Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 3/7/16

Dan Szymborski: There’s a chat for us. Somewhere a chat for us.

Dan Szymborski: Loud and crude and open air, wait for us, somewhere.

Dan Szymborski: Noontime in U.S. FanGraphs a time for us. Time together with time to spare, time to yell, time to glare. Today!

daneyko: Carlos Rodon is ready to become an All-Star ?

Dan Szymborski: Maybe not this year, but I’d be surprised if he never had an All-Star type season.

Zonk: Unless your first name happens to be “Avisail”, it’s hard not to like the A-Jax signing for the White Sox. What say you?

Dan Szymborski: Well, fans of other teams. Avi is terrible and Jackson is OK and that’s probably 2 wins right there

Stan: Is Tom Murphy going to be similar to Wilin Rosario in the fact that he can hit some bombs, but can’t play defense worth a damn?

Dan Szymborski: Strikes me as likely.

Captain Carlos: do you expect a bounce back this season ? yes or no: Gio Gonzalez, Julio Teheran, Andrew Cashner

Dan Szymborski: Probably, probably, maybe

Zonk: Fangraphs has the Cubs at 84% odds of winning the division, with the Cards and Pirates both in high single digits. As a Cubs fan, I like the high number, but seems too high, doesn’t it?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t calculate that so no insight! Though it’s higher than I would say.

mario mendoza: When do the “probable outcomes” get added to the ZiPS Google Spreadsheet?

Dan Szymborski: Over time.

The Dude of NY: Which trade to you think was more lopsided: the Kimbrel trade or the Giles trade?

Dan Szymborski: Oh, Giles/Rincon.

Q-Ball: I am definitely NOT in the best shape of my life this spring. How about you?

Dan Szymborski: I’m in the average shape of my life. Which isn’t great.

Dan Szymborski: Well, maybe I’m below-average, I was in better shape through high school and that’s half my life.

Biscuit: Think there is still time for the Brewers to send Lucroy and Will Smith to the Rangers for Gallo?

Dan Szymborski: Well, theoretically, but I don’t expect it.

PS: Do you have an opinion on Jorge Mateo? showing he can handle MLB pitching so far this spring.

Dan Szymborski: Call me skeptical given that he has one month of high-A

Mat: ZIPS seems to be higher than most on Cespedes this year, do you buy?

Dan Szymborski: Probably take the slight under.

WhoseOn1st: After Goldschmidt and Rizzo, what first baseman do you think hits double digits with stolen bases?

Dan Szymborski: Belt maybe? Gotta be less than 50% though.

Q-Ball: If the 2014 draft were re-drafted today without regard to team need, what would the first 5 picks be? Schwarber, Turner, Rodon, Conforto, Newcomb, in that order?

Dan Szymborski: Finnegan might be in the mix too.

Dan Szymborski: It’s actually surprising how bad the second half of the first round of that draft looks.

Dan Szymborski: I think – maybe i”m forgetting someone.

Guest: How effective do you see a Valbuena/Duffy platoon at third being for the Astros?

Dan Szymborski: Solid, but not sexy.

Mat: Piscotty gains 1B eligibility by game number? (5 games to be eligible at position for current year)

Dan Szymborski: 5 games? May 1st.

Dan Szymborski: Maybe 15th?

Paul Molitor: Miguel Sano will be very solid for me this season ?

Dan Szymborski: Yes. Liquefaction requires specialized equipment.

Zonk: Cubs are averaging 15,000 fans so far for Spring Training games. On an 81-game home schedule, that would be a 1.2 mil pace. Will that exceed Marlins average attendance this year?

Dan Szymborski: I think the customers at an average Radio Shack exceed Marlins average attendance.

kicker31: Assuming you were the Rays and had a limited, small market budget, would you rather have Kershaw and his massive deal or someone like Gerrit Cole on his contract & ARB deals?

Dan Szymborski: Cole. Rays aren’t spending $30 million a year on one guy

Dan Szymborski: And I think for the *majority* of teams, you rather have Cole over Kershaw given the contract requirements.

Q-Ball: What team, in your opinion, failed to address a major hole the most this offseason? Angels and Indians in OF, maybe?

Dan Szymborski: Angels, Indians, Orioles

Bork: Which OF is more of a mess, Angels or Orioles? Angels have Trout, but outside of him not much.

Dan Szymborski: Trout plus just about anything is really good!

Alan: How long do you think it will take Devon Travis to get his job back from Goins once hes back at 100%?

Dan Szymborski: It’s hard to tell ahead of time – it depends on the contours of the situation.

Q-Ball: Are we witnessing the Angels completely wasting the peak seasons of the greatest player of our generation?

Dan Szymborski: Kinda

Closer Q ?: Who closes games in MILW for the Brew crew?

Dan Szymborski: The Fresh Prince of Miller

Matt: Sup, Dan?

Dan Szymborski: Lamb.

Dan Szymborski: Later though.

Matt: In general terms using team X, what is an appropriate return for the Braves to get for Ender Inciarte? Two top-100 prospects? A top-50 and a top-100?

Dan Szymborski: A little rich.

Josh: Is Christian Walkers time in Baltimore done with the signing of Chris Davis or do you see them trying to get creative with some line ups?

Dan Szymborski: Honestly, I don’t think it has any effect – we’re talking a player that’s going to be 25 and doesn’t really hit AAA pitchers all that well (for a 1B)

Dan Szymborski: I think it unlikely he has much of a MLB career. With 12/13 man pitching staffs, a 1B that has no actual positional flexibility *has* to hit and I just don’t think Walker will

Dunt: Now that AJax is in tow, does Eaton have more value in LF or RF?

Dan Szymborski: Right. It’s not like Melky has the arm either. That will be the downside.

Ryan: Biggest challenge for the RedSox will be _______________

Dan Szymborski: What to do if both Sandoval and Hanley stink again.

vilnius b.: Dan: I’m in a 10 team AL- only 7 x 7 cats league with BB and OPS on the offensive side. We’re allowed to slap a franchise tag for 3 yrs. on one player and freeze his cost for that time. After that, his price goes up to whatever ESPN uses for their AL-only cheat sheet. Our LM says that Mike Trout, who can no longer be franchised, is worth only $34. I say: something’s wrong, you must not be adding OPS and BB to the calculator. A few people are saying I’m making a big fuss about nothing. I say: the best player in baseball should be priced correctly. Am I wrong to dig in my heels about this?

Dan Szymborski: Well, I’m not involved there.

Dan Szymborski: But unless it’s an obvious mistake that is rectified, I think you have to go by the third party.

Q-Ball: How do you pronounce “Szymborski”? Is it zim-BOAR-ski?

Dan Szymborski: Yes, though that’s not technically accurate in Polish. But I don’t speak Polish.

Brandon: How much will Kris Bryant regress

Dan Szymborski: Tiny tiny

Otis: does Steven Souza not have a place in OF in tampa?

Dan Szymborski: No, he’ll get time. I just don’t think he’s all that good.

Mat: How do you go about the catcher position in a 2C only league?

Dan Szymborski: If you can’t grab an elite, wait for the bargain shops.

Ryan: Mike Trout for Rafael Devers and Yoan Moncada. Who says no?

Dan Szymborski: Angels.

Dan Szymborski: I think Mallex gets playing time the quickest, but the other two better long term

Q-Ball: Daily Mike Trout Fact: Mike Trout has led all players in WAR from 2010 through 2015. This, despite not playing fulltime until 2012!

Bork: How does the MLB justify giving Utley no suspension? You might as well whip the ball at a player to get him out now rather than throw to second to get him out.

Dan Szymborski: The idea is that they didn’t suspend players for that very often before either.

Dan Szymborski: Though I disagree with that.

iron wolf: Dan: where do the Orioles go from here now that AJax is no longer an option? Can’t see Rickard contributing much more than defense and baserunning. Is signing Pedro Alvarez to be DH and moving Trumbo to RF the next move, or is that a big mistake?

Dan Szymborski: Bad idea. Alvarez is not very exciting if he can’t fake a position.

Dan Szymborski: And it puts Trumbo in the field.

Matt: Luis Severino gave up some runs. He’s doomed, right?

Dan Szymborski: Clearly

The Decadent Moose: Ken Rosenthal wrote a sympathetic oiece on the D’Backs. In interviews with Stewart and LaRussa, they express a fervent desire to win while Goldy is young; the next 4 years. It seems the D’Backs focused more on player age than talent level, where being too young (not MLB-ready now) or too old (no longer cost-controlled) is adverse. The whole thing seemed Quixotic. Question: Is this cloud of dust approach better than standing pat the way the Angels have with Trout?

Dan Szymborski: Yes

Ken: Hi Dan and thanks for the chat. Many of us participate in Diamond Mind leagues which rely on your ZiPS projections. What is your approximate timeline for releasing DMB defensive ratings and splits?

Dan Szymborski: The usual. I don’t have a set timeline.

marlinfan: Why are Cistulli’s podcasts on a baseball website? They never talk about baseball.

Dan Szymborski: Because Cistulli is such a source of notorious villainy that it’s important to keep him occupied and distracted.

Stan: If you were a betting man, who would you bet on to get the most AB’s for the Red Sox at 1B? My bet would be Sam Travis, who I think could have a John Olerud type season. Am I drunk?

Dan Szymborski: No, it’ll be Hanley. They’re determine dto make it work.

Matt: Is Rob Refsnyder going to be able to play 3B? Will the Yankees carry him north to play as the backup?

Dan Szymborski: I think he could, but I don’t think he makes the team out of spring trainign.

carl: when are you going to be releasing your team win-loss projections for the season?

Dan Szymborski: They will be in ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com as usual.

Paul D: How do you see the Astros’ 1B situation unfolding this year?

Dan Szymborski: Singleton until such time Reed forces him out.

Ben: Does ZiPS like any hitter with no Major League PAs more than A.J. Reed for 2016?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t believe so offhand.

Larry: Over/under on J. Zimmermann 4.0 fWAR?

Larry: Over/under on Miguel Cabrera 5.0 fWAR?

Dan Szymborski: Under/Under

Stan: Joey Votto will get to 10 SB’s this season. Book it! Joey Votto does whatever he wants and no one can stop him.

Chubbs: Hanley will get 10+ stolen bases this year.

Dan Szymborski: Actually forgot about him

Dan Szymborski: in the SB question

Familia: Is Alex Reyes worthy of a first round rookie pick or do you think there too much risk there?

Dan Szymborski: Depends on your draft rules. I like Reyes though

Matt: Are Spring Training stats qualitatively different than regular-season stats, in a measurable way? I’d think that everyone is shaking off rust, getting in shape, etc., and a wider variety of talent gets used in games (i.e., trying out AAA and AA types), so maybe ST performance isn’t *quite* like MLB performance?

Dan Szymborski: They seem to have a very slight use, per Rosenheck’s work, but I’m still looking at them.

Mariner Moose: Having watched Austin Jackson not hit a lick the last two seasons with our team, posting a .260 slugging (.260!) in 54 gms with us in 2014 and a .387 slugging with us last year, I don’t understand why anyone would be excited about signing him. Not to mention he takes late jumps and horrible routes in CF, and has a noodle arm. Is he really going to make a difference in Chicago?

Dan Szymborski: Have you seen Avisail Garcia play? He’s like Miguel Cabrera in 2028.

Andrelton’s Big Rig: What does a sexy platoon look like?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t know, but it certainly probably involves Francoeur somehow, given that he’s not around for any baseball abilities.

BS: Will Delmon Young get a MLB job this season

Dan Szymborski: No

Matt: What are your expectations of JT Realmuto this year? Will he be a top 5 catcher?

Dan Szymborski: I think he’ll be OK, but top 5 is just crazy talk.

Dan Szymborski: To be Top 5, he has to, at a minimum be better than 6 of Posey, Lucroy, Martin, McCann, Perez, Molina, Norris, d’Arnaud, Grandal, and Cervelli.

Rob: Tim Anderson for Profar. Rangers get a future SS or CF (probably in ’17) and White Sox get a SS that is ready now or by June probably. Profar gets a fresh start. Terrible idea??

Dan Szymborski: I think that’s a bit risky for the White Sox given the realistic uncertainty of Profar being help right now.

Paul D: Thoughts on Verlander this year given his injury-riddled but heavy innings performance last year?

Dan Szymborski: I think he’ll be a decent inning-eater and everything else is gravy. Or cherry? Or both? Gross

Dan: Are MLB teams required to spend a % of how much they make? Seems unfair that teams like A’s and Rays do not spend any $!

Dan Szymborski: Not technically, but there are pressures.

pirates hurdles: I’d think Nola would go before Newcomb and the back end of round 1 is pretty full of good prospects.

Dan Szymborski: Looking at it, there are a ton of meh guys there.

Dan Szymborski: Yeah, after Finnegan, how many realistic top 100s are there? 3?

Josh: How concerned should the Cards be with Carlos Martinez’s shoulder recovery? Is another 180 innings expecting too much?

Dan Szymborski: You whould be concerned about all pitchers all the time

Bron: Could you see a Guyer/Jennings trade to the Indians. What would the Rays get back?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think the Rays are desperate to trade those guys

Dan Szymborski: They’re making next to nothing still.

Dr. Met: Jhonny Peralta may be seriously injured, who do the Cards have to replace him? Not Gyorko?

Dan Szymborski: Gyorko probably gets the benefit

The Dude of NY: Do you think Correa can be near the Trout/Harper level of best player in MLB?

Dan Szymborski: Harper yes, Trout’s a stretch for any projection.

Alex: Do you think Matz will throw 180+ IP? I have the second pick in my draft, and assuming Stroman is gone, I’m left with Matz, Severino, and Iglesias. I have good pitching but Matz needs the IP to crack it for me. Or should I just take Anderson Espinoza and be happy I got the guy I reeeeeeaaallly wanted in dynasty?

Dan Szymborski: I think the Mets will go light on him.

Josh: How far away do you think Statcast is from being usable for modeling like ZiPS?

Dan Szymborski: A ways

Matt: Will Yordano Ventura ever become a legit #2, or is he going to sit as a solid #3/4 forever? (Regarding fantasy)

Dan Szymborski: I’m optimistic.

Guest: More likely outcome 2 years from now: Sandoval has shut down all the fat guy comments OR he’s no longer a starting 3b?

Dan Szymborski: Latter I think. Last year wasn’t an off year, it was an off, rip out the circuitry, and pour hydrochloric acid over the circuit board year.

Teddy Broosevelt : Speculation on where you think Strasburg is in 2017?

Dan Szymborski: The United States.

klenphak: is tommy murphy the rockies back up catcher this year?

Dan Szymborski: No, it’s the generic version of Justin Morneau, Dustin Garneau.

Dan Szymborski: Let him mash at AAA.

Dan Szymborski: But who knows, it’s the Rockies, who are essentially run like a hyperactive 5-year-old makes the decisions.

klenphak: Who is better CF prospect Brett Phillips or Margot?

Dan Szymborski: They’re both excellent, but I love Margot.

The Dude of NY: Can you explain the appeal of the Philadelphia Phanatic? It looks like a horribly diseased muppet.

Dan Szymborski: He represents a virus as seen on the old Veterans blood-and-goo turf. Or I could just be making that up. I forget the difference sometimes.

Cousin Mose: Are there leading indicators for power breakouts a la JD Martinez, and if so, when do those indicators become statistically significant?

Dan Szymborski: Depends on magnitude. This is not a 2D question.

Matt: Dan, I’ve spotted this impostor-Matt again.

Dan Szymborski: One of you needs to agree to be Matteo and another Mattieu.

AO: Why would 3 Rays players (Boxberger, Odorizzi, and Kiermaier) refuse the contract tenders and be subject to small salaries this year?

Dan Szymborski: To make a point

Guest: What spring training results would it take to change your mind on a team? Like what if a projected .500-ish team went undefeated for a whole spring training and won every game by 10. Would you think “whoa hey they might be better!” Or would it take more, like not allowing a single run over the whole spring training schedule?

Dan Szymborski: Again, magnitude. You gusy always want a too quick “It takes 23 days to change a projection!” type answers which do not exist.

Dan: Can you please explain how Mike Scioscia still has a managerial job?

Dan Szymborski: Inertia

Cousin Mose: Also, Joc looked terrible in the Giants Dodgers ST game. His leg kick was totally inconsistent from pitch to pitch, like he was trying to adjust on the fly. Is this par for the course during spring training or does that concern you?

Dan Szymborski: I admit to being concerned

Repairman Man: Which is most likely: McMahon A) stays in COL and plays 3B B) gets traded C) stays in COL and plays 1B

Dan Szymborski: I think long-term he’s traded. It’s kind of a waste to have an excellent defensive third baseman playing first.

Dan Szymborski: Unless Arenado is traded first

The Dude of NY: Is there some law that mandates all dorms have terrible WiFi?

Dan Szymborski: We didn’t even have wifi in college so no sympathy

Jack “Dingerz” Z: % Chance that Robinson Cano exceeds his Zips 3.5 WAR projection this season.

Dan Szymborski: 75% I feel.

Bartolo Cologne, For Men: Colin Rea as a big time sleeper — agree or disagree? Nice debut last year and added 25 lbs of muscle in the offseason.

Dan Szymborski: I’m ambivalent

The Dude of NY: Be honest: did you like the Sandoval and/or Ramirez deals last offseason?

Dan Szymborski: No, and I’ll find the tweets if I can

Dan Szymborski: My piece had a headline Sandoval not worth $95 million

Dan Szymborski: And while I didn’t think Hanley was bad in a vacuum, I thought it made no sense since 3B was the practical home for him

Dan Szymborski: 12:08
Comment From Tony G.
What was the first thing that came to mind when you heard the Red Sox had signed both Sandoval and Hanley?
12:08
Dan Szymborski: dafuq?

Bartolo Cologne, For Men: Assuming health for all involved parties, do you think Michael Taylor forces himself into a starter’s role this year or stuck as #4 and defensive replacement?

Dan Szymborski: Latter

Larry: Could JD Martinez crack 40+ HR?

Dan Szymborski: Sure

Matt: People tend to think A-Rod will regress. I disagree, because I never saw him gress in the first place. Thoughts?

Chuncey Wiggins: Is there a player you are especially watching during spring training? or prospect? or Coach? or Culinary enthusiast?

Dan Szymborski: Usually young pitchers mostly. Nobody in *particular*

Dan Szymborski: Simply because that’s tricky because unless you’re down there, you’re subject to whatever weird lineups they put together

klenphak: give me a reason for The Phillies to keep Ryan Howard instead of releasing him, paying him either way and anybody can play 1B for Phills this year that actually could have a future with the team

Dan Szymborski: There is none.

Matt: ZiPS is higher on Byung-ho Park, so I was just wondering how the system goes about projecting a guy like that. There’s not exactly a huge track record of hitters coming over from the KBO to compare him to.

Dan Szymborski: There isn’t, but we also have guys going over there and guys from NPB.

ChickenHawk: best bet to succeed in NL only format? Orlando Arica, Trea Turner, or JP Crawford?

Dan Szymborski: No answer, I think it’s a great trio. We’re at another wonderful time for young star shortstops.

Biscuit: So do you think Lucroy/Smith for Gallo is a reasonable deal? I figured that was just my Brewers bias talking…

Dan Szymborski: It’s probably slightly light, but the Rangers are competitive.

RMR: Devin Mesoraco hit .273/.359/.534 in 440 PA in his most recent full season, 2014. He didn’t hit up to the point. Last year was a disaster in a small sample as he tried to play through a hip injury. ZiPS, understandably splits the difference and has him at .243/.320/.421. What’s your take?

Dan Szymborski: Given his health, I don’t have the foggiest clue

TKDC: Assuming Trout plays a full season, what WAR levels would just be mind-blowing to you, both low and high?

Dan Szymborski: 5, 12

Murdoc: How many springs training games have you actually watched so far?

Dan Szymborski: Quite a few. MLB.TV is excellent and I work at home.

The Dude of NY: Should Marlin Fans be reclassified as an endangered species?

Bork: Asking Dan about Cistulli is like asking North Korea about South Korea

Dr. Met: If Ian Desmond waited until today, he’d be the starting SS for the cards eh?

Dan Szymborski: It’s very possible.

The Dude of NY: Which player do you think is most likely to build that Doomsday Laser you mentioned on Twitter?

Dan Szymborski: Jon Papelbon, but it wouldn’t work.

mtsw: Given his struggles in the outfield and the fact that the most memorable play of his career was blowing Kershaw’s perfect game, it seems inevitable that Hanley Ramirez’s legacy will (somewhat unfairly) be as an all-time atrocious fielder. I don’t have a question I just think it’s funny.

Mick D: SF has Dick Tidrow and Dave Righetti as scouting director and ML pitching coach. Yet their #1 pitcher draft picks for several years have not developed. Kyle Crick is the poster child. Organization flaw, scouting issue, or just a run of bad luck after Bumgarner?

Dan Szymborski: that kind of thing is hard to guess.

dbet: Dan Szymborski will get 10+ stolen bases.

Dan Szymborski: Only if I physically steal bases while the other writers are distracting players in the clubhouse

ChickenHawk: NL only format, keep Joe Ross $10? It’s a deep league, and I can see him going for more, but having a hard time taking a spot up for that much money on a non-starter at this point.

Dan Szymborski: Too rich for speculative.

The Dude of NY: The Marlins are the only team with a Spring Training facility *North* of their stadium. Is this the cause for all of the their woes?

Dan Szymborski: No, it’s the home run feature.

ChickenHawk: best NL pitching prospect a little further down the rankings 50 or more??

Dan Szymborski: Best second-tier prospect is a bit like asking what the heaviest short guy is?

Dan Szymborski: But I dunno, Cody Reed?

Rockies-fan: Jose Reyes will play in avril or may…or later ?

Dan Szymborski: Later.

Dan Szymborski: I think it’s possible he doesn’t have an at-bat for the Rockies.

Jason : Machado vs Correa … who’s the better SS for this year?

Dan Szymborski: I’m going to have to say Correa because even though Machado *should* be at short, it’s been a long time since he played regularly

Chuncey Wiggins: What team is the “North Korea” of the MLB world?

Dan Szymborski: Arizona? I can see them writing about some Arizona-equivalent of Juche.

Ceelo: Are your zips psychic? With Gyorko in line for major ABs, you think he exceeds your predictions?

Dan Szymborski: No

976: re: shape of your life. It’s unreasonable to use high-school as a baseline for your fitness performance, just like <insert prospect here>’s rookie season. So, you’re probably performing in-line with your projection. But then again, I don’t make those projections, so I can’t comment on them.

Ian: When is it appropriate to start taking closers in a 12 team fantasy draft? Round 6 too early?

Dan Szymborski: Depends how the draft is going.

Dan Szymborski: Rigid draft plans are bad.

Bork: So no Strasburg to Jays? FINE DAN WE DIDNT WANT HIM

Dan Szymborski: The Jays won’t be in Canada exactly a year from now as it will still be spring training.

Q-Ball: I am not in the best shape of my life. But I am in better shape than Pablo Sandoval, I’m not kidding!

Chuncey Wiggins: I’ve been working on some fanfic that involves Harry Potter trying to excel at the Muggle sport “baseball,” while also respecting the rich traditions of both muggles and wizards. I’m trying to incorporate sabermetric terminology in this piece of writing, but I want them more wizard friendly. BABIP = BATIP, WHIP = WITCH, and RA9 = RA666…Do you have other ideas that would really help ground this tale of magic for a muggle audience?

Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure.

Chuncey Wiggins: Obviously. WAR = Wizards Above Replacement.

klenphak: philadelphia phanatic is the greatest mascot in all of sports…Phillies wouldnt even trade him for Mike Trout

Dan Szymborski: IF YOU GUYS DONT STOP ASKING PERALTA Q’S I WILL GO BACK IN TIME AND ERASE YOUR ANCESTORS FROM EXISTENCE

Jason : Did Kolten Wong just move up the rankings now that he prob won’t be splitting time?

Dan Szymborski: I the end, I don’t think he was really going to be in a time share when push came to shove.

Matt: Aroldis Chapman: Shows poor judgement and GF seemingly overstates/fabricates violence, and he gets a 30 game suspension. Jose Reyes should likely be stoned in CF for his crimes, right?

Dan Szymborski: Pretty much.

Dan Szymborski: Unless he broke someone’s collarbone in which case: 8 games.

Robert: RE: bork – The Angels have not much else in the outfield? Last I checked Calhoun has been worth +7.5 WAR in 14/15

Dan Szymborski: I’m saying theoretically that Trout and not much else is always something.

976: Will there be any tweaks to your mid-season ZiPS update? I seem to recall you saying that not as much work goes into those. Also, they look very similar to the initial 2016 ZiPS in many cases. Is that by design?

Dan Szymborski: They’re quite different in a lot of cases.

Dan Szymborski: But there will be similarities for obvious reasons.

976: Is Alex Rios going to land somewhere?

Dan Szymborski: Airports.

Bork: Dorm 101. Get your own router and hook it up directly to a line in. Name router “For a good time come to room (insert room of neighbour here)”. You get both good WIFI and a hilariously pissed off neighbour!

jtt: Age related decline is a bitch but does Miggy post a surprise 7 wins season at any point during the rest of his career?

Dan Szymborski: He’s good enough to.

mtsw: Any way the Orioles could use Peralta’s injury to dump JJ Hardy’s contract onto the Cards?

Dan Szymborski: I don’t think the O’s realize that it would be a good idea.

Dan Szymborski: OK, we’re past 1, so let’s go into the Lightning Round.

Dan Szymborski: The rules of the Lightning Round are simple: I must answer every off-topic question, so long as it’s off-topic, with the usual exceptions (extremely personal or work related). THis continues until I either catch up or get bored.

Dan Szymborski: AND GO

Brandon: Does pee come from the balls

Dan Szymborski: It does not.

Matt: Oh, I wish, I wish, I hadn’t killed that fish.

Bork: How disappointing will this years main event at Wrestlemania be? I mean, they are keeping Reigns off the TV so he’s not boo’d each week.

Dan Szymborski: I think lackluster.

Repairman Man: new HS expansion to be announce Friday

Dan Szymborski: I know, I was invited to the Wednesday event (couldn’t make it) and there will likely be an info embargo that goes on past Friday, so what I share will depend on that.

mtsw: What genre of video games do you feel isn’t being fully optimized?

Dan Szymborski: I think we’re really starving for good non-action RPGs.

enos brain: will there ever be a player with a last name of “Ill-tempered Seabass”?

Dan Szymborski: Too unusual a surname

Jason : 35 years old with 1.2M sitting in a 3.5% yield div portfolio. Should I feel okay leaving the corporate world to do something I really like now?

Dan Szymborski: Depends on your lifestyle and needs

Bork: Papelbon seems like the type of guy to see something in the news and try building it in his garage made out of stuff he found along the side of the road on a Sunday afternoon. Then get mad when it didn’t work.

Dan Szymborski: Paps makes his own particle accelerator, consisting of PVC pipe, a hammer, and a box of atoms he bought on ebay.

dbet:

This is why the Philly Phanatic is great.

Matt: It just occurred to me that Christopher Lloyd is probably assisting Mike Trout in his greatness. This has got to be right, right?

Dan Szymborski: It’s possible.

Repairman Man: prediction for strongest class after next HS expansion

Dan Szymborski: Hunter.

Dan: do u drink coffee

Dan Szymborski: Rarely

Dan: do you watch house of cards

Dan Szymborski: Yes

Matt: Do you have any interest in No Man’s Sky?

Dan Szymborski: Much

CamdenWarehouse: Will our candidates be any better 4 years from now? Can they get worse?

Dan Szymborski: Unless Cistulli runs for president, probably not any worse.

Derek: True or False: We should blaming the US Citizens who vote for Trump rather than Trump himself?

Dan Szymborski: True

Ceelo: best way to cope with losing both parents? besides time

Dan Szymborski: Honestly, time.

Matt: If you were Josh Bell and had a child, regardless of gender, would you name them Liberty?

Dan Szymborski: Too obvious

Dan Szymborski: And there would be beatings for the poor kid growing up I imagine.

CT>FF6: Will Undertale one day be regarded as excellent a game as the classic RPGs, or will the hype ware off with the novelty?

Dan Szymborski: I think it’s a solid game from what I’ve seen, but mostly watched

Dan Szymborski: Bonetrousle is a legitimately great video game track.

BaseballKid3: Do politicians ever talk about stuff that matters?

Dan Szymborski: Not really

976: Why haven’t you read Patrick Rothfuss yet?

Dan Szymborski: Because my reading list and playing list already require me to live until 150

j6takish: What do you think carson is doing right this second?

Dan Szymborski: Genociding.

Sean: What’s in a Wonderball? Who knows what surprised a Wonderball can hide?

Dan Szymborski: I have no idea what this is.

Ceelo: odds donald trump is basically trolling the GOP with a pocket full of jingoisms like the old Arnie soundboard?

Dan Szymborski: Pretty good. Trump’s a doofus, but he can read an auidnece.

976: My brother works in e-sports. Should I quit my lucrative finance job and jump on that bandwagon with him?

Dan Szymborski: Depends if you have a marketable eSports related skill

Derek: How can you justify eating meat that comes from tortured animals when the availability of non-animal food is so abundant?

Dan Szymborski: Deliciousness that outweighs my ethical concern because I’m an imperfect mortal?

dbet: Will there ever be a strategy game as deep and rich as FFT? I really need a game like that.

Dan Szymborski: I think you could top FFT, which did have some inconsistency in the difficulty.

Dan Szymborski: All the toughest battles were in the middle, when you were doing all those Wiegraf related fights

Dario Cueto: Divas triple threat match of the night at Mania?

Dan Szymborski: Yes? Not sure wha the Q is

Brandon: did bofa do 9/11

Dan Szymborski: Seems unlikely

Ampersand: What is your ideal sandwich?

Dan Szymborski: A large one

Sean: can we make a rule where all lightning round questions have to be asked with no question mark

Dan Szymborski: No?

Repairman Man: always hunter

Dan Szymborski: Hunter not in a good place right now

Dan: sushi or tacos. im hungry

Dan Szymborski: I like Tacos for lunch

Murdoc: Johnny, Jonny, or Jhonny?

Dan Szymborski: I like Johnny, it’s a classic

Steve: Goat Cheese?

Dan Szymborski: Thumbs up

dbet: Did you order the Division? It was fun in beta.

Dan Szymborski: I have not

mtsw: Bigger indictment of democracy: Trump winning elections or Jeter’s gold gloves?

Dan Szymborski: Jeter for sure

George R R Martin: Could I be planning ice dragons? I have written a book about them and no one knows what the wall is – is it possible that the wall is just ice dragons that Bran will bring back to life?

Dan Szymborski: I think you’re waiting to see what the series does and using them to finish your books because you’ve lost your overall train of thought.

Ricky: at what age did you first play fantasy baseball?

Dan Szymborski: 6

976: If you liked Portal you need to play The Talos Principle. If you didn’t like Portal, something is wrong with you.

976: Have you attempted to model any other part of your life? Projections would be useful for things like relationships.

Dan Szymborski: Not in particular

fosho: does stuff that matters ever include politicians?

Dan Szymborski: Not really

Matt: Did you really just invent the verb form of genocide?

Dan Szymborski: Languages grow

Broak: House of Cards S4 is pretty great. Just saying.

Greinke old man: If it comes down to Hillary vs. the Donald, I’m writing in Francis Underwood.

Matt: % chance that Trump’s candidacy really is an orchestrated move by Hilary Clinton?

Dan Szymborski: Not into that conspiracy theory – Trump is too unpredictable

mtsw: Name a single event in the 2016 cycle inconsistent with the “Donald Trump is a liberal plant and is intentionally trying to destroy the GOP” theory?

Dan Szymborski: See last question

CamdenWarehouse: Rewatched Charlie Wilson’s War this weekend:
Joanne Herring: Why is Congress saying one thing and doing nothing?

Charlie Wilson: Well, tradition mostly

Bork: Will eSports ever go the way of WWE where there are jobber teams? If so, how can you get on a jobber eSport team? My skills would be perfect for that.

Dan Szymborski: Brooklyn Brawler DOTA!

BS: Are you sad / worried that Miley Cyrus will leave the country if Trump is elected?

Dan Szymborski: It’s giving me an actual reason to vote for Trump.

Broak: I want Trump, Bloomberg, Sanders, and McAfee to all run as independents. Hillary vs Cruz vs Sanders vs Trump vs Bloomberg vs McAfee vs Jill Stein? Whoever gets 20% is president.

Dan Szymborski: At least it’ll be hilarious chaos.

Bork: Re: FFT. Look into Ogre Tactcs.

Dan Szymborski: Ogre Tactics had some interface issues

Bork: FFT also gives you a broken character 3/4 of the way into the game. Hey you’ve made it this far, you might as well finish it without any struggle. HERE’S CID.

Dan Szymborski: That’s *Thunder God Cid* you lepton

Ben: Do you agree that bananas have a high floor and a low ceiling compared to other fruits?

Dan Szymborski: I think so

Guest: NAFTA sucked and Bill Clinton was a bad president

Dan Szymborski: Disagree, but that’s not really a question

Ceelo: have you tried any space combat games lately? been hooked on fractured space, give it a go on steam if you like that genre.

Dan Szymborski: Not lately

666: Hows ur family doing?

Dan Szymborski: Mom’s recovered well from her glaucoma surgery and is seeing better than she ever has. My sister just chopped off the tip of her finger cutting a bagel (she made bagels which are amazing) but just the fleshy part and it should grow back

Dan Szymborski: Dad died, but that was nearly 20 years ago, so the status is unchanged.

Guest: why does nobody mention the fact the FBI might actually call for Hillary’s indictment? that matters significantly

Dan Szymborski: I think realistically, they’d have to find evidence that Hillary actually did murder Foster (note, she didn’t, I’m not insane) for Justice to not sweep under rug.

Matt: Do you ever replace all “z”s with “szy”s? Such as Szyplock bags, Szybras, or Szync?

Dan Szymborski: Sometimes.

fosho: Penny Dreadful. Good or bad?

Dan Szymborski: Haven’t watched as it’s not really my cup of tea

fosho: heads or tails?

Dan Szymborski: Tails. I don’t like the pseudo-deification of politicians, even ones that were important to history

Matt: Broak includes Jill Stein but doesn’t acknowledge Gary Johnson? For shame.

Ricky: Quit my job and now I want/need it back. Beg or keep my dignity?

Dan Szymborski: Dignity and a sack is worth the sack.

976: Let’s say I do have marketable e-sports skills (cuz I do). Is this going to be huge? Seriously, am I missing an opportunity to get in early? Is it still early?

Dan Szymborski: It’s always best to get in on ground floors.

Dan Szymborski: I have a much better career getting into sabermetric community in 1996 instead of 2006.

Bork: I’m on the Wiegraf side of who’s the good guys in FFT anyways. BOO CID.

j6takish: The end of FF games are always disappointing. I usually do all of the side quests so by the time I get to the end I can rick roll all the bosses in like 8 moves. Exception being FF9 and FF6, I wiped a few times on Kakfa even with all the top weapons/armor

Dan Szymborski: JUST DONT GET KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND

Dan Szymborski: I frequently have issues due to underleveling.

Dan Szymborski: I remember having trouble with some of the optional FFIV bosses towards the end and looking up the information on early Gamefaqs and finding I was like 10-15 levels below recommended.

ABCDEFG: Bagels r good

Eric: Did you celebrate National Cereal Day?

Dan Szymborski: I did not.

James : Best and worst cheeses for a grilled cheese sandwich?

Dan Szymborski: Grilled cheese is the one time American is acceptable.

Dan Szymborski: I would imagine Brunost is the worse. I HATE Brunost.

Broak: @Matt – John McAfee is running as Libertarian candidate. Put him instead of Johnson because he’s a bigger name (McAfee Antivirus)

Ben: What is your most visited sports-related website?

Dan Szymborski: baseball-reference

The Decadent Moose: Ribs were on sale the other day ($2.49/lb). Is there anything more depressing than oven-cooked ribs? Thank the gods the weather is warming up…

Dan Szymborski: Why does it have to be warm to make ribs? You’re not living outside and fire still works.

Dan Szymborski: I smoked an amazing pork shoulder when it was a high of 4 degrees

mtsw: anyone hoping to make money in e-sports should know that corporations owning the game itself will mean that it will be tough to find pockets of profit that aren’t vacuumed up by the IP owner.

Matt: If someone tells you “Everything I have and will tell you is a lie.” Do you believe them, thus contradicting their statement, or the inverse which potentially validates said statement?

Dan Szymborski: I disbelieve everyone at any time.

j6takish: Ozma is the most frustrating optional boss because so much is up to chance. You need to absorb shadow and hope he uses it often enough to heal you without overhealing himself

Dan Szymborski: Asura in FFIV Japanese version since you can’t reflect on her.

Bork: I’m on the other side of the eSports opinion. With the way it’s booming right now, I could see many companies/games investing into games that might not make it due to lack of online popularity, and it dying within a year of release. I’d hate to be part of one of those. I’d only want to be part of an already established brand (ie. LoL, DotA, etc)

CamdenWarehouse: best cut of beef for making jerky?

Dan Szymborski: Never made.

Dan Szymborski: I assume something not too fatty?

Dan Szymborski: CAUGHT UP

Dan Szymborski: You guys were not very verbose today.