Kevin Goldstein: Hi everyone! I’m here. Dan is here. The most hyped game of the season is here. Let’s hope it lives up to expectations. We’ll be here all night talking about the game, making dumb and not so dumb polls, and answering any other fun questions that end up in the queue. Thanks so much for joining us!

Kevin Goldstein:

Kevin Goldstein: So far, the results of the poll show there might not be a right/wrong answer.

Mike Y: What’s the optimum lineup strategy for the Giants, with Knebel starting?

Kevin Goldstein: Personally, I’d go with my vs. Urias lineup.

Joseph: The Giants have obviously been the biggest surprise as in outperforming team this year. What part is luck and what part is good management/strategy by their FO?

Kevin Goldstein: Hi everyone! Ben Clemens and I are here to provide ‘insight’, take your questions and provide some entertainment as we all watch game 4 of the ALDS between the White Sox and the Astros. Thanks so much for joining us. We’ve had a lot of fun doing these and it’s always great to spend time with our fantastic audience.

Ben Clemens: Kevin on my sheet it says you’re here for insight and me for whimsy

Kevin Goldstein: Hmmmmm, I have it reversed. I’ll call Meg.

Ben Clemens: Though it might be hard to match David Ortiz trying and failing to pour a briefcase full of money onto Frank Thomas

Ben Clemens: when it comes to forced whimsy

darkness88: A few days ago I leadned about the rings rule at Tropicana Field. Any other quirky ground rules you might know?

Kevin Goldstein: Hi everyone. Let’s get weird.

Kevin Goldstein: Thanks so much for joining us tonight. We love doing these, and they’ve been a big hit this week.

Luke Hooper: Now that Young Sheldon is over, the real fun can begin!

Nicklaus Gaut: Welcome, everyone!

Kevin Goldstein: I’m here with Luke Hooper and we will be watching Dodgers/Giants and the rest of this wacky game in Tampa. We will provide insight, hopefully some laughs, weird polls, and of course, you can ask us . . . well anything!

Nicklaus Gaut: I’m all jacked up on expresso and am ready to start.

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to our AL Division Series Game 1 chat! We’ll be starting things off shortly

Jon Becker: Hi everybody! So glad you could be here with us for some afternoon ball.

Luke Hooper: What’s up! Excited for a good day of ball to get started.

David Laurila: Greetings, all.

Luke Hooper: ZiPS has this as the closest series of the opening round. 50.1 to 49.9 in favor of Houston.

David Laurila: Not worth a poll, but today’s Lance matchup begs a question: Who is the best-ever baseball Lance? Berkman and Parrish are presumably the top candidates?

Kevin Goldstein: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for joining us for another Wild Card chat. We hope you had fun yesterday and we can’t believe you came back tonight.

Kevin Goldstein: I’m here with Nickalus Gaut, and Eric Longenhagen will be here soon as he’s stuck in traffic.

Kevin Goldstein:

Farhandrew Zaidman: With the benefit of hindsight, Pollock seems like a good contract, yeah? Dodger fans were decidedly split on him pre-2020.

Kevin Goldstein: Hard to say no.

Nicklaus Gaut: Thanks for coming by everyone! I’m coming live to you from the epicenter of Cardinals devil magic…David Eckstein has sacrificed a rooster and I’ve sacrificed my body by eating Imo’s Pizza and White Castle all day, so the CDM is cooking. Here’s to a great game!

Kevin Goldstein: Hi everyone! Thanks for coming. I’m here with the FanGraphs Midwest crew, as Jon Becker and I are in Illinois and Dan Szymborski is in Ohio, but we’re thrilled to join you for the drama that is taking place on the East Coast. We will talk about the game, answer your questions, and who knows what kind of tangents. First a foremost, we’re happy you’re here.

Dan Szymborski: G’evening!

Jon Becker: Hello everybody! Very happy to be here with my two colleagues and all of you lovely chatters for my first FanGraphs chat!

Dan Szymborski: Hopefully chatting with me won’t be too traumatic!

Kevin Goldstein: Everyone be nice to Jon.

Jimmie Foxxalorian: pins and needles all day in anticipation of this game! Sox will win, 5-4 in bottom of 9th. That is all.

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to the first Joctober edition of my chat

Jay Jaffe: It was a busy week for me here! Today I’ve got a Team Entropy update with a focus on the Mariners’ Pythagenpat-defying clutch goodness http://blogs.fangraphs.com/team-entropy-2021-dial-m-for-mariners/

Jay Jaffe: And also a podcast spot with Fred C. Harris, co-author of one of my longtime favorite baseball books, The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading, and Bubblegum Book http://blogs.fangraphs.com/fangraphs-audio-fred-harris-chats-baseball-…

Jay Jaffe: Yesterday I looked at Devin Williams’ ill-timed, wrong-handed punch of a wall http://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-brewers-devin-williams-has-punched-hims…

Jay Jaffe: and on Wednesday, I dug into the NL MVP race http://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-fascinating-and-still-unsettled-nl-mvp-…

Dan: Any suggestions on steps to learn R/Python with an end goal of executing baseball queries? I’ve started with a YouTube course, but wanted to see your opinion. Thank you!

Dan Szymborski: The final Szymchat has arrived.

Dan Szymborski: of the REGULAR SEASON.

Dan Szymborski: The madness will continue.

Peter Thomas: So Dan, why does god hate San Diego? Is this a job for a shaman or are is the universe just attempting to keep the balance after gifting us 200 days of 76° and sun?

Dan Szymborski: No doubt the last two months have been cruel. Like there’s a vengeful god who punishes the unsuccessful at the trade deadline.

Dan Szymborski: Uh, header?