Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat – 9/7/17

by
September 7, 2017
1:58
Dan Szymborski: Chat time!
1:58
ChiSox2020: How does a rotation of Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Raynaldo Lopez, and Michael Kopech look in the 2nd half of 2018?
1:58
Dan Szymborski: Super-interesting at least.  I think the White Sox rotation has the upside potential to come back super quickly.
1:58
The Average Sports Fan: Are the Diamondbacks a legit matchup problem for the Dodgers or have the last couple series just been noise?
1:59
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think it’s a matchup problem.  Head-to-head really doesn’t provide any predictive value above-and-beyond what the team records do.
1:59
Dan Szymborski: The team-team interactions just aren’t as complex as they are in football or basketball.

1:59
CamdenWarehouse: What makes you “one of baseball’s darkest minds”?
2:00
Dan Szymborski: It’s a red herring from Cistulli and should be dismissed as the brutalist-era agit-prop that comes from that individual.
2:00
Steve Herbman: What kind of return do you think Joc Pederson would get if the Dodgers tried to trade him this offseason?
2:00
Dan Szymborski: Fairly unimpressive return right now, there are a lot more questions about him now.
2:00
Keith Hernandez: If Harvey continues to pitch the way he has and looks terrible in his remaining start, is there any chance the Mets would non-tender him next year?  Should they?
2:01
Dan Szymborski: I think it’s possible, if they follow through in their threats to trim payroll.
2:01
Dan Szymborski: Should they?  I’m not sure that’s a good idea.
2:01
Dan Szymborski: If he gets 1/6 or something, that’s well in-line with a pillow contract.
2:01
BK: How do you/ZIPS Project Vlad Jrs future outlook?
2:02
Dan Szymborski: You’re not sneaking that one out of me THIS early, Kuhn!
2:02
Ducky Mansyrup: Austin Hays and Chance Sisco were not included in your 2018 rookie look. How do you see them in their first full season in the majors next year?
2:02
Dan Szymborski: TBA
2:02
ChiSox2020: Will the Phillies be a .500 team next year?
2:02
Dan Szymborski: No
2:02
Los doyers: Tell me walker buehler is going full K-rod this postseason
2:03
Dan Szymborski: Assuming you mean the Angels lightning rod thing in the postseason at the start of his career rather than Modern Era K-Rod, it’s certainly possible.
2:03
Hannah Hochevar: Do you think the offer on Britton was similar to what ended up going for Verlander? (And if so, should I as an O’s fan be angrier about not doing a deal than I already am?)
2:03
Dan Szymborski: No, I believe it would be less.
2:03
Dan Szymborski: Britton’s trade value should only be a little bit more than Wade Davis’s was over the winter as he came with the same kind of questions (but an extra pennant race)
2:03
Mike: Good day Dan, what do you think the punishment will be, if any, for the Red Sox with #AppleGate? Also, if you had not seen, there is footage shown back in June of the Yankees watching live footage from their game against the Angels in Anaheim. Isn’t this considered illegal use of technology too?
2:04
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think there will be punishment unless something more comes to light.
2:04
Dan Szymborski: Baseball really needs to firm up their technology rules.
2:04
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Hello Dan, it feels like it has been a while. Why, do you think, the Athletics are the only Major League team to have green as their primary color?
2:04
Dan Szymborski: Because everyone wants to be blue and red for some reason.
2:04
Dan Szymborski: Or blue and white, but definitely blue
2:06
Dan Szymborski: I really wish teams were more creative about their colors.  It’s cool to have specific colors associated iwth your team
2:06
Dan Szymborski: See the Padres amazingly generic current standard uniforms.
2:08
Dan Szymborski: I think if you created a team in a video game, the Padres current uniforms would be the default when you open the menu, as Generic Uniform 1
2:08
Hannah Hochevar: Salazar returned from the 1st dl stint strong, the 2nd not so much. Was this a blip or is he going to be most useful out of the pen going forward?
2:08
Dan Szymborski: Slightly worried, but I think they can be cautious until the playoffs.
2:08
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Dan, which baseball uniforms and logos do you think are in need of an update? I mean, of course, besides the Diamondbacks.
2:08
Dan Szymborski: PADRES.  BROWN AND MUSTARD IS BEST
2:09
Dan Szymborski: Brewers alternates should be their regular uniform.
2:10
Dan Szymborski: And their late 70s/early 80s powder blue roads should be brought back.
2:10
Dan Szymborski: And ONLY the glove logl
2:10
Dan Szymborski: logo
2:11
Dan Szymborski: I’d love Arizona to go to a rustier red
2:11
Dan Szymborski: I also feel the Rangers could go for a whole redesign – has their uniform *ever* really been iconic?
2:13
Dan Szymborski: And I’d love for the Mariners to bring back the pitchfork more often, I still think that’s an amazing logo
2:13
Sean: The Dbacks have a 12 game win streak against the NL West. During that time, they have been trailing at any point for a TOTAL of 1.5 innings.
2:13
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: If baseball expanded back to Montreal, would you support the team retaking the name “Expos?” Or would you want to see a new legacy created?
2:13
Dan Szymborski: I think I’d want tos ee a new legacy.  I understand the desire to restore an old legacy, but I think you can’t recapture those things once they’re gone
2:14
Dan Szymborski: For example, I think the Baltimore Ravens have been far better off creating a new era than if they had, say, gotten a swap with the Irsays for the old Colts stuff.
2:14
Chuncey Wiggins: How does it feel to finally know the name of the next Braves right fielder to replace Nick Markakis as your chat’s weird obsession?
2:14
Dan Szymborski: heh
2:14
Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure if chat obsessions are transmitted by agnatic seniority
2:15
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Remember when the Texas Rangers’ logo was a baseball hat perched atop a baseball? Yikes.
2:15
Dan Szymborski: I didn’t mind the ten gallon baseball
2:15
Chuncey Wiggins: Also does Nick Markakis attend Acuna’s HOF speech in 20 years?
2:15
Dan Szymborski: If he’s the leader some claim!
2:15
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Would you support an effort to rename the Cleveland Indians by their old moniker, the Spiders?
2:15
Dan Szymborski: No, Spiders freak me out
2:16
Dan Szymborski: Not even a chance I take a politics question, CarrotJuice!  The general internet environment for it is a fetid cesspool.
2:16
CarrotJuice: Factoring in contract situation, which team do you think has the most surplus value in both major and minor league levels: Cubs or Brewers?
2:16
Dan Szymborski: Still Cubs.
2:16
Rick C: Who does ZIPS like more – Acuna or Vlad Jr?
2:16
Dan Szymborski: Acuna
2:16
My Dude: Does Rhys Hoskins hit 130 ABs this year to graduate from prospect status?
2:16
Dan Szymborski: Yes
2:16
Mike: What do you think the Red Sox punishment will be for “Applegate”?
2:17
Dan Szymborski: Nothin
2:17
Sgt. Pepper: Should the Jays try to trade Donaldson this offseason? I say yes, my grandmother says no
2:17
Dan Szymborski: Depends if they’re blown away.  I’d give the team a last go
2:17
Poodles: Over or Under Aaron Judge gets to 45 HR?
2:17
Dan Szymborski: Under.  30% for 45 maybe?
2:18
Mike: Who wins the NL MVP?
2:18
Dan Szymborski: Stanton.
2:18
Dan Szymborski: Not sure who I’d vote for today (I’m NL Cy this year)
2:19
Mike: What will you remember Gene Michael most for?
2:19
Dan Szymborski: His resusciation of the Yankees dynasty by being one of the engineers of the mid-late 90s turnaround
2:19
CamdenWarehouse: That’s good because being a dark mind does not jive with being a digital dandy
2:19
Luke:

2:19
Dan Szymborski: TRIGGERED
2:20
Dan Szymborski:

2:21
Dan Szymborski: And just because I almost died laughing.
2:21
Dan Szymborski:

2:22
Butterfinger: Would CC accept 1/12 with a team option at like 1/14? Id like the Yankees to give him the Hiroki Kuroda deal, as long as hes effective, 1 year deals of raising income,
2:22
Dan Szymborski: I think he’s revived his career just enough that he’ll want at least a two year
2:22
FireDrayton: Ken Giles has been lights out the last few weeks. Does it look like anything has changed for him, or is it just a good run of batted-ball and HR suppression luck? Anything else?
2:22
Dan Szymborski: I’ve always been a Gilespologist.
2:22
CamdenWarehouse: Which is the worse rotation: Angels or Orioles?
2:23
Dan Szymborski: I think when you look rest of season, Angels likely slightly worse
2:23
Omnom: Neal Huntington will trade for Austin Romine who will immediatley become a 3 win player next year, based on past behavior
2:23
Billy: Will stats on player pages ever split up between teams when a player is traded during the year? This happens when a player in the minors is promoted, but even the splits page doesn’t break it up by team
2:23
Dan Szymborski: Note:  This is my only weekly reminder that you need to ask FanGraphs-related questions to a David, or a writer, or even that Carson, not me, because I cannot answer!
2:23
Chuncey Wiggins: Have you seen the documentary Icarus? It’s about the insane levels of doping in cycling…and goes on from there. Do you think baseball is as tainted?
2:24
Dan Szymborski: I haven’t, actually.
2:24
Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure baseball is to the same degree because I don’t believe you have the same degree of incentive in a sport in which physical prowess is less correlated with performance
2:24
BitterBerries: Which team should the Yankees be hoping to play in the WC? Im thinking the Twins or Baltimore.
2:24
Dan Szymborski: Twins
2:24
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: That’s not to say that green isn’t an alternate for Seattle, of course, and there is that weird teal-ish color associated with Arizona. But green used to be integral to the [then] Tampa Bay Devil Rays and [then] Florida Marlins. Kermit said it best: It isn’t easy being green!
2:24
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Agreed re: Padres hot dog colors and Brewers M&B glove logo.
2:25
Steve Herbman: The Cardinals have so many OFs.  Would they trade one for a potential closer?
2:25
Dan Szymborski: That’s generally not their style
2:25
Dbacks: actually have original uniforms, and get absolutely ripped for them. That is probably why everyone is so generic. Fear of this reaction.
2:25
Dan Szymborski:

Up on ESPN, I wrote about early 2018 projections for 9 rookies I find highly interesting. es.pn/2wbMdKU
7 Sep 2017
2:25
CamdenWarehouse: The Orioles should get rid of their whites and have both their black and orange alternates as their main unis.
2:26
Dan Szymborski: I wouldn’t object, but you’d get a lot of bvlowback
2:26
Bill: Where da Acuna article you mentioned on Twitter?
2:26
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Oh shit! Now you have to get to my Rangers comment I sent in!
2:26
Iced Cream: I really dont want the Yankees to trade Gardner, he is like the heart of the team and fun to watch, but moving him is way easier then Ellsbury, and they need a spot for frazier/prospects/hicks, should I be prepping myself for his departure?
2:26
Dan Szymborski: If you get sufficient value, I think they *should* consider it, given his age.
2:26
Dan Szymborski: But I don’t think it’s *necessary
2:27
mike: do the Jays add Pentecost to their 40man this offseason because he’s still a prospect?  or are his injuries too much to over come?
2:27
Dan Szymborski: I believe they do.
2:27
Ski Danszymbor: Aside from the general unpredictability of playoff series, do any of the AL teams fighting for the second wild-card look well-positioned to make a playoff run?
2:28
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think any are particular well-suited.  Maybe the Rays as they likely have the biggest upside of the teams at the top of their rotation
2:29
Dan Szymborski: Though I guess if you’re optimistic on Paxton and on King Felix returning and being better, maybe M ‘s?
2:29
Hannah Hochevar: Should the starter-less O’s take a flier on Holland or can they just do September call-up committee going forward?
2:29
Dan Szymborski: Might as well.
2:29
mike: is it possible for Vlad Jr to come up mid 2018 like Devers?
2:29
Dan Szymborski: It’s possible, he could blow through minors very quickly
2:29
LioneeR: Will Markakis be put in the HOF as an Oriole or Brave?
2:30
Dan Szymborski: FanGraphs
2:30
SadBannana: How come the Yankees Bullpen keeps sucking despite all those awesome names?
2:30
Dan Szymborski: Baseball gonna baseball
2:30
Alec Asher Wojciechowski: How much access to trackman data from rival minor league ballparks do teams have? Can the Astros access data from an international league game or do they need a team to give them that data?
2:31
Dan Szymborski: I actually don’t know.  For obvious reasons, teams don’t share data with me.  I can suspect thing, but I don’t want to report on things I suspect.  I only know what I can prove.
2:31
Rich: If baseball expanded to Montreal what city would the most likely receive the other team?
2:31
Dan Szymborski: North Carolina somewhere
2:31
Mighty: More than snakes?
2:31
Dan Szymborski: Snakes stay out of my office
2:31
CamdenWarehouse: In 20 years, Markakis is going to be living on a remote island with his cult
2:31
Drumstick: Should the Indians change their mascot to a guy from India? Chief Wahoo kinda cringe-worthy…
2:32
Dan Szymborski: Just the C is fine
2:32
Dan Szymborski: It’s extremely cringey.
2:32
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: I think Montreal should retake the Wanderers moniker. Decent amount of history there and the shared history of defunct sports franchises.
2:32
Moltar: Ravens isn’t a great analogue because there’s still a “Colts” franchise. I think the Charlotte Hornets or Winnipeg Jets are better comps, and both have done well to reclaim their earlier name.
2:33
Dan Szymborski: Ah, but the Browns were able to reclaim their history from the Ravens.  There’s no theoretical reason the Ravens couldn’t do that with the Colts (outher than willingness)
2:33
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Judge hit number 39 a few minutes ago.
2:33
Zwak: I’m wondering whether a juiced ball could have been partially responsible for the home run surge during the steroid era. Thoughts?
2:33
Dan Szymborski: I suspect more so than steroids.
2:33
Dan Szymborski: Essentially the entirety of the home run rate increase was in 18 months from the end of 1992 to thet start of 1994.
2:34
Dan Szymborski: I’m skeptical everyone suddenly discovered a 35 year old drug in January 1993.
2:34
Zwak: Any tips for working from home?
2:34
Dan Szymborski: Make sure to set aside more time for exercise than I do.
2:34
Moltar: If they were to rebrand, I think it should be the Cleveland Independents. The “Indies” sounds enough like the old name, also sounds cool, and Ohio is the ultimate swing state or whatnot.
2:34
Steve Herbman: Best free agent pitcher this winter: Alex Cobb, Jake Arrieta, Yu Darvish?
2:34
Dan Szymborski: Stan Darsh
2:35
Big: Best young arm in the NL Central (25 or under)?
2:36
Dan Szymborski: Reyes, presuming health
2:37
Dan Szymborski: Though I shoudl note ZiPS loves Hader
2:37
Zwak: Who would you like to see in this year’s World Series?
2:37
Dan Szymborski: Baltimore vs. Washington
2:37
Dan Szymborski: NOTE:  NOT A PREDICTION
2:37
Rich: Why would  Stanton win if his team is not competing? If they accept a player whose team is not competing wouldn’t votto make a better case?
2:37
Dan Szymborski: His advanced stats are right with Votto’s so you won’t get a landslide from the stat guys either way
2:38
Dan Szymborski: And fewer writers care about this sort of thing than in the past
2:38
Rick C: Passan reporting Robles is getting called up
2:38
Nate : Jorge Soler future outlook? 15% BB rate 24 HRs in 74 games in AAA, legit?
2:39
Dan Szymborski: As bad as he was in the majors this year in the majors, he still has a significant upside
2:39
Dan Szymborski: I understand KC feeling risk-averse, but it’s not like Alex Gordon is doing jack.
2:39
Rich: Next team to start a rebuild, who you got?
2:39
Dan Szymborski: Marlins
2:39
Dave Cameronaunepetitegraine: With the Padres ‘stealing’ low minors prospect in the Rule V, and the White Sox (or any, full rebuild, team) probably following suit. Do you see changes being made to the system?
2:40
Dan Szymborski: No, but I think teams will be more willing to protect those interesting low-minors guys over higher fringe prospects.
2:40
Zwak: What name would you give a robot umpire? Would you give each of them an individual name?
2:40
Dan Szymborski: The Already-Better-Than-Joe-West 1000
2:40
ECinDC: With Robles in your ESPN piece today, Nats must have seen it and decided to call him up.
2:40
Dan Szymborski: I’m SURE that was it!
2:40
Why am I a Met Fan?: What is David Wright’s remaining path back to baseball, and what are the odds?
2:40
Dan Szymborski: Getting Wolverine’s super powers?
2:41
Ducky Mansyrup: Will Acuna and Machado ever be in the same lineup?
2:41
Dan Szymborski: No
2:41
Dave Cameronaunepetitegraine: Judge just hit another bomb
2:41
Re:uniforms: If the Orioles were playing on Halloween in the WS theyd have to be in Black and Orange right? Theme night at camden yard?
2:41
Chuncey Wiggins: You absolutely must watch it. Every sports fan should. It isn’t just about cycling and how easy it is to fool drug testing. It goes places. Dark, sordid international places.
2:41
Slew: How good are the Indians? Given that they just jumped into the MLB lead in run differential, are they the favorites?
2:41
Dan Szymborski: I think they are in the AL, by a hair
2:42
Dan Szymborski: Though that is me being optimistic about Salazar.
2:42
Dan Szymborski: If you’re not optimistic I think Houston ahead by a hair
2:42
Dan Szymborski: Yes, I measure all projected winning percentages in hair
2:42
Steve Herbman: Should a team looking for a potential bargain try to sign Michael Pineda for a 2- or 3-year deal?
2:42
Gin: If the Yankees dont make the Div Series do they bring back Girardi? (lets assume Cashman is retained)
2:43
Dan Szymborski: Yup and yup
2:43
Slapshot: How crazy was The Big Show to be willing to take that Braun Strowman powerslam through the cage on Monday Night Raw this week?
2:43
Dan Szymborski: I STILL HAVENT SEEN
2:43
GOME: Bet my buddy $150 before the season the O’s wouldn’t make the playoffs? Still got a good chance at that?
2:43
Dan Szymborski: There are a lot of teams.  What odds did you/he give?
2:43
Mac: If Mexico City would ever get a team, would they be allowed to put their AAA team in the Mexican League to help create a national fanbase?
2:43
Dan Szymborski: That’s honestly an interesting question.
2:43
Dan Szymborski: MAYBE
2:44
PhanGraphs: I’m annoyed that the Phillies keep playing top prospects at their non-natural positions (Hoskins in OF; Crawford at 3B).  Should I be?
2:44
Dan Szymborski: Yes
2:44
Dan Szymborski: You want to see what Crawford can do at the major league level.  While it’s a nice gesture to get Galvis 162 games, *he* should accommodate *others* to make it happen in ways that don’t hurt teh team’s future
2:45
Scuffy Mcgee: I see Robles is coming up. Do you think that means Harper isn’t making it back for the post-season?
2:45
Dan Szymborski: No
2:45
Raindog: Which is worse: Pujols and 4/114 remaining or Miggy and 6/192 remaining?
2:45
Dan Szymborski: Pujols still.
2:46
Dan Szymborski: I think Cabrera will come back and not su ck for a few years.
2:46
Dan Szymborski: I think Pujols is a complete dead loss now.
2:46
Ben: If the stat guys are split between Stanton and Votto wouldn’t it mean a playoff guy (Rendon, Goldy) might win?
2:46
Dan Szymborski: Stanton has a storyline too.
2:46
Dan Szymborski: DINGERS
2:47
Todd Cobb: Cleveland should just go back to being called the Lajoies!
2:47
Raindog: For a bajillionty dollars, would you rather have Harper or Machado?
2:47
Dan Szymborski: Machado, but I’m biased.
2:47
Potato(e) – Pototo(e): Sinker vs two-seamer: Sinker is the term used when that is the primary fastball in a pitchers repertoire? Two-seamer is the term used when the primary fastball is a four-seamer?
2:47
Dan Szymborski: The rules are kinda fluid
2:47
Dan Szymborski: The differences between pitches are *generally* not that clearcut.
2:47
YKnotDisco?!: Have you seen the 15 WWE-inspired baseball teams (photos)?
2:47
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think so
2:48
Raindog: Mike Trout has walked 5 more times than he’s struck out.  Just letting you know.
2:48
Ichiro Fan: Is the last year of Ichiro?   Seems to me that the last two months left earned him another year of pinch hitting
2:48
Dan Szymborski: No, he’s going to keep coming back I think
2:48
CamdenWarehouse: The money is now on Tebow over Wright for most at bats with the Mets going forward, right?
2:48
Dan Szymborski: Ouch, possibly.
2:48
Todd Cobb: err the Naps
2:48
Todd Cobb: So JT Realmuto’s sure fast
2:48
Raindog: O’s should maybe learn from their previous excess caution and explore an extension with Beckham?
2:49
Dan Szymborski: It wouldn’t be a bad idea.
2:49
Dan Szymborski: Though I’m not sure you want to do it right as he’s been so crazy good
2:49
Re:Pujols: Pujols was an obvious HoF player, probably still desrves to be, but do years of playing poorly hurt your chances? Like how negative and positive WAR cancel out?
2:49
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think so.  The Angels are *choosing* to play him, after all.
2:50
D-Backs: JD Martinez is a free agent this year.   Given the drop in the market, can he get a a J-Up style contract?   If so, who will make a run for him?
2:50
Dan Szymborski: I think he’ll fail to match Upton’s current deal
2:50
MagiCarpenter: Assuming 25-man rosters, one might think that the 750th best MLB player is the 750th best player in the world. This is obviously false, so what do you think the range of active MLBers is? Is the worst MLB player the 1000th best in the world? 2000th?
2:50
Dan Szymborski: You’ll have a few very bad outliers.
2:50
Dan Szymborski: Like if I did WAR for all translations, I’m not sure Gordon is even in the top 2000 for 2017-only.
2:50
Dan Szymborski: Or CarGo
2:51
Dan Szymborski: Ability wise, probably not 2000th, maybe 1500th?  But this is an off-the-cuff guess
2:51
Todd Cobb: looking at the statcast data for sprint speed on baseball savant, has there ever been a better visual representation of the 20-80 scale?
2:51
Todd Cobb: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/sprint_speed_leaderboard
2:51
Dan Szymborski: No, Daren Willman is very good at what he does
2:51
Matt: Are the phillies good now? The offense has some pretty great upside, Eno hinted at playoff potential next season
2:52
Dan Szymborski: IU think that’s probably a strethc, but I like what they’re doing
2:52
Brian: I really enjoy your work and the work of Fangraphs.  I want to try getting into writing about baseball, do you think the writers at fangraphs could come together with a primer for how to start gathering info? (i.e.: what type of sites you use for data gathering, tips, etc..)
2:52
Dan Szymborski: Maybe, ask ’em!
2:52
Re:Pujols: More interesting career? Colon, Beltre, Dickey, Ichiro, or Showalter?
2:52
Dan Szymborski: Dickey’s story is the wackiest, what with the whole missing UCL thing
2:52
Matt: I should’ve read the beginning of the chat before asking my phillies question. Apologies
2:53
Dan Szymborski: YOU ARE SENTENCED TO DINNER WITH CISTULLI AND  YOU CANT BRING HOLY WATER
2:53
Kate Upton: How important to Justin Verlander’s HOF chances was the trade to the Astros?   I didn’t see him adding many counting stats but now maybe he can pick up more wins
2:53
Dan Szymborski: A few here and there and he gets another chance at a ring.
2:53
Todd Cobb: wait per statcast JT Realmuto is faster than Mookie Betts? That can’t be right
2:54
Moltar: What happened with Travis d’Arnaud? He just isn’t good at well, anything. How bad of a decision is it for the Mets to insist on bringing him back as the starter again next year?
2:54
Dan Szymborski: It’s really hard to tell, given his long history of injuries
2:54
Todd Cobb: per statcast JT Realmuto is faster than Tim Anderson, defensive stalwart shortstop, and ALSO Jake Marisnick, fast Centrefielder. What?
2:55
Dan Szymborski: It’s a direct measurement.
2:56
Dan Szymborski: Craig Biggio broke into the majors as a catcher and stole 400 bases in the end
2:56
Dan Szymborski: BUt I suspect that fast catchers lose speed fairly quickly.
2:56
Dan Szymborski: (I could probably extract it from ZiPS but never thought to do it before)
2:56
AL Central: which team rises sooner — White Sox or Tigers and why?
2:56
Dan Szymborski: White Sox.  They faced reality first and still have the better system.
2:56
Re:Pujols: Most fun animal to stop a game? Cat, Dog, Pigeon, or Midges?
2:57
Dan Szymborski: Cats
2:57
Dan Szymborski: Dogs might listen to a command.  Pigeons might fly away.  Cats don’t give a shit.
2:57
Gomes: Better chance at the HOF? Votto or Greinke
2:57
Dan Szymborski: I THINK Greinke.  He’s more likely to end up with better traditional Hall stats than Votto.
2:57
Dan Szymborski: And I don’t think the voter base is going to turn around THAT quickly
2:57
Dan Szymborski: People like Law are JUST now getting their votes, remember.
2:57
Chris Tracy: How many gay players do you know of?
2:58
Dan Szymborski: None personally, but there’s a pretty good probability that there are some.
2:58
Dan Szymborski: And if I knew someone who wasn’t out, I certainly wouldn’t say.
2:58
CamdenWarehouse: it would be far more fun for a whale to stop a baseball game
2:58
Aroood: Who is your 14th favorite ball player?
2:58
Dan Szymborski: Let’s just say Joe Orsulak
2:58
Dan Szymborski: OK, how about we bring back the Lightning Round?  Haven’t done an official one for awhile.
2:59
Dan Szymborski: The rules for the Lightning Round simple.  With the usual exceptions (very personal, job related, political), I MUST answer every question, so long as it’s not about baseball, even if I don’t know the answer or have any particular insight into the subject.  This goes on until I catch up or I really need to go.
2:59
Dan Szymborski: GO
2:59
mike: balor or nakumura?
2:59
Dan Szymborski: Shinsuke
2:59
Todd Cobb: who would win in a race around the base-paths, Usain Bolt or JT Realmuto?
2:59
Dan Szymborski: Bolt
3:00
MIke: Nick Markakis, 98% of votes for HoF or 99%?
3:00
Dan Szymborski: 102%.  They’d allow non-voters to vote.
3:00
CamdenWarehouse: what is your favorite flag?
3:01
Dan Szymborski: Nepal for avoiding the rectangular-industrial flaggiary process.
3:02
Ben: Best Olympian of all time
3:02
Dan Szymborski: Dionysus
3:02
mike: ambrose or rollins?
3:02
Dan Szymborski: Rollins
3:02
Gornog: Whats your favorite wierd hobby a baseball player has told you about?
3:02
Dan Szymborski: Haven’t talked with the much about weird hobbies.  Do talk a lot of video games wiht them.
3:02
Luke: In regards to Realmuto being fast, it’s peak sprint speed, different than acceleration or reaction time.
3:02
MagiCarpenter: I just think it’s neat to think about how many MiLB, NPB, KBO, Cuban, Dominican, etc players *are currently* better than some number of MLBers. Too bad about CarGo tho.
3:02
Dan Szymborski: I wasn’t really consider KBO/NPB in that Q.  That makes it more
3:02
Rich: Blasphemy on your Greinke vs Votto HOF comment! Votto is 12th All time in career OBP. he has raised his career OBP by .003 this year alone. He is .001 one from passing Foxx and Speaker to be number 10 right behind ty Cobb
3:03
Dan Szymborski: Again, I’m saying WILL vote for.  Can’t even get Mussina in.  Most of the voters don’t really care about career OBP.
3:03
FP: vinyl or digital
3:03
Dan Szymborski: Digital.
3:03
MiB: Best brand of chocolate milk?
3:03
Dan Szymborski: Nesquik powder.
3:03
mike: boxing or ufc?
3:03
Dan Szymborski: UFC
3:03
Ben: Best Olympic athlete of all time
3:03
Dan Szymborski: Jim Thorpe
3:04
CamdenWarehouse: I’m trying to find a new (offline) PC fantasy rpg.  Any suggestions?
3:04
Dan Szymborski: Pillars of Eternity.
3:04
Dan Szymborski: Or if you’re into emulation, the Suikoden games except IV
3:04
Faurvuew: DQ Blizzard or Sonic Blast?
3:04
Dan Szymborski: DQ
3:04
Todd Cobb: will Pulp Fiction eventually be viewed as the greatest film of all time? It seems that over time the consensus moves closer and closer to the current time, and Pulp Fiction has a nearly unanimous acclaim among critics. Birth of a Nation – Citizen Cane – Vertigo – The Godfather – (skip the 80s) – Pulp Fiction. Makes sense to me.
3:04
Dan Szymborski: No, even though I enjoy it
3:04
mike: ufc or wwe?
3:04
Dan Szymborski: Not directly comparable.
3:04
Todd Cobb: who wins in a fight, Isaiah Thomas or Dee Gordon?
3:04
Dan Szymborski: Thomas
3:04
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: Padres Hot Dog Unis or the Brewers M&B Glove logo?
3:05
Dan Szymborski: Padres first.
3:05
Goober: Rick and Morty or Game of Thrones?
3:05
Dan Szymborski: GoT except for recent season
3:05
Luke: Cincinnati Chili or Nick Markakis
3:05
Dan Szymborski: Markakis
3:05
Todd Cobb: do you consider “The Trial” to be a complete artistic work given it’s author didn’t finish it of his own accord
3:06
Dan Szymborski: I’ll go with a variation on the saying “A happy ending, of course, depends on where you stop the story.”
3:06
Dan Szymborski: I think you can judge incomplete artistic works.
3:06
Dan Szymborski: And completions from others become interesting hybrid works (like the completions of Mahler’s 10th, many of which are interesting)
3:06
Jack: The guy with the movie question misspelled Citizen Kane. Should be disqualified from all film topics…
3:06
Chuncey Wiggins: Who wins in a fight? A navy seal or Bud Selig.
3:07
Dan Szymborski: Navy Seal, he has time before Bud declares a tie
3:07
SHhh: Should we care about NFL or really any athletes health if they are being paid millions and know the risk of concussion/brain damage?
3:07
Dan Szymborski: The question, of course, is whether the NFL hindered them from knowing the risks.
3:07
MagiCarpenter: I just finished the game Prey. I highly recommend it if anyone is a fan of Bioshock, System Shock, or other Shock related games. Uhh, my question is, is this a type of game you enjoy?
3:07
Dan Szymborski: I did enjoy Bioshock.
3:07
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe: If reading is knowledge; and,
Knowledge is power; and,
Power corrupts; and,
Corruption is a crime; and,
You pay for your crimes; then,
How much should you pay me for having read this?
3:07
Dan Szymborski: You should’ve asked before I read it
3:07
Slapshot: Best beer you’ve ever tasted?
3:08
Dan Szymborski: Rochefort 10
3:08
?: How many regulars on this chat do you recognize when you see their questions?
3:08
Dan Szymborski: Quite a few.  problem is you can lie aboutwho you are
3:08
Todd Cobb: i meant Citizen Cane, the pornographic Christmas spoof
3:08
mike: how much longer can the NFL exist ?
3:08
Dan Szymborski: I think enough people will still want to play
3:08
Luke: Gausman’s stereotypical evil character goatee or Bundy’s sweating problem?
3:08
Dan Szymborski: Evil Gausman
3:09
Gomes: cena or orton
3:09
Dan Szymborski: Orton
3:09
Dan Szymborski: AND CAUGHT UP
3:09
Dan Szymborski: Thanks for joining me, everyone!
3:09
Dan Szymborski: As a reminder, you can find my work at ESPN.com, chats and projections at FanGraphs, and at DSzymborski on Twitter.





 

Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

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  1. robertobeers says:
    September 8, 2017 at 11:00 am
    FanGraphs Supporting Member

    Hey Carson, put down the bottle and put up the chat.

    • robertobeers says:
      September 8, 2017 at 12:12 pm
      FanGraphs Supporting Member

      It’s understood we’re talking about “your” baby’s formula bottle.

    • Carson Cistulli says:
      September 8, 2017 at 12:27 pm
      FanGraphs Supporting Member

      My bad! All set, man.

      • robertobeers says:
        September 8, 2017 at 1:46 pm
        FanGraphs Supporting Member

        As my kindergarden teacher, Mrs. Degusta, would say, “A sorry is a commitment to change.” this is the second time I’ve had to make this request Carson and I expect better.