High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - The Phillies Split with the Reds in a Disappointing Series

Episode Date: April 16, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to a disappointing series split in Cincinnati. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies on Radio.com and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yo! It is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. What kind of team is this, man? 23 hits today, 14 runs, 13 nothing yesterday, a series split in Cincinnati, like a gross start to the season.

But, you know, I mean, look, six and 10 is not, you know know a death knell and it doesn't help the braves are 12 and four but um how you doing pal well that's a relative term uh yesterday oh you were not good so yeah let me just let me just uh inside baseball jack and i are just texting about something i remember what it was and like total non-sequitur i think we're texting about the almond brothers that's what it was yeah and we're talking about a song and literally we're just it's a text about the song and then jack responds with you have no idea how to press them about the phillies like out of nowhere and i'm and i'm i wrote back i'm like dude i've done the podcast with you for six years and you're one of my best friends in the world I know exactly how depressed you are about the Phillies so

yeah and then today you know all the runs just keep them to confine games don't yes I was listing in the car a bit on the way back early on uh like when it first started i got back like during the big first inning and franski said that they were seven for their last 50 with runners in scoring position good and and of course they get five hits with runners in scoring position the first inning it's like all right yeah well and this is such like a it's more of an outlier game than anything which is like the marlins game against al contra and today it's like that's going to kind of skew some of the offensive stats so far. But my biggest 29 runs in two games or whatever it is. Yeah, that'll do it.

Right. Yeah. That'll, that'll kind of screw things up. It is funny though, because of all the frustrations with the offense so far, they're, they're putting up a ton of hits. Oh my God. Yes.

Not even just today. Like even the games they've lost there, they're putting up a lot of hits. oh my god yes not even just today like even the games they've lost there they're putting up a lot of hits it's just they can't get them home which is like the single most annoying thing in the world um but you know i i the one part that i am proud of james and i i don't know if this is something i should be proud of um and i guess you you and everyone out there can can be the judge of this And I believe I texted you this as well. That, like, they say parenthood changes you, right? And matures you.

Me still, like, I sat outside, I had a fire, and I listened to the Allman Brothers because I was just that down about an April 15th game against the Cincinnati Reds. Again, in April. There's a part of me that's like, it's good to see that you still have it, kid. You know? But there's also a part of me that... Now that you're a dad, you haven't gone, you know,

soft, I guess. Yeah, like I haven't lost who I truly am, you know? The edge is still there. Yeah, yeah. And I think that's the important takeaway from the series so far. I'm happy. I mean, I'm happy you're able to spin it into a positive in classic fritz fashion everything's fine no everything's fine everything's fine well uh i don't know if everything's fine oh my god there's such a frustration i mean again like 15 29 runs in two games and then the other

games it's like you know cutting teeth to to get a guy home first and third no outs nope you know like runner on second to start the inning nope like it but then they have these games where it's just they can't they can't stop getting hits and runners are on base and uh to your point like the lineup has the numbers are good when like they start each game and they go they show the batting order and the i'm like oh like 300 you know 300 or 300 or 400 like you know i mean it's like it feels like the the the you're absolutely right like it's just a bunch of of empty hits in a lot of games and it's it's you know a frustrating stuff i mean six and ten right now is is frustrating especially because you know

you got to beat up on the reds. This is it. All right. We're done with the reds, you know, and, and we, we split there. That was it. You know, it's going to force this team to win games against better teams later in the season. And this team will get better and they'll coalesce and they'll be able to do that. But the margin forever, the margin for error shrinks when you lose games 13-0 to Cincinnati and Cincinnati and lose two in a row in a series.

Well, and the other thing that's annoying about the start of the season now is you already start seeing the numbers. They got to go 82-65 or whatever to get back to 80. Well, I guess it'd be 81-60-something to get back to 80 or well i guess it'd be 81 and 60 something to get back to 87 wins which is like it's kind of a dark way to like i mean it's april but also it's like well you have to i mean they they do have to do that um i mean there's six games back at the braves and i mean it's early but i mean it's way early but it it's six games. The Braves are nasty. It's okay.

I agree. They are a really freaking good baseball team. A machine. That has unbelievable player development. They make great trades. Their stars are stars. The Braves are really good. This is a Phillies-Mets for second place, in my opinion. And, you know, just the way that they've played so far,

I still, I'm waiting to find an identity. I'm waiting to see, like, who this team is. I'm waiting for them to get, like, any level of continuity to where, like, okay, I can rely upon that. Like, I think we can rely on, on a majority of the lineup. You know, I don't think the stock thing slowing down. I don't think the,

we know Schwarber will heat up. Trey Turner. Schwarber's eating up a bit already. Did you, another France? He's diving. It was either. He's at a walk in like eight of nine games or something like that.

You know, he's, you know, you know, just saying. The freaking out about Schwarber every year. I find so funny. It's like, he's, you know, you know, just saying. The freaking out about Schwarber every year I find so funny. It's like he's the one guy like just relax. How many times do we have to do this?

You know, you've got to drop them. June's coming. All right. June's go. Honestly, he's actually had a better start to this season than a way better start than last season. You know, at least up to this point. And he's been starting to spray the ball around a little bit, you know, a couple of doubles, you know, a little single here and there.

Yeah. Oh, we're going to, we flirt with two 50. Oh, OBP getting back up in the three 50, three 60 range. Let's go. Wow. I mean him, him actually doing the OBP thing, you know, because last year like bad, in my opinion, by Kyle Cooper.

Well, especially when they move him to the three hole, right? It's like, okay, now I'll be the OBP guy. Now they're not leading off anymore, and I'll do that. Yeah. No, it makes sense. No, my favorite part about a majority of Phillies when they go to leadoff spot is when they just forget how to be a leadoff hitter. It's a classic bit.

It really is. It's a classic Phillies bit. It's a classic phillies bit where they're freaking hilarious we love it guys definitely keep doing it thank god for bryson stott the one oh dude i just love him man like i there's a lot of stuff to get into and i tell you what nothing is helping me cloud like this season more than the 14 to three win today or whatever and more than stati leading it off with a home run to make it 16 straight games dimaggio man it's it i hope he's ready i hope he knows it's coming well we talked about this on the last pod and i was like you're crazy it's never happening we had a follow-up in in our text chain with elliot where elliot of course jumps in with not that people should beat DiMaggio,

but there should be more long hit streaks. So I looked it up, and it actually astounded me. In the history of baseball, including a fair number in the late 1800s, early 1900s, there have only been 37 different 30 or more game hitting streaks. Like, that's crazy that's crazy that shows how hard it is like even 16 is freaking hard yeah but i with the with the shift being out now it just feels like it feels like the beginning of the season there's already been a lot more like

hitting streaks um stats on one right now i think booms at 12 i think he's at 10 10 well i thought he's at 10 yesterday so maybe 11 maybe at 10 yesterday, so maybe 11 today. Maybe it's 11. Is it William Contreras, I believe, has a 13-game hitting streak? One of my breakout players in the NL, no big deal to me. Arise had one before he got hurt.

He's going to bat 400, so it doesn't really matter. There's so many records that are being broken this year. I think Bonds is probably safe with 72 home runs, but 73, I mean, 73, whatever.

It doesn't matter. Who cares? They're just numbers. I messed up 56 game history on WIP. That was way worse. Well, you know, what's funny is that,

you know, in my defense, I had 73 in my head. And then I was like, wait, I think it was 72. So that's on you. Yes,

you're right. I'll take it. I'll take the blame but you know we talk about stuff we can trust in this team right james and we went and i like i think thompson's been annoying to begin the year but i do think that when he gets into a rhythm and like figures out this ball club i think like he's gonna be fine like i'm not in this whole like panic we gotta fire rob thompson mindset god i hope no one's there yet geez oh dude of course people are there oh my god it's but it's fine whatever people are allowed to react uh it's fine i definitely have heard a a alarming number of gerardi comparisons already i'll say that like you know yeah which is let's calm down but um either way either way uh you talk about things you can rely on with this team and you know i think i can we can rely on the young

three kids kind of breaking out uh schwarber we can rely on cassianos i think 70 can rely on you know like i would like a home run maybe one i think we can rely on cassiano's not being a black hole in the lineup so that's yes you know that's that's a real at least a win but at least until harper comes back the first six in the lineup should be pretty good and then we'll see when we get out of cave you see what you get out of so uh sosa who think has been fine. Yeah, I think he's been pretty good. Yeah, he's actually been pretty good. And honestly, I mean, Cave has not been good, but Cave has been okay. You know, Cave should not be starting on most teams.

Yeah, it's like trying to win a World Series. But, like, you know, I think he's been, you know, slightly less exposed than I expected. I will say the one thing about Jake Cave, James, and let me know if you think this is a big comp um but when he does hit the baseball hard little fray freeman like he it's it's pretty much the same thing as freddie i actually could see that like just from a visual thing yeah and when he hits it hard he can he can hit it hard you know yeah listen don't let cave you don't let cave look at us talking ourselves into jake cave i like him more than i like jt right now i know he hit that home jt's back jt's on his way look jt again we said it last by i think but we all

remember the toronto series the dumb comments the whole thing like that was in in the middle of may or whatever he was horrible until then and then he was great the rest of the year. So, you know, again, we do this every year and it's it's fun. And I mean, less fun, less fun. But we overreact to stuff early in the season. And it always happens. And we're always like, oh, let's remember not to do that again. And then we always do it. It's part of being a fan. But, you know i i think there are certain things that you can can let's say react to and there are others where you're like he'll

figure it out you know james speaking of things to overreact to i was thinking about this a lot as i'm watching more of my uh bullpen opinions blow up in my face um you have been great not been a great start for you you have have to promise me. You have to. Like, I cannot react to spring training next year. Dude, what do you want me to do? How many times do I have to say it? Honestly, I bet you if you go back to our spring training pods, like, every year for the last four years or five years,

there are examples of me being like, don't listen to spring training stats. They don't mean anything. What are you doing? Don't overdo it. Like me it is when you play fantasy you know this happens every year someone drafts the dude who has a great spring and he freaking sucks like all the time i can't do it i i've watched too many of these things just like you know blow up in my face where it's like i feel like again i feel like a freaking idiot. I just feel so dumb. I feel so dumb when I see

these bullpen guys where I'm like, this guy could be something. And then it just completely invalidates my opinion. And I can't have that, James. I can't have that on my conscience. I was watching McKinley Moore not be able to throw a strike yesterday and I'm like, I'm embarrassed. I'm embarrassed for myself more than anything. And I feel bad for the fan base. I really do.

Like, it's official again hand up like i'm sorry i i i will always react hard to spring training i love it i watch every game i re-watch every game because i missed the phillies so much at that point yeah i'm sorry like i'm 100 sorry yeah i can't no i can't yeah i think i think it's honestly just easier for people to know that you're gonna do it than for you to not do it and just be like all right don't overreact to what jack says about like pulping guys in march because he's probably gonna be wrong you know well it's okay because ryan kirkering is still nasty dude yeah so i jack showed me the the that uh bat we were talking about last time he's pretty nasty dude yeah he's stupid yeah

um so he's he's he's my last saving grace because andrew baker immediately when i was like oh he's great he got lit up i love i love that your last saving grace is a dude in clear water well for now right now for now uh but i guess getting back to the overall point yes offense that was yes that was the overall point as we talk the overall point more in your stuff we can rely on with this team jay stuff we can rely on look at you what a pro you are buddy it's the notes you're taking notes now well listen someone's got to react to every single game it's true um yeah it's not like i did that for the last six years under a different name or anything.

When are you going to understand? Nothing matters until I do it. And then I can relate to the people. I know. I know. I know. Wait till these bad stories start racking up. Oh, buddy.

Trust me. I'm very, very ready for them. Yeah. No, so you look at the offense. And official statement, if Trey Turner doesn't hit a home run in the next two games, he's officially Trey Revere. And I don't want to do that, right? I don't want to throw out the Ben Revere comps.

But the fact that I've sunk no less than $100 into him hitting a home run. Yeah, that's a massive mistake by you. And just seeing him. Yeah. Little slap hits. the fact that I've sunk no less than $100 into him hitting a home run and just seeing him little slap hits. He broke three bats today and had three hits. He's batting like 340 or 330 or something like that, right? Hit the ball in the ballpark.

I need him to... Somewhere up there. Need him to dodge the World Baseball Classic claims. What is that? Like, why, why do you think that is? Like, again,

I think that a lot of people might've, um, and now I'm not saying you, I know you've kind of just gone into a dark hole that you can't get out of. And you keep just trying to bet your way out of it. But I think a lot of people probably expected more power than Trey Turner. Probably, you know,

that generally has, I mean, he's not a big time power guys. He's someone who's more likely to 20 than 30. That's for damn sure. You know? So, I mean, he's a twenties guy, but, but not like a thirties guy. And I think a lot of people, especially coming off the world baseball class, we're expecting more, but how does he have this, these fricking bomb after bomb and these big spots in the world baseball classic. And then the season starts and he can't like muscle one out. Like, it's like,

what's going on, buddy. I know, but I did take it now in my defense, I took some games off betting. So it's not just me. No, it's not.

It's true. It's true. So we're doing our best here. But then you move to the starting staff and it's like, what can I rely on there? I think wheelers on his way back. Nola today. I couldn't tell if today was we're up by 10, just throw strikes and try to get out of innings as fast as possible.

But given the beginning of the season. But these are the games where he normally just settles in and gives you like seven shutout or something because there's no pressure on him and you got a big lead. He normally handles those games, I feel like. The big, big leads. That's anecdotal. I don't know that for sure.

But it feels like normally when he's got a huge lead, he kind of settles in and just pitches. I thought he looked super meh today. And maybe, I hope it's what you're saying, but I was not impressed there. No. And it's hard. And saying, but I was not impressed there. No, no. And it's, it's hard in this lineup,

especially against this lineup. I mean, what are we doing here? Again, like India, India is the only dude I know coming to the season. Essentially. It is annoying.

How much I know about the Cincinnati reds right now. Like I, I am so consumed by watching Cincinnati reds baseball, by the way, like not the best product to watch. Although like steers are pretty decent little player. I've always loved Jonathan India. Friedel,

like all these guys like who are you? Stuart Fairbanks or child or is it child? Yeah. Child. Stuart Fairchild. That's it. Again, I never heard of the guy.

I was like, who's he's bettingting third what is happening the fact that I had to sit down and watch Will Myers hit two home runs and this is insulting to me and everyone out there that was watching um so yeah like Noah hopefully with the pitch clock he continues to get used to it I thought for a majority of the game he was uh he didn't feel like he slowed down with the runners on base, and hopefully he's continuing to get used to pitching with that kind of new reality. But at the same time, it just all kind of just looked – he was 89 at some points today. He was – his stuff was popping early in the game,

and what's happened a lot this year is once he reaches the fourth, it's just like, it just kind of Peters out a little bit. And you have to hope that there's a couple of things at work here, obviously still adjusting to the pitch clock, but you have to hope that, um, uh,

you know, obviously pitching late into the season, like, did he get the normal amount of work that he usually would have heading into spring training, whereas he took some time, extra time off to make sure that he was fully healthy heading into spring training rather than, like, geared up and ready to go. So what do you have to hope with Nola?

And obviously the stuff is with that, whatever. But as it goes along, as he continues to build up, as it gets used to the pitch clock, like we see Nola getting onto a bit of a run. You're like, I am not in the camp that he's cooked. I'm not in the camp that it's over for Aaron Nola. I don't think we're getting a four ERA Aaron Nola year. I just think it's taking him a longer time to bounce back from the long run at the end of last year and the pitch clock.

And I think we'll look up a month from now and he'll have two quality starts and be doing a much better job. I hope so. And look, I, if I had to bet on it, I would bet on that, you know, outcome, but I mean, we've seen it here in Philly. I mean, there at Cole Hamels in oh nine, you know, we've seen examples of, of guys going really deep into a season deeper than they ever have. And just kind of never being able to get it back the year after and then going back to what they were before. So I'm with you.

I don't think Nola's looked that horrendous or that bad. And I think, to your point, there are other mitigating factors than just going deep into November. But, you know, I'm definitely leery of it. I'm definitely aware of the fact that, you know, it could just be a season where he never really has the same sharp, sharpness,

the same stuff, you know? And that's concerning. So wheeler, no, obviously like those guys have to get on a roll here. If they're going to turn this whole thing around, we get that.

I thought Tom Walker, it was, it was a new plan from, from Tom Walker. You ready to break this one down James you ready to that's why we're here buddy that's why we're here so remember how I talked about last podcast

I thought the plan was stupid for him like just didn't make any sense with his repertoire so what they did this start by my naked eye was a lot more four seamers up so they the adjustment was let's not have the four-seamer down. Let's put four-seamer up. And when you go four-seamer up, a slider off that is way better,

a splitter off that. Because if you can start, let's say, if you can start a fastball in the middle toward up of the zone, and then tunnel a pitch off of that, especially a slider and especially a splitter you have a pitch in the hitter's eye that is the same spot that is moving three different directions so four seamer up splitter down slider down away it's just like it makes sense that is that is a plan of attack to hitters that makes a lot of sense. And I felt like even though it was the reds, even though, you know,

he was still only six innings. I was glad that a, at that point someone stepped up and took the baseball and said, I'm not going to let us kind of lose this game, which I think someone in the pitching staff needs to do besides Jose Alvarado. Like it feels like every day it's like Jose Alvarado is struck out like every single batter I mean 16 strikeouts and six and a third so far this year it's stupid but I but the thing

that's frustrating me from a pitching standpoint James is I never feel like someone's like give it the baseball and get it out of the way and and and sometimes you need that stuff so I thought Walker did a better job with that um and I just I hope that's kind of a plan that they can enact for a good little bit here. Yeah. I was definitely impressed with Walker and to your point, it was desperately needed in that spot after the back-to-back losses. And I,

I feel, I feel mostly optimistic about Taiwan Walker, but again, like you said, it comes down to Nola and Wheeler and those guys. And I'm actually pretty – I think Wheeler's – I'm significantly more optimistic about Wheeler than Nola. Where are you at with Falter? I mean, Falter wasn't – it was a lot of seeing eye stuff.

And it wasn't a horrendous outing. I thought he had moments. But it's also – people are freaking out. It's like he's your fifth starter it's you know four innings four runs five innings four run like that's that's not gonna be a rarity you know bailey falter's not gonna give you a six and two that often you know it's like that's that's not gonna be the norm and that's why it's so important that the other guys are able to give you quality innings and just innings, period, as we've talked about. Because, like, yeah, I mean, like Andrew Belotti's arm might fall off at this point.

I mean, I'm bringing him into that spot. And again, you know, I would have kept Strom in there. It looked like he finally settled in a little bit after, you know, I thought that was another top or mistake. And that allowed kind of the game to start to blow up. Then he kept a lot of you in after that. that allowed kind of the game to start to blow up. Then he kept a lot of you in after that. I just,

these two, the, the, the core problem is these starters need to go deeper into games. And, you know, I, Bailey Falter can't be the one relied on for that. Right.

And that's been the, probably the biggest problem. Well, besides your honors scoring position, starters not going deep in games and and thus, like, just completely. I believe Pilates has been in eight games so far. It's unbelievable, dude. I know he's like a workhorse.

And he saw it, and he looked good early, but you've seen it. Like, he looked worn down in that game when he came in for Strom, and the results bore it out, you know? And they're going to crush Alvarado. I mean, like, Alvarado, he's someone that I need. Yeah, in big spots when it matters. Yeah, no doubt. We can't be using all the Alvarado innings in April.

And it's one of those things that, again, someone besides Alvarado has to step up and do a job here. I think Soto's on his way back. I thought he looked really good the other night, but it's obviously an incredibly low leverage spot yeah um you know so i think he's on his way back kimbrell today i finally was able to like locate some other pitches you know another incredibly low leverage situation yes oh listen buddy i can't i know leverage i know i know i didn't even know the guy who came in in the ninth ortiz who tells

yeah i didn't even know he was i was like oh i guess we got that guy well i didn't want to say anything but i did think he had some stuff in spring training so like sorry well yeah sorry i was like he's like he's such a giant reliever like he just had i thought i read like i i've definitely recognized the name but i had no idea it was a philly well listen if you want to talk about guys i was kind of high on spring training like andrew vasquez has been decent sure yeah we take one we got one i knew the slider was nasty i don't think we can i don't think we could take that one yet but you know okay um but yeah like the rest of the bullpen i you know like they're just it's it's it's just brutal right now and i know i think that i think that when ranger comes back it kind

of settles down a little bit strom can be can take down three innings if he needs to look he's so stressed out right now that yeah they'll probably piggyback they'll probably piggyback ranger and him for a little bit to start sure gets going and then maybe they'll pick probably piggyback Ranger and him for a little bit To start, sure And then maybe they'll piggyback him and Falter But yeah, I just Hopefully when Ranger's back that Strom can Kind of go back there and settle things down Because at that point, if Strom can give you

Multi-innings, Soto I believe can if they want to But I probably wouldn't do it because I need him also to be healthy You've got to get Sir Anthony back On track because that's someone that you relied on. You can't kill Alvarado. He's going to be great, but you can't kill him. Kimbrell, you need to rely on the back of the baseball.

Well, I don't know if you can say back to the baseball card. The back of the baseball card has been kind of average for a while. Last year, I think he had a 3-7-5 ERA, and the underlying stats were a little worse than that, obviously. But you need him to pitch to that type of thing. You know, you can't expect much better, but you need him to, you know, look, you also need him not to be a guy you have to use in high leverage situations. Like, obviously it's going to be impossible not for him to come into some games that matter, but you know, I mean, he just can't be relied on in big spots you know it just

is what it is just give me brad hans here last year how about that craig sure yeah now push to a three era even though it looked nowhere near it's like a five fifth or something but yeah exactly yeah just atrocious so um yeah it's been it's been weird at the beginning of the year. But at the same time, the Mets aren't playing great. The Cardinals are like... A disaster. They're playing horrible. The Pirates are like 9-6. It's early.

It's early. It's early. It's just that Saturday was so crushing from the standpoint of like, does anyone want to be here? Does anyone feel like playing like they are the reds like like not sweeping them last series losing two or three of the marlins and then having to split out in cincinnati it's just like these are the times when we need to kind of right the ship here they didn't do it like they didn't do it and that's the that's why it's like yeah it's early but i don't know i will

say it does feel i still feel more hope i feel more positive they turn around than like doom and gloom panic button season's over kind of thing look in each spot where it's felt like it's spiraling they've come out and had a big win you know they had the alcantara game you know they felt like oh god what's going on here? We're sputtering. Boom, like crushed Alcantara. They lose the three straight, you know, the two, the Marlins, the first one of the Reds.

Boom, come out the time and walk the game. They put up eight runs. You know, they lose 13 to nothing. They come back today, bounce back. You know, maybe you just got to hope that it's, I mean, that they're maybe just not even getting up enough for some of these, these teams after the playoff run and facing the best, the best, then you're like, Oh, the Marlins and the reds, like we got this.

Then it's like, Oh crap, we don't got this. Let's go out and actually get it. And maybe we're seeing some of that. But yeah, I think that's the point. Like, look, I, I don't, no one should be panicking. No one should be freaking out. No one should be, you know, completely reevaluating what this team can be in their mind. But you can definitely, and we've talked about it. I mean, I think the single jacket, I would both agree. The runners in scoring position, like you just talked about, that's an issue.

But we think water will find its level. The injuries are really the only thing that is, has like actually concerned us a significant amount, but in terms of, of the wins and losses, it's, I think it, the reason it's been concerning is twofold. It's one that it's two teams like the Reds and the Marlins.

And then two, it's like the way they've lost some of these games. I mean, you know, to lose the three straight two to the Marlins, including the, the, the losing an extra innings game at your house,

and then going in and just getting, you know, handled by the Reds in that game one. Like that was just a, it was the first time they were down like four, nothing, five, nothing in a game. And it was just like other losing, you know what I mean? It was that, and that was frustrating early in the game. It was like, oh, they just don't have it tonight. They're not going to be in this game.

You know what I mean? And that was frustrating. Early in the game, it was like, oh, they just don't have it tonight. They're not going to be in this game. And then, you know, to come back and win that game and then get trubbed 13-0, it's the way they're losing these games. And, like, the ebb and flow of the season has just felt, you know, not only disappointing from the start, but also it's felt like, you know, they've been disappointed. You know, that's but also it's felt like they've been disappointing.

That's the way it's felt. Yeah, but also they haven't found their footing either. And I think that once they kind of get a little bit established here, and I think that as Turner gets more comfortable, as Schwarber settles in, as these young guys hopefully continue to progress, as Nola gets on his way back, as Wheeler settles in, as these young guys hopefully continue to progress, as Nola gets on his way back, as Wheeler continues to develop, Walker hopefully gets on a bit of a run here.

You get Ranger back, you know, hopefully all those guys give some length and then some of the bullpen pieces can get settled into, you know, their jobs and their roles. Like, you know, the injury things are the injury things, but they're sort of like it's it's almost over i mean like ranger is throwing a bullpen tomorrow i believe um he's right he's facing live batters tomorrow i believe at least um and then i mean bryce like rod thompson said he might even take a rehab step unbelievable like what do you say like i don't do you ever remember an injury in any sport and i remember

guys come back early i remember like adrian peterson particularly stands out when he came back from that acl like the first guy to come back in nine months or whatever it was um but do you ever remember an injury where you keep getting updates along the line line like like until the comeback and each update is like more unbelievable than the last it's like nebrowski we're not going keep getting updates along the line, like until the comeback. And each update is like more unbelievable than the last. It's like Dombrowski, we're not going to put on the 60. Like, wow, that's amazing. Then it's like, oh yeah, he's like hitting off pitchers.

It's like, what? I got a date for a return. It's like, it's like each thing. It's like, is he going to be back in a week? Like what the hell's happening with this? It's unbelievable. The chronology of just like amazing update better update i can't believe an update you know what i mean at this point i don't think i'd be surprised if he's in the lineup next week

it just feels like it's all progressing towards like oh yeah bryce is just back he's here like you know he's in the dugout again today i think it was friday night was the first time i noticed he didn't have the um the thing on his arm the brace on his arm uh sleuthing that out no big deal uh every single time i see it like just feeling ground oh my god i need him back need him back but yeah it's just like i like what if you switch in the lineup next week when they return i guess i know it is it is like the swing every every person that's around the team they talk about his bp it's okay he's hitting ones in the second deck it's like how like how is he doing this is like doesn't seem real i mean it's surgery in like like the like early december or something like that i mean well thank you if you didn't wait a wait two weeks after i know i i know but it's this it just it seems like implausible it seems

inconceivable that he could be back this fast but everything's just like yeah he's just gonna be here and uh man when you talk about this the the and and we have to factor in that that he is bad for two weeks and he gets back from every. Oh, yeah. Just get ready. Prepare yourself mentally. We get a two week buffer with Bryce is not going to. I don't think he's going to fix everything, but who knows? He just recovered from Tommy John like four months. So whatever. But like you add

into the lineup where now it feels like we finally have determined who the leadoff hitter is, which is great. Trey Turner or Trey Revere. We'll see which path he chooses. Does he want to be Trey Turner? Does he want to be Ben Revere? I think that's pretty much a simple thing to boil this down to.

It's really perfect. Just nailed it. Is this strictly because I've lost a ton of money on him? Yes, mostly. But then you go like you go stott turner harper

boom i would like boom personally please i know they won't so the castellanos yeah jt and castellanos both should not be batting in front of boom and both are whatever right. Schwarber five. And then it's just like, oh, here's JT and Bum and JT. And it's like, wow, buddy. And Marsh. Yeah, then Marsh is hitting eighth. I mean, that's. Then we're back. Yeah, then it's like, oh, good to see you, Phil.

Yeah. Hey. Hello. Hello. I tell you what, man. Speaking of Brandon Marsh, like, he's just, he's turning into one of my favorite players. Like he just awesome. He like the way he goes down, tracks down fly balls.

It's like, but I haven't seen this since Victorino. Like it's, it's, it's a similar way he goes about it, where he's so like aggressive and, you know, he's kind of flies the ball. It's like, oh, he's not going to get there. And then he's there. And then at the plate, like it's he, like the turnaround that he has done is

actually more surprising than than any of the the hitters that we've seen break out this year because like he was so feeble with the angels and like what kevin long has done with him and turning him into like he's roping balls off the wall like like with, with authority and inconsistency. It's not like just every day. It's not like every once a week he's smoking a ball. It seems like every day he's ripping balls off the wall. So like, again, I, I feel like Girardi is fine. Wow.

That's bad. That's bad. I'm sorry, Rob. I'm sorry, Rob. Wow. Wow. That's bad. I'm the one who's tired too.

I'm the one who's going to bed as soon as we're done. Pardon. You're the, wow. Tough. That's bad. I'm the one who's tired, too. I'm the one who's going to bed as soon as we're done. Wow. Tough. That is bad. But I feel like Thompson has finally got to the point where it's like, okay, we'll play him against lefties. You win. Everyone wins. Well, he got there with Scott, too. Everything we expected and wanted,

it just took him a little while to get there. Very proud of him. Especially when Pache is the friggin option. It's like, you know, let's come on. Let's make decision quicker. You know, Pache is like, he's turning a corner. Yeah.

Yeah. At least start in the left field against lefties if you want to do that. And then at least you have a lead defense. I agree. Very, very strong with you. All right. you have a great defense i agree uh to very very strong with you all right uh i have a a random baseball thought slash question for you at the end but take back it up okay uh first off massive they avoid cease cease his pitching today um so he will not god they will not be he's so nasty he is stupid. So that's that's a good thing.

He's one of the best pitchers in baseball. I think, of course. Yeah, well, I know. Yeah, of course. But I'm pretty sure that they play the next at least this series. And I, you know, I think their next like four games are against righties probables. And I just think that the lineup when they face righties just makes so much more

sense. Like you can play cave, you know, that's not a great option. You can just play Marsh and not think about it. So I like that they're on a bit of a run of facing righties here. Oh, this is this is a problem that I have with the Phillies broadcast.

And this is also like I love when you are, you you know media colleagues or whatever you want to call it well it's it's it's it's a facetious rip but okay good i would just like you know official statement here the season can't start until they pick a new philly of the week like back-to-back weeks it's bryce and then it's nl champions. And it's like, we can't keep looking back at last year. It was amazing. I loved it. I,

I, I was so down last night. I watched highlights again because I wanted to feel something, but like back to back weeks of, of Philly of the week is, is, is last year. Yeah.

It should be Bryson's, especially we got Bryson star. Like, what are we doing here? You could have bone one week, start the other boom. Done. Literally chasing Dimash here? You could have bone one week, start the other. Boom. Done.

Literally chasing Dimash here right now. Marsh. Yeah. He's on his way. Listen, I told you Dimash is my hot seat. Yeah. Like, just pick someone else tomorrow. Okay. There's enough to go around.

There's enough to go around. I think it's a very valid take. And I, as official high ups position, I co-sign. Thank you. I really hope the social injury is not that serious. It doesn't seem like it is. Yeah, what did they say? That he could have pinched it today, theoretically, if he was needed.

Hopefully, that's true. Yes. Because I don't know about you, but everyday Josh Harrison or everyday Cody Clemons does not sound like a world I would love to be in. 100% with you. I mean, it's amazing how Edmundo Sosa is that much better than those guys. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Josh Harrison. Great guy. He looks old. Like, you know, sometimes players get to a point where it's like, oh, you just look old. It looks like it hurts you more to swing than that dude or whatever. Josh Harrison looks like that. He looks old out there.

I think he's one of three players. No, he's not one of three. The Phillies are one of three teams that have had to use a position player pitching twice. Things are going well early in the year. Awesome. Yep. I'm sort of in on the thumb celebration oh okay well i was okay good do your thing good um that's really funny good well as

someone that is a big thumbs up guy it's it's your thing jack can't take a picture of that but he like he has to sometimes like stick his hand in his pocket to keep himself from doing thumbs up. Um, I didn't, it's, it's like funny, you know, they get on second base and they're like,

Hey, I'm in on it. It's, you know, I thought the, the, the, the home run celebration for the reds was putting like the, the Viking helmet on.

And like, you know, nothing will top what the pirates are doing this year. I mean, the pirates are like doing year when the pirates are like doing a sword thing when they do it and that's cool um i'm in on the thumbs up i think the thumbs up is pretty good i think it's i think it kind of fits this team because this team's like so laid back that like when they get on second there's like i just i think it fits the personality

of the baseball team so i love it i'll say what i was gonna say because i'll just it'll be a tease the thumbs up when i said i have a random thought slash question for you at the end it has to do with the celebration so we're gonna get there but i'm a fan of it as well um and yeah i think that's i think that's so i could have just done it then it would have been so much smoother if I just did it, if I knew you were done your take back. Okay. I guess we got to work on, you know, like a sign.

Like, you know, like a little like, yeah. I'm done. It's over. I'm going to go to the ear. I'm going to go to the ear. All right. So here's the thing. This was my random thought slash question for you.

Was with the thumbs up, which I do love. And, you know, it seems like, you know, every team has a thing, right. When a guy gets to second base, I saw one team, they do like a flex or one team does whatever, you know, like Phillies are thumbs up this year. And it seems like every year each team has like their thing, right. The one that was very funny. It looked like the shake weight type thing. The one year that,

that can't remember what that that but here's what i here's what like plagues me and i i wonder about consistent do like the teams coordinate so that i mean because what if two teams had the thumbs up like what if another team independent the phillies was like, thumbs up, that's going to be our thing this year. And then it's like, Oh no, we're two teams. Same thing. Like, do they coordinate?

Cause I haven't seen two teams do the same thing. I haven't seen that situation arise yet. I I'm fascinated by this. I wonder if they have to like send it into the league and say, Hey, this is what we're doing. So coordinate. I don't know.

I'm wondering. Probably not. Two thoughts off that. Yeah. One, obviously I have no no idea but my second thought is like i want to know who the person is that decides like this is our thing this year oh i agree i love it who is that who was the whole process yeah and then now they got the gold thumb in the in the in the especially the teams where you see like the really weird ones where it's like some like really strange motion or some weird this type of thing or whatever. It's like, how'd that happen?

Thumbs up. Get it. Get it. Flex. Sure. Get it. How'd that weird thing you do with your hands? What the hell is that?

Why is that your thing? I'm so fascinated by all of it. Well, it sounds like someone has to you know get an answer you know get to the bottom of it how who was the first one that was like you know what we're gonna do this year thumbs up seems like an adam in the comments is right it feels stubsy like yeah it does feel stubsy where's alex coffee i feel like alex coffee is the one who needs feels like an alex coffee story it does i feel like she'd be all over it uh or any entrepreneurial listener if you want to let us know because i'm let me tell you i want to know i will not find out

i will not do the work nor the effort as i said i'm going to bed as soon as podcast we are we are a read and react podcast yes that is what we are we're not a we're not a forward thinking podcast no we're gonna say it and hope something happens with it or just forget about it podcast yeah like stuff has to be handed to us is what we're saying very very clearly although i i i do plan on willing the jordan magia thing into becoming it i well you know we're getting there buddy it's it's getting close you know i mean think about it if b Bryson Stock gets to 30, it'll be the 38th time in the history of baseball.

How crazy is that? It's great. I know. It's great. I know. It's good for the sport. I should say when he gets to 30. I should say that.

Yeah. That is a fair way to look at it. Yeah. All right. You got anything else? Final thought? Anything like that? Just like I want to think of something that could eat up at least 10 minutes

to where you can't go to bed. If I could come up with one thing that could really just keep you, you know, who's your go-to? Who's your go-to Philly that played for both the White Sox and the Phillies? Jim, tell me. It's a good take. I was going to say wrong. Thank you.

I was going to say wrong. What about Freddy Garcia? Thank you. Thank you. Right here. What about Tadakito Oguchi? I won already. I won.

I got the best answer. That was pretty impressive by me. It was. It was. I mean, first base, Tommy. Second base, Oguchi. First half, I don't know. We're done.

Lance Parrish, catching. See, that's for the old i think he's a white dog i know he's a tiger i hope he's a white tiger i might have been wrong i think might have been an angel i'm not a tiger never mind i will say a tiger not a white sack i mean the white socks are being in such a major city feel like the least impactful major city yeah i agree with you franchise like they're just they want to know five and it's just like oh yeah the white socks they're there and it was the first time in like a 90 years or whatever it was like they had just like practically just as long a streak as like the cubs and boston but

no one cared all we ever talked about was the cubs in boston like no one gave a crap about the white socks one oh and uh as a great point as our good pal steve points out in the chat, Jimmy Rollins, a great White Sox. Oh, an all-time White Sox. All-time White Sox. I think he's in the White Sox Hall of Fame. Should be. Well done. Should be.

Should be. Yeah, the White Sox just don't matter in the baseball history. We need a sweep here, buddy. We need a sweep. I mean, I'm not expecting one. We're always good with two or three. But, just wouldn't it be nice wouldn't it be nice wouldn't it be nice to have you the funny part the funny part about the white socks is that like they do have like legitimate talent i mean yeah they just are like a piss poor franchise but they're they

would never figure it out i know i know i know i can't believe kenny williams is still a gm like they're just it's like a lifetime contract he's been there i think he's the gm in like oh five he might have been the oh five champ winning gm like holy i think he might have gone up to president though because i think they had someone else there that didn't have like rick khan at one point i don't know yeah so i think ben and tandy was their biggest creative signing ever in the history of the franchise yeah yeah yeah so that tells you all you need to know it's been good white socks banter is this well listen i'm excited i'm excited to see gavin sheets and jake burger um you know we'll see

you have a kid to go to now like i love you like it why you're taking up my time just for for fun but what about your kid you don't want to go spend time with walker i do i do yeah now but i think you well i hope he's still asleep but see and and i i do plan on going and having some burgers on the grill so yeah it's a nice little sunday night And I can't wait to lose money in the NBA playoffs. A nice Sunday night. A thing that I used to have and no longer do. Have a nice sleep, buddy. I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you.

Alright, we'll be back later in the week after the White Sox series. Until then! He's fred some something. you