Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 3/3/14
12:00 |
: And heeeere we are.
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12:01 |
: First things first, the poll that will be tallied over the course of this chat.
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12:01 |
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12:01 |
: There’s the Tale of the Tape. Now, we return to our regular chat.
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12:02 |
So Dan, Delmon Young had a couple good hits yesterday. |
12:02 |
: Every good game brings Delmon Young closer to a roster spot. I always root against him as an Oriole.
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12:02 |
it’s 12 noon and the chat is starting on time.. did hell freeze over? |
12:02 |
Will any of Ervin, Kendrys, or Drew sign my 4/1? |
12:03 |
: I’d say 70/30 Drew does, 50/50 Santana does, and I’m convinced Kendrys waits until after the draft now.
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12:03 |
Hey Dan. Thanks for doing the chat today! I’m in an AL-only keeper league and have my auction coming up next week. I’m making my first attempt at calculating inflation, and was wondering if you had any tips/suggestions as to how to approach it? |
12:03 |
: Not quite sure of the question – wouldn’t you know what your league’s salary cap is year, by year?
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12:04 |
$1 J.Henderson and $5Ozuna for $21 Werth in nl only roto dynasty league? |
12:05 |
: $21 is too much to pay for Werth in my eyes. Rather have Henderson. I dont’ think Ozuna’s going to have significant fantasy value though.
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12:05 |
Do you think C Gomez continues as a Top 5 fantasy OF? |
12:06 |
: I would definitely put him lower than that. I do think his offense will drop back *some* and OF rankings are pretty tough company. He’s more valuable in real life
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12:06 |
Miller V Franklin?..who’s going to be the terror of Tacoma and who’s the Super SS in Seattle? |
12:07 |
: I think Miller’s the better of the two. Mariners really should explore a trade involving Franklin when the opportunity arises – he’s got more value in what he can fetch than as a backup
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12:07 |
Terry Collins says that EY Jr will start and be his lead-off guy. Now says that Dice-K is his favorite for the SP5 spot. Is it a waste to have a FO with Alderson and co with a guy like Terry Collins who clearly doesn’t care about stats and only wants to coddle veterans? |
12:08 |
: Yeah, I’ve noticed these decisions. If this is the kind of decision-making the Mets make during the spring, might as well give everyone an extra month of vacation and ask them to show up bright eyed and busy-tailed on March 15th.
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12:08 |
What’s your take on Trumbo not batting in the top five. No way they’d show off their huge offseason acquisition batting behind Didi Gregorious, right? |
12:09 |
: If you’re not putting him in the 3 hole (spot that leads off the fewest innings), you might as well have him fairly low, behind anyone that sets a table
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12:09 |
Who do you like better in a 5 x 5? Gomez, J Upton, Stanton, Bruce? |
12:09 |
: Bruce.
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12:09 |
Dan, last year steals were overall down quite a bit. Do you foresee a measureable jump up from last year, and do you think the scarcity of last year has caused an overvaluation of speedy players this year like Billy Hamilton? |
12:10 |
: I didn’t get a feel that it was due to any kind of drastic change.
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12:11 |
: We’ll see.
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12:12 |
: Strategically, you should actually see more stolen bases attempts as run scoring goes down – the break-even point becomes lower.
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12:12 |
Do you think there’s more upside potential in using Lambo in a first base platoon than going out and getting a Carp for the Pirates? |
12:13 |
: I think Carp’s a better fit for a home run park. I think he’s better than Lambo, but as just part of aplatoon, I don’t think it’s that much of a difference maker.
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12:13 |
: I think a Reynolds/Carp mix for the Brewers would actually combine to be an above-average 1B.
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12:13 |
Javier Baez ran into a couple yesterday.. one was a good at bat or appeared as such.. the other, he was clearly fooled.. Best guess: More making up for being fooled than pitch recognition for Javier at this point?.. |
12:15 |
: He’s got terrific power potential that he could fulfill very quickly, but he *is* raw on a pitch recognition basis. You’re going to see some ugly at-bats here and there, this is by far the best pitching he’s faced.
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12:15 |
: But the crazy pitching artists are few and far between. Most mortals will make mistakes and Baez can destroy those.
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12:15 |
Feliz hasn’t looked sharp so far. What are the chances Soria is closing in Arlington? |
12:16 |
: I wouldn’t go too crazy yet. He’s clearly trying to smooth out his mechanical issues (I believe the team’s said as much). Showed more velocity in the winter. I imagine he has a rpetty good leash as he gets back to where he was
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12:17 |
: Now, if he’s having velocity issues 3 weeks from now, then there are a lot of possibilities.
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12:17 |
If the M’s signed Morales where does Cano expect him to play? |
12:18 |
: Heh. He’d get msot of MOrrison’s playing time against lefties for sure, and steal some against righties too.
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12:18 |
what do you think of Maikel Franco’s future as an offensive player? The lower than usual for a power hitter K rates have me very encouraged….. |
12:19 |
: Cautiously optimistic. A big power jump at a very young age and while advancing a level (and then another) is fairly likely to stick.
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12:19 |
: I think the big issue on how much I like Franco is if he sticks at 3B. There are a lot of conflicting reports.
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12:19 |
I’m a big fan of the big man’s double S social program mack daddy, but those leg’s ain’t kicking nobody to the curb. |
12:20 |
: Yeah, legislation plays no part. Now technically, if the legislation is thick enough, you could use a bound edition to beat the opponent, but foreign objects are only allowed as aids, not as weapons.
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12:20 |
: FDR can roll around in his wheelchair, but he can’t break off a piece of it and stab Tyler in the neck.
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12:20 |
What’s your take on the Orioles chance in the AL East? |
12:20 |
: Improving, but an underdog.
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12:20 |
: I still see Rays and Red Sox as clearly in a tier above the O’s.
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12:21 |
How could anyone vote for FDR? He had polio. |
12:21 |
: Those that place more emphasis on peak rather than career may think he was solid enough pre-polio. Depends on the exact mix. A Koufax vs. Sutton question.
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12:22 |
Most replayable game of alltime was Diablo II. What is the most replayable SINGLE PLAYER ONLY game ever? |
12:22 |
: Uh, Civilization.
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12:22 |
Thoughts on Dustin Ackley? Over/under for 10 WAR for the rest of his career? |
12:22 |
: Above.
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12:22 |
After doing my own personal projections, what is the best way to asses your auction value cap for each player? |
12:23 |
: There’s no perfect way to go about it, some of it involves the structure of your team and the exact risks your’e willing to take.
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12:23 |
The league salary cap is $260 every year, so I’m trying to calculate inflation based on the keepers and available player pool versus the amount of money in play. Hope that makes sense! |
12:23 |
: Like the previous question, that’s something that’s hard to give a simple answer to. Even if you knew the perfect way, the strategies of your opponents would vary as well.
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12:24 |
Do you think Buxton will get 600 at bats in 2015 at the MLB level? How many for Correa? |
12:25 |
: I think Buxton is very likely to. Fewer for Correa – the Astros aren’t going to be super aggressive.
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12:25 |
Cameron Maybin hit a HR in spring training giving up hope for that 20/40 season…..AND HE’S INJURED |
12:25 |
got tanaka for 14$ in a mixer – thoughts? |
12:26 |
: Not a crazy price. I’d put him around Shields/Weaver/Minor, so if that’s the price those other guys got, that’s about where I’d put Tanaka
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12:26 |
A while back on twitter you claimed ZiPS called ~35 wins for Cano over the life of the deal. You think that’s a fair estimate? What are the odds he destroys that number (40+ wins) versus the odds he disappoints (30- wins)? |
12:27 |
: Over 10 years, there’s a wide array of outcomes. In truth, I don’t have the exact WAR figure odds memorized. But neither are a long shot.
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12:27 |
10 team keeper league – For this year only, keep Price or Andrus… |
12:27 |
: Price
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12:28 |
The WWE Network is amazing; how was Kevin Sullivan the top heel in WCW in the early 90s? |
12:28 |
: Wasn’t Sullivan one of the bookers at the time?
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12:28 |
: Oh god, I just remembered the whole Evad Sullivan thing. I hate you.
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12:28 |
Did you see BP’s work on pitch framing? It is fantastic… and free. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=22934 |
12:29 |
: I saw it, it’s good work and they tackled some of the possible internal elements that could be correlated with each other.
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12:30 |
Not sure if you had time to take a peek at the results of this past weekend’s AL-only LABR auction, but if by chance you did, any values stick out for you? |
12:30 |
: I have not had a chance.
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12:30 |
Talk of Trumbo falling down the order has me worried. In a 10 team 5×5 with 10 keepers, should I consider V Mart or Corbin instead? |
12:31 |
: Depends where you feel Trumbo is likely to go. In some ways, it may be an advantage if it hurts his ADP
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12:31 |
Good Afternoon. Appreciate your thoughts on Austin Jackson. Is he a top 15 of in AL only leagues? Will Dirks and Davis platoon? |
12:32 |
: Mentally, I’d probably put him 12-15, among AL OF, fantasy wise
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12:33 |
When you predict ERA, is it based solely on historical ERA curves or is it a DIPS-based formula? If the latter, do you/is there room for using batted ball data (LD/GB/FB/etc.) to make it better? |
12:34 |
: It’s a hybrid. ZIPS uses batted ball data in conjunction with FIP, plus a very rough estimate of a team’s defense, and long-term pitcher performance relative these data (would make a difference if I was projecting, say, 38-year-old Tom Glavine, very small for someone like Hellickson)
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12:34 |
Which of LoMo or Justin Smoak is likelier to have a productive career? |
12:35 |
: I’m not really banking on either. Possibly Smoak. But this is a broccoli vs. cauliflower Q.
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12:35 |
If EY Jr is the leadoff hitter in NY, how many steals does he get? |
12:36 |
: He’s definitely capable of 40-50 again. But you have to factor in there’s at least a hcance he’s lousy enough otherwise to lose his job
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12:37 |
am i ok with Stras, Tanaka, Salazar, Samarj in the 12 team mixer |
12:37 |
: Probably average.
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12:38 |
I saw some quotes from the Orioles management over the weekend about the Jimenez deal, which included the discussion of adding a fourth year allowing them to get a guy with a track record. The overall substance of the quotes made me question the decision making process. Do you think the media report does not match up to reality? |
12:39 |
: It’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s a media report, but I’ll fully admit that I’m more very suspicious of the decision making processes of the O’s.
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12:39 |
: Duquette speaking out about Cashman’s comments just buttress that notion.
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12:41 |
: For those that missed it, Cashman was talking in the New York Post that he went into the offseason treating the Yankees as a 77-win (or was it 78?) team based on their runs scored and runs allowed, not an 85-win team. As an example, he brought up the Orioles in 2012/2013, the most prominent recent example of this phenomenon.
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12:42 |
: The O’s, naturally, couldn’t let well enough alone, despite time demonstrating how foolish they were to go into the 2012-2013 offseason operating as if the O’s were a 93-win team going forward.
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12:42 |
Better Poll: Hottest babe at the Oscars Poll Amy Adams, Charlize Theron or J-Law? |
12:42 |
: I tend to find Amy Adams the hottest, but I did not and do not watch the OScars.
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12:42 |
: Or any awards show. I waste a lot of my time on earth, but none to watching rich, famous people give other rich, famous people awards.
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12:43 |
: It’s such indulgent drivel. The Masque of Red Death without the happy ending.
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12:43 |
Seems like it would make a lot of sense for the Yankees to trade for Danny Espinosa. As a Nats fan, not sure we’d get full value… but what would a trade for him look like (not just to Yankees, but to anyone)? |
12:44 |
: His value is extremely limited at this point. It’s not a great situation in which to extract full value. The best chance will be a team that has something bad happen to their 2B during the year.
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12:45 |
Do you think Carlos Martinez will crack the rotation this year? If he does, how good is he? in terms of fantasy? |
12:45 |
: I still think that he’s most likely to end up in the bullpen this year, even after Jaime Garcia’s inevitable season-ending surgery.
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12:46 |
Should the Reds try to resign Cueto or Latos long term? It seems like Latos will be more expensive and for more years, but Cueto has a very high peak value |
12:46 |
: I like Latos better long-term and I think Cueto would have solid trade value. I’m guessing they keep at most 1 of the 2.
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12:47 |
Marcus Stroman…What is his ETA and how good can they be upon arrival? |
12:48 |
: I expect they’ll start him in the minors and ease him into the rotation. People keep wanting to make him intoa reliever quickly, but I think he’ll get an opportunity to prove otherwise. I think he can be a solid 2 at some point.
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12:48 |
everyone is focused on my filthy splitter but my slider got more swings and misses in my first appearance. Which pitch do you think is filthier? |
12:49 |
: I didn’t see your first appearance! From Japanese clips, taht splitter *is* filthy though. We’ll see.
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12:50 |
His first full year in the bigs: 8.36 k/9 (Moore: 8.88), 4.35 bb/9 (Moore: 4.11), 4.08 fip (Moore: 3.93) His second year in the bigs: 9.74 k/9 (Moore: 8.56), 4.79 bb/9 (Moore: 4.55), 3.08 fip (Moore: 3.95) His third full year in the bigs: 9.34 k/9, 3.57 bb/9, 3.12 fip. The other player is Kershaw. Not saying Moore is the next Kershaw. But do you think it is a possibility Moore could follow a similar path and really break out this year? |
12:51 |
: I think that’s a little misleading. Remember, Kershaw was younger than Moore, and had less than half his minor league innings. Kershaw’s less than a year older than Moore.
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12:51 |
Any idea why steamer is so down on Kershaw? (I know it’s not your model but he’s one of the guys w/ biggest differences in ZiPS vs. Steamer) |
12:51 |
: Ha, your guess is as good as mine!
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12:52 |
: “I know it’s not your model” is kind of hte answer to the question!
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12:52 |
Favorite spring training sample to blow out of proportion? Mine is Neil Wagner’s 100% K rate |
12:52 |
: Ha, I’m waiting to see. It hasn’t been long yet! Some crazy terrible spring training decisions.
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12:52 |
: Are still coming.
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12:52 |
Jeter makes it to June with consistent numbers, say, .330 OBP .380 SLG. Do the Yankees platoon him? His splits are enormous, and Anna bats L throws R. Assuming Anna meets expectations, does NY move Jeter to a platoon role? |
12:53 |
: No.
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12:54 |
For a typical RHB, over a full season, what does the mix of PA vs LHP/RHP look like as a starter vs. in a platoon? |
12:55 |
: That annoying answer: Depends. Generally around 2/3 RHP, 1/3 LHP for most batters, but platoon isn’t really a binary pregnant/not pregnant thing. There are many degrees to a platoon
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12:55 |
: Some platoons are mild, like taking giving your left-handed slugger his days off against the toughest lefties.
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12:56 |
: While some are severe, like Earl Weaver absolutely refusing the let Benny Ayala face righties (something like 80% against lefty starters)
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12:56 |
: Though it’s very hard to have a platoon that strict anymore.
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12:58 |
: Teams have shallower benches and in later innings, face off against more specialists.
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12:58 |
What’s your favorite word? |
12:58 |
: Interrobang. It’s an awesome bit of punctuation and it sounds vaguely dirty.
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12:58 |
Do you watch mlb.tv on a PS3? If so, do you have difficulty advancing seasons every year? It usually takes 10 uninstall/reinstalls before it advances |
12:59 |
: I don’t usually use the PS3 for it. I mostly have a laptop beaming to the 58 inch TV on my office wall.
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12:59 |
Jose Bautista is off to a great start to spring. Do spring results carry over to the regular season at all? |
12:59 |
: I really haven’t found much value in the actual performances.
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12:59 |
: Teams would be better off to mostly focus on mechanical issues or decisions based on that.
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12:59 |
You think FDR’s late career decline on the base paths drives down his overall proj v. JTHP? |
12:59 |
: Heh
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1:00 |
Is it possible for Nelson Cruz to have a good enough season to get a qualifying offer, thus creating a high chance of turning a 2nd round pick from this year into a 1st round pick next year for the O’s? Is that how compensatory picks work? |
1:01 |
: I don’t think it happens. I don’t think Cruz is going to be amazing, he’s still going to be a one-dimensional (but a good dimension) player that’s now another year older. And bitten by his failure to take the QO this year.
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1:01 |
: I think if the O’s offer, he takes it unless he has a *crazy* year.l
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1:01 |
What team would benefit the most, 2014 performance wise, from an extra $10 million? |
1:01 |
: At this point, nobody really. Earlier in the offseason, the Pirates, I think.
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1:02 |
On the same note as my last question (Nelson Cruz), does Zips have anything in it to try to account for PED suspensions, or suspensions in general? Like it would make sense to expect a worse season from Cruz, no? |
1:02 |
: I haven’t found any real value and I’ve been going over projections for everybody, majors and minors, caught for PEDs, both in the years before the suspension and the yeras after it.
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1:03 |
: I can’t definitively say that there *is* no significant effect, but so far, I’ve failed to reject the null hypothesis that PED suspensions have no predictive value on future stats.
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1:04 |
Does it there’s always talk about pitchers trying to find and maintain consistent mechanics/release points but then a guy like Bronson Arroyo is lauded for being able to cover every angle from sidearm to over the top? |
1:04 |
: Mainly the criticism is when players are unusuccessful doing it.
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1:04 |
: To paraphrase an old, possibly apocryphal story (I think the teacher was Liszt, but I forget)
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1:05 |
: The piano teacher berates a young player learning for their bad habits. Player points out that the teacher does it. Teacher respond that “when you’re me, you can do that.”
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1:05 |
FDR was your classic gamer. He left everything on the field then died. Tyler never won an election, and could even beat any of the crap that was between Jackson and Lincoln. |
1:05 |
Lousy Smarch weather! |
1:06 |
: I think it’s time we bring in Smarch (though we should not touch Willy)
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1:07 |
: There’s snow outside and it’s going to be -2 toingiht. It’s not February, but it ain’t March.
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1:07 |
: Though on a plus side, getting 4 inches instead of the forecast 8-10 is the first positive suprrise this winter.
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1:07 |
why do all the young pitchers for the padres blow out their elbows? is something going on there? |
1:07 |
: Hard to tell. It’s not like young pitchers have a track record of not blowing out their elbows.
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1:08 |
: But padres have definitely been bitten there, for whatever reason.
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1:08 |
Now that Maybin is hurt, do you expect ADPs on guys like Denorfia and Venable to move higher? |
1:08 |
: Has the MRI come back yet?
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1:09 |
: Honeslty, even if he’s gone, I don’t think many leagues are deep enough (maybe an NL only) to really change the value of Denorfia or Venable significantly
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1:09 |
AL only points league. Is Austin Jackson an elite OF He take $32 of a $300 cap. |
1:09 |
: That’s really high for me, even in AL only.
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1:09 |
Do you think Polanco will be called up by 6/1? How about Kris Bryant? |
1:09 |
: Polanco yes, Bryant no.
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1:09 |
Would Marcus Stroman (or Drew Hutchison) be too much for Nick Franklin, or would that be more or less a fair return? And should the Jays make that trade? |
1:10 |
: I don’t think ti’s an unreasonable trade, but I actually dont’ think either team would do it.
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1:10 |
First, yeah Sullivan was the booker. But who would believe that a fat 5’9″ 45 year old man could beat Sting. And second, you’re “elwcome” |
1:11 |
: Sullivan had the Avalanche and the Butcher too!
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1:11 |
Will Almonte be the M’s leadoff hitter? |
1:11 |
: That’s a little premature. I think he’s a 4th outfielder.
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1:12 |
: A few more and then time to go. This is the opportunity for random questions, too.
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1:12 |
How much longer do I have a job? |
1:13 |
: I think a year. The M’s have a high chance of being disappointing this season and I think he gets the axe for it.
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1:13 |
The last time the Jays had such a depressing opening day starter as Goins, a terrible retread RF from Pittsburgh turned in JOSE BAUTISTA EATER OF PLANETS AND DESTROYER OF WORLDS. Come and join me on the Ryan Goins bandwagon: we have Timbits and maple creams. |
1:13 |
Do you think there’s some chance that Ackley is following the same story arc carved out by Alex Gordon? Or, is Ackley a valid sleeper? |
1:13 |
: It’s very possible. I’d like to see Ackley get out of Seattle to be a real sleeper though.
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1:13 |
who is Yangervis Solarte? |
1:14 |
: Journeyman utility guy. Or possibly the protagonist in a terrible book about minor league free agents in which this question repeats over and over again
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1:14 |
Burch Smith the first called up from AAA for starts in SD? |
1:14 |
: He’d be my preferred option
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1:14 |
thoughts on Dean Anna? SS of the future for the yanks? |
1:15 |
: Not sure I’d go that far. I think he’s mostly likely a solid 2B for a few years and probably a really, really good 5th infielder otherwise
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1:15 |
Best beer you’ve had lately |
1:16 |
: Goose Island bourbon county barleywine
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1:16 |
Is there a metric in ZiPS for “riskiness” of a projection? I presume the ZiPS projections are the mean, but do you have the variance published? Would it differ by player? |
1:16 |
: I usually post the various quintile odds (I do keep track of whether the 1st-99th percentile projections happen the proper % of the time and so far, I’m pretty happy there)
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1:16 |
Why does no want to sign me? |
1:17 |
: First rounder. The truth of the matter is that the new team doens’t pay FA compensation, the player does, and it will be reflected in offers.
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1:17 |
Doesn’t John Tyler have a grandson that’s still alive? |
1:17 |
: 2 I believe, which is ridiculous.
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1:17 |
Why does your chat title say it’s authored by Dave Cameron? |
1:17 |
: The post announcing the chat is authored by Dave Cameron.
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1:17 |
How do you pronounce your last name? |
1:17 |
: zim-BORE-skee. Which is actually wrong.
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1:18 |
: I’ve heard how it should be pronounced by an actual Polish speaker ( afew years ago)
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1:18 |
: Let’s just say that I will *not* be pronouncing it this way. I work in media and there’s no way beofre every radio appearance, I’m going to have the producer relay to the host that the first syllable is this weird schzj sound.
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1:19 |
wa wondering how ZIPS deals with differences in platoon playing times. Is a projection for someone like Freiman pretty much assumed to be all against lefties? |
1:19 |
: ZiPS assumes historical usage. I do post the platoon split projections on the spreadsheet (you can see ’em for last year too), so if someone wants to reconfigure, they can.
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1:19 |
I’m snowed in. In Virginia. On spring break. Please discuss. |
1:19 |
: ITS NOT EVEN LEGALLY SPRING
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1:20 |
: When I was in grade school, we didn’t have spring break, we got a week off in February for Energy Conservation Week.
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1:20 |
: And you know what sucked? When it snowed during those days. It’s like being sick on your vacation.
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1:20 |
Wait! Backtrack, please. Can you explain your preference for Bruce over Stanton in 5×5? Thank you, kindly. |
1:21 |
: I love Stanton in real life. But Bruce gets a park benefit (I’ve never played in a fantasy league that used park-neutral stats, except sim leagues which are a different matter) and a solid RBI benefit that Stanton doesn’t.
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1:21 |
: And it’s fair to ding Stanton a bit for his injury risk lately.
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1:21 |
So all the word from the Blue Jays continues to be that Ryan Goins is the guy at second base. This is getting scary. Do something Szymborski! |
1:22 |
: Like that Star Trek Next Generation episode with that omnipotent dude played by MacGyver’s grandfather (but not a Q), I’m not allowed to interfere with Blue Jays decisions.
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1:22 |
I ran a projection last night for the Nationals and came up with 97 wins, am I crazy? |
1:22 |
: On the high side.
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1:24 |
: and on that note, it’s time to log off for another week.
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1:25 |
: As a reminder, you can find me at ESPN mainly, my chats and projections here at FanGraphs, DSzymborski on Twitter, and wherever there is a churrascaria within driving distnace.
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1:25 |
: And here’s the bracket for the Electoral Brawllege.
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1:25 |
:
![]() |
1:26 |
: The winner of round 1: John Tyler, 52-48% defeats Franklin D. Roosevelt (KO, rear naked choke)
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1:26 |
: Well, fight 1.
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1:27 |
Could you elaborate on the spilled French fry picture? |
1:27 |
: I spilled french fries. I was sad.
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Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.
Thoughts on Dustin Ackley? Over/under on 10 WAR over the rest of his career?