New Phillies reliever Jordan Romano joins the show!

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Speaker 1: Hi, This is Kyle Forber and welcome to the Philly Show.

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Speaker 2: Rubin tomorrow Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd z Aleki. Brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. High everybody, it is Tuesday, December seventeenth, twenty twenty four. I hope everybody is doing well the Philly Show. Last week was at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, Texas. The Phillies on the first day of the Winter Meetings made their only really significant moves so far of the offseason when they signed right hander Jordan Romano to a one year, eight and a half million dollar contract. Jordan was one of baseball's best closers from twenty twenty one through twenty three with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had an elbow injury last year had arthur scoptic surgery in July. He's back off the mound thow throwing. The Phillies saw one of those bullpen sessions. They liked what they saw, and they're betting on Jordan to be a big piece to the back end of their bullpen in twenty twenty five as they look to replace Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez and Jordan of course is betting big on himself on a one year deal. So Reuben, Jim and I spent some time on Monday yesterday with Jordan. Talked to him about everything growing up a Blue Jays fan in Ontario as a Native Canadian, to pitching for his hometown team, why he's excited to come to Philadelphia, what he thinks he can bring to the table, and much more. Great guy, I think you guys will enjoy this. This episode brought to you by Shy Benched. Sports holidays are almost here. There's still time to cross off everything you need to get for the sports fan on your list. Shibe has four locations Center City, Wayne, Westchester. They have a new store in Ardmore. You can also go to Shivesports dot com. You use the Phillies the promo code the Phillies Show fifteen. The Phillies Show fifteen you can get fifteen percent off of everything in the store, so make sure to check that out. And of course, if you're watching us on YouTube, you can see I'm supporting the Philly Show t shirt by forty seven brand. He can go to the Phillies Show dot com and pick up a Phillies Show t here. He is everybody. Jordan Romano. Jordan, thank you so much for coming on the Philly Show. We really appreciate. We know this is a super busy time of year for you, obviously signing with the Phillies and then you know, having to kind of figure out where you're gonna live, all that stuff. But I gotta ask you. The first thing I learned about you was last week at the winter meetings. You signed with the Phillies on Monday, and on Tuesday we have a manager availability in Dallas, and I say to Rob Thompson, I say, so, how do you you know what's your reaction to getting Jordan Romano? And he goes, all right, First, I gotta stop you right here. In Canada it's Romano. In Philly it might be Romano, but in Canada it's Romanto. So, in the interest of not butchering your last name all next season, how do you want to be pronounced? Yeah?

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Speaker 3: So it's interesting, you know, in Canada we say our A is a little different, we enunciate a little differently. So yeah, in Canada it's Romano. But I you know, I got to down to the US. I started playing down here in twenty twenty eleven and everyone says, you know, romano, romano. You know, I hear it all the time, so I just stop correcting it. And now it's I even say. I even say like romano down here, that's what I do, like when I'm down here, but like when I'm with my boys and like family, it's Romano. So I mean, however you want to, you know, however you want to do it is cool with me. Whatever feels comfortable for you.

00:03:33
Speaker 1: Guys.

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Speaker 2: Okay, we're we're on the air man.

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Speaker 4: We got to get it right.

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Speaker 2: I don't want to screw it up.

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Speaker 4: So if your.

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Speaker 5: Heart of hearts, in your heart of hearts, how would you cause used to people used to say amarow for my name, and my name's Amoro. Okay, I say amorro so and I'd rather have it be amorrow. So how do you feel?

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Speaker 6: All right?

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Speaker 1: You know, my parents say romano, so let's do that.

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Speaker 3: You know, let's there we have what they say, grandparents Romanna, So let's do that.

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Speaker 4: I love that.

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Speaker 2: You gotta gotta respect the parents and the grandparents and and all of that. So what's what's the last week been like for you since you signed with the Phillies. Let's start let's let's start there.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's been. It's been awesome. Actually, it's it happened pretty quick.

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Speaker 2: You know.

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Speaker 3: I threw my first first bullpen, not this Friday, the Friday previous, and.

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Speaker 1: Then after that it was I mean, it was it was full go.

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Speaker 3: You know. I found out the Phillies were interested on the on the Saturday, on the Saturday, and honestly, that's kind of where I wanted to go.

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Speaker 1: You know, I can't really I can't really say that when you're talking about it. I was like, oh man, I want to come here.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, we we you know, got the got the deal done on this Saturday, and then Sunday, I fly out to I fly out to Philly and then we do the physical there.

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Speaker 1: We do the physical there on Monday.

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Speaker 3: So everything checked out good, Everything looked good, and then yeah, it became official, and then it was it was a lot of you know, calling the parent's family. They were super excited, and then kind of just everyone reaching out. You know, everyone's really was really happy for me to you know, to go here sign with a good team.

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Speaker 1: So it's been actually a really cool week.

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Speaker 2: I was gonna cause you mentioned this on the zoom call that you you you kind of wanted to come to phild But can you get into that a little bit more like why why when the Phillies reached out, You're like, oh, let's make.

00:05:21
Speaker 3: Yeah so so a I mean, unbelievable team, just the talent, like I'm gonna be surrounded with. But we actually we played a two game series there. It was in May, and it was it was a midweek series. It was a one o'clock game, and I mean that place was packed, going going crazy, you know, and as an opposing player, it's it's it's tougher to pitch in those spots. And I was talking to a couple of guys in the bullpen. I was like, this would be pretty awesome if if we were on the home side here just in that environment on a I think it was like a Tuesday or Wednesday. So that was pretty cool. And I know the fans are super passionate, you know, they have a a high standard for performance, and honestly, like where I'm at now, would say that's all the things I'm looking for, you know, like I have a high standard of performance for myself, and I feel like it could you know, kind of hold you accountable sometimes to keep it going and or else you know, you might hear it, but I feel like I need that.

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Speaker 4: So you had the surgery, Jordan, which listening to you speak last week, sounds like it was just a kind of a clean up. And I love the fact that you only wanted a one year deal. I just think it speaks volumes about the confidence you have in your health, the confidence that you have in being able to have a big season go back out on the market last year. Was there any doubt in your mind, like you know that that was the way you were going to go, And why did you feel so strongly about it.

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Speaker 3: No, Honestly, there was just how things were progressing, throwing working out, how the body was feeling. I just felt like, for myself it was it was smart to do, you know, a one year deal. I didn't really want to, you know, lock anything in coming off, just just a frustrating bad performance, hurt most of the year, and I know, like when I'm healthy, what I'm capable of, you know, so I really wanted to do the one year deal. You know, hopefully everything works out here and we could just just keep rolling and Philly, you know, that's the that's my goal, honestly. So, yeah, I want to do the one year, one year deal, prove myself, you know, kind of show everyone I'm back healthy in what I can do out there.

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Speaker 2: Jordan, I, it was just curious.

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Speaker 5: So you had a progression. Obviously you didn't always pitch in the back end of the bullpen obviously the major leagues. You have tell me about your progression from when you first signed with the Toronto and how that all, how that all happened. How did you get to the back end of the bullpen.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so, you know, I didn't start pitching until pretty late actually, just in high school in general, I was I think I started pitching full time at eighteen, you know, and then Juco. It's pretty tough, you know, I didn't really know that much about pitching, had trouble throwing strikes, just I didn't know my delivery and stuff, and you know, then I got just kind of a little bit more refined along the way.

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Speaker 1: I always had a pretty good arm.

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Speaker 3: And then yeah, with the Blue Jays, I mean I was a starter pretty much my whole time there, right, And but it's funny, all all my managers and the minors, I wanted to be in the bullpen like they knew it, and I would always ask me like, guys, come on, like, I know, starting it's cool, Like let me back. Then they're like, no, you need it, you know, keep starting. You know, we can see if it works out. But then in Triple A, finally got moved to the bullpen because I wasn't doing that well on triple as a starter, honestly, and when I got to the bullpen, everything just kind of ticked up. Velo ticked up. I liked it a lot better because I can just kind of let it rip for a couple of innings. I liked the intensity later in the games. I felt like that was more kind of me. And then yeah, that just kind of kind of progressed. Got the call in twenty nineteen up to you know, up to the big leagues. Didn't didn't do that well honestly, Like it was a little bit it was a little bit overwhelming, you know, hometown kid kind of getting up there, a lot of attention and stuff like that. But so after twenty nineteen, I really kind of all, right, what makes.

00:09:13
Speaker 1: You know these back end guys good?

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Speaker 3: And I know they're they're like mental toughness, they do a lot of mental training, so I kind of started getting into that, you know, meditation, a lot of reading, self talk, just you know, I started training myself that way too, and I started noticing when I did that, the game started slowing down a little bit. I was a little bit more comfortable in the bigger moments, and yeah, that just kind of helped me progress into you know, being in with close out games.

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00:10:42
Speaker 4: Yeah, when you're closing, it seems like it's almost as much mental as physical. When you started diving into that stuff, what was the biggest thing you learned about, you know, the mental side of it.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you know what I just learned kind of like what the oceans are, right. It's just a chemical response in the brain, like anxiety. You know, no one really likes anxiety. It's a weird feeling, right, But I feel like I'm going to have anxiety, like before I get out there, and now I kind of love it, like I use it.

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Speaker 1: As fuel, I use it as energy.

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Speaker 3: So when the anxiety comes, it it's kind of like, hey, this is this is me getting locked in so I used to kind of run from it, you know, those bad feelings, those like weird fight or flight feelings. But now I just kind of embrace them, and yeah, I really do kind of use it as fuel now instead of kind of being uncomfortable in those moments.

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Speaker 4: You were a catcher as a kid, we were a kidding.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah I was. I was a catcher, but I couldn't really hit that well.

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Speaker 4: So somebody, somebody must have seen a little bit of this closer stuff because thedn't you close it? Oral Robinson? In college?

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Speaker 1: Yeah I did, actually too.

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Speaker 3: I went to junior college two pretty tough years honestly, and then yeah I got I always had, you know, the tools though. I mean I had had the arm, had the arm a little bit slider was starting to work, and that I got with a pitching coach, Sean Snedecker. He was like my first real pitching coach, you know, so he tuned up the delivery and stuff, and then yeah, I did close a little bit at at Oil Roberts, So yeah, I did kind of have that, you know, starting there, but college and the big leagues it was a lot different.

00:12:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, I had a little bit of experience for sure.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, but I read that, you know, a big part of that that transition for you was just you know, you talked about You've talked about the importance of breathing between pitches and the importance of focusing on the next pitch, you know, the point where I don't think you do anymore, but you used to kind of between pitches, squat down and then pop pop right back up, right, I mean of that stuff.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, So I really really focused on just separating each pitch, right, because I had a habit of, you know, throw a bad one, and the bad one rolls into the next one, like I'm thinking about that. So I really wanted a way to kind of separate each pitch into.

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Speaker 1: Its own individual thing.

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Speaker 3: And I started with like a little little bend and then I started doing the full squat, and honestly, it was helping.

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Speaker 1: I was pitching pretty well, so I kept doing it.

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Speaker 3: That was in twenty twenty, but I was doing it for twenty twenty one, and that's that was.

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Speaker 1: A little longer season.

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Speaker 3: And I go into the training room, I'm like, guys, like, my hips are really tight, like my leaks are a little tight, Like what do you think is going on.

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Speaker 1: They're like, well, you're squatting a hundred times a day, you know.

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Speaker 3: So I was like, ah, okay, So I kind of had to cut that out because for one sixty two it was just a lot of squats.

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Speaker 2: There was a funny video I saw, I think it was in the twenty twenty season where Vladdie's playing first base and you squat. He kind of like was mimicking you. He would go into the squat and pop up at the same moment before you, before you threw your pitch.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 3: I didn't notice that at the time because I'm just like dialed in, you know, crazy and the Laddi's just having a great time, you know, But I saw it after that was pretty funny.

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Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: So Jordan I actually one of the pitchers that pitched with the Toronto Blue Jays and then with the Phillies. He also had sort of that same mentality just to go pitch by pitch and just to let the last pitch go. And that was Doc Halliday. I was just wondering whether you know, there's a pitcher or someone that sort of mentored you through that, or is that just something that you developed yourself.

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Speaker 1: You know what Yeah.

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Speaker 3: So Ken Giles was actually the closer at the time with the Blue Jays, and honestly, he you know, very successful, very successful closer. So when I got up there, I was just kind of doing you know, Okay, he starts locking it in sixth inning. That means, you know, it's he doesn't joke around anymore. He doesn't really talk anymore. He just starts his like mobility program, gets ready for the game. He did like a little bend, actually a little tiny bend, and he was kind of the guy because I wanted to be that guy, right, So everything he did I was trying to copy and find my own way to do it. So, yeah, Ken Giles was kind of the guy I was. I was trying to beat. So everything he did I would do, Yeah, down to the littlest thing with the bend, and then the bend just started getting bigger.

00:15:09
Speaker 1: But Ken Giles would be that guy.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, ex Philly, what an arm he had? Wondering coming to the Phillies, as you know, training in clear Water and dun Eden's right up the street. Does it feel a little bit like, I don't know, a sense of familiarity, almost like home to you.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, No, you know with the Phillies. Yeah, it's in clear Water.

00:15:32
Speaker 3: So I'm actually going down there on Wednesday for the first time, just to say hi to you know, some of the guys that are in their training staff strength staff. So no, it's great get to kind of stay local for spring training too.

00:15:44
Speaker 1: So yeah, very very excited about that.

00:15:46
Speaker 4: Is that home for you that area?

00:15:48
Speaker 3: No, Yeah, so I'm just just I'm probably thirty minutes away from the complex. This is Yeah, my wife's from Florida, so this is kind of our home base now.

00:15:57
Speaker 2: And that really works out well for you. You don't have to pick up and move or go to Arizona, and it's perfect.

00:16:03
Speaker 1: We had a no kids. Yeah, we have a big, one hundred pound Doberman, so moving him is kind of tough. So no, it works out great.

00:16:09
Speaker 2: So when you were coming up, I read that when you were starting, I guess you were fastball slider change up and I'm wondering how the slider became your your your your big pitch. Who taught you how to throw that? And when did you know that was a good pitch? Was there any kind of like do you throw a curveball at one point, shelve that change up shelve that.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, well yeah, so yeah, fastball slider. That's what I was when I got drafted, you know. And then yeah, so Darryld Knowles, he was my so I had to John right when I ray when I signed, pretty much my first spring, so I had that. When I was coming back, he showed me the slider grip that I that I used for a long time. And I had a bullpen coach here in Toronto, Matt Bushman. We kind of just tuned it up. But those two guys kind of showed me how to throw the slider, and then Bushman kind of just tuned it up. And yeah, coming up, I was always trying to throw the change up and my pitching coaches would kind of they would be really harping on it because I had a quota in the minor leagues, because they wanted me to throw it. Sure, they say like, hey, you need to throw fifteen or like ten percent.

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Speaker 1: And I'd be in the fifth inning and I hadn't thrown.

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Speaker 8: One yet, you know, so they I've been pitching all right, you know, Like I remember I pitched that's six innings. I don't think I gave up a run, like struck out quite a few and I threw one change up and my pitching coach, Riggins at the time, he's like Jordan.

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Speaker 1: He's like, you're gonna get me fired. I was like, riggy, man, I just went six score links.

00:17:34
Speaker 6: Come on.

00:17:35
Speaker 1: But that was always the fight.

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Speaker 3: I was never comfortable with it, but they always wanted me to throw it. So yeah, I was happy when I went to the bullpen. I could just scrap it and just work like button.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, just go fast ball, slider. Yeah, absolutely, that's awesome. What do you you know, the Phillies are one of these teams that really doesn't annoint the closer, but a lot of times you can kind of figure it out by who they're using hot hand and momentum success. Obviously, what have you been told about your role and what would you like your role to be?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, just kind of told just be ready to pitch and leverage you know, big spots, stuff like that, and yeah, so not giving the closer role or anything, but yeah, definitely prepared to be a leverage arm. That's kind of the thought going into it. And you know how bullpens work, right, especially it's kind of the guy that's doing well is going to be throwing the later innings or the biggest spots of the game.

00:18:29
Speaker 1: So that's kind of how I'm going into it and approaching it.

00:18:32
Speaker 5: Have you got a chance to sort of study what Rob Thompson does because there are times when he utilizes his closer even in the seventh or eighth inning early in the game when a really really big spot or so have you noticed that about him?

00:18:46
Speaker 2: And did you know that part about how.

00:18:48
Speaker 5: He could sort of arranges his his bullpen.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. I've actually.

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Speaker 3: I've seen some guys in interviews talk about that from the bullpen, just like hey, like we'll use this guy maybe in the sixth because that's probably you know, top of the order or a couple guys on stuff like that.

00:19:04
Speaker 1: So, yeah, that's something I'm prepared to do.

00:19:06
Speaker 2: You know.

00:19:07
Speaker 3: I just I'm gonna have to start my routine just a tiny bit earlier, which is like in spring training, I'm going to try to just tune that up because I have been used to throwing that late inning, but in spring I'm just going to try to tailor edges. All right, It started everything a little bit earlier, so when that sixth inning does hit big spot, like we can be ready from the sixth of the ninth.

00:19:26
Speaker 5: So I'm just talking about spring training. You mentioned it a little bit. How many reps do you like to get during the course of the spring. I no, no, no, You're a veteran now you kind of know your body, and I was wondering what you think you may be needing. Will you be one hundred percent across the board because of your injury, Are you'd be ready to go at one hundred percent? And obviously how many reps do you want? And the other question I had was would you rather pitch in the A Games the B Games? Does it matter to you when you get your reps? Is it important to you? Just kind of curious what your feeling is on on it.

00:20:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, so it'll be one hundred percent ready to go for spring, no issues. Honestly.

00:20:04
Speaker 3: I mean my last bullpen, I felt like I was like, so I threw my bullpen just a week and a half ago, and now I'm just in like a little bit of a d loop because I got I got ready early just to kind of show myself and show like teams, you know, but I want to get on the mound, rip it.

00:20:22
Speaker 1: See the velo I want and make sure everything feels good.

00:20:24
Speaker 3: So that's box checked, and then yeah, I'll start throwing pens again in January, so we should be one hundred percent ready to go. And as far as like usage, I like to throw around ten outings. I actually like to throw, you know, around ten outings, and I do like to get it back to back near the end. It could be an inning and then the next day just get hot in the bullpen, face a hitter or two and just kind of have my back to back so my body's ready feeling good. And I don't like throwing in backfield games that much. When I throw, I like to I don't know, I like to feel the crowd, the energy, some adrenaline. So I'm that kind of guy kind of feet off that a little bit. So I'll be, you know, if I can, I'm gonna be requesting to throw in.

00:21:05
Speaker 1: Just like the eight games with some fans there.

00:21:09
Speaker 2: I read that you played. Did you play double a hockey or like semi pro hockey or something like that.

00:21:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, double a hockey and in Canada it's pretty good hockey.

00:21:17
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:21:18
Speaker 1: I grew up playing that.

00:21:19
Speaker 3: We actually had an ice drink in my backyard growing up, so we went I would make one neighborhood kids over.

00:21:24
Speaker 1: So I mean I was.

00:21:26
Speaker 3: I was skating as soon as I can walk, So I hockey is like my my second sport.

00:21:31
Speaker 2: Honestly, do you ever like go out and skate and just I mean I would not now that're down on Florida, probably not so much. But you know, how much do you enjoy doing that if you ever get the opportunity.

00:21:41
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't know if I'm supposed to say this, but yeah, last year I got out on the.

00:21:44
Speaker 1: Ice just just a little bit skate around, you know with the boys.

00:21:46
Speaker 9: Uh.

00:21:47
Speaker 1: It was funny.

00:21:48
Speaker 3: So my brother, I have an older brother, he's a big boy, used to play baseball and hasn't played hockey for probably ten years. And we all had to bet how hard he could hit a slap shot. So we went on the ice for that. I brought a radar gun out and the over under was eighty nine and a half and his first shot he hit ninety six.

00:22:08
Speaker 1: Holy wow, he's a big boy. He's got some torque. So that was like the highlight. Me and my buddies.

00:22:13
Speaker 3: We all got on the ice, had a good time, and yeah, Chris, he he killed it with the slap shot.

00:22:18
Speaker 2: So what position did you play when you were playing hockey?

00:22:20
Speaker 1: I played. I played center and some right wing. Okay, I loved it.

00:22:26
Speaker 3: I was kind of a smaller guy that, you know when I was growing up, so I'd take a beating a little bit, but you know, had decent hands, you know, get skate a little bit.

00:22:34
Speaker 4: Are you were you a Leafs fan?

00:22:37
Speaker 2: Oh?

00:22:37
Speaker 1: Yeah, big time?

00:22:37
Speaker 3: Yes, still still uh still a leaf scent, you know what I I so growing up it was matt Sundeen and now I'm a big Mitch Marner fan. You know, we got Matthew's there. I'm a big Mitch Marner fan, just a big playe maker. He's a he's a Toronto guy too, so I kind of you know, Toronto guy playing for the you know, playing for the whole team. Like I kind of understand the uh, the pressures and stuff you know that come with that.

00:23:04
Speaker 4: So I always appreciated that Austin Matthews can shoot the park like I've never seen anybody the way he just on He's so quick and deadly with that risk shot.

00:23:16
Speaker 3: Really oh he's yeah, he's amazing what those guys do out there.

00:23:19
Speaker 1: I mean, that's a. It's a pretty cool sport.

00:23:21
Speaker 3: I wish I was a little better and could have played, you know, a little a little longer.

00:23:25
Speaker 1: But yeah, baseball.

00:23:27
Speaker 5: Do you are you familiar with this young phenom that the Flyers have, this Mitch cop kid from from Russia. Are you familiar with him at all?

00:23:34
Speaker 1: I'll be honest.

00:23:34
Speaker 3: Uh, Living down in Florida, one thing that kind of happens is there's like, we have the lightning here, but there's not a lot of hockey on TV. So I'm kind of out of the game just a little bit. Like I'll watch the least when they come into town and stuff.

00:23:48
Speaker 1: But yeah, do not.

00:23:50
Speaker 3: I should probably know him, but yeah, down here, I'm out of the game a little bit.

00:23:54
Speaker 5: At some point he'll probably make his mark. You'll probably get to know him a little bit.

00:23:58
Speaker 4: Okay, So yeah, yeah, I mean to uh, like a Toronto area kid to put on the Jay's UNI.

00:24:04
Speaker 3: No, it was great, you know that was Uh, that was a team I liked. Grown up, I'd got all the games, so no, that was it was. It was pretty cool, just you know, putt in the work and you know, getting up there with them. Family was super excited too, so that was it was. It was awesome experience.

00:24:20
Speaker 5: What was your pathplists like family?

00:24:24
Speaker 3: Well, you know, I didn't know that. I didn't know we had to pay for the tickets. You know, you got to pay for like half of them. So I mean anyone asked for a ticket, yeah, come on out. And I was only up for not even two months, you know, my first year, and I think I spent fifteen grand on tickets.

00:24:42
Speaker 1: At the ENDBA I was like, oh okay, next year, we got to you know, trim it down a little bit.

00:24:47
Speaker 9: So it was, uh, it was pretty insane the first year, and then you know, second, third, fourth year, the list just gets a little bit, a little bit smaller if I little tighter, little ye if I haven't talked to you in a couple of years.

00:24:59
Speaker 2: You know, Yeah, you ran the base as a six year old. I read read that you ran the bases at Rogers Center. Is it true? I think maybe your parents said this, he said I'm going to play here one day? Is that is that?

00:25:11
Speaker 3: Yeah?

00:25:11
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:25:11
Speaker 3: So actually got I got pictures of that. Yeah, super young. It was a you know, family out and they took us out and it was yeah, kids could run the bases after and I still I still remember it. It's like one of the early childhood memories. Yeah, we we.

00:25:25
Speaker 1: Went down there.

00:25:26
Speaker 3: Everyone got to run the bases, and I mean I was just super pumped and obviously a six year old you want to play there, you know, just after watching the game and running the bases.

00:25:34
Speaker 1: So yeah, ran the base.

00:25:35
Speaker 3: I think that was might've been my only time running the bases, but would go to games pretty pretty regularly.

00:25:39
Speaker 2: Who was your favorite player growing up Blue Jay's player growing up?

00:25:42
Speaker 1: Oh, Holliday, he was. He was kind of the guy. Yeah, I guess like Carlos Delgado.

00:25:51
Speaker 3: And then kind of later on it would have been like Ricky Romero Lefty picture he was. Uh, he was kind of like the first rounder, big prospect, you know what I mean. So whenever he would he would go pitch, I'd make sure to to watch him. So yeah, those were kind of the guys that you know, I really enjoyed.

00:26:08
Speaker 4: Was was it difficult to get non tendered?

00:26:12
Speaker 1: Yeah?

00:26:12
Speaker 3: You know what, yeah, you know, uh, yeah, I'd say so, it's always in the back of your mind, you know what I mean, after you know, after a frustrating season. Yeah, that was a little bit difficult to me. Probably, you know, just a couple of days kind of like, all right, sink in. You know you're going to be going to a new place, you know, probably, So yeah, it was uh yeah, it was that. Yeah.

00:26:32
Speaker 1: It's a little difficult for a couple of days, for.

00:26:34
Speaker 4: Sure, especially when it's home, right.

00:26:36
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, no, for sure, Yeah that was Yeah, it was it difficult, just a couple of days.

00:26:41
Speaker 1: I mean, nothing too crazy, but I was just a little bit bommed.

00:26:43
Speaker 4: Yeah. When when does it in your mind become Okay, I'm disappointed, but this is the chance to be a real new, fresh beginning in a new chapter. When does that all kick in?

00:26:54
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know what, it was kind of like I took so you know, reliever, you know, you got to kind of have short memory, like just just get going. I took twenty four hours, you know, all right, get a little bummed out whatever, and then then it's kind of like the next day, you know, day after that, I was really working towards getting getting on the mound pretty soon. So it's like, okay, that's done, all right, move on, Let's make sure the body's good, you know, keep keep your throwing up every day, and you know, let's get on the mount and feel good.

00:27:23
Speaker 1: So yeah, it was a pretty pretty quick turnaround.

00:27:26
Speaker 3: I feel like I've had a ton of training for that, you know, just just over the years, so made the transition a little easier.

00:27:32
Speaker 1: I think have.

00:27:34
Speaker 5: Any of the players.

00:27:35
Speaker 4: Have any of the players reached out to you?

00:27:37
Speaker 5: Have you talked to any guys on the team?

00:27:38
Speaker 1: Have?

00:27:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, I had any interaction.

00:27:41
Speaker 5: And did you know any of the players prior to signing with the Phillies.

00:27:45
Speaker 1: You know what, No, not yet.

00:27:46
Speaker 3: I'm going into the complex on Wednesday, and I think Nola's working out there. I think JT's going to be there too, So we're gonna slowly start meeting some of the guys. You know, I've met a ton of the staff so far, just reaching out and stuff. So yeah, the only so Hoffman got I know, he's no longer So Hoffman was I was going through the list.

00:28:06
Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, Hoffman, I knew him. He's not there.

00:28:09
Speaker 3: Castianos actually met I met him at Manoa's wedding last year, so he's kind of like the only guy I know a little bit. Yeah, I was going through the list. I was like, oh, Man, Like, I really don't know too many guys here. But I've been I've been with a new team before with Texas that was a little while ago, and it's just gonna it's it's new kid at school, right for the first For the first week, you're just learning everyone's names and staff names and stuff. And then after that it's it's pretty pretty smooth.

00:28:36
Speaker 2: Well, we were talking a little bit briefly. You know, Matt Strom, one of your bullpen mates, is a huge, huge, massive baseball card collector at his own show, The Card Life, which is on all like every RSN across the country, and you also click baseball cards, right, Yeah, So I mean, you guys are gonna have just tons of talk about ripping boxes, ripping packs, and.

00:29:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, I can't. I can't wait to get into him with it.

00:29:02
Speaker 3: I started collecting a couple of years ago, and I I'm pretty into it, you know. So I like collecting all the guys that I've that I've played with, So you know, I need to get a couple of his cards now and all the new and all the boys I'm about to play with.

00:29:15
Speaker 2: And you said you have a Kevin Vigio, Yeah, one.

00:29:19
Speaker 1: Laying around here. I'll show you, guys, yeah, so Cavin your longtime teammates. So I got his one of one right here. I try to actually get wow.

00:29:26
Speaker 3: Yeah, I try to get all the guys I play with one of one, like depending on the set, you know.

00:29:32
Speaker 2: What I mean.

00:29:33
Speaker 3: And I mean the Vlattie, you know expensive some of the some of these boys get expensive.

00:29:38
Speaker 1: So some of these Phillies, the Phillies guys too. It might take me, you know, a couple of months to you know, get some of these cards. But no, I'm gonna try for the Phillies to get everyone. If they have a one on one, I'm gonna try to get it.

00:29:48
Speaker 2: Well, you know what Matt Strom does. He collects, specifically collects. I think it's rookie autos of guys who have homeward against him in the big leagues.

00:30:00
Speaker 3: Cool.

00:30:01
Speaker 4: You know, that's funny.

00:30:02
Speaker 2: That's something to collect. I mean, I don't know if it's your cup of tea, but you know, I'm just saying that's what he does, so.

00:30:08
Speaker 1: Very cool for him. I will not be doing that.

00:30:11
Speaker 4: I totally get it.

00:30:12
Speaker 1: I totally understand.

00:30:14
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's great, Jordan. What about the sixty eight? What's the any significance number sixty eight yarm or Yarner. Maybe you know what I get.

00:30:22
Speaker 1: Hey, why why did you choose sixty eight? I didn't choose it. I I got called up. They gave it to me and they're like, hey, do you want to switch? I'm like, you know, I kind of like sixty eight. It's you know, it's a high number. No one really has it. So I'm glad no one on the Phillies at sixty eight so I can keep it rolling.

00:30:39
Speaker 4: Yeah, okay, that's awesome.

00:30:42
Speaker 2: Well, Jordan, Hey, thanks, thanks a lot for coming on the show with us again. We know you're it's a busy time of your holidays and you're getting adjusted to a new team your organization and enjoy Clearwater down there on Wednesday with JT and knowing all those guys.

00:30:57
Speaker 1: So thanks guys, well, thanks for having Yeah.

00:30:59
Speaker 5: Look, look look forward to meeting you face to face. Uh in real time, all right, googing.

00:31:05
Speaker 2: Man, Yeah exactly. Yeah, we will see you in Clearwater in just a few weeks. Hope you guys enjoyed that we did. The Philly Show will be back later this week. Thanks everybody. 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 phl y dot com. Find me at MLB dot com, the Phillies Beat newsletter, and MLB Network