Tom McCarthy talks NL East champ Phillies, Schwarber status, Bedlam!

00:00:02
Speaker 1: And there he is the man, the myth, and the legend. One of my favorite booths in all of Major League Baseball is when Tom McCarthy and Kruky John Cruck are in the booth together talking about the Philadelphia field and they are the NL East champs once again. Tom, great to be with you. Thank you for doing this. I know you're incredibly busy. Congrats man, what a team to cover, and it's the earliest that they have clinched an NL's title in their history. Tell me what you're going through right now.

00:00:30
Speaker 2: Well, it's just great to see and guys, thanks for having me on. You know, it's funny. I was sitting there Sunday on my flight back from my football game, and I hadn't realized that this would have been the earliest that they would have clinched, because, you know, going back two weeks ago, they were three games up over the Mets, and I'm thinking, well, I'm gonna have to take Week four off of the NFL because that's when the clinching's going to happen. So I did that, and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, they come flying, flying high, and it was just incredible to watch how how well they were playing, how well they were pitching. They've only lost the one game since Trey Turner and Alec Bohm went on the injury list. It's pretty remarkable. And to couple that with what they they've done since Zach Wheelers out, it's a really good group. And to watch them do that last the other thing too, I know it was late. It was a great baseball game, Like it was a really cool baseball game. And I probably wouldn't have said that if we had lost. But it was really a very good game.

00:01:28
Speaker 3: I mean, the congratulations affilies. This has been a foregone conclusion I've said for a while now, but this is what I want to know. Are you a in the champagne kind of guy? Are you a lurker around the edges kind of guy? Do you jump in and get sprayed? It was Krooky there because I can see Crooky. I know Crooky doesn't I don't think drinks it. He doesn't drink anymore, right, So I mean it's Crooky like getting the sparkling grape juice sprayed on him because he.

00:01:55
Speaker 4: Wasn't He was not there.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: And if you guys have been at the Dodger stadium in the Visney Clubhouse. They've done really a lot of work, is a lot of no's a lot of work on making it better. But it's really small. So I think we were all kind of on the fringe, because if we weren't, there was not a whole lot of room in the middle of that area. I did just send all my clothes out though, because it did get enough of it, and the clothes I wore last night for the celebration basically the same clothes I've worn for the last four years of celebrations. I've taken them, I've repacked them, I've sealed them off into my closet after I'm done. But you know, you try to get as little as you can. I forgot my crocs though, that was the thing. I was in socks basically, So those socks got thrown away.

00:02:42
Speaker 4: All right.

00:02:43
Speaker 3: So who celebrated it the most? Sometimes there's times like eleven, it's always well, he parties the most. I'm saying, who was it different for? Who is it different for? Because in eleven I remember watching Hunter Pence. I mean, the guys had won five straight, I think, and celebrates and there was live somewhere a little bit more subdued.

00:03:04
Speaker 4: Hunter Pence was like, this is amazing. You guys should all.

00:03:08
Speaker 3: Do and Victorino is like folding up his shirt and like, I wouldn't win the World Series. I'm gonna you know, I'm gonna go work out kind of thing. Who celebrated it a little bit differently on this team.

00:03:19
Speaker 2: You know, it's funny you say that cratzy because it was more more of a workman like celebration. It wasn't like a lot of the other ones that we've had. I mean, it was great to do it. I thought some of the like some of the newcomers, you know, the hayesus Lozardos, who's already celebrated when the Marlins went into the postseason, Lou Trevino and Tim Mayza, both local guys who get a chance to celebrate as Phillies fans, even though they they've been there before with other teams. That's a really good question, I would probably say, besides Garrett, who always celebrates because he's really good at it and he's the best DJ in the history of clubhouse DJs, you know, our owner on Middleton really celebrated. It was kind of cool to see him in the mix with it player wise, I think they all were. They were all in there. I mean it was it was. There's a great picture that one of our team photographers, my buddy Mitch, took of Harper in the middle of its kind of his arms raised out. I thought that was emblematic of the whole thing.

00:04:19
Speaker 3: Well, that's all you said. I was kind of workman like. Yeah, the celebration on the field was workman like. When you get a beer bong out there, I think it's a little less and I know that's Garrett Cratzykratzy.

00:04:30
Speaker 2: Cratzy is a new term for it. It's called the chug buddy. Apparently called the chug buddy.

00:04:36
Speaker 4: So not a beer bong. Okay, I don't know.

00:04:38
Speaker 2: That's what it's said on the side of it.

00:04:41
Speaker 4: Good to know, Okay, the chug buddy.

00:04:43
Speaker 3: Can you confirm that it was apple juice in Bryce's chug buddy?

00:04:50
Speaker 2: You know what, I don't know if it was apple juice it was, I'm sure it was something along those lines. I didn't look at his I was looking at the other guys. I was out turned. I was turned to my head doing some other inner views.

00:05:01
Speaker 1: Apple between the chug buddy opportunities. Is anyone sliding in an extension with John Middleton and Kyle Schwarber in between, like all of these celebrations. Can can we just extend Schwarber for a lifetime contract for the Philadelphia Phillies, Tom, Because I'm obsessed with him. I'm obsessed with this Philly and I want him to be a Philly for the remainder of his days. What are we doing with him?

00:05:30
Speaker 2: You know, I think everybody feels that way, Alana. I think I mean everybody in the organization, front office, the ownership group, they all want him to stay. I mean, he's been such a shot in the arm. I mean it's so uplifting to watch him take some swings. But it's also the off the field stuff that he and Page and the entire Schwarber family have been part of, you know, here in Philadelphia. I mean when he launched that one right there, the number fifty home run, I mean, it was just explosive in the ballpark. I think it's going to get done. I think they've kind of put it off until you know the season is over with. But you know, God bless him for doing what he's done. I mean, he was a very big prospect obviously coming out of Indiana won a World Series with the Cubs. The sky was the limit despite the knee injury. But he's played himself into having a very comfortable last few years in the big leagues, and I don't see him slowing down. But I do think it's going to get done. I think that he wants to stay. I think he's great for the city. I think the city is great for him, and I look forward to having him in the clubhouse for many years to come.

00:06:29
Speaker 3: Can you talk about John Middleton's demeanor when you had mentioned it there that he was celebrating because AJ on the show did the Mets Phillies series last year and saw John Middleton leaving after they lost, and he said that was one pissed off dude.

00:06:44
Speaker 4: And I think this team is going to have changes.

00:06:48
Speaker 3: And I know John just from alumni days going, you know, being invited over to his house. And I was roasted for agreeing that he thinks this is his legacy to leave a World Series championship in Philly. Is there anything that is.

00:07:05
Speaker 4: Not right with that? Is he.

00:07:10
Speaker 3: Doing exactly what he's done every other year or is there more of like a ratcheted up, like, Hey, we really need to do this now, because you always hear about his riveting speeches and spring training and everything too.

00:07:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think he obviously is all in. I mean, he's a Philly fan, true and true. I mean that's the one thing about him. You know, when you think about ownership groups around Major League Baseball, there's a lot of them who are big fans of the teams that they own, but have been for their entire livelihood, but not all of them. He is. I mean, he is a Philly fan. It's the Phillies, it's the Eagles, whatever. But he wants this to be a legacy that he can leave on such a positive note. You know, he keeps talking about wanting his trophy back. I mean he truly does. But you can see it the way he goes about everything, you know, watching him in the ninth inning last night. I mean, he is a fan and he consumes every thing about the Phillies. And I think that's a great thing because the fact that he embraces every bit of this ball club from you know, whether it be the celebrations, whether it be the trips, everything goes a long way for all of the players. And their families feeling good about being part of this organization and this great city. So he loves it. Gratsy. I mean, it's it is, It is in his blood. And you know, he's a very competitive guy. And I like that about him. I like the passion and he treats a lot of us really really well. And I think it's I think it's emblematic of the city that we are part of. I mean, he is true and true of Philadelphia.

00:08:40
Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree. Question the home field advantage for the Phillies big time. You're there every night. Kruck never travels. So the question that AJ asked it he was there Kruck truck. Kruck drives to Fort Myers and then back up to Phillies. So he's only there in Philly.

00:08:58
Speaker 5: He took some trips this year. Oh yeah, it took big timer. But can you can you try to explain to our national audience the energy or just the atmosphere that's in Citizens Bank And it's the reason the Phillies have the best home record in baseball the last two years because we always try to explain. AJ tries to explain San Diego and what kind of environment that is you go in.

00:09:26
Speaker 4: There, and it's ruckus.

00:09:27
Speaker 3: Can you explain it to our national audience what Citizens Bank is like, especially in the playoffs.

00:09:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, So there's a there's a there's an emotion that you feel when you're at the ballpark, and it's it's the good, the bad, the nerve wracking, whatever you're feeling. The stadium is feeling too. But they're so uplifting when the game begins, when something positive happens, when they need to come from behind and do something. There's a soundtrack that's just different. And you know, we've been in different cities during the playoffs. You guys are right. San Diego's unbelievable. San Francisco's unbelievable. Boston is unbelievable. It's hard to in New York last year at City Field, I mean it was incredible to feel it. It is hard to duplicate what is South Philadelphia and Citizens Bank Park. I mean it is just uplifting on every level. I mean as a broadcaster, the soundtrack is just riveting. I mean it is just incredible. It brings you to a different level. You know, nothing against Dodger Stadium last night, but it was not what it would have been at Citizens Bank park in a tie game in extra innings with that feeling, that playoff feeling. I'm grateful that that's what I get to go to work for every day. But you kind of feel the whole rollercoaster of a game and not in your stomach, Like you feel that not in your stomach. Everybody in the crowd has the not in that stomach. And when you see Victorino hit a grand slam against CC Sabathia, you feel the whole Bill Bilding shake, or Bryce going opo against the Padres, you feel the whole building shakes. It's really something that I wish upon every baseball fan to feel.

00:11:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a great, great atmosphere. You just are a man of many talents. Mister Tom McCarthy called Bengals Ravens on Sunday. A rumor is you have Colts and Titans this upcoming week and a Cup. I have a two part question. Number one coming off Colts and Broncos game, which you did not call, but I'm pissed off about how many times do they call a leverage penalty? Number one, that's the question I want to know. And number two, how do you juggle all of this?

00:11:41
Speaker 4: Well?

00:11:42
Speaker 2: Question number one. I watched that and I still don't think that there was a leverage. I think he put his hands on him, but I didn't see this three hundred pound guy put his hands on him and lift up. I saw him put his hands on him but then have no impact on the play. But it is it is the letter of the law. But I was I was expecting to see somebody put hands on jump over. I saw somebody low hands on. I didn't really see the leverage play that they were talking.

00:12:09
Speaker 1: The Denver Broncos should be two and oh damn it, Denver Bronco.

00:12:14
Speaker 5: Oh.

00:12:17
Speaker 2: I mean, well, you know it's funny. So this morning I've spent my time doing my charts for this weekend. I kind of have this regimen where I get up at a certain time and then for two and a half three hours I do football, and then I'll do baseball, and then the next day I'll sort of do the same thing. But I had a little bit of a I don't know what it was. I had a brain fart. So I started doing the Texans chart. But we're I'm not doing the Texans game. So when I do do a Texans game down the road, I got their offense all into a chart, so everything's ready to go, but I just try to manage my time with it. I mean, I got a really good crew, and those meetings beginning on Friday, as you guys know, you know, because you do other games, they're so helpful to get in there and just sort of hunker down. I'm just grateful that I was here to do this game because on Sunday when I'm doing that the Ravens game, I'm thinking, oh man, I'm going to miss the clinching and that would have crushed me if I would have missed the clinching.

00:13:09
Speaker 3: Mm hmm, Well you wouldn't have got sprayed with apple juice, Tom, But can you show one of those charts, because I don't think people understand what a football charge.

00:13:17
Speaker 4: Yeah.

00:13:18
Speaker 2: So this is the start of it right here. This is the kind of the skeleton of it. This is the this is the this is the Tennessee Titans right here.

00:13:27
Speaker 4: Yeah. So you have basically do one of those boxes for the whole team, right yeah.

00:13:34
Speaker 2: And this is the this is the Texans for later on this year that I started and gotten halfway done with.

00:13:41
Speaker 4: They lost last night to the Bucks. By the way, I'm just saying.

00:13:43
Speaker 2: They did, and I'm not sure. I think I was watching some highlights of it. And that's why I I'm a lot of times in the AFC South, so sometimes my mind's working that I'm either Texans, Jags, Titans. You know, Colts.

00:13:57
Speaker 4: You got the Ravens right this week.

00:14:00
Speaker 2: I had him last weekend. That was that was great. I love going to Baltimore. That's a great It's a great stadium to watch a game.

00:14:06
Speaker 3: Okay, so better better stadium then an NFL stadium packed or the Bank packed?

00:14:12
Speaker 4: Which one's a bank packed?

00:14:13
Speaker 2: The Bank packed it is.

00:14:15
Speaker 3: I mean it's better than better than the Phillies. I mean the Eagles stadium across the way. So I was over the Eagles. Be careful, now, be careful.

00:14:25
Speaker 2: I'm always I'm always gonna say Citizens Bank Park. I mean, I love, I love Lincoln Financial Field, but I'm always gonna say I will say this. I remember some years ago watching the Eagles Vikings when the Phillies are going through their decade of not being in the postseason, and I'm in the box watching the playoff game, and the Eagle fans are doing the skull, you know, just to mock the Vikings and Gabe Kapler was there with me and I looked at him, I said, this is what it's going to be like. We never got there with Gabe, but it was deafening the Eagles Vikings game team.

00:15:00
Speaker 3: I think you're the best baseball announcer out there, and thank a friend, but it kills me. And do you think you'll ever see a change where you get to do national games when the Phillies are in it? It kills me that you're not on. And I love that your guys Franski in La and Murph and Stocker, all the guys from the radio crew for the Phillies, they let you in and you guys make a little pump fired.

00:15:25
Speaker 4: You barely fit in the radio booth. I love that.

00:15:29
Speaker 3: But to me, baseball is a regional game and the one time of year when guys like you should be celebrated nationally because regionally everybody gets to enjoy you, and then nationally for football, and then you get put to the sideline. You think that'll ever get changed?

00:15:47
Speaker 2: Boy, that's a great question. Cratsey. I knew what I was getting into when I switched over to television. I don't think it'll ever get changed. I do wish it would. I would love the opportunity. I'm grateful that I get to do two witnings of radio every playoff game, Beyond grateful because not many TV guys get a chance to do that. I do wish it would happen, But you know, we're fortunate that there are a lot of really good people doing those national games, so they kind of tell the story and make sure that it's told properly. I just don't think it'll ever happen now that it obviously hasn't happened for so long, I don't think it'll ever go back the other way, as much as I wish it would.

00:16:27
Speaker 3: Hey, listen, tomm you do a great job, but it's not happening because unless unless you get a job like a Jason Bennetti on a national game in a national broadcasting, it's not gonna happen because the national rights holders, as you know, pay so much.

00:16:40
Speaker 4: Money for these games.

00:16:41
Speaker 3: Their money is made in the playoffs, and they use these guys the whole year to get to the playoffs.

00:16:45
Speaker 4: B I mean, listen, yeah, I mean everyone, every every local.

00:16:49
Speaker 3: Homer person says, oh, we want our local guys to cry the playoff games.

00:16:53
Speaker 4: It's not gonna happen. I'm sorry.

00:16:54
Speaker 3: As cool as could be, it's not gonna happen because then you'd have to have two broadcasts doing the game. So you can't have two. You can't have two broadcasts on one channel. So sorry, you can't have the Phillies and the Mets guys both calling the game together.

00:17:07
Speaker 4: That would be weird. You and Gary would be like, who talks more?

00:17:10
Speaker 3: I don't know, we talked the Saints. I don't know, he says, some Cruck I don't know. But anyways, before I let you go.

00:17:16
Speaker 2: You you imagine that you imagine a Keith John Cruck booth or Ron Darling John Cruck No.

00:17:24
Speaker 3: To be unbelievable. But here here's here's the question I have for you. First of all, should the tush push be banned? Because last I mean against the Chiefs they used it seven times?

00:17:35
Speaker 2: Right, I mean, come on, like, I don't know, you know, I did the Saints game Week one, and and you know Kellen Moore who came over from the Eagles, they tried it and it just didn't really work the way it does in Philadelphia. I don't know, I don't think it should be banned. I think it's a football play, and you know, I'm amazed that nobody's figured out how to stop it as of yet. But it is amazing to me to watch like the Saints trying to cheat.

00:18:06
Speaker 4: They cheat. Every time they cheat. The center, the center.

00:18:10
Speaker 3: Already has the ball between his legs, and every every time they showed it on Sunday, they were off sides.

00:18:16
Speaker 4: They were a false star. I mean, the freaking.

00:18:19
Speaker 2: Dudes, are you a cheating No, I am not.

00:18:25
Speaker 4: I'm not.

00:18:26
Speaker 3: I'm a football fan. I'm a Bears fan. Tom, have mercy on my have mercy on my soul exactly. But I'm just saying, as a neutral observer, every time the center, the center already has a volve with his legs and before he even snabs it, the two guards are already submarining the other players and they're I mean. And then, but by the way, I do love Jalen Hurts because when he told Chris Jones, shut your mouth.

00:18:47
Speaker 2: Boy, we won on the whatever SA I actually thought that that was awesome. You know, it's funny. My game. The other day, I was trying not to talk as much when the quarterbacks were up with the line of scrimmage because I love the interaction that you can pick up every once in a while between the defensive lineman and the offensive lineman or you know, the quarterback. I think that is awesome. It doesn't happen all the time, but I thought that was phenomenal when they were going back at each other.

00:19:15
Speaker 3: Murph last question, Yeah, Murph. I called you Murph because Murph made me ask you little?

00:19:20
Speaker 2: He little?

00:19:21
Speaker 3: Did you he's yeah, he's he's he's a small one. You're the tall one. You cut yourself. You cut yourself. And he came on our national show.

00:19:31
Speaker 2: Right here I did. I cut it on Sunday and every day now I'm trying to get around it, and I keep popping it open again. It's it's listen. When you don't have this up here, everything else just you just market. It goes, market, it goes. I don't know what it is.

00:19:49
Speaker 4: You got a face.

00:19:50
Speaker 3: You got a face for radio.

00:19:53
Speaker 2: Brother, You don't think, you don't think. I don't know that.

00:20:00
Speaker 1: Well. I don't want you worrying about the tush push. I want you worried about the leveraging penalty. Okay, Tom, thank you so.

00:20:07
Speaker 3: Much for everything.

00:20:08
Speaker 4: We appreciate it.

00:20:09
Speaker 1: Good luck to you the rest of the way, and the fills the rest of the way. I swear and I mean this sincerely. When I say this, you and correct the best booth in baseball. Really, it's just an absolute blast to listen to you guys.

00:20:20
Speaker 4: Thanks for coming on.

00:20:21
Speaker 1: We appreciate it. We'll catch up with you soon

00:20:24
Speaker 2: All right, look forward to it to you guys.