High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Who Cares About the Eagles?

Episode Date: September 12, 2022

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the Phillies sweeping the Nationals and more. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the High Hopes podcast. High Hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies on Odyssey and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Yo! It is another edition of the High Hopes podcast presented by Miller Lite, official partner of the Philadelphia Phillies. And how about those Philadelphia Phillies, Jack Fritz, of course,

on High Hopes Watch Night. And shout out to Gleason's Bar. Shout out to everyone who came out. We had the best time. You know, so many people came out. We obviously, you know, we're having a lot of fun until they blew the game um more on on the watch party later we have a you know an issue that we got to get into obviously right um but they blow that game and you know we're all kind of down because they had won the two before and

and you know they went two or three for the morons but it felt like they lost two or three because that game and then they come back and they handle business this weekend jack they win three big games with the gnats they gain their lead on the padres game you know increase early on the padre increase early in the brewers there's 22 games left to play they're three and a half up on the brewers which is really four and a half with the the you know tiebreaker and they're one and a half which is really two and a half up on the padres i mean like you know everyone knows we all know september all that stuff freaking out but like man like we're really close to this freaking happening jack how you doing i'm doing good buddy i really am and i gotta be honest with you as always we we never lie to the high hopes

listeners we we be as honest as as as we to a fault sometimes are and to our detriment sometimes i was in a really really bad phillies fan place i know you were i know you were i could tell that tweet you put out where you were talking about them you know limping along instead of being good i don't remember how you phrased it, but like I could, I could feel that tweet, if you know what I mean. It's basically like they're, they're surviving rather than thriving. That's what it is. Yes. And I, cause I, I guess we've been waiting so long for this pennant race or this, this,

this this playoff appearance thing to be over. Like we've been waiting so long and I feel like, you know, I just wanted to be special, James. I wanted it to be like they come roaring down the stretch and it feels like 07. And, you know, they don't make the playoffs just because the Brewers are incompetent or because the Padres are incompetent. I wanted them to earn it. Like if they won 90 games and got the fifth seed or whatever,

or they win 90 games and got the sixth seed, which I don't think is even possible anymore, then it's like, okay, that's a really, really good season. And most years, that is good enough for them to be, you know, in the division run or whatever. And I was kind of getting to the point where it was like, okay, they're going to win 86 games. The Brewers are incompetent, so they'll get in because of that.

And they'll probably lose in the first round. And I was just like, I was just down because I wanted them to really push through and, like, give us a real sense of, like, okay, we know this isn't going to be the year. But next year can be, okay, a legitimate playoff, a legitimate, like, World whatever kind of kind of season from from jump street and it just wasn't feeling that way with the marlin series um you know even the games they won they won by like one run and then robertson blows that and it's like well this sucks you know this doesn't feel the same so that's why you know i felt like this last national series it was like okay this is the baseball team i feel like I'd watch for a majority of this season. Yeah, big hits, you know, coming through in moments, waiting out the longest in-game rain delay in Phillies history.

And again, bouncing back, and I've said this multiple times on the pod, but I'll say it again because I believe it so strongly right now is, you know, fans can't complain for the last four years or whatever it is they've been competing since 2018. Oh, they always lose to the Marlins when it matters. They always lose to the Nationals down the stretch. They can't beat the good teams. That's why they don't make the playoffs. And then turn around this year and say, oh, they're only beating bad teams. No, they're doing what good teams do. They're handling business. That's how good teams make the playoffs. they rack up wins against bad teams and then they play as well as they can against the other ones you know it's part of being a good baseball team and especially in the way they they're doing it you know to have

that loss that night you know with robertson blowing it with the reese play which was just a disastrous play you know it just felt like old school phillies like it was one of those nights right against the marlins like extra you know, I keep talking about the September sense memory. It was a September game against the Marlins and they blew it with a bullpen and bad defense. It was just like, you know, you get like chills thinking about how, how familiar it feels. And then, and, and then they bounce back and they handle business against nationals. And look, I know, you know, they got the Marlins and the next three but then it gets real for for nine they got seven against the braves uh two against toronto and they're both of those teams obviously fighting for playoff

positioning blue jays fighting to stay in and get in the braves you know fighting for the division still um so those are really big meaningful games and i'm really excited to see how the phillies respond to those but you know all they can do right now is beat these bad teams on the schedule and handle their business. And every time we think they're starting to flag a little bit or starting to – and look, again, with losing Wheeler and Sir Anthony at the same time, right when you get Harper back, and Harper only starting to show signs of life this weekend really,

it's not that surprising that they looked a little flat and all that. And thank God Sir Anthony's back. Because I think, as we talked about, I think that was even the bigger injury, at least for the regular season. You know, again, to that Robertson-blown save, you know. You know, just everyone having to push more and the roles not being defined. But I think it was just really heartening to see this team, you know, kind of bounce back and fight. And now they've won five of six and they got the marlins and then you know

they're really close i mean they've put themselves that's why they're in position to make the playoffs jack that's why they're three and a half we keep talking about the brewers blowing games against the rockies or against the d-backs or against the whatever we keep talking about you know the the padres now granted they they blowed games against the dodgers this weekend and have a tougher schedule but you know the Phillies are handling business and and it's exciting but it feels weird too because it's hard to trust it because we're Phillies fans yeah I know um and you know I guess my hope is that that little weird stretch there when Sir Anthony was out and Wheeler was out it's like yeah we're starting to see those guys are pretty damn

valuable you know and they are. Who to thunk it? Your best pitcher and your best reliever. Yeah, and the guy that can just shut down a game whenever he wants. And then Sir Anthony, you know, except for the one red game, whatever. And he was like the anchor of the bullpen. Yes. Right? Like, that's what I think the takeaway was from him being out is that everything else gets screwed up when he's not there to do the most important

stuff whenever it needs to be done. Yeah, and it just gives them so much flexibility i mean yesterday is like a minor example but you know he can go out and face the eighth inning and then leave the ninth inning for robertson obviously you hope that you know yesterday i was hoping like all right i would love to get robertson through the weekend where he can just sit him and get the off day monday and then come back and he has like what four or five days off straight um heading into this this important little stretch here but it was a it was one of those calm down for me weekends it really was um because I I genuinely felt like they were teetering you know last week and before that on you know maybe maybe they really are going to collapse again

and what they did Friday Saturday yesterday was just weird like I maybe they really are going to collapse again. And what they did Friday, Saturday, yesterday was just weird. I don't really know how to, like, Nola pitched two innings, and then there was a three-and-a-half-hour rain delay, and Hoskins had a big homer, and Boehm obviously had the big homer late. Like, winning that game is impressive, but at the same time, like, you are facing, you know, the Nationals. So it's not. But I will say the Boehm-Homer and, like, the vibe

and the way the team you know reacted and all that like that is the kind of stuff you want to see and i agree that game was just weird but that was a big hit in that spot and they responded then shut the game down so while it wasn't like you know a super impressive i still do take something away from well because like in years past they would just roll over and lose that game right i mean like they would just be like oh whatever i took two or three no need to worry about taking this one um and they would just like move on to the next one but really the first two games before that it was like okay they pounced on eric fetty like for the thousandth time like has eric fetty

ever beaten the phillies like no shot right there's no shot that eric fetty's ever in the phillies i just every time i watch eric fet pitch against us, it's like, okay, Bryce is going deep, and he's going to go maybe three and a third. And, you know, it was kind of close. The Nationals came back, made it close for a second there. And then, you know, Schwarber hits a home run. It's like, okay, they got it. You know, it's been a while since I had the, okay, they got it kind of win.

And that's what Saturday did for me. Like, Ranger, again, you know, is fine. had the okay they got it kind of win and that's what Saturday did for me like Ranger again you know it's fine he's not doing the same stuff that he was you know where where he after he came back off the IEL I think he had like an ERA under two for like a month and a half two months there and he's its last four starts just haven't totally looked the same um but he's fine I mean at least it wasn't like a total blow up in the fourth and he got through and took down some innings for this team. But yeah, it was one of those like, you know, it's okay

to still think this team is better and different even without Sir Anthony back yet and even without Wheeler. So it was a big, you know, Jack, calm down. We're all right. Because again, I was in a dark place last week with this team. So shout out to the Phils right. Because, again, I was in a dark place last week with this team.

So, shout out to the Phils. And honestly, James, like, the Nationals, for as hilariously bad as they were. They're frisky. They're one of those young teams that's like, C.J. Abrams has come up. And, like, I thought C.J. Abrams was, like, bad. Mostly because I own him in fantasy. And, like, he just didn't turn out to be. Yeah, he can play the field.

I almost curse. I know his defense was absurd. Yeah, he is. He is super impressive out there. Yeah. And like Joey Manessis was like kind of scary. I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, I didn't think I'd be so high.

I didn't think I'd be so afraid of Joey Manessis, who one member of this podcast said was going to be the next the next Max Muncy. Joey Manessis is going up. I'm in my fantasy playoffs this weekend. The guy I'm playing, who is a High Hopes listener, by the way, has Joey Manessis on his team against me. How is Joey Manessis a part of a fantasy playoffs? What is happening?

Because he's batting like 330. He's been insane. I think that's how. But he has Abrams. I like Lane Thomas a lot. I think he's eventually, but he has like Abrams. And then I like Lane Thomas a lot. I think he's eventually going to be a pretty good player. Manassas, like they had Manassas Boyd Cruz.

And I was like, am I kind of afraid of the nationals here? Um, but you know, they, they developed some friskiness. They're not as much of a disaster as they were in, in, in,

uh, weeks past. And they just think they competed against the Cardinals. So it wasn't as much like, I was actually nervous heading into it. Like I kind of had the same feel heading into the national series as I had feeling into the Diamondbacks series. So, you know, I'm glad to see that that feeling was totally off. Yeah, it's pretty funny.

This year on this pod, like really for the first time in the history of the podcast or whatever, four or five years it's been or whatever we've been doing it. It's like the roles have flipped. I've been a little bit more even keeled with this stuff. And you've been really like down in the dumps a few times, man, like really gone down there. Well, let me explain.

Let me explain it. Let me explain it. Please, please. It's because I care so much about ending this thing. Like it's, it's, it's, it's just you because I care so much about ending this thing. It's just you and I and our listeners, there's no, we're not putting on fronts here. I love them.

No one who listens to this, Bob, would ever question that. I love this baseball team. And they're so close. Again, Jamesames the last time they're in this position i know was my senior year i was gonna say you're like a child i i do you know it was crazy to think about that well and i can't your your age that you are now is how i will how old i was during their run you know i mean right and i keep and i keep portraying this confidence on the air where it's like let me lead you through what a like what a a pennant race feels like i have no idea what a pennant race feels like it makes so much sense why i'm so much more even guilt like this makes

i'm so happy i brought this up because you're absolutely right this is like the exact explanation for it it's perfect like i I think I know what it feels like. But ever since, whenever I see something go wrong, I'm like, well, there it is. You know? There's where it all comes crumbling down. So, listen. All I try to do, James, is I try to put on a brave face. I try to sit there.

I try to sit there and say everything's going to be okay. But, I mean, inside my insides are tumultuous. It's not going great. So I needed that weekend. The last decade is right there with you, buddy. No matter how much more confidence we could display. Yeah. I needed that.

Long story short, needed that weekend. Really did. Like, needed that weekend. Especially because I know, and I can already feel it, James, and it's just, it's already crushing my soul. It's already just destroying me inside. But I can just feel the interest being lost because of the Eagles being back. Oh, yeah.

And, like, it makes me so annoyed. So I needed them to do that this weekend so that hopefully they go down to Miami. And then that big like Braves, Jays, Braves, it feels like a freaking real. Like when the Braves come here in September. The four game series. It's a four game series here, man. I'm saying that. Especially if they can play well over those five games before against the Braves and the

Jays, whether it's three and two, and it looks good or four and one somehow or something over those games, like, like there should be real excitement about that series. Well, and James, I'm sure there's people at the Phillies that listen to this podcast and, you know, they value what we say because we are leaders of a fan base and we, Oh my God. We always are just so brave.

Some of the things you said. And we're so brave and level-headed with this team. Yes, that is true. I just would like to say this. That when the Braves come here for four games, I need you to bring back the rally towels for that series. Oh, wow. That series. Wow. need you to bring back the rally towels for that series wow that series i need because here's the god's honest truth james oh that's a big ass buddy we might not get a playoff game here

and yeah you know what that and then they have the big road trip down the season um it's kind of like the the end of the season at home um wow it's a really interesting point i need to feel it man i need to feel it again what it would what it's like to have the rally towels going and have the city all back on like and they need to put it out a couple days in advance to look we're bringing them back for this game or this weekend so that the fans are are in preparation for it and we can jam back that place and steal some of the headlines back from the Eagles. Because I think a lot of the reason why, you know, people have talked about the attendance and all of that,

but, you know, them going on the road and losing the way they did, the one-in-five road trip, I think it just took the wind out of the sails of a lot of this fan base. And, like, it kind of made the whole like do i really want to go to the ballpark yeah they're in it but is it going to be like the eagles run last year like i need we need some winded our sails again uh heading down the stretch run here yeah all right first of all co-sign this idea official high hopes declaration i thought it was well i thought it was bulldash for a non-playoff game obviously but i didn't think about the fact that you know three playoff games on the road who knows what happens um listen man it's around this time in 07 that they brought

him out for the national series it's and again it's the braves i think part of it too is you know that west coast series and also just them playing you know some unexciting opponents there have been some rainy nights, some weird nights. But yeah, I think it's a great idea. 100% in on this. Official High Hopes position. Bring back the rally towels for the Brave Series. Yes.

Very, very important. I'm sure they'll agree. Yeah. And you can just pretend like we never even said it. You don't have to act like it was it was a high hopes idea you can just say it was your idea but if you want to put on the gemotron like thank you james and jack for the idea we would you know take that yeah also you know another thought you know after that the last like massive series we had here with the you know

the mets and the um let's say gaff um to put it nicely the the the the first pitch gaff um you know so to speak with a a fan of another team yes maybe bring in you know two you know fans of your team who have a podcast and maybe have them throw out a first pitch of that series what do you think about that as an idea jack fritz yeah the only uh downside would be like i really just i really just wanted to be me and then that's right and i could just stand next yeah like i'm just the guy you do the podcast with well again like i don't like please don't make this about you make it more about me and like you know let me have that moment and you'd be a part of. I think that'd be good. Incredibly selfish of you.

I really agree. And if I, again, if I'm given that opportunity, I will throw it at least 75 miles an hour. And I will knock the fanatic over for sure. Yes. Yes. Yeah, like the fanatic would come out to catch your first pitch. You're getting whoever the bullpen catcher is.

Yeah. Right, dude. Yeah, dude yeah if angelo got larry boa i'm at least getting some they're they're sending out like um you know some equipment guy who you know the guy who's in charge of getting the mitts ready for for the players you know a little extra workout or something well won't be much of a workout well what if you're there? Do you get someone better? No, I don't think so. I think we're out there together.

First off, we definitely get a standing ovation, right? See, but, you know, you didn't want to do it together. Do we get a standing ovation? Do we get a standing ovation and do, like, you know, everyone start weeping in the stands? Like, oh, there they are. The two leaders of the Phillies are a good movement, but one of them was kind of wavering last week.

People. And just admitted not, you know, 10 minutes ago that has zero faith in anything at any point and is literally just flying by the seat of his pants right now. I love it. It's great. All right. Leaders.

As we quickly veer away from this topic, is Bryce Harper back? Yeah. I mean, it was about the two-week mark, right, where it was like, okay. Like, oh, remember the first week and a half? It's like, oh, he's bad. You know, he forgot how to hit, apparently. Like, oh, are they better without Bryce? Deep breaths.

Yeah, that was annoying that was a i rarely am like i'm annoyed by a take that's out there that actually annoyed me and you know me never had that thought cross my mind once as as my world is crumbling down around me um but but i mean in genuine in all uh is it genuinity? That's not how it is. It's not even close, is it? No, I mean, there's genuine... In all genuineness? Sure, that works.

In all genuinity... No, in all genuineness. I never doubted Bryce. I always thought he'd be fine. And it was good to see him take. I think like anytime Bryce is going through a bit of a slump, I don't know if, again, I don't know how much pull we have with Major League Baseball.

But given that we're going to throw out. We're really asking a lot today. We're really testing the limits. What I'm going to guess is a far lower amount of pull than we are talking about in any of these situations but good well given that we're gonna throw the first pitch in a couple weeks here for the brave series like i i know i'm testing my luck here but if if bryce is ever going through a mini slump if i could just request from the major league baseball

schedule makers to have the nationals come here with ericetty on the mound. I think I would really appreciate it, and it'll get Bryce back to being Bryce. So, yeah, anytime that Bryce is ever in a downturn, I just fully expect here comes Eric Fetty to make everything okay again. Yeah, he's definitely been the elixir, and it was nice to see him hit that one on Sunday, too, that you didn't get out but was to a similar part of the field, and he rocketed it again. He's starting to get that power back look we talked about like this injury you know it's not just

that you know it took him a little while to get his timing back and all that that's part of it but this injury is tough to get that power back right away and it might even take more time for him to really get it as consistently um but i thought it was an awesome awesome sign to see and you know if he can get you know kind of use this last you know three weeks of the season really you last, you know, three weeks of the season, really, you know, almost a month, but three weeks of the season left, whatever it is, when the season ends, like October 5th. And really kind of, you know, get back into real shape and really kind of getting that power back. we've talked so much about when he came here about Bryce in the playoffs as a Philly

and how cool that was going to be and how much we were looking forward to it. The dude won an MVP already and he hasn't played in the playoffs as a Philly. Funny enough because the injury this year is not played in the All-Star game as a Philly either. But after the injury and not really knowing when he

would come back, how he would look when he came back and all that, if he can really kind of get it together and, and be a force by the time the playoffs start, it would just be, you know, obviously be great for the team, but I would just be really happy for that dude. Cause you know, he has come here and, you know, really answered the bell other than, you know, a couple moments not running recently or whatever. Um, you know, he really has been a model like Philly. You know, he's gone out of his way to say all the right things, do all the right things, to be a great teammate,

to, you know, most, almost always hustle, almost always, you know, take accountability for issues, mistakes, whatever. I just think he deserves it. After all that he worked to get back, if he could kind of, you know, get grooving again by the playoffs, I just, I'm praying for it, man, because we're there, dude. And Harper's back, and it would just be an awesome story.

Well, I mean, nothing better than the stretch run here. You get Bryce going again. You get Wheeler makes probably, what, at this point, two starts? Can he get two starts? I think that's the goal, right? They said that, you know, he's probably not going to be back before that Toronto series at the earliest. Um, you know, so not on the road trip. Um, but you know, I, if they can get him back by that brave series, you know, you could definitely get him two starts. And even if it's after you could probably get him

squeezed two starts and maybe, um, we'll see, you know, you know i think uh it's hard to tell how much they're kind of just stringing this out and how much he's not ready you know yeah so but i will say like they've gotten they've gotten surprisingly lucky with injuries this year i know some guys have missed time but like bryce avoided tommy john surgery because he can be the dh zach wheeler avoided tommy john surgery it seems like. Obviously, knock on wood, but the fact that he's moving back to 120 feet, throwing a bullpen and couldn't make a rehab start this week,

I think that should suggest that he avoided Tommy John surgery. And then Sir Anthony Dominguez, a year, that's almost like what, two years now? He has the minor little arm thing and is throwing like 98 to 100 yesterday. You hope that Ranger's fine.

I can't get a good read on it. I can't tell if he's going through a slump or if his back is bothering him. I know it was wrapped heavily before the Diamondbacks start, but I thought he did a better job against the Nationals, so maybe he kind of pitched his way through it. But overall, like, they've gotten pretty lucky injury-wise.

The fact that Wheeler is probably back soon. Sir Anthony didn't miss much, and he's come back, and he's just fine. And Harper, same kind of thing. We had two different instances that could have ended Harper's year, whether it was the hand or the Tommy John

possible surgery. And they got lucky with both of them and heading into the stretch around the year like given the lead they have and all of that like they have a pretty good ability to plan this whole thing out to where they're not overworking guys to where they can get guys work where it's not you know uh you know they can they can stretch out the rotation they go they can go six-man if they want to. Like Zach Eflin's back now. They can have him start a game and then have Falter piggyback off him or Griff piggyback on him.

And they should, down the stretch run here, be able to manage these innings to where no one's being overworked heading into the postseason. Yeah. And again, you know, obviously, you know, we know that they need to handle business and get there. But if they can, you know, maintain a lead, you know, obviously, you know, we know that they need to handle business and get there. But if they can, you'll maintain a lead, you know, against the Brewers or the Padres or whatever, and you'll be able to kind of set their rotation up for the playoffs. It would actually be pretty wild. There's a scenario where the Braves and Mets are battling to the last day for the division and have to use their starters and whichever team loses could go up against a philly's rotation that's fully rest and ready to roll in the wild card series so there are some there's some weird ways are you laying out the case for the phil's winning in

the wild card round look i won't get there yet people get really mad i look i neighbor dan and there's a good way to mention the watch party, and we'll get to the take back in a sec. But as we were driving out to the watch party, shout out to neighbor Dan for driving me. Frickin' rule. James came along. He's by James, who's now our buddy too.

Great guy. We drove out there, and he was like, I just can't hear this stuff. He's like, I can't think about them maybe. Because I also know that we keep talking about the houston series no houston could have the al top seed locked up by then they might rest their guys i was like what if the phillies could rest their guys i mean they're three and a half up now like if it just plays out this way theoretically they could rest their guys and every day i was like you can't do that i'm not okay with this we can't i i can't think that

way are we having a rest like all those people who are like neighbor dan i apologize for even bringing it up but like look they're they're in a really nice spot there are 22 games and look we've seen crazy stuff 7 and 17 all that but there there are 22 games left to play and they have a three and a half which is really a four and a half game lead on the on the the final wild card spot i mean that's it's a really nice spot to be in especially with three against the marlins left with more against um the gnats left the cubs left like all that stuff they got some and they still got some opportunities left so and the padres have like a really tough schedule an insane schedule they have the dodgers again um they have you know

uh um other teams out like i think they play seattle coming up they have, you know, uh, um, other teams that like, uh, I think they play Seattle coming up. They have to play the Cardinals. I believe like it's tough. So, and the brave, the Brewers next stretch, their toughest stretch, their schedule isn't that hard, but right now coming up, they have a stretch of, I think it's like, um, two against the Cardinals and then six straight against the Mets and Yankees. So, you know, those are tough games too. So if you can win in Miami and maybe seal a couple games in Atlanta,

you know, and the Brewers have that tough part, maybe you've created such enough distance that when you get to that tough part of the schedule. I can't hear you say they create enough distance. No, I know. I'm just talking. I'm just saying potential things. Again, the main point of what I was saying is I'm going to let it play out.

Well, listen. It's pretty exciting to think about the potential. I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. potential things again the main point what i was saying is i'm gonna let it play out well it's pretty exciting to think about the potential i know i know i know i know i know i know and i i'm mostly with you but still you you doing that last like minute like just the shiver went right down the middle middle of my spine like it really i'm not being i'm not being like i'm not joking around like i'm legitimately nervous like i i want to cut this audio when the Phillies blow it and have to relive this over and over again. Um, but either way, I'm the leader of this movement that the Phillies are good and everything's fine all the time.

So, um, the Padres, they go Mariners, D-backs, Cardinals, Rockies, Dodgers, White Sox, and then Giants to close out the season. So that's not an easy stretch to finish out the year. Yeah. So look, again, the Phillies have to do it in September. Anything can happen, but the point is the Phillies have put themselves in a good position to do it. All right.

Shout out to Gleason's Bar. Shout out to Miller Lite for making it happen. We had the best time out for the watch party other than the phillies it was like the first old school high hopes event season we hadn't lost yet we were undefeated it was bound to happen a brutal way to lose uh but a great time everyone came out milt thompson and gary matt the sarge and milt thompson there. We were like, oh, Sarge will be there. And then like Milt Thompson just showed up. What a delightful guy Milt was. Obviously, so many awesome people came out.

So many of the people we love to see at these events. And it kind of feels every time, Jack, like it's like a high hopes family there. I will say one member of the family notably absent again. I'm just saying again. Lisa, I mean, we call her out after the last time I was watch party. Her son, Michael, drove all the way from Philly to skip back to coming out with us. You know, Mike, Michael's man.

And, you know, we gave her grief. We joked around. She's like, I won't do it again. And then, and then this watch party, Michael's like, not only is she not here, but she actually had her plans canceled and she had a wide open night and just didn't come. So, you know, it was noticed. I'm just saying. Yeah. And you began to question everything you thought you knew before, right?

Like you thought you could trust people and then, and then Lisa doesn't show up to the watch party. So, um, once again, more disappointment from Lisa, but what can you expect at this point? And frankly, her word doesn't mean anything. Um, so, you know, her word, her word just is no longer, you know, I can no longer trust it. So it's, it's, it's quite disappointing. Um, but for everyone else that came, you know, my game and all of our usual longer trust it so it's it's quite disappointing um but for everyone else that came you know mike came and all of our usual people uh it's just it's nice walking in and seeing our people being like you know it's good to be home um yeah so it was great as always

and some new people of course came by uh this these two guys big fan of all the bits on this this little podcast that we have you know they're big fan of all the bits on this this little podcast that we have you know they're asking me about all the bits there's a lot of little bits they go on with the show um so that was funny and uh of course gleason's was awesome really good cheesesteaks i don't know that's what i was gonna say like the cheesesteak was amazing, dude. It was so good. And I finally realized that, and I don't know why it took me so long. I didn't really think of it until I was eating the cheesesteak.

I was like, you know what? Big fan of the slab rather than the chopped meat on a cheesesteak. I'm a slab meat guy rather than a chopped meat on a cheesesteak. Yeah, I'm a slab guy too. I agree 100%. Finally, we find some common ground on cheesesteaks. would like to mustard like a psychopath there was no mustard around sadly because that would have yeah i would i would have knocked it out of your hand the owner was there he was awesome he was being so so nice to us if you tried to put mustard on his cheese steak i

would have slapped it out of your hand now there were some accusations uh flying around uh yeah apparently not just accusations like just truths facts is what i mean what are you talking about you admitted it so there are some accusations that uh were flying around that i had a wing and then i put it back into the multiple wings where what the accusations said yeah and then i put it back into the multiple wings were what the accusations said yeah and then i put it back into the wing thing and my on the plate with all the other wings instead of on the the plate with all the bones that you know any sane human is going to put it on here's why it's being shared by a bunch of people yeah here's my defense no there's a defense there's my defense your defense should be i apologize i'll never do it again let's hear what you got well that but also

but also i thought it was mine i thought the whole thing was mine ah okay all right that's a decent defense all right that's that's a decent defense yeah i didn't think it was i think it was sharing i'm not a big share wing guy like i usually just eat wings for myself um so frankly right there yes i don't like to make things about me but um we could tell already but yeah i thought the i'm not a psycho i just thought all the wings for mine okay that's actually a very fair defense assuming you're telling the truth i'll let you slide on this one thank you um all right again thank you to cleasons it really was a great time if you're ever in levittown around that area like again great cheesesteaks the wings were awesome uh three dollar miller light uh during phillers games um uh it was it was really an awesome time so um all right fritzy take back all right um i don't know what they're gonna do james

because there is a developing superstar on this baseball team that needs to play a lot what are they gonna do with it mundo sosa like i know i don't want him playing i don't want to play an overstudy because i think he's becoming like a cult favorite here you know i know and he like i love every every time he puts the ball in play, I love his energy, love everything about him, love the defense, obviously. Sort of hit it a little bit. The name Edmundo. Yeah, he's –

Like, it is a great name. All-timer. And, like, he's hot right now. So, I wonder – like, that's the – it's the problem with Bryce and the DH thing is, like, he can't play the field. So, I mean, you can't play, unless you're committed to, like, Boehm on the bench or Boehm on the DH, but then you're taking Bryce. Like, it's just, I don't know how they play him. But the fact that they have this much depth, I think, is part of the reason why this team is in a much better spot and they've been able to sustain a lot of the injuries is like yeah a guy goes out bang and

mundo sosa steps up or matt veerling steps up or you know part of the philly's daycare whatever or some of the bullpen guys like baladi comes out of nowhere like they're just they're so much more well constructed than years past. And, and Munoz also just like is adding to the depth of this team. Yeah. And again, you know, we've talked about it so many times over the years and so many times this year, but finally having those guys now, every good team ever has those guys, you know, every winning team has, you know,

the Eric Brumplets and yeah, the guys who, who make the little contributions, who can fill in, who can be a defensive replacement late, who can be a pinch runner, who can do this, that, whatever, you know, those guys who really help, especially when it comes playoff time. Like those guys are so important when it's situational baseball time, when the pitching is more important, the defense is more important, you know, like all that stuff,

it just becomes so much more important when the games get tighter and every pitches is, you know, focused on and all that. So, yeah, it's it's a really it's a good question. But I certainly think he's a valuable guy to this team this year. And, you know, look, Thompson seems like he's doing a good job of, you know, because I'm with you. We want Staten Island every day. Like, he should be playing every day at this point in his career, and especially where the Phillies are and what he's done and what he's shown. I mean, he's just been awesome. But it's like also like Mundo's really good too, and he does things, and he's been great when he puts them in. So I think he's riding it well past this season. I think Stott's the guy. And I think, you know, if Sosa wants to be a, you know,

bench guy who comes in and does stuff, I appreciate it. I think that's his ultimate destiny. Yeah. But, you know, I think, you know, baseball is a game of hot streak sometimes. We were to Jack Fritz and I, as Jack, you know, did a good job of not being too nervous or uncomfortable around his idols. We actually talked to Mel Thompson about, you Thompson about the time where he hit like 500 over a 50-game stretch. We were like,

was it just like a beach ball coming out? He's like, yep, it was. Edmundo's locked in right now. Maybe it's not Milt Thompson beach ball, but he's seeing the ball really well right now, and he's on a streak, and sometimes it's about rocking those streaks. Yeah, and I just uh again i just

like that they have like a couple years ago if anyone went down they're bringing up like absolute scrubs in minor leagues and now it's like we need to find a way to get a mundo sosa in the lineup and and possibly bench someone that's a you know more touted hitter or whatever so just a good spot for this baseball team to be at. Someone that's not a bench player and someone that could be a key contributor to this team going forward that is finally starting to look comfortable is one Brandon Marsh. Yeah, buddy. I mean, he had the homer.

He could have had two homers. Hop out. Yeah, the at-bat before that, he could have been out on almost any other night, hit off the top of the fence um you know just he he's starting to just calm down you know he's i think they they you know he got hurt there a little bit um now he feels more comfortable more settled in and i just think the a the angels kind of just screwed him up like they had a they had a whole bunch of people out

there trying to tell him what to do and And he couldn't just be Brandon Marsh. And I think what you're seeing with Kevin Long, they've kind of, they've kind of simplified everything for him. You know, the, the, the leg kicks way down,

you know, it just looks more comfortable at the plate. And they only have like one voice really just kind of being in his ear, telling him, this is going to be, this is you, you know, get back to being that guy.

And, you know, when he was here at the beginning, it was a lot of soft contact. Like he was hits now this last weekend it was like all right he's starting to drive the baseball a little bit he's even doing that down in arizona um he went off in arizona so um i i really really like watching brandon march and again like them fixing him and figuring that out would be such a massive win for the the direction and the development of this organization oh my god yeah and you said at the time like could this be a you know it's like

a dave dombrowski trade you know that kind of one that we're like wait what and then you know you look into it it makes more sense and and then you know it was a betting on their their development staff and and betting on their their coaching and you, you look at a team like the Angels and it's like, you know, looking around at baseball and saying, all right, what organizations do I think probably has talent that is undervalued in it and they're not getting the most out of? The Angels are probably one of the first teams you'd look at, right? You know, how many prospects have they developed? You know, so I think it was a really smart move to go look around a guy, a former, like

we talked about, top 50 prospect, top 100 prospect in baseball, and saying that guy's good and young and he's being, you know, misused and they're not getting the most out of him and bringing him here and getting the most out of him. And that's smart. That's smart baseball, Jack. Yeah. Although Logan Ahapi is still going off for the Angels.

Yeah, Logan Ahapi is still good, I the angels yeah logan ahapi's still good i think so you know it is what it is he was blocked and it is what it is but um you know i think marsh a lot better than a lot of people thought right when that trade happened including me before it kind of got into it and we did the pod and mickey's playing pretty well he's he's batting lead off yesterday for the uh angels oh yeah batted lead off had a triple and then uh otani drove him home with a homer. So, yeah, that was nice. Shout out to Mick.

Shout out to Mick, our favorite. It's so weird, again, watching yesterday. It's just so weird the amount of trust that I have in Jose Alvarado to just, like, figure it out and throw strikes. Given what we've seen the last couple years, him just, even when he starts walking people it's like oh i'll figure it out and here's a hundred on the corner or here's like a cutter for a strike i can't believe how much i trust jose alvarado um and it's a place frankly james i never thought i'd be at yeah i remember i asked you you know i don't know a couple months ago know, is he do we trust him?

Like, you know, I still can't, you know, and we kind of talked it out and we started saying we were. And like, he's just kind of been really good since then, you know, and he's had like a couple moments here and there. And that, you know, brings back the memories. And I think we kind of maybe overrate those. He's been awesome. He's just really good. And I'm with you. You know, he's probably their third best reliever good and i'm with you you know he's probably their third best reliever he's probably the guy i trust the third most on this team and that is unbelievable especially because it's not it's not because there's no one else to trust like i trust baladi that i you know brogdon has had a bit of a you know tough spell lately still gotten the job

done but some some shaky things but i still trust connor brogdon like they're guys i trust coonrod i i trust but like i think Alvarado's third. I think it goes through Anthony Roberts and Alvarado. Yeah, it seemed like... I think Brogdon's going through a dead-arm period. You know, down to 94. He's been up to 96 a little bit. He kind of goes through these

where it's dominant and then kind of bad for a couple weeks, and then he comes back and is fine. It feels familiar. It is what it is. I think he's going to be fine by the end of the month, hopefully. And heading into the playoffs. But it kind of feels like a lot of the guys have bounced

back. Like, Pilate was showing some signs there of struggling. He looks like he's back. Jose Arado never really struggles now, which is just a weird sentence to say. Nick Nelson, he's fine. For hiselson like he's fine he's like you know for his role he's fine um chris sanchez i can't i i'm good you know with efflin coming back you know

sanchez probably goes down i think he actually went down yesterday so um and speaking of the bullpen like i'm just gonna keep putting this in a take bag until i see it on a night in night out basis or coonrod i'm work dude get coonrod in high take bag until I see it on a night in, night out basis. Coonrod. Dude, get Coonrod in high leverage spots. I'm sick and tired of it. I don't need to see him in the sixth. I don't need to see him when they're down by two or more or up by five. Sam Coonrod looks awesome.

So get him in some high leverage spots. Love it. Love it. I agree. I legitimately think that Andrew Painter is the best Phillies prospect I've seen in my entire life. I saw you tweet this. It looks like it.

It doesn't matter. He keeps moving up levels, and he just keeps being unhittable. Dude, he's 19. He's 19. It's absurd. He just went to AA and was just like hey i guess what i'm also the best pitcher here like yeah like what is this it's so weird having it really is an actually elite top level and this isn't like fritz hyperbole like this isn't i'm not making this up like i've

followed it pretty closely for the last couple years i've seen it you know the hype with the and like i could kind of find flaws in some of the prospects that have come up the last couple years like i think painter might be flawless like i really do like i don't i don't know how else to put it the guy has like a one era in double a at 19 he's pitching at Redding, James. It's insane. So I just, I don't, it's hard to plan out next year and like, well, how much do you want to rely on the young kids? You know, how much do you want to rely on Abel or Griff or Painter? I just like, Painter just might be ready for it, you know? And I'd be shocked, honestly, if they kept all three.

Like, I could see an Abel this off season, just like from the standpoint of, you know, it's unrealistic to expect all three to come up and be in the rotation and just like everything be fine. You know, maybe able to use him and try to go get a Devers or whatever, and just kind of, you know, soup up the offense even more. But like who's to say Painter can't just come up next year at 20 and just take off i mean uh dobrowski did this with verlander he did with bonderman like you know maybe painter just

comes up and is ridiculous i don't know i don't really count out anything with andrew painter at this point yeah dude that's i'm with you uh i look uh you're anti-prospect too so that's a big sentence yeah that's me um it's unbelievable i mean it just it is i'm with you man i don't ever remember a philly's prospect where it was just this dominant from the moment he set foot in the minor leagues through multiple levels like this at this age like i honestly i don't remember from like hamill's hamill's problem again like you said this before like this at this age. Like, I honestly, I don't remember from a Philly prospect. Like, Hamill's probably. And again, like, you said this before. Like, this is, like, he's, like, got a chance, you know,

when they do the, you know, top 100 prospects next year to start the season and all that stuff, there's a chance he's the best pitching prospect in baseball. Like, you know, maybe a couple other guys, like, you know, Grayson Rodriguez, if he still counts the prospect, all those guys. But, like, there's a chance he's there, and he's certainly going to be in the top 20, I would guess.

I think that's almost a lock. And the best part is that I was always behind them drafting him. I was always like, go get Andrew Painter. Listen, but trust us. Go get Andrew Painter. And the final thing here is that we lost Mick, and it's like, okay, there goes one of our guys. thing here is that we listen we lost mick and it's like okay there goes one of our guys and over the weekend our guy jason ochart uh is leaving the org uh but i'll say this like i think jason's smart

and i think he's gotten the phillies to a point where they are you know slowly catching up to these teams i think they need more hitting talent in the system for this thing to really go i just i don't really totally see it um but i think they're in a better spot but my fake like people are like oh are you are you down like no like i i i think jason's awesome i think he's really smart i think teams are gonna he's gonna be hired by a team you know fast i think someone's gonna hire him pretty quickly um but i also think that bresson maddenley is really good at his job I think Dombrowski like looking at what he knows when it comes to building a good organization

from top down, Philly's way all of that I just trust those guys to get it right and I trust them to get it right so I'm not like despondent I'm not like raising the red flags I'm not like this is a big warning sign

uh because i think that the guys in in charge now like if this was still clintack and mcphail and whoever's running the minor league system i'd be like oh my gosh this is all a disaster um but i i i think they're in a good spot i think jason helped them get to a good spot and uh you know i wish him well obviously but i think the phil is still in a good spot yeah what a what a wild spot to be in that unwavering confidence in the phillies front office and their developmental staff to just do the right things i mean it is it is something that maybe at no time in the you know at least the developmental staff the front office at times but so few times in the history of a phillies fan's lifetime do they get to say a sentence like you just said, Jack?

So that that's pretty cool. And I'm look, I'm with you. I've said, you know, many times how much I think that, you know, Dombrowski, you can quibble with some of the on the field stuff. And obviously this season's look better than others, better than you some of those last year. And that, you know, certain contracts have, even though, you know, the JT contract looks better than it did before. That's for sure. We're ripping it. Yeah, exactly.

I think I said it a bunch, but I firmly believe that by far the most important stuff Dombrowski has done since he's been here and will do while he's here is to set up the Phillies as a winning organization. He knows what a winning organization looks like, and he is building and building. And it's been been you know the the results so far have been clearly you know great i mean and we all feel good about mattingly and

annie and you know the front office structure and obviously barber who was here before but you know they've been letting him do his thing um i feel really good i agree with you with with where they're at and obviously we'll miss uh zoe coming into the podcast right now or what it's emily yelling to zoe if i'm not mistaken um sounds like we gotta wrap this this thing up yeah it's definitely bedtime uh so this is good uh i will uh i will end real quick um and i'll let you do a final thought um but uh quick shout out to our guy pat mack oh yeah all the games this weekend it was cool i had to be uh uh in and out um uh a lot so i was actually listening on the radio at fairman chat look shout out to our guy scott calling the games on tv and shout out to t-mac being a big you know important national guy because he is super awesome with that stuff and

it's great to see that and um but uh it was, it was really cool. You know, Pat's our guy and I, I thought he sounded awesome. Great job. And poor Patty, uh, what was like a three and a half hour rain delay yesterday. So I'm sure he had to fill some time. Yeah.

I'm sure he had to fill some time. Well, I mean, listen, listen, I, I like Pat, you know,

but you know, where was the, where was the save, save me text, you know, I mean, we could have hopped on, we could, we could have easily done a live high hopes, you know, on, on the Phil's reigned away. So, you know, I don't know why Pat can't throw us a bone. During the Eagles game, neither of us had anything else we had to do.

Who I've tried to tell you this a thousand times, who cares about the Eagles? This is a baseball town. The Phil's are hot and the title of the podcast. Who cares about the Eagles? The attendance shows that people definitely care more about the Phils than the Eagles now. For sure. Buddy, are you getting final thoughts? Final thought is a series in Miami would usually cause me to send into a panic.

I will try not to get too down. I still think this is a good baseball team, but I can't promise because again, I'm on the edge. Yeah. And I mean, look, you know,

I don't think there's any Phillies fan who could rationally, logically, truly say, Oh, Phil's in Miami in September. No problem. Like, sorry,

they got it. You know, I have all the confidence in the world that this team is way better than the Marlins, and I think they're going to win at least two or three. I feel good about it. But, you know, it's the Phillies in Miami in September. And listen, last thing. Joey Wendell, you're a Westchester guy.

You're a PSAC member. Calm down with the back-breaking hits against the Phils it's not the time for it we're trying to make the playoffs here, enough with it just do it for me and your family and friends and most of the people you've known, I'm sure let's calm down there, Joey

do it for us, Joey come on alright again, one last thank you to Gleason's Bar and Miller Lite for making that happen. We had the best time with everyone there. Not Lisa, but with everyone else who did show up. And let's go to Miami and not suck in September. That'd be pretty cool.

She's free to themselves.