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?

Jay Jaffe: Good afternoon, folks, and welcome to another edition of my Friday chat! Today I’ve got a piece on LaMonte Wade Jr.s out-of-nowhere season and timely hitting for the Giants (https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lamonte-wade-jr-has-been-a-difference-…). Earlier this week, I had pieces on Jon Lester’s hot streak (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/jon-lesters-well-timed-hot-streak/) and the Orioles’ impact on the AL Wild Card race (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-playoff-race-thats-for-the-birds-the-o…)

Juan S.: Last week you said Harper and Tatis were the top two MVP candidates. Has my last week changed your mind?

Jay Jaffe: It’s been quite a week, and yes, you’re part of the discussion now. I’m actually scheduled to do a piece on the NL MVP race for Monday.

Jay Jaffe: I honestly don’t know how I feel about it now except to say that at first glance it looks like a real tossup between Harper/Tatis/Soto, none of them on teams that are going to make the playoffs. Beyond that, we’ll see what sways me.

Dalton Wilcox: Your favorite FA pitcher this offseason?

Jay Jaffe: Probably Max Scherzer, because damn, he’s still one of the best in the game, a guy who appears as though he can be the top starter on a championship team right now. I’m of course interested to see how the Dodgers deal with Clayton Kershaw, and would think that the Mets are going to work hard to retain Marcus Stroman.