High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - The Quickest Rebuild in Baseball History Loses 2 of 3 in Arizona

Episode Date: August 8, 2019

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz are back as the quickest rebuild in baseball history took it's talent to Arizona.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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We need a new pan. We already have a pan. It works. What we have is an extra stick pan made of I don't know what. Everything sticks and burns. Do we seriously have to eat burnt food to save 20 bucks? It's 20 bucks? 20 bucks.

Need I remind you, made in Italy. You don't need to tell me. We're getting this pan. Deals so good, everyone approves. Only at HomeSense. Hi, this is Bryson Stott, first round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies. And you're listening to the High Hopes Podcast with James Seltzer and Jack Fritz. This is the High Hopes Podcast.

High Hopes. It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Philadelphia Phillies on Radio.com and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yo, it is another edition of the High Ops Podcast. Jack, it seems like no matter what we do, we are never happy about the Phillies when we're talking to each other. No, I even tried to reverse jinx it. I've been trying everything.

I've been pulling out all the stops. It's just nothing's working. But at least they continue to battle and grind and grind out at bats. I tell you what, man. If you're looking for motivation, James, every day

I want you to wake up and I want you to be as positive as you are in your life about yourself as the 2019 Philadelphia Phillies are about how they're going to turn this around and they're going to get hot. They promise. They promise they're going to get hot. They've got 49 games left. They promise that eventually it's going to come.

They are too talented to not go on a run. So I want you to wake up every day with the blind naivety. Naive? Being naiveness? There you go. naivete. Naivete. I like it. That encompasses the 2019 Phillies.

Yeah, Jack, well, all I know is that I was told when they're playing their best baseball, they're unbeatable, Jack. Unbeatable. Words that after last night, after losing two and three to the the friggin white socks and then going to arizona winning that first game with a really nice effort like all phases of the game seem to be working for once and then to just drop the next two and then to come out and say we could

be unbeatable man dude let's let's start. And we'll get into the Nightingale article about Kapler in a bit, but, but with this series and with Kapler coming out after the game last night, first of all, the worst effort of the three from the Phillies last night. I mean, just, you know, at least in, in the second game, they were leading for a while and you felt like, maybe they can win this. And then it just fell apart. But last night was just over. for a while and you felt like, oh, maybe they can win this. And then it just fell apart. But last night was just over. They just had no chance. The offense was not showing up. Where are you at with obviously the series, but like I keep saying, and again, I don't, I've said many times, I don't need Gabe Kapler to crap on his players publicly. Like I don't, I don't need it. I don't think it's super productive, but I'm sick of, of,

of this man. I'm saying it just, it's so hollow. And so it's, it's almost like nauseating to hear him say these things at this point. Cause it's just so fake. That's the problem. And you know,

you hear a guy like Doug Peterson talk and you're like, that's a real guy. That's a guy that every time he talks, it's like, I could see guys wanting to play for him and I could, I could see him relating well to the city i just i just don't think gabe is ever going to mesh well even like me and you being pro gabe and and his philosophies and whatnot and we i want gabe to succeed because i think gabe is is where baseball is trending and i think the and i think this city needs uh i think this city needs an influx

of modern baseball. I just think that we've been living in the Stone Age and the majority of this fan base needs to see baseball played the modern way, the right way, so we can stop every time, just stop complaining about analytics and complaining about where baseball is going and actually have a fun baseball team

that is smart and can do the things that modern baseball teams do. I want Gabe Kapler to succeed, but I just don't think that... We have been in Philadelphia for too long. Me and you have lived in Philadelphia. You grew up in New York, so you were a New York sports fan. But it was New York in the 80s.

So I don't know. I wouldn't want to live in New York in the 80s. So, I mean, I don't know. I wouldn't want to live in New York in the 80s. There is no more formative becoming a Phillies sports fan experience than being a Phillies fan around a bunch of New York fans, let me tell you. Jesus. I just, that kind of talking, it just does not work here. Saying your team is going to be unbeatable when they go on a run, which you've been saying, well, you never said unbeatable, but

the whole team's been saying they've been going on a run since, like, I don't know, May, and there's 49 games left. There's 49 games left. Like, where's the run coming from? Are you ever going to go on a run? Like, if you, like, how do you keep saying, we're going to go on a run, we're going to go on a run, and then you're just going to run out of time?

This is what happened in September last year. Like, this is, what we're watching right now is basically september of last year except it's august of 2019 and that's what it feels like and and they they keep saying oh we're gonna go we're gonna go and then they just run out of time and they never actually put the pedal to the metal it feels like they've never had the sense of urgency to put the pedal the metal we gotta show up show up or shut up and actually thought i thought reese uh after game two was the first time when i was like all right he actually understands what we're talking about he understands that we're like dude you guys have to start playing better reese you have to start playing better like everyone has to start playing better

if you're gonna go on a run and to come out after playing again just an uninspiring effort. Again, if they actually fought and clawed and grinded their way through a ball game and you come out and say that, like, we're going to fight, we're going to grind, then it's like, okay, sure, I'll get behind that. But when you say, like, we're going to be unbeatable when we go on a run after you just lay down for the last three hours, it's horrible. It doesn't give you any credibility with the players, with the media, with the fans. Whatever you say in the locker room,

whatever you say in the locker room, but if you're a player in that locker room and you hear him come out and say, we're going to be unbeatable, that's not baseball. Baseball players are not stupid. Again, you're in the dugout all the time. You're just watching your teammates all the time.

They see what's going on. They see if they're actually fighting, if they're actually doing whatever they need to win a ballgame. And for him to just come out and keep doing this, it doesn't help anyone. No, it hurts. I'm with you, Jack, because maybe there are guys in the clubhouse

who don't care what he says after and don't pay attention to it. But there are definitely guys in that clubhouse who hear what he has to say and say, what planet is this guy living on? You know, how are we supposed to win games when the guy in charge is like, oh, they'll figure it out. They'll be great. We're going to be great. Everything's great. Everything's not great. Everything is definitively not great. And you talk about going on a run when you haven't won more than five games in a row all season. I mean, the Mets are sitting a half game back, you now, winning 13 of 14. The team that was a joke earlier this season, we were joking, oh, if only the Phillies could play the Mets every time,

because that's the only team they seem like they can handle. And now the Mets are the hottest team in baseball. You can't give us this BS rhetoric about we're going to be unbeatable, we're going to go on a run, while a team that you thought you were dead and buried behind you is running right past you or about to run right past you. I mean, it's asinine. It looks stupid. It looks silly. It makes you look silly. It makes, again, it gives you zero credibility both in the clubhouse,

in the city, with the fans. I just think it's a really bad look, especially after, like you mentioned, what happened last season. After letting the club, and again, we all agree that club, a lot of it was regression to the mean. They weren't very good. They were eventually going to have some sort of a you know regression back to where they should be type of thing but that was extreme what happened last year and to have that happen under Gabe's watch

and to have it even just feel like it's gonna happen again or is happening again I mean that's outrageous Jack I mean that's the kind of thing where, where that should, if you're a manager and a team and that happens to you, it should never happen again with that group of guys. It's, it's beyond unacceptable. And yes, they have 49 games to turn it around, but I just don't know why we should believe they're going to. And they, like you said, give me one time they had a big spot and they showed up for it just won this season i got zero zero yeah zero zero yep no it's zero besides like the met series and that was about it and like remember the

mets were a laughingstock i missed i missed them i missed the laughingstock mets and now that yeah we all do honestly james i was watching watching when they had three solo home runs in an inning and Pete Alonzo had the big one that put him ahead or whatnot. And it was like I was jealous. I was jealous of the Mets. That should never happen. I should never be jealous of the Mets. But, like, dude, just imagine this town.

Imagine this town if they went on a run and won like 10 of 11 or 13 of 14, like the Mets won. Like we would be on fire talking about this Phillies team, and they just can't do it. They can't win more than four games in a row. It's physically – I don't know if – like here's the thing. Here's the problem with the 2019 Phillies, and I don't know if they weren't aware of this or whatnot,

but they're not allowed to play with the juice balls. That's a bona fide fact. And they're not allowed to play with the juice balls. That's a bona fide fact. And they're not allowed to win more than four games in a row. Now, they did break the one rule that they weren't allowed to break, which was they're allowed to have more than one lefty starter in the rotation. They now have two. Maybe they're starting to kind of figure out some things. They're also allowed to have more than one lefty option in the bullpen.

So those are two good things to see. But again, what they are forgetting, and I don't know if they know this or not but there are juice balls in baseball this year and i would just like to give a big uh warm welcome to the 20 home run club for bryce harper uh finally number 20 last night just an absolute bomb in the ninth inning um a really important home run so yeah down-0. It was just massive. Welcome to the 20 home run club, Bryce. Everyone else is playing the juice baseballs. The Phillies are not. I think they should go to Major League Baseball

and make sure that is remedied. It's just... 2018 September should never happen again. It should never happen again, and you're right. It's happening with the same guys, but with better players. That's the problem.

This team is better than last year. They've had worse injuries this year. Their rotation is not as good, but you have JT Romito, Gene Segura, Bryce Harper added to that lineup instead of Wilson Ramos, Jhruva Cabrera, Justin Boer, and whatnot, and the same thing's happening again. I just think it's ridiculous

that the same thing is happening again. They never show think it's ridiculous that the same thing is happening again. They never show up. They never play with emotion. They never play with their hair on fire. And then yesterday, the Bob Nightingale article comes out. And it's like, everyone loves him. Everything's fine. The front office is in love with Gabe Kapler.

I just don't know. I don't know. That just feels like a tone deaf, we don't really care about winning. We're just happy that the guy's a good guy and his philosophies are aligned with the front office. No one down there knows how to build a baseball team. All right, quote unquote from the Nightingale article. The Phillies haven't won and the fans are furious, but he remains beloved. Beloved.

Beloved. By the front office. Quote, unquote, they love his passion and sincerity. They love his willingness to be fully indoctrinated in their organization, whether it's telephoning and welcoming new employees, making ticket sales calls or volunteering for research projects. They love his conviction and beliefs. Really? Really? That's that's that's the crap that we need from our manager right now? We're

talking about how invested Gabe is as a Philly? That's a reason to be beloved? That's asinine, Jack. I mean, this is pure absurdity here. And obviously, we know where this comes from. This is being put out to quell the talk, to kind know kind of just let people know gabe's our guy whatever it is um but man i mean if they really think that way and and the the line they love is willingness to be fully indoctrinated in their organization is basically saying they love that he's their puppet that is a rephrasing of that sentence yes they love that gabe is their puppet and will do what they want him to do that's alarming jack and you're i took away the same exact thing they are happy that he just says yes and listen i like the gig gabe to his credit like gives a crap like he he i believe

him when i when he says like i'm doing all the research i'm reading all the stuff i'm trying to find like i think he's i think he does work his ass off and and but the the problem is is that for for two years it hasn't come across that way like with the players like they're not playing they didn't they're not really playing for him and for the organization to just continue to be like no everything's fine like you guys the problem is they go you guys are the crazy ones it's like I don't think so man I

there's a lot of smart baseball people in this town and there's people that watch that team every night and they watch other baseball teams every night and it's like there's something off with this Phillies team there's been something off for two straight years and for them just to not like it's that it was a really weird weird article and like even the open of it was like Gabe Kapler with his black Adidas hat and black Adidas shirt with his veins popping out sits

behind his glass behind his desk like he's just getting calm and serenity it was a it was just a a weirdly worded thing um i i i can't believe i can't believe that like i just i don't know if you can take john middleton for his words anymore like saying i'm gonna get that trophy back or die trying or whatever and all i care about is winning well that's just just not true because obviously you don't care that much about winning or something would be done by now. There's no real reason for John Mayley to still be here. There's just not. You can make an organizational shakeup.

It's not going to cost them the rest of the season. I don't know. It might help them. Look at the Mets. They fired their pitching coach. They bring in the 1, thousand-year-old dude and things have turned around. Yeah.

It's just annoying. It's an annoying article and it's just tone deaf. The whole way the front office and the Phillies organization in general, the way they have approached their fan base has been so incredibly tone deaf with all of this.

They started off by promising the playoffs, promising a contender and all that. And then they have systematically not done the things that a team like that would do, whether it's adding salary, whether it's making significant moves to help them now in the future, all that type of stuff. They have come out publicly, Klentak and mcphail and tamped down expectations tamped down excitement if we don't we don't and all that crap just that just a horrendous way to approach this specific fan base and then on top of that they keep leaking these stories at the most tone-deaf times that only make us more mad. Like the stories about Clint Hackett, McPhail's extensions, this story about Kapler and the love of them for him within the organization. It's just all very weak attempts to try and craft the message and control the

narrative when every single Philadelphia Phillies fan sees right through it. And it is so incredibly tone deaf. They just don't get it. They don't understand. And they're going up against a team that is getting back into football tonight. That team in green is going to be playing again tonight. And it's a team that frigging gets it and knows how to appeal to their fans, knows how to put together a winner, knows how to go about their business in a, like you always talk about, a very smart, forward-thinking way.

The Phillies are going to lose. Like, it's over. Like, the Eagles are back. This product right now, every fringe Phillies fan, everyone who's been paying attention is back on the Eagles now. And they should be. I can't blame them. I can't say, oh, no, no, no, stick with the Phillies.

Why should you? Like, we're going to, obviously. We'll live and die with this team. If they were on pace for a 60-win season, you and I would be sitting here talking about prospects and bringing this guy up in that. We're mostly going to die. I mean, it's definitely not live.

But, like, I don't blame them. You've talked a lot about, multiple times this season, about the Phillies' chance to grab this city, to grab it back, the baseball town that it can be. And right now, it feels like they missed that shot. Well, when you punt the trade deadline, it's pretty easy to see that they just, you know, when you punt the trade deadline in the way that they did,

they don't care if they get trounced by the Eagles. Honestly, they'd probably prefer it. If September of 2018... Take them out of the headlines and just let them finish out the string. If September of 2018 happened to the Eagles or whatnot, it almost did happen.

After Thanksgiving in 2014, when they were... Sure, 9-3. Yeah, when they're 9-3 and then didn't make the playoffs that's kind of the equivalent of what happened it was just meltdown city and you're right they're just going to get trounced now no one's going to be talking about them there's going to be no buzz

the only thing that can save them is this team going on a run if you can go on a Mets like run and it's still the preseason, and you can go on a Mets-like run and kind of steal some headlines back, like, that's the only way people are going to talk about you. Because this city is just engulfed with the Eagles right now. Like, the Eagles are viewed as a team that's ready to win a Super Bowl all over again.

And that's what a whole city is expecting two years after they just won the super bowl like this is this is the most buzz for an eagles training camp i think since oh four like that's what that's what the phillies are going up against and if they don't give them go on a run and don't give this fan base something else to talk about like no one's going to talk about the phillies besides the people that really care like me you and the high hopes nation there may only be the people in uh that care gonna be at high hopes night on august 17th come hang with us august 17th i hopes night we uh on our twitters uh still tickets left versus we're gonna have fun it should have been such a positive night uh hey look look

if nothing else we'll all drink beers together and and and drown our sorrows and have a blast so yeah that's as the worst case scenario is beers which is never a bad scenario exactly and we're gonna have fun no it's so weird though like they're still they're still what a half game out of the wild today they're tied with the brewers for the second wild cards if the season jack if the season ended today uh they would be playing a playing game versus the Wild Cards for a chance to play another playing game against the Nationals. That's what's so ridiculous

is that dichotomy of this season where on the one hand, I think a lot of Phillies fans are really annoyed with this team. They're angry at them. They're not enjoying watching them on a night-to-night basis. I know we're not.

The tone of our podcast the last few weeks tell you how much fun we're having staying up to one in the morning to watch this product. But yet they can't fall out of it. They're still right there as a wildcard contender. And it really is. I don't ever remember. See, like, I think you said on the last pod, like, at what point are people going to be in? Like, if there's two weeks left in the season, and they're a game up in the wildcard, are people still going to be saying fire Kapler? I hate this team? Are people going to be in like if there's a two weeks left in the season and they're a game up in the wild card are people still going to be saying fire capler i hate this team are people going to say all right let's make a run here it's it's i really it's a really strange feeling around this team

right now considering where they are what they could do and how we all feel about them that's the weird that's the weirdest part about this team like There's going to be a week left in the season and they're going to have a chance to make the playoffs and people are still going to be saying to themselves, this team's not good. Every time I watch the team, I'm like, they're not good. But every day I wake up and they're right in the thick of things in the second wild card, which is not...

I'll tell you what, the second wild card's been good for the AL, but this year in the NL, it is just, it is horrible. Like, the Phillies should not be sniffing a playoff spot. The Brewers, the Phillies and the Brewers are the same run differential. Like, so the Brewers must not be very good either. It's, it's, it's, those teams should not be playoff teams.

That's crazy. I mean, think about it this way. All right, if the Phillies were in the American League right now, they would be seven games out of a wild card. Seven games out of the wild card. Yeah. Think about that. It would be seven games out of it.

And that's with another team. The A's are only a half game out of it. So they'd be six and a half behind the team that is closest to being in it but out of it I mean really yeah quickest turnaround in baseball history oh god it's so

embarrassing it really is embarrassing almost when they when they try and tout that stuff and again it's just like they just keep not showing up man I mean, like. We should bring signs to High Hopes Night, like quickest turnaround in baseball history. Oh, I love that idea. That's actually really funny.

Oh, my God. That's actually great. Bring the trophy back or die trying. Yeah. Sarcastic signs all over. I mean, but that's a shame that we that we feel that way. It's just. Oh, because we're not stupid.

Like, we're not freaking stupid, man. Thank you. I know. I don't know how any baseball fan or Phillies fan listens to them say, quickest turnaround in baseball history, and can sit there and say, that's a good, smart comment, when you look at the cores of the other teams. Oh, my God, dude.

I just watch the Astros. I've watched two straight cores of the other teams. Oh my God, dude. I just watched the Astros. I've watched two straight because of the late start. I've watched a lot of Astros Rockies. And they're, I mean, they just go down the lineup with George Springer, Altuve, Bregman, Brantley, Jordan Alvarez, who's like off to a historic start for rookieing as a monster. Yuli Gurriel, eight freaking RBI yesterday.

I mean, Correa, it is just stud after stud after stud after stud. They have Kyle Tucker waiting in the minors who would be like fifth in the Phillies lineup if they had him and brought him up today. I mean, like, it's infuriating. I watch these teams. I watch the Red Sox who have a better record than the Phillies, but are six games out of a playoff spot in the American League. And guys like Rafael Devers, who's 22 and is just a freaking star.

Like, an amazing hitter. Where are our guys, Jack? Where has this turnaround produced these guys for us, these freaking core franchise players who are also the best players in this sport they're not here they try to buy them i mean they try to buy core players and they did i mean bryce harper is a core player real music core player hoskins kingery core players but they're not good enough like that's the that's the problem like i think kingery and hoskins are both good players

i think harper has obviously way more ability than he's shown this year and new stance harper i like new stance harper i just do too i think i do too like i i feel like there's at least six times in the in the dimeback series not all were hits but balls were just tattooed off his bat like it looks like it looks like he created more leverage um it just makes sense like just practically what like the the he's had problems getting the bat and the barrel in the zone in the time he's needed to he struggled with fastballs all season we've talked about i think that it makes it makes a lot of sense right but it makes a lot of sense that stance well that's that's the thing i like the most about the stance that he has right now which i'm sure he'll change when he feels like it but um that's the thing I like the most about the stance that he has right now, which I'm sure he'll change when he feels like it,

but that's the closest it's been to his 2015 stance. Well, he did it a couple times in Washington, but still. That was his 2015 stance. It was just straight up and would just go, rather than have all the moving parts and whatnot. So I hope he kind of sticks with it, because I think that it could get him back to being uh the bryce harper that we all know and are hoping for and again welcome to the 20 home run club on august 7th well and that's like think about it if you

know and again i think we made it pretty clear that it's ridiculous to assume this team will or can go on a run but if they go on a run, it's going to be because that dude finally starts being the guy we thought we were getting. James, there's just one thing that we were talking about a second ago with the quickest turnaround thing. I'll ask this question, and I'll ask this question until he's fired or whatever.

What modern baseball team is employing Andy McPhail? Imagine the Astros being like you know what we need a guy who built the 91 twins like are you freaking kidding me man like it's a great baseball is trending with the way baseball is trending and the way that it's like i feel like john middleton hired andy mcphail to hold back analytics and hold back this team from being smart. He brought in an old-school baseball guy to just calm everyone down with the whole analytics movement, even though all the best teams are going more and more analytically driven. Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Dodgers, Astros, Indians, smart teams,

all analytically driven, all with forward-thinking front offices. Why is there a guy in this front office who built the 91 Twins, had a part in building the Orioles, who are where the Phillies were, except way worse from 2012 to 2016? Why is that guy employed by a modern, forward-thinking organization? He is horrible. Every single time he talks, I feel worse. Who in their right mind tries to compare the Phillies' rebuild

to what the Astros and Cubs did? Who is that much of an idiot? It's Andy McPhail. If I can get one thing accomplished this offseason ahead of firing john maylee it is getting rid of that guy i don't want him anywhere near this philly's organization that guy is a disaster and i he is holding i think he's holding back the whole organization yeah i i i agree with the disaster part i don't think he has as much power he's the president of the team he's the every everything

goes but i really think he's meant i think he's there as a face and a figure and granted that has not worked but i think the idea was all right we'll bring in someone who is a quote-unquote respected baseball man and then that way we could do the analytic stuff and have a little bit of a guise of need that, you know, I, yeah, look, it's all stupid. I'm with you. I don't need any McPhail. I'll get angry. Yeah.

And look again, you look at these teams and, and, you know, just all these fricking studs. Like I watched Fernando Tatis at another home run last night and I'm like, that'd be cool to have that guy. You know, it's just, there's so many of them. And, uh, it, it's frustrating, man. I, I don like, that'd be cool to have that guy. You know, it's just, there's so many of them and it's frustrating, man. I don't, it's frustrating as much because of as annoying as this season has been. And we just talked about it. It's,

it's even more frustrating for the implications for the future. You know, it's, it's, it's, where's the team going? Where are we headed? What, who do we have that we can count on? Where's our Ronald Acuna? Where's our Fernando Tatis Jr.? Where are these guys? And you hope that Bryce Harper can turn back into that, obviously an older version of those guys, but Harper has shown to be the ceiling is an elite best player in baseball type of guy.

But, I mean, there just aren't, like you said, Hoskins is a really nice player. I think Kingery is a good player. I think they have guys who can be nice players. And Romulo is a great catcher and all that. But, man, they're certainly lacking on the, oh, this 20-year-old kid is going to be the next star in the sport type guys. Johan Rojas, told you. It seems like so many of these teams have it. Whether it's Juan Soto in Washington or Acuna and Albies.

You could say Trey Turner in Washington, too, or whoever you want to say. I mean, obviously the Dodgers with Bellinger, and there are just so many of these guys, and the Astros have like six of them. It's frustrating, man. They're not a smart baseball team. All right. Anything else from the Diamondbacks series? I mean, there's really not much to say in my mind.

Yeah, we didn't even get to see Penveta. I know. I mean, what were they thinking? A series doesn't count unless you get Penveta. It's in my opinion. Oh, can it not count? That would be great. It doesn't count in the standings.

What sucks is that Monday, yes, Monday. Monday, I thought was the best game they had played all year. I was back in. Again, I came into you on Tuesday afternoon, and I was like, I'm back in. Last night was a turning point because I was so excited. They played a game on Monday night. They bunted. They played a game on Monday night.

They bunted. They had three straight smart, ideally placed bunts, or good ideas for bunts. Yeah, it was good. That I thought would have manufactured some runs. They executed three steals. They played good defense. Vinny had the nice play, the double play.

How about Vinny? Seven innings. Vinny? He went seven, man. I mean not gonna come on I'm not gonna buy into him but I just because we've seen it before but but right now he's in a groove I think I think playing left field kind of gave him that cockiness

a little bit I think so too I think it really might have like it almost sounds ridiculous to say that making plays in left field made him a better pitcher but we always talk about confidence and trusting his stuff maybe it did give him a little burst of confidence maybe um and then arietta just of course like he has a decent outing and after the game he's like i thought i should have gone longer it's like it's like dude like you got hit hard in the fifth inning

like relax like you got through it but my god it's just anytime he pitches even remotely well after the game you know it's coming it's like oh i was great i need more from my guys or or i should have kept going out there and then and then ranger suarez like literally just couldn't throw a strike like just couldn't throw a strike it was mind-blowing he's like it's like i do do this on Sundays. I can do this on Sundays. I can't find the strike zone either, but you're a major league pitcher, and I wonder if he's hurt.

I know he had trouble getting loose on Friday night, so I wonder if his arm's giving him some problems. That's what it looked like to me. But he did look fine last night, so maybe not, hopefully not, because they need any kind of bullpen help they can get. And then finally, Blake Parker came down to earth, and we see why the twins dfa'd him um but yeah i was just so disappointed because monday was a beautiful baseball game like i was watching monday and i

was like this is baseball you know well-timed bunts well-timed steals good defense timely hitting baseball and then then Tuesday happened. Although Adam Hayes has got three hits. Hayes has been good. He can handle the bad. It's been nice. Yes. He's a professional hitter. Alright. Giants coming up. Obviously, we want them to take three or four

at this point. The Nats just swept them. I'll be happy. What'd you say? I said the Nats just swept them. Fingers crossed. So fingers crossed. Fingers crossed we can split. Fingers crossed we can split. Yes, exactly.

You got anything else in the note bag? Tonight's game's on YouTube, which is always fantastic. It's going up against... Oh, man. I can't wait for the complaints. It doesn't affect me. I have YouTube on my TV. It works fine for me.

But, man, a lot of people don't love it. No, YouTube on my TV. It's not a, it doesn't, it works fine for me, but man, a lot of people don't love it. No, people, people don't love it at all. my, all right, I guess I'll do,

I guess I'll do one note bag thought and then final thought. Wonderful. Um, the Phillies are three for 34 since July 1st with the bases loaded and they're, Oh man, they're over 14 with less than two with the bases loaded. And they're... Oh, man! They're 0 for 14 with less than two outs and bases loaded since July 1st. Get out of here. That is hard to believe.

Shout out to Boop Stats for that one. Bob Vitrone. Oh, my God. Brutal. That's unbelievable. And it did feel like they left the bases loaded like six times in this Arizona series. Well, dude, how about last night? I felt like every inning they got a base runner on first base to lead off an inning.

Like Zach Gallin, I think three straight innings had a runner on first or the first batter of an inning was on first base, whether it was a hit or a walk. Like are you guys – that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying with the John Naley stuff, and this leads me to my final thought, is that the big inning is freaking stupid. It is a horrible way to think. Just obsessing about a big inning and breaking through and hitting home runs. Listen, your team's not built that way.

Change it up. Like, find a way to manufacture some freaking runs. How about instead of just putting guys into your system, you adapt to the players in your system? Crazy concept, except every other team does it all the time. Your team is not built to out-slug teams. You have Kingery, Segura, Cesar. You have to let Hoskins and Harper drive those guys in real mudo.

Those four guys outside of Harper and Hoskins are not guys that you can play for a big inning with. Those are guys that you have to methodically beat teams. You have to go, you have to manufacture runs, go base to base, win games that way, forcing them to play for a big inning and just always try to hit a home run and slug and whatnot.

That's not how this team is built. They didn't bring in players. The Phillies this offseason did not bring in players to fit the system that they want to run. Harper fits it. Real Amito does not. Real Amito is fantastic. And he's a good player and whatnot. But he is not a Matt Klintak kind of player.

Gene Segura, same thing. Segura is a 280 to 300 hitter with like a 310 OBP. He's not an on-base guy. He's not a see pitches guy. The big inning is it does not work for this team. Try something else. Like, if you have

to go base to base and you have to manufacture a run, you have to do the little things that help you win, then do it. Because the players that you brought in and are do it because you you're the players that you brought in and are already here are not those kind of players and even hazley hazley is not an on-base percentage guy he is a hit the baseball guy like like i just think that they have players that fit the the red sox twins um astros mentality of not striking out and and always making hard contact.

And they're trying to build this team like the Dodgers, but they're not Dodgers-like players. Yeah, Lo, I think it's a massively important point. I've always said in any sport, whether it's football, baseball, whatever, that the best coaches, the best managers are the ones who see the talent they have and then fit what they do around that talent. Like use your players at what they do best. Instead of saying like, that was Chip Kelly's problem.

Chip Kelly came in here and said, this is my system. You all will figure it out and fit into my system. When instead he should have been looking at his players and saying, all right, you do this really well. I'm going to have you do this. You do this really well.

I'm going to have you do this. I mean, it's what, and conversely what Peterson did with foals. Peterson in 2017 said, all right, Nick, what we did with Carson, that's not working for you. Let's totally change this up. And they won a Superbowl. I think it is the number one trait that great managers, great coaches have is the ability to adapt to what your talent gives you. And this organization has done a horrendous job of it. And they, and like you said, the players don't fit what they want to do.

They have an 8% walk rate over the last 30 days, Jack. As a team, an 8% walk rate. Like, stop it. Just stop trying to do things that way because it ain't working. These guys are not built for that. I think that is a great, great final point. I don't really even have much else to say. My final thought is just I can't believe it took until now for them to announce

that they're going to play a game in the Field of Dreams field in Iowa. August 13, 2020. Super cool. Yankees, White Sox. I can't wait until that becomes a thing and the Phillies get to play. That's just cool. Baseball should do more stuff like that. Oh, my God.

Well, that's what makes the Little League thing so special. Exactly. They have to find ways to make the game special and cool and have people talk about it. One more final-ish thought is that Moniak homered twice last night. Yeah, buddy. Alec Baum homered last night. And I just would like to say it's a coincidence

that maybe our favorite driveline minor league hitting coordinator was in attendance and has been working and writing the last couple days. Don't know if there's a coincidence there. Maybe there is. Maybe he should be our future hitting coach, Jason O'Chart. Yeah, maybe he is now. Speaking of our guy, the Dodgers have a guy who's never like no one ever heard of, never played in the league.

Just do it. Speaking of our guy, Jason O'Chart, did you see Trevor Bowers? I did. Player's weekend name. So cool. That's our guy Jason O'Chart, did you see Trevor Bauer's... I did. Player's Weekend name. So cool. That's our guy.

Jay O'Chart. He's big time now. I hope he still remembers us, you know, now that he's big time like that. It would be nice if he could remember who we are. We'd really appreciate it. He's asking a lot, all right? He's asking a lot.

But Mickey Moniak, having a career year... Hey, Jack, it's time to start talking about the future He's asking a lot. But Mickey Moniak, having a career year. Hey, Jack, it's time to start talking about the future because the present is disappointing. Very disappointing. All right. And Kendall Simmons is homered in like five of seven games for the Crosscutters. Yeah, I saw that. That's an interesting name.

Young kid, was he 19? Got some pop? Interesting. All right. Well, we will always have you covered on that stuff because the future is important, especially when the present sucks. All we care about now. Yeah. Pie Hopes Night, again, August will always have you covered on that stuff because the future is important, especially when the present's up. That's all we care about now. Pie Hopes Night, again, August 17th, coming out.

I swear, whatever's happening with the team, we're going to have a blast. I can promise you that. And we'll have some more stuff to announce with that. Coming up soon as well, and rate and review the podcast because it makes Jack really happy. And we need to be happy right now because the Phillies have not helped us out with that. Hopefully, when we are back on Mondayay it will be to discuss better things either way until then

he's fred some shots and we'll talk to you soon 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 it's 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