Hour 2: How Zack Wheeler got to keep his own rib post-surgery.

Hi, I'm PJ Vote and I want to tell you about my podcast Search Engine.

We try to make sense to the world, one question at a time.

No question too big, no question too small.

We will even answer your questions if you send them in.

Stuff like, what happens when a cemetery goes out of business?

What should we do about teens using AI to do their homework?

Who buys luggage at the airport luggage store?

Follow and listen to Search Engine in partnership with Odyssey, wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome back, Midday Show, Hugh Douglas, Joe Gillio Spring, training coverage brought

to you by Surfside, Icy and Vaughn, your proud partner of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Phillies are going to play the Red Sox today.

We're a live bake here at Ballpark in clear water, Florida, coming up one hour from now.

Tom McCarty is going to hop in the booth today and we'll talk to him about what he's

seeing with this team as we, what are our, is today Thursday, yes, so we are three weeks

from opening day today.

It's coming up pretty, pretty quickly here, JT, Real Muzo is going to be on with us at

one o'clock.

We'll get back to everyone's phone calls on AJ.

Are you ready to say goodbye?

I mean, I think most, most clear headed people are Hugh Douglas, not among them today, at

least not yet.

Back to your phone calls and of course, use Clues Well, but let's take a few minutes to

chat with Phillies starting pitcher Zach.

Well, the first time we've had a chance to talk to him and been on WIP since the surgery

of the injury last year, he's making his way back Zach Wheeler on the midday show.

All right.

We are here with Phillies starting pitcher Zach Wheeler on the midday show live in clear

water, Florida.

Zach, how you doing?

How you feeling?

Feeling well.

The screen training.

So, you know, all the normal stuff, just getting through some, you know, some drills

and getting through the day and trying to get out of here.

You know, Zach, I told Joe I was going to let him ask the first question because I got

some off the beat questions that I want to ask, man.

And the first is about the rib.

Okay.

I need to know the conversation that was had between you and the doctor when you said,

how did it go?

Because me and Kyle, we have a bet on how the conversation went.

And I just, before I say anything, I just need to know how the conversation went and how

did you acquire your own rib, man?

How did you do that?

So I think it's pretty common when you have that surgery for the person that get the rib.

It is?

Yeah.

I think so.

I've been going on some baseball players to get the rib.

I've also heard of other people not being offered the rib.

So maybe it's not a thing, but I don't know.

Maybe it's just a position that we're in where they give us the rib for some reason.

But anyways, I'm there.

I'm laying in the hospital bed and the doctor comes in and he basically pulls it out of

the envelope and it's just like, you know, most of the time I'm a milit to my patients,

but I'm going to give it to you right now.

And so I basically just unraveled it from the Ziploc and I looked at it and it's pretty

fresh.

So I forgot how we said the story was going, but that is not how I anticipated it.

I didn't know that Dr. Gave it to you.

I thought it was going to be something where you had to actually ask for the rib.

So he offered it to you.

Yeah, yeah.

He offered it to me.

It was a day or two later.

I think it was.

So, well, Hugh is word.

It was a biohazard.

So like, do you have it like it?

Is it like a biohazard?

Is it framed or is it just like on top of a shelf somewhere?

Well, it was funny.

It became a story when, you know, we're down here and it blew up like crazy.

It's just a reporter asked me, do you have the rib?

I said, yeah.

And then, where is it?

I said, it's in my closet.

I mean, we're out sitting where he wanted me to have this rib at, you know, it's, so yeah,

that means Paul, the trainer, he like, you have to like preserve it and stuff.

Like, I don't know.

You have to mix it in a bunch of stuff and preserve it and like put a wax on it or something

like that.

I just think this story is fascinating.

It's weird.

It's weird.

I mean, it's just, it's fascinating because I, I thought you asked for it.

I thought you, you know, after you had the surgery that you asked for it and Kyle said

he probably gave it to you.

I think that's what you said, Kyle, correct?

I said, I bet you the doctor just said, do you want to keep the rib?

And he said, yeah.

Yeah, that's just, I just find it fascinating.

But we had, like, but we're not going, I'm not going to lie to you.

I had painted this whole picture of how, like, how you would have conversations when

these people come up and say, hey, you want to see my rib and it's in the closet.

You know, I just thought you had this whole spiel and like, like, had a shrine to like

you real back the house and stuff.

Yeah, maybe some people would, I don't know, but it is a little weird, you know, you gave

it to me.

So I just kept it and I don't know, just do it in the closet.

So how close do you feel to yourself?

Do you feel yourself?

Like, let's say this never happened.

Is this spring different for you?

The way you feel, I know it's been a different path, right?

The process to get this opening day and whenever you want to bring it back on the mount,

during the season, but do you feel different today than you did a year ago in spring training?

It is, I don't know, it's kind of hard to say.

I mean, you know, I don't feel different as in, like, my shoulder or the rib area.

I'm just a little behind at this point, obviously, than what I normally am.

So I think I threw my third bullpen yesterday, you know, still just, you know, kind of

getting through the ups and downs of starting to throw off the mount.

You know, your first one's always good, usually for me, at least.

And then it kind of goes downhill with, you know, over rotating and I just get kind

of sloppy with my mechanics and stuff and then you kind of have to fix it and adjust

and then it starts going back to where you want it.

So I'm kind of at that point right now where it balls not really going where I want it

to, but that's where you start working and get it back to where you want it to.

So that's normal for me in spring.

Shorter feels great, you know, honestly, if, you know, that doesn't really feel any different

than it did before.

So do you have a target date, or is it going to be a little more fluid in terms of, hey,

I'm in this process, mound, then some starts, innings, or do you have a date in your mind?

We're like, that's, I want to be back April 15th, April 20th, May 1st.

Do you have a date in mind, or is it more, how the progress goes?

I think we have a date that we're working towards.

I don't think I'm going to put that out there, but, you know, it's, you, you set goals

along the way.

Sometimes you reach them, sometimes you don't.

So, you know, that's for me personally and our staff and, you know, it's just something

that, you know, you work towards every day, gives you that motivation and, you know, it's,

like I said, everything is going smooth so far.

You never know when something could pop up.

It's, it's baseball.

It's, you know, your body and, you know, you kind of, this hope for the best.

And I feel great though.

You know, speaking of that and being an older player and, you know, how this, when you,

when you have injuries like that later in your career, how tough was it to kind of

deal with the whole process of going through it and, you know, they're trying to figure

out what you, what's going on with, you know, all that stuff?

How tough was that for you?

It was different.

Um, you know, it's, it's something that you really don't think is,

going to happen.

You know, you, you rarely hear about it and then, um, you know, it's just something

that, like I said, you just don't expect.

So I felt it, uh, obviously during that game against the nationals, but I felt

that the day before also, um, you know, I just felt kind of full when I got my heart

rate up a little bit and, uh, so we're like, uh, whatever, we'll see how it is

tomorrow.

And then I got my heart rate up in the training room before just doing some, uh, you

know, arm exercises and getting to lose some stuff and I went out there to the

mound and I felt it and then I kind of just pitched through it and that came

it after and, uh, their orthopedic guys came over and we're like, yeah, like you

need to get that checked out.

So next morning, I went and that's kind of how we found out about it.

So it was all kind of, kind of quick that happened pretty quick.

You know, it wasn't something that really to have a chance to really process

it exactly exactly.

Yeah, you know, I had to process it a little bit afterwards just because, um,

from getting that original blood clot out to the surgery was about a month.

So you had a little bit of time to think about it, but, um, you know,

that the doctor made me feel pretty comfortable about it and made it seem

pretty simple and easy.

So have you had a chance to talk to any of the other guys that have had this

same surgery because it's, it's not a very common one, but it's happened

enough now that there's some sample out there and some guys have not come back

great, but Merrill Kelly, an example, recent years had it and he, he made

30 starts and to me, he looks like he used to look.

Well, there's different, there's three different kinds of the TOS,

which I didn't know before.

There's, uh, the venus, the, um,

and the nerve one and then something else, I forget.

And the artery one, I think it is or something, I don't know.

But there's three of them.

I didn't even know that.

And I guess the, the nerve ones, the hardest one that guys have had coming

back from, you know, the, the, uh,

Strasburg, I think it was an Harvey and a couple of other guys.

Um, Kelly and myself have had the, the venus one and that seems to be a

little easier to come back from for whatever reason.

So, um, you know, that was good when I heard about that, but going to your

point when, you know, guys have reached out to me, um, the handful of guys

actually, and, you know, I, I appreciate it and you love that from fellow

players around the league.

But at the same time, I, I kind of sat and thought about it for a second.

I don't want to really hear, you know, speed bumps that they had just

because I don't want to expect that at a certain point in my rehab or,

you know, this is the process for me.

I don't want to be like, oh, this guy had this at week eight, like here,

maybe I should fill this at week eight.

No, I just want to, you know, just do my own thing and, you know,

if something comes up and we'll deal with it.

But, um, yeah, that's, that's why I kind of didn't talk to anybody else about

their experience.

So I'm kind of curious because you, you seem like real common kind of

taking every day as it comes.

So how has it, how has all of this dealing with all of this changed your

perspective on how you look at baseball moving forward now?

I don't know.

I'm a little different than most guys I feel like as in, you know, like you

said, I kind of just take things as they come, um, you know, I had a problem.

We took care of it.

That's it.

Now we're just going to go back and pitch.

Okay.

Got me because you know, sometimes, you know, as an older player,

when certain things happen, when you get a certain age, you start to think about

your mortality in the game and things of that nature.

So that, that is never, you're just like, Hey, we don't get it fixed and we're

going to go back out there.

We're going to do our thing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Pretty much.

I mean, it may not be, I may not be the same pitcher.

I don't know.

But that's, that's the mindset.

And that's what I'm working towards right now.

And I think that's the motivation that I need to, you know, just do my thing

every day.

Just work out and get stronger and just keep, uh, being the guy who I was.

Let's talk about the team and expectations and where you guys are.

I mean, you guys have been so close for years now.

I mean, I had imagined last year was tough for you watching the playoffs,

not been a participant.

You guys were disclosed in that series against the Dodgers, but another year,

expectations are big.

What, what's the vibe here?

Because this year it's, it's similar, but there's also some new young guys that you

guys were working in, painter with you in the rotation.

What's the vibe in, in this spring training, considering the expectations you

guys have on yourselves?

I don't think it's different than most years.

Um, you know, without some of the guys being here right now, you know, for the WBC,

but I think we all have the same mindset and that's the same as years past is winning

the World Series.

I know we haven't done it.

We've come up short.

Each year is getting a little further away from it, which is unfortunate,

but we all still have that same drive and we still want to win.

Um, I think getting so close all these years and kind of taking a step back

every year is pushed just a little bit more this year.

We know we're all a little older and, um, and that saying that, you know, that's,

that's a, a factor of us not getting to where we want to be.

But, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's something.

Yeah, I mean, it's, yeah, it's the reality.

We're all getting a little older.

Um, I haven't won a World Series.

I want to win one.

Schwab was one one.

Um, I know he wants to win another one.

When you get that taste, you want to win another one.

And so, you know, everybody kind of want to put their stamp here.

Everybody, you know, this is a great sports town and we want to be a part of that.

Zach Wheeler with us here on the midday show.

Zach, well, some of the young guys, the rotation that are with you, you know, I mean,

you got here, was you and Nolan at the top, right?

And then there's a bunch of other guys behind you.

And now it feels like it's, it's changed to where you got some other stars with you and Aaron

in this rotation.

What Luzardo did last year, Christopher Sanchez, what has it been like watching Sanchez,

particular develop over the years with you in this rotation?

Yeah, it's pretty cool.

You know, he had a lot of potential when he first came over and then came up to big lead camp.

You know, we all heard he used to throw 9900.

This with no command.

And then he kind of took a step back.

Lower his wheel a little bit, started getting his command.

And then once he got comfortable with that, his wheel started going back up.

And that's usually what you want to do as a pitcher is kind of get that command under control.

Maybe if it is taking a little bit off.

And then once you get that comfortable, you know, once you get comfortable,

don't strikes rewant.

You can kind of pick up the intensity and your wheel comes a little bit back.

But anyways, his change up is unbelievable.

It's probably the best one in the big leagues.

And that helps him out a lot.

But he's motivated.

He's one of the hardest working guys on the staff.

And, you know, his, his hard work has paid off.

He's committed.

He was telling me the other day that he watched this video every single day.

That's not a big thing anymore watching video.

You know, you have guys coming to you basically telling you what the video would show you

instead of looking at video these days.

You know, no, I expect him to have a bounce back here.

I know he wasn't happy about how last year went.

I know he still has it in him.

Obviously in, you know, painter, he's promising, you know,

you always love a big, strong, you know, and kid who can throw hard,

a lot of potential there.

And Luzardo, I mean, he, we all knew what he had.

And then last year, I think, you know, he just stepped up this game being a part of our staff,

which was probably top three in the big leagues.

And you don't want to be the, the logo on the total pull.

So, you know, I think he stepped up this game a little bit and,

he, uh, he fit right in.

Let's talk about the future a little bit when you saw, I think you signed your most recent deal.

Right after we, we had you on a couple of years ago in spring training.

I think right after we, we don't talk and you signed before the season.

And I, you know, you said at that point, it's probably going to be your last contract.

Do you still feel that way?

Is it, is this it this year next year?

And then Zach Wheeler's, is that it's retirement or is that changed?

Uh, you know, I keep getting asked this question and I guess I set myself up for it.

But, um, I don't know.

I mean, you know, it's, uh, it probably just depends on what happens next year.

Um, you know, with a lockout and everything like that.

So, you know, I never want to say never, but, uh, yeah, it's still, still up in there.

What's your feeling on the potential linemen?

It's a huge story.

The lockout, I know last year, uh, Rob Manford talked to your team.

I know the teams, I think Bruce Mayer was here yesterday talking to you guys.

Um, are, are we, you've been in the big leagues a long time.

You've seen these, you had the lockout, you know, a couple of years ago here with the,

when you were with the Phillies, what's your feeling on how this,

is going to go and, uh, do you think we're headed for a workshop at you?

I think so.

Yeah.

I mean, that's what it sounded like and that's what it's looking like, unfortunately.

Um, you know, the owners, uh, it's, it's kind of a touchy subject.

You know, everybody has, uh, I don't know.

It's weird.

It's, uh, you know, everybody here has a lot of money.

I hate saying that, but, and we're fighting over a kid's game.

It's, uh, we love playing ball.

We want to play, we know the fans love us.

Um, it's nothing on them.

It's, it's this, um, we want what we think we deserve.

And the owners don't want to give it to us.

So it's, uh, you know, it's, it's part of it.

And other sports have collapsed in a sense.

They're, they're player unions and they, they have a seller cap now.

We don't want to do that.

That's not us.

And all the guys before us have been battling that for years and years and years.

And, you know, we haven't let them do that to us.

And that's still the plan.

And that's where we're, we're at with that.

Let's end with a change that is in happening now, which is the ABS system.

What do you think of it?

Uh, yeah.

It's funny.

I see you being very measured in what you say.

It's cool.

Yeah, I mean, you know, it's funny.

It's, um, I see it both ways.

You know, it, it could definitely be helpful at the same time.

I remember when we got out of here last year at the beginning of the season.

On par for so used to having a smaller zone, trying to, you know, perfect it

here in spring training, the ABS system, because we hadn't spring last year.

And at the beginning of the season and the regular season, they're, they're missing

calls because they're so used to being smaller.

So, you know, I'm just thinking going into the season, I don't want the

umpires to miss strike calls.

And then, you know, you only have two challenges.

And if you miss one, you have one left and you don't want to use that one.

So I just don't want, you know, strike calls being called balls because

they're scared of calling balls or scared of calling ball strikes or whatever it is.

You know, it's, is this weird last year at the beginning of the season.

You know, there's a lot of strikes being called balls.

And I just don't want that to happen again because they're afraid of messing up.

Um, you know, it's nothing on them.

I'd probably be the same way if I was behind the plate.

Um, but yeah, it's, it's weird.

It's, you know, it's different from what we're all used to.

Um, you know, it could be helpful, you know, later in the game, big, big time

up the plate, swore broharpers up there and a guy just misses a, you know,

a call this way off the plate and they challenge it.

It's called a ball, which it should have been.

And then especially hit a home run to make us go ahead and win the game.

You know, it's, it could definitely help us and it could definitely hurt us.

This was one of those things.

Do you foresee yourself using it as a picture?

I heard Chris sell a few weeks ago saying he'll never challenge.

Yeah, would, would you or is that something you're going to leave more to the,

the hitters to do when, when you guys are up?

I'll probably leave it up to JT 99% of the time, unless once

directly down the middle, right, which happens sometimes they're directly down

the middle and he calls it a ball.

Otherwise, I'm leaving it up to JT because there's been plenty of times where

I throw a ball on him like, dude, what the heck?

That's right down the, right down the middle.

And then I go back and look at the iPad after the game and it's three balls off the

plate and JT's is so good at making it look like a strike that it

fools us on the mountain.

Sometimes too.

So I don't think I could ever do that.

Good stuff.

Zach, man, we appreciate you hopping on giving us some time.

We're happy you're back.

Good luck with the health and moving forward and we're excited to see you back

on the mountain very soon.

Yeah, thanks for having me, guys.

There you go.

Zach Wheeler here on the MNHL on sports radio 94 WIP.

Here was fun to talk to Zach first time, obviously, since the injury last

year. And it, it, what struck me a lot of, a lot of things stood out to me

from the interview.

But he seems like the right kind of person have to, to go through what he

wanted. Like he just seems like he's locked in, man.

And to me, you know, just sitting there talking to him, he felt, it felt like

he was real relaxed and he was like, Hey, however, it comes, I'll be prepared

for it.

Yep. You know, a lot of guys aren't built like that, especially when you talk

about you, you're being reflective on where you are in your career and, you

know, have an injury that's late in the game and, you know, the future not

being certain. He seemed like he's in a good space.

He's in a good space.

Respect him and have a good season this year.

And he seems like he expects to be himself.

Now, I don't think anyone's going to know.

I don't even think he will know till the game start.

Like back on the mound, but it was encouraging to hear him talk about that.

There's the three different kinds of the similar surgery.

And the one he had is similar to the one Merrill Kelly, the most recent guy

before him to have it.

And he's come back and pitched like he used to, right?

Like he, it's been the same kind of pitch.

Yeah, because it was a different, you said it was more of in the vein,

instead of the nerve.

So yeah, that, that's encouraging.

And it was also encouraging when he talked about the fact that he's not

worried about where somebody else is progressed in this, in this journey.

It's just where he is and how he feels.

That's important.

The other thing that, of course, stood out and we were all waiting with

baited breath after yesterday is the process to which he got his rip.

Yeah, I win.

You did.

Yeah, I was right, but it's still a biohazard.

It is still about how he talked about preserving it.

Yeah, and all that other stuff.

So it was, I just felt I thought it was interesting.

I didn't know that most people that had that surgery, they asked them, do you

want to keep the rear?

That's crazy.

I mean, I would, I guess if I had a surgery like, well, I mean, it is because

I mean, hey, you want your rear.

Hey, why?

Well, who else are going to give it to me?

I guess, I guess they use it just though stuff like that away to his rib.

The other thing that hit me was him talking, you know, when we had him on

a few years ago, right before he signed that contract, right, signed a three

year deal and he said, after that, that that was going to be it.

That was going to be his last contract.

So when I heard there, maybe people interpret it differently, but it seemed to

me like he kept the door open a little bit that perhaps depending on what

happens this year, next year, both on the field and then the lockout

that he may be, he would pitch past 2027.

Yeah, because it, because to be honest, you know, he didn't say this, but it

feels like, you know, there, there might not be baseball.

So you're losing a year.

You're going to get this year and then it's a strong possibility that we're

not going to have it next year.

And, you know, you don't want to leave it like that.

So yes, it's, it's, he's probably thinking about whether or not he'll come

back if baseball comes back.

Well, that caught me too.

And we, you know, we've asked everyone to be down here about the impending

lockout. He was, he was coming.

Well, he didn't hesitate.

He thinks there's going to be a work stoppage.

Yeah.

And I was struck by him talking about the guys that came before them that they

fought to not have a salary cap.

It feels like this generation of players doesn't want to be the one that

buckles. He said other unions, other sports, they have caved.

And these guys don't want to cave.

Yeah.

I mean, man, when you talk about where baseball is trending, the money that

they've made over, they tried this a few years ago when they tried to

slow play free agency, when guys were starting to get that the big bread

and then all of a sudden, I think, because at that point, it was like,

I can't remember exactly what it was, but there were a lot of guys that

signed late.

There was a lot of fridges that signed late before the season started

because they were trying to take a hard stance on this.

Yeah.

But before you know it, there's going to be a billion dollar baseball player.

I think that's what the owners are trying to stay away from.

But it's going to happen because it sounds like the players are going to

stand firm as far as they're not, they're not taking

a salary cap, they're not doing the salary cap thing.

Congratulations, Hugh, on your phone stand.

So I'll do that interview.

Wow.

Yeah, I think it out.

Yeah.

Now can you make it through a team act interview?

Which 12 can you make it through JT at one?

Probably not.

OK.

Let's not set that up.

I've been trying to learn how to turn it down.

What?

If you learn how to turn your phone down, it's your, no, it's the watch.

Oh, it's not the phone is the watch, but it's yours.

That feels like something.

I figured it out.

I figured it out.

We're going to figure it out.

All right.

215, 592, 94, 94.

On the other side, we'll get back to your phone calls.

AJ Brown, are you ready to say goodbye?

And let's just, let's do it.

There you go.

See, I was trying to turn it down.

You could have waited for the break, which we're about to hit.

Which is so close to 1, 5, 5, 9, 2, 9, 4, 94.

Are you ready to say goodbye to AJ Brown?

Your reaction to the Zach Wheel interview also want to hit one

other thing from that.

He talked about the starting rotation and how great they were

last year.

Is it still great?

We'll talk about that coming up.

We are live at Philly Spring Training.

The Spring Training coverage brought to you by Surfside

ICT Advocate, Proud Partner of the Philadelphia

Police coming up, all that.

And clue number two for Hughes Clues, a disaster of a first

year.

So we'll try to help you out coming up next midday show.

Live from Clearwater on sports radio, 94 WIP.

Hey, this is John Rothstein, the host of Inside College

Basketball Now, part of the CBS Sports podcast network,

reminding you that our show is going ramp up over the next two

months.

That's because we're counting down a selection Sunday and March

madness.

We will be coming to you each and every week with multiple

episodes, featuring exclusive interviews with the biggest

and best names in the sport.

It's the all you can eat buffet for college basketball junkies

everywhere.

Follow and listen to Inside College Basketball Now in the free

Odyssey app, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome back, midday show.

We are live from Spring Training, Spring Training coverage

brought to you by Surfside ICT Advocate, Proud Partner of the

Philadelphia Phillies, 215, 592, 94, 94s.

We just had Zach Wheeler on.

Coming up at 12, Tom McCarthy will join us.

1 o'clock, JT Real Moots are excited to talk to both those

guys.

And it was great having Zach Rohan.

Let's get back to the phone lines on all the AJ stuff.

You react to the Zach Rohan review.

We will give you a, actually, let's just do it now.

Second clue.

You want to do it now?

Get it out of the way.

I didn't want to be unfair to the first caller who's probably

waiting with baited Brett to give us a guess.

So why don't you help him out?

Because clue number one, a predicted disaster today.

This is an iconic individual.

He's very iconic.

Sorry.

So we have a person that has acted, but you wouldn't really

think of this.

You wouldn't think of him as an iconic.

And then there are iconic individuals.

There are iconic.

Yeah, iconic individuals.

You know, iconic people there are out there.

Yeah.

A good amount.

Yeah, yeah.

So you still think this could be one of those guests early

in the show?

No, I think, yeah, this is going to be guest.

No, it's somebody about to guest it right now.

I doubt it.

All right, let's go back to the phones.

And then I want to throw out a question about the

Phillies rotation after talking to Zach

when I was thinking they're Chris and Ben Salem is up

on WIP.

Hey, Chris.

What's going on guys?

How are you?

Hey, Chris, what's up?

Hey, Michelle is delusional.

If she thinks that AJ Brown is going to be around.

I'm, I mean, I want to be around.

I'm completely delusional.

Great caller, but she's in La La Land like Douglas over here

on this one.

Well, listen, in huge defense, I'm with him on the fact

that, you know, AJ, or Jaylen has to shoulder a lot of the

blame of why the offense looks so bad, which has let us down

this road now.

And, you know, AJ's got his faults with it as well.

But I mean, he's out of here.

There's no way he's going to be back.

And listen, like many of WIP callers, I have my sources.

And, you know, I'm here and there's a bidding war between

the Pat and the bills.

So I'm all for them getting something back.

And like you would talk about earlier, if it's Mike Evans or

Romeo Dobbs, it comes in behind that, then that's a good solution.

Yeah, and to the idea, Chris, of a bidding war between those teams,

I think, you know, there's always things that happen in these

situations that kind of complexion points.

I feel like the way the playoffs went was the best case scenario

for the Eagles, right?

So the bills, bills lost, and really you go back to that,

that Brandon Cook's interception drop, whatever you want to call it,

like their lack of receivers really hurt them.

They could have won the surf ball.

They didn't have that.

And then the Patriots losing the surf ball.

Chris, I think it's way less likely that they, they

anti up for AJ if they won the surf ball without him.

They like, what was the, what would be the point to do it?

Yeah.

Well, and like whoever is up there in New England,

whether it's Robert Kraft or, I don't know, the GM is that,

I think it's Elliot Wolfe.

Yeah.

Oh, okay.

Who's that old creep that was always around cheating, you know,

stealing the videos.

He didn't really have it.

How about John?

Oh, I'm trying to make the guy's name.

No, he works for Bella check.

Creepy dude.

Yeah, he was creepy old guy.

Creepy old guy.

Ernie, Ernie Adams.

Ernie Adams, I think.

Yeah, wow.

He played Ernie.

That's a hell of a description.

Yeah.

But, I mean, they're trying to put out there that, oh, we'll just go

sign Alice Pierce.

All right, yo, you go ahead and sign Alice Pierce.

Yeah.

Give me a break.

Yeah, no one buys it.

No, Chris, I agree with you.

And it's all posturing at this point.

Someone pulled up last year on this exact date, the athletic had a report

that the Seahawks wanted to first and a second for DK Meccaf.

They end up just getting a second.

The whole thing is posturing.

We're posturing.

They are.

But hopefully the bidding war, you know, between the bills and Patriots,

creates a good return for us.

All right, Chris, what do you got for us?

Hughes clues.

What is he talking about today?

All right, I'm going to take a shot at Dwayne the Rock John.

That's not bad.

That's not a bad guess.

You're on the right page.

Now, here's the thing on the rock.

I do feel like he's made the full transition to actor now.

He is.

He's an actor.

No.

Cute.

Oh, come on.

He's a wrestler.

No.

We do remember the rock from how do you get his name in the rock?

I know him from acting.

He's a wrestler.

This is what you do to us all the time.

No, I'm just saying he's a wrestler.

Oh, hold on.

Your logic stinks.

You told us that in a rock is an actress.

That's not an actress.

That's not how she became a lady sings the blues.

The rock is way more of an actor than Diana Ross is most of the iconic one of the most

iconic movies ever.

Now, I will say that the rock has had a run, especially with the Fast and the Furious

franchise.

It's more than a rock.

And he has.

He had one point.

Is that the diesel?

No, he was.

The rock was in the Fast and Furious.

Like, he was in the last, like, what, four or five, but he's in everything.

Yeah.

But yeah, he started out as a wrestler.

We know that's not he's known as a wrestler.

I actually, I don't know anymore if the people of a certain age, I don't know if they

even know.

No, they probably don't.

They don't.

But I do.

Well, I do too.

That's.

Wait a second.

The rock is not.

These are why you're closer.

He's a wrestler.

Okay.

Rock's a wrestler.

I think that he has 125 credits acting on IMTV.

You're big on IMDB.

Yeah, he is.

Yeah.

But he's a wrestler.

Listen, I, I knew him first, a wrestler.

That's, I always know him.

But I can smell with the rock is cooking course.

And then he's not full of the corporate element.

He transitioned.

He transitioned.

He made a full transfer to an actor.

There's no quote.

I'll put it in.

It doesn't matter.

In fact, when he started acting, we, I was on WIP, we did one of the interviews with

him before he really got into the acting game.

Really?

Yeah, it was.

So you take it for his gesture?

No, no, but I remember it was me, Angelo, because that's when he started body sculpting.

That's when he started to change his body and change the way that he ate and everything.

Because we, I remember having a conversation with him on this radio stage with Angelo.

Remember that.

I love to go dig up, dig that audio up and hear what sound.

Yeah, that was pretty cool.

Chris in Middletown up on WIP, hey, Chris.

Hey, guys.

Chris, what's the, what's the, what's the, what's the, what's the, what's the, what's the,

like you're kind of down, you're right?

Yeah, look, say it.

You know what, put them on hold, let's go.

You know what I am, you, I was about to tell Joan, Kyle, just stop trying to rationalize

with your, your craziness.

That's cool.

Yeah, that goes on.

What crazy is this?

There are these actors and all this nonsense and it's just like a rabbit hole of darkness

and there's no light in there and they're trying to, like, bring it, trying to rest.

We're trying to help him.

Yeah, we're trying to rest.

That was a disaster.

Guys, he's not, you don't get it.

Let him go.

Just wait.

Just wait.

You don't get it.

I get it.

I vibrate on a different frequency.

Yeah.

I mean, not higher, but different.

Yeah, different, different.

Different, higher.

No.

All of that.

High requires better.

Different requires different.

There's better.

You're supposed to sleep at the bar.

You're supposed to sleep at the bar.

You're supposed to sleep at the bar.

You have like that wasn't going to happen.

You fell asleep at the bar at 245.

And I told you all how this, sorry, Chris.

You're not even the, you're in the family business.

I told you all what was about how this was going to go.

Uh-huh.

Did not tell you?

You're the fun guy and then you were done.

Yeah.

That was, that, dude, you tell my, that burger was great.

I sorry, Chris.

What were you saying?

I'm sorry about that.

Again, guys, just wave at him.

Just say goodbye.

I mean, upper room's calling him about halfway there.

Guys, let's get into this silly thing here.

I want to go through a quick rundown.

So if I may here, the family's fans are way too negative.

You know, fans should be more level headed, like myself,

Chris and Middletown and the WIP hosts.

Always.

Yeah.

You know, we're locked in here and they're not.

So let me help bring them back to light because use the lost cause.

But I think I could save some fans here.

Guys, let's look at this quickly.

Less yield, you still got marsh.

Same as last year.

Crossfield.

There's center field.

You got cross.

Crawford.

He is defensively similar to what we had in, in beta.

However, he's got a huge upside offensively.

What he's going to bring us on the base, base path.

So I see that as a net positive gain there for him.

Right field.

Odellus Garcia is a massive upgrade over Cassianos.

Now, offensively, they're about the same, but defensively, you can't even compare the two.

So it's definitely an upgrade there.

Serbase, we got bone there, but we got Aiden this year.

Aiden is ready.

Aiden Miller will step up.

Last year, he wasn't ready for the big leagues this year.

He can't be.

So bone goes down or you lose.

Trey.

Any of that stuff happens.

We know Trey has finally made some defensive adjustment.

Thought I think it's going to have a goal glove season at second base.

I think he's going to have a break through offensive here.

Joe, you've alluded to this and that's why you wanted to bat lead off.

Harper.

Harper is going to be the guy because he's going to win the goal glove.

He's going to win an MVP because he is clearly, clearly driven by Dave Dumbbrowski's comments,

evident by the elite t-shirt and the pay for your mistakes t-shirts and all the other t-shirts.

He's going to be dawning all year round.

It's not going to be last year we got caught up with the rivalry pack nonsense.

This year, we're going to get petty Bryce all year and I'm looking forward to the show.

I think pitching is going to be slight downgrade but I think we're better.

But guys, the bullpen.

We now have one of the best bullpen's coming into the season in Major League Baseball.

And you got the tarantula at the end to close out games.

This team is better than last year's and I had better hopes than last year's.

Last year's I was just kind of running it back.

Hope wishing a prayer.

I'm going to leave you with my answer on the way out here.

My answer to Hughes' nonsense question today and by his clues,

anybody listening that's taken a guess, don't try to use logic because this can be absolutely anything.

So this is why I'm going to say the answer is a candy bar.

Candy bar.

Chris, the priest of phone call.

He was at it.

Just say you don't know Chris.

No one knows.

Just say you don't know.

Again, this goes back.

I'll take somebody who'll guess it next.

No, it's not.

It's not me.

I think we are an hour and a half away from a winner.

I just keep me abreast.

I don't know how to turn it down.

A lot of locked in, Douglas.

All right.

1, 5, 5, 9, 2, 9, 4, 9, 4.

So Chris said something there.

And maybe think back to the conversation we were having with Zach Wheeler.

So Chris was kind of going through the team where he thinks they're better worse.

And he said, slightly worse in the rotation.

So when Wheeler was on with us, he mentioned they had an up-through rotation in baseball.

He's talking about the guys they've had versus now the guys that are kind of in this with painter

and the ascension of Sanchez and Luzardo for a second straight year.

He thought about Wheeler.

He thought about Nola having to bounce back after last year and how he's determined to do that.

I think it's fair to say the Phillies had a great rotation.

Yeah.

Do you expect this rotation to be great?

It would be nice because you don't know what you're going to get from Nola.

Wheeler is still working his way back.

You know, Luzardo and Sanchez, they look good.

They look good.

And they look like they could be, you know, something special.

They might carry this.

Yeah, but painter, you don't know what you're getting from painter.

We don't.

You don't know what you're getting from painter.

So you're talking about two guys that are, you got like if we were playing space,

you got two in a possible, possible three.

But yeah, it's, you got two definitely, but you can't, you can't tell that this early in the season.

Yeah, I would say I expect very good.

I can't sit here on March 5th and say I expect the rotation to be great.

Hey y'all, I'm Maddie.

And I'm Poodle.

And together, we host the podcast Reality Gaze.

We are two ridiculous homosexuals who love nothing more than talking about reality television and tearing it a new one.

So whether it's 90 day fiance, love is blind, love after lock up,

or any other trash TV show about lonely hearts looking for love,

your gay besties got you covered, Joe.

New shows every week, follow and listen to Reality Gaze, wherever you get your podcast.

Let's love.

Great, until I see Wheeler pitch, until I see Nola bounce back though,

he did get through the game clean against Kennedy yesterday.

As you did, he got, he got, he got a ride with it early on.

Yeah, I was, I was nervous.

I was ready to decide his season.

What did he, what did he say?

He thought he thought that was good.

Well, so did I.

I mean, anyone here thought that was gone.

No, but when I, when I said so about, when I said, ooh, everybody was like,

he called it everybody calm down.

I'm like, boy, he hit that ball pretty hard.

He told you it was based on results.

If the ball went over the wall, no, I'm just saying it was over.

He thought it was gone.

He was like, oh, wow, that was pretty good.

Yeah.

I expect Sanchez to pick up where he left off.

I think he's one of the best players in baseball now.

Yeah.

And I think Lazardo is primed for a big year.

So those two I feel great about Wheeler.

Again, the linchpin for this to me, there's two linchpins.

It's painter and what he is as a rookie, right?

Can he be good?

Is he going to be just be average?

I don't know until we see him in real games.

And then it's Wheeler here.

If Wheeler shows up and let's say, and we asked him,

he didn't want to put a date on it.

But let's say May 1st, he's back in the rotation.

If he's himself, then yeah, then this could be a great rotation.

Yeah.

I'm excited to see what he's going to bring.

It feels like he's in a good space as far as his rehab and everything goes.

So there's a strong possibility that he's going to pick up where he left off that.

I guess the biggest concern I have is I don't know if they have the depth

that they've had in some other years.

Just remember, when Mick Abel came up last year and kind of helped it,

he gave them a little boost.

Yeah.

He's gone, right?

They don't really have, and even last year we kind of looked at a painter as,

you know, maybe he's going to come on.

Yeah, and we were excited about that.

But he's here now.

So the depth is really just Taiwan.

I mean, Taiwan is the depth.

He'll be in the rotation to start.

And then we'll see what they do with him.

Kyle, is the Phillies rotation still great?

Yeah, I think it is.

And I mean, I think it.

So I thought the thing that Wheeler said about the type of TOS that he had

was really encouraging.

Yeah.

It makes me feel like he can bounce back and be the Zach Wheeler,

or at least similar to the Zach Wheeler of old.

Nola will see.

I mean, I can't imagine he'll be as bad as he was last season.

And I think Luzardo is going to have really good year too.

And I think even if Christopher Sanchez sort of just like regresses even a little bit,

I still think he's going to be amongst one of the best pitchers in the league.

It's the painter and Nola thing is a wild card.

But I would still describe this as one of the best rotations of baseball and elite rotation.

Yeah.

Well, I guess, do we think painter is going to be as good this year as Ranger was last year?

Because he's replacing Ranger.

Yeah.

Right?

I mean Wheeler's back, Nola's here, Luzardo was here and Sanchez was here.

That's the biggest thing.

I think that's kind of lofty, especially with you.

When you talk about the up and down, like the rollercoaster that painter was on last year,

because when there were rumors and reckless speculation that he was close to coming up,

he started, he wavered a little bit.

He had a little, he had a little low.

So yeah, I think that's being lofty to say, you know, be like rang her, rang her.

I think eventually he can.

I think eventually he could surpass Ranger, but is it this year as a rookie?

No.

We have little breaking news, sort of relevant to the AJ thing.

Let's hear it.

Uh, Chicago Bears traded DJ more to the bills.

That hurts the eagle lover.

That takes a team out of their AJ swoops.

It does.

I mean, now again, I, the bills could remake their whole wide receiver room and add more.

You can still add.

It could, but it does.

That makes you think the bills are going to use the trade route or out.

Or they're waving the white flag and the Patriots won.

Does everyone know this is over?

And he and AJ Brown is a Patriot?

Does that what it is?

I wonder what the, you know what the conversation was yet?

Uh, I don't think it's going to be huge.

Well, my guess would be a third round pick for him, maybe.

I think DJ more fine.

Yeah.

Good receiver.

I saw it, but like it, but bringing him in means no AJ Brown.

They wouldn't get both.

Yeah.

I don't think this helps the Eagles leverage here.

They, they, the bills, one of the teams in the market for a receiver.

Just trade it for another receiver.

And that's why I think the sooner the better for the Eagles.

Because this isn't, this is not going to stop.

Right?

The new league year starts on Monday.

So someone is going to sign Mike Evans.

Someone's going to sign Romeo Dodd.

Yes.

The people are trying to make moves.

All of Pierce.

I know the last car, Chris, that kind of laughed at the idea of the pace you're choosing.

I like Pierce, but I like Pierce is probably the number one free AJ wide receiver.

So wherever he goes, that team is probably out on AJ, right?

Yeah.

So, you know, the more, the more these kind of moves go down, the less, the less I view it as, as how he's got leverage in us.

All right.

215, 592, 94, 94.

That is how for Hughes, clues.

The AJ thing.

Are you ready to say goodbye?

I am.

And of course, the Phillies rotation.

Do you still expect it to be great this coming season?

Let's go to furry Bruce in the safe.

Bruce Bruce.

Oh, Joe.

Hugh and the crew was going on.

Bruce.

What's up?

Man.

I can't call it.

I cannot call it.

I look.

I was, I was listening to the afternoon show yesterday when the news broke about, about New England.

Let him go.

Let him go.

Let him go.

Digs.

Yeah.

The die is definitely cast.

I think there's some, there's some internal behind the scenes discussion on if this happens.

Let's say hypothetically speaking.

I just want to get you all's take on this, right?

Because I think that he's probably going to go in that direction.

But if they make a move during the free agency period, does that move?

Does that mean that he will be traded before the June one date or afterwards?

No, it would be before.

Yeah.

So Bruce, the way that June first thing works is you can release a player.

Like, let's just, let's pretend the Eagles released the player today.

They could designate that post June first.

It's just kind of a procedural thing.

But with trades, it actually matters the date.

So if they traded them tomorrow, that's obviously pre-June first.

If they wanted to do the post June first, they would literally have to hold him on the team until after June first and then do the deal in June or July or whatever.

Okay.

So I'm thinking that how are they going to play this out if they move the agency?

They're going to definitely get.

Expect that first round pick.

But because of the $40 million cap hit.

The I think price is going to probably be very high.

But well, I'm just curious to see how that's going to work out.

I think he's going to be gone.

I mean, I love AJ.

But I think the whole thing.

When he talking about last year, this is where it went south for me.

His comments after the Super Bowl just made it all about him.

And I just cannot get that out of my mind.

Like, are you crazy?

Crazy?

You know, you win the Super Bowl every now and then.

And this whole thing about you rather chase fat and do clown chasing.

I can never forget that.

I'm glad you brought it up because I too can't get it out of my head.

And you know what it did?

Every thing that happened with him.

I just kept thinking back to that because everything.

Now I view through the prison.

It's not about winning.

Like, you told us winning is not the most important thing to you.

So I, everything he does or says, I view through that now.

Yeah.

No, and that's it.

I mean, that, and that beside being a teen captain.

I mean, Smitty would be a teen captain.

You know what?

You keep your stuff in house.

He's the epitome of a teen captain.

And you wear that.

And you still acting like that.

So, you know, say I'll be, you know, won't be no love loss.

I thank him for what he's done for here.

But he needs to go.

He needs our Bruce.

What do you got for us?

Huge clues.

Who's he talking about today?

All right.

Well, you know, I'm going with a, uh, a fairly native man.

I, you know, even though there's only two clues on that.

I think this will be a good one.

I'm going around with, uh, with Will Smith.

All right.

Well, he was there.

Will Smith.

It's a good, it's a good guess.

I, I think Will Smith certainly fits into the iconic.

Yeah, definitely iconic.

Yeah, see that's what I mean.

There's a lot of iconic people.

It's been a lot of years of celebrities.

Yeah, but what it will, oh, we, I guess he was a rapper first.

Yeah.

And then he became an actor.

Yeah.

So what do you consider Will Smith?

Oh, it doesn't matter.

No, I don't.

I, I think he's getting back to his roots, though.

So I would say rapper.

He's a rapper.

Will Smith had a pretty decorated acting career.

He did.

He did.

After the rap.

You know, I, I, I think your, I am.

I was like, you're doing this thing where whatever he actually is,

you're just picking the wrong.

I know.

I know.

It's like you just, you're doing it on purpose.

No one on purpose.

Oh, I'm picking the opposite of what the person is actually.

Yeah.

Who's close?

This.

This.

This is whose close?

I know.

We know we're good.

Yeah, that's the problem.

What that they're my close.

Yeah.

So that means you get you need to get with this.

You need to get on my page.

I don't need to get on everybody else.

Well, guess what the thing is.

We threw you a bone here and did this for the love of you.

They need to get on.

They need to get on me.

The objective is to anyone to get on your page.

And we are two hours into the show and nobody is here.

Is it this how it is?

This is how it used to go?

What?

Whose fault is that?

That's not my fault.

It's just that I need to get with this.

You don't need to go to well in the Northeast. What's up? Well, well

Dream team are y'all doing the day. Hey, well, all right, man. Listen, man. I just want to say real quick

About this AJ and Bryce Harper thing right? Well both of these guys right

You'll need to earn your contract

You know, we gave y'all the money

Now you got to earn it. You know, I'm saying like you got to prove yourself and if you want this money

Like y'all got to y'all got to be better this season especially with AJ man like

I think you did come up lame in the playoffs AJ

Yeah, and that's something that you're going to have to deal with

It's because I saw what happened and I'm gonna be man up and I'm gonna say it man. You came up lame

And I don't appreciate how you played that last little minute where you could have caught the ball

And you didn't man and I'm gonna pull you up on that and that's what I'm saying man

They need somebody like me the poor people up or what they do

Trying to get that line

About time someone calls AJ up for that. I got you apologize

I mean

You got to earn your contract bro. You want a new contract earn it. Yeah, you got to you got to show improve this season bro

Like you got to take us to the promised land

And that's the only way I would even

Consider discusses a new contract with you like we got to be like straight up with these guys

But these players now man. It's no more baby in these guys and you know given these guys their weight

Like you got to earn your contract. You got to earn your cheap

You think what I'm saying and both of y'all came up a little lame this season that just passed both you and AJ

Bryce and I'm calling you up man and y'all know what y'all did you know I'm saying and they know how deep down they know

Yeah, I'm gonna say but what I'm gonna say and I'm ended with this

I think both of these guys if they like actually do some soul searching and like do what they need to do

Like they can make this team better. I'm not ready to move on with AJ because I already know like if somebody just check AJ

And put them in his place and make them play

Just what we got have a great Super Bowl run this season

What AJ but if you don't want to get out of his own way then go here and do what you want to do AJ

Because we don't need you to the um keep having these press conference to have this like type of energy going through the um

The right things

You know I mean you know I mean you're dead right well you you doesn't get it that's that's that's that's that's that's what I mean

Let me get you to clues again man. I was getting the clue. I get it. I get it. Give you the clues again

He wants to make sure he has all right then

All right, then he's done some acting will right, but he's not known for he might not be known for that

You might know him for his other profession, and he's an iconic individual

Also

Yeah

Even ace miss

Oh, you know, well general hospital there with Stephen a he's he's got a recurring uh

Uh, let's call it. He got a recurring role on there. Yeah, and he does that this segment of course brought to you

By Xfinity proud sponsor of Xfinity mobile slounds watch all your favorite teams all in one place Xfinity

Image there. Oh, we'll get back to your phone calls. We will

Try to have mercy on you get you a third clue for Hughes clues, which um predictably is not going use direction today

No, you think team act can get it after two clues. You know what we're gonna ask team act

Yeah, I wonder if you met the Hughes clues fam. We're gonna ask him about that team team and that's about the rock

All right, so we're gonna ask team act about the rock. We're gonna ask team act about Hughes clues

All coming up and we'll do a little baseball with team act as well. He will join us next jt remoto at one o'clock

Your phone calls are you're ready to say goodbye to a j brown just walk with us

Just it's time to say goodbye. You don't have to be in denial like you Douglas

You could just you could accept where we're going with this

It is the mid-day show live in spring training or coverage brought to you by surfside i steam bucket proud partner of the

Philadelphia is on sports radio 94 wip

I'm Sarah austin jinesse the moth's executive producer and longtime host of the moth podcast every week

We share true stories told live and without notes by real people from all walks of life stories about disastrous

haircuts may December romances photographing Pluto fighting for justice and so much more some stories make you laugh

Some make you think and many stay with you long after they're told discover the power of story follow and listen to the moth wherever you get your podcasts