2017 World Series Game 5 Live Blog

5:07	Paul Swydan: Who will win tonight’s game? Astros (24.5% \| 74 votes) Dodgers (64.9% \| 196 votes) I can’t decide! (10.5% \| 32 votes) Total Votes: 302

5:07	Paul Swydan: In your opinion, which game has been the best so far? Game 1 (5.8% \| 17 votes) Game 2 (81.0% \| 236 votes) Game 3 (5.1% \| 15 votes) Game 4 (4.1% \| 12 votes) I can’t decide! (3.7% \| 11 votes) Total Votes: 291

5:09

Paul Swydan:

Which game will end up with the highest avg. SP Game Score v. 2.0 (GSv2)?

Current leader Game 4 – 69.8 (Morton 76.8, Wood 62.8) (32.7% | 81 votes)

Tonight (Kershaw-Keuchel) (42.5% | 105 votes)

Game 6 (Verlander-TBD/Hill) (12.5% | 31 votes)

Game 7 (TBD-TBD) (1.6% | 4 votes)

I can’t decide! (10.5% | 26 votes)

Total Votes: 247

7:37	Paul Swydan: How many minutes after 8 pm will tonight’s game start? Zero – it’ll start right on time! (4.8% \| 9 votes) 1-5 minutes late (9.2% \| 17 votes) 6-10 minutes late (11.4% \| 21 votes) 11-15 minutes late (21.1% \| 39 votes) 16+ minutes late (53.2% \| 98 votes) Total Votes: 184

8:02	Paul Swydan: Hi everybody!

8:03	Paul Swydan: Looking forward to a great game. Looks like most of you think the Dodgers win tonight.

8:03

Abdul Latif Jameel: I said a boom-chicka-boom
I said a boom chicka-boom
I said a boom, Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel make for an interesting starting pitcher matchup especially when it’s in the World Series and especially even more when it’s in the World Series and the series is tied at 2-2, boom

8:03	Abdul Latif Jameel: If Carson Cistulli were Prince Hamlet in the eponymous play, which state of being would he choose?

8:03	Paul Swydan: To quote Krusty the Clown, I wouldn’t touch that Cistulli question with a 10-foot clown pole. But please, feel free to speculate.

8:04

Paul Swydan: I will say that I never actually read Hamlet. When we were assigned it in class, my friends and I just watched the movie. But being dumb boys, we waited until the last second, and had to drive two towns over because all the girls in our class had beaten us to the punch and rented out the copies in our town.

8:04	Paul Swydan: The lesson: boys are dumb.

8:04	Abdul Latif Jameel: Dallas Keuchel -> A Shellack Duel Clayton Kershaw -> Whacks Ornately Jose Altuve -> Jealous Vet Cody Bellinger -> Boldly Generic Carlos Correa -> Cloaca Errors Cory Seager – Crease Orgy

8:05	Paul Swydan: Unfortunately, Abdul, you forgot the E in Corey. Try again!

8:05	LJS: You should read it, it is legit great

8:06	Paul Swydan: I love reading, but I couldn’t stand Shakespeare. My wife loved him though, so on average, my marriage has read TONS of Shakespeare.

8:06	stever20: the last poll is easy. 1st pitch is scheduled for 8:20.

8:06	Paul Swydan: It is?

8:06	Paul Swydan: Where do you see that?

8:06	LJS: Hi from Germany!

8:06	LJS: I still don’t know who I’m rooting for in this series

8:07	Paul Swydan: I don’t either!!!! I feel like I’m rooting more for the Dodgers, but I still like the Astros.

8:07	Tommy: Hi! I love you.

8:07	Paul Swydan: I love you too, Tommy.

8:07	Pie: Mood from Houston: [several curse words] Giles

8:07	Paul Swydan: Ha.

8:08	Paul Swydan: Oh look, someone who isn’t Beyonce is performing the national anthem. Why the hell didn’t Beyonce sing the anthem at one of these Houston games? Unreal. I will NOT get over this.

8:09	stever20: came out on the 26th. MLB Communications? Verified account @MLB_PR Follow Follow @MLB_PR More MLB today announced that first pitch times for the remainder of the #WorldSeries have been adjusted to 8:20pm (ET) [7:20pm (CT)/5:20pm (PT)] 4:57 PM – 26 Oct 2017

8:09	Paul Swydan: Huh. Well, it just says 8 pm on MLBs site, and in most media. Baseball always does this. I can’t stand the bait and switch.

8:10	Paul Swydan: I loathe the NFL, but when it comes for the Super Bowl, they always make sure every media outlet knows that kickoff is scheduled for 8:26. Or whatever the specific time is.

8:10	Safety Stegosaurus: Your opinion on slick balls? (Phrasing)

8:10	Paul Swydan: I don’t care. This hasn’t been the scoringest or non-scoringest World Series of all-time. As long as the balls are the same for both teams, I couldn’t care less.

8:11	Paul Swydan: Having said that, if you want to learn more about the process, you should read Stephanie Springer’s piece from Wednesday at THT. She had a really great breakdown.

8:11	Mike: The answer has a lot to do with the Venn diagram of Beyonce fans in Texas and Houston Astros fans in Texas

8:11	Paul Swydan: A) No one is stupid enough to boo Beyonce.

8:13

Paul Swydan: B) The Astros are not in charge of pregame ceremonies. MLB steps in and runs the whole show. Team reps are mere lliasons at this point. And in the past, MLB has always tried to find famous local singers/celebrities to take part in these festivities. And aside from the two Bush’s, both of whom are on field right now, Houston doesn’t have a more famous celebrity than Beyonce.

8:13	Paul Swydan: W with a strike. So casual.

8:13	Pie: Beyonce’s gotta be too big a name to do the national anthem, right?

8:14	Paul Swydan: If you’re implying that MLB is too cheap to pay her what she would want for it, then yes. But MLB should be smart enough to know how much free publicity they’d get out of the deal.

8:14	hscer: which Hamlet movie?

8:14	Paul Swydan: Uh, the Mel Gibson one.

8:14	The Hamburglar: What will John Smoltz preach to us about tonight? Cant wait to be lectured for 4-5 innings

8:15	Paul Swydan: LOL

8:15	Paul Swydan: Did anyone listen to the Bill Simmons-Jack-O pod where Jack-O claimed Smoltz was outright rooting for the Astros? I found that amusing.

8:15	This is lude-icris: I just realized this isn’t Sporer

8:15	Paul Swydan: Go take a lap.

8:15	Grimace: did Smoltz master the art of talking while his mouth is delayed?

8:15	Paul Swydan: I’m….not sure. Did he?

8:16	Mike: No one’s going to boo Beyonce but I think she had a better chance of singing it in LA than she does in Houston

8:16	Paul Swydan: Beyonce’s a Houston native. I’d be surprised if that was the case.

8:16	Simon: MLB.TV stream is exactly 25 seconds behind cable TV feed

8:17	Paul Swydan: Good to know. And, I love you all that are watching on MLB.tv, but I’m not going to wait 25 seconds to react to stuff. Sorry. 🙂

8:17	Canyonero Driver: Someone somewhere is stupid enough to boo Beyonce. Someone somewhere would boo Mother Teresa.

8:17	Paul Swydan: Maybe individually. Not in a giant crowd where people are going to yell at them.

8:17	LJS: GHW Bush is no Texan

8:17	Paul Swydan: Right, right. Sorry.

8:17	Canyonero Driver: Astros fans are applauding the Bushes for not buying their team.

8:17	Jstodola : So cool to see both Bush’s

8:17	Safety Stegosaurus: W with the heel turn on the Rangers

8:18	Paul Swydan: I mean, sort of, yeah. But I liked seeing him out there anyway.

8:18	Pie: No I meant you don’t typically see the mega mega stars do the national anthem (ie it’s not worth their time)

8:18	Paul Swydan: That’s because MLB doesn’t pay enough. Generally speaking, MLB can’t get out of their own way.

8:18	Jstodola : Who closes for Houston?

8:18	Paul Swydan: Whoa, a baseball question? I’ll say Devenski.

8:19	Sterling Mallory Chris Archer: How are you watching the game, Paul?

8:19	Paul Swydan: In my living room on my large television that is connected to Verizon FIOS.

8:19	CamdenWarehouse: Who was the last person to submit their article for the annual this year?

8:20	Paul Swydan: Almost no one has submitted. But the answer will almost certainly be Cameron or Cistulli.

8:20	Anonymous: Giancarlo for Beyonce, straight up

8:20	Paul Swydan: I’ll take Beyonce.

8:20	Mike: I would guess it’s especially hard to get mega stars for games 5 through 7 since they aren’t guaranteed to happen

8:21	Paul Swydan: Right. The night to have her sing was last night.

8:21	Guest: What time does this game end? I say 12:08 est

8:21	Paul Swydan: Bold. I’ll say it goes later than that.

8:21	alpha309: Paul, are you by yourself tonight for the whole game?

8:21	Paul Swydan: I mean, my family is home, but I don’t think they’re going to be doing any live blogging.

8:21	Paul Swydan: Yes, I’m flying solo.

8:22	Paul Swydan: And we’re off!

8:22	Mike: I’m not going to miss the train sounds when we go back to LA let me tell you that

8:22	Paul Swydan: Agreed. The train was a stupid gimmick. The only thing cool about this ballpark was Tal’s Hill, and they got rid of it because somehow they weren’t grinding enough money out of these fans.

8:23	Joe: I thought the annual wasn’t a thing this year?

8:23	Paul Swydan: Oh, it’s a thing. We’re doing it online, and it will publish in early January.

8:23	Paul Swydan: We’re just not publishing a printed book.

8:23	E-Money: Beyonce is cool but your obsession with this seems a bit far. I don’t think fans give a crap who sings the anthem, to be honest, even if it’s someone very famous.

8:24

Paul Swydan: People that are tuning in for the BASEBALL don’t care. But there’s a whole 95% of the country who is either not tuning in or tuning in for the spectacle. THOSE are the people baseball both needs to reach and consistently fails to reach. The NFL and NBA do a MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better job of this.

8:24	Kates: Astros are approximately 32-0 when Clay Walker sings the anthem. Look for a Kershaw implosion.

8:24	CamdenWarehouse: whoa, last year was released mid November. Are they cutting it close or was the date pushed back this year?

8:25	Paul Swydan: We pushed it back this year.

8:25	Paul Swydan: https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/changes-at-the-hardball-times/

8:25	STL: Paul … reply with “X” the moment the ball crosses the plate so we know how far ahead / behind us you are!

8:25	Paul Swydan: Ok, right now it’s 2-2 to Seager.

8:25	Paul Swydan: x

8:26	Mike: I think the train with the home runs is cool but just randomly tooting the horn is silly

8:26	Paul Swydan: Yes, ok, that’s fair.

8:26	Jstodola : The Annual is free!

8:26	Paul Swydan: Yes, free this year!

8:26	Paul Swydan: And with helpful links, instead of making you type in all the hyperlinks on your own!

8:27	Anonymous: Giancarlo for Solange, straight up

8:27	Paul Swydan: Tough. Solange is probably on a better contract though, so I’ll take her.

8:27	E-Money: In other words, not having Beyonce is an “missed opportunity” to do what? Not like it would increase baseball’s profile meaningfully.

8:28	Paul Swydan: To draw in casual fans for a few innings, and see if they end up liking what they see.

8:28	JCMason: This is a battle between the two worst beards in MLB.

8:28	Paul Swydan: It really is. Neither Turner nor Keuchel has an excuse.

8:29	Paul Swydan: They said the other night that Turner is looking forward to shaving after the series, so his is at least partly superstitous.

8:29	Paul Swydan: So I’ll say his is less worse.

8:29	Joe: Damn I’m on cable and you’re a good second ahead of me too

8:29	Paul Swydan: Sorry Joe!

8:29	CamdenWarehouse: Man I read that when you published it last month. Stuff just doesn’t stay in my head the way it used to.

8:29	Paul Swydan: I hear you.

8:29	Brian: Kershaw K’s tonight?

8:29	Paul Swydan: I’ll say 8.

8:30	hscer: solange is a German conjunction

8:30	Paul Swydan: for what?

8:30	Sadman : What’s your ideal dugout food item?

8:30	Paul Swydan: Gum, probably. I never liked seeds. Though I’ve reached the age where chewing gum now gives me a headache. Pro tip – Don’t get old

8:31	alpha309: Keuchel has a well trimmed beard. Turner just looks like a Dwarf from Lord of the Rings

8:31	ChatzMcGee: Playoff beards are important.

8:31	Paul Swydan: They’re important in hockey. I don’t think the same is true of baseball.

8:31	Paul Swydan: Keuchel isn’t having the best first inning.

8:33	zangler: What is the jotcast delay? Nearly instant?

8:33	Paul Swydan: delay in posting?

8:33	Paul Swydan: no i’m just slow. you guys are posting way too fast for me tonight. 🙂

8:33	brian eno: it means so long

8:33	Paul Swydan: right, makes sense (re: Solange)

8:33	Tom: So yesterday Dave C was defending Ken Giles closing (based on reg season stats). Today he’s no longer closing – was one outing really the breaking point?

8:34	Paul Swydan: Well, he had allowed runs in 5 of his 6 postseason appearances going into last night.

8:34	Paul Swydan: I’d say last night was more the last straw.

8:34	Paul Swydan: Meanwhile, nice pitch from Keuchel there to strike out Bellinger.

8:34	Yogi: Do any players eat peanuts in the dugout? I’m not a fan of gum nor seeds (and obviously tobacco is disgusting)

8:34	Paul Swydan: I’ve never seen peanuts, no. But I haven’t been in every team’s dugout, obviously.

8:35	Paul Swydan: Big hit for Forsythe!

8:35	Show Hey O’Tawny: Marwin nooooooo

8:35	Guest: Players should eat deep dish pizza in the dugout

8:35	hscer: at first I read that you’d never eaten peanuts, and I was like, that can’t be right

8:35	Paul Swydan: Ha, no, I love peanuts.

8:36	Paul Swydan: As for that Marwin error, I don’t think it cost Houston anything. The runner was being waived home as the ball got to Marwin.

8:36	Paul Swydan: Maybe Marwin has a play at the plate, but I doubt it.

8:36	Tommy: What are you gonna be for Halloween?

8:36	Paul Swydan: I told my son I’d go as “tired and overworked father.” He didn’t think that was very funny.

8:36	Anonymous: My dugout snack of choice is an entire raw potato. Just munch it like a hand-fruit.

8:37	AdamZ: Morel ike Mar-lose, amirite?

8:37	E-Money: PAUL STOP CHOOSING COMMENTS ABOUT PEANUTS AND RECORDING ARTISTS

8:37	Paul Swydan: What about comments that are complaints? 🙂

8:37	hscer: wait, is Buck saying Key-kul?

8:37	Paul Swydan: WOW WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT

8:38	Paul Swydan: That was amazing.

8:38	Paul Swydan: He beat it too, I think.

8:38	AdamZ: Safe

8:38	Bees to the knees: Pretty sure we pulled that same play off in like sixth grade

8:38	Paul Swydan: I was just going to say – that looked like when we played pickle with my son’s team for our last fall practice last Tuesday.

8:38	E-Money: Holy shit what a slide by Logan — They really blew it with that throw wow

8:38	Section329: E3?

8:39	Paul Swydan: E3 for sure.

8:39	Ike: Have you ever done the Hidden Ball Trick?

8:39	Paul Swydan: I mean, I tricked the kids on our team with it during pickle. But not when I played as a kid, no.

8:39	ChatzMcGee: awful slide by the way.

8:39	Paul Swydan: He was just going on instinct there. But yeah, could have been better.

8:40	Paul Swydan: Safe on review.

8:40	Tommy: Surprised Forsythe didn’t sprain hid ankle

8:40	Show Hey O’Tawny: That was almost a scary play for Forsythe’s knee/ankle

8:40	Frank: In 2017, the ability to slide into a bag and not come off is rarer than 20 HR power

8:40	stever20: wow absolute worst case scenario for Houston. runner for LA was stupid though- while yes he got in safe- he should have given him self up to make sure that the 3rd run had scored. Could easily have cost them a run…..

8:40	Paul Swydan: Agreed, but again, that happened really fast.

8:40	Tino: Love these chats, thanks paul

8:40	Paul Swydan: Of course.

8:41	This is lude-icris: I just got back from that lap you had me run. Did the game start yet?

8:41	Paul Swydan: Yup! Dodgers scored 3 runs.

8:41	Mike: Hernandez’s job on that play is not to hesitate if he had not hesitated he would have scored before Forsythe was out no matter what

8:42	Paul Swydan: I think he waited a beat too long. He didn’t seem to run until Altuve dove for the ball, when I think he probably should have been running as soon as Gurriel threw it to second.

8:42	Paul Swydan: But, it all worked out.

8:42	stever20: should do a poll- will Houston score 2 or fewer runs tonight(meaning is the game already over?)

8:42	Paul Swydan: But that poll would be depressing.

8:42	Doug: By Kershaw standards, if he blows this lead it counts as an implosion

8:43	Paul Swydan: Oh yeah. If Kershaw gives back this lead people will say he choked, no doubt about it.

8:43	Yael: Chatting beverage of choice?

8:43	Paul Swydan: I have a bottle of water and a can of Coors Light. Some would say I have both a bottle and can of water. But those people are JERKS.

8:43	Altuve’s other six inches: Marwin doesn’t bobble the ball, no runner at third… that small mistake ended up costing them

8:43	Paul Swydan: Yup, you’re right. Great point.

8:44	2% Melk: Watching SNF as well. What would happen first: detroit-pittsburgh World Series or Houston-LA Super Bowl?

8:44	Paul Swydan: DET-PIT World Series for sure.

8:44	Cave Dameron: Wait why is Kike Hernadez batting 4th

8:44	Paul Swydan: Lefty on the mound.

8:44	J Rich: It’s a bad idea to spot Kershaw three runs, right?

8:44	Mike: only be depressing for the Astros fans

8:45	Paul Swydan: Well, and for me, since I have to stick around for the whole game. 🙂

8:45	B. Ryce Hammer’s Luscious Locks: Kershaw puts up 9 0’s. You heard it here first.

8:45	Grimace: Halloween Candy of choice?

8:45	Paul Swydan: I prefer to give out Kit Kats, Twix and Starburst.

8:45	AdamZ: Is the World Series trophy the best of all major American sports trophies?

8:46	Paul Swydan: No, the Stanley Cup is very clearly the best trophy, because you can drink out of it.

8:46	Paul Swydan: The World Series trophy is cool, but you can’t drink out of it, it’s heavy as balls, and you can stab yourself with it.

8:46	CamdenWarehouse: When need to send Eno your way with real beer

8:46	Paul Swydan: Please no. All of Eno’s beer is heavy and bitter. No thanks.

8:46	Ian: If you were a superhero, who (if anyone) would you tell?

8:47	Paul Swydan: Just my kids. They’re the only ones who would be impressed.

8:47	The Hamburglar: Its okay to enjoy both craft beer and regular beer. Craft beer fans can be way too snobby

8:47	Paul Swydan: Yup.

8:47	hscer: Texans and Rams are pretty solid this year!

8:47	Paul Swydan: I do like DeShaun (Deshaun?) Watson.

8:48	The Hamburglar: Really? Houston/LA both have really young QBs, whereas the Tigers are at the beginning of an extensive rebuild

8:48	Paul Swydan: Yeah but the Rams are owned by Kroenke so they don’t deserve to win jack.

8:48	hscer: 2018 NL Cy: a) Kershaw, Scherzer, or Strasburg b) field

8:48	Paul Swydan: A

8:48	Tommy: Candy corn: for or against?

8:49	Paul Swydan: Indifferent. For, if you’re forcing me to vote.

8:49	Mike: You do Halloween candy properly

8:49	Paul Swydan: Thanks.

8:49	Grimace: the glass college football is the best

8:49	Paul Swydan: No way. I guarantee that that trophy gets broken often by idiots trying to throw it around like a regular ball.

8:50	Mike: I think really the NBA trophy stands out as sucking the other three are pretty great

8:50	Paul Swydan: The one benefit of the NBA trophy is you can hold it with one hand, which is pretty baller.

8:50	Rob Manfred Mann’s Earth Band : Sounds like you’re the good house in the neighborhood. Only Reese’s would make it A+

8:51	Paul Swydan: We do have some Reeses, but I’ve found a lot of kids ask about non-peanut candy and I would rather not have to be yelled at so I try to eat those ahead of time.

8:51	Enlightening Round: Stanley Cup is far and away the best, guys even get to do whatever they want wih

8:51	Paul Swydan: Yup that’s an awesome tradition.

8:51	Anonymous: Counterpoint: You can stab other people with it.

8:51	Paul Swydan: That’d be a great plot point for a baseball novel.

8:51	Paul Swydan: The cover would just be the trophy dripping with blood…maybe an ear too. Diabolical.

8:52	Guest: Assuming LA goes up 3-2 going home. For Houston fans…got Verlander going game 6 and game 7 is a wildcard

8:52	Paul Swydan: Yes.

8:52	Show Hey O’Tawny: What would your superpower be?

8:52	Paul Swydan: Oh, flight. Easy.

8:52	Paul Swydan: No question.

8:52	Paul Swydan: Imagine not having to worry about the commute?

8:52	Paul Swydan: Ah, so cool.

8:52	Morton Salt Girl: Have a stupid early plane to catch tomorrow I’d appreciate it the Astros could just roll over and die early so I can go to bed.

8:53	Paul Swydan: Geesh, someone’s salty!

8:53	Ryan S: Can they say “damn” on national TV?

8:53	Paul Swydan: Apparently?

8:53	CamdenWarehouse: What sort of commute do you have? You don’t work from home?

8:53	Paul Swydan: Yeah I mean like from kid activity to kid activity to grocery store, that sort of thing.

8:54	E-Money: People who choose flight over teleportation <<<<<

8:54	Paul Swydan: Teleportation seems like a matter for science to solve. I don’t think of it as a superpower, I think of it as an eventuality.

8:54	Marshall: I worked at Pizza Hut in the ‘90s, and that heat bag looks the same as what we had then. They’re really pressing for reasons to eat their pizza.

8:55	Paul Swydan: Sad!

8:55	Jstodola : How many innings for Keuchel?

8:55	Paul Swydan: 5.2

8:55	Craft Beer: you can stab anyone with anything

8:55	Paul Swydan: That’s the spirit!

8:55	Dan: Does Reeses even have any real peanuts in it though?

8:55	Paul Swydan: Who am I, a food scientist?

8:55	Guest: I like to give out triscuits and wheatabix for Halloween

8:55	Paul Swydan: You monster!

8:55	Enlightening Round: Amen on the Kroenke stance, he’s worse than the candy corn of Halloween

8:56	Paul Swydan: When I moved to Denver, I asked the people in my grad school which teams were the best to intern with. Everyone said they didn’t know who the best was, but that Kroenke – who didn’t pay interns but expected them to work 40+ hours per week – was the worst.

8:57	brian eno: nfl trophy is garbage

8:57	Brian: the NFL trophy is the worst by far!

8:57	Mike: Yeah the Lombardi has that same one handed thing going on the NFL was also smart enough to immediately name their trophy after someone great instead of trying to do it after the fact like MLB does with all of their Awards

8:57	Paul Swydan: Yeah, I think the NBA trophy is slightly better than NFL, but eh.

8:57	Doug: Who is your pick to be the next Chris Taylor? As in, a failed prospect/ current role player who becomes a star?

8:57	Paul Swydan: Yeesh, I don’t know. Profar?

8:57	Paul Swydan: I’d love for it to be Profar.

8:58	Long Live Jeff Frye: I have English friends who hate Kroenke for screwing up their football, which I find amusing. He screwed up our football too!

8:58	Paul G.: Spiders as Halloween decorations: Yes or No?

8:59	Paul Swydan: I don’t put up any Halloween decorations other than pumpkins. Anyone who does more is trying too hard.

8:59	Better Call Saul Pwydan: World Cup—–best trophy

8:59	Paul Swydan: Nope, still Stanley Cup.

8:59	Julius Pepperwood: Profar could be the next Tim Beckham, more like

8:59	Paul Swydan: I’ll take it.

9:00	Long Live Jeff Frye: Speaking of trophies named after people, how long have their been the Mariano Rivera Award and whatever the other one is? I’d missed it until it was mentioned about Jansen.

9:00	Paul Swydan: I think this is the second year?

9:00	hscer: I must be going crazy because I’ve now heard Buck pronounce the first syllable of Keuchel as key, kie, and koy

9:00	Paul Swydan: It’s almost like Joe Buck only got his job because he has a famous daddy.

9:00	Tommy: When does fangraphs have these sorts of chats every night of baseball season?

9:00	Paul Swydan: Just in the postseason.

9:00	B. Ryce Hammer’s Luscious Locks: Do you even speak baseball? hahaha! This chat is way down the rabbit hole. Oh look, a great play to end the inning!

9:00	Paul Swydan: Sorry, my bad, my bad.

9:01	Tommy: Dogs or cats?

9:01	Paul Swydan: Neither, but also dogs.

9:01	hscer: screw Alexa

9:01	Paul Swydan: Screw all of those things.

9:01	Vustin Jerlander: Why is Barnes starting over one of the best catchers in baseball?

9:01	Paul Swydan: Barnes is better than Grandal, I think.

9:02	Paul Swydan as Paul Sporer: If Joey Votto does what he did this year in 2018 is he a HOFer?

9:02	Paul Swydan: He’ll be pretty close, yeah.

9:02	Long Live Jeff Frye: The World Cup trophy always reminds me of a picture in my old high school bio book showing the anatomy of a testicle.

9:02	Paul Swydan: Homer backing back into the bushes GIF

9:02	Pie: What about FanGraphs after dark?

9:02	Paul Swydan: Well that’s only once a week.

9:02	Jstodola : How many on this chat?

9:02	Paul Swydan: 370 right now.

9:02	Joe: Rivera Hoffman is in third year I think (didn’t actually google though)

9:03	Better Call Saul Pwydan: Paul, I volunteer to do one day a month for these chats….bcause these should exist every night!

9:03	Paul Swydan: It’s a nice thought, but it’s tough to ask our writers to do them at night all the time. I only started the After Dark chats because we had a noon chat for every day of the week, and I wanted to have a chat.

9:04	Prok Chop: “Great play?” That Bregman play would be like 88th on Manny Machado’s “top 100 plays of 2017”

9:04	Paul Swydan: Tough crowd.

9:04	Papelbon’s Velo: WHat is this curveball nonsense joe buck is spewing

9:04	Paul Swydan: The best part of doing these live blogs is I never have to pay attention to what they’re saying.

9:05	Ian: does carson watch baseball?

9:05	Paul Swydan: I can confirm that I have seen Carson watch baseball.

9:05	Dick Butkus: Votto is a HOF already IMO… two more stellar years and he is a BBWA lock

9:05	Paul Swydan: He’s a 1B with 53.4 WAR.

9:05	Paul Swydan: That’s gotta be on the low end.

9:06	Paul Swydan: He’s got a MVP but almost no playoff cred.

9:06	Paul Swydan: The one time he got there his team choked away a 2-0 lead.

9:06	Ian: do you have a different day job?

9:06	Paul Swydan: Just being with my kids.

9:06	Joe: Do you like chats?

9:06	Paul Swydan: I do!

9:07	Long Live Jeff Frye: What current early-30s players are likeliest to have a David Ortiz-style decline (i.e., not much)? Votto I assume is one?

9:07	Paul Swydan: Not sure Votto’s knee will allow for that.

9:07	Marshall: What would Kershaw need to do going forward to takenthe title of greatest pitcher of all time?

9:07	Paul Swydan: Keep this up for another decade.

9:08	Seth Moko: How many signatures would it take on a petition to get Carson to do a regular chat?

9:08	Paul Swydan: If you guys had more Carson, the mystique of Carson would die.

9:08	John: Is this game as over as it feels?

9:08	Paul Swydan: I don’t think so.

9:08	Tim: Metal bats in the next CBA? It’s about time…

9:08	Paul Swydan: I sure hope not. I hate the ping.

9:08	stever20: Kershaw the easy WS MVP if he keeps this up tonight and Dodgers win series, right?

9:09	Paul Swydan: Probably.

9:09	Guest: This series has me giddy. Back and forth, Dodgers staring down the barrel of a 3-1 deficit, now they have the best pitcher in the world fighting to get a game away from immortality. More twists and turns to come.

9:09	Hatzis: How hard is it for voters to completely discount postseason success when voting for something like Manager of the Year? Will there be any kind of subconscious discounting of Black/Lovullo for not getting far? Or was Roberts a lock anyways?

9:10	Paul Swydan: Those awards are voted on before the postseason starts.

9:10	Paul Swydan: Surprised Gurriel had to flip that. He’s pretty lazy.

9:10	CamdenWarehouse: Votto: JAWS First Base (20th): 54.8 career WAR / 45.6 7yr-peak WAR / 50.2 JAWS Average HOF 1B (out of 20): 66.4 career WAR / 42.7 7yr-peak WAR / 54.6 JAWS

9:10	Paul Swydan: Right, and I’d argue that you need to be WELL above the average JAWS to actually get elected at this stage.

9:10	Paul Swydan: Especially at first base.

9:11	hscer: btw why was FG hating on CC’s HOF chances in these chats

9:11	Paul Swydan: I don’t know. I love CC.

9:11	Doug: What was your major?

9:11	Paul Swydan: Marketing undergrad, sports management grad.

9:11	Tim: Do you like cats?

9:11	Paul Swydan: No I hate cats.

9:11	Better Call Saul Pwydan: Any guesses on what the Red Sox do this offeseason

9:11	Paul Swydan: Hosmer. Sigh.

9:11	Brian: Who would you prefer to be hired as manager of Boston?

9:12	Paul Swydan: They got it right at the time. But I’d have leaned toward Girardi over Cora.

9:12	Matt: Kershaw dropping down. LET ENO KNOW. THIS IS NOT AN ALERT.

9:12	Paul Swydan: You let Eno know! I’m not your messenger service!

9:12	Sterling Mallory Chris Archer: Maybe FG should just have an open chat for during games for the reg season. Have some of the regulars moderate. Plus have the writers pop in whenever they feel like it.

9:13	Paul Swydan: I think asking writers to moderate would be the same as asking them to chat, to be honest.

9:13	Tommy: Will votto ever play for a good team?

9:13	Paul Swydan: Yes.

9:13	B. Ryce Hammer’s Luscious Locks: Also, re. Votto, wasn’t he there when Cueto got shaken by the Pit fans?

9:13	Paul Swydan: Yes, that too.

9:13	Seth Moko: Who is the greatest pitcher of all time? I.e. to whom are we comparing Kershaw?

9:14	Paul Swydan: Either Pedro (peak) or Maddux (longevity) for me.

9:14	Goober: I’m thinking Goldy as a guy who stays good forever.

9:14	Paul Swydan: Yeah that’s a good choice.

9:14	Tommy: The chat seems to think the game is over.

9:14	Paul Swydan: I don’t, but I’m just rolling with the flow of comments.

9:14	Grimace: this ump is such a bro

9:14	hscer: who would kill a pitcher with a metal bat first, Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge?

9:15	Paul Swydan: It’d probably be someone random like Anthony Rendon or something.

9:15	The Hamburglar: Next expansion city, besides the obvious Montreal one?

9:15	Paul Swydan: Beyond Montreal, I will only support Santo Domingo, San Juan or Mexico City.

9:15	Votto’s Knee: Let’s compromise metal gloves??

9:15	Paul Swydan: Done.

9:16	Paul G.: Does dressing up as a baseball player count as a Halloween costume?

9:16	Paul Swydan: Yes.

9:16	David S.: Ah damn I forgot to ask off work for my free taco bell taco

9:16	Paul Swydan: Way to think it through, David S.!!!!

9:16	Jota P: I can sort of understand them not getting Beyonce but was Kelly Rowland really too busy?

9:16	Paul Swydan: Truth.

9:16	Habanero: Is Carson aware of his own mystique?

9:16	Paul Swydan: Yes.

9:16	Guest: Pop or soda?

9:16	Paul Swydan: Soda.

9:16	Jason: Any HoF in this game?

9:16	Paul Swydan: Yes.

9:17	hscer: did you actually need either degree for your current job(s)?

9:17	Paul Swydan: Nope.

9:17	hscer: does Dan Szymborski refuse to associate with you on account of opinions on cats?

9:17	Paul Swydan: No, Dan is great. He is actually a super nice person.

9:17	Shunpiker: Do you like Kit Kats?

9:17	Paul Swydan: Love Kit Kats.

9:17	Sam : how far is bogaerts out of this lindor/seager/correa conversation?

9:18	Paul Swydan: He’s on the periphery, but fading fast.

9:18	Hatzis: Speaking of Hosmer, of the main trio of KCR free agents, who ends up being the best deal?

9:18	Paul Swydan: Cain

9:18	Nate: Do you think the Yankees waited until the Red Sox picked their manager to fire Girardi?

9:18	Paul Swydan: I do, yes.

9:18	Paul Swydan: Gattis so slow.

9:19	hscer: there were a couple chats like 5 years ago where certain readers were designated to not need moderation. i forgot who ran them, it was on CIL, and I’m sure that was shut down for a reason

9:19	Paul Swydan: That had to be more than 5 years ago. I definitely don’t remember that.

9:19	Brian: Clemens?

9:19	Paul Swydan: He’s up there.

9:19	The Hamburglar: Chuck Finley has got to be in the conversation too (best pitcher all time)

9:19	Paul Swydan: Obvi.

9:19	B. Ryce Hammer’s Luscious Locks: Re. greatest…. Randy Johnson (peak) wants a piece of the pie, right?

9:19	Paul Swydan: Yes.

9:19	Guest: Where is Giancarlo playing next year and what’s the cost?

9:19	Paul Swydan: Miami.

9:20	Paul Swydan: No one trading for him now that he’s 2 years from opt out. Only way he gets dealt is if Jeets dumps him.

9:20	Mike: they recently adjusted College metal bats to not perform that differently from wooden bats due to the safety problem

9:20	Paul Swydan: Yeah, but same results plus annoying ping is a downgrade.

9:20	woeful SFG fan: Montreal and Portland are leading contenders

9:20	Paul Swydan: Portland should not be a leading contender.

9:21	hscer: Dave Cameron’s Competition-Balancing Brooklyn Expansion Team is never happening, is it

9:21	Paul Swydan: No, but it’s a much better idea than Portland.

9:21	Hello Paul!: Name something you’re afraid to admit you love

9:21	Paul Swydan: I’m not afraid to admit I love anything, but playing along, I like the new Kelly Clarkson album a lot more than I thought I would.

9:21	woeful SFG fan: Mexico City would be difficult because interdivision games would require air travel further than Giants to Cubs distance

9:22	Paul Swydan: Yes, but it’d be worth it since there’s what, 12 million people there?

9:22	Long Live Jeff Frye: If you have jury duty, does Appelman give you the time off or do you have to write in the evenings?

9:22	Paul Swydan: Appelman has no idea when or how I do my work, and he doesn’t care either.

9:22	Paul Swydan: If I had jury duty I don’t even think I would tell him.

9:22	Paul Swydan: I mean, unless I got sequestered or something.

9:22	Paul Swydan: That was a nice double play, by the way.

9:23	Matt: Havana > any city you mentioned for expansion

9:23	Paul Swydan: Can’t see that ever being a realistic possibility.

9:23	woeful SFG fan: Paul, how did you learn statistics for your pieces here?

9:23	Paul Swydan: Lots of years reading BP. And then I got to work for BP, and was forcefully taught everything I didn’t know.

9:23	The One Popular Girl: Who’s the first pick in the FG company softball game?

9:24	Paul Swydan: I forget who got picked first last time we played wiffleball.

9:24	Paul Swydan: But I was MVP!!!!

9:24	Paul Swydan: https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/two-highlights-from-the-fa…

9:25	Joe Doe: Joe Buck vs George HW who wins in an arm wrestle

9:25	Paul Swydan: Come on, that’s just cruel.

9:25	Joe: I feel like Sullivan would be in contention for #1

9:25	Paul Swydan: Yeah, it was probably him. He’s just too good looking to be drafted anywhere else.

9:25	B. Ryce Hammer’s Luscious Locks: three 0’s down, six to go

9:25	Paul Swydan: Cruising.

9:26	Paul Swydan: 39 pitches.

9:26	hscer: how was FanGraphs Whiffle Ball League Most Valuable Player determined?

9:26	Paul Swydan: I dunno, because I had to leave the game early. But I think August just decided it was me and no one argued with him.

9:26	Paul Swydan: It’s always exciting when fat people do athletic things.

9:27	Marco: What’s wrong with Portland?

9:27	Paul Swydan: What’s RIGHT about Portland?

9:27	Long Live Jeff Frye: How does David Laurila pronounce his name? I just realized I wasn’t Laurilia, with another i.

9:27	Paul Swydan: Laurel-a

9:27	Paul Swydan: Yeah it’s not like Rich Aurilia.

9:27	Matt: The issue with Mexico City is the elevation is just stupid. It makes Coors look like Petco or Safeco.

9:28	Paul Swydan: Yeah, I see that as a feature, not a bug. Why do you want all ballparks to be the same?

9:28	The Hamburglar: Is Carson exhausting to talk to in real life?

9:28	Paul Swydan: No, quite the contrary. Carson is engaging, and genuinely interested in whomever he is talking to. I’ve met few people I like talking to more, actually.

9:29	Shunpiker: How about dark chocolate Kit Kats?

9:29	Paul Swydan: Those are better but harder to find, especially in Halloween size.

9:29	CamdenWarehouse: I miss August

9:29	Paul Swydan: Me too.

9:29	Nick: When you’re so bad at whiffle ball that leaving early makes you the MVP

9:29	Paul Swydan: Hahaha. That was a weird day. I went from playing wiffle ball with the FG crew to a wedding in Queens.

9:30	Portland: Maine is terrible for baseball

9:30	Kenny: Santo Domingo and San Juan do not have the necessary wealth. Mexico City does but the players would hate it because of the travel burden. Would be interesting to add an altitude even higher than Denver, though.

9:30	Paul Swydan: Yes, I realize that about San Juan and Santo Domingo. But if MLB is truly interested in embracing being an international game, it’d be a great investment on their part. Or you could just do Mexico City. 🙂

9:30	stever20: breaking news- Phillies naming Gabe Kapler as manager

9:31	Paul Swydan: Oh wow.

9:31	Paul Swydan: Good for Philly and Kapler.

9:31	Paul Swydan: Have a game, Logan Forsythe!

9:31	The Hamburglar: Mexico City seems like such an unrealistic choice for this go around of expansion. Too far from other cities and elevation is ridiculous

9:31	Paul G.: Portland would make baseball stadium road trips more convenient, putting a nice stop between Seattle and the Bay.

9:32	Paul Swydan: Convenience winning the day would be incredibly short-sighted.

9:32	CamdenWarehouse: How was Carson in wiffleball? Something tells me he is either great or awful with no chance for a middle ground

9:32	Paul Swydan: I don’t recall.

9:32	Mike: I think there’s a pretty good argument that the home park has held the Rockies back from developing as competitive a team and I think that that is not a good thing to create an even more extreme version of the same problem

9:33	Paul Swydan: I think there’s a better argument that the Rockies didn’t have a cohesive player development strategy for their entire first decade of existence, and that that held them back. When they finally developed one in 2004-05, they got quickly on the right track.

9:33

Canyonero Driver: I think another problem with Mexico City is that anti-Americanism, according to Pew, is reaching record highs in Mexico and it is seems unlikely Mexico would currently have much interest in integrating with the US in just about any way (I tried to make this as apolitical as possible).

9:34	Paul Swydan: Yeah, that’s a decent point. But people there still love baseball. Giancarlo could be baseball’s version of Rocky.

9:34	David S.: Little League World Series strikezone is now in effect.

9:34	someone: Huge strike zone tonight

9:34	Mike: I had a dark chocolate Twix last week and it was amazing

9:34	Paul Swydan: I can’t find dark choc or peanut butter Twix right now. Maddening. Vexing even!

9:34	Paul Swydan: Puig had no idea on that pitch. Nasty.

9:35	Tyler: Mlbpa would have an issue with Mexico I would imagine

9:35	Paul Swydan: So I’m told. But MLBPA doesn’t have the power it once did.

9:35	kevinthecomic: https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/examining-potential-mlb-expansion-cities…

9:35	Paul Swydan: Yeah, Chris is on this for the Annual again this year. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with.

9:35	Jota P: The issue with Mexico City should be that it’s veeeery faaaar awaaaay. It’s twice as far from Mexico Ciy to Houston as it is from Seattle to Oakland.

9:36	Paul Swydan: And yet, still closer than just about every other non-Canadian international city.

9:36	kevinthecomic: https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/examining-potential-mlb-expansion-cities…

9:36	Chuckb: Ump’s zone is getting bigger

9:36	Paul Swydan: Must have a steak dinner with his name on it.

9:36	Joe Doe: Do you follow any other proffesional sporting activities?

9:36	Paul Swydan: The list is down to just about just the NBA. I still follow the Patriots, but not much other NFL stuff.

9:37	Paul Swydan: I like the World Cup. I still love college hockey.

9:37	Meep: Why would any free agent pitcher ever want to pitch in Mexico city, ever?

9:37	Paul Swydan: Because there’s only so many teams, and you gotta sign somewhere?

9:37	Paul Swydan: Why did Greg Holland sign with the Rockies?

9:38	Paul Swydan: Gonzalez didn’t exactly go hard after that fly ball, did he?

9:38	E-Money: I broke that news an hour ago

9:38	Paul Swydan: Sorry, didn’t see it!

9:38	hscer: do you think Wade Boggs legitimiately broke the Martinez hiring story?

9:38	Paul Swydan: Yes?

9:38	Show Hey O’Tawny: Tell me something about Kapler

9:38	Paul Swydan: Oh, I have the funniest Gabe Kapler story.

9:38	Paul Swydan: I’ll save for commercial.

9:39	Jstodola : Who gets Girardi?

9:39	Paul Swydan: No one?

9:39	weezy: I was shocked to see that the Bellinger strike 3 call hasn’t been blown up on here

9:39	Paul Swydan: It did, I just didn’t pick a lot of those comments, sorry.

9:39	Paul Swydan: People were v mad.

9:39	Morton Salt Girl: I think the players would hate Mexico City’s air almost as much as the travel.

9:40	Paul Swydan: Blah blah blah.

9:40	Joe Buck Fucks: what about las vegas

9:40	Paul Swydan: What about it?

9:40	Paul Swydan: Of all the cities you guys have mentioned, the biggest city without a team would be Austin.

9:40	Nick R: What about Nashville

9:40	Paul Swydan: What about it?

9:40	Kalamazoo Jake: when is expansion gonna happen?

9:40	Paul Swydan: 5 years?

9:41	Bert Campaneris: The Carolinas should have ended with a higher bid on this expansion talk. May not produce the revenue that Mexico City or Montreal could eventually bring, but it has to be somewhere close to Portland. In addition to having ready available infrastructure. What says you, Paul?

9:41	Paul Swydan: Too much minor league ball in the Carolinas, it’ll never happen.

9:41	LJ: How do you think the altitude of a Mexico City field would be curbed, a domed stadium or a super big field?

9:41	Paul Swydan: Wow guess super big and domed.

9:41	Paul Swydan: Come on, you wanted Keuchel to do better than a loopy single and a slow roller to second?

9:42	Paul Swydan: Seems like a quick hook to me.

9:42	Section329: How has MLBPA lost power?

9:42	Paul Swydan: Maybe you haven’t analyzed the most recent CBA…

9:42	ChatzMcGee: What kind of good Bostonian doesn’t follow the Bruins? A bad one.

9:43	Paul Swydan: What kind of Bostonian supports a crook like Jeremy Jacobs? A bad one.

9:43	hscer: we might be headed for our first truly “bad” game of the series

9:43	Joe: Terrible route by Gonzalez there.

9:43	Brian: wow that looked catchable!!!

9:43	Fuzzy: Man, Marwin is lousy.

9:43	Morton Salt Girl: That was a pretty lazy path to the ball

9:43	Show Hey O’Tawny: Why college hockey and not NHL?

9:43	Paul Swydan: Because there are no fights in college hockey, and because it is the only sport my school – BU – is good at.

9:43	Canyonero Driver: Gonzalez was just trying to avoid kicking the ball a la Schwarber.

9:44	Jaime: Couldn’t MLB put a team in San Juan in an effort to help develop the city/country? Whenever teams ask for primo downtown land for a new stadium, the arguments always revitalization.

9:44	Paul Swydan: Yup.

9:44	Lyle: Girardi is going to pull a Francona. Go on ESPN for one season and take the available gig of his choice the following season.

9:44	Elie from LA: Mexico City would be incredible to play in. Some of the best food in the world there.

9:44	Paul Swydan: Thanks Elie.

9:44	Kalamazoo Jake: New Orleans?

9:45	Paul Swydan: Too humid, downtown is already built up.

9:45	Paul Swydan: Saints play literally in the bayou. No thanks.

9:45	Shunpiker: Mexico City could build a pressurized air-filtered stadium.

9:45	CamdenWarehouse: Is there any chance we have expansion without playoff expansion? 1/3 of the teams in the playoffs is already too much

9:45	Paul Swydan: Yeah I think that’s a possibility. But I won’t be surprised if they expand.

9:46	When’s my pizza getting here: Is there a ‘need’ for expansion? Or is this partly…”Look at me, I’m commissioner-ing”

9:46	Paul Swydan: Need is a strong word. There isn’t really a NEED for baseball at all.

9:46	Paul Swydan: But I’m sure the owners would like two nice, fat expansion fees, yes.

9:47	Guest: Dodgers in 6?

9:47	Paul Swydan: I think it goes 7.

9:47	Paul Swydan: Can I just say – WHY IS LUKE GREGERSON IN THIS GAME?

9:47	Paul Swydan: This is his first appearance in this series.

9:47	Paul Swydan: You didn’t trust him until your team was getting its ass kicked?

9:48	Nate: Gabe Kapler story time!!!

9:48	Paul Swydan: OK.

9:48	Paul Swydan: So, I used to work in the Rockies call center. 1-800-388-ROCK or 303-ROCKIES.

9:48	Paul Swydan: One day, a person called up, and said he needed to talk to someone in baseball ops. He said his name was Gabe Kapler.

9:49	Paul Swydan: One of our ladies who worked there, who was a little long in years, didn’t quite understand, but she asked our boss about a Gabe Kapler.

9:49	Paul Swydan: Our supervisor, not knowing was going on with this call but assumed it was a fan asking about Kapler told her, no, Kapler had just been sent to the minors.

9:50	Paul Swydan: So the lady got back on the phone and said, “Sorry honey, but Gabe Kapler just got sent to the minors. He’s not with the team anymore.”

9:50	Paul Swydan: And the actual Gabe Kapler, on the other end of the line said, as patient as could be, “Yes ma’am, I know, I just want to see if someone can forward some of the stuff in my apartment in Denver down to Colorado Springs for me.”

9:51	Paul Swydan: Needless to say, she never lived down that phone call. 😉

9:51	jj: that was actually a cool story – thanks Paul

9:51	Matt: It being a base coach the best job in baseball?

9:51	Paul Swydan: No, bullpen catcher.

9:51	Manfred Mann: Could kershaw start a potential game 7 on wednesday?

9:52	Paul Swydan: He COULD – but I’d bet on him coming on in relief if needed.

9:52	Pie: I was fully expecting Kapler to not have known he had been sent down yet

9:52	Mike: I was terrified about Midway through that kapler didn’t know yet and that was going to be the story

9:52	Agustin: That’s a great story.

9:52	Show Hey O’Tawny: Hah. Awesome

9:52	Bert Campaneris: Thanks for the story.

9:52	E-Money: How did the lady get confused by someone on the phone saying “Hi I’m Gabe Kapler”?

9:52	Paul Swydan: Not sure, but that’s what makes the story so adorable!

9:52	Jeff: great story

9:52	Joe: I don’t know there’s a bullpen catcher who has to warm up Aroldis Chapman

9:52	Paul Swydan: True.

9:53	Paul Swydan: But he gets a major league salary, and gets to sit around most of the time doing nothing.

9:53	Paul Swydan: I’m sure the team with Chapman has like, extra padding in his glove or something.

9:53	CecilFielder: Isn’t the best job in baseball the organist?

9:53	Paul Swydan: Nah, that’s not a full-time job.

9:53	The Hamburglar: I didnt think bullpen catchers got a huge salary?

9:53	Paul Swydan: I think they make like $300, $400 k

9:54	Paul Swydan: Plus they get a playoff share if the team gets to the playoffs.

9:54	Paul Swydan: And he gets to travel with the team, post-game spread, etc. All the good perks.

9:54	alpha309: What exactly does the BP coach do other than pick up the phone and then tell someone to get ready

9:55	Paul Swydan: Come on, they have to watch a guy’s mechanics. They have to know who is really available and who is just pretending to be available but pitching through pain. They do stuff.

9:55	Show Hey O’Tawny: How do you become a bullpen catcher?

9:55	Paul Swydan: That’s a great question. I think usually they just pick out catchers who were in the farm system but wash out in like High-A or something.

9:55	Marshall: Bullen catchers make 500K?!

9:55	Paul Swydan: I think so, yeah. They’re considered one of the coaches.

9:55	Bert Campaneris: Gabe Kapler, Dave Martinez, Callaway, & Gardenhire. Which guy would you Freaky Friday with? Which new hire is more appealing? Including personality, team situation, ownership, future, etc.?

9:56	Paul Swydan: I would do freaky friday with kapler. have you seen that dude? he’s like an adonis.

9:56	CamdenWarehouse: Bullpen catchers are always older guys. I doubt their knees think it’s a good gig.

9:56	Paul Swydan: No, the guy with the Rockies – Strittmatter – was in his 30s or so.

9:56	Paul Swydan: When I was there anyway.

9:56	Joe Doe: Ball boy in foul territory would be SO MUCH FUN

9:57	Paul Swydan: I don’t think I’d handle that job well.

9:57	Canyonero Driver: They get 30,000 to $60,000.

9:57	Paul Swydan: Yeah? OK, maybe I’m way off.

9:57	Canyonero Driver: https://careertrend.com/info-10007384-average-salary-bullpen-catcher-m…

9:57	Paul Swydan: OK my bad.

9:57	Guest: The bull pen catcher get a player world series ring?

9:58	Paul Swydan: I mean, I got an NL champs ring, so I assume that the bullpen catcher got one too.

9:58	Paul Swydan: This seems like it could be a pivotal moment for the Astros.

9:58	Paul Swydan: Altuve on, Springer on base. Less than two outs.

9:58	Jeff: Is being well-liked a major consideration for being a bullpen catcher?

9:58	Paul Swydan: Probably.

9:59	Grimace: Best job would be the bat dog

9:59	Nate: What about the field crew person who holds the back end of the hose?

9:59	Paul Swydan: That job is boring.

9:59	Paul Swydan: And usually only 2-3 members of the grounds crew are full-time, salaried employees.

9:59	Paul Swydan: BUT the other guys are always on call.