ALL-STAR FUTURES GAME

July 12, 2026

Larry Bowa

Shane Victorino

Citizen's Bank Park

Futures Game Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Futures managers Shane Victorino of the National League, Larry Bowa of the American League. We'll get right into questions.

Q. Shane, what was it like to tell Gage that he was going to start today for this game?

SHANE VICTORINO: I hope it was a moment that he'll never forget, other than the next call hopefully to the Big Leagues soon enough. Yeah, it's always an honor to hand the ball to someone obviously that's a hometown or home team kid, I should say, and get that opportunity hopefully someday to pitch for that team.

I'm excited. I think he was excited, somewhat speechless. Yeah. It's always an honor to be able to call the kid and let them know that there's good news to what's coming today.

Q. For each of you, what can you learn from a game like this? Obviously you're able to see these guys against competition you probably haven't seen, even in the Minor League level. What can an organization individually take away from what admittedly is a small sample size, a single game?

LARRY BOWA: Pitching-wise, all these guys have great arms. I think you want to look at a little bit of command. It's easy to come up here and throw 100, and somebody said 100-miles-an hour ball 4, that doesn't do anything. I appreciate guys throwing hard, but when you get up here, you better be able to command the baseball. Because in the minor leagues, guys swing at everything.

You know, up here -- and with the strike zone now, it's pretty small now, you better be able to locate pitches even though you're throwing hard. But I'm going to watch that more than anything, because I've heard these guys all have tremendous arms.

SHANE VICTORINO: I was fascinated by the infield and outfield watching these players do certain things at such a young age. And there wasn't -- as I told the kids, it's about going out there and having fun. I don't need you to blow it out and showcase me anything. Go out there and play. Do what you would do at any part of -- like any other game.

Yes, the world gets to watch you and some of these guys have played in it. Luckily enough, I have some guys on my team. I'm sure you do as well.

I literally told my kids, go out there, have fun, embrace the moment.

Q. Can you name a thing that an outfielder did that impressed you?

SHANE VICTORINO: Watch Brito throw from center field. I was trying to figure out -- I'm still learning my team, but the lefty in center field, he just nonchalantly was lobbing it in there. At first, I'm like it's not getting there. And again he's not even really -- so it's that amusement. It's the ability of the ball to contact as I sat behind. Now as a manager and get that bird's-eye view, the ball to contact, some of the -- as far as these balls are going.

But again, I don't care about that. I just care about the ball to contact, what it looks like, the back spin, where it's carrying to. And I was very impressed with a lot of these kids. Again, without even them going out there and really showcasing themselves as players.

Q. What skills do you bring from coaching currently to today?

SHANE VICTORINO: You're trying to talk about coconuts coaching, being over there in banana ball, if you call that coaching.

No. I think it's the same. As we talked about a few weeks ago in Lakewood, it's no different in that league than here. Go out there, do the best you can, play hard, and leave it all out on the field. You know, if you are good enough, they'll notice. If you're not, then keep trying your best.

Q. Congrats on coaching the Futures Game. Do you have any advice for these young players?

LARRY BOWA: The advice I have is to play the game hard. It's hard to catch it. It's hard to hit it. It's hard to throw it. The easiest thing to do is play hard.

Sometimes I'm watching some Big League baseball, and a guy hits a ground ball, and he's not even halfway. I'm not saying you got to blow it out and blow a hamstring. Give some kind of effort.

I think if you do that as you're coming up through the Minor Leagues, it's going to automatically kick in in the Big Leagues. If they let guys go halfway or run 30%, it's going to snowball. By the time they get to the Big Leagues, you're not going to be able to fix it. I want these guys to play hard.

The other stuff is hard, man, but the easiest thing to do on a baseball field is to hustle. I would like to see these guys play hard today.

SHANE VICTORINO: I second that. Again, the ability where -- again, it's one game. It's not a make-or-break. Stay healthy, but yes, play hard. Leave it out there. Something that he said and I always -- my dad always told me that four times a night if you're lucky you get to walk up to a plate and hit a ball into play. That's four times if you put it into play.

Those four times you get up there, you might strike out a few times, so two times you're really putting the ball into play. To run 90 feet is not really that hard. A testament to that is -- you are right. Sometimes I watch the game, he used the word "effort." Yes, give effort, man. Do it and play as hard as you can. Showcase yourself. That's why you're here.

LARRY BOWA: I try to tell these kids today too with the trade deadline coming up, there are so many teams right now involved in the Wild Card, and you might be blocked in your organization. Maybe they got a phenom playing your position. Go out there today -- because there are going to be a lot of scouts out here that are probably putting together packages to try to get some name player. They're going to have to give up some of these prospects.

It doesn't mean if you get traded that you're not a good player. It means the team that's giving you away can get a guy that can fit in right now. But they're not downgrading your ability. What I'm trying to get to these guys is, hey, if you're not playing for that team, there's other scouts out there that are watching your every move, so go out there and bust it today.

Q. You've been around the game since practically Connie Mack?

LARRY BOWA: He's talking about Connie Mack stadium now.

SHANE VICTORINO: He said you're old, but said it in a nice way.

LARRY BOWA: He's been around me. He knows.

Q. I've been around since Babe Ruth (laughing). What's the major thing you've seen changing the game over the course of all the decades you've been in it?

LARRY BOWA: The one rule I wish I had when I played is the throw over twice. I mean, I stole over 300-some bases. You could double that. When it's over there twice, there's no way you can stop the running game.

Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman and those guys that stole 80 to 100 base with that rule...

The rule I don't like -- I mean, there's some I don't like -- but the one I really don't like is the ghost runner, and I get it. They don't want guys to play long, but my thing on that is if you are having a ghost runner all year, why do we stop hitting the playoffs in the World Series? Hey, if you're not going to do it in the playoffs and World Series, let's play the game.

I think half the battle when you're playing and you're on a Big League team is to wear that bullpen out. If it goes 15 innings, we're going to find out who has the best team the next day because two or three of the relievers are down. But you very seldom see a game go 12 innings. It's over in the 10th or 11th inning. I would eliminate that. Or if you are going to use it, use it in the playoffs and World Series. They're not going to do that.

Q. You with your career most of it being with the Phillies -- you did finish up with the Cubs -- what do you remember most about the years with the cubs?

LARRY BOWA: In '84. I mean, that city went crazy finally getting in the playoffs. I'm not saying we thought we had it, but we had them down 2-0, and we went out there and got swept. We had a good team there, man. I think we could have given Detroit a good run, but.

SHANE VICTORINO: How come you coaching American League teams but you never played in the American League (laughing)?

Q. Larry, what does it mean to you, like he said, to be 80 and still so involved in the game and have the kind of career that you've had. How meaningful is it to you to be so active in baseball?

LARRY BOWA: I've been very fortunate, not only with health and the good man upstairs, but the organization, the Phillies. We've had three or four managers. They all tell me to come down to Spring Training. To this day still I go out and help Bobby Dickerson hit ground balls before games.

John Middleton has been great. The fact that they're letting me do this, I mean, without the help of those guys, I couldn't suit up the way I'm doing right now. It's a lot of fun being around young guys. It makes you a lot younger. Their energy is important. That's why I like -- when you have these teams that have veterans and young guys, people say, well, there's three or four young guys. Those young guys, they invigorate those older guys. They see these guys running hard and everything and say hey, man, there are a couple of those guys down in the Minor Leagues, we better kick it in.

I've been very fortunate on both sides of it.

Q. Shane, what's it mean being back here? I know you had the thing at the Boys Club yesterday, which you are really proud of, and now to be involved in so many things here and just memories of being in this organization?

SHANE VICTORINO: It never gets old. As Larry kind of said, when you have the opportunity to have an organization love you as much as you love the organization, it means a lot. I've been lucky enough to come back in a role somewhat here with the Phillies. So to be able to do stuff with Major League Baseball as well and be asked to do this and the Futures Game and the opportunities with the MLB Derby X and all the other things around Philadelphia this weekend, it's an honor. I tell people that.

When I get asked, it's more humbling than the fact of oh, you did X, Y, and Z. There are so many others that could be in this situation or get the chance to, so it always means a lot when I get asked to come back to the city, for sure.

LARRY BOWA: I talked on somebody that had been to four of these the last four years, and they said yesterday they never seen so many people come to the convention center. This is a great baseball town. Can the fans be tough? You don't put effort out there, they're going to let you know, and that's how it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be that way.

But when you do good, man, you win a World Series. We were very fortunate, both of us. It's the greatest feeling in the world. People say what's the best thing that happened to you in uniform? It's not even close. It's winning the World Series. That's what it's all about.

Q. To have somebody Hawaiian that's a part of this, how did that all come about and what's that mean to you?

SHANE VICTORINO: It means everything to me. I set out on my journey hoping to be the kid that, you know, set the path for other kids from where I was from and made it a reality that they could touch and feel. It was funny. As stories be told, Kolten actually said to me, you know, playing against you was that moment I realized that, you know, or that I can do it. There's someone that I can look and say, like, I can do it too.

When I assembled the staff, it was ultimately at first let's go with a lot of the Philly guys. I said to myself, would I be able to get the opportunity to choose my staff, would I be able to build it around guys that I hopefully idolized or that I was an idol to them or looked up to in their career in baseball? I did go out and get Kolten Wong, Kanekoa Texeira, Brandon League, Mike Fetters, and Keoni DeRenne. Five guys that obviously had ties to Hawaii and people that I grew up playing with and right behind me.

Then I added Adam Jones lastly because he's Adam Jones, and I think he's great for just everything about this. I think he's just a good role model for baseball. I this he's just a good person. He's like a brother to me, and he fits into the good vibes of what we all have going on. So I'm excited.

Q. You guys represent the two eras of Phillies Baseball that accomplished a World Championship. This era is very popular as well. Even though they have gotten close, they haven't won it. What have you thought of this season so far, and what do you think they need as the trade deadline is approaching to get over the hump?

LARRY BOWA: You hit it right on the head. I remember when we won it the first time in Philly, and I remember Jimmy coming up because Jimmy -- I was managing Jimmy. He says, you know what, I'm tired of hearing about that '80 team. I said go do something about it. They went out and won a World Series.

I'm getting the same vibe from this team right now, the team that's playing now. They're tired of hearing about the 2008 team. Go do something about it. You've had opportunities.

As far as what we need right now, I'm not the GM or anything, but just watching, I know we need a couple of arms in the back end of that bullpen. When we get to the closer, I'm not saying he's Mariano, but he's good. The game is usually over when he comes in the game. We got to solidify that back end a little bit.

SHANE VICTORINO: Man, good answers. You should be a GM. No, just kidding.

LARRY BOWA: No, no, no, no.

SHANE VICTORINO: No, I know, I'm just teasing. As far as that, I mean, listen, there's always here, there, whatever. Ultimately, it says to watch the game, and it kind of tells you what's needed.

Are those opportunities out there? Who knows? Do you want to give up pieces? That's always a thing about this. You know, it's the hardest part. It's easy to sit here and say, well, let's do this and let's do that. I've also been a part of a lot of trades. I've also seen guys get traded to my team, and some work, some don't.

So to me, the turning point, unfortunately, was that firing. But again, it wasn't about -- I always tell people understanding through my career, not so many -- I didn't lose so many managers, but I did lose coaches. You can fire players. You got to move pieces. It's more what I call a wake-up call, and it seemed to wake up a little bit and obviously send them in the right trajectory.

Everybody loves Rob, so nobody said anything bad about that.

I think that has worked. What goes on at the trade deadline, whatever it takes. You know, testament to what he was saying. You're right, A, if you are tired of hearing about another team, then hey, go win one yourself.

When I got to Boston, everybody kept talking about the negative of that Red Sox team before us and the era of the Popeye, the chicken and the beer. When I got there and we got there as a team in Spring Training, I'm done hearing about -- yes, it was a negative vibe to it, but we're done hearing about that. Let's do something about it.

And we went and won and turned that whole -- no one ever talks about that. Leading into that season in a big city and a big market that was the story line. It's like there's no way this team is going to do it. They're going to do this. And we all said in Spring Training I'm done hearing about the story line, and we won.

I think that's the moral of it. And they've got a great team. I'm excited. I'm with them all the way. I said it from the beginning. I wasn't worried early on. Again, it was an unfortunate situation. They obviously made it work, and their trajectory is in the right direction. I'm excited for this team. I'm always going to be a part of them.

LARRY BOWA: If we get in, we got some starting pitching for you. I don't know if I want to play this team.

SHANE VICTORINO: You have Zack who is hungry. He has a little bit of dog in him right now. I get it. Unfortunately, I wish I could have high-fived him over the weekend, but hey, we get it. It is what it is.

Yes, you're right. As far as a team, they're definitely trajectoring in the right direction. Put a couple of pieces together, and we'll see what happens.

LARRY BOWA: It would be a shame with this group when they're done to say they never got to a World Series, because there's talent. There's big-time talent in that room.

SHANE VICTORINO: It's also people remember. That's how hard it is.

LARRY BOWA: It is. You have to be lucky.

SHANE VICTORINO: Oh, you got two. I'm lucky. It's hard to even get there, and then to say that you got to beat the best of four multiple series and then the best on the best, you know, in a seven-game series, you know, it's not easy.

Yes, it's easy for us to say it out loud. I would love -- I want to see them win this year and go down Broad Street and high-five them on the way. It's not that easy, and I hope they do, and I hope it happens. Again, it's baseball, as you guys all know, so...