Minor League Prospects and Future Outlook

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I think you're a little more positive than I am, but you cannot deny whatever you wanna, whatever tweets you want to put out after the series that was an annoying series of baseball this weekend man that was not a super fun weekend of baseball no no it was not no no it was actually it was actually pretty gross. I mean it it was a beautiful weekend. Yeah, very springy. And I tell you what, they really they really mucked it up. They really mucked it up. Yesterday was a just disaster class of of uh baseball like how to how to lose a baseball game one on one. Like there back in the day, but back when I was growing up, James, you know, you you could turn on a Phillies game and every coach would say, You see the way J-Roll plays shortstop. You know, they would say, You see the way Utley plays the game, model yourself after those guys. And then these these guys. I don't know. Don't don't model yourself after them. Don't do it. The the funniest part about Bryce is that it's clear, because he's been the best player his entire life. No one ever really taught him. Nope. Nope. No one ever said, hey, moron, stop doing that. You're the worst base runner on the team, big dog. Like, yes, Alec Bohm is slower than you. He is worse because he is slow. You are the worst base runner on the team. He might be the worst Phillies baseman I remember in my lifetime in terms of just pure decision making. Like take ability and speed out of the equation. Just should I go or not? I think he's the worst I've ever seen in Phillies uniform, Jack. It's crazy. Yeah, I mean he now at the same time, usually when it starts getting cocky on the base pass, he's feeling pretty good at the plates. Yeah, good, good. I'm happy he's hitting the ball well, but I talk to him. Rob Thompson and Rob after game is like did you talk to him? He knows. He knows. He knows this is the eight thousandth time this happened in Philly's uniform. Like, clearly he doesn't know, Rob. Like, I'm sorry, dude. I I just it's uh look, it's not the end of the world. It's not like the biggest deal, but it's it's freaking annoying, man. And it's and in fact it keeps happening year after year after year after year, and it's just like, oh, well, he did it again. There we go. Now they're out. Thanks to breaking an idiot on the base base. Now the one on the one on third base wasn't his fault. No, no, no, no. I'm I'm just talking about going to say I that one and the Marsh one are the ones where I'm like , what are we doing, guys? Well, what are we doing? So the Marsh one was bad, uh, but I I was more I was more annoyed at a dolies. Like, what do you what are you swinging three one like that for? Well yeah, that too. That was not great. Yes. Yeah. Just just piss poor situational baseball. But like they're a whole I mean they've always been a horrible situation. They are baseball teams. The problem is they're not good enough. Like uh uh regular season regular season. Oh, yeah. They're not good enough to do and we saw it last playoffs. Like they can't make these kinds of mistakes. They don't score enough runs, they don't have enough power, like they're gonna play close games in the playoffs. Like most of the games will be closed games, and these are where you lose those games, you know. Do you think in the in a million years this this specific baseball team could execute the wheel play the Dodgers play well? Oh my god, no, there's a zero percent chance. Yeah, no, just a a zero percent chance. It's it was shot and just some brutal statut bath and some big spots. He can't like yeah. Why is he still there? Why is he still there? It's so crazy. Like you made the change, you moved Marsh to four. Why is thod still there? It made no sense. It was crazy. To stack the lefties, I guess, but oh my goodness, he should put another Crawford there. Like what are you like ? Yes, exactly. Like, what are we doing? Put Crawford there. Yeah. So uh it was an unbelievably annoying weekend of baseball . But yeah, here, so here, yeah, so you might not have seen it, but Jack got a real a real uplifting optimistic tweet about why it was it's actually a good weekend for the Phillies, not a bad weekend. You should be positive about the Phillies after that weekend. Never say it's weekend . Never say it was a good weekend. Never said it was a good weekend acknowledged acknowledged the losses but but not every loss is created equal and they pretty much sweat the diamondbacks theyy they did. I mean that's I I would say that'd be the pod title, but people might get really mad if that's a pod title. I don't care. They run talker they pretty much Well and uh listen. You might even say the diamonds ain't closer to to shoot them, but you know, good. Well, on this side, on this side, the Phillies basically swept them on your side, the Phillies basically got swept. Yes. But uh listen, the Lazardo blew a four-nothing lead the and and I know they only scored in one inning a game, which is so baseball. It actually, you know, it's one of those things where it's like, why do you have to be so baseball, baseball? Like them going on this streak of only scoring runs in one inning or just none at all. It's it's either all in one or zilch, which is impressive. Um and annoying. It's annoying. It's not fun to watch. Like I don't like it. It's not fun. But the moments where they all score the one inning is fun, right? That's fun. Can they tell me what inning it's gonna be in advance and I could skip them batting the other ? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So listen, the um like he Lozardo so Lazardo might just be more volatile this year than he was last year. He'll have his like peaks, which are still really, really high. The Rocky start was an example of that. But uh, you know, he's gonna have these starts where all of a sudden it's just gonna stop. And and last year it that didn't really happen. Like he had the two starts, we allowed 20 runs, and then what was it? The um the Red Sox start in the middle of the summer where he was cruised. I think he retired the first 11, and then all of a sudden it kind of fell apart. Uh the Mets start, it fell fell apart early in the game and then he retired like 22 straight. Like maybe there's just going to be a more regression to who Jesus Cesardo was before he came here, where like this is what happened in Miami sometimes where he'd be disgusting for four and then all of a sudden it would just like fall apart in the fifth. Maybe that maybe we're gonna get more of that this year, but I still like ambullish on Jesus Cesaro. Blowing enough four nothing lead was annoying. Not scoring for the rest of the game was annoying. Although Harper almost went yard and Adoles almost went yard so that could have changed the entire game. Saturday Saturday Saturday, yeah, yeah they won Saturday. I'm surprised you didn't even mention the Crawford ball off the wall that could thank you. Thank you. I would have been the first one I mentioned, but you know. Well, unfortunately, like I had to the to say multiple times, I am disgustingly locked in on everything hard for us because now I feel like his number one protector. Yeah, you are yes, yeah. But you had to get the guns out and protect. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Like for most of a baseball season, I can kind of just like there's like a malaise in a way where you get into the rhythm of the season. But painter, absurd ly locked in on. Uh and and Bryce Harper at bats, absurdly locked in on. So Harper must go to the yard, Adolis almost goes yard, Cropper almost goes, eh, it's a different ballgame. This week those are home runs in eighty degree weather. So that's basically a win. Point one for Jack. Game two. Game two, they actually did win. And Keller, I don't know why all of a sudden in the middle of the inning just decided to stop. Just both Keller and Bolin. Let's just have a message for you two. Throw your freaking fastballs up in the zone. And like don't mess with you can mess with the other pitches with two strikes and you want to be cute. Like enough with trying to be cute. You got 98 in the back pocket. He's elite fastballs. Blow it past, guys. So they won Saturday, one, two, three, nine for Dur an, never a doubt. And then yesterday, they pretty much won that game. I mean, they had they had bases low they had runners of first and third with no outs twice in the sixth and eighth inning. Like they they messed up. They messed up. But I leave this weekend feeling more positive about the team. Maybe because Harper and Schwarber and Turner had the home run yesterday. And man, it seems like every time Crawford's up, something good happens. I I love that kid. So the middle of the lineup is gonna give us anxiety and and hopefully Marsh can keep it up. But oh my goodness. You mean the majority of the lineup is Oh , six, seven, eight. That's that's three batters. It's three. Well, don't get a bad week. And I get it. I get it. I understand it. I get it. But overall , I believe the weekend failed pretty good. Yeah. Okay, good. Good. I'm happy you do. And look, I get I do think I do think the the the one part of your tweet I do agree with I do think that they are gonna settle in and they're I uh at no point with my concern with this team do I think they're gonna be a a a bad team. Like, I think they can win 95 games. I think they can win 87 games. Like, I think they're somewhere in that range, depending on injuries and all these things that happen. But man, it's hard to watch this team and not feel it, man. Like and I know we do. And it's not like it's not like the wake me up in October thing. It's not that specific thing. It's more of a of uh watching them with concern, knowing that these things are going to matter. Like not being able to just look past the holes in the lineup. Like the reason they score in one inning all the time is because they've got automatic outs for multiple innings at a time. It's just like, all right, well, I could settle in and just knock these out, no problem. Couple innings, get a couple couple easy innings coming for me, man. Like I just you we always talk about putting pressure on a pitcher, on a defense, on you know, making it not easy for those guys, especially in the playoffs when it's like every pitch matters and there's that much more intensity on the pitcher. Like, don't make it easy for the guy. Don't give them like stretches of time where they can just settle back and be like, all right, I can gotta take it easy now. And this Phillies team feels like that, like they feel so like just for stretches of time just uh like the worst team in the sport for stretches of time and then they'll get a little hot and they'll have an inning and then it's like all right let's let's hang on for dear life. and And then, you know, and we'll get to the the other cause because the bullpen I do want to talk a little bit more about. Go ahead. But just as a whole, the way they play and it's a it is ridiculous how on brand it is. But I do think that it is more concerning because like you it puts way more pressure on those three guys, like you talk about. They had a good weekend, but yeah, yeah, you know, they need they need Kyle Schwer at 50 homers again. They need Bryce to get back to 35. Like they they need this, not in a in a way like it'd be nice, in a way like they need it to happen to be great. Yeah, I guess it was a good it was a good weekend for one of the things that I push back the most on that I hear is the stars have to be the stars. Well, the stars were pretty much stars and they lost two or three this weekend. Yeah. Not that it's the biggest sample size. I get it. My my main point is that the stars have to be the stars, sure. They can't be zeros at the plate, but we also know that they're gonna fail seven out of ten times, and if they succeed three out of ten times, they're having a great series. So it's it's it's imperative that all the other guys have little moments . Like I mean, boom. So boom. On one hand, it's like, is he crumbling under the pressure of the of the contract here? We have no idea how much the parent stuff is affect ing him. I which which is an important thing to bring up. I'm happy, bro. I keep you kind of keep forgetting about it because if we've you know had this bone for so long and you kind of just watch him and get frustrated re-frustrated, but it you know, outside of the baseball part, it is an important perspective to remember like he's going through something horrible. I can't imagine your parents like screwing you over like that, not being able to trust your parents in that situation, like fundamentally that, it's got to raise a lot of questions , you know, psychologically. So I I get it, but it is it is tough to watch this guy play baseball, man. Oh, excruciating. And he's starting to get really, he's getting real close, real close. Now defense looking pretty good. Looking pretty good. But like we always said, we knew we could pick it. It's just can you hit? And I I do wonder if Rob Thompson, you know, again, did bench him in a playoff game uh for more energy. I mean, Bome is hitting one forty-eight right now. One forty-eight. So I think he has what two extra base hits and one was the home run and open day. One was on opening day, yeah, exactly. And the other was that little slappy double down the line against the Giants. Yeah, the little squibbler that kind of you know did that little spin move out. Yeah, it's like the yeah, yeah. Yeah. I mean, by the way, Sosa could also be playing second. Honestly, you know what I think of when I see those hits and this is there are people listening you know from might even forget that you said but that that was such a pitcher hit like I feel like always you see pitchers just kind of tap it down there and it would squib out down the line like that. Like it was such a pitcher hit. I think it was a Halliday hit. It's exactly right. Yep. Whenever he got a hit, it was like that. So so yeah, I mean, again, like I Crawford, I think, should be moved up. I know there's a yearning to to put him in the leadoff spot. And I it's it's I'm fighting my my new school mindset versus like the old school. Just put him up there. Yeah, classic lead-off hitter baby. Classic. Puts him out on the ball. He's fast. Let's go. Yeah. I mean good things happen when when he when he hits the ball. It's I I love Justin Crawford. Me too. I would he's been one of the the real bright spots of the start of the season. Yeah. So again, I would rather bat Schwarber first if we're if Turner's going to struggle from that spot. I would put Schwarber back up there and like, you know, I would I would I would put Crawford. I would at least start him at seven and let him continue to work. Hopefully work his way up from there. But like at the same time , I don't care. If you put him at the lead offs part, I know that's how it's like sure. I'd rather him bad the lead off than nine, like at this point. Oh yeah, yeah. Well, I mean it's just like I want to see more of him. He makes good things happen. He seems clutch. He puts the bat on the baseball. If you want to put him in the leadoff spot, and like again, I wouldn't do it, but like if you put him in the lead-off spot, put Trey two so you can break up the lefties because you can put Stot 9 then it, be'd Stot, Crawford, Schwarber, Harper. That's not gonna happen. So you can go Harper, Schwarber, you have Schwarber protecting Harper. Yeah, you would go Harper 3 and Schwarber 4. That's not I mean, like, I mean it's it's not bad. Yeah, so like I wouldn't do it, but if they do it and they feel like it's gonna generate a spark and he can be the energy at the top of the lineup, who cares? Like ultimately I just want the Phillies to win games. I don't need the to die on my my Crawford should not be a leadoff hit or take. Like, I want the Phillies to win. So, you know, but it but really again, we've talked about this on this podcast, but like Adoles is such a swing guy because he can be a guy who can help lengthen out the lineup, can add some thump in the middle of it, but he had a brutal weekend. And it looks like pitchers are just starting to jam him in because he's I think he's trying to consciously see the ball travel and go the opposite way with it. Maybe that's part of his, you know, part of the new swing. But at the same time, I mean, he's getting busted in. I mean, just just they're getting right in on the hands and it's generating a ton of soft contact. So it's it's on him to kind of adjust back. And the with the problem is when they're missing out over the plate he's not making him pay. I mean there was a couple times over the weekend where he was this close to hitting it 700 feet it looked like but he just missed it. So um but he's really really important. They can survive they can survive uh Bohm going through what he's going through if he can hopefully figure it out. Stott to his credit, I thought he did smoke some balls this weekend, at least finally, it wasn't as limpy as it's been, but you know, he still had a bad start to the year and JT. I'm just not expecting anything. So they can survive. Vidolis can can do it. If he can't do it, which it seems like he's gonna be in the four spot tonight, uh, it gets it gets just super, super dire. Though the middle of the lineup is something that I cannot in good faith sit here and say I expect to get better. Yeah, I don't know how it does. Again, uh, you know, maybe at the trade deadline and they they add someone, I think that's honestly the the best way to improve the lineup you know is to go there come on down yeah absolutely i mean in a second i'd take a guy like that i mean the dh thing is uh the issue but you know he has played outfield this year yeah yeah no he he can he could stick him in in right field and hope for the best, you know, stick him in left, hope for the best. But left, yeah. Yeah, left used to be right, but yeah, probably not right anymore. Um I look, he's a DH. DH. But I uh yeah, I I just it's it's a frustrating lineup to watch. And and I agree with your point. Like it it is both things are true. Like, yes, the top three have to be good, of course, but they can still be good and if the other guys aren't hitting, it's not gonna matter. So I think my biggest concern with the offense right now is is the one inning of it all, and just what it what it says about the offense is that no matter what they do, no matter what they try, they're just not a an offense that can consistently put pressure on a defense inning after inning. You know, they they they really have to wait for those spots and and get those big moments and it's that's concerning. That is a concern. And the other thing, and I felt this way last year as well, but I feel like every base hit or every walk they get is a two out . And and it's it's so hard to create rallies when it's just two outs. Now they had a couple times yesterday where it was first and third and no outs, and that was great. That was great. But uh yeah, I just ye the reason why they score seemingly it only won inning is because it's usually a home run. And most of their base runners, I feel like like eighty percent of them, happen with with two outs. And it's just with pitchers the way that they are today, with where it it's it's just harder and harder to string together , you know, base hits and and back to back to back. It's just it's hard to do that. So um yeah, I mean the one and anything I do expect to to write itself out. I don't think this is gonna be a yeah, it's not gonna be all And if they don't we'll wait till the next time around hey maybe that's a case maybe that's a case for keep keeping crawford nine is at least he's getting on base before the the big guys yeah yeah i yeah there you go we we figured out one question about tower before we talk about the bullpen. Um I mentioned it before with the Harper thing . Do you think Topper needs to have a conversation or should? Do you think Topper should be handling this differently? Because we know Topper's a player's manager and, we've been pretty fine with kind of how he handles the team and all that, but it does seem like there are situations and have been situations over the years where you know you could use or potentially use a talking to or a situation where you go to do you think topper is a little easy on these guys in these spots? Bryce, the example of like keeps has done this the entire time he's been here and it seems like Topper just has never ever once done anything about it. He's just been like, oh he knows. Like I Yeah, I know, see something. I agree with Thompson. I I feel like it would I feel like it would generate an eye roll. It'd be like all right, like I get it. I I I because when when you mess up in baseball, you know you messed up in baseball. But but but but he keeps doing the same thing. Like I get it. This is not this year. Yeah. I like I you know what I don't know. I I get your point, but I he keeps doing it. Like I it I don't know if it's an I roll. I think you say, hey Bryce, don't run in those situations. Like I like your aggressiveness. Like I would prefer you don't get the double and we get the hit, then you try and take, then you get thrown out. Like I that I would prefer that. You know, like Yeah, I mean I'm by the way, I do think he talks to the guys. I I I would be surprised. Hey Bryce, you gotta stop doing this. Like you've been thrown out going to second base a hundred times in the time I've been here, hey, maybe be a little less aggressive. Like he could do that. I'm sure he hasn't done that. He said he hasn't. They asked if he talked to me. He's like, he knows. No, I don't talk to him because he knows. It's like, well, okay. Doesn't seem like he knows. Yeah. I mean at the same time, I also don't think you're gonna the tiger's gonna change his stripes. I mean uh that doesn't mean you have to let him do it. Like I someone's gotta talk to the guy. Like that enough of this nonsense, like you're Bryce freaking harper stopping a moron. L itike's not that hard, in my opinion. And it might not be able to look, he might just be aggressive and it might keep happening. But I think at least try. You don't just let him keep doing it. It's nonsense to me. I think it's crazy to just let him like keep doing it. It's crazy bench him bench him i would talk to him i would make him out of the game i would talk to him i i really would i i i think that that's fine i would talk to him too i would talk to him too all right uh the bullpen uh i mean, I want to get to all of them. You just go off, but start with Alvarado because I do think that of those, I'm not I'm not super concerned about Keller. I think Keller will be okay. Like Poland. Like, I'm not I'm concerned. I'm actually concerned about Jose Alvarado. I know we know Jose Alvarado could be a streaky guy and you know I wouldn't want him in a game with a runner on third and less than two outs, you know, or even two outs. Like you know, like he we know he'll throw a wild pitch. He'll do it. But he has looked really off so far this season. Obviously, he looked off when he came back last year and all that. There's a whole steroid part of it, the whole thing. I'm I'm legitimately concerned about Alvarado right now. Yeah, I think that this is uh I I think it's over. to be honest with you Wow. Whoa, you took that a step further. Yeah, I just I I think I think the stuff's flat. I don't think it's gonna all of a sudden start coming back. He's still as walking play people. Um him he's all over the place. I yeah, oh ye I uhah, he's look bad, man. Yeah. Well what's disappointing is that you know in spring up to a hundred and the and the cutter wasn't down and down and down. And and where it's at right now is everything's up and it's and it's flattening out. Again, m maybe it's a maybe it's a an adjustment with Caleb in the in the bullpen. But I first off, he should never see a a seventh or eighth inning. Now Thompson's gonna be way too slow with that. He's gonna he's gonna wait until May to do that. Because for some re he a Thompson critique of one sixty two is he does stick with guys in spots a l wait like longer than they should. I totally agree. And he is not a a leverage reliever now. Uh Mayza's a much better option, which I can. Without a doubt. I don't even think it's close right now. I mean, just this season so far. 95 with sync. Again, somehow he has a a an uptick in stuff at age thirty three or thirty-four. It he looks legitimately good. And what I like about him and Banks is there are two lefties that come in and just throw strikes. They they they throw strikes, they attack hitters, they're bulldogs. Alvarado's way too volatile for for late innings, one run game. I like the upside can be the upside, but there's far too much downside for where he is at. So yeah, I I mean I'm pulling for him because I really like Jose Alvarado, but this looks how it looked when he came back last year. And the stuff does not pop the same way. It it it looks flat and he can't be pitching in big in in big spots and then what is he? Just like a fifth, sixth inning guy? I think there's like as we approach the the deadline, eventually. It's an important thing. Yeah. They might need to go get a another lefty or uh I mean again, Alvaro's only on a one-year nine and a half million dollar deal. So, you know, who knows how much would be left on that deal at the time of the trade deadline, but that could be something that we're talking about is do they need to go get another uh another real lefty out of the bullpen? Hopefully Mesa can step up and do it. Uh Banks, I think we like banks a lot. Banks is actually look good at Lee High Valley, but we don't need to use triple A stats as a reason to believe that someone is a great player as Garrett Subs is in an OPS over a thousand. But um yeah, I just I I don't see it with Alvarado. Yeah, I'm like I said, I'm super concerned, and and it does raise a real qu I mean, he was he's not just supposed to be, you know, a lefty in the pen, he's supposed to be one of their two best your three best relievers, their best lefty in the pen, their go to guy to your point for high leverage situations when you need a left hander. And I love what I've seen from Mesa, but I'm not I can't say I I trust Mesa in those spots, especially you know, big spots down the road yet. You know, so that's a a a concern. Go ahead. Well, I was saying you you you trust PSAC guys, some big spots. Oh, of course. Yes. Yeah. Get Lou Trevino back. Where is he? Um the rest of the pen, not too concerned about Keller or Bolin or anything, I'm assuming. No. No, I mean Bolin might not be a uh dirty inning guy he might not be uh but i think when he starts an inning he's fine and pretty nasty again i just want those two to eat with their fastball just eat with the fastball uh make those guys square you up get it up in the zone you have two you have you have two fastballs that you can get past hitters up in the zone. Use them. And it was annoying. Like the last two two games, they both allow runs, because in the middle of the inning, they get cute and then they get mad and they just blow guys' doors off. And it's like, just do that that. Do. Do that. You guys are you guys have nasty fastballs. Use them. Uh, I think Kirkers looked really good. I do think that they adjusted his sweeper a little bit. You know, last year it was more a smidge loopy, a little loopier of a sweeper. I think they added some real uh vertical drop to it uh and and tightened it up a little bit. So uh that's kind of one that's interesting. He hasn't he's thrown the splitter, but he hasn't like flashed the splitter yet so I like that hopefully he's just keeping that in his back pocket for for you know a couple times through the league. He doesn't he doesn't want to unleash it or of course. Yeah smart smart why would you do that? Of course you know those four dollar prebiotic sodas everyone's drinking. They're basically expensive sugar water for most people. Here's why. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in your gut. But if your gut doesn't have enough good bacteria, those prebiotics are feeding well nothing. Hi, I'm Tina, co-founder of Just Thrive Probiotic. When my family struggled with digestive issues, I discovered something shocking. Most probiotics can't survive your stomach acid. They die before reaching your gut, which means your prebiotics have nothing to fuel. Just Thrive is different. It's the only probiotic clinically proven to arrive 100% alive in your gut. 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Suddenly you're overwhelmed. That's when home serve is here. For $4.99 a month, you're never alone. Just call their 24-7 hotline and a local pro is on the way. Trusted by millions. Homeserve delivers peace of mind when you need it most. For plans starting at just $4.99 a month, go to homeserve.com. That's homeserve.com. Not available everywhere. Most plans range between $4.99 to $1.99 a month, your first year. Terms apply on covered repairs. All right. Two more things than the take bag. Um one of them is Andrew Painter. Oh how about that yesterday? Uh I mean, I started the day being like, are you kidding me? Really? Uh, migraine, and then look, migraines. I know they're real and all that, but ever you know, they could be bad. It's like, really? And then it's like right out of the bullpen. Here he comes, and he's great. Who thunk it? Painter. And look, a lot of teams, and I it wasn't the purpose, but a lot of teams will do or not a lot, but teams will do that that opener into their starter thing. Oh yeah. A nice way to settle in with the back of the lineup. It worked well. Yeah, I mean that's what uh Chase Dillander's doing with the Rockies right now. And we see a lot of these Brewers do it have done it a lot the past few years. Well teams love doing it against the Phillies. They love starting their little lefty and then bringing in I know, which makes sense. Again, it it's not a crazy thought. Yeah. So um I mean, you know, migraine painter might be a problem. I mean maybe what I love about painter too, and maybe because he kind of looks like a kid, I love I find it funny how like intense he is, but also I feel like he's goofy in a way. He just looks a little good. You know what it is? It's he's got such a kid like face, but he's huge. And he like is out there and he's so serious. It does there's you know, you're a parent. There are very few things cuter in life than a little kid acting like an adult in any way, whether it's the clothes they wear, whether it's the way they talk. Like it's just always cute. It works every time. I think there's something about the kid face on the tall dude's super serious that like just works. Yeah I'm like come on uh you know you're not like it he's trying to be you know holiday I'm like I know Halliday I appreciate the intensess. But I do wonder if he's like I wonder if behind the scenes like off the you know mound or and and not on camera if he's just like more goofy . Because he seems he seems like I agree with you. I agree. But I appreciate the seriousness. Nah, he was uh man that I do think they made I think they made an adjustment between his last start and and and yesterday because I thought his last start, you know, his command was off by just a tick, fastball was cutting a little bit. Maybe they felt like he was falling off the mound a little bit. I I don't know. But yesterday, I thought specifically he was way more on top of the baseball. And I thought the fastball was great, although the reasbon why the fastall did not get you know blasted was because every other pitch was was working. He could have thrown that splitter more if he wanted. Uh I love getting the the the curveball over. Um uh I think the slider , I think the slider was disgusting. I think I had 63% whiff on the slider yesterday, which was amazing. So I think the slider arguably is like his best pitch. Threw a couple sweepers. I like to get me over curveball. Um, but the the simple fact of the matter is like when he has all those pitches and they're all working, he's gonna be fine. It's when they're not on and and he has to use everything else. I guess he uses fastball more and more. That's where the issue will will come in. Well you got like a kid there? Kids? There it is. I could tell. For those not watching the video, as Jack was giving that answer, he just kept looking to the side. I could tell he was completely distracted. Yeah. Well, I still I still delivered the answer. Oh, you know, it was amazing if you were listening. We're still we're still able to talk about it. David Walker this weekend hit me. So Harper hit the home run. Uh-huh. And he was rounding the bases. And he goes, uh is that price harper melt melt yes it is yes it is so uh it is a shame uh it's good hey buddy good to see you it is a shame that that your son decided to come for this moment because I'm Batman. What that's right. What's the man doing with you? What's that man doing? Hey buddy, how you doing? We're talking on a on a the Yeah, we're talking about the Phillies. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. What do you think, pal? All right. Yeah, I see, yeah. Yeah, you see. All right. That's right. Hi buddy. Look at that. Debut . I love it. I'll be done in a little bit. Okay, I will wait for you to come down. Alright, thank you, bud. Oh my god, that is adorable. That was too I will wait for you to come down. And then you walk down. Okay, thank you, pal . Ador able. Yeah. Too cute. Oh my God. It's probably good he wasn't here for the next question I was gonna ask though, because I was going to joke that if we had the sad violin music, I would ask Tucker to add it right now. Oh don't ask me to do anything. To talk about Aiden Miller. Yeah. I know. My other son. So for those who didn't, it was a Matt Gelb, I believe, right with the report this weekend. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Doesn't look like our boys can be playing baseball anytime soon. Yikes. Yeah, I don't man, I don't know. I I the the Aiden thing is one of those things that I just keep putting off in in the back. Trying not to think about like I'm just out of sight, out of mind, hopefully, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I uh it's first off, it's a it's a bummer. Second, you hope this is not something that's chronic for his entire career. Listen, if he ends up missing two months and it knocks the back thing out and he's back. I don't care. It's agree. Agree folks. It's it's the fear that this is something that's gonna uh you know keep coming up every once in a while. And like I've talked about he's he's battled little groin injuries. He's got a lot he's got a lot of nicks and knacks and stuff yeah. The hammock bro bone that he broke, that's not any of that. But uh yeah, it it really if it's true that he might miss like months, that's and again we're just going Gelb said that like he didn't report it report it but he basically was like he's not gonna weeks if not months is weeks if not months was what he said exactly yeah yeah and but also I don't know I think he's starting to ramp up a little bit more and start doing a little bit more and they're maybe just don't want to push it. They don't want to like get too ahead of themselves. Um I don't know. I d I really don't know how to talk about about it besides like it sucks. It sucks. And we it sucks. And we don't have enough information and backs are weird. You don't really know. I didn't love Dombrowski throwing out the can't say what he has because of HIPAA laws. Yeah, that's a weird that makes me feel like Mark L. Fault with Brian Galangelo. Yeah, not great. And I look, it's really a shame too for obviously for Aiden and just for everyone. I mean, and I mean, I guess it's not a shame for Alec Bohm, but I mean, if Aiden had just been healthy and we're, you know, in the minors right now, like the chorus of people. Oh no calling for him would be just deafening at this point, you know. So it did it saved the Phillies from that, I suppose. Yeah, no, I know. Uh and it stinks because I was already getting ready to set the trade deadline of trade bomb and bring Aiden up. Especially because you know McGonagall yesterday, like three for four god dude he's been he's about like three twenty or something. He's great. He's great. And he's he's all he's leading off for that. He's their lead off her man. He should be. He's great. I I know I'm just saying. Like what yeah. He's great. And you see what Cropper's doing. And you see like Painter's been so good and Cropper's been so good. It's like Aiden's right there with those guys. Like I just I'm so ready, like ready for the for the the kids to come up because it does make it more fun. But yeah, no it it it's thanks. Hopefully it's weeks. Hopefully it's not hopefully it's hopefully and again to your point, like whatever time he is, you know, not playing, hopefully it's just get back and feel healthy and be good when you get back. Like whatever the time is, it is just to get back and be right, you know. Yeah, 100%. And you know, we we we do have an Aiden game to go up to Lehigh Valley and see him play. So we also have that. Yeah, let's let's hope he's playing for that. Yeah, that'd be good. Let's figure it out. So um yeah, super bummer. Did not love to see that. Would have loved to see swinging the bat feeling good and they expect him back beginning of May. But that is that is not what we got. All right, let's take back it. All right. Well, listen, uh, there's a couple things I noticed over the weekend . The worst part about when Harper starts heating up is people to start stop pitching to him. And it was nice McMarsh made the D backs pay and they should have won the game yesterday. Yeah. And on uh Friday too. Yeah, Friday. Yeah. Well well Genkold has complet ely avoided on the I think I think he walked him on four pitches to start the ending yesterday. So that is one to monitor. And it and it could be one where maybe let's flip flop him and him and Schwarber, but nevertheless. Nevertheless, speaking of Schwarber, I thought his comments were funny after the game on Saturday about how like did he feel that the team needed that? And he basically said something to the effect of Yeah, I mean, sometimes we get into these modes where we all try to do too much. And it's like I feel like I feel like I've heard that. Trey said it. Trey said it too. And it's just Trey said the I think yesterday was it? I think Trace said it after yesterday's game the exact same thing. Like the exact I think you know you're trying to do too much. Like we get the he said the exact same thing. And it I it might be the fatal flaw of this Phillies team. And maybe it's like the the the the the bad part of the twenty two run is that they're all trying to just aura farm and recreate moments and like rather than just go and and stay within themselves and pass baton and play good baseball. They all just try to do so much and that's why they get super tight in the play. It might just be the DNA of this team that in big moments they they sh shrink up because they can go trying too hard they want it too bad. Yeah, I that might be their fatal fault. It's possible. That might be their fatal fault. And then if like Schwarber I think he's fine with it. But it's like I think he sees everyone else and he's like, just calm down. Just calm down. Don't run a second base on a single up the middle. Yeah. I I it was a single up the middle. Like what are we? I it was and his answer is like, well, on those usually I think I get second. What are you talking about? No one tries to get to second on those. No. Sorry. No one do es. Uh speaking of uh of one innings that are big problems for the Phillies, if if Taiwan could just get out of the first inning. I know. He was all right. He's fine. It's the first inning. The first inning , the first pitch is usually, you know, blasted. And and then he's everyone's like, oh, freaking Taiwan. And five innings, four rounds or less. Yeah. It's what he does. It's what he does. Um That's mostly it on the major league stuff. Cubs this week, which would be a good little test for this team. Tonight feels like they tonight feels something that they they hang eight on them. And they score Javier Assad. They score in multiple innings , you know, and they just you know they calm everyone down for a night for a night after the whole talking point today. So then get blanked by whoever's pitching tomorrow. Yeah, that's that sounds that sounds about right. You know that moment when your hair actually feels That's what happens with Virtue, the only hair care brand born from regenerative medicine. It's secret alpha keratin 60KU, a protein that is identical to the keratin that makes up our hair. It is clinically proven to repair damage, not by masking it, but by rebuilding your hair from the inside out. Heat damage, coloring, chemical treatments, virtue reverses it all. 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Huh Nibbles. Gone too soon. May he scurry in peace. stuff. Nibbles would have loved you like a brother. Connecting homeowners with skilled pros for over 30 years. Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects at angie.com. Uh so I I'm I'm if I remember, if I remember to do this, I'm gonna try to start a new feature. Ooh . But again, only if I remember to do it. Now, real quick, let me just a little clarification. Do you want me to remind you if you forget, or is this totally on you? And if you forget, you just forget. You can try to remind me. Okay. Okay. It's probably only gonna be Monday or Sunday pods because Thursday is in the middle of the week. Okay. So who stood out to me the minors this week? So basically just you know normal jackets. Yeah. It's a new feature though. I like it. You've you've focused it. This is good. It's real sellable. Exactly. Minor's minute with Jack Ritz. Package this one up and then sell it to someone. Dude, gauge was dominant again. There it is. I mean, just dominant. Like needs to s needs to get out of clear water. ASAP. Now, I know there's gonna be a yearning to fast track him. I get it, I get it, I get it, I get it. He has thrown he has never passed pitched more than 40 innings in a season. Fort 4y.0 at Arkansas. 38, 40, and 39. That is nothing. Now, you've got to slow play him a little bit. They he is on a pitch count right now. If he if you want him to be a factor in September, which I don't know how he really would be, like outs outside of rotation injuries. I don't think you wanna put him in the bullpen, but hey, maybe maybe they need him in the bullpen because Alvarado can't do the job and they need another real arm out there. Like his so I text this to a couple people . His fastball is a unicorn. I love his fastball. It's it's a special, special fastball. Uh the when he put your little head down on the pillow at night, you can think about Gagewood's fastball