August Fagerstrom FanGraphs Chat — 8/9/16

august fagerstrom: Back to regular Tuesday chat!

august fagerstrom: Soundtrack: Flying Lotus – Los Angeles

august fagerstrom: start in 10 minute

august fagerstrom: Alright!

august fagerstrom: I scheduled arthroscopic surgery for my left shoulder yesterday. If anyone’s had that, feel free to drop a line on your experience. Also — since the last time we chatted, I tore the labrum in my *right* shoulder as well. Things are going great. I’m 25 years old going on 56.

august fagerstrom: Also super jealous that Ben Lindbergh is spending his work day playing No Man’s Sky right now. Anyone played it yet? Been looking forward it for a while and I’m not even a big gamer

Bork: Hello, friend!

august fagerstrom: Hi, Bork!

LudeBurger: We want Jeff, we want Jeff, we want Jeff!

august fagerstrom: 🙁

august fagerstrom: more like RUDEBurger

Bork: I’m working from home today and am just wearing boxers right now. It’s like I’m a real fangraphs writer!

august fagerstrom: I don’t have a shirt on!

august fagerstrom: I rarely do by this time of day

Marc: What’s the most realistic AL wildcard scenario for you?

august fagerstrom: Man, I really missed how far the Astros dropped since the end of July. That’s brutal

august fagerstrom: I still view them as maybe the most talented AL team, but jeez.

august fagerstrom: Screw it: Tigers and Astros

Erik: Having everything but the hit tool is the worst kind of 4-tool player, right? But it’s also Javier Baez, so it can’t be that bad. Can you think of any other archetypal 4-tool players?

august fagerstrom: Danny Espinosa?

august fagerstrom: And probably yes to the first part of your question

august fagerstrom: Also among the most interesting

Kyle: Joey Gallo or Joc Pederson for 2017 and beyond?

august fagerstrom: I’d take Joc because of what else he provides beyond the power

Kyle: Thoughts n Yasiel Puigs future?

august fagerstrom: Think he has a good career as a 115 wRC+, +3 WAR type of guy in someone else’s organization

Marcus: Who would get your Cy Young votes if the season ended today?

august fagerstrom: Kershaw and…… Quintana?

august fagerstrom: Sanchez? Kluber?

Bork: Hello, friend! Also want to use this opportunity to say I’m officially retiring this gimmick, as it has run its course. I’ll still be in the chat, though!

august fagerstrom: #NotRealBork

Robot: Who plays August in fangraphs the movie

august fagerstrom: Gosling

Robot: Worst front office in mlb not including Arizona

august fagerstrom: I got to wondering the other day how the Twins have ever developed a quality major leaguer

Nate: When thinking about the Cy Young award, would you drift towards FIP or ERA? Obviously FIP is the better more predictive stat, but awards are all about rewarding those who actually got results. I’m thinking especially about Cole Hamels with this question (4.07FIP/2.89ERA)

august fagerstrom: I lean toward ERA for Cy Young, but it’s kind of personal preference based on how you interpret the question. Me, personally, I’m more interested in results for the awards than process or trying to determine who displayed the most true talent ability

august fagerstrom: Fielding indepndent-type stuff still plays a big factor, and I also totally see the opposing argument, but I put more weight toward results

august fagerstrom: I even like to look at RBI% for MVP

JalapEno: Do certain teams have a hitting philosophy with runners on as opposed to with bases empty that might negatively affect their ability to drive in runs? Is it possible a team like the Mets is worse with runners on not because of selection bias but because they just have a bad approach?

august fagerstrom: Maybe? Probably? But would be near impossible to filter out the signal from the noise.

Ray: Devon Travis (age 24-25) – 120 GP; 4.7 WAR; 126 wRC+; 18 HR; .304 AVG

Dustin Pedroia (age 25) – 154 GP; 4.6 WAR; 112 wRC+; 15 HR; .296 AVG

shouts to @birenball

your thoughts good sir

august fagerstrom: Fun comp!

august fagerstrom: the utility of a comp with an N of 1 pretty much stops at “fun” though I’m assuming you’re aware of that

Hodgie in YYC: Devon Travis, breakout star at second base and if so, why do smaller players continue to be overlooked in prospect circles?

august fagerstrom: Because of a huge part of scouting is and always has been projecting growth, and a lot of that relates to a guy’s frame

Slothrop: MLB removes all 2nd basemen from their current rosters and has teams draft them this offseason. You have the first pick. Who do you take? Who is taken 2nd and 3rd?

august fagerstrom: Gotta be Altuve I think

august fagerstrom: Kipnis probably second? Then I think you start seriously considering a guy like Travis or Odor or Profar, if he’s eligible for this

august fagerstrom: Assuming contract is in this, too?

Matt: August! What should I have for lunch? Q’Doba, pizza, or chicken parm?

august fagerstrom: Doba.

ApplePie: Top 3 rappers in the game right now

august fagerstrom: Kendrick is an easy No. 1 for me. Is a guy like DOOM “in the game”? He technically still raps and I think he’s either the GOAT or the second-GOAT, so he’d be in there for me but he’s not really the guy you think of when you think of “in the game.”

august fagerstrom: And then Kanye has to be in there, too, but not because of his rapping but because of his creative output

ApplePie: Do Royals fans have to accept that Projections were pretty close to guessing their current record? Accept defeat for this year?

august fagerstrom: Royals also got hosed by injuries this yaer

august fagerstrom: But that probably also overshadows the fact that the projections were right about them having one of the worst rotations in all of baseball, that Hosmer is a pretty mediocre first baseman, that Escobar is terrible, etc.

august fagerstrom: The Royals’ downfall is a mix of a ton of unfortunate injuries and them having played over their heads the last couple years

Arte M: Do defensive metrics account for weather factors, like wind? For instance, when Trout robbed that grand slam a few days ago, he zig zagged going back because the ball was blowing in the wind. Just by numbers, it was an inefficient route to the ball.

august fagerstrom: They do not, to my knowledge

august fagerstrom: That would be very difficult.

Thaddeus Malice: So Devon Travis has produced 4.7 WAR in 120 games between this year and last year. Looking at his profile he’s not elite at anything but very good at everything, can he be Ian Kinsler with more strikeouts?

august fagerstrom: This is like the 20th Devon Travis question already, so I guess I have a Devon Travis post to write.

Sean: No Man’s Sky is waiting for the PC release on August 12th. Don’t waste money on the PS4 version unless your computer is absolutely awful.

august fagerstrom: I have a MacBook! So!

Avi: August, you need to lay off the 500 lb barbells so you can heal.

august fagerstrom: softball and disc golf 🙁

Nippon Ham Fighters: Perhaps you should consider foregoing future sporting competitions.

august fagerstrom: this is what I’m afraid of! and why I’m getting the surgery! I don’t wanna not play sports!

august fagerstrom: also getting the surgery because my left shoulder is just completely shredded and was going to keep dislocating the rest of my life whether I played sports or not. 90% success rate of “no future disclocations” after the scope!

august fagerstrom: holy shit the Indians twitter account tweeted a picture of Tebow in Indians gear

august fagerstrom: amazing

Conner: August, are you gonna be at saber seminar?

august fagerstrom: I am not

Nicole: What is Tito’s obsession with Michael Martinez? Martinez is one of the worse position players in history. With Brantley possibly being done for the year, I have a bad feeling that Martinez will not only get critical at-bats in the stretch run but he will also possibly get significant playing time in the playoffs. Please tell me that this won’t happen and that Yandy Diaz will come in and save the day.

august fagerstrom: I have literally no idea. He is not good. I thought the extra year of Aviles was due moreso to Aviles being a really, really awesome guy, but now I’m thinking Tito/the FO just has an irrational love for utility guys

august fagerstrom: Not to say Michael Martinez couldn’t also be an awesome guy!

august fagerstrom: but

august fagerstrom: jeez

JD15: Had right labrum surgery freshman year in college. Wasn’t a fun experience so I’m sorry you have to go through it. Make sure you get are able to sleep sitting up. Probably get a new pillow.

august fagerstrom: I’m so picky about sleeping 🙁

LudeBurger: August, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. It just hurts to know that we are the same age and you are so accomplished and awesome. Cheers to you!

august fagerstrom: i mean i am a full-time blogger. playing pretty fast and loose with the word “accomplished” there

Guest: you’re saying one of the Jays or BoSox don’t make playoffs? LOL

august fagerstrom: whoops

august fagerstrom: brain farted

august fagerstrom: Jays/BoSox + Tigers is my final answer

JoshP: August, if it helps you feel better about your shoulder(s), I’m 25 as well, have a 50% tear of the left rotator cuff, fraying of the right rotator cuff, a bulging disc in the cervical spine and a bulging disc at the base of my spine

august fagerstrom: * high five *

Ramsey Bolton: Devon Travis has been tearing it up for the past month. Is he really a 5 WAR 2B?

august fagerstrom: could definitely be a 4+ WAR guy

j6takish: August do you have hypermobility syndrome? I have it and it makes me prone to tears because my “normal” range of motion is pretty wide and I can tear stuff just moving in a range that feels comfortable. Also I do not have thoracic outlet syndrome which is good I guess because I like all of my ribs. Bad because they still don’t know what my issue is. I also feel like my body is falling apart

august fagerstrom: My surgeon told me yesterday that I’m definitely “loose-limbed”, so maybe? Weird thing is I’ve played sports my entire life including damn near 20 years of baseball and I’ve never had a major injury until recently

Guest: Bork is the fangraphs version of posting “first!” on an internet article

august fagerstrom: except awesome

Sirras: How will your favorite active player be remembered by history?

august fagerstrom: hard to tell what Domingo Santana’s legacy will end up being

Scallion: Has Wilson Ramos suddenly become good? His improvement doesn’t appear to be solely babip-fueled.

august fagerstrom: magic of LASIK

Folger: Coffee: black? sugary? or get that devil’s caffeine outta here?

august fagerstrom: Wish I liked black but I just can’t do it. Touch of creamer and one sugar

Outta my way, Gyorkass: Who fields a competitive team first out of the Braves, Rockies, Padres, Reds, or Brewers?

august fagerstrom: Depends on your definition of competitive

august fagerstrom: Could argue the Rockies are doing it right now

august fagerstrom: I like the Braves chances though

Runs Allowed Dickey: Why does a team with World Series aspirations still let me pitch?

august fagerstrom: other option is Francisco Liriano

august fagerstrom: and you eat innings to give the bullpen a breather. that’s not nothing

august fagerstrom: and you’ve been effective in your previous 3 seasons with the club

Bork: 🙁 this ain’t no gimmick, man

august fagerstrom: got your back bro

august fagerstrom: Brork?

nomar: do you think the Pirates will move Andrew McCutchen this off season, or hope for a bounce back 2017 and move him with the option year left on his current deal?

august fagerstrom: bounceback

Ritt Momney: Over/under AA for Tim Tebow?

august fagerstrom: over/under should be set at 1 professional PA

Bork: But seriously, I am retiring this gimmick. Someone got in before me and did the standard “Hello, Friend!”

august fagerstrom: #NOTREALBORK

tawmmy: instead of going on a run, David Price has been even worse in the second half than he was in the first half. Are we at a point where we assume something’s wrong?

august fagerstrom: since the end of June, David Price has a 3.69 ERA and a 3.06 FIP

august fagerstrom: for the year, he has the highest swinging strike rate of his career and above-average K-BB% and GB%

august fagerstrom: he is a good pitcher

JD15: Seager best SS in baseball?

august fagerstrom: I’d still take Lindor, but maybe my answer changes if I’d seen Seager play as much as Lindor. Between Lindor/Seager/Correa/Crawford, I really don’t think there’s a wrong answer

august fagerstrom: FWIW, ZiPS WAR per 600 plate appearances:

Correa 4.5
Seager 4.2
Crawford 4.1
Lindor 4.0

2-D: How did you tear your labrum? I’ve had friends with the same injury and the hardest thing for them was to be patient when rehabbing.

august fagerstrom: Well I dislocated it playing volleyball three years ago and did what your friends did. Didn’t take my rehab seriously enough. Big mistake. Dislocated it again playing softball last month during a non-contact injury (playing third base, jumped to catch a high throw from our catcher and it just slipped out at the apex of my jump)

august fagerstrom: Will be taking my rehab very seriously this time

august fagerstrom: Tore the right labrum this weekend playing disc golf. Had to go to an overhand throw while trying to scramble out of the woods and it just popped. Assuming it was worn down as a result of me leaning on it so much, what with my left shoulder being mostly incapacitated

Paul: Trivia! Can you name the only player in the history of baseball with over 1350 games started in the OF and fewer than 7 career SBs? You can keep dropping that threshhold all the way down to 700 and he’s still the only one, but thought it was more impressive to show that number.

august fagerstrom: nope and not gonna look either so just tell me because now I’m super interested

Paul: PS – the answer is Jay Buhner.

august fagerstrom: Buhner!

Steve: Do you think there is anything to the broadcaster’s go-to of a young players doubles turn into home runs as they get older?

Steve: i.e. doubles for young players are predictive?

august fagerstrom: anecdotally, it feels like the answer is yes, moreso for *very* young players (20/21/22) because they’re still growing into their frame

august fagerstrom: also, didn’t Carson find that doubles for minor leaguers are actually somehow one of the most predictive stats for future big league success? or something? I’m pretty sure he did

Tony: August, how fickle is something like WPA on an annual basis? I see that last year Kris Bryant was the 2nd most clutch hitter in the NL and this year he is the least clutch. Is there any predictive value you can derive from the stat?

august fagerstrom: Yeah, it’s a descriptive tool, not a predictive one

a-rod: Will I play again? Will it be in Miami?

august fagerstrom: I can’t see it

Outta my way, Gyorkass: I tore a labrum and had arthro surgery on my left shoulder following a ski accident. Not fun.

My shoulder was immobilized for almost a month, then I had to go through a lot of PT. My advice: take the PT seriously, and do strengthening exercises in your off time – I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have (was pretty young and just generally stupid), and to date, I still have shortcomings with strength and mobility on my left shoulder as opposed to my right.

august fagerstrom: Yeah, not looking forward to 4-6 weeks in the sling. Strengthening exercises outside (and after) PT are my big area of focus this time. I didn’t do any work outside of PT the first time and I feel like it burned me

august fagerstrom: no dislocations since then, though? That’s what I’m most concerned about. It was frightening how easily it slipped out when I jumped for that ball

august fagerstrom: Also it subluxed through the front of my arm (first dislocation — and most, to my understanding — go out the back) and it hurt sooooo fucking bad

august fagerstrom: Never want that to happen again

Guest: Do you think any teams will actually send a scout to watch Tebow’s workout? I mean wouldn’t their time be better spent I don’t know, googling “good baseball players to sign”

august fagerstrom: just nearly spit-taked my water, FYI

Dude: Following up on your Tigers/Astros WC prediction…Who wins the AL East and why do the other two competitive teams fall that far off the map that they miss the WC?

august fagerstrom: they don’t. I’m a dummy

JD15: Would you rather have Heyward or Alex Gordon at their current contract?

august fagerstrom: Gordon’s because it’s over sooner?

august fagerstrom: Funny thing is, even with how disappointing Heyward’s year’s been, still a decent chance he opts out for 2019

Dynasty Dummy: Where would you find RBI%? What is it?

august fagerstrom: BP has it: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1819080

august fagerstrom: Called OBI%

august fagerstrom: Others batted in percentage

august fagerstrom: Just what it sounds like. Percentage of baserunners you drove in, not counting yourself on home runs. Essentially strips the opportunity from RBI and looks at it on a rate basis

noseeum: It’s Tuesday and still no Arod post on Fangraphs? What gives? Inner circle HOF talent and in a class by himself when it comes to selling newspapers. He deserves some fangraphs love no? You think there is any chance he signs with another team for 700?

august fagerstrom: There is one coming

Steve: After how many plate appearances does walk rate stabilize?

august fagerstrom: helpful link: http://www.fangraphs.com/library/principles/sample-size/

august fagerstrom: the glossary is awesome

RoY + MVP?: Corey Seager hit another 2 HR last night. He has to be in the conversation for MVP with Bryant and Murphy, right?

august fagerstrom: yep

ApplePie: I probably wouldnt consider Doom as still in the game, though he is an interesting choice for GOAT. #1 out of Madvillainy, Op:Doomsday, & mm Food?

august fagerstrom: Food is my favorite. Also think Vaudeville Villain is criminally underrated

Dooduh: I think you over-stepped the Royals analysis. They were cruising in a position to take the division once again when they were hit with a bunch of injuries they couldn’t overcome. If anything, they were on the way to proving once again that the projections haven’t been able to capture something about them, much the same as the O’s out-performing projections going on 5 yrs.

august fagerstrom: Their rotation is healthy and is arguably the worst in the AL. Hosmer is mediocre. Escobar is bad. Cain regressed. All of that went according to the projections. I don’t think I overstepped it at all. Some of it is injuries, some of it is guys who I think Royals fans overrated

E: Your Friday chat threw me off my schedule! I will throw in some bonus guys this week.

E: Guys who played in the MLB: Neifi Perez, Joe Randa, Eric Milton, Elmer Dessens, Roger Cedeno, Doug Glanville, Jose Offerman, Dave Burba

august fagerstrom: <3

august fagerstrom: Burba!

Oneear: Did you have tickets to the NFL HOFG?

august fagerstrom: I could not possibly care less about the NFL

Mike: Where does Yasmani Grandal rank among MLB catchers?

august fagerstrom: could certainly make a case for top 5

2-D: Did you do a lot of hammer/tomahawk throws disc golfing?

august fagerstrom: Very rarely. Basically only when scrambling out of the woods. The one that tore my labrum was my only hammer throw of the day

Elton: Jonathan Villar is having a breakout season as good as Devon Travis … how come no one is asking about him? He’s been great even aside from all the steals.

august fagerstrom: Because we saw Villar be bad for 3 years before this one. Travis has only been good

J B Duck: Do you know where I can find leaders in one two three innings? Anybody?

august fagerstrom: Play Index?

august fagerstrom: IP = 1
H = 0
BB = 0
HBP = 0

should do it, right?

august fagerstrom: unless you want starters in there, too

august fagerstrom: then you’d need a more advanced query

august fagerstrom: Play Index could get you 1-2-3 *outings* for relievers

Mark L: more likely to make the HOF-Kinsler or Votto?

august fagerstrom: Votto

august fagerstrom: Tough to see Kinsler having any sort of chance. Votto still has an outside shot, I thhink

august fagerstrom: Votto seems like the Greinke of hitters too, where even without evidence everyone agrees he should age well

august fagerstrom: also two years younger than Kinsler with a higher career WAR and is currently better

2-D: Also do you throw a flick from discraft?

august fagerstrom: I do not throw a flick. I do throw a Buzz, and a bunch of Innova discs

Yovanni Gallardo: not a big fan of the O’s chances at making the postseason this year, huh?

august fagerstrom: even with Bundy I just cannot get behind the rotation

Borkish: Hello foe

Bork Plans: Bork Jr is too young to take the mantle. You will remain at your post until the watch is over.

Bork Park: Please make this blog.

august fagerstrom: that was fun

Matt: So last night I thought up and started playing with the concept of building an “environmental” model for RBI/R for fantasy. Using daily data, took each player’s avg spot in the lineup. Then for R, I went through and did some expectation formula of hitter’s OBP (adjusted with SB to try to mimmick “scoring position”) along with the combined AVG of all batters on the same team with an AVG order position within 2 of said initial hitter. Similar but opposite for RBI. Thoughts on the concept?

august fagerstrom: I’ve done something similar like this for fantasy projections. Ended up taking too much of my time and I just went with whatever ZiPS projected

august fagerstrom: Like the idea though!

Ryan: Are you buying the Pirates line that they like Drew Hutchison? Do you think he turns into anything?

august fagerstrom: I do buy it. I do not buy that the overarching goal of that trade was not a salary dump.

Dallas: Javy Baez has the hardest/quickest tag I’ve ever seen; it’s the only time I’ve every noticed this in baseball. Is there anybody current or past that has been like this?

august fagerstrom: no idea but now I’m watching!

august fagerstrom: also writing this down for an offseason post idea so thanks

Toki: Seriously Machado isn’t the #1 SS in baseball!?!?!?!?!?!?

august fagerstrom: Machado hasn’t played SS in two months and has played 91% of his career innings at not-shortstop

august fagerstrom: People get so worked up about this every time the “best SS” question is brought up

Do you stretch enough?: Stetching is important.

august fagerstrom: I stretch rigorously before any sporting event. Maybe not enough on a daily basis, though?

Andrew: Who will be the best SS named Crawford by 2019?

august fagerstrom: MANNY MACHADO!!!!1!!1!!111one11!!!!1!

John: Buhner was awesome, and not just because he could vomit on command.

august fagerstrom: oh?!

august fagerstrom: did I just learn something new about Jay Buhner

Jeff in T.O.: No love for Xander in your list of best SS?

august fagerstrom: I don’t think he’s on the same level as Lindor/Correa/Seager/Crawford

august fagerstrom: Great player, probably the next guy on the list, but he’s not an elite glove or an elite bat

august fagerstrom: Lindor and Crawford are elite gloves with similar bats. Correa and Seager are elite bats with similar-ish gloves. Bogaerts is just good and good, which makes him a great overall player

Steve: O/U 10 WAR rest of McCutchen’s career?

august fagerstrom: way over?

Bill: I thought the two pieces on Kepler were interesting last week. Could Kepler’s pitch recognition ability account for any of his unexpected power, or does the batted ball/expected power profile (both articles from last week on Kepler) mean that despite advanced pitch recognition he is still not making the type of contact that would lead you to expect more than 15 or so homers in a season. Where do you see his power/average falling

august fagerstrom: I could see elite pitch recognition as something that leads to a player outperforming what scouts perceived to be his true raw/game power because it would lead to more consistently barreling the ball

august fagerstrom: Writing about Kepler reminded me a lot of Kyle Seager

j6takish: Carsons disinterest in baseball while being employed by a baseball related website is a running gag amongst all the other writers. How do you all feel about his savant like ability to identify under the radar guys?

august fagerstrom: I think it shows there’s merit to “scouting the stat line”

Outta my way, Gyorkass: I had a few dislocations too. Shoulda mentioned it. They’re rare, but they happen if I jerk that shoulder really hard too quickly. In all honesty, I probably need surgery again 🙁

august fagerstrom: gahhhhh this is not what I wanna hear!

august fagerstrom: but thanks for sharing

Josh: FWIW, actual WAR per 600 PA: Seager 6.7, Lindor 6.0, Correa 4.6

august fagerstrom: FWIW!

John: How many games does a team of Good Clubhouse Guys (Aviles, Francouer, etc.) win in a season?

august fagerstrom: well see this is an interesting thought

august fagerstrom: when they’re all good clubhouse guys, are there diminishing returns on the value of the good clubhouse tool?

august fagerstrom: isn’t the value of a good clubhouse guy being there for young guys/guys who need straightened out, etc.?

august fagerstrom: in other words, they’re a stabilizing force. but what if no one needs stabilizing?

august fagerstrom: I’m gonna say a 25-man good clubhouse guy team does not overperform their projection at all and is just a terrible team

august fagerstrom: but they’re easy to coach! and they tip well!

Barnard: Do you have any idea how this is even possible:
http://mlbfarm.com/player.php?player_id=664702&position=OF

august fagerstrom: I just pray it’s not a glitch and I pray he makes it to the big leagues

august fagerstrom: A bunch of people sent me that link on Twitter last week re: five-man infields

Matt: Doom has a track on Atmosphere’s new album. Doom’s Status: Still in the game

august fagerstrom: on the new Avalanches record too!

august fagerstrom: definitely still around. but doesn’t strike me as being in the pool of “in the game” when someone talks about “the game”

wickliffe: who’s gonna come out on top of the AL East dogpile?

august fagerstrom: like the Blue Jays

Runs Allowed Dickey: What animal would make the best baseball player, and vice versa

august fagerstrom: gotta be some sort of primate, right? gotta be a chimp?

august fagerstrom: and then what baseball player would make the best animal?

august fagerstrom: well that’d be Evan Gattis

Tim: Are there any tabs you always have open in your browser for reference when you do these chats?

august fagerstrom: no but it grows quickly

august fagerstrom: currently have 17 open

CORNDOG90: Dude, avoid surgery at all costs. Try getting your shoulders stronger. Lift some weights, get your overhead press up, reevaluate.

august fagerstrom: I’ve blown out the front and back of my left labrum in the last three years. It’s completely detached from the bone and I have a stress fracture in my upper humerus. It’s gonna constantly dislocate without surgery. I’m just listening to the surgeons

august fagerstrom: I got multiple opinions on my MRI

august fagerstrom: everyone said surgery

august fagerstrom: so

august fagerstrom: ¯\_(?)_/¯

Kris: Does TEX have enough SP to get them through the season? Even when Lewis and Holland get back, seems like behind Darvish and Hamels all they’ll have are a bunch of #5-types.

august fagerstrom: you’re right, but Darvish/Hamels is such a good 1-2, and the bullpen + position player group is good enough to carry them, I think

august fagerstrom: wasn’t a huge believer before the deadline but the trades made the rest of the team good enough to make up for the back-end of the rotation, IMO

A. Reitz: The Bork stuff still isn’t funny, btw.

august fagerstrom: when you run the chat you don’t have to let it through

Richie: Really, the whole “I’m ABOVE! caring about the NFL” (or anything else) is offputting.

august fagerstrom: I just don’t care. The guy asked me a question about the NFL, I answered

mike sixel: On tags….Dozier still does the quick tag and show the ump the ball….missing the chance to hold the tag and get the over sliding guy out…..just another thing to look at.

august fagerstrom: noted

Snowflake: The problem with having a beer at lunch is you inevitably want another beer

august fagerstrom: my problem is I inevitably want a nap

Colt Holt: Google “The George Brett Story” on youtube…well worth the three minute investment

august fagerstrom: co-sign

A. Reitz: You mean…Brandon Crawford, right? Surely not JP…And if so, Brandon Crawford a Top 4 SS? Seems too high…

august fagerstrom: top-4 SS by the projections, top-4 SS by 2016 numbers, top-4 SS (actually top-1 SS) by last two, three, four, five, or six year’s numbers,

august fagerstrom: pretty strong case

A. Reitz: Good and Good makes Great? I learn something new every day.

august fagerstrom: Yep. Just like a player who is average at everything is a good player.

Scallion: Do you closely follow any sports other than MLB?

august fagerstrom: not really. I pay some attention to the NBA but that’s mostly just the Cavs and even then I’m more of a late-season fan than a “watch them all the time” fan

Manny: Did you see this awesome theory about Wilhelmson trying to sabotage the Rangers? https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/4wqm79/did_tom_wilhelmsen_try_to_sabotage_the_rangers/

august fagerstrom: I did. I love it.

Dan: What am I looking at related to this Myles Straw guy?

august fagerstrom: his spray chart

august fagerstrom: it is insane

Matt: I agree with Richie – everything is offputting. All of them. All the things. Offputting.

A. Reitz: No, I’m saying nobody thinks it’s funny.

august fagerstrom: I’d wager there’s a higher percentage of people who find your contributions insufferable than the percentage of people who find #BORK unfunny

august fagerstrom: mostly because the latter is close to 0%

Frank: Are you that confident that Bogaerts’ glove ranks even as “good”?

august fagerstrom: nope

cj: Reitz is angry

august fagerstrom: v angry

Nippon Ham Fighters: WE LOVE BORK! WE LOVE BORK!

august fagerstrom: love that a Bork civil war has erupted

Friend: Dear Bork, wherever you are, be well. The haters/imitators out there that are jockin’ your style should only serve as flattery and motivation to keep grinding out here with friendly salutations to commence every chat. Haters gon hate, Bork don’t coversate with the fakes.

august fagerstrom: that’s a good sign off

august fagerstrom: thanks for chatting everyone!

august fagerstrom: same time same place next week

Tom: A. Reitz is a tool. The #Bork thing is kinda getting old but, eh, who cares? it’s a chat question, no big deal.

august fagerstrom: peace

Bork: Bork

Bork: THANK YOU EVERYONE <3

LudeBurger: WE LOVE BORK! WE LOVE BORK!

sabrtooth: I find the Bork comments hilarious and the idea of complaining about them asinine. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else!