High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - We are Smart Enough to Know Better, But We Refuse to Let Go

Episode Date: June 24, 2021

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the worst loss of the season in a season full of worst losses. The guys discuss their anger with the team, the disastrous last two days, and much more. 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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Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the high hopes podcast. 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. Hopes are not high. Hopes are low.

Jack Fritz, we don't lie to the High Hopes listeners. And you know what? They know it too because they're disease Phillies fans because that's our motto. I hate this team right now. I hate this team, this group. I don't hate the Philadelphia Phillies. The Philadelphia Phillies that we love and die for. I hate this group right now.

I just, I hate watching them play, man. I hate it. Today sucked. Today sucked. The worst loss of the season, like of a season filled with awful, horrendous, bleepy losses, Jack. I want to curse so bleeping bad, I hate this team right now. Hello, Jack. How are you? I got to be honest, not well. Not well at all.

Like, they blew three leads. And they blew a five-run lead, which is like, alright, that sucks. And then they blew a five-run lead, which is like, all right, that sucks. And then they blew a four-run lead. And then this king manager brings in David Hale to face the heart of the Nationals lineup. Why in the world would you bring David Hale in to face the heart of the lineup if you're going to use Jose Alvarado

no matter what you're going to use Jose Alvarado later why are you bringing David Hale into that game that you know he's going to blow David Hale sucks why is he coming into that game? Like there's no shot. He's getting any outs there. There's no shot. They blew three freaking leads today. Hector blew it because you knew he was going to blow it. You knew he was going to blow it. There was no way

it was going to be a normal ninth. There's no way. There was no way it's going to be a normal ninth. Of course they blew it. I'm glad they lost. They deserve to lose. Blow up the team. It doesn't matter. Like, it doesn't matter if they go on a run, if the fills get hot, whatever. It doesn't matter because this team is not good enough. They're

dead inside, and they are embarrassing night in, night out. David Hale, are you serious? Jesus Christ, man. This should be a fun one. This isn't going to be a long one. I'm good now.

Honestly, it's fine. Two minutes. I'm out. I don't have much to say. Your point about David Hale is perfect. The better question is, why is he on the roster like how many times do we have to come on this podcast and say david hill this david hill that like why is he still here anyone else as bad as him would be off this team a month ago like it's

i like i hate this joke jack i hate this joke because it's the go-to joke and everyone's been saying it for years, and there's no real originality to it. But does he have pictures of Joe Girardi? Does he have pictures of Dave Dombrowski? Why is this guy here? Why is he on this team? Why are we watching pitch?

And then the high leverage thing. Girardi's a disaster. Like we saw over the weekend. You know what? Let's all say it. Let's all say it together. I wish Gabe Kaplan were back. I miss you, Gabe. I miss you with every fiber of my being. We were wrong. We were all

wrong. You run circles around Joe Girardi as a manager. Circles. Circles around the guy. And then last night, we didn't even get, like, then we have the whole thing from yesterday, too, the freaking embarrassment that is the Joe Girardi thing on multiple levels that Girardi does it in the first place when it's just, it's stupid. It's stupid. It's the second night they're checking things. What are the odds that Max Scherzer is going to have something on him

the second night they're enforcing this thing. Do you think he is a moron? He's been checked twice already, and then you do it again in a spot where he loses the ball against Boone. Like, that's a clear indication he's not using something in my mind. And then you do it, and you get fired up, and no one on the team has your back. Like, Jack, the last two days, honestly, I know we're going to talk ourselves into something if they play a stretch of good baseball. We probably do.

That's what we do. But we shouldn't. No one should talk themselves into this team. This team is a losing baseball team. They are a losing group of guys. They're losers. Well, the fact that no one's... Regardless if you think Girardi was wrong or not,

I understand he's trying to win a ballgame and all that stuff, and he's obviously just trying to mess with Scherzer. I think it's a total loser move, and it shows that you can't beat him, so you've got to do this to kind of mess up with him personally. But the fact that regardless if you disagree with it or agree with it or whatnot, if you're in the Phillies, like your manager's going out there and he's fighting. At least he's fighting.

Like at least he's standing up there. At least he's showing a freaking pulse. Meanwhile, Reese is the only guy on the top step. You're right. Like I'm just saying, like I've been in dugouts. It's not the same level of dugout, but it gets flowing, and you start getting mad, and you're like, you don't talk to that guy like that.

That's my manager. The season, it died to me last night. It died to me last night, and then today somehow is worse. It's like all these poor Sixers fans, oh, we blew two. It's like, dude, I do this every day, man. I do this every day, every day of my life. I watch this team blow games and blow games and blow games, never get one run where it's just normal.

There's been, what, two laughers this year, James? Three? I mean, there's been three laughers in a freaking 70-plus game season so far. Like, I can't even get a freaking joke. Today should have been a laugher. I almost tweeted, I'll quit the podcast if I lose this game. That's how much I thought it was a layup, and it's over. Thank God I didn't.

But, like, for – what – like and it's over. Thank God I didn't. But like for what? Like it's just the fact that no one in that dugout stood up for their manager when he's at least showing some fight. And the John boy breakdown was great because it actually showed that he's yelling at Kevin Long. And by the way, Kevin Long, you freaking loser. Girardi was with you forever. You don't yell F you to him.

Why don't you grow up a little bit, pal? And it's like that Nationals team, it's like they suck. The Nationals suck. And the fact that they just lost both these games to them is disheartening. But that team, you saw at least that they had some World Series caliber guys on that team. Like Zimmerman's a winning kind of player in that locker room. Soto, same thing.

Turner. Like those guys just – another team that's in the Phillies' head. It's just like Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. And then today you've got to deal with Bryce laughing it up with Zimmerman and whoever else. And Scherzer. And it's like that's just making fun of the manager.

Why don't you go back to Washington? Just go back to Washington. Seriously. If you want to do that, just go back to Washington. Seriously. I don't care. Yeah, well, you want to talk about no heart. I mean, where has Bryce Harper been? I know he's heating up a little bit with the bat the last few days,

but that guy couldn't look less interested in being in Philadelphia, Philly right now. Mr. You know, fanatic socks and, you know, bow to the fans in the outfield. Like he looks like he doesn't give two bleeps about this season. Jack, has anyone looked less interested in baseball the last two weeks prior to the last couple games when he's hitting a little bit? No. No. Well, and then the way he didn't run out the ball over the weekend.

He should have been on second base. It's just like he's supposed to be your leader. He's supposed to be your guy. He's supposed to be the guy that people look to, and he's just weak. They're all weak. They're a weak baseball team. They really are. Oh, there's no one that's taking the ball and saying, just like weak. They're all weak. Like they're a weak baseball team. They really are.

Oh, there's no one that's taking the ball and saying, give me it. Like even like a ground ball on the eighth or ninth, you're expecting someone to boot it because no one's like, give me the ball. I want the ball. None of these guys want the ball. None of these guys want the moment. It's a bunch of Ben Simmonses. No, seriously.

I actually have this written down. I actually have this written down. Who's the worst? Who's the worst number 25, Ben Simmons or joe gerardi seriously who's worse i got no answer for you yeah i don't know both are pretty bad i mean at least ben simmons does some things well right yeah yeah he can defend he was a defensive player of the year he is he's self-proclaimed you're already sticking trey young on defense do you i don't think so no he's just trying to fight the nationals hitting coach and and making

back i mean what a telling thing that is like what a telling thing oh this team this team told me all i need to know about them last night well and it's not just that no one having his back that is bad enough but then they don't get a hit till the eighth inning. Like it didn't fire them up to stand up for him or get his back. And then it did nothing for them to play better. Like it just, this team it's I'm happy. Oh, but your opening rant had the,

the only one with the fricking pulse thing, because that's really how it feels. And it's funny too, that you made the Sixers comparison. Cause you're first of all, so right. Like these Sixers fans and we are Sixers fans, but like the Sixers fans were not Phillies fans. Have no idea. Have no idea the pain that we go through on a literal daily basis watching this baseball team every single day.

But to your point about the Sixers, and I think there is a parallel there where the moment I knew the Sixers were losing Game 7 and I thought I was nervous going in just because I didn't trust them and the Hawks. Well, you seem like a calm individual, so I'm surprised that you were nervous. You know, pretty relaxed. Just cool, calm, collected. Collected. Exactly, Jack.

So one of the first huddles in the game, like they show the two huddles and like the Hawks guys are all fired up and they're like putting to each other and talking and they show the Sixers huddles in the game, like they show the two huddles and like the Hawks guys are all fired up and they're like putting to each other and talking and they show the Sixers huddle and like, they're all just sitting there looking like they're like in a daze. Like they don't even know what's going on. There was just no, no pulse on that team. It felt like, and that's what this Phillies team feels like. It feels like no one there has a pulse, like nothing gets them going. Nothing matters. I mean, even today, I mean, thank goodness for the 7, 8, and 9 hole.

Dude. Because that was the only reason they had any offense. 9 RBIs, I think. I know. I know. Well, yeah, and it's like even, you know, it's funny. We thought the Luke Williams home run, like, would have jump-started them a little bit and whatever. You know, the three straight walk-offs attached to that, too.

They look like they don't even care about the frickin' straw hat anymore. They're just like, ah, cool. Let's do this. Let's go. Just a thing. Oh, you got it now. Wear it for half an inning. Awesome. Awesome. They can't even have fun with that anymore. They're just a very, very depressing baseball team.

Here's where I'm at. I love the Phillies. I will watch every game and I will apparently die with every game. Cause every game I, I'm just very emotionally invested in them and will continue to be. Cause I can't be out. I can't not watch. I love them too much. I hate them.

I legitimately, like, I just, like, I just, I hate that I'm in this situation. I, I,

again, I love them them but i hate them and it's like it's like yeah it's like it's like the family member that's like that you're you're just disappointed in but you still gotta love them um and it's just it's just where i'm at and it just i gotta be honest james is i just feel like we're heading into such a dark territory like they're legitimately stuck in the middle like middle. They are stuck right in the middle. They are a 500-ish baseball team with high payrolls, and they're not

good enough, and they don't have enough coming through the system. I was thinking about this last night. Wander Franco gets brought up last night, and of course does Wander Franco things because he's unbelievable. And this is no slight to Luke Williams, but Luke Williams gets brought up. It's like, oh, there it is. We've got a good utility player.

Meanwhile, they're bringing up superstars to the Rays who don't even, like, need a superstar. It's just so annoying where we're at as a franchise. It's, like, I wouldn't, like, honestly, I would not hate if Dombrowski made, like, a core shaking move at a deadline. Like, honestly this this core needs to shake up it needs something that's going to jump start them I don't know who the player is I don't care who the player is they can all go for all I care because none of them are going to come back and bite me except for like Wheeler you know he's obviously good although I don't know maybe a little spider attack Zach but um but but like like literally they could they

could do whatever and i'll be like cool like i get it you got like that you can't you can't be where this team is at be as dead as they are have as little emotion as they have have no talent coming up through the system that's worth a damn and just keep doing the same thing over and over again and keep sinking resources into this like Like what are we supposed to do? Like what are we supposed to do? Just keep sinking team, sinking resources into a team that's not good enough. I mean,

I mean, it's cool. I guess if you just want to live in mediocrity and you want to be a 500 baseball team and you want to do all that stuff, like it's, if that's your cup of tea, that's fine. But this team is,

this team is fundamentally broken and Girardi certainly was not the difference maker. And now we'll see if D Dombrowski was the difference maker. I have my suspicions that he's not. Yeah. Yes, they need a total rebuild. Dave Dombrowski, that's the guy. No, it's just like—

They need to draft and develop better. Oh, we got Dave. I just could not. My only takeaway from the weekend, I didn't really watch much of it because I was at a bachelor party and the wifi sucked, which was annoying. But like, I was just, I was reading about it and watching Sunday and it's like, it's like they hire, they hire Farhan Zahidi and in two years they have the best record in the NL because he's a freaking wizard, right? I mean, they brought in this guy, he turned around. He has everyone on the same page.

It's none of this old school people saying, oh, well, I don't know. Maybe you need to hit the ball the other way and bunt guys over and play small ball and all that bull. They came in and they have a modern team with everyone has the same offensive approach. Like these guys who suck. I know they would suck here. Like Sam Duggar or whatever. Oh, Sam Duggar would be a 190 interviewer. He would be terrible here because it feels like everyone's on different pages all throughout the organization.

Meanwhile, he's there changing the culture in one year. Chaim Bloom. I mean, if there is just one move that I could have gone back and just done in 2015, it's Chaim. Like that's the only thing that would have mattered. Or fire Klintak a year earlier and do Haim then, too. They had two shots, theoretically, because Klintak clearly, you fire him the year after, like you could have and should have fired him then.

Well, and I know that Haim had talent there. I know that JD and Xander and Devers are there. But, like, still, that team is playing way over its head. I mean, they were terrible last year. Cora's a difference-making manager, like all that stuff. But it's like these guys come in with a freaking plan, and they have a way to execute it. And meanwhile, we hired Matt Klintak,

who was the analyst guy for the Angels, who suck, and now we're the East Coast Angels. We are the East Coast Angels. We have a high payroll of pretty good players that just everything feels off every year. The Angels have Mike Trout and Shohei Otani, and they're terrible. They have Joe Maddon.

They're not good. And that's the same thing that we have here. We're the Angels of the East. We spend a crap ton of money, and it doesn't matter. I'm just so I'm so sick of where we are I don't want to be here and I want to find I want to just tear it all down

honestly just tear it all down you just crushed my soul with the Angels of the East are we not the Angels of the East dude I can't believe I've never thought about that before like we're the Angels of the East what a perfect the Phillies have been I can't believe I've never thought about that before. We're the Angels of the East.

What a perfect, perfect comparison. The Phillies have been slightly better than the Angels the last couple years, but the Angels made the playoffs more recently, even if it is a one-game playoff. Yeah, barely count. It does. It does barely count. I agree.

But, man, what an outstanding comp. We're the Angels. What an outstanding, devastating comp, Jack. Like, that is devastating. That devastates me to think about it in those terms. Like, man, that is, like, crushing. And, like, look, let's be frank. It all comes back to one dude. And I know that he's spending money, and I appreciate that.

But John Middleton has no vision for this ball club as an owner. And he has refused to hire people. And look, I'll give David chance. Dave was, you know, two months he had to before the season. Yeah.

But I mean, you're already noticing that he hasn't paid attention to baseball. Like exactly. So I just, it all comes back to Middleton. Middleton is as, you know, done a horrible job by,

by what you talked about, keeping this team like right in the middle. Like he did commit to a rebuild. He just hired the wrong people to do it and it didn't work. And then he found himself locked in a spot where he felt like he had to contend and made these moves to contend, which was the wrong move. Like they weren't good enough.

They don't have the players coming up. Like it's just, and I get it. Look, I understand the idea that if you're the Philadelphia Phillies, you've not made the playoffs in at that time, seven, eight years, whatever. And you're coming off that run of, of glory for that, you know, five-year run. And then, you know, you get to this point and you, you make all these moves to contend. It's hard to say, you know what, this was the wrong path.

But you sometimes have to, like, look at A.J. Preller. A.J. Preller in San Diego is a perfect example. Like, remember that summer where he made all these moves? Everyone's like, A.J. Preller, like, they're going for it. They're great. And, like, within half a season, he was like, oh, this didn't work. Like, this didn't work. We were going for it. It didn't work. I'm totally rebuilding. And on the fly, he was like, oh, this didn't work. Like, this didn't work. We were going for it.

It didn't work. I'm totally rebuilding. And on the fly, just rebuilt. And now they have Fernando Tatis and Chris Paddock and Luis Patino. Or they traded Patino. But, like, all these freaking guys. Like, just guys upon guys upon guys. Like, Machado.

And they go up and they get Machado. And now they're really making a move for it. And, look, they're not the best team in baseball, but they're a team that has enough talent to win it and like it's just it's incredibly for i'm with you jack like it's it sucks it sucks where the phillies are at it sucks it really sucks and i'm i'm mad i'm mad at john middleton i'm mad at every all the players i'm mad at gerardi like and even it's not even his fault all the time like Middleton I'm the most mad at but yeah but I don't know like I just hate watching this team every night I hate watching them Jack

well don't let them get hot but um oh by the way moratorium on that phrase this is your fault today it was four nothing in the whatever when Harper it's a homer I'm leaving work and Jack goes who let the Philz get hot no no that was, no, no, no more of that. That phrase is retired for the season, Jack. That was back when I had a heart in the body. Yeah. Honestly, though, like with Middleton, it's like I do think he definitely tries. I mean, he's spending a lot of money.

I genuinely think his problem is that they have too many old guys. They have too many old guys around them. It's because they're a family atmosphere. I mean, Andy McPhail set them back, too. Like, let's be honest. Andy McPhail set them back. I mean, the sport is just advancing so quickly. And it's not going back to the, well, you know, you got to put and you gotta you know move runners along and it's like dude grow up but it's 2021

just hire a young smart analytics guy and let it and get the hell out of his way yeah like that's it there's higher high and bloom hire whoever like any of these guys that we've talked about a hundred times like hire one of them and get out of their way. Get out of their way. But he is spending money. I just fear that they're getting in his ear too much about how analytics are bad and all this stuff and data is bad and all that stuff.

You know, I just it would be detrimental if they you know they go to doing it all the old school way. I'm just telling you, it would be absolutely detrimental, and they need to continue to forge forward and get the people out of there that don't believe it out of the way because, dude, look at what the Giants did

and look what the Red Sox are doing. These are teams that were losing 100 games a couple years ago, and they're already back. The Phillies lost 99 games in 2015, and they're still bad. I don't know. It's just a really bad spot. It's a really bad spot. Today was really bad. Yesterday was really bad.

You know, they're the mockery of the sport for 24 hours. And they still are the mockery of the sport 24 hours later. And now they get to play 4 in New York against the Mets. Oh, we finally face the Grom. finally faced the Grom. I'm sure it's going to be awesome.

We faced the Grom, so everything's great. It's going to go great. It's going to go great. All right. You got anything else? Because this is the show. I have one other thing, but I'm done talking about this baseball team. So if you have anything else.

All right. All right. They ruined the Jankowski. He's a triple away from the cycle. That would have been great. I know. They ruined the Jankowski. He's a triple away from the cycle.

That would have been great. I know. It would have been great if David Bells can finally be erased in the record books. The reign needs to come to an end. Yes. So, I mean, hey, Travis Jankowski might have found a build around him. Good little player. You look, hey, I'll give him credit. He had the most ignominious start to his Phillies career

of just about anyone I could ever remember in my life. He's worked his way back. I no longer want Travis Jankowski cut. How about that? Listen, that was, first off, far too big a word for this podcast. And that's a fact. Not that thing. Yes, that's a fact.

Also, come drown your sorrows at High Oaks Night at the Brewery July 10th why not I mean just come on out the question could be why Jack the answer to that is certainly not the Philadelphia Phillies it's come hang out with us and it'll be fun

and good beer yeah good beer of course I think Bailey Falls is my favorite guy to watch on the team. No one cares because the Phillies lost today. Deep release point, baby. Dude, he's awesome. And David Hale, dude, I hate it. I can't believe he put David Hale into that game.

I can. I totally can believe it. Come on. You can totally believe it. Of all the fireable joe gerardi offenses putting david hale into that game might be the worst also sam coonrod stinks i'm glad we gave carson ragsdale for him um seriously i mean spider attack sam spider attack sam um archie's like whatever it's just bad pitch a bad pitch. And then, yeah. I mean, real quick, real quick, just on a final actual baseball note.

And Hector obviously deserves no protectors at this point. Yeah, it's done. Yeah, I get it. I mean, I get it. He's having a good year. I'll protect him as the seventh or eighth inning guy. Yeah, but at the same time, who's your closer? I mean, if you go out there on.

Oh, I agree. I agree. Ranger Suarez, Jack. Yeah, but that's completely... I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I was just trying to say the one guy who pitches well in the bullpen.

I know. Well, he's awesome. I mean, he's awesome. Like, where would this team be without him? He's awesome. Yeah. He's a freaking MVP other than Wheeler, it feels like. I think I would trust Brogdon. I think I would trust Brogdon.

I think I would put Brogdon in there. If they do make a move on me, Girardi said tonight that he'll sleep on it. And, you know, a little side on Friday. And it is a double header. So, hey, you know, once they're up in the ninth in both games, we could have Brogdon close game one, Hexter close game two, and then the Phillies are hot again. So, you know, it just sucks, man.

It just sucks. It sucks because a week ago, I genuinely felt good about them. I know! But we were all happy the last time we talked. I know. Listen, I couldn't pick a better time to go to Seattle. That's true.

And I'm going to the Outer Banks July 4th week, so this is good. This is good. A little separation from the team. Yeah, that'd be great. Alright, you done? Yeah, I'm done. Alright, I got one last thing. Just because we're upset. No, you don't

have to. Just because it's a bad day doesn't mean a bit has to die. Now uh i would like to read a letter uh it's pretty funny actually because uh you know our boss spike asking not our boss for much longer sadly but um yeah i'm not our boss spike asking is a big fan of of saying that any letter that comes to wip that is handwritten is a psycho killer letter or a serial killer letter or whatever he calls it like every time um so he ends me this letter that I get at work addressed to me and at WIP

and he's like here you got a serial serial killer letter I'm like oh cool thanks Mike um turns out it wasn't turns out Jack Fritz Jim Nance sent you a letter it's a letter from one of our listeners um and I'm just gonna read it real quick it's not that long It's a letter from one of our listeners. And I'm just going to read it real quick. It's not that long. It's a page. I'm going to read it. It's from Anonymous. He says, James.

So it's definitely Jim Nance. James. I got the sense on Mondays that June 14th episode of High Hopes Podcast. It's in cursive, so I'm doing my best. Oh, it's even harder to read. I know. High Hopes Podcast. The bit may be dying. so i wanted to come clean

uh a little background i graduated from college magna cum laude got offered a scholarship to pen so we got smart listeners out there jack and completed a master's program at george washington so point being clearly a smart human well first off he's writing in cursive ah uh all right so he says despite all these academic accomplishments i to my dismay made the same mistake jack did when i heard the gym resign resign headline let's go he says please share this with him. I don't think he expected me to read it, but please share this with him. Maybe it'll make him feel a little better.

He says, love the show. Diseased Phillies fan totally struck a chord with me. The pod is like a support group for people. A little tough with the curse of your people who are. Disease and have problems. People who don't know enough to know better but refuse to let go oh people who know enough to know who know enough to know better but refuse to let go uh it sounds like it sounds like a title of a podcast yes it sure does buddy p.s uh leaving this letter unsigned because i am still kind of ashamed by my jim nance thing that's right keep up the great work you big you big dumb idiot anonymous yep thank you for keeping the bit alive and maybe even breathing new life into the bit for you

I will not let this die and you should be ashamed you should both be ashamed just like Jack Ritz I'm sorry to turn on you there but I mean come on I do love that he's using his academic qualifications as to how he got how he screwed up

resign and resign I'm not kidding his His letter made my day. If you want to send more letters to James. It made my day. So thank you so much. 2,400 Market Street, 4th floor. Yes. Yes.

Care of James Seltzer. How about that? So that was awesome. Yes. Or if you have any more letters that you don't feel like handwriting out in cursive, you can always email us at thehighhopespot at gmail. Yeah, thehighhopespot at gmail.com. Next one I'm going to get is going to be one with the letters cut out from the magazine

being like, don't worry, I'm not a psycho. I just love the High Hope Spot. Nice. Jim Nance. All I want is the guy who wrote that to come to high hopes night at four fingers yes please come and tell me you're the person who wrote this I won't shame you I was kidding

about that and Jack obviously won't shame you because he did it too that's right all right that was fun ending on a high note it was an uplifting end to an awful day and an awful existence. I hate the Phillies!

All right, he spreads himself through the ceiling.