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TABLE TALK: The Phillies Downward Spiral · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's going on, everybody. It's Jeff here. I wanted to
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: let you know we recorded this podcast episode on Sunday,
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: August fourth, twenty twenty four. By the time you hear this,
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: some things may have changed here or there, but we
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: hope you enjoy the show. Welcome to Table Talk here
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: at the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show, the longest running
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: weekly Philly sports podcast show in the world, eleven year strong.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: We got some great content and some great discussions coming
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: to you this week on Table Talk. Gotta get into
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: this Philadelphia Phillies team. Ah man, it has been such
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: a disappointment with where this team is at coming out
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: of the All Star Break. Disappointment after disappointment, dropping series
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: after series here, but we got a great discussion coming
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: your way, analyzing this team and where they may be
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: going in the future. Let's get to it right now.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: Joining us this week from CBS Sports. He is a
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: beat writer for the Philadelphia Eagles the Philadelphia Phillies, always
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: putting up great content and you can catch him over
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: on Twitter slash x at Jeff Kerr CBS. We got
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: the one and only Jeff Kerr. Jeff Buddy, how are
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: you in? Thanks so much? For jumping on Jeff.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: It's always a pleasure, my friend. It's the crazy time
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: of year, though I don't think i'd have an ay.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: R what exactly you know? I gotta tell you you're very humble, buddy.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: I read a tweet of yours earlier today or it
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: was a Facebook post I think where you're like, you
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: know what, I'm so grateful to be a beat writer
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: for the Eagles and now the Phillies. And I gotta say,
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: you're very humble, buddy, for you know what you do,
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: and there's a lot of folks out there who aren't.
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: And I want to thank you for taking the time
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: to just jump on our little podcast here, our table
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: talk show this week and get into this Phillies team.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: And I let's just get into it. Let's just get
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: into it, because look before we look, before we get
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: into the trades that this team has made, this team,
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: this Phillies team, dude, they keep dropping series. This is ridiculous,
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: this is incredible. We knew it was going to be
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: a tough start to the second half of the season
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: right out of the gate, facing some really good teams.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: And while I don't think I think you and I
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: kind of think the same about this, Jeff. I don't
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: think the sky is falling at this point, but like
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: I'm worried. I'm like scared, to be honest with you,
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: this team needs to get back into generating some consistent offense.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: How do they get back to that offensive consistency that
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: we saw before the All Star break?
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: And you know what, Joe, I think you and me
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: are the same in this regard to last night's game.
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: For example, the five yeah, fine, nothing lead, they blew
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: it in the sixth.
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah. We could easily go on social media and can
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: play about this baseball team, and we don't. We're like,
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: they just can't buy a whim right now. Yeah, And
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: that's my concern. It's if it's not the starting pitching band,
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: it's Jef Hoffman or you know, I'll just use the
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: Jeff Hoffin because he was the example yesterday. But it's
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: not hiving Tose Alvarado with somebody in that bullpen, and
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: the offense doesn't hit certain nights like last night you
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: got five runs out of that offense.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Yes, you should win, yes, but.
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: Friday night they all score they were down ten to nothing,
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: And it's it's a collection of things honestly, they're just
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: playing band baseball, right.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: They're gonna get out of this though, right, I mean
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: they're going to get out of this at some point.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: They all do, right, yes, they all do. All teams
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: play bad basket, bad basketball, bad baseball at some point
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: some reason. I got the sixers in the back of
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: my mind, I guess thinking about that first run right
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: now exactly geez, well, look the Phillies they made some trades,
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: you know that. So let's get into the one that
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: I think is going to be potentially really good for
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: this team. And they acquired a bullpen arm and closer,
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: Carlos Estevez from the Angels and sent two pitching process
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: was George Klassen and Samuel al Jahiri. I think is
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: Ala Harriet.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: I got so I got a funny story about that.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: Oh okay they made when they made that trade. I
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: had some people that organization laughing on like, oh, thank
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: God to trade him. Now I'll have to remember saying
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: how exactly.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: Exactly well they go to Los Angeles and look, Estevez,
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: he's having a career year two point three eight e
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: er a I believe as we are recording this and
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: a zero point seventy three whip. They this really gives
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: the Phillies bullpen. I think if he's able to continue
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: to perform a spark, a spark that they do need
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: when they clearly need given their recent struggles. What are
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: your thoughts on this particular trade and do you think
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: Carlos Estevez is really able to help this bullpen gain
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: some sort of consistency moving forward.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: Well, they'll never admit it, but this they brought this
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: guy in to be the knife and he got right.
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: Dave Dobrawski assumed it. Rob Thompson, you know he doesn't
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: like to give designated bullpen rolls. Let's not kill ourselves.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: They brought this guy in to be the closer, right yep.
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: So I'm looking at it as you got a guy
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: at the end of your bullpen that you could turn
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: to in a one run game. But again, we haven't
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: had to use him in this opportunity because the Phillies
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: have won a game. And yet I don't think it
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: was a lack of trust in Jeff hoffin the Jose Alvarado.
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: I think the Phillies look at it as we have
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: two weapons that they're probably better in the eighth than
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: they are the ninth Yeah, and that's you know, Jeff
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: Hoffin can close for this team, but I think they
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: wanted more life at the end of that boot right.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Well, my thoughts were, why do this when Jeff Hoffman
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: seems to be the more long term plan as the closer,
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: And I'm forgetting off the top of my head, what
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Carlos Estevez's contract situation is. I don't know if he's
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: going to be on this team within the next few years.
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: Jeff Hoffins at the end.
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: Okay, So like you think to yourself, Okay, are they
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: going to try to keep both of these guys moving forward?
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: Maybe just one of these guys moving forward. I hate
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: to think that we're in that mode right now of
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: already thinking about the offseason, because I want to think
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: about this season. I want to think about where this
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: team is potentially going to go in the postseason, even
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: though they keep dropping series here and I'm getting a
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: little scared in Phillies Nation is starting to crap their
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: pants a little bit. But I was thinking that Jeff
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: Hoffin was going to be that guy. I thought he
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: was going to be that closer. But maybe they're gonna
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: give Carlos Estevez the opportunity to say, hey, look, this
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: is what I can do. What are your thoughts with
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: regard to both of these guys potentially being that closer
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: down the road.
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: Well, this is where it gets tricky, right, Jeff, And
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: I'm glad you pointed all this out. Think about Jeff
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: Hoffin for a second. He's gonna be a free agent
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: this all season, I tweeted earlier this year, He's gonna
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: get paid a lot of money by somebody, whether it's
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: a film. I don't think you could keep both. I
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: think it can afford to keep both because it's baseball.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: But do they want to keep both? Maybe they go
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: the round up. Let's bring sas In here. We gave
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: up the prospects for him. He has a good year,
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: we'll bring him back. He might be a little cheaper
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: than Hoffman maybe, But they're both ss and Hoffman. They
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: were teammates in Colorado. They're both on the same track, right.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: They both weren't really closers, and Jeff Hoffin didn't really
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: figure things out till last year.
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: Maybe if Phillies are getting the vibe, Jeff Hoffman doesn't
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: know him anything.
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's a really good good take, of course,
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: a good way to look at this situation moving forward.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: But I also wanted to talk about in terms of
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: the trades. Get your thoughts on the Austin Hayes trade
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: with the Orioles. He has absolutely smashed left hand pitchers
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: this season, but of course struggling against righty's here. I
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: like how they found Brandon marsh another platoon partner without
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: really having to dip into their pool of prospects. That's
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: what I liked about this particular trade here. Do you
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: like this move and do you think Hayes gives this
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: team more than what they gave up in this trade,
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: which is Sir Anthony Dimnguz and Christian Pache, do you
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: like this trade overall and what it could potentially mean
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: to this team throughout these next few months as we're
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: even looking towards the postseason.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: I like the trade. When they made it, I'm like, okay,
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: then you know, Sir ay De Mengez, he was falling
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: down the bullpen def chart anyway, so I wasn't to
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: him as Christian Pach, I mean, look, you saw a
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: balmort all to him as if this podcast he's with
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: the Miami Marlin. So but I did like the move
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: for Hayes. Hayes was a guy that he just wasn't
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: getting time in Baltimore because they have a bunch of
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: good outfielders. I think Colton Cawser eventually took his spot. Yeah,
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: I think that was the guy who took Austin Hayes' spot.
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: But Austin Hazes is an All Star last year, so
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: you know he's a solid player. I thought he was
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: gonna put Une mcmarsh when they traded for him, and
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: then like, okay, they'll go, y'all on ro Austin center field.
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: They'll still have the defense. But now they decided to
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: turn around and say, well, we're gonna get Brandon Marsh
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: a chance to play every day in center, and we're
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: gonna give Austin Hayes a chance to play every day
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: and left, which I'm not as crazy about. I don't
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: mind it. But how many times you're gonna get Brandon
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: of Marsh's opportunity that's a great question.
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: That's a great question. There are moments when he's able
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: to come through. There are moments when he does play
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: great defense, but there's moments when he craps a bed two.
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: There really are ye.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: Know it upsets me about like I'm gonna go off
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: a tangent here. That's because I love Phillies fans. But
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: social media can bring out the worst in a sports fans.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. I think that's what it's there for.
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: How can you think about this for a second, jet
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: How can you want the manager fired every time they
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: go all losing streak, every time they lose a couple
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: of games. But on the on the reverse end, you
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: claim that same manager doesn't get doesn't have a quick trigger,
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: doesn't play a certain player against lefties, right, But he
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: did and he did have a quick trigger. And because
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: Brandon Marsh went over twenty he was like twenty four
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: for fifty twenty. It was like twenty four of his
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: fifty one at bats against lefties or strikeouts. I'm like, well,
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: you can't have it both ways, right, He's doing what you.
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: Want him to do, right, Yeah, But.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: Then you say he doesn't get a chance. No, he's
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: had a chance, He's been here, and look, I think
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: this is his last chance. I think this is for
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: Brandon Marsh is gonna be on this team. Brandon Marsh
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: is a great clubhouse guy. He smashes right handed pitching.
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: He's a really good defender to play all time three
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: outfield position. But I think the Phillies are finally figuring
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: out if this guy's going to be a platoon player
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: or this guy can be an everyday play.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: It seems they like the platoon idea. It seems that
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: that's what they like. They like that. Being wrong with that,
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: right right, there's nothing wrong with it. I'm fine with it.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: If the productivity is there. If the productivity is there
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: in terms of a strategic plan they have, then let's
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: do it. Keep doing it. Then.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: I think that was the issue with this team. They
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: thought Marriorfield was going to be the guy to patue
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: a Brandon ba exactly, and it never meticulated. I'm forgetting
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: the word already because it's been materialized. Material material Yeah, yeah,
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: it just never materialized. And they gave West and Wilson
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: the show, and Wistin Wilson's still here. Give credit to him.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: I don't think he'd be here right now, but he
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: hit enough to stay on the bench for now. But
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: you brought in Austin Hayes and you're like, Okay, this
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: is a good move for them. This should make their
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: offense better. Yeah, and again people are saying, you know,
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: this team is four twelve or four thirteen since I
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: got rid of this guy, or you know, we Maryfield
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: for example, or you or they have this record since
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: these comments, since Joel Ross, Joan Ross's comments. And I'm
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: saying to myself, well, that's all well good, but Price,
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: Harper and Trey Turner haven't hit for anything hitty.
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: Hitting one thirty at this moment together collectively since the
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: All Star breaking thirty.
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: That's going to change. It just stinks because you know it.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: It shouldn't happen to these guys, but it is happening.
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: And again they're gonna turn this thing around. They went
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: back to your first question. It's gonna turn around. It's
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: just how big is there we gonna be when it
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: turns around.
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: And that's the thing here, that is what we need
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: to really look at. And from an overall picture standpoint,
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: folks out there, that's what we need to look at.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: And a lot of that really comes down to what
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: this starting pitching I think is going to look like, Jeff,
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: because I'm starting to get even that much more concerned
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: about starting pitching seems like so far away from just
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: a couple months ago in this pitching staff was utterly dominant.
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: So I'm wondering, you know, will this team, will Rob
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: Thompson end up going to a six man rotation in
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: the future. What are your thoughts on where the pitching
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: staff is Might they go to the six man rotation?
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: We know we've got an injured Ranger Suarez and uh
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: tywand Walker who are going to be coming back at
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: some point, but what are your thoughts on where the
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: pitching staff is at here?
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: Well? Speaking of Tamla Walker, Jeff, you're a Lehigh He's
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: going to be in Lee High this week? He will
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: He's yeah, he's going to be pitcher rehab start. So
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: but yet, Yeah, they were talking about this in early
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: May when they were in the twenty nine to six stretch,
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: about potentially doing this and all this, so they know
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: this is coming. Yeah, they were prepared for this, and
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: I think a lot of it had to do with
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: their schedule and going to London, and they knew about
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: Ranger Suarez and things back in May. They knew about
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: Chrisopher Sanchez to things back in Bed. It was just
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: who was going to be the sixth s guy? Right,
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: We weren't sure who was you know, that's why they
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: put Spencer Turnbull on the shelf and put Tavall Walker
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: in there, because they said to themselves, we're killing these
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: guys Endings right now, but we can't help it. Because
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: I won Walker's heart. That's why they went with Walker
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: as long as they could. And then I think they
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: know they have to get him right, so I think
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: when he comes back, there's going to be a six
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: man rotation. But who's the six is the Tyler Phillips?
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: Till Friday it looked like it would have been.
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: But how is it?
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: Kobe?
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: Like, what a second inning? What a second inning?
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah? That's what That's another thing, Jeff. People need to
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: put into perspective. Your eighth picture is starting every fifth day.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: You're number eight guy on the death chart. That's not
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: supposed to happen, but it is. I mean, think of it.
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: Turble's technically you're six, right yep, Okay, Phillips is yourself. Well,
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry your ninth picture. Marcato was in this one.
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: That's right, Yes, that's right, and every team's tested.
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: Death is testing. But I was trying to talk people
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: at the Ledge every single month, like as bands and
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: Philly's play in July near they only lost one game
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: in the division. Yeah, but now they lost three because again,
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: they weren't going on in a six game losing streets.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: We're winning one, losing two, with one losing two. You
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: can deal with that. But now you can't buy a win.
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: They can't buy a win. They've got this West Coast
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: trip that obviously so many of us were thinking prior
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: to them going to Seattle. Okay, if they can just
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: come out of this maybe winning two series here, maybe
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: winning two series, then maybe you get this team back
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: on track. I was said on the show this past
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: week with my co host Eric, you know, if they
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: could just put together two wins in a row, maybe
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: it don't give them a spark. And it's like boy,
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: He's like yeah, Jeff, that's like the bare minimum mirror
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: that you're open for with this team. But we started
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: off this conversation, Jeff talking about how this team needs
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: to get back to some consistency here. We're hoping to
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: see it during the West Coast trip, and we're not
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: seeing it. I'm wondering for you when you're looking at
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: this team and there's so many different players, I think
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: to choose from. But which player do you think needs
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: to start stepping it up on this team? I mean
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: outside of maybe Bryce Harper and Trey Turner because we
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: just mentioned, you know, collectively, since the All Star Break,
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: they're batting around like one thirty or something. It's it's
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: an anomaly, it's ridiculous. But which player, maybe outside of them,
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: do you think really needs to start stepping up here?
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: And why?
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: I think the whole top five of the lineup really Yeah,
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: how Bone's starting to hit? That's is it? Bone doesn't
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: really fell off. The RBIs have fallen off. But again,
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: that's where I agree with the whole RBI is a
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: team stat then right, I disagree with a lot of
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: people on that, but this is where I think they're
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: right on that, because you gotta get it. If guys
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: aren't getting on base, you're not getting RBIs unless you're
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: hitting home runs, right, yep, And Bone's on a home
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: run hit. I'll tell you a guy I think that
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: needs to step up, even though he's probably seventh or
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: eighth on the list of plaints about this team. Are
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: we sure Bryce and Stott he is as good as
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: the and say.
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: Boy, you inch just whistling Dixie. I've been thinking a
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: lot about Bryson Stott over the past few weeks here.
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: And I'm one of those guys I've always given young
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: players benefit of the day. Absolutely, But we're in year
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: three right now. Yeah, and he's a two forty career hitter.
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: I don't know what that's gonna change. I'm very concerned
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: about where he's at. He uppercuts a lot, he's a
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: good defender, but outside of a couple months last year,
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: I just haven't seen enough out of the guy I thought.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: He was going to be this season, kind of one
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: of those dark horse MVP type of guys. I thought
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: he was going to be going to the All Star
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: break this year. You know, I thought he was going
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: to be, you know, winning awards out of the wazoo.
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: Because of the promise and the development that we saw
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: last year. It was going to translate over in twenty
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: twenty four. As you're saying, we haven't seen it. Is
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: he going to be that type of guy in.
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: Outside of three weeks, we have not seen it. He's
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: just been there.
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: And it's funny because they get on Johann Rojas for
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: the exact same thing yep.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: Absolutely.
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: But you know how it is, he has a song
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: and everybody likes the song, and everybody likes to live
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: up to the song. Well guess what he ain't. Everything's
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: not a okay right now? Right?
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: Yeah, So it's notice.
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: I love Brice and Stock. Great guy, great, you know,
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: he's great for the club house. He's got a good
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: head on his shoulders.
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: But sooner or later, God delivered, absolutely, sooner or later. Yeah,
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: gotta deliver again, folks. Jeff Kerr from CBS Sports at
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: Jeff KERRCBS on Twitter slash x. Check out all of
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: his content there. He's posting uh throughout the days and
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: posting his articles as well. So before I let you go, Jeff,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: I do have concerns with how losing these recent series
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: really does play into the mental game with these Phillies players,
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: players that have had what seems to be a very
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: strong sports mental health attitude over the course of twenty
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: twenty four and I'm getting concerned about that. Now. Should
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: we be worried about where this team is at mentally
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: as they're facing more and more challenges, especially on this
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: West Coast trip. What are your thoughts here?
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: You know what, Jeff, this is a good question too,
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: because I want to point out do you think maybe
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: when they went on the twenty nine and six run,
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: everything that seemed to go right for him just did it? Did?
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: Like did you expect a Mundos to basically be a
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: player of the month.
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: I know, it's bizarre.
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: Everything worked for this team no matter what. Like you
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: were getting complete game shutouts from Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: was untenable. Aaron Noah was probably your worst pitcher and
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: he wasn't even pitching band right right. It's funny how
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: the narratives are you know that though, Like Suarez is
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: like a sixty ra since I'm trying to think since
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: like mid JUO.
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: I was gonna say mid end of June probably yeah.
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: And Sanchez is probably in the fives. Yeah. It's it's concerning.
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: It is because are these guys going to turn it around?
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: And how does it do? How does their mental health,
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: the sports mental health, how is that affected by this
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: level of play? And like how does Bryce Harper and
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: Trey Turner being in such a slump, how does that project?
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: I could say it's from my own experienced, Jeff, I'm
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: a bowler, Yeah, and I know the summers kind of
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: also will be still bowl in leagues and when you're
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: not scoring, you think you got to change something.
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know when I started bowling better again, when
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: I went back to what I was doing.
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's funny.
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: How that works. Or if you get the right equipment right,
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: you know, the right bowling ball in your hand, or
• 19:51
  Speaker 2: you know, it's probably the same way with baseball. It's
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: maybe they just need to go back to basics a bit,
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: but it's a lot harder at the Major league left
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: it is.
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: So I will all to say this, and I said
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: on the show last week too, it's okay to play
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: small ball every now and again. Gets they will do
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: it runners in scoring position. There's nothing wrong with it.
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: There's nothing wrong with playing a little small ball every
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: now and then to get your head right, get the
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: team situation right, so that you can have some potential
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: success in the future.
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: I think it's bad when Pole Schwarber is the guy
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: who's kind of taking back that home run swing just
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: to get all base.
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, because remember he got into assault before we notice it,
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: because harpera Turner were down, but they weren't like this, right,
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: But Schwarter was in an over twenty so yeah, sump. Absolutely,
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: they were in Minnesota and stuff. So yeah, everybody's just
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: going through's big salt right now, Like consistent guys. You're
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: getting what you're getting now, JT. The power's out there,
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: but you're getting what you're getting. Boom has been fine. Yep,
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: you know he's been Boom, Stott's been Stopt not good,
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: Right has been Rojas right, Caslovs is doing well. Everybody
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: wants a bench.
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I know it's incredible.
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: But my favorite question to people, Okay, who you mentioned him? Well,
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: do you mention him?
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah?
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And now now you got people saying they should
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: have traded for Luis Robert. I'm like you, me and
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: the guy that was like sixty seven. Come on, so
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: if he's a clubhouse problem, yeah they'll and he would
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: cost too much, right exactly. I mean day Nebraski made
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: it clear to me last week when he was mentioning prospects.
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: These are the guys he didn't want to trade. And
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: I mentioned to our guys to sit. Yeah we think
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: highly of them too. Yeah you know yeah, so you
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: know where they stood. It's like, we're not giving up
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: these guys.
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: The last topic we got into is the mental health
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: of this team and how it's going to translate on
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: and off the field. Folks, from a fan perspective, let's
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: keep the mental health as balanced as we possibly can.
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: It stinks right now. A lot of us are scared,
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: but the team is going to write the ship. I
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: think at some point, even though we're a little scared,
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: I think things are going to get back to maybe
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: not necessarily where they were so dominant, but I think
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: things are going to get back to a point where, Okay,
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: they're playing good baseball. Jeff, I think we're gonna get
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: there at some point.
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: I think we will too. Like, and you know, I
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: keep telling people this. In two thousand and eight, the
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: Phillies had a stretch from mid June to the end
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: of August. They were thirty four and thirty four, yeah,
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: and remember they even struggled to even get that. Yeah, Like,
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: remember they got swept by Dodgers of four games, and
• 22:22
  Speaker 2: they came back and they swept the Dodgers in four games,
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: and you know, you thought everything was right again, and
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: then they couldn't beat the Mets in the Marlins. You
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: know it was then they was yeah, but then they
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: went off seventeen to seven run in September and you
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: know the rest of the storm.
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly.
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: The Mets led that division the whole way. I'm not
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: saying the Phillies are going to collapse here, but they
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: gotta get it going. And but they just have to.
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: Like you, you want to talk about a small ball, win.
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: Series, win a series, win series, win a series.
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: It just kind of get go. You know, this team
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: builds off the men right, right, so they can find
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: a way that maybe go, oh, I don't know, let's
• 23:02
  Speaker 2: and eight over their next twenty like nothing right exit
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: fans aren't going to like it, but that's how you
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: get back into things and beat the Brays and beat
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: the Mets when you play it.
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: Exactly get mentally right. I think this team can do
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: it for sure. And Jeff's gonna be writing about it
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: over at CBS Sports again at Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: or I'm sorry, at Jeff Kerr CBS on the Twitter
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: slash x buddy. It was great talking to you. Thank
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: you so much for taking the time. Let's talk to
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: it at some point down the road, and uh, just
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: thanks a lot for everything. We'll talk to you, talk
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: to you again soon.
• 23:37
  Speaker 2: We need to get cheest Saxon Jeffrey every summer, or
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: you haven't done it.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: Let's get some cheese steak. You know we both love
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: cheese steaks so much. Let's do it.
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, you know what, as divine as our country is,
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: you can unite on two things. She steaks some food.
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: There you go, cheese steaks foot Let's do it, my friend,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: let's get it done. That's gonna do it for us
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: here on Table Talk this week. Please share our podcast
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: with your friends and family members who are Philly sports
• 24:04
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• 24:08
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• 24:12
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• 24:15
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• 24:19
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• 24:22
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• 24:27
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• 24:30
  Speaker 1: next time.