Latest / The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views / The Phillies Are An Exciting Team! (PST Episode 565)
Transcript
- All right, everybody, you're listening to the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show in the world, over eleven years strong. Here we got a great show coming your way. We have got a ton of Sixers talk to start us off. Then we're gonna get into some Flyers talks in Philadelphia Union talk and some Phillies talk as well. But we're throwing down on the table this week. We got a great guest, Ethan Wittie from the Good Fight dot Com. He's going to join us for a discussion on various storylines with this Phillies team has between some pretty good things. I mean, the cup is half full when it comes to the Philadelphia Phillies. We're gonna be getting into it. I'm Jeff Warren and I'm here at my good buddy Len Hunsick or how you doing, Len? I'm good. Uh. It's I mean a little bit frustrating with the Sixers end of their season and stuff like that. But the fact that the Phillies are doing what they're doing so far, which we're going to talk about is uh is really nice to see, especially because you know it's a Phillies team that you know, we always expect to get off the bad starts because that's just what they do, yep uh, and then they kind of find themselves and this has not been that at all. Thank you by any stretch. Yeah, kind of weird to see. It's weird to see. We're going to get into some good discussions with regard to all the teams that I just mentioned. But I want to say first and foremost, Eric and I were reflecting on our our draft weekend when we get we get together for every single year, and we got together out in Elizabethtown in your your neck of the woods, and we had a great time, and I just want to say thanks for being patient with me, buddy. You had to send me back my glasses, at my sunglasses and my towel. Yeah. We had a long conversation before the show started about how Jeff forgets if it's an important, yes thing, like he remembers his keys because he can't start a car without him. But outside of that, anything's kind of fair game, Like you'll forget as whilet as sunglasses, all of it. And I'm extremely extremely meticulous, some may say anal when it comes to timing issues and just being quite frankly pretty organized with certain things. But for some reason, it's like I get so excited. I get so excited that we're all going to see each other, We're gonna have a good time that I'm like, and I had forgetting something. Weird. Thing is, you weren't like you were going home. It's not like you were Oh I can't wait to see the guys. You were you were leaving my house and then you left your stuff here. I was excited to see my family. With hesitation in my voice, I'm kidding. I love my family. Everybody knows that. But honestly, it was a great time. You and your wife you were a great host. I'll tell you the sticky buns that she got for us for breakfast that one morning. I had two and I very much enjoyed them. So anyway, thanks buddy. It was a good time. It was fun. It was fun. Oh yeah, probably was good to have you guys over, especially Dave and Jay. Was good to have them see the house. Yep. So yeah, yeah, that was a good time. All right, it's getting to some Philly sports talk here, and yeah, it stinks what happened with the sixer season. As you mentioned at the top there. Len the table talk show folks from this past week, if you want to go back and listen to it, We had a friend of the show, Troy Van Camp. He is from the Sixercents dot com. We talked about just the future and what's what's gonna happen with this team in particular. Len and I are going to get into that, but we wanted to get into some listener feedback first and foremost from Lou, and I want to say, Lou, thanks so much for taking the time to email us. All of you out there. If you want to email us about anything in the world of Philly sports, Philadelphia Sports, say about gmail dot com. We'd love to read your email here on the show like we're gonna do with Loz here and respond to it so real quick here. Lou wrote to us specifically about how the Knicks fans took over the Wells Fargo Center, something that Eric and I were talking about on the show last week. He said, Hey, guys, love the show lately, He goes, I blame the seventy six ers for the Knicks fans takeover. The team tried to force this year's season ticket holders who bought their season tickets so they would be able to go to these games to buy next year's season ticket plan in order to get this year's playoff seats. A lot of crap, a lot of like corporate crap. Obviously, Lynn going on here right with that first paragraph, and Eric and I kind of touched on it a bit last week. Anyway, as I proceed here with this email, it was an a hole move by the team and it backfired. And then he went into we got this email, folks, just to let you know last Thursday. He said, Now for Game six, they're asking if they are coming to support the home team. How dumb are the people in this organization is? If people won't just lie about it, how about asking some trivia only people from Philadelphia or the surrounding areas would would know. Get the questions right, you can buy a ticket. Get it wrong. Sorry, Next caller, Lou, Lou, thanks so much, buddy for the feedback here over email and lend. Yeah, it really was pretty disgraceful how many Knicks fans were in attendance down in Philadelphia consistently within the series, the series that only lasted six games. But it was kind of pathetic, and you know, you kind of you kind of kind of blame that on the seventy six ers organisation. It's themselves. Yeah, I mean, look at the end of the day, like they're gonna say, oh, we want this home court advantage and all this stuff. They're a business like like any other business. They're they're just interested in making money. And I'm talking about the the corporate tier, the Josh Ariss of the organization. Who who's I mean, man, Josh Iris is just one of those I just lukewarm is just the in milk toast. Milk toast is good, you know, or just like birds that come to mind when I think. And I saw him, I think at Game six on TV, just sitting there at court side, and I was like, this guy's face just always looks like he's constipated to me, I just so I he's and he's just a guy that you know, you just imagine a dead fish handshake and just like, yes, I know this guy has made a ton of money and he's way more successful than than I'll ever be. Yeah. Yeah, but but it's just like I don't he doesn't strike me as a winner, and so I don't know that he's capable of putting forth a winner, you know, I don't you know, his best shot might be the New Jersey Devils in hockey and and Commanders fans get ready. It is all I'm gonna say, because I I just I don't see an organization with him as your as you're at the top of it. I just the guy does nothing for me. Ye, he honestly doesn't. And you know, look, they they sell those they put tickets on the on the secondary market, so they sell them to those two like the stub hubs I guess of the world and things like that, and yeah, people are gonna buy them, and people that get priced out of Knicks games. You know, it's not like it's Nicks versus Orlando, where New York people would have to travel all the way down the coast. I mean, it's it's the next city down basically an hour and a half, two hours. Yeah, so it's nothing for them to get down here, and they're paying a fraction of what they would pay to sit in the worst seats in MSG. So what do you expect? I mean, honestly, like you need to, I lose idea of the trivia thing I think is really cool considered that previously, I think it's a great thing. So yeah, I put most of the blame on on the on the organization. I do think that there's a certain just like lack of belief anymore because it's always been either second round most times or first round in the round. Like nobody, I think actually believed that they were going to make a run in the playoffs. I thought maybe they would, you really I did. I mean, I remember, seriously, I remember the same story every year. I know, two weeks before the season ended, though, I mean Eric and I were talking on the show about how they had a good path and potentially a good path, and the way that things were heading toward the end of the season. Again, last two weeks of the season, that final stretch, it's like, Wow, they've got some momentum here, They've really got some momentum. And then of course, you know you've got you've got your best player and one of the best players in the world playing on one leg. Bell's palsy. You know, he can't, he can't, he can't see out of one eye basically, and it's like it's like, of course this happens. Of course it's gonna happen. I mean, and that's the thing, and it's not it's not in Bead's fault. I mean, he had the elbow to the face in the Toronto series years ago. Like there's always and again it's gonna sound like I'm blaming him. I'm not, because it's not his fault, but it's just there's always something happening to him. I mean, I I've never seen a player with worse injury luck, you know, I mean freaking Bell's palsy. I mean, what what else have you? We were talking about the most random thing, yep, a guy can can come down with, Like, have you ever one heard in the NBA. I've never even heard that. Yeah, Like the only thing I think of when I think of Bell's palsy is Jim Ross, the WWE announcer, like that, That's what. So I was like, what what? How? Like? I just so I don't know, I just I'm at the point with the Sixers and I don't think I'm alone in feeling this and that. Okay, there's always going to be something that happens to MBID and they're always going to have just not enough and it's going to be the same relatively early exit in the playoffs every year. I think that that is kind of the expectation around Philadelphia and the and there's gonna be people like you that I genuinely believed. But I think I think a lot of this fan base at this point is like, all right, guys, show us. I mean, until you actually do it, until you actually at least win the East. We're not even saying win a championship. When the Eastern Conference make it to a finals. Yeah, you know, what do you expect us to? You know, just year after year after year believe it? And it's like, you know, all right, show me. And I think that's where a lot of that comes from with with with the Sixers fans, and maybe there was some appathy there. And I said it in the text thread, I I don't think Philadelphia is as mean as it used to be, or as mean as the national media would have you believe. I mean maybe maybe Eagles games, you know that I would have some trepidation if I was an opposing fan. But it's it's not like the seventies and eighties anymore. It's actually not like it's, yeah, it's a kinder, gentler time. I guess I don't know it absolutely is, but yes, I just yeah, the big bad Philadelphia fan. I don't think that's a thing anymore. I you know, it's becoming less and less. I wonder, and maybe this is a topic for another show. And that's not necessarily a bad thing either, by the way, I'm not exactly we're not saying, you know, sending the goons anymore. Yeah, but but yeah, so I want to clarify that. But I do think that that thing of like, you know, guys, they're not that bad. They're not you know, they're not gonna you know, rip us to bits. You know, there'll be the talking like there always is at any sport, but you know, it's a you know, it's a it's a road game. It's not that big a deal. Yeah. So yeah, I so I think there's less of the fear than there probably has been pretty good reasons. Absolutely, And that's a good topic for another conversation, you know, like where is the Philadelphia sports fan base right now in terms of like what its identity is. I think that's actually something for us to talk about down the road. I'd love to do that at some point. But yeah, but in terms of the Sixers talk here, I mean, like it's back to retooling here, you know, building around Embiid and Maxie. If Embiid is still going to be here, said on the Table Talk Show this past week line, I don't like, I don't even have the bandwidth at this point to go through the pros and cons of EMBIID. I'm sure we're going to be talking about it a lot more, but it's just like you were saying, it's just the same stuff over and over. Year after year. You have one of the best freaking players in the league and embeed. We've seen what Tyrese maxey is can be, how he's developed over these years. I mean even his defense this year continued to improve. The guy continues to improve. And you know what, look, whether or not that you know, whether or not Paul George and those talks and those rumors at this point is gonna manifest itself. I said on the Table Talk show. I'm kind of like indifferent maybe to Paul George at this point. It's like, yeah, it's like, hey, I kind of throw out my arms. I'm like, okay, bring them in. But like at the end of the day, I don't know, yeah, I I I don't know, he's another guy. He just like, I just I don't know, like when you look ahead to the offseason, they've got all this money that's available. Yeah, I mean they they they're you know, maybe they give Maxie a you know, a max deal this offseason, which he desives at this point. Ye You're you're paying embiid, which you know, fine is you know that's you know, nothing wrong with that. But but I mean, uh, you know, mister Softy's contract came off the books after his goose egg, you know, thirty nine million a year for Tobias Tarris for for scoring as many points as you or I did in Game six. Yes, so yeah, that money. And I heard that Maury you know, at the press conference yesterday or whatever it was, so that he thinks Tobias Harris can be part of a championship team. You he cannot at any dollar figure come back. You you just can't read the room if you bring this guy back. I just you can't. No. But anyway, you look at who's out there, I don't know, there's there's not like a oh my god, they got to sign that right like that. That free agent isn't out there. So it's like you finally have all this cat room, and there's nobody exciting to spend it on. I mean, to me, Daryl Morey is going to have to work some kind of trade to get somebody that we didn't think was available exactly, you know too, and and you know, you look at the names that could be out there, like I heard, you know, oh, could they do something to get you know, Paul George that does nothing for me? Could they could they maybe get Kevin Durant, if Phoenix, you know, you know, if something happens there. I mean, that would have excited me a lot more five years ago exactly. Like I've even heard like you know, oh this lebron James gonna leave La Oh maybe Bronni's gonna come to Villanova. I mean, come on, I don't I just I don't see it. So I mean I'm interested to see gonna happen. Uh what the composition this seems going to look like? But I just short of somebody that I'm just not thinking of that's like in their actual prime, getting fed up with where they're at and wanting a change. I don't know who they're going to bring in. This genuine only going to excite people, like even the Jimmy Butler rumors. It's like, yes, I mean I love Jimmy Butler, and you know, a couple of years ago when he was with the team, I was all about it. But like, but he's thirty four, it's been a few years. So it's just like, I don't know, there's nobody out there that genuinely excites me. I mean, Paul George is a nice player, but I mean, I don't know he he seems like he disappears. Yeah, sometimes, absolutely absolutely so, Well, we'll get out of it more. We'll get into it more down the road. They're gonna who they're gonna get, but I don't know who's even exciting out there exactly. We'll get into it more down the road, folks. But moving along with our discussion here, Lenn, the Philadelphia Flyers were certainly gonna talk about the fact that they are officially locked into the number twelve overall spot in the NFL draft. But before we get to that, really wanted to just like, I really want to just reflect on a former Flyer who announced his retirement this past week. Hockey World is saying goodbye to Jacob Vorichek, and just wanted to really, really quick just talk about like what what he meant to the team and the organization for when he was here, because so many of us loved him, so many of us loved him. I remember back in June twenty eleven, it was the day before the entry Draft. The Flyers made three blockbuster roster moves on that day. That's where they acquired Brisgallo from from the Coyotes, and they later acquired they traded Mike Richards away if you remember, and to get center prospect Brayden schen and then that's where they ended up trading Jeff Carter to Columbus in exchange for Jacob Vorchek, the eighth overall pick in the twenty eleven draft that year as well, and in Vorcheck, I mean, he had I just loved watching him on the ice, man, I really loved watching him on the ice, and like his his breakout season. What was what was it twenty thirteen fourteen? Maybe I'm trying, I'm trying to remember, but probably twenty fourteen fourteen, twenty fifteen, Yeah, almost a point of game player, eighty one points in eighty two games. Yes, yes, I think he tied in terms of points. Alexovechkin for fourth in the NHL and scoring race that that year. So it was just I loved his time here in Philadelphia. And yes, by the by, by the end of his tenure here, you know, he still had some gas left in the tank, but they let him go. But it was I really enjoyed watching him play hockey down at the Wells Fargo Center. It was really nice to watch Jacob Vorchek and just as many contributions to the game of hockey, buddy. So I didn't know if he had any reflections. I just wanted to throw it out there. It's just interesting to me because he mentioned like, and I kind of forgot about those deals. Just I mean, you think of, Okay, Carter and Richards, those are those are our two guys you know, are going forward with and they that one and they traded them both on the same day. I remember it, yep. And it was just like, what like they're I mean not that you know, you didn't know if the trades were good or bad or whatever, but it's just like, oh my god, they're blowing up. They're they're taking the two most recognizable faces on this team and trading and they are literally blowing up this team and those trades, the the one that you mentioned with Carter nonted them, Jacob Worchek, and then another guy who was recently in the news because he came back and retired as a flyer, the Mike Richards deal got them Wayne Simmons and Simmons. So I mean that was like, you know, okay, two big names going out, and those were you know, vor Check and and Simmons were you know, young guys at that point. I think Worcheck was a little bit more established, and it was a guy that had you know, a fifty point season and uh and and it's uh and the forty point season you know, in the seasons leading up to that, but and I think Simmons was probably a little bit less established. Those two became cornerstones for for those Ye Drew teams. I mean those were basically his two right hand uh, you know, two right hand men right there. Yeah. Well but really quick too, I think, yeah, the eighth overall pick of that twenty eleven draft Sean Cotorie. Yeah, yep, yep, yeah, So I mean, yeah, those were those were building blocks for that team. I mean, and it's funny because now we're in a now we're inn and we'll talk about this shortly. But now we're in a spot where it's like, okay, you know, where are they going to acquire top end talent at you know, how how is this going to happen? And you know, maybe it's some kind of hockey trade like that that you know, maybe Danny Breer has to do something like that to kind of you know, bring in talent and and try to you know, get this this next era of flyers hockey and perhaps contention you know, started by getting some people in here. So it's kind of comes around in an interesting fashion. But I'll remember before I checked for you know, obviously being kind of you know, the second or third wheel on the team, depending on where you put him in the hierarchy, you know, just beyond Drew or behind Drew, but also always him, uh, just it seemed like for sport and for fun, he really enjoyed just blocking people on Twitter. I remember that was a big thing for a check. It's like he hit the drop of a hat. He just blocked and a lot of people were just like, I didn't even I he just blocked it. I didn't even have an interaction with him. I don't know why he blocked me. So there was a lot of that. Yeah, just randomly picking strange people, you know, and blocking them out of the fan base. So that that was. That was always fun to read it when people are like, I didn't even talk to the guy, what happened? So yeah, yeah, that was that was always good. I mean he was a good player. He was a really good player for the Flyers. Yeah, he had a good career. I mean you're looking at eight hundred and six career points over fifteen years, you know, a thousand games in the NHL. I mean, that's nothing to sneeze at at all. He was a good player absolutely. Well, like you said, Len, we're moving in a new direction and another direction with this rebuild in terms of this Flyers team, and as I mentioned earlier, they officially are locked in at the number twelve overall spot in the draft after zero change, zero changes were made into twenty twenty four NHL Draft lottery, not a single one, you know. Amazingly enough, San who is a Sharks, ended up winning the twenty twenty four NHL Draft lottery, with the Chicago Blackhawks. Of course, Chicago and then Anaheim Ducks following behind round out the top three. Essentially, I guess len Flyers are out of the running for a truly elite talent, I would say, barring any unforeseen change, unless the team moves up all within this draft. But I'm actually trying to look at things here from more of a glasses half full perspective. The Flyers won by not losing because there was a chance they could have moved back to either the thirteenth or fourteenth overall pick. So I'm looking at this like, all right, they didn't you know, they stayed where they were at. But I mean, at the end of the day, it's gonna get Danny Briere in the front office, plenty of time to zero in on some of the prospects that they've already been scouting. Consta Hellanis is out there, Cole Eiserman, couple prospects that they've been looking at. So where they decide to go with this number twelve pick, it's going to be pretty important for the future of this team. And what's going to happen is they're laying the foundation in the building blocks here. So I don't know, of course, it's like, yes, they weren't going to move up to the number two spot. It's like, it's not gonna happen. We're not gonna get that lucky and it didn't happen. So I don't know what are your thoughts here. I mean it from you know what I've been reading about the draft. You know, it's it's decent at the top and it does go you know, maybe twelve to fifteen guys deep. So so they're in that spot where they can get a good player. I mean, they'll get a good player. I think I don't see them, you know, getting and look, who knows. The NHL draft is a little bit of a crap shoot. So you know, maybe they maybe they pick somebody that that kind of, you know, outshoots what their projection was as a prospect, and they have to hope that happens because you're you're picking down in the twelve spot. This is why, you know, there was a segment of the fan base me included, it was like, you're you're pushing to not to barely, you know, miss the playoffs, Like what what are we? Why are we trying to make a playoffs this year? You're not there yet. I still don't know where they're going to get a number one center from I still don't know where they're going to get a number one defenseman from you. You need to pick high to get those guys, yes, not twelvelf. So I mean we're just gonna keep kicking the can down the road. Here is what I'm afraid of. And like, so there are some guys that interest me. You mentioned Helenius, a guy like Carter Yakimchuk defenseman, But it's just like, Okay, are these guys you know or whoever they draft, is this person going to rise up to be more than just a middle six forward, which the Flyers already have like twenty of yeah, or a second pair defenseman, which is it just feels like everybody on the Flyers, you know, outside of maybe connect Me you could consider a top line player on bad teams. I mean Connecting is a good player, but like, I don't know, it just feels like it's all, you know, the ceiling for the Flyers players is middle six or second pairing. Like they don't ever get stars. It's just those guys, and you can't know. Maybe you can back into the playoffs with a team of those guys, but you're never gonna go anywhere. So yeah, it's just like if you really, really really want to contend for a Stanley Cup someday, you know, you can have all the grit and heart and do all the little things the right way you want to do. But man, eventually you got to get some talent, and I mean elite, top end talent. And I just don't know how they're gonna do it. I mean unless brier you know, unless say they draft somebody and that everybody missed on and that can happen, or Brierre does some kind of trade, you know, who knows. I just don't see where they're getting these exactly. Well, that's the that's the thing. It's interesting. I read a tweet earlier today from our good friend of the show, Jamie Bascal from Flyers Nitty Gritty dot com, and he tweeted out, Danny Brierre is very secretive, but in a good way. He's had Mitchkov in voorhe's before done secretly. These next few weeks can have huge ramifications for the upcoming season, especially if Mitchkov does indeed play here. Brier is swift. The fact that you know Jamie's talking, and Jamie's really tied in to the organization in terms of his reporting and his relationships with folks. I mean, I don't think see, Danny Brier is not the GM that we've been used to. And I think, you know, during his first uh you know, during his first like year and a half here wherever, you know, however long it's been, he's been pretty damn effective so far. You know, he's been very, very calculating, and I think that bodes well for what he may possibly do. And I think to going to what you said, Lenn, maybe there is a trade on the horizon, Maybe there is some sort of acquisition that he's really looking at. Maybe he will trade future first round picks to bring in some more quote high end talent, whoever that may be. But I'm having trust in Danny Brierre right now based on what he has done thus far as GM. He hasn't he hasn't killed this team by any stretch of the imagination like Chuck Fletcher did. I'm trusting Danny Brier that he's got something up his sleeve and they're gonna be working on some things behind the scenes, like Jamie was talking about, possibly secretly to get this team where it needs to be over the course of the next couple of seasons well, and we'll see where he is. I think of Frere as a as a very competent GM. I'm not going to say he's a magician like I mean, if he's going to pull some stuff off to get some truly elite people in here, that that makes him a magician in my eyes. But I think he's a competent GM, which he's got such a low bar to clear to to get past the previous couple regimes here as far as general managers go. I mean, he really doesn't have to do much to be better than Hextall or Chuck Fletcher at all. Yes, but you know, we'll we'll see, we'll see what kind of team they build. You know, I don't know. I just I don't know where it's going to come from. I mean, I hope Jamie's right. I follow Jamie on Twitter. I tend to think that he is always Sonny in his in his opinion, very optimistic. Yes, perhaps one of the most optimistic people I've ever seen on any topic on Twitter. Yeah, it's the point where like sometimes I go, you can be slightly critical sometimes, dude, It's okay, Yes, it's not gonna be so so yeah, but yeah, so we'll see. I hope he is, as you know, kind of sneaky and you know, got you know, irons in the fire, as Jamie says, he is, I truly do. But you know, I gotta see it, you know, we'll see what happens. Yeah, we'll see what happens for sure. Well, we are gonna take a quick break in a bit here. But if you're new to listening to the show, subscribe on whatever podcast platform you're on. Anything happens to your feet out there, you can always head on over to Philadelphia Sports Table dot com. We've got all of our shows over there. We'd love to hear from you over email as well. Shoot us off an email like Lou did Philadelphia Sports Table at gmail dot com. We'll read your email here on the show and respond to it. Follow Len on Twitter slash x at Len Hunsicker. You can follow me at Jeffrey Underscore Warren in the show at Philadelphia PST. I'm on threads as well at mister jeff Warren. You can follow the show on threads as well at Philadelphia Sports Table. Let's take that break. We'll be right back, all right, We are back, Len glad to have you on because we're gonna get into some Philadelphia Union talk here. Haven't done that. Haven't done this at a little bit with Eric being on the show. But this team, they're in the middle of the pack in the MLS Eastern Conference yet I mean, they had a great comeback win against DC United this past weekend. Just kind of wanted to get our thoughts on where this team is at here this season. And I think the one theme for me when you know following this team what they've been doing this season, they consistently have been digging holes for themselves early in games, and they got to dig out of them holes. And it's not easy at all. In fact, Jim Curtin said, and I quote him saying, I need to stop talking about the slow starts because to keep happening, we dig holes for ourselves. Takes a lot of effort to chase a game physically and emotionally, it takes a lot. But this group has heart and it takes a lot of character to come back. So I mean, it really sounds like Jim Curtin's kind of doubling down on this group of guys and the talent that he has out on the field. But look, yes, they dig holes for themselves. But he's also saying too, and I think we do see it that the team does have heart. You know that we're seeing that come through game after just about game after games. So that's one of the themes I've been seeing a lot of other Union fans have been seeing with this team. I don't know, what are your thoughts about where they're at right now and maybe what they need to do down the road. Yeah, I mean, and they do. I mean that that's it feels like that's the template Philadelphia Union game this year is you know, they they you know, they come in, they get down and get behind, and then it feels like like with the DC game where they tied, they had a to two draw, you know, they need a goal like late to come back and even tie, Yeah, to get back and just get a get a point. So, I mean, at some point you'd like to see them get off the better starts. I don't know why that has been such a thing this year with this team, with getting off and you know, getting the jump on teams. They are for reasons I can't put my finger on, they cannot get the jump on teams this year they're constantly playing catch up and you can only do that for so long, so they have to do something different here. I will say, uh, you know, I don't know if you if you watch the match against DC, but that goal by McGlenn, by Jack McGlenn to tie it to you know, it was like felt like it was like twenty twenty five feet out at the at the top corner of that goal. And I was watching the broadcast on on the season the season pass that I have, and the commentator said it perfect. Was like there is not a there is not a goalkeeper in the world that could have saved that shot. Yeah, it was. It was put in a perfect place, like there was. I mean, that was the nicest goal I've seen in I don't know how long, but it was like I was watching it and just like, h God, these guys have no life. And he uncorked that. I was like, God, damn, that's a nice goal. So yeah, we'll see what happens here against Orlando. You know, that's a team that is struggling this year. Orlando is next to last in the East, so that that's a that's a match where they should hopefully be able to kind of get out early and get on top of Orlando and and get some much needed points here. Yeah, it could be get right game for them, and that's what they need. Yeah that they desperately need that. So that's coming up on the eleventh here at seven thirty, and we'll see what happens. But yeah, they it would It would be an step in the right direction if they can just pounce on Orlando and just get an emphatic win and let's kind of get moving here. Absolutely, let us know what you're thinking about this union team. If you want Philadelphia Sportstable at gmail dot com, we'll read your email here on the show and respond to it. Gonna be hopefully talking some union talk on our table talk show within this next few weeks here, that's the hope for sure. Len. Before I let you go, buddy, I wanna get into this Phillies team with you. They have the best record in baseball as of us recording this and for a good reason. You know why, because they're a pretty good team. They're a pretty good team from what we're seeing. And look, I'm gonna talk to our guest this week, Ethan Witty from The Goodfight dot com and just a little bit and he and I are gonna get into this narrative. We're gonna start off the discussion. I wanted to talk to you specifically about this. It's this damn narrative of these naysayers. Oh, they haven't played anybody yet. You know, this way, you're winning easy games. Look ninety plus if you if you want your team to win ninety plus games in Major League Baseball, you gotta beat bad teams too. You know, all teams do it. You know, you beat teams that you're supposed to beat, and then the challenging games against teams that are good. You know, it makes sports fun. It's at least it's supposed to be fun. So I'm so tired of the narrative len that, oh, they're just beating teams like, you know, the Giants, and it's like, oh my gosh, these naysayers at times, this is what should be happening. This is what the Phillies should be doing. They're doing a damn good job of it. And are they, by any means the best Major League Baseball team ever here in twenty twenty four. It remains to be seen, but they're a pretty damn good team. And I'm tired of people kind of just giving them the brush off, saying, oh, they haven't played anybody. I don't know. I could keep going on, buddy, I don't know. What do you think about it? I mean, I don't I don't know in terms of like I'm not an expert on the on the MLB schedule. In terms of like balance, I mean, I'm assuming, please, everybody don't play the same play the same teams in the same you know, the number of division games and so on and so forth. Maybe you get, you know, the same number of games against these teams in this division or those teams in that division. So eventually it's all going to even out in the wash. Everybody's gonna going to play, you know, pretty much balance schedules, I would think. So yeah, I mean, okay, if they are playing, you know, teams that aren't as good, who cares. They're banking wins right and and and if you and cool bank them now, and if you get to the point where they do cool off a little bit, they're still in a good spot. I mean, you know it. You know, whether you play bad teams in April or the play bad teams in July, you're still gonna play bad teams like yeah, and then when you play them, then you do what you have to do to beat them, simple as that. I you know, that's it's a it's a weird argument. I had not heard that. Oh really, you haven't seen that on Twitter? Because I know you do get on Twitter and stuff. I've seen it, I do, but yeah, I hadn't really. I don't know who's saying it. I hadn't really seen it, to be honest with you. But yeah, I mean, yeah, you're everybody's going to play those teams eventually, so don't worry your your team, whoever you root for, is going to play him to Let's see if you beat them, because the Phillies did you know so? I I yeah, it's a weird thing to me. I mean, the Reds are a good team. They split with them on the road, so you know they they went out on the road and swept the Padres. I don't know off the top of my head what the Padres record is, but you know, still you're going on the road in these team stadiums and beating them. I mean, but what do you want them to do? They're doing what they're supposed to do, right, exactly. It's just a narrative that just absolutely was killing me. But at the end of the day, it's fun. It's fun to watch this team right now. I have been enjoying Phillies baseball. It has not been right out of the gate, just a slow start necessary. I mean, we did have a little bit of a slow start, of course with the offense. But things are really clicking for a lot of different players. You know, things are clicking from a defensive perspective with certain players. You've got Alec Boehme, who I mean is a very very good third basement at this point. What a hell of a story he has. It's just fun watching this team now, Lenn, I've really been enjoying just putting them on my TV and just watching some damn good baseball. He's their best player, Yes, yeah, I mean, yeah, he's been dible to watch. I think you're looking at I mean, you know, he's got to keep it up, but I think you're looking at an All Star this year. Maybe Harper get you know, gets in there. I'm sure, you know. Look, if they're still in first place, they're gonna have multiple All Stars. But yeah, he's having, hands down, his his best year. He's coming into his prime and he's becoming that guy that you know, we hope that he could be when he was the third pick of the draft. So yeah, he's been. He's been a revelation this year so far. All right, buddy, Well, why don't I let you go here? And uh, I'm u wait, well, I'm seeing your face here, I'm actually seeing your face. I yeah, I think when I had the phone up to my fat head, I maybe hit a button. So yeah, that that's what that is. All right, I'm gonna let you go, buddy, any final thoughts before I let you out here? No, let's let's uh, let's send this on this note. All right, sounds good. We're gonna take a quick break here, folks. We will be back in just a bit. All right, we are back. Let's get to what we're thrown down on the table this week. We got a lot more Phillies talk coming to you. We got a great guests what we're thrown down on the table and now on the table. He is the supreme blog lord over at the good fight dot com. You know, we love the goodfight dot com, great esp nation site, and does a lot of great work over there. As a writer and contributor, of course, and you can follow him on the Twitter slash x at Ethan Underscore Witty. We've got the one and only Ethan Witty. How you doing, buddy, Always going to be back, Jeff. I appreciate you taking the time, my friend, especially as we are wanting to get into this Philadelphia Phillies team, a team that is just a quote killing it right now. You know, who knows what's gonna happen in the future. It's a long season, for sure, but I wanted to start off on one particular topic with you before we like get into this actual team. I gotta be honest to Ethan, Like, I'm getting so tired of folks talking about how the Phillies haven't played quality teams. That's why they're winning games. It's why they're the best record in Major League Baseball. Look, ninety win teams in baseball have to play good teams, and they have to play crappy teams too. It's how you play against all levels of talent in Major League Baseball that makes you a good team or a bad team. The Phillies they're beating up on teams that aren't all that good as they should that they're a good team. The Phillies are so anyway, I just wanted to get your thoughts on this narrative. You know that they're not beating quality teams at this point, and we can't anoint them as a great team or anything, or even a good team. It's the only reason why they have the best record in baseball because they haven't played anybody. What are your thoughts on this narrative. The narrative is silly because of the new schedule that has been released a couple of years ago. Everyone's gonna play everyone, so what does it matter when it happens? Yes, well, what's the big deal? As long as everyone's playing the same teams. It's no longer like this year. You know, we play the Ale West and next year you play the Ale Central. You're all playing the same teams during the year. The Braves are gonna play these same teams at some point. It's just there. The af Phillies are the ones that are playing them now, so they didn't make the schedule, And what's the big deal? Would you rather them beat them now? Doesn't matter if they beat them now or beat them in September? Does it particularly matter exactly. As long as as long as they're winning the games, who cares, It doesn't matter because in the end, let's say, you know, they win ninety two games, doesn't matter how they got to ninety two, not particularly the matter, Well, the matter is that they got to ninety two exactly. I like that they're beating these teams early. I do like that they're on the schedule early because I think there's something to be said for when you're winning team, or when you're winning games, even if it's against crappy teams, you have some sort of momentum. It helps with your sports psychology. It helps with where your mental frame of mind is. I think as you're moving forward along with the season, confidence, all of that plays a part. I think into this, uh schedule, and I think there's something to be said for that. But like you said, you gotta play all the teams. Who cares why you play them and win? Yeah? And it's good too because it's helped the pitchers have been amazing. Yes, it's helped them to get on track. You know, the offense has been up more up than down lately. You know, at the beginning of the year, everyone was concerned they weren't slugging, they weren't hitting home runs. But then you play the teams that you're supposed to slug and hit home runs against, and they started to do that. That's what you're supposed to do when you play those teams. Yes, they call them, they call them like get right Series, you know, for the you're supposed to get in there and get yourself right. And shockingly enough, that's what good teams do. They play the get Right Series and they get right. I mean, the Phillies are a good team. They're a good team, Yes, they absolutely are. We're gonna ask the question at the end of this conversation whether or not they can be considered a great team. But we're gonna get to that in a bit. But I want, I want to really focus on a piece that you recently wrote over at the Good fight dot com about Trey Turner, how he's likely out for about six weeks with that hamstring strain and injury. This obviously has altered some things within the lineup. Of course, I'm wondering, Ethan, how do you see Trey Turner's injury possibly affecting this team until his return, even whether it's from a positive or even a negative standpoint as well. What are your thoughts. I think for them, it's gonna affect them more offensively than defensively. I think if you think about defensively, they'll be fine. I think for about a month month and a half, you know you're gonna put either sos or stock there, and are you really losing a whole lot? I don't think so. You know, all the metrics have kind of grated Turner as average to maybe even a tick below. So as long as you're getting the same production defensively, I see no issue. It's gonna be offensively. Yeah, he's probably their best athlete, you know, as far as power speed hitting for average, He's able to do all that and get you to take his take his walks when he needs. They don't have anyone else that can really do what he can do, and losing him between Schwarber and Harper, it's gonna be an issue in a little I can see them getting through this week. Maybe, you know, when they go against New York and against Miami, they'll probably be fine. But I can see once the quote schedule gets tougher, as everyone's talking about, I can see it start to become a problem. I don't think ed Mundo Sosa is an everyday player, right. I would much rather they stick defensively with Stott at second because he was a goal glove finalist second. I hate to see you weaken two positions rather than just one. Yes, I think Sosa can handle it. I don't mind Stott going to shortstop two or three times a week, but I would much rather he stay there. I'm not a believer in wit Merrifield. I just don't think he hits the ball hard enough to really make an impact. It's gonna be offensively where it's gonna hurt. Yeah, I think I like where you're going with Edmundo. So, like you said, not an every day player by any stretch of the imagination. And I know batting averages and everything, but at this point two seventy six batting average, his on base percentages at three twenty three, his ops is at seven thirty six. I mean, these aren't terrible numbers by any stretch. And I think that he could potentially fill a role every now and again. Again, not every single day like you were saying, but I think he could be a key component to making sure the offense stays afloat while Trey Turner's out with this injury. And I think that's really all you're looking for. Yeah, you know, he'll give you a good He'll give you a good two three weeks. You know, he's not an everyday player, so he might drop off a little bit. And that's fine because he's not an everyday player. You're not asking him to step in and be Trey Turner because there's nowhere on the roster who can. Yeah, what you're really looking for is heen guys around the lineup, the guys who are being paid the bigger paychecks, all right, they need to step up a little more. Absolutely, those are the ones you're really counting on to pick up the bulk of the missing offense I think coming up. So I'm fine with Sos and Merrifield whatever they want to do. You know, they're smarter people than us in charge. Very true, at least met I'm totally I don't think it's a season killer. I really don't. My only thing is with hamstrings, you just never know when they're gonna pop back up. Yep, that's the biggest thing, you know. I would rather he take the six weeks whatever, get it. Completely healthy. They'll be totally fine. They've built up a nice little cushion they bank some wins where if they get a little cold, if it gets a little rough, they'll be fine. It'll be totally fine. All right, Well, let's get into some pitching here. The Taiwan Walker Spencer Turnbull storyline may continue well into the future as we look at what this situation is here. While Tywan Walker has seen some early successes, he was squeezed back into the rotation Ethan. You know, we saw some we saw some damn good pitch, and of course from Turnbull here in twenty twenty four. I think there's a balance that Rob Thompson and the staff need to really take with this situation. Sure, if Taiwin Walker starts to falter at all, what do you make of this situation? What what does your crystal ball there in front of you say about how you think of this is all gonna play out long term? In terms of this season with these two pitchers, I think it's a great problem to have to have six starters that are major league quality. You know how many teams right now would really like to have that, Even you know, you're for whatever, five hundred million dollar LA Dodgers would probably love to have this problem right now, but the Phillies have a great thing on their hands. I think they're handling it exactly as they should. I think Turnbull needs to go back to the bullpen for now, yeah, because they have to watch his innings. I mean, as I look, the last time he threw any even over sixty innings was in twenty nineteen, and that's five years ago now. When he actually was able to throw more than sixty innings in a season, that's you can't just throw them back in and expect one hundred and fifty innings. It's reminiscent of Matt Strom last year. He came out gangbusters as a starter, but then you could see him just getting tired in the middle of the season. He hadn't thrown and the Phillies were able to watch his innings and put him in a role where all of a sudden, Matt Strom was probably your second or third best reliever in the playoffs last year, and he was really good, and he's continued that success into this year. I think Turnbull, from everything we've seen publicly, is on board with the plan because he's winning he's in a good spot to pitch. He's in a good spot right now where he knows any little bit of you know, faltering by someone in the rotation and he might go right back. And the team has been so conservative with pitcher injuries in the past few years because of the importance that they play that if somebody feels like a little something in their elbow, they're going out for two weeks and that's just that. And then you've got Turnbull that can you know he wouldn't step right back and and throw six to seven innings again, he's there, and you've got someone to turn to in that meantime, which they when was the last time that's happened? Exactly exactly. It's a really good problem for this Phillies organization to have. Man, it really is well sticking with pitching here Ethan. You know, I do wonder if we'll see the bullpen maybe perhaps perhaps take a slide this season, because they really haven't been tested very much within the course of the season already. It's my understanding that their innings are some of the fewest thrown in baseball at this point. I think it's I think it's essentially a good problem to have, but I have a little hesitation with this. You recently wrote that this could actually make them more ready to go unit later in the season and got them keep my fingers crossed. I hope that's the case for sure. I was hoping you could expound upon that a bit more. Again, I'm a little concerned that we may see a slide again just because they haven't thrown too too many innings, But it seems like you're pretty optimistic about it, so feel free. I'd love to hear I've loved to hear your thoughts on this. I personally like the idea of conserving the bullpen just because a it's not like the pitchers are going above and beyond where they're normally have been in the past. So when you see that Nola Wheeler Suarez are going six to seven inns every start, I mean, on the one hand, yeah, you might think it's a lot and might wear them down later on, But if you look at the number of pitches that they've thrown, how often are they cracking one hundred? Right? You know they're not really throwing that many pitches. They're just so good at getting quick outs and making sure that they're very economical in their outings that they're able to go a little bit further. And that's what happens when you have good starting pitching. So now you've got the bullpen that is able to conserve what they need for later on because they know coming down the stretch they're probably going to be leaned on a little bit more because you got to get you have to get into the playoffs before you can even consider what might well, you know, how am I going to match up here? How am I going to match up there? You got to get there first, and if that means, you know, maybe things get a little tight in a September outing. Maybe Suarez doesn't do that sixth inning, you know, maybe Walker doesn't make it into the fifth inning. Now you have to lean on the bullpen that's been fairly well rested and is ready to go later on. Because they've had two deep runs now past two years, they know what they have a pretty solid plan in place of what they have to do. So I have no I'm actually thankful that they have not had to lean on the picture the relievers so much because I we'll get to this in a second. Whether they're a great team, but they're gonna be there at the end. You know they're gonna be needed later. And if you have guys that are just worn down, and look what happened in the World Series two years ago. They were worn out. I mean, they were just worn out. And that's what happens is you give up a backbreaking home run that loses the World Series because you're just done. But now you've got such a deep bullpen. Not only are they going to be rested, they're going to be so deep. I mean, right now you're at Alvarado, Hoffmann, kirkering Strom and if you prob'm a big fan of Junior Marte, that's five deep. You're not even talking about Sodo and Domingos. You're also not talking about guys potentially you could trade for it the deadline. That's a really good bullpen. It's a good yeah, exactly, that's the thing. I mean, you're going to have a deep bullpen again, ready to go when you know when it's time, when when they're needed. Well, you convinced me for sure again, folks, if you need convincing. He's Ethan Witty from the Good Fight dot Com, great writer and contributor. Follow him on Twitter, slash x at ethan underscore witty and as we're moving along with our conversation here, buddy, it's a two part question for you as we as we reflect on last season as to what we're seeing this year here again, two part question wondering what has been do you do you think the least improved part of this team thus far here in twenty twenty four and why? And then I'll ask you what the most improved part of the team is. So, what's the least improved part do you think here this year in twenty twenty four? Oh, that's a good question. The least improved part of the team I'm gonna go with. I think they're just and I think they're snapping out of it a little bit more. I think they were a little too leaning into the don't chase so much aspect of hitting that it made them borderline passive at the plate. And I think you're seeing it's now with Castiano's stots coming out of it a little bit. They were so overwhelmed with don't chase, don't Chase, don't chase because of what happened in the NLCS, that they kind of maybe did it a little too much to start the year, and that's why you didn't see the slug. You know, they were kind of in a more passive mode where they were just trying to survive when they were two strikes, but they're hit abile pitches get by. That was a little concerning. But I think they're kind of veering back into their aggressive mode that they had last year. I agree, and I think there I think they're starting to find the balance of good aggression as opposed to too much passivity at the plate. So is that where they're most improved. Then on the flip side, I think most improved, I think is defense. Defense. I think right now they're their defense I think is most improved. I am sorry, a huge Johann Rojas believer. I am. I am a guy. Put him out there, let him win his gold gloves, and if he hits two twenty to thirty, who cares? Right? I think he changes the game. And I think right now, if you were to look at it starting today, I think you have two Gold Glove contenders in the team in Rojas and Bryce Harper. First, he's been incredible, in fact, the change that he has made from right field to first base and made himself a Gold Glove candidate right now is incredible and I don't think we talk enough about it. That's such a hard change to go to in the middle of last year and into this year. It's such a stark contrast. Think about what you had to watch with Rhys Hoskins at first base as a first basement. Yes, and look at that comparison. Now that's almost no comparison. It's really not. Yeah, and Alec Alec Bohm is a good third baseman now he is a good defensive third baseman. I think just across the board, I think their defense is just better. The development, the development has been incredible. Yeah, yeah, okay, really it really has. And I think part of it too is getting schwre Brad a left field I mean it's not he was there out of necessity that I mean, he did what the team needed last year. I guess he was playing through a knee injury. He didn't complain, you didn't hear about anything. He went out and played and did his job. I mean, and what more could you ask of the guy? But at the same time, he may even admit Brandon marsh is a better left fielder defensively than he is. You're improving this team all over the place. I mean, I just think think about where they were two years ago when it was like a ball went in the air and you were kind of closing your eyes right to the part. Now where around the field you've got out of the seven position of the eight positions defensively, you could probably confidently say seven or at least average or above. You know, it's a team that's all about incredible difference. Yeah, it's a team that's all about it really is. And it begs the question here as we conclude our conversation here Ethan, you know, whether or not this team can be considered great? Look, I mean it's they are a really, really good baseball team. We're seeing that right now. Starting pitching has been stellar, as we know, just talking about Bryce Harper and from an offensive perspective, finally looks like he's hitting his stride. And you know, yet the team is one about seventy percent of its games, even as they somewhat struggled as you were talking about slugging right out of the gate. So that really I guess the real question is, you know, can this team be considered a great team this season? What are your thoughts So for me, and I think this is kind of a weird way to put it, but I don't think of a baseball team as great until after a season or two is over, because to me, to be great, you have to win, and you have to win championships, and you have to do multiple things. I mean, would you say that the Braves would be considered a great team, And if the answer would be yes, what have they won the past two years? Interesting, they have not gotten out of the Dodgers? Would you consider them a great team? What have they won the past two years? So while they look great on paper, when you actually are were going to talk about great teams? Okay, I see it, but what have they won? The Orioles are they're a great story, but they didn't win a playoff game last year, you know, and they haven't won anything yet. Until you actually win, I have a hard time putting a great label on it because when I think of great, I think of twenty seven Yankees, you know, those teams, the teams in the thirty the Yankees in the thirties, the championship teams, teams that win multiple championships. Right now, I would say, I still think you've got a tier of Dodgers Braves are the top I don't do like I like to tier teams as supposed to, like rank them one, two, three, and so on. I think you've got a clear tier of Braves and Dodgers in the top two, and I think after that you've got Orioles, Phillies, and who I'm maybe the Indians, the Indians, the Yankees. You know they're in the tier right below that. Jumble them up however you desire. It doesn't matter to me. I just I tier teams rather than rank them. But I think can the Phillies get into that? Nudge them in with the Dodgers and Braves right now? I don't see how can't, right, I just don't see how you can't how you could say, no, they're not there yet. But I can also make the argument they're not there yet. You know they're not. But they're also not firing on all cylinders either. You know they're not that the offense is getting there. They're slowly. You know, it's this player, and then this player, then this player, yep, until they're all firing on all cylinders. And then if that pitch the pitch and keep going. Now you've got a real conversation. You know, now you've got now they deserve to be in that top tier with those two teams. Well, uh, it's gonna be interesting to see if this team does end up being a great team for sure. And folks, head on over to the Good Fight dot com. You're gonna get some great writing and some great content over there that I will say, yes, absolutely, I love it. Ethan Wady, Buddy, thank you so much for taking the time to jump on the pod here. Always appreciate you taking the time. Your content's great over on the Goodfight dot Com. Come back and join us down the road. I'd love to have you backy friend. Thank you, Jeff anytime, bub and that's going to do it for us this week. Make sure to share the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show with your friends and family members who may be Philly sports fans. You can always head on over to Philadelphia Sportstable dot com to access all of our podcasts or any major podcast platform on your device. We appreciate our guests taking the time to join us every week to help make this podcast happen and to give us great content, and ultimately we appreciate you. Take care and have a great week. We'll catch you next time.