J.T. Realmuto gets real: talks present and future in Philly

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Hi, this is J C. Olmuto. Welcome to the Philly Show.

00:00:07
Speaker 2: Hi, everybody, Ruben Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd's a lucky. The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Hope everybody is doing well. Only a few more days until the Super Bowl Eagles chiefs. I know everybody, of course is super excited about that. We're excited about at the Philly Show, but we're also excited about today's guest, Phillies catcher j t Rio mutto you spent some time with us the other day. JT of course all Star Silver Slugger Gold Glover centering the fifth and final year of his contract with the Phillies, so it's an important year for him. It's a big year for the Phillies who are trying to finish the job and win a World Series. We talked to JT about all.

00:00:50
Speaker 3: Sorts of different things.

00:00:52
Speaker 2: We always enjoy talking to JT, Jim Rubin and I because he's just super insightful about the game. You have to to be cerebral about the game as a catcher, and he certainly is that. But he also can just put the put games into perspective, seasons to perspective. He's always just a great guy to talk baseball with, and we think you will.

00:01:14
Speaker 3: Agree here he is JT real Muto, JT. Thank you for joining us.

00:01:20
Speaker 2: Spring training is right around the corner you live down in clear Water, So I'm wondering, is it the gear up feel any different, like when you're down at the complex all the time as opposed to like somebody living in Oregon or California or Colorado or anything like that.

00:01:36
Speaker 3: You still feel in the same itch.

00:01:38
Speaker 4: Uh, yeah, I'd honestly say I might feel it a little bit more, to be honest, you know, I just started coming down here. Maybe we bought a place I think five years ago and started to spend in our januaries here.

00:01:50
Speaker 1: We spent earlier in the off season in Oklahoma, and then.

00:01:52
Speaker 4: We come here in January, and I think just kind of being in the training facility here and what almost gives me more of an itch a little earlier than I used to get it back when I was saying Oklahoma the whole offseason. So I definite, I definitely think it's a little different feel being here though in January for sure.

00:02:08
Speaker 2: Like you know, obviously Phillies fans are excited about pitchers and catches next week, but before that is the Super Bowl on Sunday with the Eagles.

00:02:18
Speaker 3: Who do you got?

00:02:20
Speaker 4: I mean, I feel like the whole nation better be rooting for the Eagles at this point, as good as the Chiefs are, and I respected nobody.

00:02:27
Speaker 1: Wants to see those guys win again. You know about it?

00:02:31
Speaker 5: JT is a former quarterback. Do you like watching Hurts and Mahomes? There are two really special talents.

00:02:38
Speaker 4: Extremely special. Obviously, what Mahomes has done in his career incredible. He's going to go down as one of, if not the greatest, of all times.

00:02:46
Speaker 1: So he speaks for himself.

00:02:48
Speaker 4: But Jalen, I know Jalen gets them up and down opinions from Phillies fans. But for me, I love the way he plays it game. I mean, he doesn't make mistakes, he manages the game. He has an incredible offensive line, incredible running back, so.

00:03:01
Speaker 1: Receivers as well.

00:03:02
Speaker 4: He's just a facilitator and he does a good job not making mistakes and winning football games.

00:03:06
Speaker 1: Which is the most important part of a quarterback's job.

00:03:09
Speaker 6: Well, so what type of quarterback were you would you? Would you compare yourself to my home. If would you compare yourself to it Hurts, how would you did you manage the game?

00:03:19
Speaker 4: I couldn't compare myself to either one of us, first of all, but the way I played was probably closer to.

00:03:29
Speaker 1: Hurts.

00:03:29
Speaker 4: I would say I was kind of a I was kind of running in between, like I ran a lot. I could throw pretty good for a high school quarterback, but I carried the ball a lot for a quarterback because I almost turned into a running back for half the game, just because it helped our team.

00:03:43
Speaker 1: We had more blockers when I had the ball in my hands, so I would carry the ball like you know.

00:03:47
Speaker 4: There's one playoff game I had forty carries, but most of the time it was like twenty carries or so, and then throw the ball maybe fifteen.

00:03:53
Speaker 1: Or twenty times. So I kind of did both. I wasn't really social.

00:03:58
Speaker 6: So staying on that theme, as far as your athleticism, everybody knows how great of an athlete you are, and we've all observed that you're into a whole ton of different sports. I know that you are viewed on the team as one of the best golfer. Are you the best golfer.

00:04:14
Speaker 1: On the team right now because with Utherfield left, Yes, last year was better. Really, Oh yeah, it's like I think he's in the pluses now. He's he's really good.

00:04:28
Speaker 4: For as far as players go, I'm the best. Coughlin's pretty good, Kayleb's pretty salty golfer. So if you throw the coaches in there, I think it's me and Kayleb pretty pretty close.

00:04:39
Speaker 2: Well, you got close as the pin for your fantasy football league.

00:04:43
Speaker 4: It didn't do me very good because in I drafted Christian McCaffrey.

00:04:47
Speaker 1: I wish I could shaking it off the wall like Stotton.

00:04:51
Speaker 2: You could have gotten Saquon if you got like the tenth picker you know, I don't know a little bit lower.

00:04:55
Speaker 3: Well that's a bummer. So you didn't win to you didn't take advantage of the first pick, and he didn't win the title.

00:05:01
Speaker 4: No, I actually did have a pretty good season. I think I took third, so I got some money in the championship week. I'd scored like two hundred and seven, so if I would have got to the championship, I would have won.

00:05:11
Speaker 1: But I ended up taking thirty.

00:05:13
Speaker 3: That's always a kill.

00:05:13
Speaker 4: It was a good year, though not having overall pick, I mean that I was pretty happy with it.

00:05:18
Speaker 3: Yeah, no doubt, no doubt how.

00:05:20
Speaker 5: Many guys on the team participate in that. It seems like a great way to build camaraderie and keep keep the chemistry going after the season ends.

00:05:28
Speaker 4: Quite a few, I feel like, so there's one team that's coaches that U should five or six coaches throw into a team and then the rest of its all players. Most teams have two guys. There's probably five guys with their own team, and then everybody else kind of splits a team. So there's a good fifteen guys involved in it, and even the guys that aren't actually in the league, they're easy a part of the banter in the back and forth it goes on in the clubhouse. It definitely brings some guys together. We always get excited for football season.

00:05:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, JT.

00:05:59
Speaker 6: You're not one of those guys who likes to talk about yourself a lot. And I know just from observing from like sort of the outside in, I know that you're one of the team leaders on the club. How would you describe that and how important that is that element of what you bring to the table.

00:06:14
Speaker 3: How important is that to you?

00:06:17
Speaker 1: It's definitely important to me. I think this is a pretty pretty.

00:06:20
Speaker 4: Easy team to be a leader on, though, because I feel like we do have a lot of leaders in our clubhouse and a lot of veteran presence, and even our young guys now they're not really young anymore, so they've been around a long time, so everybody kind of there's not you know, there's definitely leadership going on, but there's not. You don't ever have to yell at anybody or like really get onto guys because most guys play the game the right way. Everybody respects each other, we respect the way the game is supposed to be played. So but I do take pride and trying to I'm not the most vocal guy in the clubhouse, but I try to do things the right way. I try to let my work do the talking for me and the way I prepare and the way I play the game. So but with that, I think most of the guys on our team are in this same boat, and everybody does things and goes about.

00:07:02
Speaker 1: It the right way.

00:07:03
Speaker 3: JT. I was looking this up the other day.

00:07:06
Speaker 2: If you start on opening day as expected, of course, it would be your seventh consecutive opening day start. Part of me is like, wow, that feels like you haven't been there that long. But that's the second longest streak in Philly's history. I think Mike Lieberthal had ten. You'd be tied with Darren Dalton for seven. Has it felt like you've been here for seven years? And how much is your few I mean, obviously you're free agent after this season.

00:07:28
Speaker 3: How much is that.

00:07:29
Speaker 2: On your mind about you know, maybe staying in Philly beyond that?

00:07:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's definitely, Uh, does not feel like it's already been seven years.

00:07:36
Speaker 4: I was having that conversation with my wife actually just a few weeks ago, about like, we can't believe.

00:07:40
Speaker 1: How long we've been in Philly.

00:07:41
Speaker 4: It feels like the Marlin's over here. And it's obviously been a fun and exciting seven years and it's gone by really fast. As far as your second question, yeah, I think, you know, we we've obviously thought about it some this offseason, what the future holds, but we really want to just you know, focus on this year. And we've fallen short of what we want to accomplished the last few years, so that's definitely the forefront of my mind right now, Jad.

00:08:09
Speaker 5: I think about that Mets series. I mean, Schwarber leads it off with a bomb places electric wheels, is electric pitch, is a great game, and you don't finish it off. It seemed to be such a tone setter, and then you don't win that series and it's an early exit. Is that still sticking with you? How long does that? Does that stick with you through the off season? The you know, the the quick end to really what was a remarkable season.

00:08:37
Speaker 1: Yeah, that one's stun for a long time. I don't know that one.

00:08:41
Speaker 4: I mean, it hurt when we lost the World Series, obviously, but that one's that one almost felt a little worse like that one's stung to me bad just the way it happened, Like you mentioned, we had felt like with the way Wheelers through the ball to game won, we had a lead, we just weren't We had opportunities to attack on runs in that game, and you know, if maybe we cash in a couple of those runs, take a little pressure off our bullpen and win that first game, the series probably goes completely differently. So, but there was just a little moments throughout the entire series where we just weren't able to come through and capitalize. We had the lead late in two of the three games we lost, and but with that we still we just weren't able to score enough runs. So there's so many things that we could have done better to win that series that we weren't able to make happen. And you got to give credit to the Mets. You know, we ran into a team that was hot and they were playing better.

00:09:25
Speaker 1: Baseball than we were.

00:09:26
Speaker 4: So definitely stung a lot this offseason. It's something that you know, probably won't start sting until we step back on the baseball field and start winning games again.

00:09:35
Speaker 6: As you reflect on that, I know you want to try to move forward. As you reflect on that, some things that you learned about that, do you have more of a chip on your shoulder as a team you think for the year coming up? I know that you have a great ball club. How do you feel about, you know, stepping into the twenty twenty five season.

00:09:52
Speaker 1: I feel good about it.

00:09:52
Speaker 4: I mean, you know, I feel great about our club always have. We like to compete, we like to have fun together. So you know, obviously the year hasn't ended how we wanted to yet, and we want to be at the end and win the World Series and hold that trophy. Yet, but I still believe in the guys we have in this clubhouse, and I know that we have every bit of the talent to get it done. We just have to come through in the moments. We need to come through and get hot at the right time, which last year we just weren't able to do that. But I would put our roster up with anybody. I mean, you look at the Dodgers, they obviously have a great team. The Mets are going to be really good at the break again, It's gonna be a really tough National League.

00:10:27
Speaker 1: To get for. So but I love our clubhouse and I love the guys I played with, so I got thak on them.

00:10:34
Speaker 5: JT. After you, guys, you lose Game one against the Mets, but you come back for a big win Game two. And I remember talking to after they came and you were like, you know, we can breathe now, we can kind of excel and breathe now, or just talking about how you were basically implying that you know, the weight of expectations made everybody tight and all. What is that like when you have such a star started roster high payroll, big expectations. Can it really weigh on a team and affect performance?

00:11:06
Speaker 1: How is it?

00:11:08
Speaker 5: Is it difficult to balance at all and compartmentalize that put it aside so you can just focus on bringing out your natural ability.

00:11:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that's.

00:11:17
Speaker 4: Something that you have to do, and you have to be able to put that stuff aside, because there's definitely it's a different feeling going into a series or going into a game when you're the heavy favorite as opposed to, you know, when you're the underdog kind of playing with house money.

00:11:31
Speaker 1: Essentially, it is a different feeling.

00:11:34
Speaker 4: But we have to learn as a group to be able to put that to the side and go out and not play more tight just because we know we're the better team, and not try to do more because we think, you know, we got to hit the big home run in certain situations. We got to be able to just take a breath and relax and just play the game of baseball like we do in Game one hundred and twenty during the season, instead of thinking about how big the moment is and trying to come through our team and knowing that we're the better team and just trying to do a little.

00:12:01
Speaker 1: Too much, and I think that.

00:12:02
Speaker 4: That's something that you know, the last two years we just haven't been able to do because both series we lost, we felt like we were the better team.

00:12:10
Speaker 1: And but that's something that we'll learn to get through.

00:12:15
Speaker 2: We we just had Rob Thompson on and Kale Katham on that past couple of weeks or past few weeks. And one of the big reasons, like they're excited about your team's chances is getting hazus Lozardo into the rotation and A wondering what your thoughts on in him. I don't know if he's been in camp yet and you've you've caught him, but all I know Jordan Romano has been in camp, and I think you've caught him before. I mean, he knew, he was excited to get into media. What do you can you speak to both of those big, big pitching editions.

00:12:46
Speaker 4: Yeah, they're great, Lizardo, I mean, adding him, I think that helps the Phillies offense a lot. I think he shut us down pretty well for the last just getting him on our club. I mean, he's he's electric. I can't wait to get to work.

00:13:00
Speaker 1: I haven't met I haven't got the opportunity.

00:13:02
Speaker 4: To meet him yet, he hasn't been here in Clearwater. I think he's over in a Jupiter or the West Palm Beach area. I think that's where he lives in the off season. But I've heard great things about him as a teammate. I talked to quite a quite a few of the guys.

00:13:13
Speaker 1: Over in Miami, and you know, nothing but awesome things.

00:13:17
Speaker 4: They love the way he competes, he prepares, he's obviously got electric stuff.

00:13:21
Speaker 1: So I'm really excited about that one. And then yeah, Jordan, I got.

00:13:23
Speaker 4: To catch his pen shoot it might have been it was pretty quickly after he signed with us.

00:13:29
Speaker 1: He looks great. You know, he's healthy, throwing them all well.

00:13:33
Speaker 4: I was throwing maybe a little too hard in his first bullpen and was coming out pretty good.

00:13:37
Speaker 2: So he seems like a good dude. I mean, he seems like he'll fit right in with you guys.

00:13:43
Speaker 6: Yeah, it was.

00:13:43
Speaker 1: Funny when we signed him.

00:13:44
Speaker 4: I immediately got a text from Wit Mirfield and he's like, you guys are gonna love this guy, like.

00:13:49
Speaker 1: He's He's gonna fit perfectly in your clubhouse.

00:13:51
Speaker 4: So so what I've seen so far is just an unbelievably nice guy, like he's gonna he's.

00:13:55
Speaker 1: Gonna fit right in with our group. Plus he likes the golf, so he's a fit. Hey.

00:14:01
Speaker 6: Just hitting on that theme, Michleeb Cotham talked about glowingly about what you bring to the table, how much you make this team better by the way you run the game.

00:14:11
Speaker 3: Talk about your progression.

00:14:13
Speaker 6: I remember you, you know, uh, and scouting you when I when you were playing with the Marlins a little bit earlier in your career, and how that whole progression of running a game has changed for you, if it has how important it's become for you, and and what it means to you as you you know, as you managed the pitching staff.

00:14:33
Speaker 4: Yeah, for sure, it's my my The way I call a game has certainly changed and.

00:14:38
Speaker 1: The way I prepare just throughout my career.

00:14:40
Speaker 4: I think as a younger guy, it's it's it's really tough to call him major league game because you have all this information and you don't really have the confidence to know when to use the information and when not to. And I think that's something that just takes time and and and game.

00:14:57
Speaker 1: Calling is like it's.

00:15:01
Speaker 4: Sometimes you got to use the scouteringport and sometimes you just got to throw the scouteringport.

00:15:04
Speaker 1: Out the window.

00:15:05
Speaker 4: And I think that as a young guy, that's not that easy to do because you're kind of worried about answering questions and coaches asking questions. And I think what works so well for us is that Caleb and I have a really good relationship and we do all the work separately. We both scout, we both watch our video, we look at the numbers, and then we come together before a series and we talk about every hitter, every matchup with our pitchers. But then after all that information has done and we make sure that we're on the same page. We go off script all the time in the game because you really don't you have to if you want to be if you don't want to be too predictable. And that's something that we're constantly having conversations with me and Caleb just talking to a game plan. Every inning, we're talking to the next three or four hitters, trying to get together and get on the same page. And then sometimes if I make a bad pitch, call'll go straight to him and got, god, I didn't like that, Like what'd you think here? And like we'll talk through the process and for me, that's that's a good way to learn and to not make the same mistake again, because game calling is never going to be.

00:16:01
Speaker 1: A perfect art form. You're always going to do things wrong.

00:16:03
Speaker 4: But I feel like the more conversation we have and the more we talked about it, we kind of learned from those things and we'll just sit and dive into why I was thinking this, why we went here, And the same thing with the pictures, like if they're shaking, we want to be able to have those conversations and what are you thinking and why, and then we cannot make mistakes in the future that way.

00:16:21
Speaker 2: I think Caleb said the word he would deputize you as pitching coach if he could. You're you're so, you're so instrumental in the success of the pitching stuff. Is there a moment, a particular moment in a game where that that you talk about that freelancing I guess late in a game, going off script, that you really in your head, you go that was that was pretty fun, Like you noticed that maybe a batter positioning himself in the box, and you know you called a certain pitch for that reason. Is there a pitch or a moment or or a game maybe that you go, that was fun, that's that's off the script and that worked or not.

00:16:55
Speaker 4: To be honest, not necessarily one moment, because it kind of happens a lot, like it's really fun.

00:17:01
Speaker 1: Like that's one thing I think.

00:17:03
Speaker 4: A lot of people miss out in the game of baseball is the game of cat and mouse with the hitter and being able to set guys up for whatever it is they're third at bat in the game or even sometimes a third game in a series. Like you come on to a big moment and you've set this guy up for five or six, seven at bats in a row, and then you hit him with something he hasn't seen yet. It's not anywhere, like not even on your pitcher scattering court. So like that type of stuff is fun. I can I can actually remember one. I don't remember who the hitter was, but Kirk was pitching, and you know, he's nasty sweeper, good four scene and he has just started throwing a two scene a little bit. But to ride, he see'd only throwing two seams, like middle end was kind of an early count ground ball pitch, and he's thrown a couple four seams in the bad he threw a sweeper, got a swing and miss another sweeper, like nasty two strike sweeper, and the guy took it. And then back in my head, if he's taking that sweeper, he's got to.

00:17:53
Speaker 1: Be looking for the wall close to him.

00:17:54
Speaker 4: There's no way you can take that nasty pitch without looking something starting at you. So I called to Kirk a backdoor too scene which he's never thrown for, not one time, and he kind of looked at.

00:18:06
Speaker 1: Me when I called it, like he wasn't sure what it do.

00:18:08
Speaker 4: And he just stepped on the mount and he absolutely threw a perfect backwards twos and the guy that even never even flinched to swing out of strike three, and so like I'm running off the field and me and Kirk were laughing about it together and dug out. So stuff like that is, I mean, that's what I love about catching, you know, but also having a picture on the mound that can actually execute that.

00:18:25
Speaker 1: Not a lot of guys can do that.

00:18:27
Speaker 6: Yeah, speaking about Kirk Kirkering, do you think he's a guy that can close? I mean, do you feel like he's got the mentality He's been in the game a long time, you know, pictures, do you think that he's a guy that at some point in his career he can be a solid closer, because that's a big question about whether he can develop into that guy.

00:18:45
Speaker 1: Yeah.

00:18:46
Speaker 4: Absolutely, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll be a closure in this game for sure. He just has that mentality that nothing. I mean, I don't even know how old he is. He's probably twenty three, maybe like he's so young twenty two. The way that he stepped in last year is for year pitching him the playoffs, nothing bothering him, like he just he has that that that it factor where when he steps on the mound, it seems like nothing's there's no crowd, there's no nothing going on. It's just him and the hitter he's trying to execute, and no moment really seems too big for him.

00:19:14
Speaker 1: So I definitely think he has that mentality JT.

00:19:18
Speaker 5: Zach Wheeler. He's great. He's really one of the greatest signings in the history of the Phillies. And you had a role in it because he said one of the reasons he wanted to come to Philly is he wanted to throw to you. Can you talk a little bit about your relationship with him and not over the last handful of years here and how you've seen him grow as a picture and just what do you love about catching him?

00:19:43
Speaker 1: Everything? I love everything, and the guy is just.

00:19:47
Speaker 4: He's such a competitor and you guys have seen it.

00:19:50
Speaker 1: He made it.

00:19:50
Speaker 4: He made a big jump just his first year when he came here. But it seems like every year he's still finding a way to get better. He's like either adding a new.

00:19:57
Speaker 1: Pitch or.

00:19:59
Speaker 4: Changing a shape on a certain pitch. He uses his pitches differently. He's just he's so adaptable. And for somebody that's this late in his career is still be making adjustments to get better with as good as he's already been, that just kind of that speaks.

00:20:12
Speaker 1: To the competitor he is. And I think you can see.

00:20:15
Speaker 4: The fire in his eyes when you guys watching them pitch like it's no it's no secret.

00:20:18
Speaker 1: The guy loves to pitch and he loves to dominate.

00:20:20
Speaker 4: And that's what he's done for us for five years now. You know, in my opinion, it's not even the question that he's the best starter in the game. I hate that he's gotten so close to Tuci Young's and not you know, hasn't gotten one yet, but he's he's the best starting pitcher in the game in my opinion.

00:20:36
Speaker 5: What's your what's your pregame like with him?

00:20:38
Speaker 1: Do you talk a lot to him?

00:20:39
Speaker 5: Or is he just entrusting everything in you and he just follows your fingers?

00:20:45
Speaker 6: Uh?

00:20:45
Speaker 1: Well, I said this one time in an interview and he got mad at me for saying.

00:20:48
Speaker 4: I want to say it again. Sometimes it looks like he's about to fall asleep before the game. He's like laying on the he's getting worked on with the trainer. Paul's doing his like pregame stretch, and he's just laying there listening to cable. Caleb and I basically go through the game plan, and uh. Sometimes Caleb and I look at each other and like, is he sleeping right now?

00:21:09
Speaker 6: Or is like is he?

00:21:12
Speaker 4: I just think he's so, you know, he's calm before a game, which not a lot of guys are that calm. He just relax and listening. He'll every now and then he'll be funny. We'll be going through a lineup and he'll ask like, is he right handed or left handed?

00:21:25
Speaker 1: I'm like that, you know, I know that this you know, But that's just he doesn't have to think too much out there.

00:21:31
Speaker 4: He's so talented and he knows that like we're going to put the work in, and he trusts our work. And but then he's also smart enough, like he knows a game plan, he knows how to pitch, like he knows how to make adjustments throughout the game. So he just trusts his stuff, and he trusted the work that Caleb I do.

00:21:48
Speaker 2: But then conversely, it's funny when Caleb was on, he said, uh, we were asking about Zach and he mentioned some mound visit or almost mound visit in Cincinnati. Guys, you remember that one He almost like stared dagger you know, has killed me with a look. And I when you mentioned earlier, like the the game within the game that the fans don't get to see, what's the conversation with it.

00:22:07
Speaker 3: I came on the mound with with Zach maybe compared to other.

00:22:10
Speaker 2: Guys or you know, Nolarezah, Zach does not want anybody on the mountain.

00:22:15
Speaker 1: Ever.

00:22:17
Speaker 4: I do not have to go talk to him, you know, because he's like like I said, he's a competitor. So usually if you're going for a mountain visit, something hasn't gone right, so he is he is pissed when I go out there, or Caleb, it's funny. Caleb will go out there and he'll say, like, you know, put his goss and he goes, what do you got, Zach, and he'll just say I don't know, and like stare right through his soul and then Cable just turns around and goes back. It's pretty every now and then we'll be able to give him something that's actually useful information.

00:22:46
Speaker 1: But most of the time with Wheels.

00:22:48
Speaker 4: Like if we're going out there, it's just to slow the game down a little bit and give him a breath.

00:22:52
Speaker 3: It's not right.

00:22:53
Speaker 4: He knows how to make adjustments, he knows we're doing out there, so it's not like we're ever trying to give.

00:22:57
Speaker 1: Him too much information. Yeah, that's it's not like that's for sure.

00:23:03
Speaker 4: So if you guys watch his antics from now on when we go out there, it's pretty funny, like you'll know that he's he's not giving us anything all. Even ask him like, hey, what pitch you want to start this next guy off with him? I almost never get an answer, so you know who, he'll just say, like, I don't care or whatever you want, you know, it's just that's just wheels. He's not happy about mountain visits.

00:23:22
Speaker 3: He trusts, you, man, he trusts It's a good thing.

00:23:27
Speaker 2: What about how you know, when you think about how would you describe Aaron Nola to two fans you know and and you know, how would you describe Rangers Sware as two of these you know, starters that have been you know, done very well for you? How would compared to how do they compare to Zach? How would you describe their mentality, their whatever pitch them?

00:23:47
Speaker 4: Knowles is a little more cerebral about his like pre game approach. He loves to watch video and like he'll look at the numbers.

00:23:55
Speaker 1: I think our.

00:23:55
Speaker 4: Meeting with him before the game takes quite a while. He's probably our longest meeting.

00:24:00
Speaker 1: He he talks a lot like.

00:24:01
Speaker 4: He gives he'll because he's already watched quite a bit of video and he knows how he wants to attack these guys. Really before we go to a meeting, which is good that we're kind of all it's the three of us having a conversation, getting on the same page. So his meetings are definitely the longest, and he talks. Talks the most out any of the of the starting pitchers for sure. He's not not just listening and same thing with it with like going through a game. He likes he doesn't shake much, but like we'll have conversations about how we want to attack the next guy, like next time through and kind of get on the same patient.

00:24:34
Speaker 1: He likes to think.

00:24:34
Speaker 4: About that a little more probably than Zach does and Rangers.

00:24:39
Speaker 1: Rangers a little more similar to Zach, Like he doesn't.

00:24:42
Speaker 4: Say a lot, he doesn't think a lot, you know, he doesn't rarely shakes like he's just he's up there trying to execute. He's kind of the same as Ac too is, Like he's very relaxed in the meeting, like kind of like he's on the mound. You gotta see it. He's very calm at all times. So it doesn't say a lot, just listens and then goes out and dominate. So he's a lot of fun work with too.

00:25:07
Speaker 6: JG.

00:25:08
Speaker 5: You've been all over the place in the lineup.

00:25:11
Speaker 6: You know, you've hitten in the two hole, even in the you know foural, you've hten in the seven hole.

00:25:16
Speaker 1: Is there any place that you feel uncomfortable and.

00:25:19
Speaker 6: Where is the most the place that you feel most comfortable in the life.

00:25:26
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't necessarily feel uncomfortable anywhere.

00:25:30
Speaker 4: I used to say, like, I don't know, I like hitting earlier just because I can get my catcher's gear off, you know, when the first thing thing's over, I can just take everything off and be ready to hit. And like sometimes if I'm hitting fifth or six, I keep everything on and then got to make a late change and put my helmet on and take my gear off. So that's literally the only reason other than that, it doesn't really matter me where I hit, and there's once I step in the box, the position doesn't really matter to me.

00:25:56
Speaker 1: J T.

00:25:58
Speaker 5: Andrew Panter does so much buzz about him. Can you give us a little scouting report on him? What you know you know know of him? And does that buzz make its way into the clubhouse. Are you guys excited about getting this kid on board in the near future as well?

00:26:15
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:26:16
Speaker 4: I mean yeah, his buzz has definitely made its way around the whole organization. I think, you know, he's just he's kind of got the whole makeup you're looking for in a starting pitcher. He's got the mentality he's got the stuff. He's a big kid, obviously. You know, he's got good command, fastball, plays good sliders.

00:26:33
Speaker 1: I think he added a breaking ball this offseason if I.

00:26:36
Speaker 2: Were in a shape like a slider or something.

00:26:39
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:26:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, And like so he's just got in my opinion, he's just going to.

00:26:42
Speaker 4: Keep getting better and like he's kind of like wheeling where he's going to keep finding ways to improve. But I think just with him, the thing that sticks out with me is how mature he is in his makeup. Like I've watched the pitch a few times and just watching him go about his work, even watching them and rehab last year when he was coming back from Toma. John he just works hard and he's very humble and quiet and goes about his work and doesn't put off that like hey, I'm the top prospect here like this is you know, he doesn't have that attitude. He just kind of wens in with the guys, works hard and wants to be really good.

00:27:14
Speaker 1: And I think, you know, he's kind of got the whole whole package. When you were in the first starting.

00:27:18
Speaker 2: Pitcher, Rob back at the winter meetings, Rob had said he made a point to say, oh man, j T.

00:27:24
Speaker 3: He's in great shape already.

00:27:25
Speaker 2: He's like he's feeling great this and that, and I'm and I'm wondering, is that because he had the knee surgery last year and you were kind of banged up all year?

00:27:33
Speaker 3: Can you can you speak to that a little bit?

00:27:35
Speaker 2: I mean, did it bother you more than obviously you don't want to come out and say I'm banged up guys, you know or whatever. Maybe you weren't. I don't know, but he it was just funny because he did. He made a point to go, man, JT.

00:27:47
Speaker 3: He's in good shape.

00:27:47
Speaker 2: We're hearing good things about JT down there and clear what I'm wondering, you know how you felt last year? How you feel now kind of coming into this big year for you.

00:27:55
Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel I was. I feel great.

00:27:57
Speaker 4: I was talking to Morgan this morning. We ran sprints this morning at the stadium and today it was probably not today, but like within the last month, it's been the first time I feel like I can really let loose sprinting and not feel anything like so even after the surgery last year, it was just kind of lingering effects. I think it was just maybe scar tissue or something from the surgery just kind of stuck around and it wasn't necessarily like it wasn't super painful or it obviously didn't keep me from playing a ton, but it's just something that I would feel daily and like soreness and like still feel some extra fluid in my knee stuff like that. But that's all, you know, really, Probably about a month ago, finally like it felt like I just have had nothing done to my knee and it feels one hundred percent again. So yeah, I got to give Morgan and Fury a lot of credit because those guys who've.

00:28:43
Speaker 1: Been working hard here in clear Water trying.

00:28:45
Speaker 4: To recover and get healthy and be in as good as shape as we can go into this season, and they've done a great job for me.

00:28:51
Speaker 2: And then Rob also said, yeah, we want to I want to talk to JT at some point about playing time and maybe the workload and whatnot.

00:28:58
Speaker 3: And we asked them, I.

00:28:59
Speaker 1: Really want to talk.

00:29:00
Speaker 3: We asked you last Yeah, we asked him last year. If you talked to JT goes, I'm I'm scared to have that kind of.

00:29:07
Speaker 2: Because if you know you want to play, you probably would love to catch one hundred and forty right, I mean, so where do you come down on that? I mean, you want to catch as much as he can because you think he can handle it, but they want to cut you back maybe a little bit.

00:29:20
Speaker 3: He said.

00:29:20
Speaker 2: Also, yeah, nothing that he can still DH. But where do you kind of come down on all that stuff?

00:29:26
Speaker 1: I don't know.

00:29:27
Speaker 4: I don't think there's a perfect answer because I don't I truly don't know what the best thing to do is.

00:29:33
Speaker 1: I think, like I think you go off of how I feel. And if you like I like.

00:29:38
Speaker 4: This narrative, you know how narratives always gets started. But like I've been healthy pretty much my whole career. Last year was the first year I haven't caught whatever one hundred and thirty games. And it's not like I got hurt because I was being over caught. Like I got hurt in May in a rainy game that was I hit a triple and was legging a triple out and tweaked my leg around second base. So if I was like grinding through a season and it was August and wear and tear and then I was getting hurt, like I would get to, hey, let's play less. But for me, I mean, my body feels as good right now as it ever has, Like it's not.

00:30:09
Speaker 1: I don't feel like I'm any of you know, I'm getting old.

00:30:12
Speaker 4: But with that, I understand the want to keep me healthy and keep me productive as long as possible.

00:30:18
Speaker 1: So I'm sure Tom's and I'll have those coming on a daily.

00:30:22
Speaker 6: And I'm kind of curious as far as staying in shape. Different guys use different methods. Are you like a blottiest guy, you a good guy? Or you just do your basic workout guy? What how do you go about your business in the off season.

00:30:35
Speaker 1: It's kind of evolved over time.

00:30:38
Speaker 4: I used to be getting the weight room and lift heavy things as much as I could and try to get as physically strong as I could and bulk up, like pushing a bunch of heavyweight.

00:30:47
Speaker 1: The last couple of years and this year.

00:30:49
Speaker 4: Specifically, I've done more like movement stuff and obviously still lifting weights and training, but like trying to get in the best shape I can and more cardio and like doing more active things in between lifts where I'm breathing, heaving the whole workout and not necessarily just lifting sitting lifting sitting. It's like kind of more movement based the entire workout, and it's almost like I don't want to see the word cross fit because it's not cross fit, but that type of like high high intensity, high heart rate lifting essentially, and that this year I really enjoyed because I'm not necessarily I'm at a point in my career where I'm not trying to like throw on a bunch of weight and get stronger. I'm trying to maintain and stay healthy. So yeah, it's definitely the training programs have evolved.

00:31:36
Speaker 1: Throughout the years for me for sure, But that's like four.

00:31:39
Speaker 4: Days a week I'm doing that type of lifting and then two days are like my lift. It's not really a lyft. My workout is basically stretching and movement and trying to keep the body fresh and like recovery type stuff.

00:31:51
Speaker 6: J T.

00:31:51
Speaker 5: I'm really glad to hear that knee is feeling good and you're doing those sprints. Speaks. I'll tell you, we sit up.

00:31:57
Speaker 1: Top, we sit up high.

00:31:58
Speaker 5: I love and I've always loved watching you go first to third. I've never seen I mean you you run like like you know a guy who was a speed demon, you know, like a guy who like a William McGee or somebody like that in the in the day and one some well those guys were electric base runners. But the way you go first to third, do you take a lot of pride in your base running? And where did that kind of where.

00:32:24
Speaker 1: Was I do? Uh, I'll tell you what I didn't like.

00:32:30
Speaker 4: I don't know people know how much it killed me last year to not be able to do stuff like that, Like that's one of my favorite parts of the game of baseball is running the bases.

00:32:39
Speaker 1: Like I love putting pressure.

00:32:40
Speaker 4: On defense and doing the little things the right way to like help you win a game that not a lot of people are going to recognize or notice, but they change baseball games. And for me, base running.

00:32:50
Speaker 1: Is a way to like, hey.

00:32:52
Speaker 4: Like you can put in that extra effort and make a huge difference and not have to be the fastest guy on the field. It's just about paying attention and the want to be a good base runner. So that started for me, honestly, probably when I was in high school, Like our coaches were very very serious about base running, and then also when I got to the Marlins after I got drafted, working with Wan Pierre, he was like I could always remember having conversations with him about how important base running was and every single day and screen training every day during the season, we talked about base running and hey.

00:33:21
Speaker 1: We could have been more aggressive here, we could have made adjustments here.

00:33:24
Speaker 4: So I think just working with him and that's just kind of carried on throughout and I also got to see like how much.

00:33:31
Speaker 1: That changes the game.

00:33:32
Speaker 4: So I feel like, for me, that's such an important part of the game that I not enough people pay attention to.

00:33:36
Speaker 5: Jan Pierre is a great baseball man. We had him here for.

00:33:39
Speaker 1: A while and yeah, we had him, yep, yep.

00:33:41
Speaker 5: He loved to talk baseball with that guy. He's so prepared, so smart.

00:33:44
Speaker 1: He's an incredible person.

00:33:45
Speaker 4: I mean, I loved having he was a veteran on the Marlin scene when I came up there, and he.

00:33:50
Speaker 6: Was awesome for us.

00:33:51
Speaker 2: Yeah, great too, well, JG, thanks so much for the time, man, We really appreciate it. Again, like you said before, things started really gearing up, you know, so should be a fun year. I think Phillies fans are excited about the upcoming season and you know the rotation.

00:34:07
Speaker 3: You're gonna have fun catching that rotation. I think.

00:34:11
Speaker 6: I think the people really that the fans really appreciate the way you go about your business. I know the people in the booth do I know the people that cover year as well. And I know it's kind of a pain in the next sometimes having to deal with us on this side of a coin, but we really appreciate you spending the time and taking the time to talk to us.

00:34:30
Speaker 3: We're looking forward to the season.

00:34:32
Speaker 1: Of course.

00:34:32
Speaker 4: You guys are great. You guys always streaming with so I appreciate that.

00:34:36
Speaker 2: Thank you to JT again for the time. That was a lot of fun. We'll be back next week. Rubin, Jim and I are going to put together a little Clearwater travel guide for everybody that's coming down to Clearwater. So if you have any questions about your trip to Cluewater, whether you come every year, or whether this is the first time you're coming in Clearwater, drop us a note on Twitter, Blue Sky, Threads, Facebook, YouTube, if you're watching us right now, put it in the comments section, you know, Instagram, shoot us a note. We'd love to answer your questions about Clearwater. And if you like the show, subscribe, tell a friend, and if you really like the show, don't forget to pick up a Phillies Show t shirt available at the Philliesshow dot com. They're by forty seven brand. They are awesome. Thanks for listening, everybody. We'll be back next week. The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. If you like us, give us a review, Follow us on Instagram, TikTok x, Facebook, and threads. Find Rubens analysis before, during, and after Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia, on the Sports Radio ninety four, WIP Morning Show, and MLB Network. Find Jim at all phly dot com. Find me at MLB dot com, the Phillies beatnewsletter, and MLB Network k