Forecast: champagne showers
The Phillies had such a good opportunity to clinch the NL East at some point on their just complete seven-game road trip through Milwaukee and New York.
They didn’t.
They went 2-5 on the trip, including three of four losses to the Mets at Citi Field. These types of trips happen, but the Phillies could face the Brewers and Mets in the postseason. As concerning as that might, it’s also concerning that the Phillies struck out 81 times on the road trip, four shy of their most strikeouts in a seven-game span in franchise history.
The Phillies can clinch the division as early as Monday night.
We dig into the offense, Zack Wheeler’s brilliance and more.
Get unique throwback Phillies tees, hats & sweatshirts from local artists at their shops in Center City, Wayne & West Chester and at https://shibevintagesports.com/.
You can watch this episode and others on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePhilliesShow
Keep up with the show here:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thephilliesshow/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thephilliesshow
- X: https://twitter.com/thephilliesshow
- Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thephilliesshow
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559185425483
The Phillies Show is part of the Foul Territory Network. Check them out here: https://foulterritoryshow.com
If you like our show, subscribe and give us a review!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Available Results
Generated results are saved to the knowledge database for reuse and search.
Extract Knowledge
Pick what you want extracted first. Model, scope, and chapter options appear after a template is selected.
Transcript
00:00:00 Speaker 1: Hi. 00:00:00 Speaker 2: This is Kyles forber and welcome to the Philly Show. 00:00:19 Speaker 3: Hi everybody, Welcome to the Philly Show. It's Monday, September twenty third, twenty twenty four. You got Ruben Omar Junior here, Jim Salisbury. I'm Todd's Lucky powered of course by the Foul Territory Network. Guys, how are we doing this morning? I'm still stuck up in New York. I thought I was going to be home on Saturday. I thought I was going to have the weekend off, but the Phillies decided not the clinch in at least, so I stuck around. 00:00:45 Speaker 2: All weekend and maybe they'll clinch it on Monday. Now you guys get Yeah. 00:00:51 Speaker 4: Doing great, doing great, other than the disappointment that happened over the course of that road trip. 00:00:57 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, two and five. Ruben, what does anything jump out at you? For me, it was like just a lot of swing and miss. The offense just kind of fell flat the whole week, which is kind of concerning because these are two playoff teams and they could be facing the Mets and the Brewers, and there were a lot of scouts, a lot of scouts from all the contending teams here this week and watching this Phillies' effort, and I'm sure they're taking down their little notes and going, all right, get them to chase. 00:01:23 Speaker 5: And well, I think a couple of things. 00:01:27 Speaker 4: One, we went through this in twenty eleven twenty ten, when we had been like overly scouted to the point where all of our guys were really exploited. 00:01:36 Speaker 3: And. 00:01:38 Speaker 4: I think it really affected us as far as our offense was concerned in that era. 00:01:42 Speaker 5: I think the exact same thing is happening now. 00:01:45 Speaker 4: That teams are seeing some of the flaws that this team has, and there's a lot of swing and miss in it, and there's also a lot of guests. The only guy that I don't feel is like guessing at the plate consistently is Alec Bohm, and I think that's why you're seeing him get, you know, have consistent contact, even though it's sometimes it's not hard. 00:02:07 Speaker 5: I just see so much guests, and I'm talking. 00:02:10 Speaker 4: About from Schorebert to Harper to Turner, et cetera, et cetera. 00:02:15 Speaker 5: Castiano has always been. 00:02:16 Speaker 4: Sort of a guest hitter, but I see that happening basically throughout the lineup. Instead of these guys just kind of letting their ability, like look for a fastball and adjust. And I know it's a very, very difficult thing to do, because hitting is one of the toughest things in the world to do. 00:02:32 Speaker 5: But I'm seeing that a lot, and I gotta believe. 00:02:38 Speaker 4: I gotta believe that everybody on the planet who is going to be involved in the playoffs is watching it as well. 00:02:43 Speaker 5: And it's a concern. 00:02:45 Speaker 6: Yeah, I agree. You's seeing a lot of guests and a lot of press because when you don't have success, and you know, that big expectation of a division championship that they talked about as far back as February is dangling right there, and it's not coming home to roost to start grip tight, start chasing it a lot of high fastballs. Last night, I had a lot of trouble with fastballs late on them, chasing them out of the zone. You know this, They just look like kind of a almost like a football team that's stuck in the red zone and can't punch it over. They will, They probably will Monday night. I think coming home will do them a world of good, getting out in front of their home fans. But you know, these Mets, these Mets could be a major nuisance. They remind me you mentioned ten and eleven, Rubin. They remind me a lot of the Cardinals in twenty eleven. You know, the Cardinals lost Wayne Wright. This team lost Senga. The Cardinals went on a major second half run. I think the Cardinals finished like twenty three and nine. And the Mets have that, you know, momentum, They have emotion, and they seem to believe they could be a very tough out in the postseason. Of course, they got to get there, but they're up to They've got a big series in starting Tuesday night with Atlanta. I mean TV, that's gonna be musty TV. Atlanta Mets really good finish down there. So but the Mets really tough team. I mean in Phillies, you waste a great effort by Zach Wheeler on Sunday Night one for you know, they're one for eleven with runners in scoring position in the last two games. And we talk about this odd noiing and you talk about all these scouts that are figuring this out. People have known this about this team for a long time. They you know, the way video scouting is, you don't even have to have scouts behind the backstop to know this, and they're caught in one of their funks where they're swinging and missing, they're pressing with runners on base, leaving men in scoring position, and it's everybody's worst fear that it's going to rear its head at the worst time sometime in October. Maybe the pluses is happening here in the final week of September. They are still going to win the division, and then maybe they can get on something. 00:05:00 Speaker 2: Of a role in October. 00:05:01 Speaker 6: We'll see. 00:05:02 Speaker 5: Yeah. 00:05:02 Speaker 3: The Phillies, so on that seven game road trip, struck out eighty one times. 00:05:07 Speaker 2: That's four short. 00:05:08 Speaker 3: The most strikeouts I've ever had in a seven game span. Eighty five they've chased. The chase rate was up to thirty five point two during this road trip. Season average is about twenty nine, so it's up about six percentage points, So chasing more, striking out more. So if you're Rob Thompson, are you sitting there saying, all right, it's. 00:05:35 Speaker 2: Just seven games. 00:05:36 Speaker 3: You know they clinched the posts, they know they're going to clinch the NLS, and maybe they're just down a little bit. This stuff happens. The Mets are playing for the live whatever it might be. Are you trying to rationalize the seven games or are you a little bit nervous that it's coming so. 00:05:55 Speaker 2: Close for the postseason? 00:05:56 Speaker 3: They have six more games, and then assuming they get a bye, they're gonna be off for five days. Probably won't help their hitting. Are you a little nervous about it? Reuben, I am nervous about it. I mean, listen, this is not the first time we've seen this happen. I mean, we've seen this happen in the playoffs last year. They were exploited with the high fastball. I would just pound high. 00:06:18 Speaker 4: Fastballs to this team all day long and keep pounding it, whether it's two strikes or no strikes. 00:06:26 Speaker 5: Or what have you. And every once in a while, I'd flip a breaking ball out of the zone. 00:06:31 Speaker 4: And that's what I would do if I was scouting them, I'd pound high fastballs and high fastballs and high fastballs until the cows come home, and until they have the ability to lay off that pitch. 00:06:44 Speaker 5: I just keep going at them. I mean, that would be my scattery report against them, because. 00:06:50 Speaker 4: They're susceptible to that pitch and they have not been attacking the high fastball very well. Last year we saw Bryson Stott attack the high fast all much better with his top hand. Right now, he's long with his swing. I see guys, you know, swinging and missing at it a lot. Again, it's a tough pitch to hit, and it's very very enticing because it's closer to your eyes, you can see it better. I had a long talk with Billy Williams way back when, a long time hitting coach with the Chicago Cups, and I said, Billy, why did guys swing at that high fastball so much? He said, well, think about it, Ruben. You can see it with your eyes better. You can, you can track it better and so and they're also calling that pitch in the upper part of the zone now more than any more than any time in history. So there's a couple of things working against him. And that's how I would attack him. 00:07:45 Speaker 2: And if you can. 00:07:47 Speaker 6: It's funny you talk about the high fastball. Remember that. You know they wanted Vince Flasks to throw that pitch, but he just could locate it right. You know, you have to be really precise with the location of it. But you know, when this team is swinging in miss and you don't even have to locate it that well. It can be up above the letters, out of the zone. You're going to get a swing and miss on it. Because they're so undisciplined, they're trying to make too much happen instead of letting the game come to them. I feel like there was a lot of that this week, just because the division title is hanging there and they all know it, you know. I just like I said, I see a lot of press right. 00:08:23 Speaker 4: Now, and which is interesting, Jim, and I'll reiterate. I'll just talk about that a little bit. This is a veteran team. These guys have been around. There's no reason for them to be pressing, and they know they're getting to where they need to go as far as the NL East is concerned, and they should trust the guys behind them there. 00:08:43 Speaker 5: I have all very very good hitters. 00:08:45 Speaker 4: I mean, these are really good hitters, and you know, they need to put themselves in a position to allow the next guy past the baton. When they're doing that consistently, that's when they can sustain rallies, hits, walks, stealing a base and and that's I think the mentality is that A I don't necessarily have to do it. I have to make that picture. Throw me a strike so I can do my do my damage. 00:09:13 Speaker 6: Ruby, do you in top? Do you guys? Indeed see some press. 00:09:18 Speaker 2: I feel like that's in there. 00:09:20 Speaker 5: I see some big swings. Yes, yeah, I. 00:09:23 Speaker 3: Feel like especially with Harper, I was looking at that at bat in the I think it was his first at bat. I don't think he swung at a pitch in the strike zone. Every single pitch was out of the strike zone that he swung at. 00:09:33 Speaker 2: So to me, that seems to be It. 00:09:37 Speaker 3: Seems to me like that's a guy who's trying to make something happen in a big game, because you know, he had not been hitting the ball, particularly while on this road trip. I don't know what he hit on the road trip, but I don't think he had a great put up great numbers. So that that to me because when you know, when Bryce is good, he's laying off that stuff and he's waiting for that one or two pitches in the zone to really jump on. 00:09:57 Speaker 2: And he did not do that last night. 00:09:59 Speaker 6: And you know, last night was the game he wanted to be Bryce Harper Superstar National TV, chance to lock down the division and have a little celebration on National TV. You know, right after the game. On the field, it just looked like he was trying to, you know, do too much. Looked like he was trying to meet the moment instead of maybe the moment come to him. 00:10:23 Speaker 7: So I was speaking of all this. You mentioned Zach Wheeler. 00:10:27 Speaker 3: The Phillies went into this trip, or went into Wednesday night in a thirty four game winning streak when they're starting pitchers have pitched seven or more innings. It's the second longest streak in baseball history, the longest streak, of course, in franchise history. 00:10:41 Speaker 7: They've now lost their last two when. 00:10:42 Speaker 3: They're starting pitchers gone seven seven innings of Nola on Wednesday night and Zach Wheeler on Sunday night. And we will be right back, all right. 00:10:52 Speaker 8: This one's for the dudes. You know how scary it can get when you're going for a close shave below the belt. And that's why FT Trusts manscaped for those sens of areas. Their newest package is the Performance Package five point zero Ultra, including the star of the show, the lawnmower five point zero Ultra. 00:11:08 Speaker 1: Their fifth generation trimmer features two interchangeable next gen skin safe bladeheads, a standard one for taking a little off the top, and a new foil blade to go smooth wherever your heart desires. 00:11:21 Speaker 8: Manscaped even threw in two free gifts to their performance package five point zero the Manscaped Boxers and the Shed travel Bag. Want more wet products, say no more. Manscaped has a new buff Bundle, which is all you need to keep the summer heat a breeze. This bundle includes their signature silicone scrubber plus body watch, so ditch your nasty lufa and grab a taste of freshness. 00:11:42 Speaker 9: Join the ten million men worldwide who trust Manscaped with our exclusive offer. Get twenty percent off plus free shipping when you go to manscape dot com and use code fo UL twenty. 00:11:56 Speaker 3: And we are back and I'm going to test you guys today because it is time for the Philly of the Week. All right, guys, we just we just talked about the two and five road trip and how nothing really went. 00:12:13 Speaker 2: Right on the hitting end. 00:12:15 Speaker 3: So uh, Philly of the Week is, of course brought to you by Shy Vintage Sports. Get your unique, unique throwback Phillies teas, hats and sweaters from the local artists at their shops in Center City, Wayne and Westchester and at Shibe Sports. 00:12:34 Speaker 2: We always love our ship gear. 00:12:38 Speaker 3: You guys might not love picking your Philly of the week, though I have one guy in my mind. 00:12:45 Speaker 5: There's only one. 00:12:46 Speaker 2: Okay, let's see, let's see if you and I are the same Are we in the same way? 00:12:51 Speaker 4: Like, who's your Well, I'm a total comp out right now because I'm gonna go with Zach Wheeler. 00:12:54 Speaker 2: Oh okay, that's who I had. 00:12:56 Speaker 5: Total comp out. 00:12:58 Speaker 4: I mean, I mean, what can you say about this guy other than he's the best pitcher in baseball? 00:13:05 Speaker 5: It's it for me. 00:13:06 Speaker 4: I mean, as far as the starting pitchings or pitchers are concerned, you can talk about the guy with a Class A over there, the closer with the Cleveland Guardians. 00:13:17 Speaker 5: He's been spectacular. Should we the whin the al Cy Young? I think? 00:13:21 Speaker 4: But I mean, this guy's been unbelievable. And I obviously Chris Sales had an unbelievable season, but I'm sorry. He's pitched well down the stretch. He's pitched well against teams that are contending. He's pitched you know, I mean, he's not just well, he's dominated them. And he's just been fantastic his last two outings just spectacular again again. 00:13:43 Speaker 3: Zach Wheeler fourteen innings on this road trip, two starts, eleven hits, three runs, one walk, fourteen strikeouts, one point ninety three. Y right, he's making his last second push for NL. 00:13:55 Speaker 2: Cy Young. 00:13:56 Speaker 7: I don't know if he's going to get there, Guys. I'll be honest with you. 00:13:58 Speaker 3: If you look at the overall stats, I just feel like too many of the national writers are going to say, Wow, Chris Sale, what a great story man he was. You know, he was traded for nothing basically, and he was He's been hurt all these years, and you know he's eighteen three two three eighty or But you know what's interesting, guys, is Chris Sale in his last start only went five innings and his VELO was way way way down in his last start. So he's starting on He could have had two more starts this season, Chris Sale. They're I think he's starting on Wednesday against the Mets. They're giving him an extra day, so now he cannot pitch the final game of the season if they need it. 00:14:37 Speaker 2: That interesting. 00:14:39 Speaker 6: That's a huge development in the and he's had and he's had some serious, you know, injury stuff. 00:14:45 Speaker 3: But I mean that's uh, you know, I don't know if that's I don't know if Zach goes out and dominates in his last start in Washington, I don't know what they're gonna do. If they're gonna take probably taper and back an inning or whatever. They could do that, but but he's certainly were they do in Sion. Go ahead, coach. 00:15:02 Speaker 6: I think this week you should name it Philly of the Week. W e A. I'm gonna I'm gonna go out of the box, and my Philly of the Week is the Great Phil Sheridan and his clubhouse staff. Because of this five road. 00:15:18 Speaker 10: Trip, they're gonna have to the Scoogle River is going to flow through the Phillies Clubhouse one of these nights, probably tonight, and Garrett Stubbs is going to be doing the backstroke and they're gonna have the Phil Sheridan and his boys. 00:15:32 Speaker 6: And whatever service they use. They're gonna have to clean that that clubhouse up and get it right the day. 00:15:38 Speaker 2: That's about the other one. 00:15:39 Speaker 4: The other part of it is that they've had to prepare for this for how long. I mean, they've had to drag alcohol and champagne and all types of stuff all over the place. 00:15:48 Speaker 2: Well it was funny. 00:15:50 Speaker 3: So on on Wednesday, Milwaukee and we're walking toward the clubhouse they lost, of course, that was the Nola game, and I see these ten cases of Budweise they're sitting outside the clubhouse and and that was part of the beer that they were going to crack into. And I asked, I asked if they left it there. And the Budweiser was left there, which somebody in Milwaukee of course will take. But it is ironic though, because Miller Budweiser their their rivals. So it's this kind of funny that they left ten cases of Budweiser in Milwaukee when it should have been Miller Lite or the high Life the Champagne of beer as we as we know. So yeah, that's a good one though, Jim. The clubhouse staf because they're gonna have a lot of work ahead of them. 00:16:32 Speaker 6: Yeah, they Yeah, I remember the days when clubhouse celebrations they were big and they were a little more muted. Now they have to cover everything and they put this you know, this floor saver down and. 00:16:47 Speaker 2: It is wild. 00:16:49 Speaker 4: Yeah, they put they drape all that stuff across and they actually build those lockers so that they have actual hooks in them to prepare for that. And they do that pretty much across the board. Now even that would are that are not contenders. 00:17:04 Speaker 6: Yeah, they build them right into because the Phillies have hooks there all the time, part of the part of the you know, the hardware in the clubhouse. But these these celebrations have become marketing events, so they'll know. I remember the days when you know, the clubhouse staff would duct tape some plastic above the lockers. Now, as Rube said, they have the hooks that are part of the part of the hardware of the clubhouse and the actual you know tarps that they put over the lockers are sponsored by beer company. You know, you can only drink during the celebrations, at least in the post. 00:17:35 Speaker 5: Season, the an MLB thing. 00:17:38 Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, yeah, the goggles are comped and branded. It's just you know the days of you know, Yogi Berra. 00:17:48 Speaker 2: Going, you know, having a Schlitz. 00:18:00 Speaker 3: They had they had the plastic tar hanging over the lockers in Milwaukee the entire week. As soon as they got there that the plastic was up because they it was they knew they could clinch a postseason birth out outside chance they could clinch the NL East in Milwaukee. They never had the plastic up in New York at all, but I was told that it takes supposedly ten minutes to get the tar get the plastic up over the lockers in New York. 00:18:24 Speaker 2: And as one of the Phillies guys said, we can do it in. 00:18:28 Speaker 10: Five I think Philly of the Week, that's why you picked their field. 00:18:34 Speaker 2: That's a great Philly the Week. 00:18:36 Speaker 5: Yeah, Bill Sheridan, a baby film, Yeah, yeah. 00:18:39 Speaker 3: Yeah. So let's wrap up a couple of things here. Austin Hayes played two rehab games this weekend in Lehigh Valley. Supposedly he felt great afterwards. He played nine innings and left field on Sunday. That's the whole thing. He was feeling fatigued from the kidney infection, the antibiotics and all that stuff. 00:18:57 Speaker 2: He feels good. 00:18:57 Speaker 3: He's probably going to be activated on Tuesdays. So there's a lot of talk about how they are going to work these guys. If Austin Hayes is going to make the postseason roster, which I think he will now at this point because he's going to get a week of at bats. He'll get a week more of like live simulated at bats, assuming they get to buy. So you could have Hayes and left maybe platoon with Brandon Marsh. You could have Marsh place in center field. You could have Rojas and Cal Stevenson platoon in center field. You have Cody Clemens who can play some left field. They have a lot of options right now, do you guys lean any particular way and how you would like to see it work? I think the Austin Hayes is an everyday player and left field thing is, in my opinion, has got to go bye by because his splits left the righty are just ridiculously drastic. He's got like a nine hundred ops against left these a five to fifty ops against righty's. How would you guys. 00:19:52 Speaker 2: Like to play that? If Hayes is back, which I assume he will. 00:19:56 Speaker 5: Make, I think good. 00:20:00 Speaker 4: I think I think Hayes is definitely going to play a lot, and he may play more than He may not be an everyday guy just because I don't know healthwise, if they're worried about whether or not he's able to do that, He's definite going to play against lefties, no doubt, especially with the way this team is swinging the bat. They need some depth in the back end of that lineup. And uh and when he's going well, I mean, he can, he can make some contact, he can put the ball in play, he can have some grinder at bats. They need some grinders. They need some guys who can put the ball in play and to have quality at bats. So I think that's what's I believe that's going to happen. He may actually play quite a bit against writings just to see, you know, towards the end here, I'm not sure how many right handers are going to be pitching for I don't even think. I guess there's maybe one left hander for Washington and Mackenzie Gore. 00:20:54 Speaker 5: Is Corbyn still in the rotation because they have two. 00:20:58 Speaker 4: But he's gonna get some even if he's even if they're right handed. I mean, I think they're gonna try to get him as many at bats as possible to get him ready and then decide, because nobody else is really lighting. 00:21:11 Speaker 6: It up, he should play right through. Because this rest thing about you know, clinching gets some rest. To me, it's a little overrated. This year because you're gonna get a first round by you're gonna get your rest, so you know, I would I would go with the hangover rest, maybe a day or two for you, you know, Harper and real mudo couple, but you know you're gonna get rest during that first round week when the other teams are playing, so you're gonna be I think it's a little balancing act there. 00:21:39 Speaker 3: But what about the postseason though? Do you run him out there against the right game? 00:21:43 Speaker 6: I'm saying you need to. You need to play Austin to get get him a. 00:21:46 Speaker 7: Lot in this final week, right right? And I get that, Yeah, probably. 00:21:49 Speaker 6: Because you need the contact, so you're probably gonna play him. You're definitely gonna play them against lefties. I don't know what. You know, what are they gonna do against? Uh, against righties? 00:21:57 Speaker 2: I'm not sure Clemmens, thank you, Clemens mar. 00:22:03 Speaker 5: I don't know. 00:22:04 Speaker 4: Maybe maybe Clemens. He's had some pretty good at bats. I mean, I know he struck out the end of the game yesterday. But I guess I'll go with marsh and left. They could go with marshan center and Clemens and left. I don't think that they feel comfortable with that sort of that defensive alignment. 00:22:18 Speaker 5: That defensive alignment, I wouldn't. I wouldn't myself. I don't know. It's uh, that's why Rob Thompson gets. 00:22:27 Speaker 7: Paid the big bucks, exactly right. 00:22:30 Speaker 3: What about what about Ranger Suarez? His his last start, Velo is up, but the command wasn't there. I think he spiked like five or six curveballs in the dirty. I know he spiked another change up in the dirt, so his command really wasn't there. Didn't seem to have a feel for his off speed stuff. But did you see any reason to be encouraged Because that's such a big thing. They will need a fourth starter in the NLDS. It's not they don't get that extra day off this year, so we're gonna need a fourth starter. 00:22:58 Speaker 4: What I found interesting was his comments after the game about him not being able to use his lower half, and you could tell I mean the fact that he has not been able to get his hips and rotate his hips in because and the work in because it's been bothering his back, and he hasn't been able to do certain things to strengthen his lower half because of his back injury. I think they finally found sort of a formula, at least that's what it sounded like in the interview in the postgame interview, some formula where he's been able to either loosen it up or strengthen his lower half because that's what it needs. And that's what every player needs, whether it's a hitter or a pitcher. Your lower half is so important to you for your base, for your power, for your drive, for your ability to create arm, speed and life, especially for a pitcher. I mean, you'll talk to any any pitcher old school, I mean, Nolan, Ryan, Tom sever all. Those guys, they their lower halves had to be strong, excuse me, and they worked. 00:24:04 Speaker 5: That's why they ran so much. 00:24:05 Speaker 4: They ran so much because they wanted to endurance some power in the bottom half. And uh and I think that, I think, and I'm hopeful for rangers sake, of the Philly sake, that he has sort of turned the corner, has gotten his the strength back of his ability to drive with his lower half. 00:24:21 Speaker 6: That was illuminating because we've been scratching our head and to hear it, and like you said, you know, Johnny Padres used to call that lower half your hips, your butt, your thighs or him. He used to call it the engine room. You know, it was all that power came from. You know, you look at Roger. Anytime Roger Clements had had a tweak of the right growing, he was shut down because you know, they had to nip it in the butt because that was his drive. 00:24:44 Speaker 5: So they remember what happened to Holiday. 00:24:47 Speaker 4: And then when when he tweaked his growing in the playoffs in San Francisco, didn't really have the finish on his pitches, left a couple of pitches of the Cody what was. 00:24:56 Speaker 5: It, Cody Ross, Cody I want to show with it. I mean that. 00:25:01 Speaker 4: Kills me, that that Cody Ross name, because he got beat up a couple of times because he came on that sinker in on him. 00:25:07 Speaker 6: And he almost didn't even make the postseason roster if Giam didn't get whatever he got in trouble. And remember that it was all. 00:25:13 Speaker 5: Ye so he wasn't he was. 00:25:16 Speaker 4: He was picked off a waiver wire because he was supposed to be a block. 00:25:19 Speaker 6: He was a block, and then he ended up getting on the post. He ended up off the postseason roster and what's his name. 00:25:26 Speaker 5: Ended up on cod don't let me don't get me going. 00:25:28 Speaker 3: If you're listening, If you're listening, if you're listening to this podcast, you should check out YouTube. Is the look on Ruben Space as he's talking about Cody Ross priceless. 00:25:38 Speaker 6: Hey, Ruben, I'll get you off to Cody Ross and I'll go on one of my famous tangents. You mentioned lower half, and I'm a big believer in the lower half for pictures, and we all are. But and you mentioned, you know, they don't run as much they used to run. They used to run a lot. And when I first started covering baseball, there were these things called fallpoles, and you know, oh durn VP, the pictures would run foul poles, fall poll the foul pole. Today we got five poles, tomorrow we got six whatever. I never see that anymore. Do you do these guys even know what quote unquote polls are. 00:26:13 Speaker 4: I don't know, but I do know the foul poles. I think that some guys still do it. But I think the wear and tear that it guests that running creates on some of these guys, of. 00:26:25 Speaker 5: Backs and stuff like that. 00:26:28 Speaker 4: And I'm sure there's technology now to keep these guys strong, But. 00:26:34 Speaker 5: Some guys some guys just don't do it. I think it's different. I don't see poles. 00:26:40 Speaker 4: I think poles were the greatest thing for me to get myself ready for spring training. I mean that's all I did was run poles, man, and I dreaded them and I hated them. 00:26:49 Speaker 5: You know, you jog for about. 00:26:51 Speaker 4: You know, twenty yards, you sprint for about you know, seventy yards or eighty yards, and then you jog the rest of the way and yet turn around and do it again. And uh, those were a B I. T. C. H. 00:27:08 Speaker 6: Jim. 00:27:08 Speaker 2: Maybe they're like you, and maybe they're on the elliptical. 00:27:12 Speaker 6: He used to committing on like the white board in the clubhouse. You know, you got pitchers, you know, ten poles. Yeah, I would be willing to bet a lot of guys don't know what polls are. It was such as you know that was the lingo poles. 00:27:25 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, Philip Phillies Cubs this week one of these three games, guys, I. 00:27:31 Speaker 5: Only make a prediction. They're gonna they're. 00:27:32 Speaker 2: Gonna win one of these three games. 00:27:35 Speaker 6: You don't want to. 00:27:36 Speaker 4: Can you imagine the disaster that could happen if they get to the point where they are in the next in the Washington series and they have to win a baseball game. Washington's got nothing to lose, and they just go hog wild. 00:27:50 Speaker 5: I mean what this city would be, Uh, it will be a blaze. 00:27:56 Speaker 6: It always going to pitch great tonight. He's gonna give you some two thirds two runs and Schwarber might might hit a leadoff bomb to that would be electrify that place. I think they win it Monday night. 00:28:08 Speaker 3: What do you okay? Yes, I think Monday Night. I think they I think they lock it down. I think they're They're over the the delay. They want to party. 00:28:18 Speaker 2: I like the party. They want to party. 00:28:20 Speaker 5: I agree with that. I think that Nate Pearson I think is going to start for them. 00:28:24 Speaker 4: He's been a reliever, he was a he was an uber prospect for Toronto, has never really come around. 00:28:30 Speaker 5: Always had a great arm, never really came around. 00:28:33 Speaker 4: But hopefully the Phillies can do some damage on this guy and knock him out and cruise on home. 00:28:40 Speaker 2: If it doesn't happen on Monday night. 00:28:42 Speaker 3: However, Tuesday's TVD versus Justin Steele Taiwan Walker might pitch in that game, but Rob Thompson said they're going to use a lot of their bulk guys to get through that on Tuesday, and then of course Wednesday would be Christopher Sanchez versus Hobby or Assad. 00:28:59 Speaker 2: So I would not be. 00:29:00 Speaker 4: Surprised if Ruiz doesn't pitch that game, if they don't need Ruiz, if they clinch, m h, I would not be surprised. Oh you know what if they do Clint. If they don't clinch and Ruiz is not used, I would not be surprised if Ruiz doesn't start as an opener and throw a couple of innings and go from there. 00:29:22 Speaker 3: Sound like Rob is open to an opener for that, so that would make sense, and that would be a good guy to start with. He's been very effective, an outstanding. They gotta get a win, and he's been durable. It's been durable. 00:29:33 Speaker 2: All right, guys. Thanks. 00:29:34 Speaker 3: We will be back later this week, hopefully to wrap up the Phillies first and a least title since twenty and eleven. See you guys, Smell boys, Jim. 00:29:53 Speaker 11: This is the Philly Show. If you haven't already, please subscribe to The Philly Show wherever you get your podcasts you can allo We'll watch us on our YouTube channel. If you like what we do, give us a review, Tell a friend. Catch Rubenjim and Me on Phillies Nation TV, presented by Valley Forge Tourism. New episodes air and hour before every Saturday Phillies game on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Replays air throughout the week and on Philliesnation dot com. Get more of Ruben's analysis during before and after Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, on the Sports Radio ninety four WIP Morning Show, and MLB Network. Rejim at the Allcity Network at allphly dot com. Find more of me at MLB dot com, the Philliesbnewsletter, and occasionally on MLB Network