Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 3/30/15
| 12:00 |
: I am here, LIVE FROM SUPLEX CITY
|
| 12:01 |
I’m here for the free breadsticks |
| 12:01 |
: Crap, was I supposed to get breadsticks?
|
| 12:02 |
: I’m saving the complete non-baseball Qs for the Lightning Round
|
| 12:02 |
I’m not well versed in statistics but is there some measure of confidence that zips or steamer calculates with each player’s projection? If so, is this published on the internets somewhere? |
| 12:02 |
: I publish probabilities of various levels and milestones on the spreadsheet, but not a specific 95% confidence interval or something
|
| 12:03 |
Dan, any idea if Diamond Mind will be putting out a projection disk this year? |
| 12:03 |
: Yes.
|
| 12:03 |
: And for the follow up question, yes.
|
| 12:03 |
Who is the Ragnaros of MLB? |
| 12:04 |
: Billy Beane. He’s powerful, but his power will go in an unexpected direction.
|
| 12:04 |
Does Texas bat Andrus 2nd or 7th? He is awful against RH and will see a lot more of them. He’s fine batting 9th he said, seems like a better spot no? Atleast in the bottom 3rd of the order. |
| 12:04 |
: I would definitely bat him towards the back of the lineup.
|
| 12:04 |
: All the usual caveats about lineup position being only slihgtly more valuable than the vice-presidency
|
| 12:05 |
Name 4 players who will be probably be on the DL to begin the year who you think are under rated as they’re being drafted right now. |
| 12:05 |
: Let’s see – McGee, Richards
|
| 12:06 |
: Jansen
|
| 12:06 |
Zimmania is running wild, brother! |
| 12:06 |
Do you like Jose Ramirez or Erick Aybar this year? |
| 12:06 |
: Aybar
|
| 12:06 |
TELL ME THAT CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ WILL BE ALRIGHT |
| 12:06 |
: NOT EVEN GOD CAN DO THAT!
|
| 12:06 |
Why won’t Harper explode this season? He gets the injury kick, but he doesn’t have “chronic” injuries. And as a young college student, I still can’t help but cry when realizing Harper is STILL younger than me |
| 12:07 |
: Yeah, people forget how young he still is. Now, I think he’ll break out at some point, though it doesn’t *have* to be this year.
|
| 12:07 |
Who are you expecting to beat their ZiPS projections the most? |
| 12:07 |
: Haven’t written that yet 🙂
|
| 12:07 |
I just found out that my job is laying me off with no pay for two weeks in late April. Does this make the purchase of a PS4 and MLB The Show more justifiable (two weeks with nothing to do) or less justifiable (money I can’t afford to spend if I’m not getting paid)? Bonus points if you can answer in a way that I can use to justify the purchase to my girlfriend. |
| 12:08 |
: “LinkedIn Premium is now available for free for PlayStation Plus members! I’d be stupid *not* to do it!”
|
| 12:08 |
Jesus Christ there’s no such thing as a free breadstick |
| 12:08 |
: If you can run fast there is
|
| 12:08 |
Does ZIPS like Zack McAllister more as a starter or a reliever? |
| 12:08 |
: reliever
|
| 12:08 |
Cervelli a decent 2nd catcher in a 15 team league? Who are some others? |
| 12:09 |
: Too injury prone and the second tier is too large
|
| 12:09 |
: ZiPS has him 26th among catchers.
|
| 12:10 |
: (In fantasy with playing time assumptions for reality)
|
| 12:10 |
: 5 catchers right above him – Castro, Zunino, Salty, Ruiz, Norris
|
| 12:10 |
Is Uehara going to wind up on the DL? |
| 12:11 |
: They’re still saying no but I think he gets a postdated stint and misses the first several days of the season
|
| 12:11 |
Why all the gnashing of teeth over the Cubs and Bryant? They’re just following the rules that both sides have agreed to, and they’re far from the first team to do so. |
| 12:11 |
: Usually, the service time preservation isn’t so blatant – almost ever rookie just isn’t this good
|
| 12:11 |
: Technically options aren’t supposed to be based on “non-baseball” needs, but typically that’s almost impossible to prove to an arbitrator
|
| 12:12 |
: Though the truth is that any system with bright lines — which there have to be in a system like this — will have guys that just miss it.
|
| 12:13 |
Who leads the Red Soxs in saves this year? Any chance Tazawa? |
| 12:14 |
: Oops, Red Sox *are* acknowledging it. Position has shifted some
|
| 12:14 |
ZIPS has a fantastic defensive projection for Gregory Polanco despite below average results last year. Why is that: MiLB SBs? |
| 12:14 |
: I talked a little bit about this subject on Twitter right before the chat
|
| 12:15 |
: If it wasn’t for his MLB performance, his defensive projection would be much higher
|
| 12:15 |
I just want to announce I am unfollowing anyone who tweets about wrestling |
| 12:15 |
Seriously why do people feel the need to announce who they are unfollowing? |
| 12:15 |
Why does ZiPS love Maikel Franco so much? http://www.fangraphs.com/st… |
| 12:15 |
: One of those questions I can’t really answer. Relative to what? ZiPS sees him as a bit below average – that’s hardly some torrid love affair
|
| 12:16 |
What are the chances that Cosart gets suspended, if at all? If so, how long would it be? |
| 12:16 |
: Ranges from zero to life depending on what an investigation turns up
|
| 12:17 |
The Mets have Familia tweaking his delivery so he can work up more and be more effective against lefties. Wouldn’t working on a changeup be an easier fix than altering someone’s motion and hoping they can still keep their stuff and command? |
| 12:18 |
: That’s not the only reason they’ve been tweaking his delivery – they also want him to work on his release point
|
| 12:19 |
I was busy last week – I must have missed all the public apologies that were sent to the Astros by people who slammed them for not signing Aiken last summer, right? |
| 12:20 |
: Even if they were right about his elbow, they still handled it in an incredibly ham-handed fashion
|
| 12:21 |
: The fact is, even with TJ surgery, Aiken would have made *way* more as a FA – it was about trying to game the slot money and it backfired
|
| 12:21 |
Would the game be better or worse if rosters were expanded another 5 players for the regular season? |
| 12:21 |
: Worse because too many teams would just add a crapload more relievers.
|
| 12:22 |
: “And here comes Al Alburquerque, the Tigers 2nd out of the 7th right handed one out guy!”
|
| 12:22 |
why is Baltimore seriously considering putting Gausman in the pen? |
| 12:22 |
: Weird valuation of tenure
|
| 12:22 |
Which side would you want: Cashner/Alex Rios or Shane Greene/Melky? |
| 12:23 |
: Probably the latter – no interest in Rios
|
| 12:23 |
If MLB re-booted with a big “fantasy draft,” how many rounds would it take for a relief pitcher (i.e. Kimbrel, Aroldis) to get picked? |
| 12:23 |
: They only need one delusional team to take ’em early
|
| 12:23 |
College students in their 20’s are no longer young |
| 12:23 |
: wait, what did this connect to?
|
| 12:23 |
Your take on the Braves? This year and the years to follow |
| 12:23 |
: Not too much excitement – it’s a rebuilding team
|
| 12:24 |
Will Souza be slow to adjust to the majors? |
| 12:24 |
: I’ve been on the pessimistic side
|
| 12:24 |
(12 team H2H points) I botched my auction and ended up without a decent 2B (only one spot, no MI) so I went and picked up Miller, J. Ramirez and Semien, hoping one of them would stick. How do you rate these guys? Who do you drop first? |
| 12:24 |
: Probably Semien. Miller’s a really good flyer actually
|
| 12:24 |
It took a few days for the Red Sox to trade for a backup when they learned Vazquez will miss significant time. Meanwhile, the Dbacks are still starting Tuffy Gosewich. Are the Dbacks incredibly incompetent, or just deliberately tanking? |
| 12:24 |
: They’re realistic.
|
| 12:24 |
Other than injuries and prospects, what type of players/situations do you think projection systems get wrong when they are wrong? |
| 12:24 |
: Players that undergo mechanical changes.
|
| 12:25 |
Hey Dan. Let’s pretend you are Robin Ventura. Who do you start at 2B? The speedy Micah Johnson who could provide positive value offensively but could be the next Rickie Weeks defensively? Or Carlos Sanchez, who is the much better defender but provides very little offensive value? |
| 12:25 |
: Garcia.
|
| 12:26 |
: Micah Johnson could still use some time at AAA. Let it be a controversy once he can actually handle AAA hitters – if he’s really going to provide positive offensive value in the majors, he should be able to beat a .700 OPS in AAA.
|
| 12:26 |
Have the Phillies discovered a new market inefficiency by constantly putting noodle arms and 2nd basemen in the outfield? |
| 12:26 |
: heh
|
| 12:26 |
Ok, actually talk to me about the Red Sox catching situation though. Will it be Hanigan/Sandy Leon or will we see some of that sexy Swihart we’ve been promised will be the next Buster Posey? Also….Sandy Leon? |
| 12:27 |
: They can muddle through with Hanigan just fine. Catching is a tough physical position and a lot of catching prospects tend to develop in fits and starts offensively. I would not want a top pitching prospect to outright skip AAA unless my options were absolutely horrid.
|
| 12:27 |
Let’s look at the hyped rooks… Will Bryant, Pederson, Pompey live up to the hype? |
| 12:27 |
: First two yes. I think we’re too quick to get insane about Pompey – he has very scant upper levels play even though he *has* been excellent this spring
|
| 12:28 |
I think you need to pick between your girl and your PS4, that way you can be completely devoted. So, i would recommend buying the Show. |
| 12:28 |
If both are healthy this year, which one will be better: Matt Harvey or Masahiro Tanaka? Similarly, who would you pick to be better this year: deGrom or Pineda? |
| 12:28 |
: Sorry, that’s a pick ’em. I’m more comfortable with deGrom
|
| 12:28 |
Will Carl Crawford be productive enough to be mixed league relevant? Does he or Rollins lead off for the Dodgers? |
| 12:29 |
: I have Crawford ranked the #53 OF in fantasy
|
| 12:29 |
At what position do you see Mookie Betts once his first contract runs out? |
| 12:29 |
: CF. It’s unlikely he moves back to IF after a significant amount of time passes
|
| 12:29 |
Jesse Hahn or RA Dickey this year? |
| 12:29 |
: Dickey
|
| 12:30 |
What’s shakin Szymbroni? Riddle me this…Baez makes the major league roster or nah? |
| 12:30 |
: I think in the end, he *does* start the season in the minors
|
| 12:30 |
I keep reading that FB velo stabilizes real quick, so with Zach McAllister seemingly bringing his 2.5mph uptick from when he went to the pen last year, into the rotation this spring, does he have a decent chance to more than a standard 5th starter? |
| 12:30 |
: Possibly. Remember 5th starters are quite bad – I already think he’s better than that.
|
| 12:30 |
OK to drop Danny Salazar in 12-team mixed? |
| 12:30 |
: 12-team mixed? You gotta.
|
| 12:31 |
Correa (Hou) or Giolito (Wsh) most likelly to see the majors this year before June? I realize neither is likely but which and why? |
| 12:31 |
: Correa would have the easier time finding a role, so him
|
| 12:31 |
Do you like your yogurt with fruit on the bottom or mixed up? |
| 12:31 |
: Fruit on the bottom
|
| 12:31 |
: I don’t mix it.
|
| 12:31 |
: I like to start wiht plain yogurt and have it get consistently more fruity
|
| 12:32 |
: Also, meant to save this for lightning round
|
| 12:32 |
Is Kris Bryant is closer to Thome cicra 2008 than Adam Dunn circa 2010 |
| 12:32 |
: I believe so.
|
| 12:32 |
Dan, you’re still young. You probably have 2 or 3 careers still ahead of you. What do you think your next job will be? |
| 12:32 |
: I sure hope not.
|
| 12:33 |
: Can’t think of many fields I’d want to be in more than baseball writing. Maybe Scarlett Johansson’s gigolo?
|
| 12:33 |
I love the Hearthstone angle, so can you tell us who is the Dr Boom of MLB? |
| 12:34 |
: Trout. You can put him anywhere in the lineup at any time.
|
| 12:34 |
: I’d say mad scientist because of the value, but I can’t just call him a 2 drop.
|
| 12:34 |
Springer or Betts in an OBP league? |
| 12:34 |
: Betts I think.
|
| 12:34 |
Bryce Harper – 9 months younger than Kris Bryant. |
| 12:34 |
Could Bryant be just a little better than say a Springer in his first year? He tore up minors pitching at all levels, but this is the M………..L……….B. Would you say 20 some homers, .250ish sounds about right if called up in late April? |
| 12:34 |
: Yes
|
| 12:35 |
I want to side bet my buddy that Micah Johnson will be more valuable in fantasy (6×6, BB) this year than Dee Gordon. How favorable of odds should I make him give me? |
| 12:35 |
: Lord, that’s an aggressive bet. You’d need at least 8-1 or something. I think
|
| 12:35 |
when do teams officially place players on the DL? |
| 12:35 |
: When they have to finalize the roster
|
| 12:35 |
Game 7 of the 1971 World Series is on youtube and I watched the whole thing. I don’t have a question, I just wanted to say that how mindblowing it is that Boog Powell was a professional athlete given how out-of-shape he looked. |
| 12:35 |
Why doesn’t Josh Collmenter get more respect? 2.8 RA9-WAR last year in only 179 IP. He’s essentially a better Chris Young. |
| 12:35 |
: It’s because he’s borning.
|
| 12:36 |
: boring
|
| 12:36 |
Aaron Sanchez & C-Mart – can I expect decent production from both at the tail end of my fantasy rotation? |
| 12:37 |
: I think unless very deep leagues, it’s hard to carry them. Though I’d hold off on cutting Martinez until we see how quickly Garcia is out for thet season
|
| 12:37 |
wait last year Maikel Franco had a wRC+ of 6!??? Had to do a double-take on everything I knew and for a split second wonder if maybe 0 is the baseline of wRC. |
| 12:37 |
: Voros’s Law.
|
| 12:37 |
Would you consider doing another Guess The Song chat? I remember one two summers ago that was really really fun. |
| 12:37 |
: At some point I’ll do one
|
| 12:37 |
ZiPS has Javier Baez making more contact this season, but he’s had a poor spring. Should we still be hopeful Baez can walk more and strike out a LITTLE less? |
| 12:38 |
: Not until he’s actually hitting well. Gotta be bear market right now
|
| 12:38 |
You trust Smyly’s shoulder this year? How many quality innings does he pitch this year? Thanks Dan. |
| 12:38 |
: I think he’ll be just fine quality-wise, but I’m worried about pitchers *without* obvious injuries, so I’m terrified of pitchers that have unresolved shoulder issues
|
| 12:39 |
: Yeah, he says it’s feeling better, but I’m not going to stop holding my breath until he makes it a month with no isssues
|
| 12:39 |
How would you solve the Orioles bullpen logjam? Do they manage to keep either or both Rule 5 guys? |
| 12:40 |
: It’s really hard to justify either on a contending team
|
| 12:40 |
: For the logjam, I think some kind of trade is going to *have to* happen
|
| 12:41 |
Okay, if the game would be worse with 5 more players, who would screw it up the most? /watches the Phillies fill their 5 slots with mascots |
| 12:41 |
: Oh, the Phillies
|
| 12:41 |
Who baldo? Ubaldo. |
| 12:41 |
A Choco Taco is a sandwich. I don’t have a question, just an observation. |
| 12:42 |
: tacos aren’t sandwiches, so choco tacos aren’t sandwiches
|
| 12:42 |
What do you play – traditional roto, ottoneu classic, fangraphs points, or perhaps some other hybrid? |
| 12:42 |
: generally 5×5 roto.
|
| 12:42 |
I have a combo of A-gon & Hosmer (1b & DH) – doable in a 16-team auction league? |
| 12:42 |
: Not sure I understand
|
| 12:42 |
Hey! Just finished my draft yesterday and built a staff of, with the exception of B McCarthy, young, upside arms on the cheap. 10 team mixed so there are streaming options aplenty. There are still some good upside guys left on the wire. Would you roster any of the following off the wire over B. McCarthy or N Eovaldi? Paxton, C. Martinez, Desclafani, Bauer, House, Pomeranz? Thank a lot. |
| 12:42 |
: Paxton, Martinez based on Garcia’s progress.
|
| 12:43 |
: Bauer has upside
|
| 12:43 |
Earlier comment by a guy who is older than Bryce Harper but still feels like a “young” college student. |
| 12:43 |
: Ah
|
| 12:43 |
If baseball was never invented, what percentage of current major leaguers would be playing a different sport professionally? |
| 12:43 |
: 30?
|
| 12:43 |
Are you sold on Soler? How would you value him compared to Kemp or Cespedes? |
| 12:43 |
: I’d put him about even with Kemp and below Cespedes.
|
| 12:43 |
: Unless Kemp can figure out how to field his position of course
|
| 12:45 |
: I’m comfortable with calling Soler league-averageish, though you can’t forget he hasn’t played a full year
|
| 12:45 |
18 is my lower and upper bound for “young” |
| 12:45 |
The narrative seems to be that the Reds can only compete if Votto and Bruce hit like their old selves but considering injuries clearly caused their lack of production last year is it really such a stretch to see them bouncing back this year? |
| 12:45 |
: No, but the underlying problems the Reds have still remain.
|
| 12:45 |
Would you rather have J.A. Happ or Roenias Elias in your rotation at this point? |
| 12:45 |
: Probably Elias and that’s more a statement on what I think about Happ
|
| 12:46 |
Devon Travis has to be the opening day 2B for the Jays? |
| 12:46 |
: I’m not convinced Travis is ready for majors, but he’s still the closest thing the Blue Jays have to a competent 2B
|
| 12:46 |
is there any way we can be better with mechanical changes? Are there commentators who have repeatable success in their predictions that a given player’s mechanical change means something? Seems like every year there’s articles about so-and-so having fixed mechanics/being healthier, and some amount of the time that must matter. |
| 12:47 |
: I haven’t researched mechanical predictions. It’s the kind of thing that’s hard to put into a dummy variable, like Tommy John surgery or knuckleballer
|
| 12:47 |
: Perhaps someone smarter than me can think of a workable approach
|
| 12:48 |
You seem Billy Burns making the A’s and starting for the first couple of weeks while Crisp is out? does he provide enough value to stay up? |
| 12:48 |
: He’ll get some SB, but not all that exciting otherwise
|
| 12:48 |
: He’s not someone the A’s are necessarily going to feel obligated to find room for
|
| 12:48 |
If the Red Sox finish last in the AL East again, is their front office in danger of getting canned after all the money they’ve tossed around in the offseason? |
| 12:49 |
: Depends how poorly they finish. A sub-70 win season might doom them. I don’t think they’re going to be bad though
|
| 12:49 |
Who is Pompey? Never heard of him. Why is he being grouped with Bryant and Joc? |
| 12:49 |
: You should have, though I agree he’s not on their level
|
| 12:50 |
Why are teams allowed to move fence depth? |
| 12:50 |
: Because there’s no rule against it as a basic concept?
|
| 12:50 |
: It’s not like they’re moving them between at-bats. MLB has a long, long history of irregular fields.
|
| 12:50 |
I just wish the Blue Jays had Cesar Izturis instead of Maicer so I could chuckle about Caesar and Pompey all season |
| 12:50 |
: If your wishes could make Cesar Izturis play 2B, Canadians would probably bomb your house and nobody would blame them
|
| 12:50 |
Over/under for number of times your answer in April is simply “April.” Over/under 40 |
| 12:51 |
: About 40 is right.
|
| 12:51 |
JJ Hardy apparently has some left shoulder soreness and may have to start the year on the DL. Think we might get to see Machado at SS if he’s out or has that ship sailed? |
| 12:52 |
: If it was a long-term situation, I think they would, but not for a short-term, I don’t think
|
| 12:52 |
Your thoughts on R. Iglesias? |
| 12:53 |
: I think realistically Iglesias should start in the minors while they figure out just how good he is
|
| 12:53 |
Had log in difficulties w Yahoo and over the first five rounds autodraft got me Hanley, JUpton, and Springer (in addition to two keepers) — the duds left at the top of the default rankings that no one else was wasting early picks on. Will any of them be worth that draft position? |
| 12:54 |
: Assuming this is a ZiPS question, ZiPS has them ranked overall in fantasy at 24, 92, and 37 respectively
|
| 12:54 |
Projected standings show the Angels at 54-108 — that has to be a glitch in system, right? Doesn’t that make all the other projections wrong as well? |
| 12:54 |
: That sounds like a glitch
|
| 12:55 |
: My most recent ZiPS run had Angels averaging 84 wins and I doubt the Cross Gang has the Angels at 24-138.
|
| 12:55 |
Plain greek yogurt or gtfo |
| 12:55 |
You don’t mix yogurt? You crazy for that one Szym. |
| 12:55 |
If Bryant ends up being the best hitter in all of spring training, is it really justifyable to send him down? how can best hitter not outweigh imperfect deffense? |
| 12:56 |
: It’s justifiable from a roster contstruction standpoint – You *do* want that extra year if you can swing it
|
| 12:56 |
: Now, I had a really stupid argument with a few people on Twitter last week
|
| 12:56 |
: That were trying to tell me that Kris Bryant may simply not be one of the Cubs best 25 players
|
| 12:56 |
: There are at least some reasons you could send him down (work in OF, etc) but if you dont’ think he’s one of their best 25 players overall right now, you’re a frigging idiot.
|
| 12:57 |
: One guy tried to tell me that there was no difference between Bryant and Olt.
|
| 12:57 |
Do you have any recommendations for controlling my one-week-til-baseball-excitement that involve keeping my pants on and remaining at least a semi-productive member of society? |
| 12:57 |
: Don’t look at me – my career is based on me not wanting to have to wear pants too often.
|
| 12:58 |
Explain why baseball is more popular than ever yet no longer generates stars whose celebrity transcends the game. A-Rod seems like the only active player who non-fans would recognize. |
| 12:58 |
: MLB is absolutely hapless at marketing the good things about baseball
|
| 12:58 |
: Baseball succeeds despite MLB’s brass
|
| 12:58 |
If Uribe doesn’t hit well for first couple of months could you see Guerrero stepping in? Or Olivera or Turner more likely? Hard to see the Dodgers sticking w Uribe with all that talent on the roster |
| 12:58 |
: Absolutely. Guerrero has dibs
|
| 12:58 |
Why are the O’s even considering putting Gausman in the pen? Gonzalez and Ubaldo are way worse rotation options. |
| 12:58 |
: TENURE~!
|
| 12:58 |
what stat is easiest to project accurately for hitters? |
| 12:58 |
: Strikeouts
|
| 12:58 |
Does Zips account for park factors? And handedness park factors? |
| 12:59 |
: Of course. Conservatively
|
| 12:59 |
Danny Duffy had a decent year last year, is another year removed from TJS, do you see his K/9 increasing into the mid 8 to lower 9s? Can he sustain a ERA of under 3.3? |
| 12:59 |
: He’ll pitch a full year, but he’s unlikely to sustain an ERA under 3.3
|
| 12:59 |
Delmon Young appears to be in the best shape of his life. Does he have potential to be a below-average rather than atrocious outfielder at this point in his career? |
| 12:59 |
: I would not want to tempt fate.
|
| 12:59 |
Mets just acquired Alex Torres |
| 1:00 |
What important programming languages should I learn if I want to get into stats? |
| 1:00 |
: You should know your relational databases. R. Python.
|
| 1:00 |
: I of course know none of these well.
|
| 1:00 |
The most over drafted pitchers in my league, yr after yr, are A’s starters who are just entering the rotation. I never bite, and I have had good success without A’s starters, Sonny Gray notwithstanding. Should I make an exception for Graverman [sic] this year? |
| 1:00 |
: I would not.
|
| 1:01 |
What are we going to do with Yasmany Tomas? |
| 1:01 |
: Wait and see. It’s not like Arizona’s in a position at which they need to decide what Tomas is before April 2015.
|
| 1:01 |
Heroes of the Storm – you play it yet? If so – how do you like it? If not – you need a beta key? |
| 1:01 |
: I could totally use a beta key!
|
| 1:02 |
: Email me and I will totally be your best friend.
|
| 1:02 |
: (email’s in my twitter profile)
|
| 1:02 |
What would you replace sunflower seeds with for maximum comedic value in bench snack choice? |
| 1:02 |
: Turkey legs.
|
| 1:02 |
: It’d be awesome to see a whole bullpen eating giant turkey legs like they’re at a ren fair
|
| 1:02 |
I have vague memories of my dad telling me about a team that would wheel a huge fan out to put behind the outfield wall and blow toward home plate when the other team was batting. No idea if this is a true story, but I like to think it is. |
| 1:02 |
: I don’t believe it is, but it should be a real story
|
| 1:03 |
: OK, time for the LIGHTNING ROUND
|
| 1:04 |
: ANy questions that are asked before 1:10 PM (will use the timestamp) *have* to be answered by me, with the usual exceptions.
|
| 1:04 |
: AND GO
|
| 1:04 |
: (And they have to be off-topic)
|
| 1:04 |
dan! how bad did the undertaker look last night? or did he look spry? |
| 1:04 |
: Not as bad as I expected honestly. It wasn’t a great match, but it was better than it had any right to be
|
| 1:04 |
The Wrestlemania livetweeting was fantastic last night. The unfollowers probably wanted Rusev to win |
| 1:05 |
: I dont’ miss the unfollowers. Most writers when they go off-topic do it on divisive stuff like politics
|
| 1:05 |
Overall grade on wrestlemania? |
| 1:05 |
: B-. The main event paid for a lot of sins
|
| 1:05 |
would you draft seth rollins at #2 now? (suplex city still obv #1) |
| 1:05 |
: SUPLEX CITY BITCH
|
| 1:05 |
: (I can say that as it’s a quote!)
|
| 1:05 |
seriously, how not totally crappy was mania? it was not totally crappy. people are going a bit nuts because of the low expectations but i’m happy to say it wasn’t totally crappy. |
| 1:05 |
: About how I feel
|
| 1:05 |
Can we please discuss WrestleMania so you can further alienate your Twitter followers? |
| 1:05 |
: Sure!
|
| 1:05 |
Had any good beers lately? |
| 1:06 |
: Haven’t drunk much lately – have weddings to go to this year and I want my beer belly to be reduced enough to fit in my tailored suits
|
| 1:06 |
I just ate like half a pound of asparagus. Look out, bathroom. |
| 1:06 |
: Asparagus always seems like one of those things you shouldn’t be eating
|
| 1:06 |
: Like some kids bet other kids he could eat a tree
|
| 1:06 |
Are you an in-game music player? Or do you like to play your own tunes when you game? Do you have a favorite gaming album? |
| 1:07 |
: Depends on the game – if the game’s music is an integral part of the experience I will play in-game music, if not, not.
|
| 1:07 |
: Like I’ll play music during Crusader Kings II but not during Bioshock Infinite.
|
| 1:07 |
: And too many games have Official Soundtracks that you can’t change which pisses me off
|
| 1:07 |
Best/Worst from ‘Mania last night? Best: Main Event (Last five minutes even before Rollins showed up was great). Worst: Cena over Rusev (Why???) |
| 1:08 |
: The HHH/Sting stuff just felt pointless.
|
| 1:08 |
: And then they kinda undersold it later – HHH supposedly had the beating of his life that he barely came out on top and…he’s all fine 40 minutes later for the 30 minutes of filler?
|
| 1:08 |
Noodle arms: your players always have a snack at hand |
| 1:08 |
Lightning round!! Would you prefer regular or chocolate whipped cream smeared in your face if you hit a game winner in whiffle ball? |
| 1:08 |
: Regular. All that chocolate would stain
|
| 1:08 |
that’s like straight jelly on the bottom |
| 1:08 |
: hardcore people can stand it
|
| 1:09 |
do you like a banana |
| 1:09 |
: Sure
|
| 1:09 |
should we try to contact aliens or hide from them? |
| 1:09 |
: Hide.
|
| 1:09 |
Did you ever play BG2 or Planescape: Torment? I played Pillars of Eternity basically all day yesterday, I think I’m in love. It’s like a perfect piece of fanservice, and also a great (though buggy) game. |
| 1:09 |
: None of these yet!
|
| 1:10 |
did you know you have your own wikipedia article? |
| 1:10 |
: Yeah, but it’s hilariously outdated.
|
| 1:10 |
: I’m apparently notable enough to get an article, but not notable enough for anyone to give a crap enough to update it once a decade.
|
| 1:10 |
Do you like Arizona’s strategy of collecting as many high-upside (albeit, command issues) SPs as they could? |
| 1:10 |
: Makes sense
|
| 1:10 |
“Boycotting indiana”: a perfectly respectable private-sector response to a state law implicitly allowing discrimination against a certain class of people, or disrespectful of the people of Indiana’s freedom to engage with whom they care to engage |
| 1:11 |
: Boycotts are perfectly respectable private-sector response.
|
| 1:11 |
: I support someone’s freedom to be a giant douchebag, but I don’t have to respect your opinion – I’m just not going to *force* you to not be a giant douchebag
|
| 1:11 |
Kris Bryant sent to minor league camp |
| 1:11 |
Wha?? What do you write ZIPS in? |
| 1:11 |
: Massive excel files with additional plugins.
|
| 1:11 |
Bryant and Baez were just officially sent to AAA. |
| 1:11 |
Cubs officially demote both Bryant and Baez |
| 1:12 |
I have ZiPS saved on my work desktop as “Financials Q1 2015” |
| 1:12 |
Why does the internet’s rampant enthusiasm for ending tipping as a method of employee compensation seem not to extend to anyone who makes a living off of tips? |
| 1:12 |
: I always tip well. People gotta be decent.
|
| 1:12 |
So you like Dogfish Head 60 Minute, eh? Ever tried Evolution Lot 3 or Burley Oak Bulletproof Tiger? |
| 1:12 |
: Yes, no no
|
| 1:12 |
Favorite part of the cow to eat |
| 1:12 |
: the insides.
|
| 1:12 |
Pie / Coffee / Ice cream. Make your picks. |
| 1:13 |
: Pork, none, pistachio
|
| 1:13 |
How high was your bald eagle soaring when John Cena won last night? |
| 1:13 |
: It captured 10 trout and then pooped on a terrorist.
|
| 1:13 |
I would like to see a turkey leg sticking out of an entire infield’s back pocket. Make it happen. |
| 1:13 |
Off topic? What’s your mother in law’s middle name? |
| 1:13 |
: I’m not married
|
| 1:13 |
Isn’t this really the enLIGHTNING round (see what I did there?)? |
| 1:13 |
Puig and Rousey = next power couple |
| 1:13 |
what kind of lightning is best |
| 1:13 |
: Electrical
|
| 1:13 |
: Fudge lightning would be delicious but I haven’t seen any
|
| 1:13 |
Rhinos vs Hippos. WHO YOU GOT |
| 1:14 |
: Hippos.
|
| 1:14 |
: Who would play Ravishing Ravishing Rhinos?
|
| 1:14 |
is there a method to Nintendo’s business strategy madness or are they just an incompetently run company? |
| 1:14 |
: Always hard to tell
|
| 1:14 |
“Ace Ventura: Betts Detective” HOW’S THAT FOR A FANTASY TEAM NAME SUCKAAASSSS?! |
| 1:14 |
Utley or Odor!? |
| 1:14 |
: Odor
|
| 1:14 |
Do you also need an any key? You never really can continue without it. |
| 1:14 |
if you were a GM where would you want your office located? Guts of the stadium, a la Billy Beane in moneyball? Luxury box level, a la George Costanza? Camden Yards warehouse? |
| 1:14 |
: Underground bunker accessed by a secret door
|
| 1:14 |
Have you seen Van Halen since David Lee Roth returned in 2007? They are touring again this summer!!! |
| 1:14 |
: I have not
|
| 1:14 |
have you ever considered saving the fruit from teh bottom of each yogurt jar and then using it all to make a filling for a cake later |
| 1:15 |
: Seems a little lazy
|
| 1:15 |
i unfollowed you long ago for some boneheaded political rant, should i refollow you? |
| 1:15 |
: Really? I talk almost *zero* politics on twitter
|
| 1:15 |
are people who complain about politics but dont vote worse than people who have strong opinions on sports they never watch? |
| 1:15 |
: Not exercising a right is a perfectly reasonable statement.
|
| 1:15 |
Over/under 2 1/2 on the amount of Pumpkin pies Mel Kiper eats per day |
| 1:15 |
: Not enough information
|
| 1:15 |
why does fangraphs have a west coast bias |
| 1:15 |
: Not sure, but it’s probably cistulli’s fault somehow
|
| 1:15 |
peanut butter… smooth or crunchy? |
| 1:15 |
: Crunchy
|
| 1:15 |
Whats your opinion on Globetrotters-style show basketball? |
| 1:16 |
: Don’t have one
|
| 1:16 |
Club foot or hare lip? |
| 1:16 |
: Club Foot
|
| 1:16 |
perfect dark or goldeneye? |
| 1:16 |
: goldeneye
|
| 1:16 |
Have you ever made legend in Hearthstone? I’ve noticed every month I get further and further before I hit the wall. Right now I’m at rank 2 and just can’t get over a 50% win rate. |
| 1:16 |
: I have not yet. I have maxed at 3. I dont’ think I play enough – I’ve never played 100 games in a month. I watch too much.
|
| 1:16 |
how do people with mobility issues get out of a tall building in case of fire? |
| 1:16 |
: Series of high-rise waterslides if I get my way
|
| 1:16 |
Who would be your winner of a 64 match bracket of Vice Presidential duels (excepting Aaron Burr)? |
| 1:17 |
: Calhoun would creep the @%#% out of everyone. Have you seen him?
|
| 1:17 |
Should I ditch the 7 year old 32inch LCD TV I use as a second monitor and replace it with a legit computer monitor? |
| 1:17 |
: Not if it’s a second monitor
|
| 1:17 |
Which movie are you more looking forward to: the new star wars, the new terminator, the new superman/batman, or the new avengers? |
| 1:17 |
: star wars
|
| 1:17 |
Is it possible you only dislike asparagus because you Americans have no clue how to cook it properly? 😛 |
| 1:18 |
is fernet branca the best apertif or merely a top 1 apertif? |
| 1:18 |
: Oh yes, it’s possible.
|
| 1:18 |
: I have a soft spot for Campari
|
| 1:18 |
Thoughts on Daniel Bryan’s acceptance speech? |
| 1:18 |
: It was cool
|
| 1:18 |
If you had to lay down money on a non-Kentucky participant who would it be? |
| 1:18 |
: An earthquake
|
| 1:18 |
Which rule change from “Super Baseball 2020” would be the most practically beneficial if introduced into real baseball? |
| 1:18 |
: You can replace broken robots for only 10K
|
| 1:18 |
Who wouldn’t want a player on their team simply known as Box |
| 1:18 |
: Someone with a better idea?
|
| 1:18 |
Does it make me cool or uncool that I spent all weekend playing Civ V, and if the latter what answer should I make up in response to “what did you do this weekend?” to tell my coworkers |
| 1:19 |
: It’s OK, though it does seem a very 2013 thing to do
|
| 1:19 |
Would Schneiderlen solve Arsenal’s holding midfield problem? |
| 1:19 |
: I have no idea what any of those things are
|
| 1:19 |
OCMD, good or bad? |
| 1:19 |
: Ocean city? Good
|
| 1:19 |
any stats in MLB that don’t follow normal distribution? |
| 1:19 |
: most of them
|
| 1:19 |
Should we shoot the aliens or blow them up when we play XCOM? |
| 1:19 |
: follow your heart
|
| 1:19 |
why not a thunder round? |
| 1:19 |
: thunder is relatively slow i tcan’t keep up with lightning
|
| 1:19 |
should we resurrect x-files or hide from it? |
| 1:19 |
: hide
|
| 1:19 |
Every play the Diablo series? |
| 1:19 |
: Yes
|
| 1:19 |
what if we are the aliens did you ever think of that |
| 1:20 |
: Never considered it. In the context of earth we would not
|
| 1:20 |
Is ted cruz a legitimate candidate? |
| 1:20 |
: no
|
| 1:20 |
Is there a way to justify sending a human to Mars in the near term other than “because its there” |
| 1:20 |
: we can send all the people on a bravo show there to die. Except the top chef people
|
| 1:20 |
what’s actually wrong with Indiana though – how can anyone preach tolerance and practice bigotry on the state level? |
| 1:21 |
: I see it as a neutral stance.
|
| 1:21 |
: Bigoted cake makers are best combated with public humiliation, not an iron fist.
|
| 1:21 |
Do you like pun names for your fantasy teams? |
| 1:21 |
: I’m lazy, I tend to use Dan’s macabre
|
| 1:21 |
I actually know my mother in law’s maiden name. It’s Gay. |
| 1:21 |
even tripe? |
| 1:21 |
: Tripe’s not bad on pho
|
| 1:21 |
Your thoughts on the monstrosity that is mech mage? |
| 1:22 |
: It’s strength is overrated, it’s not like undertaker-era cancer hunter
|
| 1:22 |
Who is the most average ZIPS player ever? In other words, who is Luke Wilson in ZIPS’ Idiocracy? |
| 1:22 |
: Guthrie
|
| 1:22 |
: And so concludes the Lightning Round
|
| 1:22 |
: On that note, time to stop for another week.
|
| 1:23 |
: Thanks for joining me as always! You can read my work at ESPN.com, chats and projections at FanGraphs, and DSzymborski on Twitter. And if you like nerdy game stuff, twitch.tv/zimsmash!
|
| 1:23 |
Midrange paladin destroys mech mage. I think destroying mages is a big reason I’m at rank 2 and didn’t quit at rank 5 like I usually do. |
| 1:23 |
: Yes, mech mage has counters.
|
| 1:24 |
: And in the future, may consider making Lightning Round non-politics. Or perhaps simply answer things with “I’m a libertarian.”
|
| 1:24 |
: GOOD DAY EVERYONE!
|
| 1:24 |
: Unless you’re a terrorist or something in which case I’d prefer you not have a great day.
|
Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.
Why is it just fine for the owners of MLB to make money off of fantasy baseball gambling sites, but Pete Rose is evil?
If you can’t see the difference yourself, no use in trying to explain it to you…