High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - They Split?... They Split!

Episode Date: July 19, 2019

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz are back talking about a massive split over the Dodgers. They get into the trade deadline and more! 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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The juice is loose. On September 6th... We doing this? The wait... Let's go, honey. ...is over. Thank you all for coming to this very special occasion. I felt a little tingle.

Ew. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, September 6th. Own each step with Peloton. From their pop runs to walk and talks, you define what it means to be a runner. Whatever your level, embrace it. Journey starts when you say so. If you've got five minutes or 50,

Peloton Tread has workouts you can work in. Or bring your classes with you for outdoor runs, walks, and hikes led by expert instructors on the Peloton app. Call yourself a runner. Peloton All Access membership separate. Learn more at onepeloton.ca slash running. This is the High Hopes Podcast. 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 hopes podcast another zoe is sleeping yo jack fritz back at the studio what's up buddy i don't know man that's a pretty good yo for for her sleeping thank you i figured i'd go all out fritz and i are having a uh uh baseball weekend this weekend aren't we jack we sure are buddy it's gonna be yeah it's gonna be good yeah me you uh our good friend of the podcast ryan spader we're we're all heading up to

cooperstown it's gonna be listen for true baseball nerds it's going to be a nerded out weekend yeah I haven't been since I was like nine or ten years old so I'm super psyched all the way back in the 80s pretty actually not that far off I know that was the first time I was serious I know you were actually serious

so yeah it's been a really long time so i'm super psyched to get up there uh we'll have a lot of fun we'll talk a little hall of fame at the end but jack i don't know about you but this is the most happy i have ever been with a series split oh it's the best series split of all time oh my god what a split we're setting up the the streak down broad street soon i think for the wonderful series yes it was really well how about just thinking about like not just what a a monster split it was to get like what an up and down ridiculous series that was to lose 16 to 2 to come back the next night to have neris blow it and to still come back and win by three runs in the bottom of the ninth, which this team so rarely seems to do.

Then the rain delay, lackluster Nick Pavetta, no hitter effort. And then to again battle back earlier today, we're recording at, you know, after Jack shift late night on Thursday night. after Jack's shift late night on Thursday night. So, like, what a series. Like, what a crazy rollercoaster of a series. The Phillies split a series in which they allowed 15 home runs. It's crazy. That is so absurd.

Like, they split, and I'm very glad they split, but, like, Fernando Salas is a legitimate option on this team. Austin Davis has taken down innings. It was a really weird series. They got destroyed on Monday. Everyone felt like crap. Everyone wants to fire everyone. Come back Tuesday.

It looks like the same thing is going to happen again. And then Bryce comes through and saves the day. And then a stinker with a huge rain delay that was really fun to produce two and a half hours of of jim jackson radio i love jim it's just like that is such a brutal it was we take two breaks and it's just straight philly's takes for for two hours um and let me say i love wip callIP callers. Not the best samples. There are much better callers to WIP than the ones who seem to call into Jim Jackson during the rain delays. The rain delay is very, very tough. It's a tough time.

It is a tough time. Today, I just felt like it was going to be... That game today felt like a loss. And they come back and they win. I mean, Aaron Nola wasn't good, especially coming off of the Nick Pavetta no-hitter. But it was just, it was a weird, a weird series. And thank God they split, because I hate that Dodgers team.

I really do. Like, they're so arrogant. They think they run baseball. Like, they're very annoying. I am envious of the position they're in, but I am rooting against them every step of the way. Yeah, they're really good, though. Yeah, they're pretty good.

They're really good. But I'm with you. Look, yes, you've gotten the World Series two years in a row. You've also lost in the World Series two years in a row. So maybe win a World Series before you have that kind of swag. The stuff they pulled today was stepping on Hoskins twice. I i didn't like that obviously narris did the narris thing or whatever but the the stepping the stepping on hoskins was like what are you guys 12 like it was embarrassing but it was bush league yeah bush league no i'm i look at you jaggy unwritten

rules made appearance we'll get into the narris things i want i want your thoughts on that why don't we go game by game real quick? Just general thoughts. 16-2. I mean, not much to say. What's going on with Eflin, man? Like, he is not good. Well, his fastball is... I thought his fastball was actually decent on Monday. Like, his fastball wasn't the reason he got hurt.

He got hurt because his off-speed is just so meh. Like, his slider is so bad. It doesn't fool anyone. Hoodiers don't miss it. It doesn't have any sharp break to it. And yeah, the Eflin streak was fun at the beginning of the year because he's using his fastball and all that. But I think Eflin is a tale of you need to have stuff.

And I think Eflin could be a solid pitcher, but if he doesn't develop a change-up, like a legit change-up he threw a couple times the other night, but the only time he can throw that to where it doesn't get crushed is when a left-handed hitter fouls off four pitches in a row. I think it was Peterson or Verdugo. It was a 2-2 count, and Eflin just kept pounding him with fastballs. And eventually, once they were geared for the fastball, he dropped a nice change-up on him. go it was like a 2-2 count and effelers kept pounding him with fastballs and eventually once

they were geared for the fastball he dropped a nice change up on him but that's the only time he can really do it and you have you have that um the fastball was better but when your only pitch is really a fastball it's just not going to last in 2019 especially with how teams are have all these detailed scouting reports and like i'm The Dodgers, just watching them this whole series, it felt like they knew what was coming. They were planning for one pitch, one spot. They knew your trends. They knew where you missed with certain pitches.

They knew when you were going to throw a pitch in a certain situation. It was just scouting expertise put on display by the Dodgers this week. And the Eflin, Eflin only really having that fastball and then having just secondary pitches. I'm sure the Dodgers were like, listen, let him get his fastball because if he throws that slider, we're going to do damage on it. That's just watching the game. It looked like they were kind of spitting on the fastball

and like, hey, he'll get his. But once he throws that slider, it doesn't move and we should be able to jump all over it. And teams have figured out Zach Eflin. So until he comes back with a sharper slider or something, then get swings and misses. One of his breaking pitches, he's just going to be a 4-5

that can go on a nice little run, but ultimately teams will figure him out. Well, that is not encouraging, is it, Jack? And he also looked, to be a little fair, he did get paper cut to death in that one inning. Just a horrendous inning of baseball.

We were at the game for the midday show and it was just, it was tough to watch in person. And then the whole, what's your take on the not knowing that? I still, I still can't figure it out. Like it, like the, with the whole team not realizing it was the third out or whatever. Like I get it if, if, you know, a majority of the guys aren't realizing it was the third out or whatever, I get it if a majority of the guys aren't realizing it's the third out or aren't realizing it's the third strike, but when everyone on the field doesn't put it together,

what was your take on that? Did you have any theories on how that kind of played out that way? Well, I mean, if you're in the field, right, and you kind of take cues from your pitcher, and when the pitcher doesn't know how many outs there are or how many strikes he has, it kind of makes everyone else question it because if you're a pitcher, usually you're on top of the count. Yeah, you should be.

You're right. It tells you what you're throwing a lot of times and whatnot. Right, so Howard was on with us tonight, and he was saying that he talked to JT, and JT was about to throw the first base because that's what they do after they strike out a guy to end the inning. Yep, yep, yep. And Eflin just stood on the mound like the inning

wasn't over. So it seemed like it was on Eflin. It was on Eflin for not knowing the amount of strikes he had or how many outs there were. Way to go, F. Which not great. Not great, man. Not great. So the Zach Eflin experience. It was like, dude, that game, the it was just it was like dude that that game the fourth inning it was like they had the double steal they had this uh safety squeeze they had

safety squeeze when was the last time you saw a safety squeeze no i i honestly i was i loved it like i i that was a great the dodger it was if you didn't respect the way the dodgers go about their business prior to that and he certainly did after after. Yeah, for sure. You might be annoyed by them as a team, but I'm talking about the way they play baseball and how smart they are and how just strategic and how talented. They're a behemoth, man. Well, they're a well-oiled machine. They're well-coached.

And the thing they did that was so smart was, I think it was Verdugo was up. He looked like he thought something was on. I forget what the situation was. I forget who was up. But they kind of faked a bunt to see who was breaking where and how the Phillies' defense was positioned. And then they took advantage of it.

They saw that the Phillies showed their hand, and the Dodgers took advantage of it. And then that's real value at the margins. That's real winning at the margins. That's doing your homework. That's doing your scouting. I know the Phillies have the hardest working coaching staff in the history of baseball.

Um, but the coaching staff on the other side this week, I thought just took it to the Phillies. Um, I, I, it's not really all gaze fault or whatever. I just think that in seeing that Dodgers,

that Dodgers coaching staff and seeing how they executed and whatnot, it was like that's kind of what the Phillies are going for. So it was cool to see that brand of baseball. Obviously, they're fourth in baseball in home runs. They win that way. But their ability to play small ball, manufacture runs, and the most damning part of that whole game on Monday, I thought was when it was 15 to 2 or 16 to 1 or whatever and cody bellinger hits the ball to second base and he beats it out and and meanwhile michael franco does not beat it out and when they were

leading one nothing um and the phillies could have broken up with the open the game there so it was uh it was it was a testament to uh one team is operating on all cylinders and the phillies who are not there yet all right moving on to tuesday before we get to the game the franco benching what what were your thoughts on that it was it was pretty dumb i mean it's just weak man like you didn't bench Segura. You didn't bench Cesar. And now, really? Really? Now it's like, oh, I'm benching Franco.

It's like Franco doesn't play anyway because he stinks. Really? I thought it was so weak. I thought it was so, like, I don't know. It just felt like there was zero impact with that. Yeah, I mean, they've been inventing ways to bench Mikel Franco for over a season now. Exactly, exactly. It's like, oh, cool, you bench Mikel Franco again. And then Gabe comes out and was like, yeah, you know, we had to send a message.

But also, I think his groin hindered his ability to get the first base. I know, I know. He couldn't even go fully through with it. He was, like, tabling it. Yeah, I know. Is that Zoe screaming in the back was that but she's usually pretty good about making some noise and going back to bed which i think is what she's doing okay maybe i'll try and yell slightly less yeah well you know this they did split so

shouldn't be too much yelling all right so we both think the frango sitting was weak but look uh brad miller big hit in that game um brad miller is a butcher on defense though like he is a terrible defensive third baseman not good but that was a game that was a game that the phillies last year don't win that the phillies generally the last month and a half don't win. When Neris gave up the lead, which felt entirely predictable in the moment, I was sure that game was over, Jack. Oh, I don't blame you. I mean, it was setting out to be a classic Phillies loss.

And especially coming off the night before, they lose 16-2. They have a lead going into the ninth. They blow that. I give the Phillies a lot of credit for coming back and figuring out a way to win that game. My main takeaway from the Walker Bueller six-iron run game is that

Cornelius Randolph was the obvious pick and Cornelius Randolph was the correct pick in the moment. You're just digging the needle in. That was one of those games that like that was i feel like that was the first game that bryce kind of just won like he has the monster home run um he he has that was a monster home run total monster yeah to the camera guys at center field like that was crazy i know and he's been so good and like i'm just i'm so glad bryce harper's here and i know like he struggled for that little bit and and he

got off to a slow start but as you have said many times you know human beings are going to be human beings and baseball players are human beings and the guy moving to a new city huge contract uh face of the sport um pregnant wife pregnant wife. Pregnant wife. Literally just bought a house. Like, he just bought a house before the Dodgers series. So he finally is settling in. And, dude, like, the power numbers aren't totally there. I think they're coming around.

And he's been on a little bit better of a pace. But the guy is coming up when it matters. And he is delivering when it matters. Remember how the Nationals fans were like, oh, he's not clutch, and he doesn't step up when the team needs him. I mean, that's all he's done here. That's all he's done here. The only time he's been good is when it's been clutch. It's crazy.

When he's on base. And I know people have ripped his base running and all that, but that kind of aggressiveness, that level of base running, is something that can energize a team. And I think that happened a bit today. I mean, we'll get to it, but I think that kind of aggressiveness that level of base running is something that can energize a team and i think that happened a bit today i mean we'll get to it but i think that happened a bit today where he has that double he gets on second base and he he like you follow the lead of your of your highest paid player your franchise player your superstar and i just think bryce has acted like a superstar for the last month he's batted over 300 over 300. I'm so glad that dude's here. We've talked about this a lot,

that Philadelphia is going to bring out the best in Bryce Harper. And I think we're starting to see the good player Bryce Harper, but also the leader of the Bryce Harper. The guy that can kind of put the team on his back for a little bit. Because once McCutcheon went down, I thought that was the one thing that was really lacking was the accountability in the clubhouse. And I just feel like Bryce is now putting that on his shoulders now that he's actually hitting.

Like he's found it at the offensive side of the plate. So I'm so glad that dude's here and the Bryce Harper hot streak has arrived. It has. First walk-off hit as a Philly, which was just awesome. First one since 2017. Huh. First one since 2017. Huh? First one since 2017. Wow.

How about that? Yeah. I feel like that had to be the Edebrai Ramos game where he took Edebrai like 450 feet to dead center field. Yeah, I remember that, Homer. Oh, it was demoralizing. It was classic. I'm with you, though.

And I think that, look, some guys lead off the field and kind of are outspoken and all that type of stuff. Harper is the kind of guy who lets his play talk for him and lets his, like you said, he energizes the team with action and with passion on the field and all that type of stuff. And I'm with you, man. I think that's an incredibly underrated aspect of what he's brought to the team. And like you said, really over the last month, he's been a really, really good like minus the power numbers being below his norms for his career.

He's been really good for a month, like legit good, a good hitter for a month. He's been a defensive superstar all season, which is unbelievable. I mean, how many Bryce Harper gems have we seen the fricking cannon of an arm? And I'm with you. Like I have certainly at times said, you know, bleeping Bryce Harper when he's got thrown out in a spot where I'm like, how could you possibly get thrown out there? But more often than not, I prefer the aggressiveness. I like the aggressiveness. I appreciate the aggressiveness. Um, and I'll take those times getting thrown out if, you know, the aggressiveness leads to, to like, like you said, can lead to situations where it really gets team going in a big game. Um, yeah, that was awesome, man. I can't

believe they won that game. Alright, not much. I feel like the rain delay game, we'll call it. No, it's not the rain delay game. It's the Pavetta no-hitter. Let's call for what it is. No-hitter. One of the worst Phillies games in a long time for me. When you combine

the Pavetta not getting a chance to finish out his no hitter only mother nature slowed was going to slow down nick pivetta on monday and also let's not talk about that first inning but um just for to wait what two two plus hours whatever it was to come back and then stay up till 142 in the morning to see two hits. And that dreck that we saw, it was just like, screw this. Like I was legit annoyed after that one. Like that game sucked.

I hated it. I hated it, Jack. Yeah, I mean, I hated it. We saw Austin Davis taking down some innings. By the way, I meant to say this. When you're talking about Austin Davis and Edgar Garcia, it's always great when guys take down innings and then get sent to the minors the next day.

And guys come up like Fernando Salas and pitch in high leverage innings that day. That's what you want to see from a winning baseball team. Go on, Jack. Meanwhile, the Dodgers rolled out Julio Urias. No, I know. Urias would be our second best starter. Ross Stripling today, same kind of thing. They're just messing around throwing Joe Kelly in a 7-2 ball game.

I don't know. That was one of those games. The two-hit game was one of those games where i was like oh that's what a good baseball team looks like like that's that's how a a fully functioning organization um looks like like austin davis would be in the a double a pitcher for the dodgers like he wouldn't even sniff the big leagues and the fact that true the fact that they let austin davis the fact that they let austin davis even wear number 54 i think is totally embarrassing oh i like that take and actually i think there are a lot of players on the phillies who wouldn't

sniff the braids uh dodgers double a team i mean the will smith is a guy who's been shuttled up and down from the minors for the dodgers hit hit that obviously big home run against the Phillies, who's like a top 30 prospect in baseball or top 40 prospect in baseball. And he's just like, oh, sometimes they bring him up, sometimes they don't. It's crazy. Andrew Knapp wouldn't even be in the Dodgers system, Jack. It was a little frustrating. That was one of those like they're just so far ahead of where the Phillies are now type of moments. Luckily, somehow today, and again, both of the games they won this series,

I really don't know how they won, nor did I expect them to win. Certainly because if you had asked me how do they win this game today, I would have said because Aaron Nola put them on their back. Right. But Aaron Nola didn't have their back, but Aaron Nola didn't have it today. We talk about this all the time, but it's fastball command, fastball command, fastball command.

When he has to rely on his curveball more and more, it eventually figures. The hitters just figure it out and they eventually get hit. I thought the Dodgers had a solid game plan against them. The backdoor curveballs, the lefties, he tried that a lot, and they

were just waiting on it. It felt like they knew it was coming. Again, that's the difference between the Phillies coaching staff and the Dodgers coaching staff, is that the Dodgers coaching staff that is so detail oriented that they know the trends. They know when you're going to throw your pitches, and they sit on them, and they look to do damage, and

they slug. I thought that was just another example of that. Nola, I'm not worried about Nola. Like you're allowed to have one start where your fastball can manage. Yeah, he had five straight great starts or whatever it was. Right. And I do think that his fastball velocity at some point was down to like 88, 89. And I just think when you're pitching on a wet mound, it was legit raining a lot today. I'm surprised it didn't stop the game at all.

When you're pitching on that kind of mound, you get a lot of mud in your cleats. You don't feel comfortable finishing your pitches. So you're kind of sliding to the plate. So instead of being able to take a full step and really getting into a pitch, you kind of have to back off a little bit. You don't want to back off a little bit, but you kind of just do.

And you kind of just, you know, you can't fully finish all of your pitches. So I'll chalk a little bit of that up to the mound not being up to where it needs to be for him. And yet again, the Phillies find a way to pick him up. So many times this season when Nola was struggling.

Well, the offense hasn't picked him up often. So, you know, it was nice. You know, he's usually going out the last couple starts at least. No, the last few. I'm saying earlier in the season they found a way to pick him up in some of those spots. But yes, you're right. Lately it has been Nola out there battling all by himself. Do you know that Aaron Nola is 15-0 in his career at home when the Phillies give him four runs?

Wow. That's a pretty crazy stat. Yeah, well, he didn't get the win today, but he didn't get the loss today. He didn't get the loss either, yeah. All right, real quick. Should we be worried about Hector Nurse? No, I think he made some nice mechanical changes

in the ninth inning today. I know he gave up the home run, but what they had talked about was the the prior appearances or whatever he's getting a little bit rotational um and not coming straight downhill and when you get rotational with a splitter it doesn't really split as much but if you if you um if you get more downhill and all your momentum is going towards home plate rather than towards the first base side uh it just gives more um depth to your to your splitter so i think he made a nice little adjustment today i thought he looked fine today um he just has he i think i think the. So I think he made a nice little adjustment today. I thought he looked fine today.

I think the Dodgers are just in his head a little bit, and I think that's why you saw him kind of act out the way that he did today. Which makes sense. The Dodgers owned his soul. Yeah. For years. I mean, remember that one a couple years ago? Or was it last year?

I think it was last year. That game with the back-to-back-to- to beat him that was unbelievable yeah i mean that was the uh that was the last year that was last year right yeah well no it was because it was 2017 because they're in first place right it was two years ago yeah because my initial gut thought was yeah me and you were at that adobe place and it was the night that the phillies or the flyers got nolan patrick and we're doing this we're doing the draft stuff yes yes the same night that the Flyers got Nolan Patrick and we were doing the draft stuff. Yes, yes. The same night as the Hector Neres

letting up three straight home runs to the Dodgers. That's so awful. I'll never forget it as long as I live. It was a horrible... And they were in first place at that point, I'm pretty sure. Yes, I remember it mattered. They just went into the tank. Yeah, as we saw them do yet again last year.

So let's hope we don't have any of that this year. We're done with the Dodgers, Jack. How great is that? Is there anything better than being done with the Dodgers? We're done with the Dodgers until the NLDS. Well said. Thank you. Well said.

Yeah. Listen, I need that matchup. I need that matchup. I want that team again. And I know they'll lose. I know they'll lose to the Dodgers. But I loathe that team. I want to beat that team.

And I just – it'd be a fun series. Like, Maris throws it. David frees. He gets all mad. And, by the way, Hector, like, why are you throwing it David frees there? Oh, yeah. Real quick. Do you think that was on purpose?

Yes. Of course it was on purpose. What is he doing then? And why is he throwing up near his head dude i don't know it was it was really bad and i hate that i i i can't rail against other teams when they do that and not rail against hector narrows for being an asset well it was like it was like the daughters didn't even showboat they just hit a home run you were frustrated home run and yeah matt bailey just put his bat down and ran yeah i know and i think i think you're starting to see you're starting to see some of the frustrations with jt um because jt when when when he threw at him he kind of dropped his glove and was like what are you doing and you could see it you could when you watch like

look at the freeze frame pictures of it you can see j JT just doing the like, what the hell, man? That's the motion that he's doing when it happens. And he had to do the same thing today when Hector said F you. If you saw the clip, JT turned to the Dodgers dugout and was like, I know, I'm sorry. Oh, God.

Hector the head case is back. I miss no doubt Neris. I miss Hector the protector. I leverage Hector. Where's he at? I don't know. I don't know. But I think he'll be fine. I don't understand why he was throwing at Dodgers players. Yeah, they need more relievers.

What do you think? Yeah, desperately. I mean, I can't stand the bullpen. I'm so done with all of them. If I never see... I was just about to start listing guys, and let me go the other way.

The only guys I'm okay seeing throw a pitch again for the Phillies are Hector Neris, Adam Morgan, and believe it or not, Fernando Salas. Dude, Jose Alvarez. Everyone else can go. Jose Alvarez is pretty decent. I like Jose Alvarez. else can go jose alvarez is pretty decent i like jose i can't

believe we're at that point third best reliever think about that jack jose alvarez is their third best reliever uh i need that i need i need one of those throwback shirts of my bullpen makes me drink no man does it ever it's it's like it's it is a bunch of listen i was thinking about this today those are the guys are calling up from triple a how bad is the triple a bullpen like if they're best if their best options to bring up are austin davis garcia and austin davis oh my god these guys are disasters how bad must that Lehigh Valley bullpen be? Although, Ranger Suarez is starting to figure it out a little bit. Ranger Suarez, two wins this week.

How about that guy? Wins matter. They're the only thing that matters when it comes to a pitcher. Just do it now. He's had a good week. He's gotten some big outs. Big outs today, big outs in the 9-8 game. Let's get some good stuff there. Anything else from the Dodgers series or today jack um no no i'm gonna save save it for for later okay obviously

with the pirate series we're just gonna say sweep or two or three yeah and what worries me though is like i think the pirates are kind of frisky. Yeah, look, they're only a few back. They're like one of those teams that we know will not really be in the wild card at the end, but is still technically in the wild card. Yeah, and I just think that once you get to the bullpen, if you're behind, it's going to be hard to come back against a Kyle Crick and Felipe Vasquez. It's not going to be the Jansen thing, which Jansen kind of looks cooked. not going to be like uh it's not gonna be the jansen thing which jansen kind of looks cooked um so i just think that's how he blamed it on the uh the hazley comebackers like should have

taken myself out of the game that was the issue it's like all right buddy yeah it looks like trash it wasn't that your fastball velocity is severely declined no um oh speaking of adam hazley i mean the first home run oh yeah how about that nice about that? Nice shot, too. He was jacked. You could see it. Yeah, he's got some quick hands, man. And this whole Dodgers series, sometimes he looked overmatched, and I think that's fine for a guy that should probably still be playing in AAA. But I just think that he's got quick hands,

and he made solid contact all throughout. He got some bad luck. He smoked some balls that were just right at people, right in the shift. I want to see Adam Haseley play more. I don't want to see Nick Williams play left field if they don't have to. I would much rather have Kingery in center, Haseley in left, I guess Franco at third base. But I just want Adam Haseley to play over Nick Williams

because we kind of know what Nick Williams is at this point. And I just want to see what what hazley can bring to the table um he works some good accounts uh i i think he just overall he just has solid bad to ball skills so um i i really like the series from adam hazley for sure um but i forget what we're talking about so we'll get back to that that was it cosine uh what we're going to talk about um if you're done with dodger series before we get to your notebag and all that uh hall of fame we're going up there i think a uh a very good class and obviously one of our own there uh what's it like for you i know someone who was a huge doc fan uh to see roy holiday go in the

hall of fame obviously the the bittersweet part of it um you know that he won't be there for it and and the tragedy and all that but um just as a fan of roy halliday a young pitcher watching roy trying to mimic him trying to do all that stuff what's it like for you to see uh how they go in yeah it hasn't fully set in yet um but i i i just i'm glad he's going in. I'm sure there's people that were worried he wasn't going to make the Hall of Fame. Like, he might not have been a Hall of Famer. But just that guy was the ultimate competitor. Just hearing the legendary stories of his work ethic and his focus and all that. I just, he was, for every young pitcher, like, we as Phillies fans were able to watch Roy Halladay and Chase Utley do their thing in our city.

And I think we're going to look back on that and say those were two of the last true ballplayers. Those guys were just absolute baseball players. And they pushed each other to new limits. And just seeing Utley blossom into the star he turned into and just hearing his stories and then Doc coming in and Doc almost one-upping Chase Utley, which I didn't think was possible. And two guys that – like I just – Roy Halladay, for every young pitcher, was a guy that you just wanted to emulate.

He had perfect mechanics. He could throw a pitch whenever he wanted. And it would would he was he was magic and unfortunately it took him a little bit longer to get here obviously we all thought it was gonna happen in 09 but they brought in cliff lee and then cliff lee went on that run that was amazing um but i'm just glad that roy halliday came here we graced our city with his presence and the the the magical moments and unfortunately never won for him but that guy just gave it all every start and he's like the definition of a workhorse and i just i'm excited

to see the reception this weekend up at cooperstown yeah me too uh you know obviously all that you said and i mean just think that that the guy waited his whole career to get to the playoffs pitching at that al east with the yankees and red sox that heyday of that whole thing the orioles were good this guy just never had the chance to get to the playoffs and the first time he takes the ball in the playoffs he goes out and throws one of two no hitters in the history of the sport in the postseason it's just he was that type of guy and um i'm with you in my mind he was-doubt Hall of Famer. He was the best and one of the best pitchers in the sport for a long period of time, a generational type guy. Certainly, I think for me, as old as I am, Jack,

I was not around for Carlton. I didn't see any of that. For me, Roy Halladay's 2010 season, the best season I've ever seen a Phillies pitcher have in my lifetime, I think. Yeah, and see. When you take it all into account, everything he did. Yeah, and Roy was one of those athletes that, like, dude, the start in Chicago where he's, like, overheating,

and, like, you could kind of, you saw the end coming. He was throwing, like like 83 miles an hour and you knew he was like gutting it out but he just didn't have it anymore like seeing roy hurt like that like like hurt because he was like he's such a guy that would put everything into it and him not being able to finish it out the way he wanted to go out and and go out like that like he he just ran out of bullets and watching the end of roy halliday was like this this physically hurts to watch because he was he was so magical worked so hard and uh unfortunately his body just gave out um but just he is a total pro total hall of famer and i i think

he's been underrated when he have a lot of conversations about the greatest starting pitchers from 2000 on. Like, everyone talks about Pedro, Randy, Clemens, Schilling, like all those great guys. Messina, I guess. Smoltz. Like all those guys. Glavin, Maddox. Now we can't forget anyone, you know, since the one time we forgot one player.

But I think that Roy deservedly so. Should be mentioned in that group. Should be mentioned in that. but I think that Roy deservedly so. Should be mentioned in that group. Should be mentioned in that. So I'm so glad he was able to pitch here for a little bit and show us what true professionalism and Hall of Fame standard is like. Yeah, and shout out to Mike Mussini.

You said it. Edgar Martinez, Ryan Spader, actually playing a role in Edgar getting in is such a cool thing. Edgar, very deserved 312 lifetime hitter. fader uh actually playing a role in edgar getting in is such a cool thing um edgar very deserving 312 lifetime hitter he had a 418 career obp jack more career walks than strikeouts edgar was awesome and uh and mariano rivera the how stupid is it by the way that it is 2019 and and i absolutely think mariano rivera should be a unanimous hall Famer. I don't see anyone who should possibly say he doesn't deserve to be him,

but the fact that it took until 2019 for us to get a unanimous Hall of Famer is one of the dumbest things in sports. Either you're a Hall of Famer or you're not. I hated that. I hated it. I always thought it was so stupid, but I'm happy to see that's coming to an end. Any other general thoughts on the class? The fact that Griffey wasn't unanimous is ridiculous.

I mean, there's so many guys who should have been unanimous. I mean, Carlton, Schmidt, like any of these guys who are just high-level Hall of Famers should be unanimous. Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Baber, like they should all be unanimous. This is stupid. Yeah, it's ridiculous. But I can't believe you forgot Harold Baines. I mean, that's the reason everyone's going up. they should all be unanimous like this is stupid yeah it's it's ridiculous but um i yeah well i can't believe you forgot harold baines i mean that's the reason everyone's going up i don't

i'm trying to not even acknowledge it i'm trying to like pretend that it didn't happen and granted not voted in you know the veteran committee whatever they call it now thing um it's it's a travesty i i would go so far as to say that Harold Baines, when he gets elected in or enshrined on Sunday, will be the worst player in the Hall of Fame with the plaque. No question about it in my mind. The worst player who has a plaque in the Hall of Fame, Harold Baines. So what an honor. Wow.

It's just facts. I'm going to send this to the Baines family. He's not a Hall of Fame player. Even when he got in, he was like, oh, wow, I didn't see that coming, but thanks. Like, you know, come on. It's an embarrassment to the museum that won't let Barry Bonds or anyone from the steroid era that actually mattered. I won't do my rant, but you know my rant. I think it's the biggest joke in the sport is the fact that Barry Bonds and Roger Clement, these guys aren't in the Hall of Fame.

I mean, it's who are you to adjudicate who did and did not do steroids. I guarantee you there are players in the hall of fame right now who did steroids. There are players who admitted to doing greenies and stimulants. It's just so silly. I you're telling the history of baseball. It's a museum. Barry Bonds, the best hitter I ever saw. And there's no question about it. Like that dude should be have a plaque in the museum I'm going to this weekend. Well, the best hitter I ever saw was Harold Baines. Alright. Fritzy, it's that time that

everyone has been waiting for with bated breath. It's the time to empty out the bag. My first one is that Phillies are showing interest in Drew Smiley. I saw that. I love that. That's the exact type of under the radar, no cost type of move they should be making. I, I, yeah, I mean, I don't, he may not be any good anymore, but there was legit talent in his arm for, he was good at one point.

He is pitched well in the major leagues and he's a lefty before Tommy John. Like I was always always i always wanted drew smiling and fantasy because i thought it was gonna be his breakout season even if like on six different teams like so many different times even if he doesn't start for this team i i don't know why a team hasn't tried to convert him into a special lefty specialist out of the pen um but he put up decent numbers with with AAA team for the Brewers. The Rangers, I mean, he got shelled with the Rangers this year, but there's no reason not to take a shot on Drew Smiley,

although if he wasn't getting called up by the Brewers who also can't pitch, don't know if that's a good sign, but I'm in on these kind of guys. Also, Jim Salisbury, they said they are expressing interest in taking on the Granke contract. There was a lot of talk about Miner this week. There was some talk about Robbie Ray. It feels like, listen, if they want to go and trade for a guy that's going to be here this year and also next year, I'm totally cool with that.

Because even though this season is not trending in the direction that we were all hoping, it doesn't mean you have to give up on next season as well. Banking on them signing Garrett Colas offseason, I don't think it's the smartest path going forward. So if you can get a guy now, get him in here. Lance Lynn is signed for the next two seasons. I don't know if the Rangers would move on from him, but he signed a three-year $30 million contract,

so he'd have two years, $20 million left on that deal think lance lynn i mean watching the other day like 96 with legit two seam run and a guy that theoretically in your in your mind will give you six or seven innings and two runs or less and just give me that just give me someone that yeah someone that i've always liked and you've ripped me for like because he was bad like lance lynn was bad and then he he figured out how to throw 96 and, and now he's good. You're saying I was right, you were wrong. That's all. I'm just trying to get that out.

Same with Mike Miner. It's like whenever I like a guy, eventually he'll come around. I like it. I said Mike Miner would be better than Andrew Miller in this offseason, and I was in on Mike Miner. So I don't know what you're talking about. Well before that, last season, regardless. What else? don't know what you're talking about it was well before that last season regardless um but i but

i think if i'm if i'm making my untouchables list today i'm pretty sure my untouchables are boom spencer howard and damon jones my i would move in the right deal would be moniak medina hazley and then below that i don't really really know, but that's, that's where, that's where the head's at. I would agree. The, uh, you like Damon Jones more than I do,

but I will trust you there for me at Howard and, and bomb. Well, the only two that stick out to me, but Damon Jones, just, uh, some,

some, you want to have some spin rate fun? Sure. Uh, who doesn't love good spin rate fun? Damon Jones, this is a little, little birdie.

Damon Jones, the slider, uh, spin rate was apparently around 2,800, which is elite. And his four-seam fastball spin rate was up to in the 2,400s, which is also super elite. All right. He looks like Rich Hill to me. When I watch him pitch, he just reminds me of Rich Hill a little bit. Okay.

I could take Rich Hill. Hopefully not waiting so long to break out, but I could take Rich Hill to me like when I watch him pitch he just reminds me of Rich Hill a little bit okay I could take Rich Hill hopefully not waiting so long to break out but I could take Rich Hill what else you got uh Adam Morgan I think I think it's safe to say that he is he's back like he there's a look great this series a little bit of struggle but he he rounded out he figured it out and Adam Morgan listen they're gonna go on a run here they need Adam Morgan back and they need a guy that can... Yeah, one of their three relievers that you somewhat trust. Yeah, that'd be good if he got out. One of their three actually good relievers. So good to see him back.

And yeah, that's all I got from the notebook. And let me just do one little thing on the notebook. Nick Pavetta, once again, where were you when Nick Pavetta no-hit the Dodgers? notebook the nick pivetta once again uh where were you and nick pivetta no hit the dodgers all right two of three preferably a sweep against the pirates then take both against the tigers uh fritzy final thoughts oh yeah by the way real quick high hopes night it's less than a month august 17th coming out with us um Password is High Hopes. Pin tweet my tweet, Jack's Twitter. Check it out. Coming out with us.

It's going to be awesome. We've got a tailgate surprises plan. It's going to be awesome, I swear. He swears. He swears, folks. I swear. He doesn't. I swear.

My last final thought is that I feel like Reese Hoskins hasn't driven the ball in like a month. Like, I don't like it just feels like he's popping up everything. And he just he just hasn't looked right to me in a while. Like it's like it's like soft pop ups. It's not like he's really big. Even the hit today was just a poke down the line. Yeah, it was like a dribbler that just it was a shift hit. It's not like he's really... Even the hit today was just a poke down the line. Yeah, it was like a dribbler. It was a shift

hit. It was because of the shift. You can tell he's frustrated at the plate. So, while Harper is going, we need to pick it up a little bit. This team is teetering on the edge of a second wild card and I'm glad they kind of fell out of the second wild card for a night there

so they wouldn't keep saying that. You didn't have to hear people say that. Yeah, so they could stop saying that, hey, well, we kind of fell out of the second wild card for a night there so they wouldn't keep saying that. You didn't have to hear people say that. Yeah, so they could stop saying that, hey, well, we're in the playoffs of the season end of the day. That whole conversation was getting very frustrating. They need Reese to step it up. Reese has not been great for what feels like a month, and I swear to God, every time I look at his stats,

I'm like there's no way that's what his stats are. I'm pretty sure his stats right now are like 280 and 400 WP. And I'm just like, when? He just keeps doing it. It's unbelievable. I'm with you. I feel like he's not playing as well as his stats

say he is. But he is. He is. I'll take it. I know i i would like to see the i'm waiting for the the five home runs in six games from reese though that'll that'll be nice to see all right i'm with you again uh rate and review the podcast uh we will definitely um have fun in cooperstown and let you know all about it we'll bring some uh we'll bring recording equipment and in case we see someone that would be of note. And we'll do a little interview.

I like that idea. Look at that. Alright, so we will potentially bring you some bonus content from there as well. My final thought, I would just like to congratulate my daughter Zoe on her sterling, brilliant High Hopes debut. I would say that Zoe's performance on High Hopes tonight was

the second most important performance this week behind Nick Pavetta's no hitter. Yeah. It's a great call and probably the second best guest performance on this podcast after O chart, the God, obviously. Wow.

Well, congrats to Zoe on making the podcast. I hope she wasn't nervous. Yeah. I mean, Jason O chart, you know, that's our guy. Yeah. So, no,

she did great, and she's sleeping again, so shout out to Zoe. All right. Until Monday or until the Hall of Fame, either way, we will be talking to you soon. I'll talk to you soon. He's Fritz, I'm Seltzer. I'll see you later. a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod there is. Another fact, so jump aboard the

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