WEBVTT - The Rotation 0:00:15.120 --> 0:00:15.920 Hi, everybody. 0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:20.880 Welcome to The Phillies Show with Ruben Morrow Junior, Jim Salisbury. 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:23.560 I am Todd's Lucky. We are coming to you early 0:00:24.440 --> 0:00:29.600 Friday morning, April twenty sixth, twenty twenty four. The Phillies 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:32.720 have split a series in Cincinnati. 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:37.120 Wait before we get into that, can we talk about 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:37.600 the logo? 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:38.800 Dude, and we talk. 0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:39.760 Let's do it again. 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:43.640 Let's do it. The intro is tight. 0:00:45.000 --> 0:00:46.880 So if you if you want to know what we're 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:49.720 talking about, we have a new logo. I'm sure you've 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:51.840 seen it on social media, but we have a new 0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:56.160 logo that specially is has been made by our fan. 0:00:56.040 --> 0:00:59.480 Pat Kritz for the YouTube show the YouTube channel day 0:00:59.520 --> 0:00:59.760 we have. 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:02.880 If you want to watch us talk and see how 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:05.720 you know the cool swag we got on and you know, 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:07.600 different stuff we're sporting. 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:13.319 Check it out. Check us out on YouTube. Right yeah, yeah, yeah. 0:01:13.360 --> 0:01:16.400 So the Phillies Philly split. 0:01:17.600 --> 0:01:21.920 In Cincinnati and Zach Wheeler yesterday keeps doing what Zach 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:26.000 Wheeler does. Ranger Suarez opens a series by doing what 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:29.440 Ranger Suarez does, which is not allowing a run. And 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:33.200 you know, I thought Zach Wheeler said something interesting yesterday. 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:36.319 So he has made two consecutive starts six or more innings, 0:01:37.280 --> 0:01:40.880 one hit in each start. It's only a second pitcher 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:43.760 in the modern era Phillies modern era to do that. 0:01:44.360 --> 0:01:47.360 And what I think you guys can appreciate is after 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:50.880 the game, we talked to zach about his performance and 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:55.680 he basically says, eh, walk too many guys, walk too 0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:56.200 many guys. 0:01:56.360 --> 0:01:59.720 Got to clean that up. The results are good, but I. 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.280 Walked many guys, And to me, that just sounded like 0:02:03.240 --> 0:02:09.640 something that a great pitcher says, you know, and I 0:02:09.720 --> 0:02:11.000 just thought that was really impressive. 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:12.440 You know, this is a guy with high standards. 0:02:12.480 --> 0:02:15.600 He came into the season learning a splitter because he says, 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:18.040 I want to win the cy Young this year. This 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:20.000 is what's something that I want to do, which I 0:02:20.040 --> 0:02:23.519 also thought was cool because anytime you talk to players, 0:02:24.000 --> 0:02:27.280 understandably so they don't like to really get into their 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:30.320 goals things they want to accomplish this year because then 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:31.960 you know, ah, you said you want to hit thirty 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:35.040 home runs and now you've only got sixteen coming into August. 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:36.880 But zach wa is like, no, I want to win 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:38.560 the sy Young this year, so I'm learning another pitch 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:39.920 because I think it's going to help me do that. 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:43.200 What kind of jumped out to you guys about some 0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:46.160 of these pitching performances or Zach's performance in the series 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:50.200 finale on Thursday. 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:50.520 Well, the whole season has been jumping out at me. 0:02:51.160 --> 0:02:54.640 Pitching wise. They're off to a great start. You know, 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:56.720 Zach another really good one yesterday. I think you had 0:02:56.720 --> 0:03:00.800 that one kind of tough inning where he through. You know, 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:03.560 they worked him a little bit, he ran his pitch 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:05.600 count a little bit. But I mean your point is 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:08.800 so good about him coming out and saying he wants 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:10.440 to win a sy Young. I remember once talking to 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:12.200 call Himmels early in his career and he said he 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:15.080 wants to go to the Hall of Fame. Remember that, Todd. 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:16.639 That was early in his career, and he wasn't He 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:20.760 didn't shy away from those goals. And I liked that 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:22.480 as well. I think Zach should have won the cy 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.399 Young a couple of years ago. I think he's well 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:29.079 equipped and off to a great start this year to 0:03:29.200 --> 0:03:31.280 possibly do it. But you know, you talk about he 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:33.720 wasn't real happy. That's a sign of the great ones. 0:03:33.760 --> 0:03:36.280 They're never satisfied. There's always something they can work on 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:39.160 always something they can do, and it's illustrated by his 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:43.400 you know, mid career desire to learn a splitter and 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:45.800 to go to work on that and try to perfect 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:48.160 it and it should make him better. Like I think 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:52.840 Shilling and Shilling and Clemens were two power guys who 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:55.440 added it, you know, maybe mid career. It made a 0:03:55.440 --> 0:04:00.040 really big difference for them. So it's gonna be a 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:02.200 lot of fun to continue to watch this guy work 0:04:02.800 --> 0:04:05.839 throughout the season because he's got the skill, he's got 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:08.440 the talent, and he's got the drive to do something 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:12.760 really special. And I think something that is paramount for 0:04:12.840 --> 0:04:17.200 him is in that entire clubhouse is winning a championship, 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:18.920 and I think they can do that as well. 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:23.320 Yeah, I totally agree with you, Jim about the you know, 0:04:23.360 --> 0:04:27.400 for me, it's about what this guy brings to the 0:04:27.480 --> 0:04:32.600 table on the mound every single day and the accountability. 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:37.000 I've been around some unbelievably accountable guys. Roy Halliday comes 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:39.080 to mind. I mean Roy Halliday was one of those 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:41.279 guys that would, you know, if he didn't have a 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:44.160 good outing or he didn't have a like a dominant outing, 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:48.119 he would basically say, you know, I'm sorry, I didn't 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:49.520 perform the way I should perform. 0:04:49.600 --> 0:04:50.760 I mean, who does that? 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:54.400 Nobody remember remember when he apologized thought in Arizona he 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:57.160 came into the dugout and he said, Roy Halliday had 0:04:57.200 --> 0:05:00.200 not been pitching. Well, I'm sorry to interrupted Rubin. The 0:05:00.200 --> 0:05:04.080 accountability just flashed right before my eyes. We were in Arizona. 0:05:04.320 --> 0:05:06.520 He came out with like a handwritten statement and he said, 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:08.920 I want to say something to the fans, and gathered 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:11.719 the writers and he read this. He apologized for like 0:05:11.760 --> 0:05:12.479 three bad stars. 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:13.280 Do you remember that, Todd? 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:14.720 I do remember that. 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:17.159 In fact, this actually sparks a story that I have 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:20.360 about Roy, and Matt Gelb reminded me of this this week. 0:05:20.400 --> 0:05:24.200 He said, walking in the clubhouse in Cincinnati, he says, 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:28.640 two things jump out. He said, one was Cole Hamill's 0:05:28.640 --> 0:05:31.680 pitching performance after Game three the twenty NLDS. He said, 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:33.919 the other one was on Roy Halliday. I thought he 0:05:34.000 --> 0:05:37.480 was going to murder you, and. 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:39.600 So Ruben. 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:43.039 So this was Roy's first year and he had he 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:45.840 struggled in this sense that I think it was two 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:48.960 or three consecutive starts or ten or more hits now 0:05:49.279 --> 0:05:51.520 post game, and he lost this game I think he 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:53.040 pitched eight innings and he like. 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:53.880 Gave it up late. 0:05:53.960 --> 0:05:58.520 They lost four to three, and we're talking to Charlie afterwards, 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:02.039 and Charlie goes, I'll do my best, charliem pressure goes, yeah, 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:04.720 you know, sometimes I wonder if he's around the plate 0:06:04.760 --> 0:06:05.279 too much. 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:09.279 You know, he just throws too I so now you know, 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:11.760 like Ruben you said, he he is when he loses, 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:14.200 he is so mad. Roy was so mad. So he 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:17.040 comes out, he's just you know, steam coming out of 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:18.280 his nostrils and stuff. 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:26.120 And I go, excuse me, Roy, Uh, do you ever 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.480 think you're around the plate too much? 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:30.320 And he throw too many strikes? 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:34.560 And he he turned and looked at me like he 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:37.039 was going to murder me, And it reminded me of 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:40.880 that that line in Rocky four when Drago goes. 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:46.560 Uh, if he dies, he dies, yeah. 0:06:46.320 --> 0:06:49.880 And he looked he looked at me and he goes no, 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.320 And I was like, I got it, I got it, 0:06:53.360 --> 0:06:53.760 I got it. 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:54.919 But anyway, continue on. 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:58.479 That's so I think, what the cool thing that I've 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:02.640 seen about about Zach Wheeler. He's I don't know, I 0:07:02.680 --> 0:07:05.000 got a crush on him right now because I've watched 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:07.760 him from twenty eighteen as a coach with the Mets. 0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:10.880 I watched his half second half of the season there. 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:14.600 He was the best pitcher in baseball. No disrespect to 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:18.800 to Debram who won the Cy Young that year, but 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:20.480 if you look at his numbers, I mean, he was 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:22.640 just fantastic. And I was thinking to myself, mind, this 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:24.160 guy can really really pitch. 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:27.160 And he learned how to pitch. 0:07:27.200 --> 0:07:29.880 He was a little more of a thrower, and he 0:07:30.080 --> 0:07:33.560 sort of developed his ability to utilize parts of the 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:38.440 zone in a way that has just been brilliant, just brilliant, 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:40.920 and I've loved. And it didn't have his good stuff. 0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:45.480 He did not have a sweeper yesterday, and it was 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:48.240 really difficult for him to spin the baseball and to 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:51.360 command it, especially early in the game. But he figured 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:55.400 out a way. He grabbed a different pitch and said, Okay, 0:07:55.440 --> 0:07:57.440 I'm going to use my four seam and my splitter. 0:07:57.720 --> 0:07:59.560 I'm going to use my sinker from time to time 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:03.720 move the ball around. And you know, to his credit, man, 0:08:03.840 --> 0:08:06.520 he just grinded it out and figured out a way 0:08:06.560 --> 0:08:07.200 to get it done. 0:08:07.440 --> 0:08:10.800 And that's such a great quality to have be able 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:15.480 to any in any sport. Be able to adjust your 0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:18.520 game plan in real time, whether you have a headset 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:21.320 down on the sidelines or whether you have a baseball 0:08:21.360 --> 0:08:23.400 in your hand. You alluded to it, but I wanted 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:26.400 to ask you how much where's the biggest area of 0:08:26.440 --> 0:08:28.920 growth you've seen in Zach Wheeler from the time you're 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:31.640 on the Mets coaching staff to what you see the 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:34.160 last couple of years and this year in Philadelphia where 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:36.240 he's just taking his game to a whole new level. 0:08:36.520 --> 0:08:36.720 Yeah. 0:08:36.760 --> 0:08:39.840 So for me, it's and you saw it in the 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:41.720 middle of that inning, in the third inning when they 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.360 were really grinding him out. He could not get his 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:47.640 mechanics together. He couldn't get his body in the right 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:49.880 position to make his pitches. And I think he talks 0:08:49.920 --> 0:08:54.960 about that a lot, and he figured it out somewhere 0:08:55.080 --> 0:08:59.079 in that inning along the way. He figured out how 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:01.640 to get his pitch, which is to do what he 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:04.320 wants them to do. And I think that that again, 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:07.240 being able to it's almost like taking your back swing 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:10.720 and then you know, going and stopping like Tiger Woods 0:09:10.720 --> 0:09:13.480 can I can't. I wish I could, and knowing that 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:15.720 my back swing I'm not in the right position and 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:19.480 stopping and then regrouping and then making your swing. It's 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:21.600 sort of like the same thing to just be able 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:23.439 to stop in the middle of the inning, especially when 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:25.960 the clock is rolling on you, because you can't you 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:29.640 can't stop the flow. And I think that maturity, that 0:09:29.720 --> 0:09:34.560 ability to handle that, and the ability to like switch 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:37.360 to another pitch. I mean, he gave himself an arsenal 0:09:37.800 --> 0:09:40.480 whereby you know, he's got four or five pitches where 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:42.800 he can go to a different pitch, or he can 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:45.880 say to himself, you know what, I can't throw this pitch, 0:09:45.960 --> 0:09:48.480 but I can dot this pitch. You know, I can 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:50.880 dot my fastball up and in or down in the way, 0:09:51.600 --> 0:09:54.560 or sink a pitch a few pitches and move the 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:56.560 ball such that I can still be effective. 0:09:57.559 --> 0:10:00.320 So you look at this rotation and there's like, you know, 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:03.240 ones and twos in terms of eras, I mean, Ranger 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:09.800 and Spencer Turnbull and Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola, they've 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:14.280 all been terrific. And I'm starting I'm actually starting to 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:17.679 see like little comparisons and I'm even being asked about it, 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:21.320 little comparisons to two thousand and eleven. I mean, I 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:25.640 think we all have perspective on that rotation. Todd and 0:10:25.720 --> 0:10:28.160 I covered that team Rubenue with the GM of that team. 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:32.920 Todd and I wrote a book about that rotation. You know, 0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:37.120 for me, that's a rotation that and I know all 0:10:37.240 --> 0:10:39.400 what was hurt. They got some real good contributions from 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:46.280 Vance Worley, Joe Blanton. But they did it over six 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:49.280 months and this has been you know, three or four weeks. 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:50.880 Now you've got to do it over six months. And 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:53.560 I certainly think they're capable of doing it. I mean, 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:56.040 hats off to what they've done so far. They haven't 0:10:56.080 --> 0:11:00.559 exactly faced iron lineups. I mean they've taken advantage of 0:11:00.679 --> 0:11:02.800 some weak lineups and you know, hey, you got to 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:06.040 do that. But there will be tougher tests. But for me, 0:11:06.960 --> 0:11:09.679 the twenty eleven thing fun to talk about, fun to 0:11:09.720 --> 0:11:11.480 crystal ball a little bit, but you got to do 0:11:11.520 --> 0:11:14.200 it over six months. What about you, Todd? I mean, 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:17.000 you have a lot of perspective on that rotation from 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:20.599 twenty eleven and this one. What is your feeling all that? 0:11:21.160 --> 0:11:24.120 Yeah, I've been starting to hear the same or get 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:26.360 the same questions on email, like, yeah, do you think 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:31.640 this rotation can compare and I think we put this 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:34.400 in the book and it's still and I double checked 0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:36.560 this just the other day because I was just out 0:11:36.559 --> 0:11:39.959 of curiosity. Now, war is not the end all be all, 0:11:39.960 --> 0:11:42.960 but I think it is one way to measure generational 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:49.880 players and rotations. The twenty eleven Phillies rotation still has 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:53.760 the single season highest war of any rotation in baseball history. 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:56.920 And anytime I do mention that, people go, that's a 0:11:56.920 --> 0:11:59.720 bunch of crap. The Braves rotations were way better. Yeah, 0:12:00.000 --> 0:12:02.720 Braves rotations as a whole were better. In fact, some 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:05.400 of those Braves rotations are in the top ten in 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:09.319 that conversation. But that twenty eleven Phillies rotation was so good. 0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:12.800 I mean, you think of Roy Halliday should have won 0:12:12.840 --> 0:12:13.800 the Cy Young that year. 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.840 In my opinion, I think he outpitched Clayton Kershaw, but 0:12:16.880 --> 0:12:19.480 Clayton won twenty games, and so Clayton. 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:20.040 Kershaw got it. 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:24.840 Cliff Lee had two scoreless inning streaks of thirty plus 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:25.680 innings that year. 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:27.320 I mean he was sick. 0:12:28.280 --> 0:12:30.840 Cole Hamill's was great, and you mentioned Ozwalt was up 0:12:30.840 --> 0:12:34.439 and down, Vance Whorley stepped up and pitched really well. 0:12:34.880 --> 0:12:38.760 But there are some really impressive performances so far this 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:43.040 season with Wheeler, with Ranger Suarez, who was he could 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:45.480 run down one of the Cliff Lee's scoreless inning streaks 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:48.199 in his next start Saturday night in San Diego. He's 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.320 twenty five innings scoreless innings right now, so he could 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:54.720 run him down. Aaron Nola's pitched a lot better. I 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:58.839 feel like since that first start, and then you got 0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:01.360 Spencer Turnbull, you know, and Christopher Sanchez. 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:02.800 Spencer Trimble has been really good. 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:05.400 Talk about lowie ras. The other night he had the 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:10.200 fourth lowest ERA in baseball. So but it is it 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:12.000 is a lot of fun to talk about. I do 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:14.920 love those comparisons, and just the fact that we are 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:19.559 having this conversation, I think tells you how well this 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:24.840 group is performing and the expectations for this group going forward. 0:13:24.960 --> 0:13:29.120 You know, I think particularly for those top three guys, Wheeler, Nola, 0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:32.080 and Suarez, there's very high expectations that they can keep 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:35.000 this up. Each of them can make thirty plus starts, 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:39.839 each of them can knock down two hundred innings potentially, 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:41.800 and then you just need those other two guys to 0:13:42.000 --> 0:13:43.360 whoever those other two guys are. 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:45.120 We know, it's Christopher Sanchez. 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:45.880 Is gonna be one of them. 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:48.160 But whoever those other two guys are that they can 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:50.360 kind of do what Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick and 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:51.200 Joe Blanton did. 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:55.080 So when I start thinking about, you know, the comparisons, 0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.160 I don't like to compare all that much. But the 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:00.079 coole part for me personally, on a personal level, is 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:03.320 that my my personal involvement in both of these rotations 0:14:03.920 --> 0:14:07.720 because you know, I obviously part of the one in 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:11.079 twenty eleven trying to put that thing together and others 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:14.880 put it together for me as well, but to do 0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:18.280 that number one and also to sort of be involved 0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:20.840 in the you know, two fifths of the one that's 0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:23.680 that's here, I mean with Ranger Suarez and Aaron Nola, 0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:27.320 you know, tooting my own horn a little bit of here, 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:29.360 But it doesn't it's not about tooting my horn. It's 0:14:29.640 --> 0:14:33.920 what it is is about, you know, having some pride 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:37.280 about the Phillies, right, because the Phillies are my team. 0:14:37.560 --> 0:14:39.760 They've been my team my whole life. I mean, I 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:42.080 know I went to other organizations, but for me to 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:45.280 watch this develop and to have these things happen, I 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:48.000 got to give lots of love to Dave Dombrowski because 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:51.200 he's sort of got that old school mentality too. 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:51.400 Man. 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:55.640 It's all about the starting pitching, always has been, always 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:59.160 will be, and for every It doesn't matter what year 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:03.000 it is. If you have solid starting pitching, you have 0:15:03.080 --> 0:15:07.240 a chance to win a World championship every single year. 0:15:07.280 --> 0:15:09.520 You have a chance to win a baseball game every 0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:10.920 single You know what it's like to be in a 0:15:10.960 --> 0:15:14.880 dugout when those guys take the mound. As a player, 0:15:15.320 --> 0:15:16.479 it's spectacular. 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:17.440 I mean, I think that. 0:15:19.080 --> 0:15:23.240 Harper talked about it in the postgame interview that you know, 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:25.920 every time Zach Wheeler takes the mound, he has a 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:28.360 chance to be something, to do something special, and they 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:32.800 when you have that feeling with five guys, four or five, 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:36.320 maybe even six guys at some point this year, that's 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:37.120 pretty special. 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:37.280 Man. 0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:39.040 There's nothing like nothing like that. 0:15:39.480 --> 0:15:42.320 Zach Wheeler pitched so well even without his best stuff 0:15:42.400 --> 0:15:44.360 last night that I got to get on the six 0:15:44.360 --> 0:15:47.000 to twenty flight out of Cincinnati instead of taking the 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:50.520 eight ten flight through Charlotte Homes. So Zach Wheeler got 0:15:50.520 --> 0:15:52.400 me home about four hours earlier last night. 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:54.000 That I thought you and me both. 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:56.400 So kudos to Zach Wheeler. 0:15:56.840 --> 0:15:58.600 Did you get me stop in the airport for any 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:00.920 of that Goal Star Chili? Got a nice goal Star 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.480 Chili right in their food court there. 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:04.520 I got there. 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:07.080 I got there just enough time to walk straight to 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:09.640 the gate and get on the planet. 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:15.960 So we're gonna see, you know, finally gonna see Taiwan 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:21.520 Walker Sunday in San Diego, San Diego, the land of 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:31.360 fish tacos there. I am of the opinion that the 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:35.960 best thing that possibly could happen to Taiwan Walker is 0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:43.000 actually Spencer Turnbull. Because if you are a competitor worth 0:16:43.160 --> 0:16:47.640 your salt, and somebody is nipping at your at your toes, 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:51.280 at your backside, pushing you for your job, trying to 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.840 take it, that should be a awesome motivator for a competitor. 0:16:57.200 --> 0:16:59.040 So we'll see, it might bring out the best of them. 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:01.080 When you're afraid for your job. Now, when you're on 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:04.199 a guaranteed contract, that adds a whole different element to it. 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:06.600 Maybe there isn't that fear for your job. But I 0:17:06.640 --> 0:17:08.879 do believe in the pride of a competitor. 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:13.960 Gentlemen, your takes well, you know, Ruben, you said this 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:15.800 I think on one of the previous shows he said, 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:17.920 I know Dave Dembrowski, and I know that he's going 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:19.080 to demand performance. 0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:20.840 So I talked with Dave the other day. 0:17:20.920 --> 0:17:22.879 Out in the dugout, and I thought he gave a 0:17:22.920 --> 0:17:26.600 really interesting quote at the end of this conversation about 0:17:26.600 --> 0:17:28.520 Turnbull and why why you're going to move him the 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:31.040 bullpen potentially They said they haven't made an announcement yet 0:17:31.240 --> 0:17:34.040 or in a decision yet, but he said, now it's 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:36.199 up to him to go out and pitch. Well, nothing 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:39.600 comes in perpetuity, right, He's earned the ability to do that, 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:41.919 but now he has to go out and perform. We 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:44.320 think he will. Now here's the thing that jumped out 0:17:44.359 --> 0:17:47.200 at me. If he doesn't, then we'll tackle it at 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:51.639 that time. Sounds like somebody you know who also is 0:17:51.680 --> 0:17:54.840 trying to maybe you know who's who understands the situation 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:58.560 and respects what ten Spencer Turnbull has done. And I'm 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:01.000 not going to read Dave dembrowsk his mind, but maybe 0:18:01.040 --> 0:18:04.560 he hopes that he sees that quote and goes, oh, okay, 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:06.240 so it's not just going to be given to me 0:18:06.280 --> 0:18:07.280 for the entire season. 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:09.280 If I don't go out and perform. Do you think 0:18:09.280 --> 0:18:10.200 that's I. 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:12.920 Mean, Ruben, have you ever thrown a message out there 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:15.280 publicly as a GM, or as a coach or as 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:16.720 a player stupidly? 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:17.359 Yes, I have. 0:18:17.560 --> 0:18:20.160 I've actually did that one time with Chase Suttley when 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:22.000 Cessa Hernandez playing really well. 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:23.880 And that was the stupidest thing I've ever did. 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:27.359 But or one of them I got that. 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:28.800 That was. 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:30.440 Yeah. 0:18:30.520 --> 0:18:31.880 I had a hair at my rear end. 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:33.959 I had a serious hair my ass that day for 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:35.040 some reason. I don't know why. 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:36.720 But cessar was playing really well. 0:18:36.720 --> 0:18:38.199 I was just whatever. 0:18:38.280 --> 0:18:38.760 Sometimes I. 0:18:40.640 --> 0:18:43.240 Blew out a hamstring, run into the press box to 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:44.840 get to my keyboard to write down. 0:18:45.040 --> 0:18:46.440 Of course you did, of course you did. 0:18:46.480 --> 0:18:48.880 And then and then I've really pissed off Chase, which 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:50.560 is the last thing I wanted to do, but I 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:51.119 did it. 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:52.240 Anyway, Oh my god. 0:18:52.840 --> 0:18:56.760 But but the reality of it is that I agree 0:18:56.760 --> 0:18:59.040 with both of what you guys said. 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:01.080 I think the time Walker is a competitor. I think 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:02.120 he's going to push him. 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:04.000 I don't think there's any. 0:19:04.000 --> 0:19:04.720 Question about it. 0:19:05.080 --> 0:19:08.680 I think he's gonna, you know, do his best to perform. 0:19:09.119 --> 0:19:11.000 I'm not sure if he has it in him because 0:19:11.000 --> 0:19:14.760 I'm not seeing it yet. But that said, especially lately 0:19:15.280 --> 0:19:17.920 in his rehabs ninety ninety one and stuff was there, 0:19:17.960 --> 0:19:21.480 but not great. Maybe the adrenaline of being in the 0:19:21.520 --> 0:19:24.320 major leagues and pitching and all that stuff that there's 0:19:24.359 --> 0:19:27.280 a real that's a real element, so hopefully it pitches well. 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:29.399 I think he's a great competitor. I think he's a 0:19:29.400 --> 0:19:31.480 great teammate. I think he does all the right things. 0:19:31.480 --> 0:19:33.080 I think he's going to do his best to try 0:19:33.119 --> 0:19:35.920 to earn his job back. 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:36.520 So to speak. 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:40.560