Eno Sarris Baseball Chat — 9/8/16

Eno Sarris: From Toronto! Here’s a song dedicated to a certain A’s callup.

Eno Sarris: hey it’s going to be 90s hip hop day

i hate my manager: does canada consider you a terrorist now or something?

Eno Sarris: no, just didn’t know if I needed a visa to “talk” at a “venue” about “baseball”. Sure, German dude, sure.

hscer: Wait, there are chats on this site?

Eno Sarris: no, just a bunch of people getting strange.

i hate my manager:

Eno Sarris: you know, there is actually some hard evidence that he’s not very good at handling a bullpen!

tengopreguntas: Why do people think/say that it is world series or bust for the cubs? They have an 18.6% chance on the playoff odds posted on fangraphs. Is this always the thinking for good teams or is this line of thinking due to their WS drought?

Eno Sarris: That’s also the highest number right?

The Decadent Moose: Hey, that Vine of your kids is the most adorable fantasy baseball advice since we found out Szymborski’s cats run ZiPS.

Eno Sarris: Buster buster posey?

Eno Sarris: this one? https://twitter.com/enosarris/status/771539557351239682

The Decadent Moose: Last Thursday I took acid and chatted. My team did not transcend, I felt like a walking piece of shit… in a stupid looking jacket.

Eno Sarris: Sometimes the bar eats you.

RMR: Any idea why the Phillies AA park in Reading, Pa has become such a launching pad? From the area and I just can’t come up with a logical explanation.

Eno Sarris: hey that seems like a fun thing to try and figure out!

AL Pitching Coach: How many chances do us Torontonians get for an Eno sighting this week?

Eno Sarris: Today I’ll show up an hour early for Pitch Talks (www.PitchTalksBaseball.com) and you can get $5 off if you use code ‘fangraphs’. And tomorrow I’ll be at BarHop on Peter Street at five pm! With bells on.

Eno Sarris: Oh and then I’m going to the game, which will be awesome, eh?

CameronDaClub: TEBOWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Terrible Ted: When I was seventeen,
I drank some very good beer,
I drank some very good beer
I purchased with a fake ID.
My name was Brian McGee,
I stayed up listenin’ to Queen
When I was seventeen.

Snowflake: Had a dream the other night. Was looking to buy a present for girl I had a crush on in high school. Couldn’t find anything good. Then the Sleeper and the Bust podcast came on. It was a video edition. And Eno was getting chased by a very aggressive fan yelling about Alex Bregman. The chase went on for a while, but I didn’t get to see how it ended cause Sporer cut in complaining about the audio quality. What does it all mean?

Eno Sarris: I’m glad I chatted today is what it means.

Martin: Felipe Rivero had been a starter in the minors with inconsistent results, but from everything I can tell, his changeup didn’t breakthrough as a plus pitch until he became a reliever. In fact, it didn’t even seem part of his repertoire. Now it’s arguably his best pitch to compliment a strong fastball and an effective slider. Knowing that he now has three pitches to work from, do you think the Pirates should experiment with him as a starter this spring?

Eno Sarris: For sure I think they will because they are crafty like that.

Dumpster Fiers: A little “You can get with this, or you can get with that” for 2017: Cron or Bour? Kang or Gurriel? Capps or Buchter?

Eno Sarris: Well this fits the theme today so I gotta

Eno Sarris: Bour. Kang. Buchter.

Zach: Between Steven Brault, Trevor Williams, and Chad Kuhl, which of those three do you think has the best likelihood to become a respectable starting pitcher?

Eno Sarris: Bro, it’s Brault.

RMR: If the White Sox can find a solid DH/corner bat, catcher and a part-time CF, would it make sense for them to go for it again next year? I’m thinking something like Braun, McCann and maybe bring back Austin Jackson to help out Tilson in CF. Is that and a couple minor pieces enough to make putting off a rebuild worth it?

Eno Sarris: Their core is actually top five in the American League by most metrics. Yes I think one more try at improving depth is a good idea, particularly with Anderson looking cromulent.

Molitor: Is there a pitcher that just confuses you?

Eno Sarris: Happ maybe. I mean I *know* he has the biggest separation between the 4s and 2s in terms of vertical movement and that he has good command and that he has rise and all that. But when you watch him…

Ben: Do expanded rosters give unfair advantage to teams with better current farm systems? They have more impactful minor leaguers to help, compared to some other teams.

Eno Sarris: There are a lot of crappy things about September but I don’t think I’d call that an ‘unfair’ advantage, given that your minor league system is part of your entire system and so seems pretty above board to try and have a good farm system.

Ynks: Is Tyler Austin starting for the Yankees on Opening Day 2017?

Eno Sarris: No.

Alan: Eno, I saw Aaron Judge a few weekends ago in Anaheim and honestly, his swing looked long and slow relative to the expectations set by his prospect ranking. He still smoked a single, but seemed behind pretty pedestrian fastballs. I’m no scout, so tell me why I’m wrong and biased against tall guys.

Eno Sarris: I think he’s huge and I’m not sure he’s going to have the power to make up for his strikeouts, so I’m not that into him, actually.

The Gyorko Store Called: Keep or punt Blake Snell rest of season?

Eno Sarris: Keep.

CapnZippers: ENO, HOW ARE US MET FANS SUPPOSED TO FEEL ABOUT TEBOW???

Eno Sarris: *yawn*

Andrew: What’s Seth Lugo’s future? What about Robert Gsellman? Both having real nice stretches in Queens.

Eno Sarris: I believe in Lugo more than Gsellman. Lugo has a standout pitch where Gsellman is more of a kitchen sink guy.

The Gyorko Store Called: Keep or punt Tyler Skaggs rest of season?

Eno Sarris: Punt.

Stuafoo: I love IPAs but think I’m developing a hops allergy. The equivalent amount of an IPA always make me feel worse than other beers (taking percentage into account)–plus they make me sneeze sometimes. Because of that I’ve moved more towards lagers and pilsners. I love the Lauganutas and Eclyptic pilsners (I’m from Seattle)–you have any particular favorites?

Eno Sarris: I sneeze on some IPAs so it might be a certain malt or hops. I might track for a month and see if I can figure it out.. will let you know the results. Try some session pales like Firestone Walker Easy Jack, or their Pivo Pils, that’s good too. Could try the Lagunitas Sally and see if you’ll like sours. Try some saisons, like Saison Dupont. Go to Holy Mountain.

Wakawaka: Mauricio Cabrera’s change-up is almost impossible.

Eno Sarris: Low spin rate on his fastball is weird, though.

Mark: While in lovely Toronto, On may I recommend Izumi (sake distillery) and Leftfield Brewery? Additionally, avoid Mill St. Brewery at all costs; it’s bad.

Eno Sarris: I’m hoping to have some Left Field tonight. Also will have some beers at BarHop. Trying to fit in Bellwoods. Had Boneshaker last night.

Devin: Do you think Glasnow’s control issues can largely be attributed to his frame, which best resembles a wacky flailing inflatable tube man? Are pitchers capable of “growing in” to their control?

Eno Sarris: Yes. Look at Aaron Sanchez. Command is at least in large part fitness, stamina, and confidence. In fact, that might be 90% of it.

ROB: Hey Eno what mediocre/bad starter could you see becoming a dominate reliver if they made the switch a la Wade Davis or Andrew Miller

Eno Sarris: Most of them. Watch Liriano be nuts this month.

Mike_C: As a Braves Fan, its really disheartening to see Freeman waste his best year as a pro on the 2016 Braves. What are the chances he can post another 5 WAR season in 2018 when it might actually make a difference?

Eno Sarris: He seems to have made a swing plane change that should stick with him. I’m a little worried this plane will make him a K% risk later in career, but it’s good for his peak.

Boy Jorge: Tell me I’m pretty

Miketron: Red Delicious is truly the worst kind of apple…

Snowflake: If Tebow were blindfolded, do you think he could tell the difference between bag of sand and a boob?

Eno Sarris: You guys are the best.

Nelson: Bork lives only 3hrs from Toronto, since Im assuming he goes to meet you, can you report back on his Borkness?

Eno Sarris: Bork you better identify yourself. You know what, he’s got a tiny one. He’s not coming. It’s okay, Bork, I know what it’s like.

Marty: Bachelor party this weekend. Had my best man get a keg of easy jack.

Eno Sarris: It would be my flippy cup beer and my poolside beer, so no matter what sort of bachelor party you have, it’ll be perfect.

Nelson: I hope you didnt try ot cross the border with 49.9 lbs of American beer

Eno Sarris: Very happy I didn’t.

Ray: Kiermaier’s walk rate has doubled, his hard hit rate has increased by a ton, and he’s pulling the ball in the air more. Is he quietly breaking out?

Eno Sarris: Yeah I like what he’s doing. He’s also done a lot of that by improving vs lefties which gives us hope that he’s going to be an everyday starter in fantasy and in real ball.

Wakawaka: If the handedness of a *starting* pitchers isn’t that important in the composition of a starting rotation, why are lefty pitching prospects that project as starters so much more highly prized than righty pitching prospects? I get that there’s a scarcity of lefties, but unless teams *need* lefty starters more than righty starters, that shouldn’t matter, right?

Eno Sarris: I think we’re seeing more teams think this way. There are more than a few righty-heavy, even lefty-less teams. But I think in terms of matchups, particularly in the postseason, you want that lefty in case you run into a lefty-laden murderer’s row team.

Snarfle: Weirder NY success story: current Mets, current Yankees, or guy who makes a couple hundred a day standing very still with a sheet over his head in grand central?

Eno Sarris: Sheet guy.

Capn Canuck: Why are rookie and young hitters so far outperforming young pitchers. Even the prospect pitchers are so uninspiring

Eno Sarris: Could be related to the homer surge.

AD: The Phillies’ leader in WAR is Cesar Hernandez. That is all.

Eno Sarris: I like him more than most. I know that he has some problems that don’t always show up in the stat sheet, but he hits the ball hard and has some speed and isn’t a disaster in terms of plate discipline.

Hello: If someone is unable to attend your Toronto evening events, can they buy you lunch instead?

Eno Sarris: Friday, after I’m on Jeff Blair’s show, I think I’ll be heading to Bellwoods for lunch if they do lunch…

JNC: It looks like nearly everyone on the leaderboards received a Def bump overnight. What does it all mean?

Eno Sarris: Defense doesn’t update daily.

Mark:

1991 – Public Enemy – By the Time I get to Arizona

JT: Should we be worried about Bogaerts?

Eno Sarris: Nah, I like the added fly balls.

Mike_C: Is there currently a pitcher in baseball that pairs a good sinking fastball with a solid “riding” fourseamer? I would think with proper sequencing it’s a combo that should generate a fair ammount of wiffs, grounders and popups.

Eno Sarris: Chris Tillman, J.A. Happ…. end list?

Miketron: I saw a bit of Severino yesterday and the slider looked better. Do you think he can be a decent starter again next year?

Eno Sarris: That gives him two pitches? I need some more changeup in my life too.

Cotton: So exactly how awesome was my debut last night?

Eno Sarris: dat straight change.

Snarfle: Okay, so I saw Black Sheep open for De La Soul/Wyclef like ten years ago. Somehow they ended up doing that song you posted three times. It had something to do with the rain. It kept threatening to rain and both Sheep and De La got cut off early so that they could get to Wyclef before everyone got rained on. Wyclef had the studio versions of his songs and other people’s play over the speakers and would kind of sing along. It was somewhat charmingly lazy. The whole thing was somewhat charmingly lazy. I think I resented it because I want to be paid for being charmingly lazy, and also, dude, do a real show.

RotoLando: Do you have any love for Wilmer Difo?

Eno Sarris: Maybe in fantasy, but he’s not going to walk enough, going to strike out too much, and doesn’t have much power, so is he going to play a lot?

Chris: Was just at Camden and Nats Park this weekend couldn’t find any legit brews. (Best I found at Orioles as a Pilsner) My friends were hooked on Natty Boh though haha.

Eno Sarris: So weird. Shoulda found some Flying Dog at Nats park tho.

Chopper Dave: Does Rougned Odor’s mixture of power, aggressiveness, and no walks give cause for concern that his production might sharply decline if pitchers start pitching him differently?

Eno Sarris: He’s managed to adjust a couple times, I think it’s more of a productivity issue (will the power trump all the outs?) and a longevity issue (what happens when bat slows).

Chris: . Who do you like best for this weekend out of these options? Graveman vs SEA, Kuhl vs Reds, Cessa vs TB, Andriese @ NYY, Vogelsong vs CIN, or Bettis @ SD?

Eno Sarris: Graveman.

His Wife is in a Coma: Which current major leaguers have an 80 hit tool?

Eno Sarris: Better question for a more scouty guy maybe, but I’ll go with Yelich, Trout, Cabrera, Votto, Lindor, Altuve, Pollock?, Brantley… there’s probably more.

Pretty Tony: Should I drop Smyly, Triggs, or Paxton for Jharel Cotton? I THINK HE COULD BE SUPER SEXY TIMEEEEEEE

Eno Sarris: Yes. Look at the schedule, but I’d lean towards dropping Triggs unless Smyly gets Boston and Toronto and New York the rest of the way.

RotoLando: Would it be illegal to have steel rods implanted into your arm to mold your throwing hand into a jai alai basket?

Eno Sarris: It may not be currently illegal but it would be pretty quickly. I’d love to see those first few pitches though.

Erik: Most writers on here seem to not care about other sports, or maybe follow one other sport, max. What’s the cause and effect there? Only people obsessed with baseball at the expense of other sports become baseball writers? Or baseball writers spend so much time following baseball that they don’t have the time or energy to care about another sport?

Eno Sarris: Energy and time is my guess. I’ve killed football and only have time for Basketball other than Baseball now.

JT: “He’s got a tiny one???” You should apologize to Bork.

Eno Sarris: oops.

Mick: You know, when I drink alone I prefer to be by myself.

Otis Redding: If you have time friday morning, go to The Beast, and get the beastwich for breakfast, they are open from 10-3 on friday, saturday, sunday! then go to Wvrst for lunch for their Beer Hall Sausages and great tap list, plus they periodically have Cantillon

Eno Sarris: ooooooooh

Elijabonk Melingproplefoot: If the season ended and all of MLB’s managers decided to go on a relaxing cruise together, but the boat sank and they ended up all on one life raft in the middle of the ocean, which manager would be the first to turn to cannibalism and which would be the first one eaten? This is a very important question.

Eno Sarris: oooh. Gibby is feisty. I wonder if he’d get that crazy look in his eye. Robin Ventura is too nice. Eaten.

Roadhog: Most exciting A’s rookie is: Healy/Cotton/Triggs/???

Eno Sarris: I love me some Healy. Story up soon.

Sonny: re: Pitchers that don’t make sense. Papelbon threw the straightest 95 4s during his peak. For years I predicted ‘this is the year the league tees off on him!’ It took 12 years

Eno Sarris: Yup, right there with you.

Terrible Ted: Stroman now too RE: sinker/rising 4?

Eno Sarris: Nice, yeah he’s bringing the 4s back. Not a ton of rise though.

Nick Markinky: Back and Kinkier than ever

Eno Sarris:

Fast Eddie: Who closes for the Cubs in 2017?

Eno Sarris: Pedro Strop or a free agent?

sam: What is that 87 MPH cutter-changeup thing that Taillon throws? Is that thing a viable third pitch? Cause it just looks really crappy compared to his other pitches IMHO.

Eno Sarris: Changeup. and it’s crappy, and he knows it. Probably should go to a slider or cutter.

Reggie: How would you handle the Ender/Mallex situation for Atlanta? Trade Ender who’s valuable while gambling on Mallex?

Eno Sarris: They going to try and put together a package for an under control star, I’d guess. I sorta like Pablo Sandoval on a cost cutting deal for the Red Sox too.

Seabass: Oatmeal Cookie – LF, Peanut Butter – CF, Snickerdoodle – RF, Choco Chip – Replacement Level

Eno Sarris: I’m crazy. Don’t listen to me. Oatmeal plays center for me.

2-D: Could Bauer profile as a sinker/riser guy?

Eno Sarris: Oops yeah he’s in there for sure.

Jim Lonborg: Does Sandy Leon’s hitting make his beard more awesome, or does his beard make his hitting more awesome?

Eno Sarris: Hopefully the latter because the hitting won’t last.

Roadhog: Triggs is out for the season

Eno Sarris: Well that’s news to me. We have a dropper! Too bad, I liked Triggs.

Zonk: Reds pitchers have a collected -0.9 WAR at this point. Will they pull it to a positive? They are also only 13 Homeruns give up short of the all-time record of 241…I think that one is in the bag, no?

Eno Sarris: Good lord.

Big Tall T: Brad Miller went on a tear after he got moved off SS…Should the Rays try jerking his chain again and see if he gets riled up and goes off again?

Eno Sarris: Who’s going to volunteer to jerk his what now

Nick: What kind of deal do you think Melancon will get in the offseason? Something around 3 years/$30 million?

Eno Sarris: I’m not giving him more, but some team might go to 45.

Josh: Would you start Gsellman tomorrow @ATL?

Eno Sarris: I’d start most of the league against Atlanta.

Rated Rookie: What do you make of Trea Turner’s future as a fantasy asset? Where do you think he plays defense next season?

Eno Sarris: CF, with speed down, good player.

Zonk: Say something nice about the Angels without mentioning Mike Trout

Eno Sarris: Andrelton Simmons has moist-level defense, and when healthy again, Tropeano and Healey are interesting pitchers?

E: Mike Fiers is a lefty. I dont care what any stupid article says.

Eno Sarris: A.J. Griffin.

Gabe: Why wouldn’t Rondon close for the Cubs in 2017?

Eno Sarris: Just because I’ve been calling for Strop’s Sexy Slider for so long I gotta double down. I think Rondon, Strop, and option three will all get saves for them next year.

Ty: Can you think of an extremely successful starting pitcher with only 2 pitches (non knuckleballer)? Let’s say 95% of the time he throws one of two pitches.

Eno Sarris: Chris Archer, Tyson Ross, Jason Hammel, A.J. Burnett, Bartolo Colon, though 95% and extremely are sliding scales on this list. Mostly fastball/slider righties with either great command or nasty stuff.

Chris: Who are some breakout candidates you’re keeping an eye on next year? Guys who may currently be good/very good fantasy players but take their game to the next level (a la Mookie Betts this year)

Eno Sarris: Carlos Correa, Addison Russell, Maikel Franco, Domingo Santana, Jorge Soler (still) lower on list.

Jon: I’m listening to your podcast while reading your chat. What is too much Eno, Eno??

Eno Sarris:

Roadhog: So, is Graveman the A’s ace going forward? He’s been quietly excellent this season, while Gray has exploded and is hurt.

Eno Sarris: Nah, he’s a prototypical innings three at this point.

Sonny: long time admirer of Bauer but I get the feeling he’s much more interested in process than results and that’s a hard mindset to succeed with at that level.

Eno Sarris: He was bummed last year, he’s in a way better mood this year. He may care a lot about process, but he cares about results.

Nickle Toucher: Any thoughts on the Giants’ collapse?

Eno Sarris: They’ll hit again.

Eno Sarris: Their bullpen is probably the worst it’s been in a while, but I still like some guys at the back end.

Boberto: Like what you saw from Cobb? Little shaky early on but seemed to find it

Eno Sarris: No. His splitter had no drop.

jon: Kyle Hendricks handing the ball off to Aroldis Chapman, the biggest stuff differential in baseball?

Eno Sarris: Imagine that happening to you. Shudders.

Todd: Speaking of former Pirates and contracts, what about Neil Walker? Historically, he’s been a better play up through his contract year than Murphy was. That said, this back issue seems to have elevated that lingering problem from “inconvenience but manageable” to “oh crap this might be a serious red flag”. What are you thinking?

Eno Sarris: QO.

Schlong Dong Silver: Thoughts on CJ Edwards

Eno Sarris: Love that rising almost cut fastball. those fingers.

zach: who is the least valuable going foward, kelvin herrera, david robertson, ken giles, or edwin diaz?

Eno Sarris: Herrera in a saves league. SV+HLD maybe Robertson.

JD15: Don’t think I saw anything about Strasburg above…how does his injury (if season ending) change the NL playoff picture? Dodgers favorites to meet Cubs in NLCS?

Eno Sarris: Nationals still pretty good, and they look a lot more like the Dodgers in the rotation now. Isn’t their lineup better? Bullpen is a pickem?

Eno’s Whathestalkingabout: Post this for the Name if nothing else.. Would you rather be an Ace Pitcher, Top Closer, or Top position player?

Eno Sarris: Position Player from a money standpoint. Ace pitcher otherwise. More days off. More thinking.

Rojo: What time are you going on the Jeff Blair show tomorrow?

Eno Sarris: 11:30 local

Phantom of the Chakras: You made me sad about Cobb the other day.

Eno Sarris: And then I did it there just again. I’m sad. Maybe he’ll find the splitter in the next outing.

Todd: Re: Your Walker response. Are you saying he should accept the QO? If offered and he rejects, what kind of contract could you see him getting?

Eno Sarris: I could really see him getting a QO and taking it.

Eno’s Whathestalkingabout: Who was the pitcher that threw a no spin pitch with a Forkball grip? (Cuello or something like that). How does PitchFx process that?

Eno Sarris: Gets change tumble, gets the change label, probably. Cuello had a true Forkleball, almost a knuckler, so side to side would have messed up Pfx a little.

Bob: Need to drop one of Buchholz or Bettis to activate Kershaw. Bettis has SD twice.

Eno Sarris: Clay!

Josh: I’m not a scouting expert, but I don’t think there’s supposed to be a ton of 80 grade tools at any time, 70 is plus-plus. I think 80 is supposed to be pretty rare, like Stanton’s power or Hamilton’s speed. I don’t think you can fairly say, Lindor is to hit tool, as Stanton is to power, as Hamilton is to speed. That’s way too generous.

Eno Sarris: That occurred to me, but also having ten guys in the league with 80 hit tool doesn’t seem like too much to me. We’re talking about at least 300 MLB position players, and the grades extend to the minors…

Eno Sarris: Anyway, I’m a Big Hall guy too.

Jay: Easier to learn and command a change up or curve ball?

Eno Sarris: I think most people think curve, but it ends up being one to one half the population and the other to the other half. Personal mechanics I guess.

Jordan: Are you on board with the Jays making a move for Votto in the offseason and resigning one of Bautista or EE? I’m aware that the likely scenerio with this front office is that they resign no one and not trade for Votto, but it’s fun to think about

Eno Sarris: I bet they sign the cheaper hitter, and I think that’s Bautista, but people have pointed out that Bautista is going for his first big payday and may push for every extra dollar. Doubt they do Votto trade.

Rated Rookie: Josh Bell: what’s your back of the envelope triple slash line look like in 2017? Is it good enough for the Pirates to play him mostly every day?

Eno Sarris: .275/.350/.450. Yeah I do think he’ll play. I’ve been impressed.

HomebrewJ: Still not convinced that Aaron Nola isn’t left handed

Eno Sarris: Impressive that he gets that sort of movement from the left side.

zach: Do you see Mac Williamson being an everyday player next year in SF?

Eno Sarris: Platoon mate with a lefty in left?

TJ: What’s going on with G Polanco? He’s hitting LH pitching, he’s hitting for power, but he’s hitting .226 since the break.

Eno Sarris: He’s a little slow to adjust to the league sometimes, but he usually gets there.

Miketron: Does Puig get a change of scenery this offseason? I feel like he needs one.

Eno Sarris: I’d be willing to give him one. If I was Atlanta, I’d be talking to LA.

Terrible Ted: Is there an ideal meal/time to consume dinner before going out and drinking a bunch of beer?

Terrible Ted: Taking into account hangover effect, pee rate and fullness factor.

Eno Sarris: Definitely water with dinner. I’m a meat guy, but it has to be protein heavy. Light on carbs. Try to get full on less.

zach: Platoon with Blanco maybe?

Eno Sarris: I thought that would happen this year, and it did to a certain extent, so not crazy. Maybe they spend money on the bullpen.

Randy Savage: Tender Ender’s Member

Nate: Pumpkin beers: yay or nay?

Eno Sarris: Nay, but I won’t talk s on your decision. Tastes like a spice packet to me.

JD15: If Hawk Harrelson says that Todd Frazier is just as good as Kris Bryant, do you think he thinks Matt Kemp and Mike Trout are the same too?

Eno Sarris: Well that doesn’t make a ton of sense. And it’s not about batting average! Weird.

Rob: I agree the White Sox core is top five, but aren’t the weaknesses/holes just as more significant? 2B, C, CF, 4th & 5th starters. Plus after next year, Frazier is probably gone and 3B becomes a problem. The farm system is not ready to help the big league team and not deep enough to make the necessary trades. A weak FA class too

Eno Sarris: Yeah but it’s the last try for that FO. I believe Eaton can play center. C is a hole for almost everyone, ditto 5th starter.

HappyFunBall: So if Strasburg is out for the season, do you think the Nats try to get Ross ready for a postseason start? Take their chances with a sketchy Gio? Shock everyone and start one of the rookies?

Eno Sarris: They hoping for Ross right now.

Mick: You’re stuck in a bar that offers only macro lagers, no crafts. What do you order or nothing at all?

Eno Sarris: Stella, if I have to.

Ben: I’ve never been on a brewery tour. Are these generally worth it if you like the beers brewed at a particular brewery?

Eno Sarris: Generally worth it if you care about how beer is made. Not really otherwise, and they can get repetitive if you know what they are doing, generally, and they don’t give you specifics that make them different.

Eno Sarris: Has there ever been a song that makes you want to sing really loudly in a bad singing voice than this one?

Eno Sarris: “a girl named blah blah blah”

forever it: Winery tours: usually scenic, walking thru vineyards. Brewery tours: Huh, that’s a big tank ya got there

Eno’s Whathestalkingabout: What is a Brian Dozier?

Eno Sarris: The pulliest pull hitter of all time? Like the anti-Kipnis before this year?

i hate my manager: you are crawling in a desert, exhausted and needing fluids to have a chance to continue to press on. you come across a cooler filled with bud light, coors and natural light. do you keep crawling?

Eno Sarris: They do dehydrate on the sum, right? I think they would hurt more than help, but I would at least drink the natty water to see what would happen.

Martin: Stella tastes like weed smells. Give me a High Life.

Ari: I feel like this era of baseball is going to come and go and the only thing I feel confident about is that Joey Votto’s brilliance will go deeply underappreciated.

Eno Sarris: Joey Votto’s underratedness is a bomb shelter in the nuclear war that is Yahoo comments section.

Eno Sarris: oh good lord

Eno’s Whathestalkingabout: .418 .517 .655 … That is Votto’s 2nd half line, and it makes me happy. I REALLY want Votto to have a season where he puts is all together, it seems like he is always either hurt, or not 100% for part of the year. Seems like our best bet to flirt with .400 nowadays

Eno Sarris: You’d think it would be more of a contact hitter even, like an Altuve, but if you could smush Altuve’s swing and mis with Votto’s zone discipline, that’s your 400 hitter.

Mike: Surprised that chatter couldn’t find any good beer at Nats Park. They have local craft beer stands with 4 rotating locals on draft, and have cans of different Flying Dog, Atlas, and Port City with the roaming vendors.

Eno Sarris: Yeah it’s a better beer park than Camden for sure.

Toasty: negra modelo is GOAT macro if that counts

Eno Sarris: Oh yeah I always go Mexican Lager if that’s an option actually. That or Dos Equis.

Greg: Re Dodgers lineup vs Nats, doesn’t it come down to what you expect from Harper (WRC+ 120) going forward? If he’s gonna be equivalent to Pederson (122), i’ll take the Dodgers, who now have 8 regulars with a WRC+ over 100 (including both Puig and Reddick), compared to 6 on Nats. If Harper is back to being Harper, then they are a lot scarier.

Eno Sarris: Yeah, and injury is the real question. Harper true talent >>>>>>>> Joc, and I like Joc.

Snowflake: What’s the biggest animal you think you could beat in a fight? I was listening to the Jalen and Jacoby podcast and they said a hyena. I almost yelled out at work that they would get torn to shreds by a hyena. Even two on one I’m taking hyena all day.

Eno Sarris: Oh man i just looked a Hyena in the eyes and yeah, I’ll take my chances with a Capybara.

Hypotheticals: Hypothetical question: if a pitcher had literal PERFECT command of a 100-mph fastball, and nothing else, could he succeed in the majors? If so, would this work at 95? 90?

Eno Sarris: I mean, if he could hit that hole up and in 99 times out of 100… 90 might be too slow, but 95+??

Toasty: Beer in twin cities was pretty good btw. Even Target Field had decent selection.

Eno Sarris: Yeah v underrated beer city. Might be third to SD/Seattle.

Hypotheticals: Say there was a player who was guaranteed to NEVER get a hit. What OBP would he need to be a playable everyday option, say, as a league-average SS?

Eno Sarris: I’m sorry, it’s just not possible to walk enough to be valuable if your batting average is zero. Pitchers would push to a 70% zone rate.

Miketron: I don’t believe in hypothetical situations. That’s like lying to your brain…

Neil: Maybe someone already mentioned it, but Walker is re-tooling his mechanics and delivery on the fly after his last blow up start. Might be cool to watch tonight.

Eno Sarris: Cool but maybe not fun if you’re a Mariners fan.

JJP: Cooler full of light beer in the desert? Drink the beer then drink your pee.

Eno Sarris: Using Yourself As a Filter

Hypotheticals: In this scenario, our player has the freakish ability to foul off pitches until he gets a walk! (But he can’t hit them)

Eno Sarris: uh

RotoLando: Who is going to be the star pitcher that gets hurt batting, that finally convinces the NL to adopt the DH?

Eno Sarris: God that is how it works isn’t it.

JD15: Why do teams who are getting new front offices sometimes force the front office to work with the current manager (Twins and Molitor)?

Eno Sarris: Maybe it’s not so forceful. “You can fire him at some point and that’ll save your job for another year-plus”

Allen: If you were Coppy what would you give up for Puig?

Eno Sarris: Pitching? Hopefully not Soroka, or Teheran, but most of them in between.

I am the walrus: There simply is not enough AB’s next year for Schwaber, Baez and Soler. Soler is the most likely to go. What type of pitcher prospect do you think the cubs could get for Soler in the offseason? Top 75-100 prospect with solid 3 ceiling?

Eno Sarris: I always thought a vet pitcher would be the return.

TP for my Jung Ho: Salazar @ MIN Friday. Lots of Ks last two starts. But hasn’t gone 6 innings in a while. Good streaming option? Think he can get a QS?

Eno Sarris: I’ll take that start for sure.

Forty Wata: Sprinkle me, Sprinkle me, Sprinkle me main

STiVo: If you’re the Nationals, how worried are you right now about Strasburg?

Eno Sarris: Very

Snowflake: Capybara is a good choice. No claws. What about a manatee? You could probably just fat shame it to death

Eno Sarris: Or it would smother me.

Jimmy: Who has the best pure “stuff” in the majors right now? I’d probably say Fernandez.

Eno Sarris: I love that Max Scherzer has so many plus pitches though.

Sleeper Star: How did you do in your leagues this year, and do you ever wish you had just one league?

Eno Sarris: Top third in all of my leagues save one or two, shot to win two or three, might only win one. Describes my average year I guess. One is too little — I’m in a league with some obsessed one-leagues and it’s NUTS — but 15 is too many.

The A Train: Tell me how to feel as a Yankee fan

Eno Sarris: Very excited about the young guys, enough to look past what happens this last month.

Hypotheticals: You’re designing a player. You have to start this player every day, and you have 200 points to distribute among the five tools (on the 20-80 scale). How do you divide them?

Eno Sarris: 0 Legs

Eno Sarris: 80 Hit
80 Power
20 Field
20 Arm

Eno Sarris: I just built the best DH of all time. Frank Thomas?

Biscuit: Everyone knows the reason for king size sheets is flatulence containment. Tuck those babies in around your body and you are home free.

Eno Sarris: Biscuit’s spouse is like dammit every morning i wake up sheetless and Biscuit is like, yeah, but you slept through the storm.

Hypotheticals: I like it. I’m literally imagining this guy as having 0 legs.

Eno Sarris: BUT MAN HE CAN HIT.

Erik: Which season in the past 10 years or so will go down as one of the greatest of all time? Seems like we’re in an era without dynasties and the overarching, historically-relevant stories they bring, but maybe it’s just hard to see without enough distance.

Eno Sarris: How do you measure a season?

Eno Sarris: Number / percentage of meaningful major league games?

Eno Sarris: Run differential across all games in the postseason?

Eno Sarris: % of total possible games played in the postseason?

Eno Sarris: WP shifts in game in postseason?

Eno Sarris: Relationship of champion to regular season win% ? (Underdog factor)?

Biscuit: Listen Baby you can be cold and fresh or warm and stinky but not both. Never both.

HappyFunBall: Adam Waiwright lost a seasonto a batting injury. Randy Johnson’s career ended because of one. Chien Ming Wang’s career didn’t end batting, but he was never the same after hurting himself running the bases. Still no NL DH

Snowflake: If your buddy, let’s call him KD, got a giant tattoo of Rick James while in Amsterdam, how high would you assume he was?

Jaff: Wrong Eno. Put all 300 points all to character and grit. All you need

JD15: Right now I just play in one league (18 team keeper with college friends), but thinking about doing another next year. Do you play in any leagues with only people you don’t know or didn’t know at the start of the league? Is it weird?

Eno Sarris: All the time, it’s fine.

Eno Sarris: Well, I guess I usually know one or two people… but I did join Rosenheck’s league and didn’t really know anyone.

Martin: Is Robbie Ray a legit guy to own for a fantasy playoff run? All the Eno-approved metrics (K-BB%, E-F, SIERA etc.) jump off the page. He was just dropped in my league.

Eno Sarris: Yeah, I like him for that Dodgers start, and maybe even the next one at home.

All Elbows: Holy crap, did you know that crabs “down there” aren’t really crabs at all? Uh, I mean….happy birthday Star Trek.

SK1: Of the rookie OF’s who would you keep for next year? Dahl, Mazara or Benintendi? I’m thinking Dahl based on the Coors factor

Eno Sarris: I love love Mazara, love Benintendi, like Dahl, but Coors turns like into love…. I might go Mazara, but you have another month to check it out.

RotoLando: I think I could take a really obese beagle.

Eno Sarris: Has to be undomesticated or I’m quitting the hypothetical.

Eno Sarris: (are there wild beagles in some really nice tame country like maybe Denmark)

Eno Sarris: (imagine coming upon a field of wild beagles)

STiVo: Why wouldn’t you give your hypothetical DH 40 legs and 0 field/arm? He’s designated to hit and run the bases!

Eno Sarris: Well I just don’t think much of legs so I started there.

Mr. Met: I understand the Tebow signing is low-risk, low-cost, but am I cynical in thinking the Mets are more interested in publicity generating moves than ones that end up helping their ballclub?

Eno Sarris: This doesn’t hurt their ballclub.

RotoLando: Lee Marvin had 300 grit. He did pretty well

Hey: 40 legs sounds inconvenient for playing baseball, imo

Mick: Are Pandas mean? Are they smart enough to reason with?

Eno Sarris: I think a Panda could F you up

Martin: Any chance you or someone else could put together a streamers guide to the fantasy playoffs or something? It would be awesome if I had a list of all the sexy matchups rest of season. Small sample sizes granted but it would super useful.

Eno Sarris: Hopefully next Tuesday is not too late.

Erik: I think you measure seasons by if there was something instantly recognizable and historically significant about them. Something any baseball history book has to mention. Like 1941 is memorable for Williams and DiMaggio. 1998 for McGwire and Sosa. Have there been any historically great storylines which we’ll all be nostalgic for 50 years from now?

Herb Washington’s Ghost: In the last 14 days, Terrance Gore is 0/0 with 2 runs and 5 steals

Eno Sarris: SEPTEMBER BASEBALL CATCH IT

Bork: Hello friend, I was late to this chat. Did I miss lots of ludes

Eno Sarris: This was a silly one.

Eno Sarris: I didn’t mean to say anything about your endowment.

Hey: A’s seem in a good spot with their rotation and the Healy/Barreto/Semien/Chapman infield group. When do you see them competing?

Eno Sarris: Soon

Snowflake: Mobb Deep or Blackstar?

Eno Sarris:

RotoLando: Have you ever seen the majestic beagle herds of Aberystwyth? Tis truly a sight.

Eno Sarris: oh totally in Wales.

Rojo: Lol to showing up somewhere and the first thing the host says is, “I didn’t mean to say anything about your endowment”.

Eno Sarris: Better he hears it from me.

Bork: Also I won’t be in Toronto. Borkwife’s pregnancy is going a bit rough so until Bork Jr is born I’ll be with her.

Eno Sarris: oh i keep thinking it was born.

Snowflake: I heard Bork is hung like a Capybara

Eno Sarris: hey now.

Rojo: Can your fans meet you after Jeff Blair tomorrow? If so, just say where and when!

Eno Sarris: Bellwoods around 12:30?

Jose: I dropped Vogt and picked up Bregman and Sanchez is now my catcher, good move or bad move?

Eno Sarris: yes.

Erik: Why are injuries to pitchers while batting any more worrisome that injuries to batters while batting? Playing baseball is dangerous. We’re not going to stop shortstops from hitting just cause they might get hurt. Why stop pitchers?

Eno Sarris: Designated batters for everyone! I hear this, but also: pitchers are separated from hitters from very early on, and look terrible at the plate, they don’t really add anything but schadenfreude, no?

RotoLando: Hey Bork! Sorry about your junk. Here, have a beagle.

Bork: Bork is hung like bigfoot. There’s been no proof but a lot of people think he’s huge.

Dwight K Schrute: The enemy of your enemy is also your friend. Mets fans’ enemy is Terry Collins. But, Terry Collins is his own worst enemy. Therefore, Met fans’ friend is Terry Collins. But, the enemy of your friend is also your enemy. Therefore, Mets fans’ enemy is Terry Collins.

Eno Sarris: Yup.

Streaming: I have decided to roll with AJ ColeVsPHIas my final pitcher this week over the likes of FulmerVsBal, ERod@Tor and Cobb@NYY.

Eno Sarris: Good choice. Fulmer second best option.

Hypotheticals: You have to fight a wild animal. Distribute it 200 points among the five tools on the 20-80 scouting scale. (Size, Strength, Venom, Scratching Ability, Smarts)

Eno Sarris: 80 Size
20 Strength
0 Venom
20 Scratching Ability
80 Smarts

Eno Sarris: So I guess I’ll fight… a horse? No. A giant sloth?

Erik: Pitchers may not add anything but schadenfreude, but any argument against the DH should start there, not with injuries. People get hurt playing baseball but that doesn’t mean we should stop baseball.

b: a giant sloth that’s smarter than you…

Eno Sarris: Weird, but I’ll take that over a dumb strong venomous creature, no matter what size.

John H: That’s a weak elephant, Eno. Good luck.

Eno Sarris: Yeah, that’s the ticket. But too smart for me to trick.

Bork: Why not just do 0 size so you can throw your shoe at it. God Eno you suck at this game.

Eno Sarris: yeah but like an 80 venom tick that’s fast and you screwed.

RotoLando: A smart elephant would probably set a trap for you, like put a beer on top of a deadfall. You’d never see it coming.

Ben: Hit Bellwoods yet? Pop by this afternoon and I’ll buy you a beer

Eno Sarris: Tomorrow early afternoon.

Eno Sarris: I’m so hungry

Eno Sarris: I gotta go eat

Eno Sarris: This was fun though, really fun. Good luck with your legless DH going up against that smart weak elephant.

Randy Savage: mung beans