but I think the sense that he didn't want to be here. So will it work? I'm not sure. But I think the people that are way too like, ah, it's a manager. Ah, like there's other problems. Like, I get it. Like, dude, I get it. I understand that there's other problems with this team.

But he was a big, big reason why they're in this scenario, not just because of the in-game decisions, but a lot of how this team was because of the in-game decisions, but a lot of how this team was playing, the messages he was sending, the always managing for freaking September in April, the always looking ahead rather than managing

the day, the every time the freaking camera would pan over the dugout, he would be face deep into his binder rather than being on top step even gabe like gabe i didn't see one time he wasn't looking at the field on the top step was on the top step like all game every game being engaged talk some of her sec back up like he was locked in dude yes yes and it still is you saw it in this past series he still is in in san francisco he's doing the

exact same thing he's locked in on the game yeah so what a great jack real quick what a crazy thought to to have to think that we have to say as a as a baseline thing we want our manager to appear like he is invested in the game he's managing like that's how bad it got what you're but honestly james like why even bring him back on a one-year deal? I don't know. Would you be motivated? He's a lame duck guy. No, no. I wanted to fire him last year.

I actually think it was a big mistake because now you're almost – look, to your point you just made, I don't think firing Joe Girardi is going to solve all this team's issues, especially with the Gene Segura injury and especially with the tenuous Bryce Harper elbow and all these these factors and and whatever like I don't think it solves all their problems I don't think they're all of a sudden going to be a you know the bullpen still has issues there are still flaws on this team

but if nothing else like why not try because maybe it gives them a kick in the pants and maybe it saves a season that was supposed to be special and to to your point, Jack, like fire him before the season, fire him after last year, bring in your guy. Like Dombrowski was so clear. He was not Dombrowski's guy. We talked about this so many times, how many times did he get asked about Girardi and say, literally the phrase Joe's fine. He's a fine manager. Like he said that like four or five times, man. Like, can you think like, if you're talking about, like, if you were talking about to someone in Jackson, someone asked you, you know, outside of the, you know, the famous, the other guy I do the podcast with comment, like if someone was like your cohost, you know,

what do you think of him as a, as a cohost, as a, as a, as a partner and what you do? And you were like, Oh, he's fine. I would be, I would be like devastated. That would break my soul, man. Like, cause it's so clear that you're not invested in that person. So like if Dombrowski is that right. And he's coming into the season, it's a lame duck year and they're not giving him a contract. Like why not bring in someone you, you trust bring in your person and let them have a staff. That's why like right now you couldn't even bring it.

Everyone's like Leland and Banya is like, what are you just going to bring them into this mess? Bring them in without their own staff, without their own real opportunity to succeed from the start like and we'll get to Rob Thompson and I'm I'm excited for the guy he seems like a baseball you know he is a baseball lifer and he's it seems like a good dude who people like he cares about being here I'll tell you that he does first first manager job yes and I think he's gonna care about this opportunity because he's waited for his whole freaking life. But still, to your point, Jack, like they should have done this in the offseason. Like this was this was destined to fail.

The Girardi Phillies Dombrowski thing, because like it was never the plan. It's never Dombrowski's plan. Yeah. And and especially listen, I know David hasn't been around for a while, but the fact that they were able to move on from all of those player development guys and wanting everyone to be on the same page and wanting to communicate well and having to listen to the press conference today where it's like, yeah, we're going to make sure we talk to players and we're going to make sure that we're going to be in the clubhouse.

It just felt like a bunch of veiled shots. Oh, my goodness. Of course it was. Jack, it doesn't feel like. There's no other way to interpret that than Girardi was not communicating with the players. Which, by the way, is the reason they got rid of him in New York. The reason they got rid of him in New York

is they wanted Aaron Boone, who someone they thought could relate to players better, could communicate with the younger players better and stuff like this is par for the course with what they said about him coming out of New York. Yeah. And it's what sunk him there. And ultimately here, like they talked about it about three or four times.

Like, listen, we're going to, I want to get to know these guys and I want to know what makes them tick and connect with them on a human level and, and just sit in my it was almost like i don't want to just sit in my office and not be around the guys and you know i thought rob thompson he said yeah it reminds you of andy mcphail a little bit right yeah yeah honestly like it's just wild i mean from mcphail to gerardi um just in terms of of sounding like they don't want to be here.

You don't care about the players that play for them in any meaningful way. What I found so interesting, James, is that these players aren't dumb. They know what the outside noise is. And at no point in the last two weeks did one player come out and say, I want to play for Joe Girardi. He's our guy. Not even that. They didn't even defend him in any way.

They weren't like, Joe's great. It's a great point, Jack. There's not one. There was a zilch. And I thought that Bryce's comments today were one of the most fascinating things I've ever heard a player say, where he was like, it's on us, but it's on him too. When have've ever heard a player say where he was like, it's on us, but it's on him too. When have you ever heard a player say that? Like,

what have you ever heard a player with a manager that just got fired? Now I know Bryce laughed the curve ball machine. And I know that he was, he liked Gabe. He liked, I think he liked them, but I also think he didn't think he was the right guy for the, for the job.

Agree. Um, and, and for him today, and I do think to our point, Gabe learned from being here and is for the job as well. Agree, agree. And for him today... And I do think, to our point, Gabe learned from being here and is better in San Francisco, too. Oh, yeah, definitely.

Well, he also has way more talent. Well, just on the pitching side, at least. But yeah, I just think Bryce today saying it's on him, too. That's a very revealing statement from the leader of this team saying, no, listen, we know we got to step our game up, but please don't distract from the leader of this team saying, no, like we, listen, we know we got to step our game up, but please don't distract from the fact that he was bad too. And I,

and I don't know what game did it, but I, I, if I could, if I was a betting man, I don't ever gamble. I would never obviously ever bet on sports. We've never talked about your betting streets one way or the other.

By the way, I haven't hit, I haven't hit a same game parlay in like a decade, I feel like. So we're back. Oh, could not possibly be more back. But if I was betting on the game that ultimately sunk Girardi in this clubhouse's eyes,

Bryce's eyes, clubhouse's eyes. Yeah, it would be the Knable game. I mean, the game in Atlanta where Bryce hits the go-ahead home run, there's a lot of positive momentum. And him not coming... I think of it as's a lot of positive momentum. And him not coming. I think of it as the Nick Nelson game. Right. But him not going to Knable,

and Knable damn near calling down from the bullpen, like, put me in. I think that says something. And it's not trusting your guys. And that's what I liked a lot of what I heard from Rob Thompson today about trusting guys. And he talked about the bullpen usage. And would you use guys three days in a row?

And he was like, I'm going to look guys in the eye. And if they tell me they can go, I'm going to trust them. And I just think that players respond to that. They don't respond to the computer or the binder telling them I'm down today. Because how does a player respond to that? That's a great point. There is no human aspect. And you want these guys ready every night.

You never know. What if you tell someone you're down tonight and it's a 1980 baseball game or whatever? It's so crazy to think that you're telling one of your 26, 27, 28, whatever it is, guys, at the time that, hey, you don't have to worry about coming to the stadium to compete tonight. Like, what? What? Yeah. Like, that's crazy, Jack. And I just, it's pretty funny.

This is, oh, go ahead. Finish up and I'll go ahead. Well, no, but like, you know, I don't know if this is a direct correlation, but maybe that's why Jerry's familia had his shoes untied and forgot to cover first base because he was checked out. Because he was completely checked out of the game. That's a great point. So I went to the game the other night.

We'll get to more of it. You know, I'm not going to say that I made this happen, but I'm not going to not say that I didn't have a hand in this. So we went to the game the other night. I didn't have a hand in this. So we went to the game the other night. And for those who haven't, we talked about WIP. But if you haven't heard, one of the crazier things that's ever happened to me at a baseball game, maybe the craziest, Jack, in that I'm walking to go get a hot dog.

We're there with a bunch of WIP listeners. The midday show, we had a great time. It was awesome. And we had a whole section. It was 333. So it was like the way top you know of the third 300 level like in the far corner like all by ourselves whatever and back in back me and i look over and i'm like wow i'm like and it's a guy with some some fans kind of just talking to whoever you know people and i'm like wow that that really looks a lot like john middleton i'm like you know it's not

john middleton and then i walk over i kind of get a little closer and I hear the voice and I'm like, we don't curse on this podcast, but I'm like, holy bleep, that's John Middleton. And then I go up, I'm like, hey, nice to meet you, whatever. I go back to our section. And then all of a sudden, John Middleton wanders over to our section, ends up spending like two hours, Jack, from the fourth inning to the end of the game. We all like shook John Middleton's hand at the end of the game. Just they're talking to us and talking to our listeners and all that and whatever, you know, I've, I've ripped on in the past. I'm sure if, if Warrantel rip in the future, I feel like right now, he's the one guy who I'm not ripping, you know, out, you know,

clearly he's the, he tried, you know, this is kind of on the other people, but we'll get to Dombo and all that. But, but it was really interesting to kind of, you could tell that he's was thinking about this, like the way he talked about it, the way, and he, you know, he said it's Dombrowski, he trusts him a lot, but like, it was not foreign to him, the idea that Joe Girardi would be fired. And, um, we'll get small, I'll give you a little nugget later. Cause I may or may not have went out of my way to talk about how excited I was about the Ani hiring, but we'll get to that. Um, we'll tease, but, uh, but

it was really, it was really interesting because, because you could tell and, and callers have called into the midday show today and even yesterday and said it when we were talking about where it was like, you got to feel like you could kind of feel that, that Middleton, they certainly were thinking about this. And then obviously it ends up, they win the game and it still ends up happening. So, you know, I just think it was a fascinating experience to be there and kind of talk to this guy and see him, you know, react to these questions without telling people that, you know, he was really thinking about firing Girardi, but like kind of, you know, it was clear that it was certainly something that was on the table, you know? Yeah. And, and, um, honestly, shout out to John for doing that.

I mean, it's been a, that, that was dude. It was so cool. I said it to him. I'm like, do you understand what the people in these stands like it means to them that you're out here especially at a time where the team's struggling like it was really cool yeah yeah so um you know uh good for john and you bring up that weighing on them and dombrowski pretty much said today like they decided this after the met series and they let him manage because well they, they didn't say this, but they definitely didn't want to fire him while caves in town.

Which was clear. I said that on the last pod, right? I said, I can't remember. I think it was either Franski in LA or someone else tweeted. They're not going to fire him when Gabe's in town. I saw that tweet and I was like, oh yeah, they're definitely not going to fire him when Gabe's in town. Yeah.

But after the Met series and I, then thank God, I mean, it was a three game sweep against your division rival. Um, but you bring up, you, you bring up Dombrowski and Middleton and it is just, it's good. And it's,

it's refreshing just how much he trusts Dave Dombrowski. There was a point there, um, you know, but with the McPhail and Klintak where it felt like Middleton was way too hands-on, like was way too involved. And it felt like it was kind of panic decisions and,

and whatnot. And then he brings in Dave Dombrowski and listen, Dombrowski certainly has a hand in, in how the season has gone. But I think it's, it's, it's just so telling that, you know,

Middleton wasn't at the press conference today. He was always at press conferences. And that Dave Dombrowski had said, like, I didn't talk to one player. And this was pretty much just John saying, OK, if you believe this is right, then you do this. And I think that's a good place to be at with an organization, especially how he felt, I don't know, two years ago, where it was like he's way too hands-on. So whether it backfires, I obviously hope it doesn't. I think that's important. And I just hope that Dombrowski's right.

I appreciate that Dave also went on a run this morning and decided it was the right thing to do. Because I don't know about you, James, but I also went on a run this morning and thought... You wonder where he might have gotten that idea we both you know we both came to the same conclusion uh we should fire the manager yeah so so uh what if you're running at the exact same time and thinking about the exact same time what if dave was listening to i hopes while he's running you think about that well he does go on an hour run, apparently, which...

That's no joke, Jack. That's a long time. It's a serious run. I have about a half hour a day, which is what I do just because it works out timing-wise. So, I mean, that's a long time. There's no way you're just thinking to yourself. So, that was interesting that me and Dombrowski, both runner guys, both think about the Phillies on our runs.

And I'm sure if the Phillies go on to run here that we can start run Dave run and we can he can hopefully join our movement oh what a great I love this I'm all in on this I actually like run Dave run more than run for its no offense um I hope there's an untaken there but to your point it is interesting because you know my good friend John Middleton, when I was hanging out with him, he did talk a lot about how much he trusts Dave Dombrowski and about 50 years of baseball experience. And I said to him, I'm like, listen, like, I appreciate that. I want an owner who is going to hire smart people and let those smart people do what they're good at. And he was like, yes, exactly. And I do think you're right. I think that with, it's almost feels a little bit like, um, to do an Eagles parallel, like when the, the, you know,

chip, the chip thing. And Jeffrey was like, I'm taking back my team and kind of got too involved. And then, and then backs off again. It almost feels like that kind of thing where it was like Klintak and McPhail. It's like, oh my God, what are they doing with my team getting involved? And then able to back off when he brings someone in he trusts. I think the interesting thing with Dombrowski, and I think there are real fair criticisms with the on-the-field decisions, and look, I don't blame him for Schwarber struggling or Cassie. I was like, you know, that stuff happens, but you can clearly point to moves, the bullpen. I mean, you and I both came on here and hated the Juris Familia signing when he made it. It has not worked out very clearly. know uh many like last year

point to chase anderson and matt moore i mean they barely missed the playoffs last year if he signs two starters for the same amount of money who were you know robbie ray or whoever you want to talk about guys who signed for yeah exactly whoever it is for those those type of salaries that you could have gotten like maybe it's all different season last year like you can point to that stuff but i will say and again to the point with the ani thing and i said it i said to john middleton there are four people that i hyped up to him i was like i talked about you know i know we're struggling on the field but john i want to tell you that i really because we're talking about dombrowski and i was like this guy knows what a winning organization looks like and he was like exactly and i was like i love what he's done

behind the scenes we always talk about the on the field stuff, but Preston Mattingly, Ani, Brian Barber obviously came before, but I think he's done a great job. And I was like the driveline stuff. I think all this stuff you're doing is really smart. And I really hyped up on it. I was like the shifts,

I use your line. I was, I was laying it on pretty thick, but, but, but not, but you didn't feel like throwing it in and Jack frets. I mean like that. I mean, I'm trying to establish a little credibility with the owner.

All right, what do you want me to do here? I love you. Well, no, it's really just born out of supreme jealousy. I get it. You have no idea how much it pains me that you guys talked to Milton for like two hours. It was, and again, credit to him. He talked to like Billy T from Princeton for like three straight minutes. Yeah, callers. He talked to milton for like two hours it was it was and again credited like he talked to he talked to like billy t from princeton yeah callers he talked to wip call and and and when like afterwards when billy was leaving like 45 minutes later as he was walking

out john middleton goes billy t from princeton arm angles buddy and it was like like not only did he spend the time talking to this dude but he actually like paid attention and was invested and all that. So like it really was it was an awesome experience. I've never, you know, I'm talking like an owner, a billionaire guy. Like I've I've been around other owners. I've never had a conversation with one for like 20 minutes or whatever. And he was really he was really cool. But it was fascinating.

And I hyped up that. But my point with this being that I do think there are real criticisms you can make of Dombrowski on the field stuff but i think when you look at the whole picture of what he's doing and the more important ultimately we're prisoners of the moment but the more important stuff is the infrastructure he's building behind the scenes to change this culture like it's hard to come in and fix the last few years the roster that's been decimating the fact that they've spent you know and all the things with the records coming out with like the Pirates at this payroll and the Orioles at this payroll.

Like, it's crazy, but it's more shocking just how much money the Phillies have spent for the talent that's on the field, if you know what I mean. So I think that like, it's a tough fix on the field, but I think that we have to remember the other stuff Dombrowski's doing, I think is looking good and is ultimately significantly more important. field but i i think that we have to remember the the other stuff dombrowski is doing i think

is looking good and is ultimately significantly more important yeah and um you know we'll obviously get more into that as the summer goes along here and as the draft approaches and our guy brian barber continuing to just stockpile talent down there but uh i may i mentioned him good like brian barber is doing a great job down there uh and did you also mentioned him good it's like brian barbers great job down there uh and did you also mention like listen to the ios podcast or like did you plug anything yet again i i felt weird plugging stuff i tried to do a normal guy i'm just next time next time when he's like i liked you i'll be like well let me tell you something buddy let me introduce you to my friend jack and then we could really have a deep and maybe we can invite him on the podcast

and we would have we would do like really big numbers if we did that. Wouldn't that be cool? Wouldn't that be cool? Wouldn't that be cool? Yeah, we thought. And the thing with Dombrowski is I'm really curious to see what's next. Moving on from Girardi is one thing. And it's something that had to happen.

And honestly, I'm glad. Honestly, I just sit here glad. I'm glad they didn't wait for this. Because June is the month that they're going to turn this thing around if they ever are. If they ever are going to turn this thing around. And the schedule does get way easier. Like, I know it's like a BS type of thing to say right now because they stink. But, like, the schedule is, like, way, way easier after you finish these next two series.

But even now, I mean, the D-backs stink. I mean, the D-backs work. Angels have lost eight straight games, by the way. We're talking about the Angels coming down. They've lost eight straight. Until they face the Phils. And then the Phils get them hot again. No, but you do it now. The most important thing is figuring out in the next two months if it was the manager or if it's the players.

And that's Dave's next step is does he have winners here or does he have losers here? Because if this team can't put it together against the June schedule, we know they choked last year against it. But if they can't go on a little bit of a run here, then he can confirm that no, like Joe was a problem and he definitely was, but there's something more here than just moving off of the manager. And that's the most important part of what happened today and giving them two months of runway before July 31st. Like that's the most important thing.

So I'm really just excited to see what these next two most important thing. I couldn't agree more. Really just excited to see what these next two months look like. I couldn't agree more. It's worth a shot. It's worth a shot. And again, this was a season with lofty expectations. And to the point you made about Middleton, money spent, attacks finally going over.

Like, you don't abandon that 50-plus games in. And as we've said a million million times you can't fire the players so you know what try anything you can to salvage and save this season weirder things have happened teams have fired their managers seven games below 500 made the playoffs many times so you know i would you know i don't know the numbers exactly but you know it happens so um yeah i'm 100 with you all right couple quick things then we'll get out of here and and in a minute we'll tell you about the ring the bell night again um but and you know shout out to miller light i mean i plan on going home watching the phillies right now

by the way jack knows this but i have a strict, strict no recording on Friday's policy because it's like my only night off with Emily and Zoe. Wow, you're just like Girardi. Yep, but you know what? We're here. And if I didn't have this Miller Lite, I'd be a lot more upset about it. I wouldn't. This is fun.

I'm enjoying your company. I have a strict, strict, strict, you know, Girardi's old thing was no bullpen usage three days in a row i encourage three or more beers the night that gerardi is fired so yeah that's that's my personal personal restriction no doubt all right so two things and then we'll get out of here okay um uh rob thompson because we haven't really talked much about him what are your thoughts and outside of the fact that uh just a psa because this is going to happen eight zillion times, it is Thompson.

Hard to say. Comes out as Thompson no matter what, but there is no P in it. I guarantee you it's going to be messed up on Twitter eight zillion times. But what do you think of Rob Thompson? Well, here's my thing. They called him Topper today today which i thought was a little weird you know i kind of like yeah i can't tell thomper or topper they said topper i would go i like topper what do you like thomper yeah thomper no topper's better than thomper topper

there's no correlation okay this is definitely a a a twitter poll thomumper, Topper. No context. What's a better nickname? Thumper. Thumper or Topper? Jim Thomey. Toppy. Anyway. Jim Thome. Jim Thome.

That was the best. My mom called him Jim Thome. Thome. Then it was Thomey. There were so many. Oh, it's infuriating. You know, I think he has a chance here. I honestly, I wouldn't put it at he's going to be the long-term manager.

No, I don't think most would. No, but I do think there have been times in the past where I've heard Bryce come out and talk about him and seemed like it was in a really positive light. And I think that, you know, when you're a bench coach, you don't have the pressure of being the manager. So he's definitely been around these guys more. He can maybe be the player's guy.

So I think that they know him better. You know, know seems like a guy that's going to relate to these guys going to try to get to know them which i wanted to hear and really up the communication so um there's talent here there's there's been talent here and he seems like a guy that can hopefully just trust the players they played baseball their entire lives you don't need to manage them like they're like they're a bunch of babies. They can go be major leaguers. And I think he's going to kind of just let guys go and go play. And it does seem like, I mean, it was interesting tonight. I mean, this first lineup, he's got a bunch of kids in there.

I know that Segura injury obviously sped that process up. But Mickey, Maton, Stott, Boehm, all the bottom of the lineup, it was a lot of lefties. So he can definitely, late in games, all the bottom of the lineup it was a lot of lefties so he can definitely late in games Madden can put four can put a lefty reliever in and could possibly face four straight lefties but other than that I thought

it was interesting the young guys are playing it seems like there's a renewal. What a change Oh it's crazy what a crazy concept What a thought I think there's a chance here for sure not real grave but was fired grave in that one. Look, I'm with you. And if nothing else, it's also exciting for him.

I mean, this guy's been in baseball for like over 30 years. He was with the Yankees for like 28 years or something. He's been this guy has been around the block. He has been on a lot of teams and he was a minor league player he's a minor league coach like he's one of those guys who's really run the gamut and really like toiled and and and you know worked his butt off to get to where he is and to finally at his age get a chance to actually be a manager of a major league baseball team like that in in and of itself is super awesome and you

know look he's got a real opportunity in front of him yeah he can rally these guys if he can make the right moves like maybe if they go on a run you never know well and mike schlitt or whatever was supposed to be our manager st louis said shilt whatever i always want to say another word uh like but he he won games and he got the job like Jack McKeon won a freaking World Series. He was supposed to be just an interim manager for half a season, whatever. You never know if you can really capture some magic in a bottle type of thing. It could lead to something. Well, and frankly, you going through his resume and all that,

it actually reminded me of this is ultimate best outcome possible. But it's a lot like what Snicker did. I mean, Snicker. Dude, it's actually, it's a great comp. It's exactly like Snicker.

It's exactly like Snicker. So we'll see. Right. We'll see. But I'm just glad it's not Girardi. And if it turns out to be Snicker, sure. If not,

bring me Raul. Sure. Bring me Raul. Bring me, bring me Raul or Placido Polanco. And I'm all in. I want Raul. That's my, as of now, and we'll see what goesul. Bring me Raul or Placido Polanco, and I'm all in. I want Raul. As of now, we'll see what goes.

And I would be fine with Placido too, but Raul is, I think that's the higher. I think it's the right guy. Anyway, well, that's for future pods. All right, last thing for me, and I don't know if you have anything else, but ring the bell, Knight. So we are giving tickets away on WIP. Listen this week, the morning show, the midday show, the afternoon show, you'll be able to win tickets on WIP. Call in, we'll get you tickets. Plus look, it is next Saturday. So there's a week from tomorrow, June 11th, 4.05 start. We're

actually going to be down there for a meet and greet in Liberty Landing, the Miller Lite Liberty Landing at 2.35. So we'll be down there. But listen, if you can't win, if you don't want to call in WIP, if you whatever, just visit phillies.com. There be down there. But listen, if you can't win, if you don't want to call it in WIP, whatever, just visit phillies.com. There are tickets there. You can get tickets. We're going to be in that area. We'll probably be hanging in the Miller light landing area. I would guess the whole game, certainly a large portion of it. That's what we did last time. We spent the whole game there. Come to the game, hang out with us. Like we have said a zillion. If you lose this pot, you know know we've said it a million times like

our favorite thing is meeting high hopes listeners like you are our people we are all the same sad diseased group of people who have chosen to spend a large portion of our life loving this sad disease team so uh it means a lot to us when we meet others like us so you know come hang out it's gonna be it's gonna be a lot of fun yes second um yeah so um come hang out one more one more will or light thing if you're gonna move on to one last thing i'm not i'm not i'm not okay i'm just saying i'm just saying like listen uh i understand calling in and winning tickets unfortunately well that's that's how we kind of have to do it this time yeah we have to do yeah this trust us this was not our choice but this is the way that it needs to be done per the bylaws of such things you know giveaways and whatnot but if you can't call in

definitely come get tickets and hang out it's gonna be the first one of the year we'll have other uh kind of watch parties and stuff like that but we always love just hanging out and another ring the bell night later in the season as well. Yep. So fun times and by that point, I mean, the Phil's be back to 500. So it'll be a really exciting time around the ballpark.

All right. And also shout out to the Miller Light account of the week. If you're in the Havertown area off Westchester Pike, the Yard Pub Miller Light $3 draft specials for all Phillies games is a great place to watch Phil's and any other Philly teams. And they have a $25 gift card to give away at 94 WIP.com to the yard pub. So click on the contest page to register for that.

We fricking love Miller light. It was Miller time to celebrate to a fire Joe Girardi and they did it. They did it. So thank you, Miller Lite. We have you to thank for this, I think, in a weird roundabout way. Yeah, good things have happened since Miller Lite has come aboard. It is true. You're right.

It's a really good point. For sure. It's been mostly good stuff. All right, you got any final thoughts before we get out of here? And we'll be back, so here's the deal. If they sweep the Angels, you'll have a pod Sunday night. If they don't, it'll probably be Monday.

It's an off day. You never know Sunday or Monday. A pod will be out no matter what. Fair, fair. Um, this might be a little premature, but I am already comparing the Girardi firing to the Bobby Abreu trade of

2006 where they were 49 and 56 when they made that trade. Ended up with 86 wins that year. A similar kind of turnaround from this baseball team. The Joe Girardi firing. It was Boas though then, right? No, it was Charlie. It was 06.

It was Charlie. So Charlie was 05 then. I think that was last year. Okay, cool. So that's the official statement, is that this is the Abreu trade all over again, and winning times are ahead. Yeah, and you know what that means.

Way more Miller's lights for Phil's wins. Miller's lights. I'm like, you, look at this. You've infected me with your problems of saying Miller's lights. No, it's Miller Lights for Phil's wins. It could also be the multiple Miller Lights that I am deep. I told you it's Friday, Jack. All right? You know, give me a break here.

Miller Lights for Phil's wins. And there's going to be many more in the Rob Thompy era. Topper. Topper. All right. We'll be back after the weekend. I'm going to go put my daughter to bed. Jack's going to drive home and watch the Phils.

And we all get to enjoy not seeing a corpse of a manager managing our baseball team. So this is good stuff, Jack. I'm pretty excited. He's fritzing himself. We'll see you later.