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2024 Philadelphia Phillies Season Preview! (PST Episode 559) · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

0:00
We got some great content for you because it is our Phillies season preview show.
0:04
Cannot wait to get into this. We got a great interview this week
0:08
to get us started, and then Eric and I here, we're gonna get
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into some categories, categories that we've liked to. I fucking lost it.
0:18
I fucking lost it. I just I'm gonna have to start over again.
0:22
Exactly, exactly, all right, everybody, you're listening to the Philadelphia Sports
0:40
Table podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show in the world,
0:44
over ten and a half years strong, eleven years this April, I
0:47
should just say eleven years this coming April. Here, we got a great
0:51
show for you, and it's our Phillies season preview. We got a great
0:55
interview to start us off, and then Eric and I are gonna talk about
0:58
what we think is gonna be happening with this Philadelphia Phillies team here this season.
1:02
High hopes, high expectations. It's gonna be a great discussion. Uh
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yeah, I'm Jeff Warren. I got Eric Leonard here with me this week.
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Buddy. How you doing, man, I'm good, I'm good.
1:12
We uh my au basketball team had a scrimmish tonight O rough one. But
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uh, we've only we've only been together three weeks, so we played a
1:22
team that's been playing together for like three four months. But you know,
1:26
it's one of those things. It was like, I just want to see
1:27
if they play their asses off. Yeah, and who's good lack of a
1:33
better term, like who's who's a hard ass? You know? And I
1:37
have a bunch of hard asses. And I was like, okay, nice,
1:38
I'll walk like we lost by whatever point, but I don't care.
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I was like, Okay, we got it. We got a good squad.
1:44
Let me ask you a question when it comes to when it comes to
1:48
the squad that you are coaching, in all seriousness, like over time,
1:52
over over the course of the season, over these next few weeks, are
1:55
you going to see more chemistry developing because these kids are getting older and a
1:59
lot of these kids that you have coached before, including your son, are
2:02
are you going to see, you know, that chemistry really manifesting itself over
2:07
these next few weeks and you know, things just coming together a little bit
2:09
more for sure. And like I was very cognizant of it this time because
2:14
last year, I last year I kind of overlooked the chemistry thing, yeah,
2:20
and just try to just started coaching them hard, got us right into
2:23
tournaments. This year, I'm putting a pretty complex offense in place for a
2:27
fifth grade team, but I'm also trying to like get them together to get
2:30
pizza after practice and that kind of thing. So I'm very like, Okay,
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I want these kids to get along and know each other's first names and
2:38
goof around right, And I learned last year that's really important. So I'm
2:44
way more and I'll be honest, I don't have any shiptheads this year on
2:46
my team. There's some really good kids on the team. I'm already kind
2:52
of weeding out certain parents. I've learned that you go comb those like surf,
2:58
those murky waters and uh no, that part's huge. And now it
3:04
was like tonight, I was like, okay, they walked off like coach.
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I was tough. I'm like, just listen, guys, you're good,
3:09
Like don't don't. We'll come back next week to practice and kick ass.
3:13
But like that was it is fun like as you coach, as you
3:16
start to coach further and further, you're like chemistry, the percentage of chemistry
3:21
becomes that much more important, Yeah, opposed to just skill so interesting.
3:25
I mean, I mean, I hope at some point you're going to teach
3:29
them the Draymond Green way. You know, you come back, you come
3:34
back from a game after being suspend and you get kicked out of the game
3:38
because you are just a piece of garbage. Listen, my son has a
3:46
temper that he might be the Draymond Green from me. He tells me things
3:52
in the car and the drive home from practice is tough. I'm like,
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oh, man, he's more of a maniac than I. Oh gosh,
4:00
we're not talking sixers on this pod, folks, No six ers. So
4:02
we gotta we got to mention Draymond Green getting getting ejected from again four minutes
4:08
into the game, and apparently Steph like almost started crying or something. Yeah,
4:14
he just he had a look on his face like are you kidding me?
4:16
Like, are you kidding this? Like the guys just got back from
4:20
suspension, right, I think so? And it sucks because, like I
4:26
hate to see like great teams no matter how much I hate them. I
4:30
never hated the Nuggets or the Golden Sea, the Warrior. Sorry, yeah,
4:35
but I always hate the downside, the downfall of it, and that
4:41
team's like that team feels like, oh, this is it, Like he
4:45
got not he got thrown out. STEP's almost crying. They've lost like what
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nine of the last twelve or some shit. They're like ten, I hate
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to see that, but you know, I'm probably what ten people in the
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country hate to see it, right, I met. I've always liked Steph
5:00
too, I really have, I mean, an amazing talent. It's just
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always fun to watch. I've always liked Stephan. Poor guy. He's like,
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he's like, what's up in my team? Man? Good. Here's
5:09
one thing I'll say about Steph. He has ruined youth athletics for basketball because
5:14
every kid thinks they're Stephah. They're constantly shooting from half cur every practice I've
5:20
had the past, like two three years. You walk in, there's just
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a line of half Every kid's at half court in a line. My turn,
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Oh just yet God throwing it like a maniac to them. It's like
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one kid hits one of that, They're all jump up, Wow, you
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guys are one for sixty. Good good job, yes, yeah, great?
5:44
Thanks? Uh well, glad to hear you know. The season has
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started for you, like you said, some murky waters. But things will
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get better for your your crew there for sure. So, uh, we
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got a great show, folks. We're gonna get into some NFL rule changes
5:58
right off the bat, and then right after that we're just gonna get into
6:00
our Phillies season preview and we're gonna have some fun with it. But first,
6:05
let's let's really dive into Eric really quick. The NFL rule changes that
6:13
took place that we're voted on by the owners at the owners meeting this past
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week. I mean, there are some real gems here. Okay, there's
6:20
gonna be first and foremost emergency quarterbacks. There's gonna be an emergency third quarterback
6:27
now who's available to play in case the starter and the backup are ejected or
6:31
injured, and they can be elevated from both the fifty three man roster and
6:35
the practice squad. So last season, emergency quarterbacks could only be elevated from
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the fifty three man roster. So there's that rule. Then there's changes to
6:44
the replay so the replay assistant will now be allowed to correct quote objectively incorrect
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calls for intentional grounding and roughing the passer. Also replay review will be allowed
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quote when there is clear and obvious visual evidence that the game clock expired before
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any snap. Third ruling of a passer down by contact or at of bounds
7:08
before throwing a pass are now reviewable plays. So those are the changes to
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instant replay. Anything you want to add here, buddy before I continue with
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some of the other ones. It was already a mess, and now it
7:21
just sounds worse. It really does, especially with replay. And I love
7:25
replay. I think replay is good to have, especially in a sport like
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football. But my god, they're just muddying the waters here. Why don't
7:31
you marry it, That's all I'll say anyway. But the I'm treating it
7:36
like a child because it's it's not going to go well. I just I
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can't see that one going well. The quarterback thing, the emergency quarterback thing,
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I really don't understand, Like, wasn't there always like a third like
7:49
a third quarterback? But but you can pull them from anywhere now, I
7:54
guess is that the kind of the rule. Yeah, I mean they can
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now be elevated for if you have them on the fifty three man roster,
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they could actually be elevated from the practice squad right now, So that's last
8:05
season. We saw some of the worst quarterback play you've ever seen in the
8:07
NFL history. So it's gonna get worse. It could, Yes, absolutely
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could. Yes, like you and I might be might be playing next year
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in NFL games, God only hopes. Okay, all right, well maybe
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with you. I mean you need a job, right, what is a
8:28
third what is a what is a not a third string but like a third
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string from the practice roster quarterback? Make a year? Well I think it
8:35
would be league minimum. Well, I don't know if they get paid,
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because it's gotta be. I'm sure it's more than I've ever made in one
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year. Probably I'll take it. I'll take a massive concussion. Probably over
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two hundred thousand. Yeah, wait, have you ever made over two hundred
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thousand? Well, they get real close. All right, Okay, some
8:54
side stuff from side business going on. I don't know. Off me,
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I'm starving. By the way, was that a layoff joke on me?
9:07
Uh no, I'm sorry when you said if you love them, why don't
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you marry it? Oh, that was a very delayed reaction that that was
9:15
a callback like two minutes later. It really was b well. As we're
9:20
moving along here with some of these rule changes. Here, coaches get a
9:24
third down challenge. Coaches no longer have to win their first two challenges to
9:28
get a third challenge. Now they only have to win one of their first
9:31
two challenges to be awarded a third. The NFL trade deadline is now going
9:37
to be one week later instead of a week eight trade deadline. The dead
9:41
the trade deadline is moved back to week nine. The Pittsburgh Steelers actually proposed
9:46
that one. NFL likes the Steelers, So we're gonna get into two other
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rule changes, the bigger ones folks here. Yes, yes, the Quebec
9:54
challenge or the sorry the Coaches Challenge one. Yeah, I love this one
10:00
so much because we already know who the bad coaches are. Yes, in
10:03
terms of challenges, Mike McCarthy sucks ass. Yes, he comes to mind
10:09
to give these assholes a third chance. It's like it's like at the blackjack
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table and they win one hand and they're like, I am on fire fire,
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and then there's like, I got two more of common, baby,
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I got when the first one and it's like, oh my god, like
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we already know who the bad coaches are. This is gonna really make the
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bad coaches shine. We're really gonna know who sucks complete ass. I love
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that take. Yes, I love that take because and we're gonna know immediately
10:43
too, because they're gonna be chomping at the bit to get that third challenge.
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They're gonna be chomping at the bit they're gonna have. They're gonna have
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the red flag behind their ear hole, like behind the on the on the
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head on the headset. Yes, I'm not even gonna bend over. This
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baby's coming out soon. I love that. Love that. Well, we're
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certainly going to see some flags being thrown, more flags being thrown this year,
11:07
which really stinks because it's just it slows down the game. And I
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say that we're going to be seeing more flags thrown because the hip drop tackle
11:15
has now been banned, so it's a foul if the players use the following
11:18
technique to bring a runner to the ground, grabbing the runner with both hands
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or wraps the runner with both arms and unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his
11:28
hips and or lowering his body, landing on and trapping the runner's legs at
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or below the knees. So I think a lot of us who have followed
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the NFL for years understands what the hip drop tackle is. It is now
11:41
being banned, and I have to say, you know, a number of
11:46
times on this podcast platform throughout this previous NFL season, we specifically talked about
11:52
how it really was the year of the defense in a lot of different ways.
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We haven't seen that for quite some time in the league, a league
11:58
that has really focused on passing, getting the ball down the field. It
12:03
is a passing game, we know that, but boy, defenses throughout the
12:05
league really stepped up their game this past season. And Eric, I feel
12:09
like this hip drop tackle banning is a result of that. It's like the
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league is saying, oh my gosh, the defenses are now catching up to
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these offensive juggernauts, and we can't have that. We want to have exciting
12:22
games, we want to have high scoring games, and I think this is
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a result of that. It's like the defense, it's like they're trying to
12:28
styny the defense, and it really it really stinks, man, because like
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there is nothing like watching an NFL game, not now, not the Super
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Bowl necessarily. We recently saw a Super Bowl where it was what was it?
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Patriots Rams? It was just a complete defensive super Bowl, which kind
12:43
of stinks. We'll want a more balanced super Bowl, of course, but
12:46
like watching a defensive game is also fun, at least for me as somebody
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who loves the NFL and loves the product. They're trying to take. They're
12:56
trying to take part of the defense away. And this is going to be
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tough because the speed of the game. I really, I really can't stand
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this rule change. We're gonna see more flags being thrown this year because of
13:05
it. I don't know what are your thoughts here. I have a bunch.
13:09
I think the Eagles Patriots super Bowl kind of changed the narrative across the
13:13
NFL, where ITAs like this is an offensive league now, like this is
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how you have to win. Yeah, And I think that Patriots Rams game.
13:22
I think that that game might have done more damage to the NFL front
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offices and like and like trying to figure out what the hell to do going
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forward. It's like, are we a ninety point super Bowl league? Or
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are we a nineteen point super Bowl league? Yeah? Like what do we
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do? And I think they they reacted so harshly to the Rams Patriots super
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Bowl, and they were just like, all right, we are offense.
13:50
We want to get back to twenty seventeen, that Super Bowl, and all
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the rules have been like going towards that, and this one is so this
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one's so great. I think this one's going to cause a lot of issues
14:01
this season where we're putting a lot of faith in referees on the field making
14:07
that call that we already don't trust anyway, and now we're putting a lot
14:11
of power in their hands and making these calls and fifteen yard penalties for this.
14:16
Yeah, Or a receiver gets behind the corner back and he's got to
14:22
make a decision going do I tackle him? Am I allowed to? Like,
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I think it's really going to be bizarre. I've seen tons and tons
14:31
of plays on Twitter where people are like is this a penalty now? Is
14:33
this a penalty now? And it's like, I don't know, Like I
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talked to you before the show, Like the mid or early mid two thousands,
14:43
the horse collar tackle is a big one. Member. Oh yeah,
14:46
t O breaking his leg against the Cowboys. I was at that game in
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four and that was a huge one that I think that kind of helped set
14:52
the rule of like no more horse caller, and that was that was that
14:54
was a pretty obvious one. The hand goes behind the neck yank back like
14:58
breaks. That is an absolute penalty. This one's a little weird. This
15:03
one's almost like almost like a flag football generation kind of kind of play.
15:09
Well, this is more arbitrary than a horse caller, I mean a horse
15:11
collar. There are genuine safety concerns from from top to bottom with a guy's
15:18
body and a player's body. With this, yes, there's concern about the
15:24
hips, about about the knees and what is happening when a guy is being
15:28
taken down. Hence, you know Mark Andrews suffered an injury after being tackled
15:33
like this. But still, at the end of the day, it's football,
15:35
for God's sake, it's football. Injuries are gonna happen as these guys
15:39
continue to get bigger and faster. We've seen it. Like it's just like
15:43
like you mentioned the horse caller, it absolutely should be a rule because because
15:50
of the safety issues with that. With this, it's just really it's really
15:54
impeding the defense in terms of them trying to do their jobs on the field.
15:58
And I brought up the horse callar because it was so much, it
16:00
was such such a more black and white issue. It was very obvious when
16:03
that happened, just like a face mask. But referees still miss the face
16:08
mask, they still miss the horse collar. And what's going to happen,
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I think is if if a cornerback makes a good tackle but the receiver goes
16:18
down kind of awkwardly, I think that referee is going to be kind of
16:22
inclined to go looks weird, throw the flag. Yeah, Like even if
16:26
that's even that, I think they might they might react more to how the
16:30
receiver falls than how the tackle happens. I think that's going to be really
16:34
tricky, especially with the first like six seven weeks of the season where they're
16:38
trying to figure it out. Feel like the rest are feeling out that new
16:41
rule. I think it's going to be a mess the first few weeks,
16:45
and you're going to see horrendous calls be all over Twitter, all the ESPN
16:49
shows me screaming about it, and but we're all football fans, right,
16:53
Well, I'll just keep watching and go, ah, whatever, we'll figure
16:57
out. Like really, Award, it's gonna be really strange for a couple
17:00
of weeks with this rule, it is gonna be awkward too. And I
17:03
would imagine as well, whenever a rule like this is put in place,
17:07
you know, the opposing team, in this case, receivers and offenses,
17:14
they may try to take advantage of this. You know, maybe they will
17:18
try to fall a certain way as they are going to the ground to make
17:22
things look like it's a it's a hip drop tackle. They may be coached
17:26
this way by the receivers coaches, who knows, but it's You're right,
17:30
it is going to be a mess. And to move on to the final
17:34
rule change that we want to get into, there are some key changes folks,
17:38
if you haven't heard about it already to NFL kickoffs. Yes, special
17:42
teams getting some love during this offseason here. I don't know if you want
17:47
to call it love, but yes, we are going to basically have XFL
17:52
rules with regard to the kickoffs. So real quick, I'm gonna run through
17:55
some of these changes here. The kicking team will kick from the thirty five
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yard liners going to kick from there, but players on the kicking team will
18:02
line up at the opponent's forty yard line and those players cannot move the kicker
18:07
himself cannot cross the fifty yard line until the ball hits the ground or a
18:11
receiving player is in the quote landing zone or the end zone. Also,
18:18
the receiving team must have a minimum of nine players lined up in the setup
18:22
zone, which is between the thirty and thirty five yard lines, with a
18:26
maximum of two returners lined up in the landing zone. Any kick that hits
18:30
the landing zone must be returned, while any kick that bounces into the end
18:34
zone from the landing zone must either be returned or downed by the receiving team
18:38
for a touchback to the twenty yard line. So there's actually no more fair
18:42
catches, no more fair catches at all. A kick short of the landing
18:48
zone actually gives possession to the receiving team at its own forty yard line,
18:52
and any kick that hits the end zone and is downed is a touch back
18:56
to the thirty. Any kick that goes out of the back of the end
19:00
zone is also a touchback to the thirty. Here so there are no on
19:04
side kicks until the fourth quarter begins and a team is trailing and the current
19:10
on side. The current on side kick roles would apply kickoff after safeties would
19:15
be from the twenty and the kicker is gonna have the option to use a
19:18
T or a setup, and landing zones will not change. In that scenario,
19:23
penalties that carry over to kickoffs would only impact the spot of the kick,
19:27
not the setup or landing zones, and not where the players line up.
19:33
Do you get all that, Eric? Did you have all that right
19:34
there? I? Oh, my gosh, I can't believe all this too.
19:41
This one's just dumb as shit. I'm sorry, this one's horrible.
19:45
I think they're trying to make special team. I think they're actually trying to
19:49
get special teams more integrated back into the game, especially from the kickoff standpoint.
19:53
I think that's what they're trying to do. But this is gonna be
19:56
gosh. As a basketball coach, you're going backwards here, like this is
20:00
like in fifth grade where you're not allowed to trap, we're not allowed to
20:03
press full court press right the last five minutes of the game, And it's
20:07
like, why can't I press the whole freaking game right? Part of basketball?
20:11
With this, it's like, well, you can only onside kick in
20:15
the fourth quarter. Well, but what if I want to run a weird
20:18
play in the first court. Like, I hate this. This is the
20:21
worst rule. It's so silly. And I told you before the show,
20:26
how about we just do away with the kickoff besides, like the initial one
20:33
so you have like a nice I think the only kickoff that should occur is
20:37
at the beginning of the Super Bowl, just so you have that beautiful shot,
20:41
all the flashes going off the cameras. Every other kickoff should just be
20:45
no kickoff. You offense, give the ball twenty five yard line. That's
20:49
it. It's away with this shit. It's stupid. They're trying to make
20:53
special teams more special here, and I think it is going to be a
20:57
giant I mean, we could see some kick returns for a touchdown, Like
21:03
let's let's revisit this after the season. I mean, let's see if there
21:07
are actually more kickoff returns for a touchdown. I think that's what they might
21:10
be trying to go for here. But I think we're just gonna see more
21:12
kicks going through the end zone. There's gonna be the touchbacks like you're talking
21:17
about. You know, just put the freaking ball out at the twenty five
21:19
yard line. Okay, but how many kicks right now? Are already a
21:22
touchbacks tons, I would say, yeah, why bother? I know,
21:30
and you sound like a lawyer earlier. Well, if the landing zone seven
21:33
is I'm like, I'm already gone. I'm already lost. Like, what
21:37
are we doing? Just give the ball? Give the ball to twenty five.
21:40
Let's play football. I don't get it. Gonna be fun, folks.
21:44
These new rule changes every freaking year. It's like, why can't we
21:47
just have football? Why can't we just I know I sound like an old
21:49
man here, but why can't we just have the game just no rule changes?
21:55
Okay, let's just keep things as they are. Change. Yeah,
21:59
we're in a dead period the NFL right now. Drafted happen free agencies over
22:03
and here we are talking about rule changes. So yeah, obviously they did
22:07
something so we would talk about it. I just I watched the replay of
22:11
it. Adam Schefter pusts on Twitter this is what kickoffs are gonna look like
22:15
now, and I almost wanted to tweet back, looks like shit, Yeah,
22:22
you know, I was just I'm reading on Twitter some of it,
22:26
you know, some of our you know, favorite Eagles reporters and just Eagles
22:29
reporters overall down at the owner's meetings and there's just no news news, you
22:36
know what I mean. They're they're putting out content, but there is just
22:38
no Eagles news at all. And it's like, man, I'd like they're
22:42
trying. They got jobs to do. They got to get content up on
22:45
their websites and in the media companies they work for. But my gosh,
22:51
it was like it's like this is this is this is rough? You know,
22:55
like asking, like, I know, they have to ask Nick Sirianni
22:57
who the starting center is going to be. It's like your job as a
23:00
reporter, you gotta ask it because currently there is nobody there. The guy
23:07
who's been there for years retired, so I guess you gotta ask him.
23:11
But what do you think he's gonna say, Well, what do you think
23:14
he's gonna say? Oh, yeah, definitely, yeah, this guy's gonna
23:15
be in there. It' said, No, you gotta go through training camp,
23:18
you gotta go through the entire process of the off season. And it's
23:22
just it's it's a mindless exercise that needs to be done somehow. In this
23:29
day and age of media. It drives me crazy. Let's let's relate,
23:33
let's do it then if we're gonna do it right, how about every punt
23:34
you have to punt backwards get the point you have to put it back over
23:40
your head. Yes, yeah, come on, let's let's let's really make
23:42
a change. You know, I really feel real quick. Yeah. Every
23:47
year there's's like there's like a guy that makes the special teams and he's like,
23:51
guy busted his ass made the special teams. He was a special teams
23:53
Uh he made the Pro Bowls Special teams player. Yeah, how do you
23:57
make it? Now? You're all lying in the same stupid spot. You
24:00
can't really stand out. Yeah, it's mainly the guys that get a lot
24:03
of tackles and like who get down the field first to get those tackles That
24:07
that's the guy usually that's gone now with stupid. Yeah, it's really dumb.
24:14
My favorite body, I cannot wait to text you. I'm gonna watch
24:18
the first football game of the year and just be like, I really hope
24:22
a bad coach is coaching and he does the third Oh my god, just
24:27
like throws the flag. Oh yes, I do love when that happens.
24:34
Dumb penalties. We get a text from you on the on the our buddies
24:38
text chain and you're just like Football's ruined forever, Like I hate this game.
24:44
I always text you this is your favorite league? Yes, sir,
24:49
all right, let us know what you're thinking about any of these roles.
24:52
Would love to hear from you. Philadelphia Sports Table at gmail dot com.
24:55
We'd love to read your email here on the show and respond to it.
24:57
Subscribe on whatever podcast platform you are on, and if anything happens to your
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25:06
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25:11
x at Brick Poult. You can follow me at Jeffrey Underscore Warren in the
25:14
show at Philadelphia PST. And I'm on threads at mister jeff Warren. Eric
25:21
is on threads at Slen ten twenty three and the show is at Philadelphia Sports
25:26
Table. So we're gonna take quick break. We will be back in just
25:30
a bit to get started on our Phillies season preview. Stick with us,
25:33
we'll be right back. All right. We're gonna bring Eric back in just
25:38
a bit, but we are gonna get to what we are throwing down on
25:41
the table this week. A great, great interview with a first time individual
25:48
coming on this podcast. Let's get to that and get us started on our
25:52
Philly season preview and now on the table. It is great to have in
25:59
the show with us for the very first time, coming to us from that
26:02
balls out of here dot com. You know, we loved our fan sided
26:03
sites. He's been doing some great work over there, writing some interesting columns
26:08
and articles for sure to get into this twenty twenty four Philadelphia Phillies season preview
26:15
with us, Mister Eric Mortelli, How you doing, Buddy good yesh,
26:18
how you doing? Man? Thanks for having Yeah, it's great to have
26:21
you on for the very first time. Like I said, I've been loving
26:23
some of the articles and some of the content that you all been putting up
26:27
over on that balls out of here dot com. We do loved our fan
26:30
sided sites here at the PST podcast show, and man, I'm excited this
26:34
is gonna be I think a great season and a know the general feeling surrounding
26:41
this Phillies team, the organization, just the sentiment within the fan base as
26:45
they you know, are going to be starting this season. I guess the
26:48
conventional wisdom is they got to get back to the national League Championship Series or
26:52
it's gonna be a bust type of year. So I guess to get us
26:56
started off here, Eric, what is your overall thoughts of about this theme
27:00
here heading into this Philly season. What do you think the theme really is
27:04
going to be? And yeah, let's just get it started from there.
27:08
Yeah, man, I mean, I think the overall excitement for this season
27:12
is through the roof. I mean, just like looking for tickets even even
27:15
to the opening weekend. You know, the sadness Saturdays game is already sold
27:18
out, Opening days filled out whenever that is, whether it's tomorrow or Friday.
27:22
I guess I think I heard we might hear that later on today.
27:26
But yeah, I mean the I think, you know, people are back
27:29
genuinely excited about the Phillies again and such an awesome thing to see because there
27:33
were those you know, down years for a little while there. I think,
27:36
you know, the team is set in the bar so high at this
27:38
point. Ye, you know, reaching a World Series should have reached the
27:42
World Series in reality last year, losing Game six and seven at home,
27:47
you know you could say they blew it. I mean, the Diamondbacks did
27:49
adjust to give credit where credits due. But at the same time, everything's
27:55
talked about how this team flourishes at home in a park and coming home having
28:00
having a game in hand, It's like, all right, how we got
28:03
to get one of these two right, and just not having it was just
28:07
soul crushing, uh, you know, obviously for the fans, but just
28:10
hearing interviews from the players over the course of the off season two you could
28:12
tell it hurt. It hurt everyone, And I think so the bar is
28:17
set super high. And I've seen you know a lot of people talking,
28:19
you know, World Series or bus and I think, you know, that's
28:22
that is the expectation. I think the other thing there, you know,
28:25
to to temper that a little bit is just how hard it is to get
28:29
not just the World Series, but just to get to the National League Championship
28:33
Series three three years in a row. I think, you know, the
28:37
overall team is kind of you know, they are in a win now situation
28:41
right front office is doing that. You know, Middleton's given the go ahead
28:45
to spend. Dombrowski is obviously going out there now. I know people will
28:48
say this offseason was a little bit boring, I guess for lack of a
28:52
better term. But I think one of the key points to think about there
28:56
is it was boring because of where the team is. That right, it's
29:00
kind of a good thing that you don't need to go out and get a
29:03
trade turner or a Bryce Harper or Zach Wheeler every single off season because I
29:07
mean, your team is you know, they're they're close. Right. It
29:11
goes to what we were talking about last week on the show with the with
29:15
the individual that we were interviewing last week, there's one word that describes as
29:19
Phillies team, which is stable. Stability. That's what that's what they are
29:23
right now, which is a direct reflection of what you're specifically talking about.
29:27
I mean, it was a quote boring off season. It's because this team
29:32
is so stable. Right, you want, I mean a boring off season,
29:36
I know, you know, you kind of get the baseball ittch.
29:37
You want news. You know, it's got who we're going to sign.
29:40
We're going to sign anyone up. Okay, but again it's kind of I
29:44
guess then goes back to the fact that, well, we had a lot
29:47
of fun the last two seasons. We've made our moves. Now it's kind
29:49
of rolled the guys. We have. Now there's some guys waiting in the
29:52
wings here and there, you know, in Mick Abel and a couple of
29:56
prospects that are interesting. But I think, you know, the other thing
29:57
to remember is that this is not the last year where this team is going
30:02
to be a highly thought of team going into it. We're gonna have some
30:06
aging contracts coming up, but there are some guys coming up, you know,
30:11
like I said in Able, you know, maybe Aiden Miller even in
30:14
a couple of years. But there's gonna be some of those younger guys coming
30:17
into then start to break up that payroll a little bit, right, So
30:19
you have some young, cheap guys coming in now, you're gonna start losing
30:22
production, probably in Turner, Real, Muto, you know, those types
30:26
of guys, but you're gonna able to replace it with some some newer,
30:30
younger guys who aren't making the money yet, which is then going to also
30:33
free up some space for signing other free agents if you need to bring them
30:36
in. So I think the outlook on this team right now, while the
30:38
farm system might not be rated as highly as some of the others in baseball,
30:44
and a lot of the really highly talented guys are mostly down in you
30:48
know, single a there's hope there that you know. While I think the
30:52
theme is win this year, I think it's not like if they don't,
30:56
it's done, you know what I mean? Yeah, correct, Yeah,
31:00
go ahead, go ahead. No, I just I was just gonna say,
31:02
I think there's I think there's still chances. You know, I think
31:04
we have really a realistic window with the high highly paid guys we have right
31:08
now through about twenty twenty six, I would say it's probably I think a
31:12
reasonable estimate until you start seeing a lot of a lot of decline in some
31:17
of these guys. And that's really when you know, more of these guys
31:18
are going to be knocking on that door of hey maybe you know this year,
31:22
maybe next year, but you might start seeing some of that coming up.
31:25
So I don't want people I hate, you know, going it's weird
31:29
because you know, the last few years A Phillies have not gone in with
31:30
huge expectations into a season, and I just don't want people to you know,
31:34
see, Okay, well yeah they only made it to the Division Series
31:38
this year, or you know, they had a bad April or a bad
31:41
June. Like there's still there's still a lot of time for some of these
31:45
guys. Absolutely yeah. And let's not forget folks out there, this team
31:49
and organization is now a pretty well oiled run machine at this point. Long
31:56
are the days of mac cleintech, and you know, we have that in
31:59
the back of our it's seared in the back of our minds, but we
32:01
are in a much different place with this team and with this organization and real
32:06
quick, folks, you should follow Eric on Twitter slash x at Eric Underscore.
32:10
Maritelli is a great, great follow And as we're moving along here,
32:15
you know, you specifically mentioned one guy that I really want to get into
32:19
in terms of what his expectation is going to be for this season. A
32:22
guy I'm really gonna be keeping my eyes on here, Eric is JT.
32:25
Real Muto. You wrote a recent story about him and whether or not he
32:29
can really play until he's forty years old, and it doesn't, I mean,
32:34
it does appear I should say that he is on that downside of his
32:37
career at thirty three years of age at this particular moment, but he's certainly
32:42
not done by any stretch of the imagination. He's still a really good baseball
32:45
player. He's still a really good behind the plate in that catcher role.
32:51
What should our expectations be for JT. Real Muto this season? So I
32:55
think, you know he is now thirty three, you're going to especial a
33:00
catcher who plays the amount of innings he does he played, I mean he's
33:04
led the league in an innings and games caught the last like three years or
33:07
something. He's been tied even before that, so he the amount of time
33:10
he's on the field is overwhelming, right, and especially you know, one
33:15
of the points I highlighted in that piece is that, you know, it's
33:17
one thing for not saying every any position is easy, but it's one thing
33:22
for you know, a first baseman or a second baseman who isn't taking the
33:24
beating where you're getting foul balls hit off you all the time, you're block
33:28
up, you're getting down in the dirt, block and balls like you just
33:30
get beat up as a catcher. So it's one of those things where it's
33:32
definitely difficult. And I think forty is kind of like that that like magical
33:37
number for base you know Bryce Harpers talking about when to play in it his
33:38
forty, So it's kind of an interesting thing. To think about there,
33:42
and forty for a catcher is tough. There's not many who have really done
33:45
it, or what will happen is they'll catch for a little bit and then
33:49
jump into you know, play first base. So now with the universal DH
33:52
something along those lines. So he's definitely taking a beating forty. You know,
33:55
who knows if he's going to make there. But I think what there's
33:59
a couple of things that I look that the do show there is a bit
34:00
of a decline, But I think there's ways to fix that a little bit
34:06
as well, right because I mean, he's not old, he takes care
34:07
of himself, he's super athletic, especially you know, in terms of being
34:12
a catcher. So there's two concerning things. I looked at. The ops
34:15
was as low as it's been in a long time. It went down from
34:19
eight twenty in twenty twenty two to seven sixty two last year. I don't
34:22
I think, you know, the ifs could tell you he was not the
34:24
same player last year as he was in twenty twenty two, but you just
34:29
having the numbers there to back it up makes sense. The bigger concern to
34:32
me was the strikeout percentage. It went up almost over almost five percent from
34:38
twenty twenty two to twenty twenty three. Collegionally, either he's not seeing the
34:42
ball as well or there's something going on in the swing. Now. One
34:45
of the things I saw earlier this season was he was in the off season.
34:50
The Phillies have a biomechanics lab now, and I was not really sure
34:53
entirely what that was, not being a scientist, right, and they So
34:59
then JT was actually giving an interview about this the other day, and basically
35:01
what it is is it's where you there's numbers that tell you things that you
35:05
can't see. So we'll sit there and just take, you know, a
35:08
bunch of swings and the numbers will say, Okay, here's here's what this
35:12
is doing, here's what this is doing. All of that. So he
35:14
basically found that something with his lower half was was moving slower or whatever,
35:19
and it could just be a minor tweak like that also could be aged,
35:22
right, I mean, you're going to get a little slower once you hit
35:24
that thirty plus threshold there, So I think, you know, knowing what
35:29
it is is something that could you know maybe now he knows, Okay,
35:32
I got to start a little bit sooner. I have to, you know,
35:37
work on the lower half a little bit more. I think the other
35:38
thing is, and I know he doesn't want to do it. I know,
35:40
you know, most people don't want to hear it. But he needs
35:43
to take some more time off. He just you know, catching all these
35:45
games, you know, as a you know, thirty through thirty two,
35:49
thirty three year old. Okay, he can probably do it. But in
35:50
the next couple of years, that's I think it's really going to start to
35:52
catch up to him, and especially now, you know, with the DH.
35:57
The only thing is is, I know everyone loves Garrett Stubs not necessarily
36:01
the best guy you want to use in a lot of games to spell JT.
36:07
So it's kind of a double edged sword there. But I think there's
36:09
way So I think we're going to see somewhere in the middle. I think
36:13
we're I don't think we're going to see twenty twenty two JT. Probably maybe
36:17
ever again. But I don't think he's also as bad as last year.
36:22
He was in a terrible season, but it just wasn't what we're used to
36:24
seeing from him. So I think we'll see somewhere in the middle. I
36:28
think if we get somewhere on like a seven to eighty OPS. If he
36:30
can cut down that strikeout right a little bit more closer to the you know,
36:34
league average, I think that's a really successful season. I mean,
36:37
he still calls a good game, he knows his pitchers from a defensive side.
36:39
He's still really good. And you know, if you look at catchers
36:44
among baseball, he's still won probably what top five, top five in baseball.
36:50
So I mean we were spoiled for a while, you know, with
36:52
the whole best catcher in baseball slogan and everything among Phillies fans. But I
36:55
mean he's still up there. He's still one of the best catchers in baseball.
37:00
So I think, you know, everyone should have moderate expectations for improvement
37:07
there. But I also don't think, you know, I don't think we're
37:07
going to see you another eight twenty ops type season either. Yeah, I
37:12
would agree with you for sure. And it's interesting to think about, you
37:16
know, what is going to happen with certain aspects of this roster. I
37:20
feel like Garrett Stubbs only played like three games last year, even though I
37:22
know it was more and more than that. When we're talking about just certain
37:25
aspects of this roster. Of course, folks need to stay healthy. But
37:30
you know, it leads us to the next topic here, which is we're
37:34
all gonna be looking at center field and what Rob Thompson's gonna be doing with
37:37
Johann Rojas, Christa Pasche and with Mary Field as well. The integration of
37:43
this talent into in game situations and just matchups. The organization, as we
37:50
know, really wants Rojas to build and grow as a player. I mean,
37:53
it's something they have indicated for sure, and I know we don't have
37:58
a crystal ball here at all, Eric, but how do you see the
38:00
center field situation really playing out throughout this season. Well, I think it's
38:07
the organization. It seems, like you said, they've made it pretty clear
38:12
they want to give Rojas every single chance possible to take this job and run
38:16
with it. Yep. Defensively, I mean he's he is elite defensively already,
38:23
and you know, I think the biggest thing is obviously the hitting,
38:25
and that's been a storyline all throughout spring training. The problem is here is
38:30
the guys who who are there to who could kind of be his competition,
38:35
are also like Righty's right, so you have taught you. Christian pat is
38:37
another Wady. They're super similar players. Actually, I think Pace maybe has
38:42
a little bit more not much, but a little bit more maybe in terms
38:45
of offensive up side, because he had a couple home runs Rojas hit one
38:50
off like a real pitcher, the other was off the position player last year,
38:52
so you know, and we don't need the guy to you know,
38:57
hit twenty home runs a season, right, But I mean just the hitting,
38:59
the potential is a lot of like slappy, like choppy type things.
39:02
And his speed was able to beat out some infield hits and things like that
39:06
and turn some singles down the line in the doubles. I think the organization
39:10
wants to give him the full opportunity to do it. I think if he
39:15
does struggle, you know, you do have that option to move marsh then
39:17
over to center field, put Meryfield in in left. I don't really want
39:22
to see Merryfield in center. I think if we see Maryfield in center,
39:24
something bad happened. But I think if if we see I think, just
39:30
because he's another one age, I think, you know, back in the
39:31
day he could do it, but now I think, you know, centerfield
39:35
just covers so much more ground ye and marsh you know, is above average
39:39
in terms of center field, nothing like Pashe and Rojas are. But I
39:44
really think, you know, they're going to give unless he's hitting you know,
39:46
one one eighty, you know, to one ninety by you know,
39:51
may or may or. So I think they're going to give him the shots
39:54
to try to do it because you look at the rest of the lineup.
39:57
If anyone else is doing what they need to do, the number nine hole
40:00
hitter isn't going to be, you know, a make or break guy.
40:05
I guess, right in the grand scheme of things. Now, you don't
40:07
want him being an automatic out like he was in the postseason either, like
40:09
that was also not good. But you know, I think they're going to
40:14
give him the shots. I think they're going to try to work in some
40:16
of these other guys too, just if he is struggling. And again,
40:22
like you said, there's no crystal ball. So I really hope. You
40:23
know, there was all those stories again among about spring training, how he
40:27
was getting down there early, he was working with Kevin Long, all this
40:30
stuff. So I think the the work he's doing is he's putting it in
40:34
and we're not seeing results. Yet. But sometimes you know, in spring
40:37
you don't see those results right away, and that's not necessarily a problem because
40:40
he is still getting used to whether it's a new stance, a new you
40:45
know, a new move in the swing, right just even just picking up
40:47
the ball. I think that's such a major thing that you know, people
40:51
forget about too, but just like picking up the spin. And I think
40:53
that was one of his biggest issues last year in the postseason, like he
40:55
was flailing it everything. I mean, he had some of the worst at
40:59
bats I've seen with a position player in a long time. Yes, in
41:01
the post season last year. So as long as we don't see that and
41:06
we start seeing little bits of improvement, I think that's what he is.
41:10
You know, he's not going he was never projected to be, you know,
41:14
a three hundred hitter. He's going to if he hits in the you
41:16
know, two twenties, two thirties and can just you know, can get
41:20
on base for you sometimes, especially if Shorber is leading off, get a
41:23
guy on for sure, that makes a big difference. So I really think
41:28
it's going to depend. They'll give him at least I think the month of
41:30
April, maybe even someone may to try to figure it out before they say,
41:34
Okay, what's our next our next move here. Yeah, that's a
41:37
good timeline, I think for sure. And you know, as we're moving
41:39
along in our conversation here, Eric, I wanted to talk to you about
41:43
pitching here because we got into pitching last week as well. Go back,
41:46
folks, listen to the show we did with Justin Klue from Baseball Perspectives last
41:51
week, and it was an interesting and interesting conversation, but we really didn't
41:57
get into taiwand Walker very much. There's a real concern about Tywan Walker as
42:01
he looks far from ready as as part of this starting rotation. And yes,
42:07
while he was recently lit up by the Orioles and spring training, you
42:12
know that there's the concern that is gonna, I think potentially going to persist.
42:16
We'll see how long that lasts. But I'm wondering, you know,
42:20
based on that performance and again just getting lit up by the Orioles, he
42:23
had to play at least two innings of baseball based on spring training rules.
42:28
What's your level of concern when it comes to Tywan Walker and how that ultimately
42:31
may affect the starting rotation here? So I think at this point there there
42:37
is definitely some concern with Walker. You know, I know that one of
42:42
the Phillies mantra is during you know, the Pat gillickiers is, don't sign
42:45
anyone over three years. Obviously the market has now dictated that you can't do
42:47
that anymore. But giving Walker a four year deal that kind of scared me
42:52
already in the beginning. And you know, last year there was good,
42:58
good and bad things. Right, he would have like a blow up first
43:00
inning. He'd give like five runs in the first inning, but then it
43:02
would be the fifth inning and he'd still be in the game and it was
43:07
still five runs. So then he pitch ok after that, And I'm like,
43:08
for number four or five starter, that's not terrible. I mean last
43:12
year he threw almost under seventy three innings. You look at guys like Nolan
43:15
Wheeler were in the one nineties. So for number again, number four starter,
43:21
what do you want this guy to do eight innings? Right? And
43:22
he kind of did that. I think this year though, what we saw
43:25
this spring was more alarming because I think we got frustrated with him last year,
43:30
but having the you know, the slow start to spring where you know
43:34
there was that weird like knee soreness. Yeah, knees. Yeah, Yeah,
43:37
it was just like a kind of like random thing that no one really
43:39
knew about. Yeah, the personal issues as well, where he was out
43:43
out of spring training for a little bit. Yeah, right, so it
43:45
took him some time to ramp up. So the first outing, I knew
43:49
his velocity was down to be expected, right, he hadn't really thrown yet
43:53
in that he hadn't had the same time to kind of fill up the arm
43:55
strength with some of the other guys. But the second start was was alarmed,
44:00
I think because that it didn't really improve the velocity. Now he said
44:02
it did after the game, but I mean looking at the numbers, it
44:06
maybe a little, but I mean it didn't move what you'd want it to
44:08
be in his in his second outing at that point, and then right after
44:12
that he pretty much says okay, So the team comes out and says he's
44:15
hurt. So I think there's definitely some concern there, especially having him for
44:20
you know, this year and then you know, two more years after that
44:22
at eighteen million or whatever it is for I think it's around eighteen million for
44:28
for Walker really isn't a terrible contract. Again, given the way the pitching
44:30
market is right now, your pitchers just get paid. I mean, it's
44:35
just what it is, is the lack of starting pitching. But if he's
44:37
gonna, you know, only be able to make you know, ten,
44:39
twelve, fifteen starts a year, that's that's not worth that could that's a
44:45
major issue. And pitching depth, you know, that's one of the things.
44:50
The Phillies kind of came into this season, you know, and you
44:52
know what you're going to get. You get Wheeler Nola, you're pretty much
44:55
Suarez hopefully bounces even he was terrible last year, but he's better than what
45:00
he was. And Sanchez hopefully he kind of can stay on that same plane.
45:04
There's not a ton of depth there. I am excited about Spencer Turnbull.
45:07
I liked what he could do in in Detroit prior to the arm injury
45:10
or the elbow injury, and so I actually I'm not too hesitant about him
45:16
being our number five guy going into the season at all. I think honestly,
45:21
he has the potential to be just as good, if not better than
45:23
Walker if he is coming back from from Tommy John and has that extra year
45:28
to kind of build up that arm strength, because when he's at his top
45:30
velocity, he's an asking I mean, he's thrown a no hitter in the
45:32
major leagues before. He was a pretty well thought of prospect at one point.
45:37
So I think there's concern about Walker. But then you know who's there
45:42
to kind of back it up, you know, turn Bull, you got
45:45
as I talked about mick Abel. I think everyone's talking about Mickabel right now
45:47
because he had a pretty good spring. You know, how quick would they
45:51
have to go to rely on him? I don't really know, But I
45:52
mean there's the thing is is at least even if Walker is injured or you
45:59
know, isn't performing. You know, the money is one thing. But
46:01
with Painter maybe coming back, with Painter coming back next season potentially, and
46:07
and Able, and you know, having just having some of these other guys,
46:10
there's I think there are gap stop gaps there to kind of help fix
46:14
that. But again, some of the runnes so you don't really know what
46:16
you're going to get until they're there. With Walker, you kind of do
46:21
know what you're going to get, right. You're not going to get a
46:22
perfect game, You're not going to get two hundred innings and two hundred and
46:27
twenty strikeouts, but you're going to get you know, probably at least five
46:30
innings every time he goes out, and you just got to help the offense
46:35
that is built to do their job and score a lot of runs does their
46:37
job. Yep. So I mean, yeah, So I don't know,
46:40
it's gonna be interesting. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's gonna be interesting
46:45
for sure. Again, folks, talking to Eric Moritelly from that balls out
46:49
of here dot com. Follow him on Twitter, slash x at Eric underscore
46:52
Moreatelly. He's a great, great follow and I know that you're you're doing
46:55
some podcast stuff as well, Eric, help folks where you can hear your
47:00
voice out there on the interwebs. So I've also been doing some podcasting with
47:05
Drunk on broad They're affiliate the Fired Up Sports Network, so I've been kind
47:08
of I've been on their Phillies shows for probably about a year or so now
47:14
basically doing the same thing here. Just love I love talking baseball perfect because
47:19
then everyone who I associate with my wife everyone else, Now I can talk
47:22
to baseball about you guys, and she just doesn't have to hear it all.
47:23
So all right, it works out well, so you know that's another
47:28
place you can hear me and yeah, I love writing for that. Ball's
47:30
in here, so we love talking about it. We're helping WiFi out for
47:34
sure. So the last question for you, buddy, before I let you
47:37
go and before Eric and I are my co host, Eric and I talk
47:42
about what we're our expectations are going to be for this Philadelphia Phillies twenty twenty
47:46
four season. I mean, it's a very stacked Phillies team in terms of
47:51
the offense and just just in terms of the talent. Expectations, as we
47:54
were talking about, are very high. Who do you think the MVP of
47:59
this team is going to turn out to be when this twenty twenty four season
48:01
is all said and done. What's your prediction? All right? So,
48:05
I think the kind of cop out is Harper, So I'm gonna go a
48:07
little bit of a different direction, not much of a step below, but
48:10
I think it's it's it's a bit uh drastic just because of the year he
48:15
had last year. I'm gonna go Trey Turner. I think he carries the
48:17
momentum from last season into this season. He's comfortable, and I think we're
48:23
gonna start seeing more of a vintage trade turner. I mean, last year
48:27
was such an anomaly for him, just like you look at his career staff
48:31
and just everything was down because of the start he had. And I just
48:36
I mean, he's too good of a player. He's still you know,
48:38
he's only thirty one or thirty two, so he's not you know, he's
48:42
not like he should go on decline yet anyway, you know, he's still
48:45
in good shape. So I think I think I'm looking for a bounce back
48:47
year from him. And I think we're really going to see what everyone thought
48:52
they were going to see last year when we all thank we had a million
48:54
for a guy. And I think we're gonna start. I think we're gonna
48:58
see an an uptick in batting average. I think power wise, he actually
49:02
ended up with a decent number of home runs and everything this year, and
49:06
I think that was about on par with what he'd probably be. But I
49:08
just think just the situational hitting, the defense. The defense was not great
49:15
at times last year. I think he led the league with like twenty three
49:17
or twenty four errors or something, and he knows it, I mean,
49:21
you know, and he's you know, he owned up to everything in every
49:24
interview last year and even coming into this season. So I think Trey's poised
49:30
for a big year from the offensive side. And this isn't really a hot
49:32
take, but I mean, I think Zach Wheeler now he's comfortable, he's
49:37
settled in, he's learning that splitter. I think Zach Wheeler's due for an
49:42
even bigger year than we've already seen from him. I think he is just
49:45
going to be with having adding this splitter to his pitch repertoire. I think
49:47
he is a game changer. Now, one more pitch to get left,
49:51
he's out. I think he's going to be in the running for Cy Young
49:55
at least, you know, in the top three. I love it.
49:59
I love it. I maybe talking about some of these folks in just a
50:01
minute, everybody who is listening again. Eric Martally from that Balls out of
50:07
Here dot com, Buddy, it was great talking to you. I know
50:09
he's your first time here. I'd love to have you on at some point
50:13
down the road to get into more Major League Baseball talk, some Phillies talk.
50:16
Come back and join us down the road, my friend. Absolutely,
50:19
Thanks je I appreciate it, all right, that was a great discussion with
50:25
Eric, and now we've got Eric Leonard, co host back to talk about
50:30
this Philadelphia Phillies season. Man, dude, I'm like, I'm so excited,
50:35
Eric for what is going to happen with this team. Be like like
50:39
our guests, you know, was talking to me about you know, expectations
50:43
are so high, but when you see what this lineup is, Kyle Schwarber,
50:46
Trey Turner, Bryce Harper, jt Realmuto, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott,
50:52
Nick Castianos, Brandon Marsh, Johann Rojas, there's a lot to be
50:57
excited about. And also a starting rotation this season that's not too shabby either,
51:04
Zach Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Christopher Sanchez and Spencer Turnbull.
51:09
Now that Taiwan Walker is out and injured, he's on the I L
51:14
there, so we're gonna we We talked about him during the interview, just
51:19
how disappointing he was specifically during spring training, but it's going through that knee
51:24
issue, he had some personal issues. Hopeing Taiwan Walker of course gets back
51:29
into form. But look, this is this is a Phillies team that I
51:35
think has uh as we were talking about in the interview Eric, it's basically
51:42
like National League Championship Series again or bust, you know, and some people
51:46
even say it's World Series or bust at this point here. And I think
51:52
that's that's where we're going with this team this season. And and I think
51:58
too that you know, this team is a perfect by any stretch, and
52:00
it's not going to be a perfect season. In fact, we're gonna get
52:04
to some predictions soon. I don't even know if this team is gonna win
52:07
the division. However, However, once we get you know, once once
52:12
those like eight game losing streaks happen, and we may see that though,
52:15
oh the fans are gonna be like, oh, that's it. They blew
52:19
their window of opportunity, which I don't think would be the case. I
52:22
think their window. I think there still is a larger window of opportunity for
52:27
the Phillies as we're moving forward, maybe in two thousand, twenty five,
52:30
even twenty twenty six. So I don't know, man, I'm just so
52:35
stoked that baseball is here and we're going to get to see this team perform
52:39
at what I believe is going to be a very high level. I don't
52:43
know, what are your initial initial thoughts here with the season just getting underway
52:49
here. I mean, I'm excited, obviously, and so should everybody.
52:52
Everyone should be excited for this team. I do think as a fan base,
52:58
we've got a lot smarter victually with this team kind of kind of realizing
53:01
what they are. Yeah, and I said a few weeks ago they're kind
53:05
of the Miami Heat of baseball, where just stay healthy enough during the season,
53:09
get into the playoffs, and then we'll see what happens. And they've
53:13
they've proven that over the past two seasons. They should have made the World
53:15
Series. Last year I would have been two in a row. They just
53:20
ran into a juggernaut at like the last three games of the NLCS. They're
53:25
right there. They have everyone back. They didn't have Reecee Hoskins last year.
53:30
He's not back either, so they're they're basically bringing back the exact same
53:34
team. Bryce Harper appears to be healthy and this is I think I heard
53:38
this is his first spring training with the Phillies, which is just bonkers.
53:43
Right, He's going to mention that, man, I was actually going to
53:45
mention that. It's it's like it's his first full spring training. He has
53:49
been injured. He's been injured every single spring training. It's incredible. They
53:54
signed in like February of like February twentieth as a nineteen. Yeah, so
54:00
like he missed that one, he had an injury. It was just a
54:04
weird. He's had a weird career with the Phillies in terms of like spring
54:07
training. First, this is his first full one. And you know,
54:13
this team has like a two maybe three year window, and I'm you can
54:20
only be excited for this team. There's no other there's no other like thing
54:22
to think for this team. Like, I just love where they're at.
54:27
They're veteran laden, they have some really good young players too. They should
54:31
be really interesting this year. And if you don't think they can make it
54:36
back to the World Series, you're nuts like that. That's honestly my take.
54:38
Right now, they're much better starting pitching. The bullpen is going to
54:42
be a question mark, but it is every freaking year right right now.
54:45
But the but the lineup is is what it is, and they're going to
54:50
match the ball and we're going to go through our topics and some of the
54:53
guys I think need to come, need to rebound, need to break out,
54:57
need to come back are going to be a huge part to this.
55:00
I think, you know, let's go through it. But I like,
55:04
I really think the fans have become super smart with this team and super tight
55:07
with this team, and if they can just squeak in like they can do
55:13
a lot of damage and really scare other teams. Absolutely, well, let's
55:15
get into let's get into some of these categories that we want to touch on
55:20
every now and again, folks that listen to some of the other podcast interviews
55:25
on this platform, Opposition Territory and Table Talk. Sometimes we get into the
55:30
following categories for various other teams as well. Who's going to be the comeback
55:35
kid, who's going to be the rising star, what player needs to rebound,
55:39
who may be the breakout guy, and who do we predict is going
55:44
to be the dark horse MVP. So those are the categories that we're going
55:47
to be getting into here during our season previews. So Eric, I'm gonna
55:51
start off with you and here and just get your take on who do you
55:54
think is going to be the comeback kid this year this twenty twenty four Philly
55:59
season. Who's the comeback kid for you? I think the comeback kid is
56:02
a guy's been with the team in his entire career, and I think we
56:07
still think of him as like a twenty five twenty six year old even though
56:08
he's been here forever. He's in his early thirties. He just signed a
56:12
major contract, one that's going to you know, set him up for life.
56:15
And I think Aaron Nola's got to be the comeback kid. Okay,
56:19
he was shaky last year. If he can make if he can make a
56:22
really strong one to two punch with Zach Wheeler, who's an absolute ace in
56:25
in Major League Baseball, I think he's due for a massive, massive season.
56:30
And if those two can do what they can do and stay healthy,
56:35
I could easily see us we might even win more games than we have in
56:39
the past couple of years. I think he's the obvious candidate for comeback Kid.
56:43
I think it's a great, great pick, and in fact, as
56:45
we're going through these categories, I actually don't have a pitcher here, but
56:50
I think that I think with Aaron Nola, you know, he is,
56:55
He's what Justin Klue talked about last week during the interview. You know,
57:00
he really has been that steady presence which I think is filtered out and helped
57:05
to really create the foundation for what this team is. That steadiness. You
57:08
know, we talked about what this team. You said, this team reminds
57:13
you of the Miami Heat. You know, when the Miami Heat get into
57:15
the playoffs, it's like that steady type of team that you get, and
57:20
it's steady Eddy. So I like that pick a lot. I like it.
57:24
I think Knowle's your Bam out of Bayou. Yeah yeah, well yeah,
57:29
I was gonna say my comeback kid, who I think is going to
57:32
show us a little bit more this season because I think last year was a
57:36
little bit of an anomaly, and I know he's on the downslide. Our
57:38
guest Eric and I were just talking about him, and that is JT.
57:43
Real Muto from an offensive perspective. He had a down year last year.
57:46
I mean it certainly wasn't any I mean, twenty twenty two was absolutely amazing
57:51
and fantastic. And he JT's getting old. He's thirty three years old.
57:55
You know, there's a decent amount of quote older guys on this team.
58:00
But you know, you were just talking about Aaron Nola and I think with
58:04
JT. Real Muto, you know, even given his age, still has
58:07
still has a decent amount in the tank, and I think we're going to
58:10
see a little bit more of a comeback from him this coming season. From
58:14
an offensive perspective. He's still one of the top five catchers in baseball for
58:19
sure. I mean, we can't say anymore that he is the top catcher
58:22
in baseball, you know again, guest, Eric and I were talking about
58:27
how I think us Philly's sports fans were really spoiled for many years knowing we
58:32
had the best catcher in all of baseball. Now now he's definitely top five.
58:38
But I think he's gonna have a comeback season offensively from where he was
58:42
at last year. Yeah, I have him a later category. But you
58:45
need to stop having other erics the on the show because it's such a not
58:50
it's not a common name. I'm getting confused, Like Eric, I'm like,
58:55
I'm right here. I know. Yeah, well he spells his his
59:00
name Eric with the S. He's a weirdo. Derek with is just it's
59:06
just my personal take. We've always talked about that. Yes, all right,
59:08
well the rising star next category, who's that rising star candidate for you
59:13
this year? For me, it's a guy that made the made the roster,
59:19
and he kind of shined in the playoffs. Not not not like you
59:22
would think I'm not a superstar, but I think Johann Rojas he's gonna be
59:27
a rising star if if he can start out in center field and just just
59:32
do enough offensively at the bottom of the lineup, because that's kind of where
59:37
he's going to be. He's going to see the better pitches because you know
59:40
who the hell wants to face off face against the top of the lineup.
59:45
If he can do just enough, you ease him in and just enough offensive
59:51
just enough offensively, you his his speed and his defensive skills are going to
59:57
shine. And I would not be surprised if he's like in the running for
1:00:00
center field, like like golden glove, Like he's that good defensively, He's
1:00:06
the kind of guy like his offensive skills are going to take a while to
1:00:09
catch up. But if you can keep him in place long enough and let
1:00:14
his defensive stuff and speed shine, I think he could be like like like
1:00:20
twenty twenty five, he's gonna be like whoa is Johann Rojas going to explode
1:00:23
next year? Is he going to be like the one of the best center
1:00:27
fields, if center fieldman in the National League. I think if he might
1:00:31
have that kind of year, if the way the way things are playing out
1:00:35
for him. I like what you're saying, and I'm going to be mentioning
1:00:38
Johann Rojas at some other point here during this exercise with one of our other
1:00:44
categories as well. So I'm gonna go rising star. I'm going to go
1:00:47
with the guy who I talked about. I remember last year doing I believe
1:00:52
it was when we were doing the Philly season preview in twenty twenty three,
1:00:57
Eric, which was a guy I thought but at some point somewhere down the
1:01:01
road within the next couple of years, would be an All Star. And
1:01:04
I actually think he is going to be an All Star this year. From
1:01:08
second base Bryson Stott, I really think in terms of the rising star on
1:01:14
this team, what he has been able to do and how he's been able
1:01:19
to produce offensively, he is that rising star. And I really do think
1:01:22
that he is going to take some of that off the field charisma that he
1:01:30
has. He's going to take some of that off the field, perhaps,
1:01:32
you know, some of that alpha male stuff that Reese Hoskins had given that
1:01:37
Reese is not here anymore, and really bring that into the fold for this
1:01:42
crew and for this team and inside the clubhouse. I think Bryson Stott is
1:01:46
that next great Phillies player. I really do believe that. And this year
1:01:52
he's going to show us so much, not just defensively at second base,
1:01:54
but inside the batter's box. I think he is going to be an All
1:01:59
Star for sure this year. I have him later too. All right,
1:02:04
all right, let's get to the guy who needs to rebound this year.
1:02:07
Who's your thoughts on who takes this category? For you all, I'm gonna
1:02:14
speak on someone you just talked about. J Tuomuto. Oh Okay, he's
1:02:17
a rebound and I'm saying that because his regular season was not good last year,
1:02:22
and he definitely took kind of a kind of a step back a little
1:02:25
bit last season regular season wise, He's got like one maybe two good years
1:02:30
left a catcher. Eventually, they're got to move him into a d h
1:02:35
R first basement kind of situation because he's just not gonna be able to catch
1:02:37
anymore. Right, So, he's got like one maybe two good years behind
1:02:42
the plate. He calls an awesome game like that. That's let's not deny
1:02:45
that he like catching why is physically yes, but mentally he's still right there
1:02:50
in the top two or three. I want to see one more awesome season
1:02:54
behind home plate, calling a great game, and I want to see like
1:02:59
batting to with like twenty eight home runs hundred twenty RBIs. I want one
1:03:04
more breakout jt Roumuto season. I think he's going to be. He's the
1:03:08
guy. He's kind of the middle of the gel that could keep the lineup
1:03:12
going to get to this bottom half of the lineup where Johann and Scott might
1:03:16
be in marsh Like, I think he's he'd be the bridge. If he
1:03:19
has a really good season, he'd be the perfect bridge to the bottom of
1:03:22
the lineup. I like that a lot, actually, I you know,
1:03:23
I mean it kind of coincides what you know needs to rebound and also the
1:03:29
comeback kid, you know, kind of coincides with each other. But you're
1:03:31
absolutely correct. I mean, I think he's got more baseball in the tank,
1:03:36
like you said, two three years, maybe maybe four, who knows,
1:03:38
you know, but it's he's definitely on the downslide, but he definitely
1:03:43
still has it definitely a top five catcher for sure. For me, the
1:03:47
guy who really needs to rebound in my opinion this year is Kyle Schwarber.
1:03:52
You know, he's going to be in the DH roll. He's not going
1:03:54
to be in the outfield, thank god. Last year he batted one ninety
1:03:59
seven. Twenty twenty two he batted too eighteen. Twenty twenty one, he
1:04:04
batted two ninety one. Then again, he only played forty one games in
1:04:11
uh UH in Boston, and when he was in Washington played seventy two games
1:04:15
where he batted two fifty three. So, like, I think this is
1:04:19
a guy who who, as we know, has a career batting average of
1:04:26
what is it, two twenty seven. You know, he he could certainly
1:04:30
he could certainly bat around two fifteen, two twenty. You know, he
1:04:34
needs to rebound to that point to help this team out a little bit.
1:04:39
And I think especially in that you know number one role, you know it
1:04:45
just just just get on base every now and again. I know the launch
1:04:49
angle, and I know hitting home runs out of the park is the greatest
1:04:53
thing in the world and it really is fun to watch, but man,
1:04:55
sometimes just contacting the ball and getting it in field of play is going to
1:05:00
help your team and give you momentum. He needs to rebound, and I
1:05:03
really think he can this year. Dude, Just give me a couple of
1:05:06
doubles, dude, all I asked, like, I love the launch angle
1:05:12
and and there's nothing better than a Schwarber bomb off the padres in the playoffs.
1:05:16
It gets the full team riled up. Yes, but it's another thing
1:05:20
where he's hitting bombs in mid June against the Nationals and it's like, cool,
1:05:28
but you're bat in one eighty like ring Off. Yeah, I agree.
1:05:31
I think the guy's athletic enough and talent enough. We have one more
1:05:34
season of him going like two sixty with forty home runs, some ridiculous number.
1:05:43
Yeah, Like, I think he has it in him, and he
1:05:45
is the perfect team around him too, because he at heart is a Beer
1:05:49
league softball player, but he's an athlete, like he's he's not a joke.
1:05:54
And I think I'm hoping one more season of that kind of ath lesson
1:05:58
before he kind of turns into what he probably will be at the end of
1:06:00
his career at DH just bombs out home runs. I kind of agree with
1:06:05
that. I'm hoping he's another guy like if he if he has a breakout
1:06:10
season, like near the top of the lineup, it'll change the entire just
1:06:15
like like image of the team, it changes the entire scope for sure.
1:06:19
Yeah, absolutely, all right, moving on to we have two more two
1:06:24
more categories breakout guy and the dark horse m VP breakout guy. Eric,
1:06:28
who's that guy for you? I was on the fence with Alec Baum Bryson
1:06:32
Stott. It was two obvious ones, right, Yeah. I think Scott's
1:06:36
the guy get an awesome playoff last year. He has, he has the
1:06:41
personality, he has the demeanor of being a team leader. If he was
1:06:45
on say he was on a crappier team, he would probably be the guy
1:06:48
they kind of highlight little more. But he's kind of buried behind a bunch
1:06:53
of like really good veterans, well paid veterans. But I think he's that
1:06:57
good that he could bat three hundred this year, not you know, hit
1:07:02
twenty home runs, not gett one hundred and twenty RBIs and make the All
1:07:06
Star team and everyone's like, whoa, oh my god, bryceon Stott,
1:07:09
holy shit, what's his next contract going to be? Kind of deal?
1:07:12
And I think he's going to be the one. I think Alec Boum's going
1:07:15
to kind of be. He is kind of what he is. I think
1:07:17
he's gonna he's going to give you two seventy twenty home runs maybe and you
1:07:24
kind of put them all over the endfield. But I think Stott's more of
1:07:27
the has a little more superstar on him than Alec Baum does. And the
1:07:32
key is defensively. He's beat defensively, Like that's to have center field,
1:07:38
shortstop, second base, the middle of the field, which is a key
1:07:42
to a great defensive team. To have those guys just aces defensively, and
1:07:46
Stotts might be the best of all of them, I think, so massive,
1:07:50
massive advantage and especially when you get in the playoffs, like you're not
1:07:55
getting anything by those guys. So I think he's going to be the breakout
1:07:58
guy this year, breakout guy. Rising He was my rising star. I
1:08:00
mean, all very legitimate points. For sure. It's interesting you mentioned see
1:08:08
I wanted to put Alec Bowman here really really bad. I really wanted to
1:08:13
put him in here because it was amazing what he did last year. He
1:08:18
had I mean, I wouldn't be actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Alec
1:08:21
Bohm is in the cleanup spot. Before too long, he had twenty homers,
1:08:27
ninety seven RBIs a seven sixty five oh ps. He was improving his
1:08:31
power numbers for a third straight season. I think this year he could potentially
1:08:35
hit twenty five home runs just and even providing better support for Bryce Harper.
1:08:41
So like, I just want to kind of give that, maybe it's an
1:08:43
honorable mention here during this exercise to Alec Bohm, But for me, my
1:08:49
breakout guy this year is somebody you mentioned earlier, and it's Johann Rojas.
1:08:56
Look, I don't think you can get much worse than what he was last
1:09:00
year offensively, and I think because of that, he really is going to
1:09:04
be the breakout guy for much of what you said just a few minutes ago,
1:09:09
Eric, But look, he's gonna have to hit better. He's gonna
1:09:12
have to and I think he will hit better than the one seventy two sixty
1:09:15
four for sixty four slash line that he posted during this spring training to stay
1:09:21
in this lineup, and he's gonna do a lot better than last season as
1:09:26
well. You outlined it perfectly just a few minutes ago. I really think
1:09:30
Johann Rojas is going to be the breakout guy. He's he's got a lot
1:09:34
of fire within him, and the Phillies are giving him every chance and every
1:09:39
opportunity. He seems and appears to be one of those guys who's really gonna
1:09:43
sees that opportunity. So he's my breakout guy this year. Great attitude and
1:09:49
really wants to be good. And I think Schwarber's success this year is going
1:09:54
to be huge for Johann's success because if he's at the bottom that lineup,
1:09:58
and you don't want to go up against Schwarber leading off, batting to sixty
1:10:03
or whatever and like hitting doubles. But I'll say hitting home runs, that's
1:10:08
just gonna that's just gonna accelerate Johann's uh like drive towards being a great centerfielder
1:10:15
because he's gonna see pitches right because he wants to shoreb I I I'm not
1:10:20
sure what's happened. I'm not sure what's gonna happen to him this year.
1:10:24
I I really, But but isn't that the isn't that the best part of
1:10:27
baseball? Yes, Like, like we have a really veteran team, you
1:10:30
kind of know what you have, but It's really nice to have guys like
1:10:34
like Bryson, Stott and Baum, who I kind of kind of know what
1:10:38
they're gonna do. Yeah, But whereas stop might become like might might might
1:10:43
go to the next level, Johann is like the complete you should have had
1:10:45
in here. Wildcard. Johan is the absolute wildcard of this whole thing.
1:10:49
It's true, he absolutely could and if he bats like two ten, great,
1:10:55
But if he has like fifty stolen bases and makes incredible plays in center
1:10:59
field, it's it's a win, you know what I mean? Like,
1:11:01
that's why baseball is great. I exactly. I love that I have this
1:11:04
breakout guy. He was your rising star and he's also the wild card.
1:11:09
We'll make up another another category here. Oh my gosh, it's why baseball
1:11:13
is great. Like you said, all right, let's get to the dark
1:11:15
horse MVP for this season for the Phillies. Who is your player who you
1:11:19
think is going to be the dark horse MVP? I mean, the guy
1:11:23
makes a ton of money, but I think Trey Turner could absolutely be the
1:11:29
MVP of this entire team. He's mine as well, and in fact,
1:11:31
are the guy. We were just the guy, the gentleman I was just
1:11:34
talking to Eric. That was his actually too, he said it was Tray
1:11:38
Turner. We all got Trey Turner. Man, he makes perfect sense.
1:11:41
Like guys signed that big contract and that first season is kind of shaky.
1:11:45
I mean, helly, you know, he took a page out in the
1:11:48
freaking paper and and the fans cheered him on when he you know, he
1:11:53
came back during the regular season, had a good playoffs, kind of had
1:11:57
a rough series against the Timebacks. But the guy's talented as shit. And
1:12:01
he's thirty one, thirty two years old. He's an awesome ballplayer. I
1:12:05
could see him having a monster, monster season with the Phillies in his second
1:12:11
He's comfortable, his family's there, now, I'm my god. We talked
1:12:15
about how many times of like coaches having to move all the time past couple
1:12:18
of weeks on the show, Like how many times is he like he came
1:12:21
here. I'm sure his kids are in some frigging awesome private school, but
1:12:26
still it sucks. Man. You just moved and you go right into a
1:12:30
season. It's like, is my wife comfortable and my kids like, like,
1:12:33
I just and then you got to deal with a Philly fans Jesus Christ,
1:12:36
like, yes, what a what a nightmare? Right in good ways
1:12:40
and in bad ways too, because look, I mean we know, look
1:12:43
that prolonged slump. I mean it was such a concern. We talked about
1:12:46
it on this show. It was the theme of the Phillies for months.
1:12:51
I mean, he was off at the plate, just subpar from him at
1:12:55
shortstop as well with his defense. Nothing was clicking. He was just out
1:12:59
of sync. He seemed lost in the field, and it's like, this
1:13:02
is not the Trey Turner that we have seen playing professional baseball for years.
1:13:08
And then after several rounds of standing ovations from a very passionate fan base a
1:13:13
Citizens Bank Park, that support from the fans helped him then just turn things
1:13:18
around. Where after that he was averaging three thirty seven that was his batting
1:13:23
average, sixteen home runs, forty two RBIs for the rest of the regular
1:13:27
season, and man, like, he's got that in him and I think
1:13:30
that's going to carry over to this season for sure. And we've seen so
1:13:34
many good players simon the Phillies throughout the years. Yeah, in their entire
1:13:38
career is tank Yes, it's perish like God, but this guy signed a
1:13:45
monster deal. First season was shaky, but still almost got to the super
1:13:50
Bowl. My god, the World Series almost got us there. It was
1:13:54
that close. He was He was awesome in the playoffs, and I think
1:13:58
like a full season with the with with this team, he's very comfortable.
1:14:02
I'm sure he's very The manager's fantastic, loves him, and I could see
1:14:06
him like being the absolute MVP in case Harper has kind of injury rattles season,
1:14:11
which is totally completely feasible, right right, yeah, And I could
1:14:15
see him being that guy that I get on my back. We got this,
1:14:18
Okay, I go my back for two months and we got this.
1:14:21
Ye all right, very good. I would love to know what folks are
1:14:25
thinking out there, Philadelphia Sports Table at gmail dot com. Who are your
1:14:29
comeback kids or your your your breakout guy, who your dark horse MVP is.
1:14:33
We'd love to hear what you're thinking out there. We'd love to read
1:14:36
your email here on the show as well and get into it. So,
1:14:40
got a few more predictions that we're going to be getting into here. Let's
1:14:44
get into actually, let's get into our division predictions here. Eric I was
1:14:48
thinking we would just do the NL East and in terms of where the teams
1:14:51
in the NL East would end up here. But uh, you know,
1:14:55
we may want to we we may want to dive into the al maybe a
1:14:58
little bit as well. But for your NL East division predictions here, what
1:15:04
do you think it's going to look like? The Braves are going to win
1:15:09
the division? They're just freaking awesome, you know, they just have offense
1:15:13
and great pitching. Yep, they're going to win it. And I think
1:15:16
the Phillies know it, and I think their manager is like cool, He's
1:15:21
like Eric Spulsra, Sure, yeah, you guys win it and we'll meet
1:15:26
you and we'll meet you in October. Right. I think the Braves win
1:15:30
it. I think the Phillies coming second, but obviously make the wild card.
1:15:32
All right, very good, I think the Yes, I think the
1:15:35
Phillies are going to get a wild card spot Braves are going to win the
1:15:39
division. After that, I think it's going to be the Marlins in third,
1:15:44
believe it or not. And then I think it will be the Mets
1:15:47
and then the lowly Washington Nationals. I think that's how the division is going
1:15:51
to end up, all right, fantastic, No, No, you can
1:15:58
probably flip the Marlins and Mets and don't think it matters. But I think
1:16:01
the Marlins are going to get better this year as a team. I mean
1:16:04
we saw some stuff from them last year. I think they're gonna get better.
1:16:09
Well, you can't be shipped for so long without getting good players,
1:16:12
and eventually went a little bit. I mean right, But like I think
1:16:16
Braves and Feelies are the two teams. And I picked all the division winners,
1:16:21
by the way, and I wasn't I wasn't sure on your emails.
1:16:25
Oh I'm sorry, Well let's go through them, NL West, Who do
1:16:28
you think it's gonna be? If I had to pick, I'm gonna say
1:16:30
the Dodgers. I'm gonna go with the Dodgers. Who do you have?
1:16:32
I think just by just by pure talent and just even with the Otani.
1:16:38
Can we do the story on that next week? Maybe I was gonna put
1:16:41
it in here, but I was like, man, that's that's a lot.
1:16:44
That's gonna be a discussion. It explicit. What the fuck is going
1:16:47
on with that story? It's crazy. It's such a weird. His interpreter
1:16:53
didn't go to college where he said he did, I know four and a
1:16:57
half million dollars what the hell's going his pres common today kind of like squelched
1:17:00
the rumors a little bit. It was really good, o Tani's I think
1:17:02
it was. But yeah, but still, you never want to sign a
1:17:05
guy to a seven hundred million dollar contract and be like, dude, what
1:17:12
the fuck are you doing? Like did we make a mistake, Like I
1:17:15
don't know what's happening? What the hell? Yes, it really is amazing.
1:17:21
We just need we need, definitely need more time for that story to
1:17:25
It's just I'm gonna say this right now, not only that story, but
1:17:29
there are just other stories throughout the United States that have been going on in
1:17:32
the world in general, where you can be rich, you can have a
1:17:38
lot of money, and you cannot necessarily be an intelligent person. I'm just
1:17:43
saying that there's lots of those there's a lot of those stories. Man,
1:17:48
it's just amazing. I don't know, I kind of grew up thinking that
1:17:50
just smart people. I just grew up thinking smart people, we're gonna be
1:17:55
rich and make a lot of money. No, that's not no, no,
1:18:00
anyway, all right, let's keep moving on. I wish as a
1:18:02
laidoff fella. I wish I was a fucking dummy with tons of money.
1:18:06
I know, damn it, I screw up. Yeah, I know,
1:18:11
I wish we were dummies. Well exactly, all right, al West here,
1:18:15
who do you I'm gonna pick? I'm gonna pick the Astros? I
1:18:18
think you know? Are you? You're jumping around? Ale West? Oh?
1:18:24
Did I got? Yeah? Sorry? Right? Uh yeah Astros?
1:18:29
Yeah, I think so. All right, sounds good. Well, won't
1:18:32
we stick with the A L. We'll go with the al Central Twins twins.
1:18:38
Yeah, I'm gonna go with the Twins as well. And uh,
1:18:41
let's go at the A L East Ooh, I'm thinking it's gonna be the
1:18:44
Orioles. Yep. Yes, I don't. I don't know. I could,
1:18:48
I don't know. I could see the Yankees possibly doing it. I
1:18:54
don't know. I think there'll be a wild card team. Yeah. I'm
1:18:57
hoping Yankees Oels meet in the Ales honestly, but I think the Oils do
1:19:02
it this year. I think they go to the World Series. Yeah,
1:19:04
they're so stacked. Corbyn Burns on that squad yep, there's so many young
1:19:09
guys. It's just incredible, incredible lineup. The Razor in that Division two.
1:19:15
Man, they're such a good team, which is such a travesty because
1:19:18
like everyone else in the everyone else in the AL Central is just shit.
1:19:23
Yes, I get close, like it just sucks. Yeah, all right,
1:19:28
let's get back to the NL here. NL Central. I'm gonna take
1:19:31
the Brewers here. I like the Cubs. You can take the Cubs,
1:19:35
all right, Yeah. I think they're a young, up and coming team.
1:19:39
They got a good squad. I think they're not going to make any
1:19:42
noise in the playoffs, but I like that team a lot. All right,
1:19:45
very good? Do we get through all of them? I think we
1:19:47
got through all of them, didn't we? That was it? All right?
1:19:49
Very good? All right. Well let's get into some more Phillies predictions
1:19:54
here. Regular season record predictions for the Phillies. How many games, Eric,
1:20:00
do you think they're gonna end up winning this year? I'm gonna go
1:20:03
one game below last year because why below? Or two games because we do
1:20:09
this every year. I know how many years do you and I try and
1:20:12
pick their fucking win totals. You're always I'm gonna go lower because I know
1:20:16
I was right last year. You picked ninety one in uh anyone? Yeah,
1:20:21
yes, I'm going eighty nine and seventy three. They're gonna get in
1:20:25
the wild card, doesn't matter. He wants to be the eight seed,
1:20:30
just like in the NBA. It doesn't fucking matter. Just get in,
1:20:32
like that's all. I think. I think Orioles Phillies in the World Series,
1:20:36
Oh my god, that would be so much that would be so much
1:20:40
fun. I've got them winning eighty eight games, eighty eight and seventy four
1:20:43
in the season, so we're basically right there with each other. Yeah,
1:20:46
same I And I really hope it is because it would be such a young,
1:20:50
cool team against a veteran team, and it's right on the East Coast.
1:20:56
It's it's a fucking ninety five, you know, Well not anymore because
1:21:00
yeah Ridge, geez, I know, jeez, which was a terrorist technomy.
1:21:05
I don't go down the Twitter black hole there. Oh my god,
1:21:11
Jeff. When I saw that story, I woke up. I saw it.
1:21:13
I'm like, oh no, yeah, yeah, I thought you.
1:21:17
I thought some other of my friends, and I'm like, this is this
1:21:19
is a nightmare. This is a really bad from But I think that's the
1:21:26
World Series. I think that's going to be. I really hope it is.
1:21:29
I think it's actually a realistic pick and man, what a fucking series.
1:21:32
It's going to be Burns Wheeler. In Game one in Baltimore, Oh
1:21:36
my god, fortune, Oh my god, Harper and schwar were just bombing
1:21:44
them over the what do you call it, the cal Ripken number thing the
1:21:47
building, like over the building. Oh my god. You know, I
1:21:51
didn't even think about because I was thinking for the next category and and final
1:21:57
category, the Phillies playoff predictions. I mean, you're victim World Series,
1:22:00
World Series against the Orioles. I absolutely love that. I was gonna pick
1:22:04
the Phillies to get to the World Series as well. And this isn't Homer
1:22:08
stuff, folks. We have seen what this team has done over the past
1:22:12
couple of seasons here when they get in that. I mean, that's why
1:22:15
Dave Dombrowski does not care about winning the division, because they know what this
1:22:19
team can do and how they can produce when they are in the playoffs,
1:22:24
when they can get into the postseason. Now, of course, we know
1:22:27
that last year was a complete disaster. I mean, a young Diamondbacks team
1:22:30
who was what eighty four and seventy eight. They squeezed into the playoffs as
1:22:34
the final NL wild card spot and it was an two to hole that they
1:22:40
were in in the NLCS, and they won Game six and seven in Philadelphia.
1:22:44
Just stuff that doesn't happen ended up just going their way. I don't
1:22:48
think that's gonna happen this year. This Phillies team, I'm predicting is gonna
1:22:51
get to the World Series. And I think that's a great World Series.
1:22:56
Eric, I think the Orioles could win one hundred games this year easily.
1:22:59
And I'll go back to all of our categories here. I think the reason
1:23:04
why the Phillies could get to the World Series is because in the playoffs,
1:23:09
who watched it? Starting pitching was good, bullpen was great, but it
1:23:13
was just all home runs. Yeah, and like it was just not situational
1:23:15
hitting. It was fun to watch, but like by Game five of the
1:23:21
NLCS, I'm like, this is getting ugly. I'm getting scared. Yeah,
1:23:26
like Cass hitting home runs, we're kind of fucked yeah over here.
1:23:30
But like if Bryson stott if ro has gets on basis shoreward bats do fifty
1:23:35
like this stuff we kind of talked about, that's absolutely definitely possible. Like
1:23:41
that that's going to lead to situational hitting and better actual baseball than just boom
1:23:46
bingo home runs bingo baseball. Like just yeah, I really think if all
1:23:53
the things, if only two of those like three four things happened, I
1:23:57
think that's better. It's a better situation than to get back to the World
1:24:01
Series. And I know it feels like they're going backwards World Series NLCS.
1:24:06
They should probably lose an nalts. No, I actually feel like I think
1:24:12
this team is that good and they have that they have the right chemistry,
1:24:15
Like, I think they can actually get back for real. This is not
1:24:18
Homerism. Well, and you know what I also I think would be fantastic
1:24:21
is the Braves, say, winning one hundred and four games and then the
1:24:26
Phillies just knock them right out again for a straight year. Oh, I'd
1:24:30
love it. I want the Braves to destroy the rail seasons. Yes,
1:24:33
yeah, absolutely do it again. Yes, this is gonna be a fun
1:24:40
season. This is going to be great, buddy, have anything else here
1:24:44
for our Philly season preview before we head out of here. It's going to
1:24:46
be way more fun than the sixer season. They lost the Clippers tonight when
1:24:50
I one of seven, just it just sucks balls. I'm a six Ers
1:24:57
fan, this sucks and uh and be comes back soon, but doesn't matter.
1:25:00
I mean, you're almost in the play in game at this point.
1:25:04
Go Phillies, man, Because how are the Flyers doing? By the way
1:25:08
they they where are they at? They had a last night's game. I'm
1:25:13
watching it against the Rangers, and man, they went to overtime. It
1:25:17
was it was, It was good. The It is a team that is
1:25:20
fighting. It's a young team. They're in a rebuild, but they are
1:25:25
they are contending in the Metropolitan Division. They still they're they're they're likely going
1:25:30
to get to the postseason during a rebuild, and we're finding out who some
1:25:35
of these young core players are, what they can do, what they can't
1:25:39
do. But they are fighting every single night out there, and it's actually
1:25:44
fun hockey to watch. I never in a million years at the beginning of
1:25:46
this hockey season thought that we would see this type of performance from this Flyers
1:25:50
team. I just I just didn't think that. Oh man, I have
1:25:54
to watch them. Now you might, but I'll have time because the Sixers
1:26:00
are may not make the playoffs, so I now watch him. So look
1:26:03
on the table Talk show, we talked to our good friend Sean Bernard from
1:26:06
Pickswap Media and Fox Sports Philly the Gambler and trying to find some silver lining
1:26:13
with this team, and we got into the fact that Tyrese Maxie is continuing
1:26:17
to expand his three level scoring, which which I think is really good for
1:26:23
his continued development. And he's still so young and might be one of the
1:26:28
reasons why embiid ends up staying here long term, perhaps because Tyrese Maxey and
1:26:32
how he has been developing, how he's been learning how to manipulate defenses,
1:26:36
especially you know, when the double teams come to him. It's it's been
1:26:41
a thing of beauty to watch Tyrese Maxey and it's that's basically the only silver
1:26:45
lining thus far for the Sixers here this season, well at least the latter
1:26:48
part of the season here. All right, great, we're gonna end the
1:26:53
show, folks. You got anything else, buddy before we head out here?
1:27:00
All right, everybody, Philadelphia Sports Table dot Com. That's where you
1:27:03
should go if anything happens to your podcast speed and let's go Phills and it's
1:27:09
good. Do it for us. We'll talk to you down the road.
1:27:13
Have a great rest of your week. We'll catch you next time.