Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 3/16/15

11:58
Dan Szymborski: Just in time! I actually totally forgot it was Monday

12:01
Comment From mymaus
Given Xander Boagarts hits 8th in the order, do you like him better than the following SS who bat higher: Andrus, Rollins, Castro, Aybar?

12:02
Dan Szymborski: Assuming this is a fantasy question, ZiPS has Bogaerts slightly behind that group.

12:02
Comment From Dan
How’s the final zipsing going?

12:02
Dan Szymborski: Lots to do – too many damn reuqests.

12:02
Dan Szymborski: And at least half of them are nonsense – I’m not projecting 17 year olds with 20 GCL PA.

12:02
Comment From Guest
So the Kris Bryant love has almost gotten out of hand on a national level. Pretty impressive

12:02
Dan Szymborski: Hard to not have love

12:02
Comment From mymaus
That was in an OBP league

12:02
Dan Szymborski: Then Bogaerts moves up in to that group.

12:02
Comment From Mooking for Love
Wheeler is my first fantasy TJ victim of the season…now I just have to avoid Yordano…

12:02
Dan Szymborski: Very depressing.

12:02
Comment From RotoLando
Obligitory Wheeler tears

12:03
Dan Szymborski: Reading a Wheeler article is how I realized it was Monday since it said Monday, March 16 as the day.

12:03
Comment From zurzles
I am filled with hate for rounds 4 through 6 (ESPN), totally lost. They’re filled with overrated starters, overrated relievers, and decent outfielders I have no desire to draft because the position is so freakishly deep this year I can’t justify drafting one before the 7th (and neither of my leagues use 5 OF). I’m tempted to take a reliever, or overdraft Harvey and hope for the best, or overdraft round 7/8 favorites (Arenado, Dozier, Yelich) just in case. Is overdrafting ever reasonable this high in the draft? Am I being dumb for preferring my favorites like Dozier to Kinsler, Yelich to Kemp, etc? Am I still too much of a mark for the shiny new toys? Should I give up FBB and go live on a farm?

12:04
Dan Szymborski: I’m not all that excited about Dozier.

12:05
Dan Szymborski: 4-6 is too soon to take what ZiPS believes is the #10 2B.

12:05
Dan Szymborski: (ZiPS has Kinsler at 5)

12:05
Dan Szymborski: ZiPS does have Yelich above Kemp

12:05
Comment From illegalblues
forgot it was monday? you lead a charmed life, my man.

12:06
Dan Szymborski: I filed a piece last night – I don’t usually write anything Sunday for Monday, so I got a day ahead in my head

12:06
Comment From iam_GregF
Is Alcantara a future bench player? If so, how soon?

12:06
Dan Szymborski: I think his future is better than bench player, though soon he’ll probably be a role player that gets a lot of PA

12:07
Comment From Conor
If baseball had a tournament with one game playoffs (all MLB teams and the rest filled out by the top minor league teams), how many minor league teams would make it to the Sweet 16?

12:07
Dan Szymborski: Interesting, I assume the minor league teams fill out 31-64?

12:08
Dan Szymborski: Hmm, let’s think about this

12:09
Dan Szymborski: Assume for sake of argument that AAA teams are .250 teams?

12:11
Dan Szymborski: You would expect a .250 team to beat a .650 team 15% of the time, a .600 team 18 %, .550 21%, .500 25%, .450 29%, 400 33%, .350 38%

12:12
Dan Szymborski: Even a .200 team should beat a .400 team a quarter of the time

12:13
Dan Szymborski: So you’d expect several – I’m taking too much time here!

12:13
Comment From mtsw
What will the Baltimore Orioles bullpen look like? Who gets rostered besides the givens (Britton, O’Day, Hunter). Candidates include Brach (out of options), Matusz (same), Ryan Webb (contract), Wesley Wright (contract), Logan Verrett and Jason Garcia (R5s), whoever the odd man out in the rotation is, TJ MacFarland and probably some other guy I’m forgetting.

12:14
Dan Szymborski: The O’s don’t really have a lot of leeway

12:14
Dan Szymborski: Pretty much everyone is out of options

12:14
Dan Szymborski: I expect McFarland goes down – I can’t see the O’s carrying *4* lefties

12:15
Dan Szymborski: Someone like Brach or Webb ends up getting traded, I think

12:15
Comment From Phillies113
Regarding the length of games, a lot of people note that extended commercial breaks is a cause for longer games. Would you be in favor of, say, on-field advertising (such as on uniforms) if it meant 60 seconds gets knocked off between each inning?

12:15
Dan Szymborski: Depends how obtrusive the advertising is.

12:15
Comment From The Oriole Bird
What is your annual disagreement with ZiPS over David Wright?

12:15
Dan Szymborski: I’m always more optimistic than ZiPS is about Wright

12:16
Comment From Gattis
I’m in a league that counts fielding. Is it a good assumption that Gattis is an every day fixture in the lineup? What % of time will he DH?

12:17
Dan Szymborski: While it’s not fixed yet, my belief is that Gattis will see a *lot* of DH time.

12:18
Comment From Mooking for Love
Zips seems to like Scooter Gennett a little bit more than some other projections out there. Do you like him for a breakout year?

12:18
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think he’s a real upside guy

12:18
Comment From mtsw
How do I talk the guy running my fantasy baseball league this season into doing a categories scoring system rather than fantasy-football-style points system (his preference)?

12:18
Dan Szymborski: It’s hard to talk league commishes into anythin!

12:18
Comment From John
As a Mets fan, I actually feel ambivalent today. It sucks for Wheeler, but it serves Alderson right for building an organizational future on the fragile arms of pitching prospects and not trading wheeler when he had multiple opportunities to do so…

12:18
Dan Szymborski: Eh, if the gods punish hubris, I’d like to think they’d punish indirectly

12:19
Comment From hack
So I’m a nats fan…and I have to admit, I’m shocked R. Soriano hasn’t been signed yet. So I have a couple of questions. 1) How late is too late before he actually misses the opener 2) do relievers not currently signed work out on their own? 3) Does he sign with a team to be their closer? I could see a few teams that could use one, and would he be an upgrade anywhere? What does ZIPS predict? n

12:19
Dan Szymborski: Reliever will generally work out on their own. I don’t think he gets a closer job – in fact, I think that’s probably a reason he hasn’t signed

12:19
Comment From Brandon
Where would you draft Bryant?

12:22
Dan Szymborski: It likely depends when I draft. At 400 PA, ZiPS ranks Bryant 13th among 3B. at 600 PA, he moves into top 5.

12:22
Comment From Mike T
Really annoyed mets fan here with Wheeler, love his upside and I believe he has taken strides. Who would you have as a fill in for his spot: Syndergaard, Matz, Montero or Gee? I really want Syndergaard, but I bet it’s Gee. Time to take the training wheels off these guys!

12:22
Dan Szymborski: Syndergaard. And like you, I bet it’s Gee.

12:22
Comment From STiVo
Over/under: Kris Bryant career major league HR–250?

12:22
Dan Szymborski: Even today that’s not a huge number, so I would say over

12:22
Comment From hack
Does ZIPS take into account where a player hits in the lineup? or just ABs?

12:22
Dan Szymborski: Just ABs – there’s not a lot of evidence it matters much other than playing time

12:23
Comment From Clock
What’s your upside on Shane Greene?

12:23
Dan Szymborski: Upside a solid 2. Dont’ think he has ace potential

12:23
Comment From Adam Warrens Dad
With the Yankees seeming likely to throw Adam Warren into the 5th/6th/7th starter mix, will his projection change to something along the lines of a 4 GS/40 GP profile rather than the pure-RP line in the initial release?

12:23
Dan Szymborski: I don’t know yet

12:23
Comment From mtsw
Say something about Robert Durst.

12:24
Dan Szymborski: Wait, what?

12:24
Dan Szymborski: The dude suspected of murders awhile back? How’d that come up? Did I miss something?

12:24
Dan Szymborski: Typing his name into google, it seems I did miss something.

12:24
Dan Szymborski: I did not see this HBO thing

12:25
Comment From Bee
You’re a win now team in dynasty. Do you suddenly treat Wheeler like a very good prospect who is probably a year and a half away, at best?

12:25
Dan Szymborski: Yes

12:25
Comment From The Oriole Bird
Who would you rather have in real life on your team: Soler or G. Polanco?

12:25
Dan Szymborski: Polanco

12:25
Comment From Keeper? I hardly know her?
I traded Syndergaard for Darvish in a 12 team dynasty league where you keep 20 (no payrolls). I also swapped draft picks. Considering Wheeler’s arm may push syndy into starting earlier, how do you think I did?

12:25
Dan Szymborski: Decently – I like Syndergaard. Problem with the trade is that I don’t like how the Mets are run.

12:25
Comment From Colby
I know this is your least favorite question but any update on the dmb disk?

12:25
Dan Szymborski: No, it’ll come out as usual. I’m not sure what kind of update there is.

12:25
Comment From Ryan
What’s the deal with stats accumulated while a player is injured? Do any projection systems make an effort to throw out those stats? Or is it better to leave them in, since injured guys tend to get injured again..?

12:26
Dan Szymborski: ZiPS deals with injuries in broad strokes.

12:26
Comment From Adam Warrens Dad
Conor just at 1/3 of the chat with one question. (Granted, it was a pretty sweet question.)

12:26
Dan Szymborski: I like the different questions. They can be broadly interesting in a way that “Rank these 13 random pitchers in my league that nobody but me plays in!” questions aren’t

12:27
Dan Szymborski: nobody but me *here* plays in, that is

12:27
Dan Szymborski: I tend to be biased towards questions that I think will interest the most viewers

12:27
Comment From Fart Nugget
The NL Central order of finish will be: _____, _____, _____, ____, _____

12:27
Dan Szymborski: first, second, third, fourth, and fifth.

12:27
Comment From STiVo
Just saw something saying Wheeler’s is a “full UCL tear.” Okay. Is there any reason to think that’s any worse than a partial, assuming both would get TJ?

12:28
Dan Szymborski: Occasionally, you see them try to rehab partial tears.

12:28
Comment From Keeper? I hardly know her?
Out of Bauer, House, and Salazar, who do you think will make the Indians rotation? Who is the best long-term?

12:28
Dan Szymborski: Bauer, Salazar

12:29
Dan Szymborski: The Indians are generally well-run, but I remain amazed that Josh Tomlin still remains in the mix

12:30
Dan Szymborski: Imagine you and a bunch of your friends get together once a month to play some detailed board games, you know Settlers of Catan and random deep Avalon Hill games. But one your friends keeps bringing Don’t Wake Daddy and insisting on playing it. That’s Josh Tomlin.

12:30
Comment From Joe
Rodon or Syndergaard were not drafted last night in our 12 team draft. Should I use a waiver claim right away to get one or wait til they becomes FAs? Thanks.

12:30
Dan Szymborski: I would want to add them both as a priority. Unless your waiver wire is really amazing

12:30
Comment From Bob
With the news that Leonys Martin is going to be full time at lead off for the Rangers, are you over or under on a .270 avg, 11 hr, 85 r, 38 steal season?

12:31
Dan Szymborski: Under. I think all those are a shade too aggressive

12:31
Comment From TJ
Who has a higher total projected WAR the next six years- Cole Hamels or Blake Swihart?

12:31
Dan Szymborski: Hamels, I think.

12:31
Comment From baltic wolf
HI Dan: looking forward to your column on what players you’re more bullish on than ZIPs. Speaking of bullish, ZIPs really likes Wilmer Flores a lot this year, more than Steamer for example. Can you tell me why? Thanks.

12:31
Dan Szymborski: Since I dont’ run Steamer, I can’t answer questions about Steamer, which are necessary to answer this type of question.

12:31
Dan Szymborski: Some *always* asks something like this!

12:33
Dan Szymborski: It’s like asking me “Who is better at chess, you or my cousin?” I know my chess level, but I don’t know much, if anything, about your cousin to evaluate our relative chess skills

12:33
Comment From Your Seventh-Biggest Fan
I was discussing with a friend what would happen if MLB went to a payroll system like the NFL, where very little money is guaranteed. I would hate that; because I prefer teams to have to live with their terrible, terrible decisions (e.g., Howard, Pujols, Miggy in 2023). What say you?

12:33
Dan Szymborski: Bleh

12:34
Comment From Ringtone Composer
Does ZiPS assume Big Papi will be awesome until forever? This sentiment seems legit.

12:34
Dan Szymborski: ZiPS was far more optimistic than me back when David Ortiz looked like he was aging rapidlyl several years ago. ZiPS won that fight

12:34
Comment From baltic wolf
Travis Snider for the Orioles: over or under 20 HRs in a park that’s very friendly to left handed hitters with power? Thanks.

12:34
Dan Szymborski: Under

12:34
Comment From Hugo Z
Given the way things work, mlb players would eventually look like Nascar drivers. You’d be exchanging one kind of annoyance for another.

12:34
Comment From Marx Madness
If Austin Jackson is not productive would Brad Miller take over CF and Marte play ss?

12:34
Dan Szymborski: Doubtful

12:34
Comment From Mike P.
Should we just be in acceptance that injuries (specifically, TJ) are just going to be the “thing” for this generation? Everyone wants to say “what can we do to stop them” – but we can’t, really, for the current crop of MLB players (and even minor leaguers). Won’t the changes being done now just benefit the kids who are 12-16 years old – and do nothing for the guys who are 20-30+? Basically, I’m saying, shouldn’t we just be in for devastating news regarding our favorite pitchers for the next 10 years?

12:35
Dan Szymborski: Pitchers have always been injured, but it just always sucks

12:35
Comment From neal
what is the % chance of Papelbon realizing his ambition of making the Hall of Fame? (lol)

12:35
Dan Szymborski: Very high, because I’m not sure Papelbon’s realizations are accurate. There may be a picture of him somewhere and Papelbon incorrectly deduces that means he’s in the Hall of Fame

12:35
Comment From Erich
This seems like one of the last opportunities for the Brewers to contend with this team as currently constructed – and needs Braun to return to his PED-level production. Do they go full on fire-sale if this season is a train wreck by July?

12:36
Dan Szymborski: They *should* but I don’t know they will

12:36
Comment From iam_GregF
Tropeano worth a late flyer in the draft?

12:36
Dan Szymborski: You’d probably have to be a very deep league

12:36
Comment From Total Clown
Who are some of your favorite SPs to watch pitch?

12:37
Dan Szymborski: Kershaw, Buehrle, Fernandez, Tanaka, Darvish

12:37
Comment From GK
Pretty comical for Bryant to start the season in AAA at this point, right? What, if anything, can be done with the system in regard to these kinds of players?

12:38
Dan Szymborski: Not much. Anything that changes this kind of thing would cost the owners quite a bit of money and I believe the MLBPA no longer has the stomach or determination to fight for anything the owners dig in against.

12:39
Dan Szymborski: The post Don Fehr era has seen the NFLPAization of the MLBPA.

12:39
Comment From Eric Weinstein
Please no spoilers

12:39
Dan Szymborski: SPOILER ALERT

12:39
Dan Szymborski: DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU WANT SPOILERS

12:39
Dan Szymborski: I’M WARNING YOU

12:40
Dan Szymborski: ———————
pickett’s charge fell short and lincoln died
———————

12:40
Comment From Adam Warrens Dad
Is it possible that RAJ just released his 2nd best OF (Xavier Paul)? Seriously, that crew makes the Tigers bullpen look like Gods.

12:41
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think I’d rank him that highly even in a really easy comparison

12:41
Comment From Eric Weinstein
What percentage of the blame for how the Mets are run would you attribute to Alderson vs. the Wilpons?

12:42
Dan Szymborski: Hard to say exactly. More Wilpons, but the fact is, Alderson retains some responsibility for moves that are made

12:42
Dan Szymborski: Let’s say Alderson doesn’t make *any* of the moves. He would still bear *some* responsibility for moves made in his name

12:42
Comment From mtsw
Do the Orioles give Ubaldo Jimenez a few pity-starts at the beginning of the year to let him prove to himself that he can’t start anymore or does he get sent directly to mop-up duty? It seems like he doesn’t have a path to being a useful starter without a semi-miraculous velocity recovery.

12:42
Dan Szymborski: I’m actually cautious optimistic about Jimenez.

12:43
Comment From mtsw
Is there a market for Brian Matusz? He pitched 3 scoreless in a ST start the other day. Is there some team out there that looks at him as a potential starter reclamation project? Could the Orioles get a prospect who could potentially play in the majors one day in return for him?

12:43
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think they would get significant value for Matusz

12:43
Dan Szymborski: I dont’ think his perceived value is all that high

12:43
Comment From John
Some here (and around the internet) have been bullish on the mets chances to make the playoffs, even though projections varely have them at .500. Given the recent injury news and how the mets will likely deal with it (first, go into season with probably no lefty in the pen and now replacings wheeler with gee), how much of a hit does their projection take?

12:43
Dan Szymborski: It takes some, but the thing is, my playign time assumptions — and likely those of others — is already taking into consideration that the Mets are kinda dumb

12:44
Comment From Conor
I’m here all week

12:44
Dan Szymborski: I may leave the chat running now and come in and check once a day to see if you respond

12:44
Dan Szymborski: As penalty for that hoary old punchline!

12:45
Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
I remember when people thought Jackie Bradley Jr was a safe prospect… I wonder if we will feel the same way about Betts in a year or two

12:45
Dan Szymborski: Bradley never projected as well as Betts does

12:45
Comment From Hank
So…..that ZIPS Phil Hughes projection

12:45
Dan Szymborski: ZiPS like him. Though the zWAR is the canon WAR projection from ZiPS

12:45
Comment From Dave
If Babe Ruth were to play at his prime level in baseball today would he…. A) Dominate just like he did in his day B). Not as good but still an all star C). Barely make the team D). Be a AA player at best

12:46
Dan Szymborski: If he had the benefit of modern training and medicine, I think he’d be just fine, even if he didn’t use it to its utmost

12:46
Dan Szymborski: Now, the bigger question is if he wouldn’t get into more trouble than he did

12:46
Comment From Marx Madness
who runs steamer?

12:47
Dan Szymborski: Jared Cross, Dash Davidson, Pete Rosenbloom. I think Jared’s the main guy but I’m not positive

12:47
Comment From zurzles
i think at a more basic level my question is just about the concept of “value” in drafts — how do you leverage your own personal rankings with the ADP rankings the draft is built around? at what point do you start reaching? RG likes JD Martinez a hundred spots better than ESPN (i agree); when’s the earliest you draft him, then? are you killing the “value” by drafting him inside the first 10 rounds? etc

12:47
Dan Szymborski: It *always* depends on what’s going on in my draft at the moment.

12:48
Dan Szymborski: I would rank a BMW as more valuable than a box of water purification tablets. But if I’m stranded after surviving a plane crashin a remote location, I rpobably want the latter

12:48
Comment From Phillies113
How much do you actually know about chess? What are your thoughts on castling? Legit move, or a move for cowards?

12:48
Dan Szymborski: COWARD

12:49
Dan Szymborski: Take your 0-0 and shove it!

12:49
Dan Szymborski: Of course, I castle, but I’m a coward.

12:49
Comment From baltic wolf
Can I reword my question? Why does ZIPs like Flores so much?

12:49
Dan Szymborski: He hit very well even for the PCL

12:50
Comment From Hal
WHARR ARRRR TEH PREZIDENTZ FIGHTIN!?!? I was told this was the place to go for battles between POTUSs(POTII?)

12:50
Dan Szymborski: I didn’t set up a fight because I realized that I had a chat about 5 minutes before the chat

12:50
Comment From Bill
Why do lefties’ swings look prettier? This has bothered me since I was a kid, you’d expect symmetry.

12:51
Dan Szymborski: The smoother shift into running into first base.

12:51
Comment From Ben
This may be a dumb (obvious) question, but wouldn’t a really good pitcher (Kershaw, Feliz, Sale, etc.) have relatively lesser value on teams with good offenses? It seems like you would get diminishing returns the fewer runs you allow.

12:51
Dan Szymborski: The difference is small and something never likely to come up in evaluation

12:51
Dan Szymborski: a good player generally is going to provide diminishing returns on a really good team anyway

12:51
Comment From mtsw
Explain why you are cautiously optimistic about Jimenez. He’s looked pretty bad in spring training so far. FB velocity at 90-91 and he (as usual) sucks at every other aspect of pitching.

12:52
Dan Szymborski: The O’s have a good enough infield defense that if he can just keep the ball down, I think he’ll be OK

12:52
Comment From STiVo
Which is higher: The odds the Orioles win the 2015 World Series, or the odds that the Orioles win 97 or more games in 2015 regular season?

12:52
Dan Szymborski: 97 wins.

12:53
Comment From neal
Babe Ruth would totally have done steroids if they had existed

12:53
Dan Szymborski: Don’t forget, he injected himself with extract from sheep testicles. Didn’t work and may have backfired, but he tried

12:53
Comment From Grand Admiral Braun
Hypothetical: what would it realistically take for let’s say, the Cubs, to acquire Mike Trout in a trade? Bryant/Russell/Soler+?

12:53
Dan Szymborski: It would require so much that I don’t think either team would ever pull it off

12:54
Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
What kind of K/BB would a player like Wade Boggs have in todays game? Is it as simple as taking his K/BB compared to his peers from his ERA and adjusting it to todays game?

12:54
Dan Szymborski: Well, we don’t *know* if it’s as simple as that or not because we can’t really test it. Anythign is speculation

12:54
Dan Szymborski: I would expect Boggs would stilll have an excellent ratio, but not to the same degree.

12:55
Dan Szymborski: Joe Sewell would likely be among the league leaders in BB/K ratio, but his strikeouts would be way above single digits

12:55
Comment From Dave
Are the Braves projected to have the worst offense by a significant margin? That lineup is brutal.

12:55
Dan Szymborski: I think the Phillies are worse

12:55
Comment From Joe – Canada
How do you feel about the future of Nick Catellanos? Does ZIPS account for players like him that have always been young for their level of play?

12:56
Dan Szymborski: Yes

12:56
Comment From Sean
How is castling cowardly?! It’s often used aggressively!

12:56
Dan Szymborski: You can be aggressive and cowardly.

12:57
Dan Szymborski: Let’s say the pizza place messes up my order. I hire mercenaries to kill the pizza place owner while I hide in my panic bunker. I’m being quite aggressive with the pizza place, but I’m also being cowardly!

12:57
Comment From baltic wolf
Castling is cowardice? Not if you’re playing black. And pretty scary even if you’re playing white.

12:58
Dan Szymborski: Maybe if we’re talking castling queenside playing Dutch defense.

12:58
Comment From Alex Forgay
Could the Red Sox have 5 starters with sub-4 eras?

12:58
Dan Szymborski: *Could* but I’d bet against that

12:58
Comment From Guest
You ever check the comment section here atfer a chat?

12:58
Dan Szymborski: Yes, but I will not answer any questions in the comment section. It seems like tryign to butt in line

12:59
Comment From Guest
True or false: Kris Bryant will be among the top 10% of NL hitters this year?

12:59
Dan Szymborski: qualitatively, I think so. quantitatively, possibly not

12:59
Comment From Bojack Horseman
Do you agree with Zips projection for Anibal Sanchez?

12:59
Dan Szymborski: Yes, ZiPS isn’t going out on any limbs

12:59
Comment From Dave
Odds we’ll ever see a hitter as good as Bonds in the next 50 years?

12:59
Dan Szymborski: 50/50

12:59
Comment From Guest
Given the unpredictability of bullpens, generally, should we apply greater error bands to those ZIPS projections than, say, for hitters?

1:00
Dan Szymborski: Yes

1:00
Comment From Bill
Are you optimistic about my man Choo?

1:00
Dan Szymborski: Not that optimistic long-term, but he’ll have at least a moderate bounceback I think

1:00
Comment From mtsw
Cities: Skylines impressions?

1:00
Dan Szymborski: I’ve only played it for a few minutes so far

1:00
Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
Joe Sewell is amazing… He K’d less than Javier Baez did in 52 games, over an 11 year span and 6000 PA

1:01
Dan Szymborski: OK, 1 PM, so time for the lightning round.

1:02
Dan Szymborski: Rules: for the next 3 months, I have to answer *any* off-topic question asked, with a few exceptions like career reasons.

1:02
Comment From Dave
Best Mario game, any platform

1:02
Dan Szymborski: Super Mario World

1:02
Comment From Phillies113
Final Fantasy XV thoughts? Could this revive the stale FF brand?

1:02
Dan Szymborski: I certainly hope so. I did liek xiv more than most

1:02
Comment From Guest
Pizza: deep dish or thin crust?

1:03
Dan Szymborski: thin and floppy

1:03
Comment From Terrible Ted
When applying pepper to soup, do you take into account total volume or just season the top layer appropriately?

1:03
Dan Szymborski: Try to do the former. I tend to use too much pepper and not enough salt (

1:03
Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
120 degrees or -30 degrees?

1:03
Dan Szymborski: Probably 120

1:03
Dan Szymborski: if F. Celsius, -30

1:04
Comment From hack
worst fruit?

1:04
Dan Szymborski: Watermelon. For some reason, the mouthfeel of biting into watermelon just bugs me

1:04
Comment From Umami
top 5 nintendo games?

1:04
Dan Szymborski: Final Fantasy, Baseball Stars, River City Ransom, Super Dodge Ball, Destiny of an Emperor

1:05
Comment From Guest
shakes or malts?

1:05
Dan Szymborski: Shakes

1:05
Comment From mtsw
Losing Presidential candidate you feel would’ve been the largest improvement on the guy who actually got elected instead?

1:05
Dan Szymborski: Romney, though I may be saying it just to piss you guy soff

1:05
Dan Szymborski: Or I may not.

1:05
Comment From Clive
What’s your over/under for acceptable losing virginity age? 17 is young, right?

1:05
Dan Szymborski: Depends on the person. 17 seems like a good average

1:06
Comment From Guest
Thin & floppy wasn’t an option for the pizza question…

1:06
Dan Szymborski: Thin then

1:06
Comment From Dave titegraine
Is Dave Cameron as hard headed in person as he is in these chats?

1:06
Dan Szymborski: I have not found Dave hard headed in person

1:06
Comment From Guest
Will kentucky win it all?

1:06
Dan Szymborski: Yes

1:06
Comment From hack
butts or boobs or legs

1:06
Dan Szymborski: boobs

1:06
Comment From Dave titegraine
Vacation to Artic or Saharah desert?

1:06
Dan Szymborski: arctic

1:06
Comment From Dave
Shouldn’t Pi Day be 3.14.16 – you know, rounding

1:06
Dan Szymborski: no need to round if you’re going to time

1:06
Comment From Dave titegraine
Top 3 movies?

1:07
Dan Szymborski: Citizen Kane, Godfather II, Cuckoo’s Nest

1:07
Comment From Guest
you play ootp?

1:07
Dan Szymborski: Occasionally

1:07
Comment From Guest
Salsa: Roja or verde?

1:07
Dan Szymborski: Verde

1:07
Comment From Dave
No Metal Gear?!?

1:07
Dan Szymborski: Poor translation and some odd design choices

1:07
Dan Szymborski: Like the gas mask you can’t put on before you enter a room so you take damage no matter what

1:07
Comment From Dave titegraine
Best Sega Games?

1:08
Dan Szymborski: Sonic 1, Gunstar Heroes, Tony LaRussa 2

1:08
Dan Szymborski: Oh, all sega?

1:08
Dan Szymborski: that’s genesis

1:08
Comment From Terrible Ted
Favourite letter in Scrabble? Least favourite?

1:08
Dan Szymborski: Z

1:08
Comment From Guest
Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren?

1:08
Dan Szymborski: Clinton

1:08
Comment From Dave
Teddy Roosevelt, greatest American President ever, or greatest man ever?

1:08
Dan Szymborski: good dude, not sure greatest president

1:08
Comment From Terrible Ted
Favourite root vegetable that isn’t a potato?

1:08
Dan Szymborski: celeriac root

1:08
Comment From Umami
Favorite game of all time?

1:08
Dan Szymborski: baseball stars

1:09
Comment From zurzles
dusty rhodes or ric flair

1:09
Dan Szymborski: flair

1:09
Comment From Umami
most expensive thing you’ve ever eated?

1:09
Dan Szymborski: wagyu steak

1:09
Comment From Sean
Favorite burger joint?

1:09
Dan Szymborski: five guys

1:10
Comment From Guest
best movie youve seen it the past calender yr?

1:10
Dan Szymborski: whiplash

1:10
Comment From Troudcue Cameron
Tim Hortons or Dunkin Donuts?

1:10
Dan Szymborski: dunkin

1:10
Comment From Troudcue Cameron
Dan going Bungee jumping, base jumping or sky diving?

1:10
Dan Szymborski: oh god, none. sky diving probably

1:10
Comment From Hugo Z
Kate Upton or Kelly Brook?

1:10
Dan Szymborski: upton

1:10
Comment From Dave titegraine
Original Sega

1:10
Dan Szymborski: didn’t play enough

1:10
Comment From Terrible Ted
Psychology or psychiatry?

1:11
Dan Szymborski: psychiatry

1:11
Comment From mtsw
Super Baseball 2020: thoughts?

1:11
Dan Szymborski: robots break too easily

1:11
Comment From Guest
who had the best promos? gotta be flair

1:11
Dan Szymborski: It’s flair

1:11
Comment From Dave titegraine
Dan Bilzarian or Hugh Heghner?

1:11
Dan Szymborski: Bilzerian – looks like he could beat me up

1:11
Comment From Bob
do you believe global climate change is a hoax?

1:11
Dan Szymborski: no

1:11
Comment From Terrible Ted
You have to be Brutus or Judas. Pick one.

1:11
Dan Szymborski: brutus

1:11
Comment From RotoLando
Remember Altered Beast? That was good.

1:12
Dan Szymborski: Yes, I remember

1:12
Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
1 000 000$ today or 110 000 over 10 years?

1:12
Dan Szymborski: million today

1:12
Comment From Guest
How tall am I?

1:12
Dan Szymborski: 5’10

1:12
Comment From Rand al Thor
Favorite Fantasy Book Series?

1:12
Dan Szymborski: song of ice and fire

1:12
Comment From Sean
Fav PV game?

1:12
Dan Szymborski: don’t know what a pv game is

1:12
Comment From Sean
Favorite PC game?

1:12
Dan Szymborski: crusader kings 2 if right now, civilization 1 all time

1:12
Comment From Mike-Al
John Stewart or John Oliver?

1:12
Dan Szymborski: Oliver

1:12
Comment From Guest
Stone cold give flair a small run at promos?

1:12
Dan Szymborski: Flair edge

1:13
Comment From Guest
Workaholics: Blake, Adam, or Ders?

1:13
Dan Szymborski: adam

1:13
Comment From Terrible Ted
Waluigi or Wario?

1:13
Dan Szymborski: wario

1:13
Comment From Guest
fav arcade game?

1:13
Dan Szymborski: ninja turtles

1:13
Comment From Terrible Ted
Hefner or Simmons?

1:13
Dan Szymborski: Which simmons?

1:13
Comment From Guest
Can we have WAR for pro wrestling?

1:13
Dan Szymborski: Possibly, maybe stars above replacement?

1:13
Comment From Know Nothing
Do you believe R+L=J

1:13
Dan Szymborski: yes

1:13
Comment From Big Joe Mufferaw
More HR in 2015.. A-Rod or Mookie Betts?

1:13
Dan Szymborski: betts

1:13
Dan Szymborski: AND TIME

1:14
Comment From Terrible Ted
Gene Simmons/The Hef

1:14
Dan Szymborski: (questionw as originally asked before the buzzer)

1:14
Dan Szymborski: Probably Hef. He’s got a grotto

1:14
Dan Szymborski: On that note, time to sign off for another week.

1:14
Dan Szymborski: A sa reminder, you can see my work on ESPN.com, read my chats or look at projections on FanGraphs, DSzymborski on Twitter.

1:15
Dan Szymborski: And also, I’m going live on Twitch.TV right now, playing some NES games. twitch.tv/zimsmash





Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.

4 Comments
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sliu64
9 years ago

Hi Dan, big fan here. I just got an offer of Tulo for Kris Bryant (i have bryant) straight up. I’m in a 16 team Dynasty league with 25 roster spots (23 keepers) plus an additional 10 minor league keepers/spots. Should i accept the offer?

Cornflake5000
9 years ago
Reply to  sliu64

lol