WEBVTT - Bye Bye, Baby 0:00:00.000 --> 0:00:02.559 Ah, this is Chase Utley and this is the Phillies Show. 0:00:18.480 --> 0:00:22.520 Hello, everybody, Welcome to The Philly Show. Ruben Tomorrow, Junior, 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:28.480 Jim Salisbury, Todd's Lucky. It's Friday, September twenty seventh, twenty 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:31.080 twenty four, brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. 0:00:31.560 --> 0:00:33.800 Jim and I Today. Jim. How we doing. 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:37.640 We're doing good, doing well, well, getting ready for that 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:42.159 final Phillies series of the season. And they keep checking 0:00:42.200 --> 0:00:44.480 off some of their goals here. 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:47.560 Yeah, yeah, they did one last night or Wednesday night. 0:00:47.600 --> 0:00:50.640 They clinched the first round by, which is something that 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:53.320 obviously they wanted to do, even though the Braves have 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:56.360 said that, oh man, that first round by was a 0:00:57.000 --> 0:01:00.040 killer for us. Are you buying the first round and 0:01:01.040 --> 0:01:01.640 buy stuff? 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:01.880 Are you? 0:01:02.120 --> 0:01:04.440 Is that? If you're a Phillies fan, should you be 0:01:04.520 --> 0:01:06.080 nervous about the first round by? 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:09.600 I think just as many teams have, you know, conquered 0:01:09.600 --> 0:01:11.760 that week off. I mean, Houston's had it a while 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:14.920 and they seem to do pretty well, you know. But 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:18.920 I do think baseball is an everyday game and you 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:22.400 need to keep your sharpness in your edge and somehow 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:27.360 don't play well it becomes a convenient excuse that, you know, 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:29.240 we lost our edge because there was a buy. But 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:31.960 I don't know if that's a perfect solution. I think 0:01:31.959 --> 0:01:34.000 you have to take it on a case by case basis. 0:01:34.080 --> 0:01:36.400 When I look at this Phillies team with a lot 0:01:36.440 --> 0:01:40.040 of stars north of thirty, a lot of stars banged up, 0:01:41.200 --> 0:01:45.200 you know, some really key starting pitchers and bullpen guys 0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:48.360 who've carried a heavy load on this particular team, I 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:50.800 think the rest is going to be valuable. 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:53.360 Yeah, I think so too. But we kind of talked 0:01:53.360 --> 0:01:55.360 about this the last time when we got together, and 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:59.440 Bryce mentioned made a point to mention that clinching the buy, 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:01.120 and they say, and then we'll see what the lineups 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:04.560 look like after that, almost saying like, yeah, I can 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:06.440 maybe use a couple of days. He didn't want to 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:08.440 name anybody else. He'said, a bunch of guys can maybe 0:02:08.520 --> 0:02:11.080 use a couple of days. Uh, those final three or 0:02:11.080 --> 0:02:14.200 four games to give them a little bit there. What's that? 0:02:14.600 --> 0:02:15.400 But they've played? 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:18.480 Oh yeah, right, Well, I think I think it sounded 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:21.120 to me like they wanted to make sure they locked 0:02:21.160 --> 0:02:23.400 up that buy. So it will be interesting to see 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:26.440 what the lineups do look like this weekend in Washington. 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:28.880 And with the bye they're going to get their rest. 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:30.240 They're going to get their rest. 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:32.720 That's also true. Yeah, that's also true. 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:37.280 Yeah, would you be gonna I think they I think 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:38.440 the rest will will do them. 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:40.359 Well, go ahead, No, I was gonna say, do you 0:02:41.639 --> 0:02:43.440 Rob basically said, I'm not going to put guys in 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:46.360 harm's way to get that number one seed. What would 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:50.880 you do? How? In other words, how important is that 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:51.920 number one seed to you? 0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:55.760 It's it's important to me, especially in the NLCS, But 0:02:55.800 --> 0:03:00.000 you've got to get there, So yeah, you have to prioritize. 0:03:00.200 --> 0:03:03.160 I think you always have to prioritize the health of 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:06.280 your players because they're the guys who ultimately will deliver 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:08.680 you where you want to go. So, you know, Wheeler 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:12.079 and Nola pitch what Saturday and Sunday. Yep, I'm just 0:03:12.240 --> 0:03:15.040 monitoring if if if if you know, if if they're 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:17.240 cruising and you're up six nothing, then yeah, I'm gonna 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:18.560 protect them and get them out of there and try 0:03:18.600 --> 0:03:22.840 to save a little bit for a few bullets. If if, if, 0:03:22.919 --> 0:03:27.000 if you go into that game, you know, basically tied 0:03:27.040 --> 0:03:29.560 with the Dodgers and or a game behind the Dodgers, 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:32.639 and you need that game, and they're they're losing or whatever. Uh, 0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:35.320 and and you're not and you're not stressing. These pitchers 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:38.160 are not stressing physically, then they might ride them a 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:41.600 little bit. So you know, it's kind of read and 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:44.640 react as the game goes along. As the game goes along. 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:46.960 But if I think they're in peril, if I think 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:51.280 putting their their health and jeopardy or their performance over 0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:54.000 the next week, two weeks, three weeks, and you know, 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:57.040 hopefully a month, uh in peril, then I'm getting him 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:58.760 out of there. I don't think the home field it 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:01.640 would be nice to have, really nice to have, but 0:04:01.720 --> 0:04:04.520 it is not the be all and end all. And 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:08.400 we saw that in eight No. Nine when the Phillies 0:04:08.520 --> 0:04:10.920 danced off the field in Dodger Stadium. This team can 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:12.400 win anywhere if it plays well. 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:14.800 Agree one hundred percent. Now here's a dumb This might 0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:17.560 be a dumb question for you. But Saturday is Wheelers start, 0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:20.520 and I was looking at his numbers because everybody's talking 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:23.400 about cy Young. He's at an one hundred and ninety 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:25.359 three and two thirds innings, so he's got to go 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:27.400 six and a third to hit two hundred, and I 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:29.960 know everybody's gonna say, who cares. I think that's a 0:04:30.040 --> 0:04:33.679 number that means something to Zach. So if say he's 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:35.840 pitching well, but the pitch count, I'm not saying he's 0:04:35.880 --> 0:04:38.480 getting in a danger zone area. Would you push him 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:40.200 to six and the third just to get him two 0:04:40.279 --> 0:04:42.080 hundred innings if you're Rob Thompson, or do you go 0:04:42.120 --> 0:04:44.360 I'm sorry, buddy, I know you want to get there. 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:47.880 And maybe maybe Zach would say, I don't, I really 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:50.400 don't care. But two hundred innings. I think there's only 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:52.320 been like one guy this year that that gets over 0:04:52.360 --> 0:04:52.839 that number. 0:04:53.160 --> 0:04:57.760 It all depends on the stress that he has pitched 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:02.640 to that day, how stressful the inning are right inning one, two, three, 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:05.400 four or five six. It depends if he's sailing and 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:08.560 he's cruising, you know, yeah why not, because he's not 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:10.240 going to put him in jeopardy because I need to, 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:13.240 you know, I need to jump on his back in October. 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:16.359 Yeah, he So he's not gonna if he's assuming he 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:18.919 starts gaming one of the nl ds, that would be 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:22.599 a week from Saturdays, have a whole week yeah, rest, 0:05:22.680 --> 0:05:25.880 So I don't know something that it jumped in my 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:27.880 head when popped in my head when I was looking 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:30.080 at looking at his season stats, and like, does he 0:05:30.120 --> 0:05:33.360 actually have a chance to beat Chris Sale? Interesting as close? 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:36.080 I think you're one hundred percent right though. I'm sure 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.119 two hundred innings means a lot to him because he's 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:42.120 got that old school mentality, you know, finish for you 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:48.000 start innings mean something, so you know, and you have 0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:49.359 to weigh in the fact that he's going to have 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:53.960 five days off. I just can't go in with a script. 0:05:54.080 --> 0:05:56.920 I need to see how that day unfolds, how he looks, 0:05:57.279 --> 0:06:00.240 how the ball's coming out of his hands, what what 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:05.080 the opposing team swings look like. The stress of his innings, 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:09.680 the stress of his pitches is he is it, you know, 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:12.960 high stress or kind of is it just smooth sailing? 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:15.400 All that is going to go into it. And I'm 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:17.680 also gonna talk to him between innings, so we'll see what, 0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:19.200 you know, We'll see how they how they do. 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:21.960 We're talking about the Phillies getting a week off. You 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:23.400 know who's not gonna get the week off is the 0:06:23.400 --> 0:06:26.360 Braves Mets. They get that came raigned out last night, 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:29.320 so now they have to they're gonna play they They're 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:31.720 probably gonna play a double header on Monday with Game 0:06:31.800 --> 0:06:35.159 one of the NL Wildcard Series on Tuesday. That's a 0:06:35.200 --> 0:06:36.040 wild situation. 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:41.240 And the Braves have a tough final series against you know, 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:44.880 Kansas City that needs every win it can get. Now 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:46.839 the Braves have to I'm sorry, the Mets have to 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:49.680 go to Milwaukee, and they got to cut out everything 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:53.600 they can cut out. It's uh, it's amazing how many 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:56.000 times we've seen this over the years. You know, we 0:06:56.040 --> 0:07:00.240 always talk about April weather, but September weather impacted so 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:03.680 many things over the years. You know, I remember hurricanes. 0:07:03.839 --> 0:07:05.920 I remember a hurricane at the VET. They moved the 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:09.720 time up once. That was chilling, going for three hundred 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:14.920 strikeouts down in Miami and dodging a hurricane. And you know, 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:17.400 it's crazy, September weather can because all of a sudden, 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:19.000 Now it impacts what happens. 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:21.320 In the playoffs totally. Maybe a couple of years ago, 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:23.520 remember that in DC there was like well then they 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:26.160 had like four or five games. It was some weird In. 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:29.320 Twenty twenty two, there was so much marine and every 0:07:29.840 --> 0:07:31.360 played two doubleheaders, right. 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.000 Every weather experts like they're not playing a single game. 0:07:34.000 --> 0:07:35.080 They got all those games. 0:07:35.520 --> 0:07:38.200 It's unbelievable how much Right there was a hurricane. 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:42.360 Remember Ian, Yeah, they and everybody said there's no chance 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:44.480 they play these games or there's gonna be a massively. 0:07:44.600 --> 0:07:47.760 They somehow got every single game in. It was amazing. 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:50.360 And then they got to Houston, in Clinchton, Houston. 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:54.800 I'll tell you what New York is buzzing about. The Mets. Yeah, 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:58.640 And you know I love stories of teams and players 0:07:58.640 --> 0:08:01.000 that finished strong, like Nick Cassis. He has a big 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:04.280 night on U on Wednesday. He has really turned it on. 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:07.760 Since the middle of May. The Houston Astros were left 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:09.360 for dead. They have really turned it on. The New 0:08:09.440 --> 0:08:11.400 York Mets were left for dead. They have really turned on. 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:13.360 Both teams. Were are they going to sell? Are they 0:08:13.400 --> 0:08:13.920 going to sell? 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:14.560 No? 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:17.320 There were you know ones in and ones ones right there. 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:19.960 But New York is really buzzing. I before I went 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:22.040 to bed last night, I flipped on the radio as 0:08:22.080 --> 0:08:26.000 I occasionally do, and uh, in Philadelphia it was Eagles. 0:08:26.280 --> 0:08:27.920 That was all they were talking about was Eagles. So 0:08:27.960 --> 0:08:30.000 I flipped up the dial to the New York station. 0:08:30.440 --> 0:08:32.840 All they were talking about was baseball Yankees. 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:33.040 And the Mets. 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:36.240 Really yeah, yeah, it's uh so, you know, and part 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:37.760 of it was because you know, the Mets have been 0:08:37.760 --> 0:08:40.760 hot and now they're now they're facing this rain situation 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:43.679 in Atlanta. What's that going to do to them? But 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:48.280 you know, I still think, my god, you know, it 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:50.360 would be unthinkable back in the back in the day 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:55.320 because you know, back only the division winners went to 0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:58.439 the playoffs. But can you imagine a Mets Phillies playoffs series? 0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:00.640 If that would be so cool, that would be cool. 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:03.560 It would be a nightmare logistically for us to cover, 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:05.160 just because there'd be so many, you know, it's a 0:09:05.200 --> 0:09:07.559 bit the crush of people, but it would be a 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:09.920 lot of fun. If you're a baseball fan, which which 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:12.720 we are, that would be a great series. Two teams 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:14.200 they hate each other. 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:18.960 Yes, speaking of being a baseball fan, I uh, watching 0:09:19.080 --> 0:09:22.160 some of these highlights of them close the Coliseum in 0:09:22.200 --> 0:09:26.199 Oakland is kind of sad, kind of sad. I mean that, 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:28.839 you know, when I was just coming of age as 0:09:28.840 --> 0:09:32.760 a baseball fan as a kid, was when the A's 0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:36.000 would winning those three World Series. And I can still 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:39.760 see highlights in my mind of Gene tennis, hitting a 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:41.600 bunch of home runs in the World Series and then 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:45.480 bouncing up that staircase and left field at the Coliseum, 0:09:46.040 --> 0:09:48.240 and then you know the team. I grew up watching 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:50.360 the seventy five Red Sox school in there and end 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:54.040 there the as you know, dynasty, the three straight World Series, 0:09:54.080 --> 0:09:57.959 and then as a as a sports writer, as a 0:09:58.000 --> 0:10:01.400 baseball writer, working at the fill off your inquire. Actually 0:10:01.480 --> 0:10:05.640 remember the famous game where where Jeter made that great 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:08.480 play and cut down and cut down Jeremy Giambi at 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:10.120 the plate. I actually covered. I was at that game. 0:10:10.240 --> 0:10:12.320 Oh really, yes, sir. 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:16.720 And it's kind of sad seeing that place closed and 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:21.199 the fans be disappointed, but yeah, the world changes. 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:25.400 Yeah, it's Ricky Henderson's daughter throughout the first pitch of 0:10:25.440 --> 0:10:27.520 the game the other day, and that's that's where it 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:29.040 kind of hit me. He's like, gosh, man, I think 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:31.040 Ricky Henderson. I know he played for the Yankees and 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:32.960 a bunch of other teams, but for me, he's Oakland, 0:10:33.000 --> 0:10:35.760 A's all the way kid coming up. I think he, 0:10:36.480 --> 0:10:39.480 you know, just running wild against my hometown Brewers. 0:10:40.480 --> 0:10:45.199 Yeah, and you know that stadium, there was a kid 0:10:45.240 --> 0:10:49.880 we both know who actually pitched a high school championship 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:52.920 game or got the save. He played shortstop, then he 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:57.480 came in and got the save in a big championship 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:03.120 playoff qualifier Inland, California, in uh prep, you know, high 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:07.240 school baseball. And he actually threw ninety four miles an 0:11:07.280 --> 0:11:09.160 hour according to his high school coach who told me 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.520 the story. And that kid's name was Jimmy Rollins. So 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:15.480 that's right, you know, that's right. Now. I think about 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:19.080 all those things when I see that that building gets 0:11:19.080 --> 0:11:21.520 set to close, and of course they started right here 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:24.040 in Philadelphia. Now they're going to be moving for a 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:24.800 fourth time. 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:28.360 Yeah, that's crazy. So Jim, let's let's let's break out 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:36.960 some of them's fighting words. His Fighting Words is presented 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:40.920 by Shibe Vintage Sports. Get unique throwback Phillies, teas hats, 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:44.360 and sweatshirts from local artists at their shops in Center City, 0:11:44.400 --> 0:11:47.959 Wayne and Westchester, and of course you can always buy 0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:53.640 it online at Shibe sports dot com. Postseasons around the corner, 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:59.439 everybody needs their fresh fresh Phillies gear. Jim them fighting 0:11:59.440 --> 0:12:02.840 words to me. One thing popped out, sure popped out 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:07.000 to you too, which is Rob Thompson on what night 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:10.640 did they clinch? Tuesday night, Monday night, Monday nightday night 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:13.880 they clinched and Rob Thompson gives a speech. He brings 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.840 in John Middleton and he drops, I want my bleeping 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:20.439 trophy back. He's been saying for a long time. Maybe 0:12:20.480 --> 0:12:23.679 this is finally the year they're set up for it. 0:12:24.520 --> 0:12:27.280 Yeah, the history of that remark was they win in 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:29.360 Oh Wait, and then they get back to the World 0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:32.360 Series and they lose to the Yankees and Yankee Stadium 0:12:32.880 --> 0:12:35.120 and he said that I think Ryan Howard in the 0:12:35.120 --> 0:12:41.679 clubhouse after that loss, and it's become this mantra. You know, 0:12:43.520 --> 0:12:47.600 it's become something you know, we all say and he 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.440 jokes about, but deep down inside, John Middleton means that 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:53.160 he wants his bleeping trophy back. And you know, he's 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:56.200 an owner who backs up his words. If I'm a fan, 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.040 he's the type of owner I want owning all my 0:13:00.160 --> 0:13:02.959 teams because he's gonna he wants to win and he's 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:05.120 going to throw out the resources to back it up 0:13:05.160 --> 0:13:08.360 and try to make it happen. So, yeah, after they clinched, 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:10.720 you know, in the history of it, we know the 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:15.600 history going back to two thousand and nine and everybody knows. 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:18.920 Even Gabe Kaplan mentioned it in his introductory press conference 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:22.920 years ago. And then when they had the introductory meeting 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:26.720 in clear Water in February this you know, this spring training, 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:31.720 John Middleton addressed the team and he, you know, made 0:13:31.760 --> 0:13:34.200 mention of the famous quote and he wants to sleep 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:37.720 the trophy back. And then before they popped champagne corks 0:13:37.760 --> 0:13:41.160 on Monday night, Ub Thompson brought John Middleton to the 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:45.200 middle of the room and and said, John, we're gonna 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:47.960 get it for you. So a lot of confidence, and 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:49.920 they should be confident. They've got a hell of a team. 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:52.520 I think they might have the best team entering the 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:55.600 postseason tournament. But it's about the team that plays the best. 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:58.760 And there are a lot of aspects of the game 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:01.800 that they need to shine and darting, pitching, bullpen, defense, 0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:05.720 base running, offense. They need to be consistent on offense, 0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:08.120 avoid some of the some of the things that give 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:09.600 him a lot of problems. We know what that is, 0:14:09.720 --> 0:14:11.599 chase and swing and miss. And they just need to 0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:16.600 be consistent offensively, defensively, get the starting pitching, get the bullpen. 0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:20.560 It's about the team that plays the best. And if 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:23.320 they play the best, then they'll get his bleeping trophy 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:24.400 back exactly. 0:14:24.520 --> 0:14:26.320 Well, he said this a couple of times now with 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:31.120 the last year, and I love it. He's like, nobody 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:34.720 really talks about owners who you know, made the most 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:37.160 money during their tenure. He's like, you know, nobody talks 0:14:37.160 --> 0:14:39.400 about how much money do the Yankees make in the 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:42.600 twenties and the sixties or whenever they had their runs. 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:46.200 You know, he wants to be remembered as a guy 0:14:46.200 --> 0:14:49.280 who brought some World Series Championship trophies to the Phillies 0:14:49.640 --> 0:14:53.520 because people will very fondly remember him for that many 0:14:53.560 --> 0:14:57.720 decades from now. Jim, we got some We asked for 0:14:57.800 --> 0:15:00.680 some listener questions, viewer questions, So let's rat off a few. 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.120 Let's start with this one. Everybody, it got a bunch 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:07.160 of these because it's always on the always on mind. 0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:10.520 This is from thirty Ballparks on Instagram. What does the 0:15:10.520 --> 0:15:14.680 future hold for Taiwan Walker in Philadelphia? J? T. Nason 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.240 on Instagram also asked why would Rob Thompson but Tywan 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:22.280 Walker in with the bases loaded and two outs? He 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:26.000 put him in the bases loaded in that second inning 0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:30.280 on Wednesday, Tuesday, basically because he said he needs to 0:15:30.320 --> 0:15:32.200 find out if this guy can come into a dirty 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:34.560 inning and get the job done, and he showed he 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:36.800 could not get the job and did not get the 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:39.040 job done. He walked the first two batters he based, 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:41.960 both of them were eight pitch at bats. And I 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.240 think that that I mean, I don't see how you 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:49.280 can put him on the postseason roster. I asked Rob 0:15:49.320 --> 0:15:52.040 after that game on Tuesday, that last bullpen spot. So 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:55.720 if they the Phillies carry a twelve man pitching staff, 0:15:56.360 --> 0:15:58.800 four starters, eight relievers, it would give him an extra 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:02.000 bench guy. Does he feel that he needs to have 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:05.400 that eighth bullpen guy, that last bullpen guy? Does he 0:16:05.520 --> 0:16:09.680 need him to be somebody who if the game goes 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:13.520 extra innings? Now, remember the current extra inning rules are 0:16:13.520 --> 0:16:15.680 not in play in the postseason, so you don't have 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:18.440 the automatic runner, so you could theoretically have an eighteen 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:21.840 inning game. Asked him if he feels like he needs 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.440 somebody that can go four or five six innings in 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:27.880 an emergency situation. He says he doesn't feel that they 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:29.840 need that, that they have enough guys in there that 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:33.160 can go multiple innings, and whoever that eighth man could 0:16:33.200 --> 0:16:35.560 be is going to be somebody that can go multiple innings. 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:38.240 So I don't think Taiwan is going to be on 0:16:38.280 --> 0:16:40.200 the postseason roster. I don't know how you could put 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:42.760 him on the postseason roster. I don't know who that 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:46.120 last guy is going to be, Colby Allard, it could 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:49.720 be Spencer Turnabull. He's gonna throw on Friday, And talking 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:52.600 to a couple people the other day at the ballpark, 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:55.040 they don't think it's a pipe dream or anything like 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:57.160 that that he could be back in the postseason and 0:16:57.240 --> 0:16:58.880 right now, I mean, wouldn't you roll the dice on 0:16:59.360 --> 0:17:02.280 Spencer term if they feel that he's healthy. I would 0:17:02.320 --> 0:17:05.160 probably roll the dice on Spencer Turnbull if they feel 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:05.840 that he's healthy. 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:11.920 Yeah, it depends how he looks Friday, but yeah. 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:13.440 Right, if he looks good and if he's healthy, you know, Yeah. 0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:18.960 It's just the Taiwan thing hasn't worked. It just hasn't worked. 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:22.960 And I think you did a great job answering uh 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:25.800 part of that question about what do you do now 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:30.679 postseason roster? You know, if you're going to carry him 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:33.639 as a mop up man, he's going to come in 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:35.520 with the team down. He's just going to try to 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:38.040 get you to the end of the game, right, Right, 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:39.960 I don't know that you're going to bring him into 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:45.080 a tie game and extra innings because he's pitching. It 0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:47.400 ain't going to be tied much longer. 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:48.320 Right. 0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:52.920 And as far as the long term, I've been saying 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:55.200 this for a while. It's just for me, it'd be 0:17:55.240 --> 0:17:59.160 tough to bring him back. I just think it's been 0:17:59.200 --> 0:18:03.000 such a difficult year. I don't think he inspires the 0:18:03.040 --> 0:18:06.800 confidence of his teammates, you know, where he is in 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:10.119 his career. I just I have a hard time seeing 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:13.119 it come back. It might you know, maybe he camps 0:18:13.160 --> 0:18:16.600 out in Seattle at drive Line in the offseason and 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:20.399 get something going, you know, I don't know, Maybe you 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:25.720 can eat seventeen million. He's owned eighteen and eighteen. Maybe 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:27.639 he can eat seventeen and seventeen and move him to 0:18:27.680 --> 0:18:30.280 a team where he gets a fresh start. I just 0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:33.080 think bringing him in it becomes sort of a distraction 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:36.560 because you know, every bullpen session you know, is going 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:41.120 to be scrutinized. Every outing in the grave foot League 0:18:41.200 --> 0:18:43.960 is going to be scrutinized, and poor outing is going 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:47.000 to raise all these old questions again, it becomes a distraction. 0:18:47.440 --> 0:18:51.040 It's kind of like, you know what we're seeing right 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:55.800 now with the Eagles. You know, they know it's kind 0:18:55.800 --> 0:19:01.199 of obvious that the team pondered a coaching change in 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:03.840 the offseason right after their season ended. Last year, they 0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:06.960 did not make a coaching change. Well, all of a sudden, 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:09.840 now the biggest issue surrounding this team is the head 0:19:09.840 --> 0:19:13.439 coach and is he calling the plays? Is he not 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:16.240 calling the plays? Is he in charge? Is he not 0:19:16.320 --> 0:19:24.239 in charge? It never goes away. So and given what 0:19:24.280 --> 0:19:30.359 you've gotten from Taiwan Walker, I just I think and 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:32.399 where you might be going and what you might be 0:19:32.440 --> 0:19:35.880 getting from in the future, knowing the way these things go, 0:19:37.520 --> 0:19:39.520 and kind of projecting what you think you might get 0:19:39.560 --> 0:19:42.560 from him in terms of on the mound contributions, it's 0:19:42.560 --> 0:19:45.119 hard for me to see them getting a positive contribution. 0:19:45.960 --> 0:19:48.680 I think they have to strongly consider eating the contract 0:19:49.040 --> 0:19:52.359 and letting them go. And you know, he's been a 0:19:52.400 --> 0:19:55.720 good guy and a good teammate. But I just think 0:19:56.480 --> 0:19:59.760 it's a tough game, and sometimes you're gonna make tough 0:19:59.760 --> 0:20:02.000 to see and I'm not even sure this decision is 0:20:02.000 --> 0:20:03.879 that tough but you know, we'll say and. 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:07.000 Then now there's it hasn't happened a lot, but now 0:20:07.040 --> 0:20:10.919 there is some precedent of some teams eating big contracts 0:20:10.960 --> 0:20:13.560 like that. I mean it would be up there for sure. 0:20:13.640 --> 0:20:17.760 Pablo Sandoval, Madison Bumgardner, there's a couple other guys whose 0:20:17.920 --> 0:20:21.080 contracts were massive, and that team's just dfad him and said, 0:20:21.080 --> 0:20:22.560 you know what, we're not going to get anything out 0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:24.600 of this. And I feel like if we just talked 0:20:24.640 --> 0:20:26.800 about John Middleton, if there's an owner out there who's 0:20:26.840 --> 0:20:31.880 going to go this offseason, and like if Dave Dombrowski says, 0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:34.080 I think we can sign this guy and this guy 0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:36.960 for starting pitching depth, maybe until Andrew Painter is ready 0:20:37.040 --> 0:20:39.680 or whatever. But we got to get rid of Taiwan 0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:42.920 to do it, to get these guys to sign, you know, 0:20:42.960 --> 0:20:44.800 because they don't want to look at competition, whatever the 0:20:44.840 --> 0:20:49.120