FanGraphs Opening Day 2020 Chat
| 7:02 |
 Dan Szymborski: Chats. A time for chats.
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| 7:02 |
Dan Szymborski: THERE IS AN ACTUAL BASEBALL GAME |
| 7:02 |
Dan Szymborski: I think. Today’s Thursday, right?
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| 7:03 |
: Or Mr. Belvedere
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| 7:03 |
: Dan! How about the baseball tonight theme on SoundCloud in honor of the return of the season?
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| 7:03 |
Dan Szymborski: No, we can’t weird up the Real Chats too much. |
| 7:03 |
Dan Szymborski: Save that for SzymChat.
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| 7:03 |
: Hoping for many quadrangulars! Logic says it’s not in the likely range of outcomes.
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| 7:03 |
: MORE BASENALL
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| 7:04 |
: Not that lineup order really matters much, but the top 4 of the Dodgers’ order tonight makes very little sense
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| 7:04 |
: MORE BASEBALL! |
| 7:04 |
: No question, but it’s getting harder and harder to like Kershaw
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| 7:04 |
: Hello, friends!
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| 7:04 |
: Are there any more last minute announcements from MLB we should know about? Will 1 of every 10 balls now randomly be a tennis ball? Are the rules of Futurama’s blernsball now binding on MLB play? How many multi balls have to be caught for an out
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| 7:04 |
: Thoughts on the proposed postseason format?
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| 7:04 |
Dan Szymborski: 
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| 7:04 |
: Kershaw out with back stiffness. This is some kind of cruel joke. I’m absolutely sick over this. |
| 7:04 |
: PSA: Tmobile subscribers get free MLB TV and a free subscription to The Athletic redeemable through August 4
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| 7:04 |
: Will this chat be more like Twitter or NPR?
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| 7:05 |
Dan Szymborski: With me around, more like Animal House
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| 7:05 |
: Here’s hoping Soto had a false positive and will test negative twice by next week.
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| 7:05 |
: I’m not as down on the new postseason format as many seem to be, but I certainly understand the skepticism over it
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| 7:05 |
Dan Szymborski:  |
| 7:05 |
: I wouldn’t want it installed permanently, but for just a 2020 thing? Whatever
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| 7:05 |
: I genuinely believe that Bo Bichette is just walking around the clubhouse whispering “Road Warriors” into everyone’s ears and he is Convincing Them.
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| 7:06 |
: When AJ Prefer took over the Padres was he pushed to go all in from the get go by ownership. He seems like a smart GM but some of the moves like trading Grandal for Kemp were beyond any reasoning? He is the GM that intrigues me the most
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| 7:06 |
Dan Szymborski: Methink I detect the scent of an owner
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| 7:06 |
: What teams are the biggest winners and losers from playoffs expanding? I would think the mets/nats are big winners, but not sure who else
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| 7:07 |
Dan Szymborski: the second/third tier contenders fare best |
| 7:07 |
: Were there any considerations of going with a Dome Stadium before building Coors Field? What would you think of that
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| 7:07 |
Dan Szymborski: I don’t recall if there were. I prefer no domes. Or at least non-retractable domes.
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| 7:07 |
Dan Szymborski: Baseball should be an outdoor game whenever possible
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| 7:07 |
: No staff predictions post?
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| 7:07 |
Dan Szymborski: I think there is one, we did one!
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| 7:08 |
: If Dan is here, cat update? |
| 7:08 |
Dan Szymborski: Three are sleeping. I can here Justinian in the hallway above me office still playing with that damn door toy.
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| 7:08 |
: I believe they may have been waiting to post the predictions post until a decision was made on the playoff format
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| 7:08 |
: Then the decision was…. unexpected
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| 7:08 |
Dan Szymborski: This is my endless life now.
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| 7:08 |
Dan Szymborski: 
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| 7:09 |
: Dan, what’s your percentage of certainty that baseball will happen this year now? |
| 7:09 |
Dan Szymborski: Approaching 100%, but never reaching!
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| 7:09 |
: Kershaw: Hall of Famer if he never pitches again?
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| 7:09 |
Dan Szymborski: Yes
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| 7:09 |
: Oh 100%
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| 7:11 |
: Was a little surprised to see Kershaw is actually 2.8 wins short of the JAWS standard right now, and then remembered he’s only 32!
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| 7:11 |
: Am I the only one that doesn’t understand why would Luhnow take part in a sign stealing scandal for competitive advantage when he built a powerhouse that would make the playoffs regardless. It killed his career |
| 7:11 |
Dan Szymborski: Honestly, I think it’s more sloppiness and not paying enough attention to what was going on at the clubhouse level than him choosing to take part in this.
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| 7:12 |
: Money aside, what player from G1 tonight would you choose to start a franchise with?
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| 7:12 |
Dan Szymborski: Without SOto probably Cole for me
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| 7:12 |
Dan Szymborski: then Torres and Turner
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| 7:12 |
: Dan this is like when you go to a friend’s work event and realize he’s completely different with his colleagues.
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| 7:12 |
: I think it’s probably Torres |
| 7:14 |
: this first “game” is just MLB the show, it’s all a lie
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| 7:14 |
Dan Szymborski: Not with this resolution!
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| 7:14 |
: Ron Fowler is the driving force behind the Padres two worst acquisitions of Kemp and Hosmer, change my mind.
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| 7:14 |
Dan Szymborski: I won’t
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| 7:14 |
: Dan..Is your answer to every question about a player going to be : “It’s July” for at least another week?
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| 7:14 |
Dan Szymborski: Yeah, then August until the 23rd
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| 7:14 |
: Alex Rodriguez just called Scherzer’s curveball a “get-me-over curve”
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| 7:14 |
: Please make lonely Buster Olney a meme
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| 7:15 |
Dan Szymborski: I swear, when A-Rod made his first appearances back at the end of his career, wasn’t he a lot better?
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| 7:15 |
Dan Szymborski: Feels like his analysis has gotten lazier and generally worse
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| 7:16 |
Dan Szymborski: Someone should tell him that Torres started 77 games at short last year.
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| 7:16 |
Dan Szymborski: 73
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| 7:16 |
: buster lonely
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| 7:16 |
: I love how normal this feels
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| 7:16 |
Dan Szymborski: It does feel like they’re playing in Miami
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| 7:17 |
Dan Szymborski: And then there’s a HR
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| 7:17 |
: SMALL BALL GO FAR
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| 7:17 |
: In an alternate reality with very subtle changes Kershaw has 6 Young’s, he should’ve beaten Dickey in 12, that one when he got hurt was a joke had he pitcher five clunkers more he would have easily won it and the year he got 300 K’s the competition was beyond the usual level.
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| 7:17 |
: I think they should leave all the home runs balls in place for the entire season
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| 7:18 |
: Watching the ball get to bounce after a homerun is gonna be awesome
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| 7:19 |
: How many home run jokes are we going to have to endure where the punchline is along the lines of “the ball is practicing social distancing”?
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| 7:19 |
Dan Szymborski: 7.5 per game
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| 7:19 |
: Stanton just sent me from first to last in roto. Should I sell and play for next year?
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| 7:19 |
Dan Szymborski: Yup, season’s like a quarter over already!
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| 7:20 |
: feelsbadman Dan turned off emoji responses
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| 7:20 |
Dan Szymborski: I didn’t set up the chat, so no emoji!
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| 7:20 |
Dan Szymborski: Well, still FOR ME!
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| 7:20 |
Dan Szymborski: 
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| 7:21 |
: Are live stats going to be enabled on player pages? Trying to look up Stanton’s stat line for the season after that AB, but no dice
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| 7:21 |
Dan Szymborski: Haven’t heard elsewise, I don’t really do that stuff!
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| 7:21 |
: So a DH homers in the first DH at bat ever in an NL park. Baseball!
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| 7:21 |
Dan Szymborski: I have never heard of hankook tires
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| 7:22 |
Dan Szymborski: should I have?
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| 7:22 |
: ARod: It’s not a sprint, it’s a 9.7 mile run. Do the math!
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| 7:23 |
Dan Szymborski: I’m sorry, but Lex Luger is the total package
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| 7:23 |
: Hankook advertises heavily on Hockey Night in Canada
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| 7:23 |
Dan Szymborski: Yeah, I’m sure Gerrit Cole’s season will come down to if there’s a lot of nodding in the first 20 pitches.
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| 7:24 |
Dan Szymborski: We all know that it comes down to odd number vs. even number leads.
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| 7:24 |
: Hankook is quite popular over here in the UK
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| 7:24 |
: Kershaw’s back will forever be a “what-if” to me.
before his first back injury in 2016, he was having a Pedro ’99 esque season – In the month of May ’16, he had more CGSO (3) than walks allowed (2) – 6 starts, 49.2 IP, 0.91 ERA 0.91 FIP, 2.9 fWAR Afterwards, his velocity started dropping and he went from “best-pitcher-on-the-planet” Kershaw to “really-good-but-not-top-3” Kershaw
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| 7:24 |
Dan Szymborski: His dropoff hasn’t been off to get a ZiPS Time Warp though! Maybe if he gets eaten by an elephant or something.l
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| 7:24 |
: Is Eaton doing a subdued Soto shuffle?
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| 7:24 |
Dan Szymborski: “There is Dave…..”
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| 7:25 |
Dan Szymborski: I think you mean “What the World Series hangover means is nothing at all.”
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| 7:25 |
: Seriously, MLB.TV subscribers, just listen to the radio broadcasts. Sync up with ESPN by pausing your stream or DVR. ESPN can’t hurt you here.
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| 7:25 |
: No joke, today Google adchoices on your site came up with a Lockheed Martin ad for hypersonic missiles. They clearly found their target market!
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| 7:25 |
: Notable HR threat Adam Eaton
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| 7:26 |
: Ball Juiced …
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| 7:26 |
Dan Szymborski: It’s not a good sign when they run out of insightful things to say about the players in the bottom of the first of the first game.
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| 7:26 |
: That’s why Eaton hits second!
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| 7:27 |
: Here come the juiced ball comments
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| 7:27 |
: yikes, Gary Sanchez costing Cole strikes already
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| 7:27 |
: Did they juice the juiced ball?
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| 7:27 |
: Apologies if you’ve answered this elsewhere – what type of team (i.e. lots of depth, star heavy, great rotation/bullpen/etc) would you expect to benefit the most from having a 60 game season and the other weird circumstances of the season?
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| 7:28 |
Dan Szymborski: Depth and just averageish teams.
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| 7:28 |
: So we’re going to have another one of those “people only score via home run” seasons again? That was fun last year…
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| 7:29 |
Dan Szymborski: So when Joe West opted out, did they simply pick the next most incompetent umpire to be crew chief?
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| 7:29 |
Dan Szymborski: Wait, not West
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| 7:29 |
: I’d still say those with a surplus of starters are at a pretty significant advantage — the Dodgers being able to go “oh, no Kershaw? Fine, here’s Dustin May” is a luxury most teams don’t have
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| 7:29 |
: Crowd noise needs to be indignant about bad ball/strike calls.
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| 7:29 |
: AJ Hinch is yelling at the TV that Cole should still be on the bench.
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| 7:29 |
: More people in this chat or in the stadium?
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| 7:30 |
Dan Szymborski: Chat
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| 7:30 |
: Is depth more important in 60 games or 162 games?
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| 7:30 |
Dan Szymborski: Normally, 162
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| 7:30 |
Dan Szymborski: but there’s a special circumstance with this 60 games
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| 7:30 |
: How many are in the chat?
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| 7:30 |
: Like, the Angels having a few late scratches could be horrifying
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| 7:30 |
Dan Szymborski: 172 right now
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| 7:31 |
: Whyyyyy did they show a dramatic slow-mo of Fauci’s pitch
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| 7:31 |
: Greinke is a candidate for the Hall of Fame and I really have no clue what would he wear
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| 7:31 |
: seriously, what happens if 9 players test positive simultaneously for the same team?
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| 7:32 |
: Which Cubs gets more MVP votes? Bryant, Baez, or Contreras?
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| 7:32 |
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think they actually know
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| 7:32 |
: Sad that Dan didn’t get to spam “April” as answers to small-sample-size freakouts this year 
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| 7:32 |
Dan Szymborski: I’ll just be spamming a different month
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| 7:32 |
: Greinke would be in Angels red obviously!
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| 7:32 |
Dan Szymborski: Greinke should show up wearing the cap of a team he never played for
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| 7:33 |
: Is getting to pick your opponents part of the new playoff agreement?
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| 7:33 |
Dan Szymborski: I’m still not sure what the core is. Did we evolve and grow a new part I don’t know?
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| 7:34 |
Dan Szymborski: Yes
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| 7:35 |
: I could see Greinke asking to design his own hat for the hall
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| 7:35 |
: if POC tests were 80 percent accurate, how many tests would each player have to take in order to be 99.9 percent sure he is not positive
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| 7:35 |
Dan Szymborski: Don’t make me think
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| 7:35 |
Dan Szymborski: 4
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| 7:36 |
: Will home field advantage matter this season?
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| 7:36 |
Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure – I haven’t found that teams with less attendance had smaller HFA
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| 7:36 |
: Greinke with the backwards cap. Problem solved.
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| 7:37 |
: NYT just had a story a few weeks ago talking about how the empty stadiums have affected soccer games https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/sports/soccer/soccer-without-fans-g…
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| 7:37 |
: Baseball fans are obviously much different behaving, though
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| 7:37 |
: Yanks hitters’ timing looks pretty off. Bet there will be a lot of late swings in the early going.
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| 7:37 |
: On # of tests, infinite if the 20% error is systematic — like misses certain cases — not random.
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| 7:38 |
: Does statcast usually need time to get up to speed? theres no way all Coles pitches are 4seamers with mid80 break. Ive noticed way more weird pitch categorization in the practice games too.
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| 7:38 |
Dan Szymborski: Maybe still working out the hawkeye stuff?
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| 7:38 |
: I think it’s mostly a classification issue–Dillon Maples was definitely not throwing 88MPH fastballs last night
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| 7:38 |
: I understand your point about Luhnow but that’s even worse. How can you be so clueless to allow such a scenario where the biggest downside is on you
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| 7:39 |
Dan Szymborski: Gotta go with Hanlon’s razor
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| 7:39 |
: Baby Jays gonna set some records at Camden this year
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| 7:39 |
Dan Szymborski: Poor O’s.
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| 7:39 |
Dan Szymborski: Look at their roster
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| 7:39 |
Dan Szymborski: Just read the whole thing
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| 7:39 |
: Not watching. How’s the fake crowd noise?
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| 7:39 |
Dan Szymborski: It doesn’t count unless you can actually boo
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| 7:39 |
Dan Szymborski: or each IP gets a jeer to play every game
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| 7:40 |
: have trash can bangs ready for when the astros visit
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| 7:40 |
: Poor O’s their only good player from last year has a bum colon…..
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| 7:40 |
: What Dan you’re not pumped for the Tommy Milone experience?
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| 7:41 |
Dan Szymborski: Milone had to check the roster to see if HE was on the team
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| 7:41 |
: i forgot edinson volquez started in two world series games… and his team won that world series
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| 7:41 |
: If they go the route of digitally adding crowd noise to broadcasts they need to make sure it is realistic. For example, total silence for all games played in Florida and the occasional racial slur in Boston
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| 7:41 |
: What are they going to do with all these extra baseballs that usually end up in the stands?
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| 7:41 |
Dan Szymborski: One reason I’m sad that credentials are limited this year.
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| 7:41 |
Dan Szymborski: Usually with the badge, you can just walk right in.
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| 7:41 |
Dan Szymborski: I could finish the season with 20-30 homers I bet!
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| 7:42 |
: You’d think if ESPN had justification to crank up bat contact noises as if they are some kind of bombing, its this season, but I guess not.
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| 7:42 |
Dan Szymborski: Crank down A-Rod sounds
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| 7:42 |
: the cubs are sending the balls to the season ticket holder of the seat where the ball landed
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| 7:42 |
Dan Szymborski: Really?
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| 7:42 |
Dan Szymborski: That’s cool
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| 7:43 |
Dan Szymborski: Oh, I wasn’t doubting you, I just had missed it
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| 7:43 |
: Broadcast said 97 – that looked like a curve to me
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| 7:43 |
: But the Cubs have a GoFundMe for the postage. Dan, please contribute.
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| 7:43 |
Dan Szymborski: THERE AIN”T NO MONEY IN BASEBALL!!!!1111
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| 7:44 |
: I didnt think you were. just wanted to double check my reference!!
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| 7:44 |
: The echo from (what i assume is) the studio on bat contact is irritating
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| 7:44 |
: what on earth is matt talking about
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| 7:44 |
: A-Rod has made little sense tonight
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| 7:44 |
Dan Szymborski: Evergreen
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| 7:44 |
: I hope Arod buys the mets so we don’t have to listen to him doing play by play anymore
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| 7:45 |
: Today’s games are tough. I guess I’m a Nats well-wisher, in that I don’t wish them any specific harm. Yankees and Dodgers are like rooting for your least favorite billionaires. I was forced to curse the Giants to a decade of futility after 2014.
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| 7:45 |
: Did Gerrit Cole thrown all fastballs up until the 0-2 pitch to Stevenson or can I not trust Statcast yet?
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| 7:45 |
: Surely the Cubs can have an unpaid intern deliver the balls in their personal vehicle.
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| 7:45 |
: That commercial didn’t age well
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| 7:45 |
: Anything ARod says is progress over the even/odd leads claim
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| 7:45 |
: Dog sweatshirt
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| 7:45 |
: re: crowd noise
also need to add dodger crowd noises slowly coming in after the 3rd inning |
| 7:46 |
: MasterCard: “Start something priceless” …like the Dodgers’ rotation!
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| 7:46 |
: My dog barked at the tv when that other dog got a yankees shirt. We live just outside of Boston. He is a good boy.
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| 7:46 |
Dan Szymborski: When my sister was away and I was feeding her cats, I put one of her cats in a steelers shirt and took pictures of the cat to send her. She was so pissed!
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| 7:47 |
: Tyler Wade, please don’t bunt. I don’t know you, but I know you’re better than that.
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| 7:47 |
: I miss Vin Scully? Most likeable human in the history of the world
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| 7:47 |
: Wade double rn
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| 7:47 |
: Sisters’ cats’ names?
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| 7:47 |
Dan Szymborski: Tesla and Darwin
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| 7:47 |
: 65-grade cat names
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| 7:47 |
: “Last year [LeMahieu] almost won the MVP”
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| 7:48 |
: That is grossly untrue
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| 7:48 |
Dan Szymborski: Dammit, I’m like 5 seconds behind you guys
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| 7:48 |
: What, you don’t think receiving zero first place votes counts as almost winning?
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| 7:49 |
: Same, Dan
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| 7:49 |
: Sorry Dan!
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| 7:49 |
Dan Szymborski: It’s just funny when I get the criticism of the analysis before the analysis!
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| 7:49 |
Dan Szymborski: So it’s like a prophecy being foretold
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| 7:49 |
: Kevin Pillar also almost won MVP last season
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| 7:49 |
: oh snap, Tyler Wade apparently steals bases. Will he steal a taco for america? Is that promotion over? Stay tuned!
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| 7:49 |
Dan Szymborski: I want a promotion in which I can un-eat Taco Bell tacos I did as a youngster
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| 7:50 |
: As a Mets fan, I’m in position of explaining to my daughter why we’re rooting for the Yankees on Opening Day. She’s already internalized the proper view of Yankees, of course. This fits the season, I suppose.
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| 7:50 |
: Arod says something nonsensical
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| 7:50 |
Dan Szymborski: Thankfully evergreen
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| 7:50 |
: Is “X almost won the MVP” the new “everyone’s ceiling is the best player in baseball”
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| 7:50 |
: With a little effort I’ve managed to sync the radio broadcast on the MLB app to the game and escaped ARod, just to suggest an option
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| 7:50 |
Dan Szymborski: I keep forgetting that Hicks still exists.
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| 7:50 |
: The taco promotion is still on, but if more than one person handles the taco it must be thrown out
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| 7:50 |
: This strike zone sure is something
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| 7:51 |
Dan Szymborski: 
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| 7:51 |
: Hicks is real good!
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| 7:51 |
: If you live somewhere where it’s worth driving to Taco Bell for a free taco, it’s time to move.
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| 7:51 |
: Hicks doesn’t exist. Tupac hologram.
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| 7:52 |
Dan Szymborski: I should be nice to Matt, he had to say my name for MLB the Show this year!
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| 7:52 |
: going down 0-2 to max scherzer must be one of the worst feelings on the planet
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| 7:52 |
Dan Szymborski: nice pitch there
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| 7:52 |
: that was filthy
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| 7:53 |
Dan Szymborski: The crowd noise is awkwardly timed after events.
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| 7:53 |
Dan Szymborski: It peaks too quickly and then dies off to fast.
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| 7:53 |
Dan Szymborski: too fast
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| 7:53 |
: Over/Under on the “No Arguments” rule being broken is 4.5 innings
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| 7:53 |
: a lot of folks forgot Aaron Judge was good at baseball, i’m not naming names
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| 7:53 |
Dan Szymborski: When he’s good, he’s going to get outs, when he’s bad, he’s not going to get outs and allow homers!
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| 7:54 |
: “He thinks he is better than you in the strike zone.”
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| 7:54 |
: *CRANK*
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| 7:54 |
: i like the piped in ambient crowd noise but the cheers are terrible. like no stadium is cheering that hard for a 3rd inning popout
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| 7:54 |
: okay i’ll name names. JUSTIN. PAUL. FIGURE IT OUT.
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| 7:54 |
: The phantom catcher’s mitt on that tunnelling graphic is hilarious
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| 7:55 |
: Spitting!!!!
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| 7:55 |
Dan Szymborski: SUSPENDED~!
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| 7:55 |
: where are you in the show
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| 7:55 |
Dan Szymborski: We’re in the ASG week.
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| 7:55 |
: Only correct takes, you clearly haven’t been to a Dodger Stadium playoff game
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| 7:56 |
: Stanton’s batting stance is lowkey weird as hell
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| 7:56 |
: oh right. Giancarlo Stanton does that a lot too
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| 7:56 |
: is “giancarlo stanton almost played tight end” the antithesis of “antonio gates was a basketball player”?
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| 7:57 |
: Tyler Wade scored from first?? That ball was hit hard! And Stevenson cut it off!
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| 7:57 |
: I think it’s more like “Tyler Wade is running like a wide receiver going from 1st to Home”
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| 7:58 |
Dan Szymborski: See, these ads of people biking and running alongside dangerous cliffs doesn’t make me want to go to Dick’s
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| 7:59 |
: RIP Modell’s. Dick’s out here rubbing it in.
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| 7:59 |
Dan Szymborski: That’s not really TWO kitchens Chipotle
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| 8:00 |
Dan Szymborski: There are still other writers, it’ nost JUST Butter
|
| 8:00 |
Dan Szymborski: Buster
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| 8:00 |
: Dick Pole turns 70 this year.
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| 8:00 |
: “Secondary leadoff man” Victor Robles
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| 8:00 |
: one doesn’t usually associate jogging or biking with danger
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| 8:00 |
: Look at all those people not distancing
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| 8:00 |
: Did he just call Robles…Soto?
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| 8:01 |
: Looks like Fauci has entered the pantheon of all time terrible first pitches. How hard is it people?!
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| 8:01 |
Dan Szymborski: He’s 79!
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| 8:02 |
: It is weird to talk a bunch about how there aren’t fans in the stands because of the safety regulations and then show a bunch of people outside the park sitting exactly as close to each other as they would be in the stadium
|
| 8:02 |
Dan Szymborski: 
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| 8:02 |
: WEAR MASKS GUYS – I’m talking to you people walking the game from other buildings
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| 8:02 |
: For those of us not watching, are they social distancing on the bench?
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| 8:02 |
Dan Szymborski: Not particularly
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| 8:03 |
Dan Szymborski: I do find it funny that there’s this group of writers horrified that players are being forced to play baseball at all
|
| 8:03 |
Dan Szymborski: while all these players are mostly “whatever”
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| 8:03 |
: But they’re not as packed as usual, imo
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| 8:03 |
Dan Szymborski: No, but it’s not six feet either
|
| 8:03 |
: Teams should just let something like 3 fans into the stadium nosebleeds
|
| 8:03 |
: The winner will be the team that scores the most runs
|
| 8:03 |
Dan Szymborski: I think what happens is there gets some creeping there
|
| 8:03 |
Dan Szymborski: first it’s 3 and then it’s 6
|
| 8:03 |
Dan Szymborski: and then you’re like eric cartman letting the first 11,000 people in so that you can pay the pitcher
|
| 8:03 |
: ok maybe it is carly rae jespen lmao i don’t think i’ve seen that one
|
| 8:04 |
: “Alex you can speak to this better than any of us…”
I doubt it. |
| 8:04 |
Dan Szymborski: Alex should be proud of how those negotiations went? And the leadership from ownership?
|
| 8:04 |
Dan Szymborski: I can smell Manfred’s butt on A-Rod’s nose from here.
|
| 8:04 |
: There is a group of sports writers who have one schtick – be outraged and accuse people of being greedy. Not in the least surprised they are trying to generate pushback against starting the season, because that’s their thing
|
| 8:05 |
Dan Szymborski: Here’s the thing about this, it’s important to not gratuitously ban things because then you erode support for the actual things you need to ban
|
| 8:05 |
Dan Szymborski: At least, that’s my opinion
|
| 8:05 |
Dan Szymborski: Like the whole baseball SHOULDN’T be played, even if fewer players get sick and there are no fans
|
| 8:06 |
Dan Szymborski: becuase of some moral preening about how some aspect of life that people enjoy being going is an outrage evne if there’s no specific danger.
|
| 8:06 |
Dan Szymborski: MLB’s plan hasn’t been perfect and can be improved, but I have serious doubts that any more players will get COVID than would have otherwise.
|
| 8:06 |
Dan Szymborski: And a LOT would have without baseball. These are 20-40 year-old athletes, many rich. They’d be at beaches and bars and so on
|
| 8:07 |
Dan Szymborski: I’m not going to pick on any writer in paricularly, but that’s how I feel
|
| 8:07 |
: how many umps opted out?
|
| 8:07 |
Dan Szymborski: 10 or so?
|
| 8:07 |
: BRO this strike zone
|
| 8:07 |
: to back up that point, just look at how many NBA players were partying and tested positive between the time the league shut down and the bubble started
|
| 8:07 |
Dan Szymborski: Baseball had that superspreader birthday party and that underground baseball club league
|
| 8:08 |
: I don’t necessarily think anyone individually is more at risk than they might have been otherwise, I just worry about how fast it could spread once one guy does have it
|
| 8:08 |
: I think there’s some value to the society to have baseball back, even under weird shortened-season rules. Maybe they should have started the season with Marlins vs. Royals. Then Matty V could ask “is it ok for us to play baseball” and ARod could answer “Yes, but this isn’t baseball”
|
| 8:09 |
Dan Szymborski: That’s not to say MLB shouldn’t have rules to follow. They should! And I think their plan is reasonable, if not perfect.
|
| 8:09 |
: And sending them all over the country skeeves me out
|
| 8:09 |
: I think this is enough pitches to say that Scherzer is officially washed.
|
| 8:09 |
Dan Szymborski: He’s had a lot of sweat even for the weather
|
| 8:10 |
Dan Szymborski: 
|
| 8:10 |
: It is good to see the layoff hasn’t affected Angel Hernandez’s bad umpiring skills
|
| 8:10 |
: Agreed – I am not sure if many writers aren’t good at expressing that a choice must be made from many imperfect options, or if the public doesn’t want to read that content, but discourse suffers for it either way
|
| 8:11 |
Dan Szymborski: Now, I think anyone who wants to opt-out ought to, with no slights targeted at their character. Allowing people to opt-out is what makes allowing people to opt-in an ethical possibility
|
| 8:11 |
: Now that baseball is back, who feels healed?!?
|
| 8:11 |
Dan Szymborski: Not healed, but I feel a bit better!
|
| 8:11 |
: Scherzer is washed? with 8 strikeouts in the fourth?
|
| 8:11 |
Dan Szymborski: I was under the impression it was sarcasm
|
| 8:11 |
: I felt healed before the Kershaw news
|
| 8:11 |
: *laughing harder at my own joke than the person i’m talking to*
|
| 8:11 |
Dan Szymborski: Hey, I’m in that boat a lot
|
| 8:12 |
Dan Szymborski: Normally when I post the neural network things that I think I find way funnier than anyone else does
|
| 8:12 |
: Skinny Voit hasn’t been able to catch up to the fastball yet
|
| 8:12 |
: So A-Rod and I finally have something in common
|
| 8:12 |
: Isn’t Chris Sale the all-time K/9 leader? Or did I not see an innings qualifier
|
| 8:13 |
Dan Szymborski: Given the spread of COVID-19, I’m not sure we “earned” the season
|
| 8:13 |
: Sports are the reward for a functioning society, or if billionaires really want to make more money
|
| 8:13 |
Dan Szymborski: I don’t buy that line at all.
|
| 8:13 |
Dan Szymborski: Sporst are the product of people who voluntarily want to produce sporting events meeting with peopel who voluntarily want to play in those sporting events.
|
| 8:13 |
Dan Szymborski: And most societies have had some form of sport, whether everything’s run smoothly or not
|
| 8:14 |
: What i find odd is media questioning baseball’s plan and logistics yet seemingly having no issue with college and pro football… Which is going to be an absolute nightmare.
|
| 8:14 |
Dan Szymborski: Football was always kind of screwed
|
| 8:14 |
: I just don’t think those sports have put forth much of a plan *to* criticize
|
| 8:15 |
Dan Szymborski: Even if football was more confident, the sport itself causes problems.
|
| 8:15 |
: And I have seen the NFL taking more heat lately
|
| 8:15 |
Dan Szymborski: The sport of football, in terms of human contact, is a clothed orgy.
|
| 8:16 |
Dan Szymborski: More players touch each other in a single play of football than in an entire game of baseball
|
| 8:16 |
: What I find funny is that MLB’s plan was deemed bad enough for Canada to just kick the Jays out of the country and everyone just kind of went “meh” and moved on.
|
| 8:16 |
Dan Szymborski: If it had been hockey, they would have burned down Ottawa
|
| 8:16 |
: College football is more important to healing the nation because the athletes aren’t paid. Overhead cost is a key factor in healing
|
| 8:16 |
: From a predictive standpoint who would be considered to have a better start?
Obviously the 8 Ks compared to 3 is impressive, but it also seems that the Yankees have more consistently barreled Scherzer? |
| 8:16 |
Dan Szymborski: It’s a game, it really doesn’t have predictive value
|
| 8:16 |
: i hate the phrase ‘winner take all’
|
| 8:17 |
Dan Szymborski: World Series Game 7, where winner takes a majority of the revenue!
|
| 8:17 |
Dan Szymborski: Not as good a catchphrase
|
| 8:18 |
: “Winner wins”
|
| 8:19 |
: “Royals, Matt Harvey nearing deal.”
|
| 8:19 |
Dan Szymborski: Do you really near a minor league deal? You either have one or you don’t
|
| 8:20 |
Dan Szymborski: Speaking of my obnoxious neural network games…
|
| 8:20 |
Dan Szymborski: Completion
Top Nicknames for New York Yankees Players Gary Sanchez – Stubborn Craig Kimbrel – The Gazebo Matt Holliday – The Colonel Brian McCann – Pete Gary Sanchez – Farley Jack Cust – Old Man Out Noah Syndergaard – The Cheese Chef Max Scherzer – The Crown Prince Alex Rodriguez – Bruiser Noah Syndergaard – The Judge |
| 8:20 |
: The shifting time delay between the radio and ESPN feed is making me look forward to the games this year when it happens during a broadcast and one or the other is a few pitches ahead for a while
|
| 8:20 |
: How are the cats? …still catting?
|
| 8:20 |
Dan Szymborski: Justinian stopped thumping away about 10 minutes ago after about 5 minutes with that damn door toy
|
| 8:20 |
: i think they should have a different trophy this year, and re-create Pandemic Ball every 10 years with a 60-game sprint featuring a 16-team postseason
|
| 8:21 |
Dan Szymborski: What happened to not disclosing this?
|
| 8:22 |
Dan Szymborski: Completion
Top Nicknames for Washington Nationals Players Juan Soto – “Pudge” Adam LaRoche – “Toussaint” Jeff Francoeur – “Sugartip” Wilson Ramos – “Shrimp” Joe Ross – “Homer.” Ozuna – “Shrimp” McGwire – “Mr. Someday” |
| 8:22 |
: Man seeing the last out by Daniel Hudson is pretty awesome. good for him
|
| 8:22 |
: Just the sugartip
|
| 8:22 |
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think you can really count COVID-19 as a special bit of adversity for a team since literally everybody has to deal with the exact same thing
|
| 8:23 |
: I think Dan should respond “April” anyway to all questions.
|
| 8:23 |
: Lightning warning. Thanks, 2020
|
| 8:23 |
: Questions related to sample size, obviously, not tacos or whatever. We need real answers to those.
|
| 8:23 |
: BREAKING NEWS: Alex Rodriguez likes a bunt.
|
| 8:23 |
: Davey Martinez: “Juan Soto is asymptomatic and should rejoin the team soon” ARod: “How will you win this season without Juan Soto?” |
| 8:23 |
: Doesn’t it seem likely prolonged indoor exposure is orders of magnitude more dangerous than any outdoor activity? For both NFL and MLB the travel seems like the dangerous part, not the game.
|
| 8:23 |
: oh so THAT’S why wade was bunting
|
| 8:23 |
: small ball is back, everyone
|
| 8:23 |
: Of course there’s inclement weather tonight
|
| 8:24 |
: had a rain delay on KBO Opening Day!
|
| 8:24 |
: it’s inevitable
|
| 8:24 |
Dan Szymborski: Top Nicknames for Washington Nationals Players
Juan Soto – Zizou, Mr. Z Domingo Acevedo – El Nino, Freezer Antonio Bastardo – Bleu, Ho Timur Aduriz – Mazola, Marmol Armando Díaz – Dawg, Zorilla Ryne Sandberg – High Stuff Carlos Rodon – No-Scroll, Rachio Jayson Werth – Icky-Ticky, Voodoo |
| 8:24 |
: Zombie small ball!
|
| 8:24 |
: It’s DC in July what are you gonna do?
|
| 8:24 |
: In LA. Can confirm that Dodgers-Giants shouldn’t have inclement weather later.
|
| 8:24 |
: Wait, did he just use “taking your temperature” metaphorically?
|
| 8:25 |
: Does Bird Law demand the Blue Jays play in Baltimore?
|
| 8:25 |
Dan Szymborski: The state of bird law in this country!
|
| 8:25 |
: Do you think if ARod buys the Mets he’ll join their broadcast team? That would be sad.
|
| 8:25 |
: Does A-Rod buying the Mets force Pete Alonso to bunt?
|
| 8:26 |
: Hahahahaha A-Rod loves everything the rest of us hate
|
| 8:26 |
: it’s a good bit, honestly
|
| 8:28 |
: “I was texting with Mike Trout” sick brag buster
|
| 8:28 |
Dan Szymborski: 
|
| 8:29 |
: wow
|
| 8:29 |
: Haven’t watched TV for half a year. Not for moralistic reasons or anything––just got bored of it. In the middle of a pandemic I decided it might be nice and provide some relief to watch a ballgame again. It took an hour and a half for the TV to upload all the shizzle and junk it needed to upload since I left and I was like, “nuh-uh,” I’ll read FG, from here on out. I like the conversation and socialization more than I like the dingers.
|
| 8:29 |
: ESPN’s ball tracker thing is really quite phallic
|
| 8:29 |
: It feels as if this bad zone has favored the Nats today
|
| 8:29 |
: ESPN Chyron just said playoffs have been expanded to 16 teams????
|
| 8:29 |
Dan Szymborski: Yup
|
| 8:29 |
Dan Szymborski: For 2020
|
| 8:29 |
Dan Szymborski: It BETTER be only for 2020.
|
| 8:31 |
Dan Szymborski: If owners propose it for 2021, someone at the MLBPA ought to sit down the players and make sure it’s clear that larger playoffs means team quality is less important which means players are less valuable, which means continued downward pressure on salaries.
|
| 8:31 |
: hey man do u have any recollection of ur career, which was one of the greatest in a dearly beloved industry
|
| 8:32 |
: Camera work has not been great so far…
|
| 8:32 |
: I just imagined A-Rod and John Rocker getting into a fight over New York baseball fans
|
| 8:32 |
: Are there any details yet on the playoff format? Top two per division and two wild cards? Division winners and five wild cards? Top eight teams?
|
| 8:32 |
Dan Szymborski: top two per division and then the others
|
| 8:32 |
: We obviously haven’t played any of the season so it’s hard to say this for sure, but at least the playoff field getting expanded happened in a year in which there are 16 teams that have a reasonable playoff roster
|
| 8:33 |
: Ew, all second place teams automatically make the playoffs regardless of record. Which division produces a team that has no business being there? I guess…
|
| 8:33 |
: The most unsurprising thing is ARod being more impressed with Stanton’s opposite-field single than his 460 foot homer
|
| 8:33 |
: @Kvn – operators had to leave posts due to weather
|
| 8:33 |
: If this happened in 2017 for example, there would be… four teams in the postseason with losing records? including the 77-85 Marlins?
|
| 8:33 |
: Great players as announcers is always weird
|
| 8:33 |
Dan Szymborski: Morgan
|
| 8:34 |
Dan Szymborski: At times, Morgan seemed like he literally had no idea why he was a great player.
|
| 8:34 |
: what is the Yankees’ BABIP as a team so far this game?
|
| 8:34 |
Dan Szymborski: lemme check
|
| 8:34 |
: @Dodger Fan – Thanks! I didn’t realize that. Have the sound off.
|
| 8:35 |
Dan Szymborski: .444 BABIP for the Yankees
|
| 8:35 |
: @Kvn – That’s smart. You’re not hearing…the “analysis”
|
| 8:35 |
: Based on the ZIPS projected standings there would be 4 teams tied for the final 3 playoff spots in the NL. I’m hoping for a four-way tie at the top of the NL Central this year
|
| 8:36 |
Dan Szymborski: Nats Babip .000 (o for 9)
|
| 8:36 |
: Dan, after those *controversial* comments and use of logic RE: the virus, you’ll never work in this town again!!
|
| 8:36 |
: When you read the name Aaron do you read it as A. A. Ron?
|
| 8:36 |
Dan Szymborski: I like how Aaron Blake of the WaPo is A.A. Ron Balakay
|
| 8:36 |
: Honestly I don’t listen to the commentary a lot anymore for most crews. Park noise feed all the way.
|
| 8:36 |
Dan Szymborski: I had Aaron Blair as A.A. Ron Blair in ZiPS DMB disk for a few years but it pissed people off
|
| 8:36 |
: “You’re siding with BILLiOnaIReS”
|
| 8:37 |
Dan Szymborski: “Unless you’re a personal friend, that’s Williamaires to you.”
|
| 8:37 |
: Not surprised Kershaw has a stiff back driving around like that
|
| 8:37 |
: Ok that was harsh, sorry A-Roid
|
| 8:37 |
: I don’t doubt San Diego or Arizona’s ability to have a good season but having 2 teams guaranteed out of the NL West feels wrong
|
| 8:37 |
: Sanchez getting too close to the Nats dugout on that foul ball!
|
| 8:37 |
: Here’s to losing record teams in the playoffs
|
| 8:37 |
: i think it’s weird that A-Rod is getting in on the “2020 is the WORST” stuff when he’s set for life with a loving partner and a job he loves, but that’s none of my business
|
| 8:37 |
Dan Szymborski: Him essentially talking up the salary cap after making big money from there *not* being a saslary cap was sad
|
| 8:38 |
: Lol the green screen for the budlight ad wasnt keyed right for a sec and cole’s head was transparent.
|
| 8:39 |
Dan Szymborski: Like Charlie’s green shirt in Lethal Weapon 5
|
| 8:39 |
: hey anonymous, i might lose on my bid to own an mlb team. these are tough times for everyone
|
| 8:40 |
: Fake fans thought that foul ball had a chance
|
| 8:40 |
: Have they said what home road is for that first best of three playoff series? All 3 games at higher seed? Or 1-2 format?
|
| 8:40 |
Dan Szymborski: Don’t think they’ve outlined it all yet
|
| 8:40 |
: Hello friends, you have no idea how happy I am to be back in a live baseball chat!!!!!
|
| 8:40 |
: What is chat volume like?
|
| 8:40 |
Dan Szymborski: It’s text so it’s kinda soft
|
| 8:40 |
: At this rate I’ll be out of laptop battery by the third inning of Cueto v. Kers—-May
|
| 8:41 |
: Hi Brian! Welcome
|
| 8:41 |
: I think the Dodgers have a court order that keeps Angel Hernandez from entering the stadium
|
| 8:41 |
: Is Andrew Stevenson a contest winner or something?
|
| 8:42 |
: That is a cool graphic of paused release points on Cole… more of that please.
|
| 8:42 |
: Jayson Stark saying that all three games of the best-of-three series will be played at the home park of the higher seed. No travel days.
|
| 8:42 |
: Thanks, even though you are a dodgers fan!
|
| 8:42 |
: Game is giving off a realBetween the no crowd, two
|
| 8:43 |
: *mutters* must be a Giants fan *sighs*
|
| 8:43 |
: yes let’s dunk on the pirates about cole. i haven’t heard this one before
|
| 8:43 |
: I think the yankees should fill their stands with cutouts of the monopoly man… suggestions for other teams?
|
| 8:44 |
: Seems the radio announcers will be getting the same onscreen graphics we do from tv broadcasts. They also mentioned having two monitors, one on the bullpens
|
| 8:44 |
: Should the umpires be wearing gloves? At least the HP ump?
|
| 8:44 |
: *Trevor Bauer enters room*
|
| 8:44 |
Dan Szymborski: I love Bauer’s ability to get everyone annoyed. I wish more players were like that.
|
| 8:44 |
: I told you not to call me here
|
| 8:44 |
: Is the Cleveland Eerie the best possible name for the baseball team near the lake or just an excellent one?
|
| 8:44 |
: Personally I’d love for the marlins stadium to be full of nothing but marlin’s man cut outs
|
| 8:45 |
Dan Szymborski: I like going to something classic like the spiders
|
| 8:45 |
: Remember when the Pirates were considered ahead of the curve on pitching?
|
| 8:45 |
: GREAT pitch to end the 5th
|
| 8:45 |
: Yeah, the country is burning. 140+ thousand people are dead. Testing for citizens is entirely inadequate in supply and speed. 28 Million are about to be evicted. Secret Police are being deployed by the White House. But hey, the people a little icky about providing resources to the entertainment industry are the illogical ones.
|
| 8:45 |
Dan Szymborski: One has nothing to do with the other. MLB did not do or cause any of these things to happen.
|
| 8:46 |
Dan Szymborski: This is on the level of “How dare you have a wedding while Tibet isn’t free!” It’s not connected in any way.
|
| 8:46 |
Dan Szymborski: MLB announcing tonight that the season is over would fix *none* of these things.
|
| 8:46 |
Dan Szymborski: At all, in any way whatsoever.
|
| 8:47 |
: Sir this is a baseball chat.
|
| 8:47 |
: Im fine with that, I just think there is all kinds of fun macabre themes that could be had with the eerie and fog rolling in off the lake and spooky cool fireworks night themes and the like
|
| 8:47 |
: to wire fan: they did resurrect some guys careers i.e. aj burnett, liriano, ja happ, etc. but their development and treatment of guys that actually had talent was trash
|
| 8:47 |
Dan Szymborski: I just don’t like abstract team mascot names.
|
| 8:47 |
: y’all, the ball is juiced and it will make this more fun
|
| 8:48 |
: The Cleveland Wet Sox
|
| 8:48 |
: gross
|
| 8:48 |
: So down on the Seattle Krakens (NHL)?
|
| 8:48 |
Dan Szymborski: krakens aren’t abstract
|
| 8:48 |
Dan Szymborski: I like krakens!
|
| 8:48 |
Dan Szymborski: or kraken
|
| 8:48 |
: No streakers this year
|
| 8:48 |
: But it’s a Kraken singular
|
| 8:48 |
Dan Szymborski: But it’s a thing
|
| 8:48 |
: A spider playing baseball is not abstract?!? I am of course joking, I also just really like bad puns.
|
| 8:48 |
: The Cleveland Clevelanders! 
|
| 8:49 |
: Seattle Karens
|
| 8:49 |
Dan Szymborski: The Cleveland Ennui
|
| 8:49 |
Dan Szymborski: Can they steal Lake Monsters from Vermont?
|
| 8:49 |
: Gary Sanchez and swinging at down and away sliders…
|
| 8:49 |
: The Cleveland Old Ones
|
| 8:49 |
: I should probably open that booing app just for Manfred
|
| 8:49 |
: I also like the Cleveland landers
|
| 8:49 |
: What is the consensus on number team names (76ers, 49ers)
|
| 8:50 |
: Rename the city to Cleve, call the team the Landers
|
| 8:50 |
: 51s!
|
| 8:50 |
: I love number names
|
| 8:50 |
: The Cleveland baseball team. CBT is a good baseball acronym.
|
| 8:50 |
Dan Szymborski: I suspect all three letter abbreviations have been taken by SOMEthing horrible
|
| 8:50 |
: although with landers the astros kinda have the space theme already
|
| 8:51 |
Dan Szymborski: The Astros barely use the space theme.
|
| 8:51 |
Dan Szymborski: There wasn’t anything even techy about their cheating. I mean, trash can banging?
|
| 8:51 |
: You liked the Utah Jazz and St. Louis Blues, now get ready for the Cleveland Trap!
|
| 8:51 |
Dan Szymborski: “..and also whatever nonsense I make up in the next 24 hours.”
|
| 8:51 |
: The Cleveland Rocks!
|
| 8:51 |
: This expanded playoff format was so slapdash that the announcers don’t even know what the deal is
|
| 8:52 |
: Manfred says it’s straight-up seeded playoffs, no byes. 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, etc.
|
| 8:52 |
: Tibet being free has absolutely nothing to do with allocation of scarce resources.
|
| 8:52 |
Dan Szymborski: Nor does this.
|
| 8:53 |
: Rain delay for the season starter is very fitting.
|
| 8:53 |
Dan Szymborski: NO LEAVE ROB OUT THERE
|
| 8:53 |
: How often do you think Manfred watches a full baseball game beginning to end?
|
| 8:53 |
: ah crabapples
|
| 8:54 |
Dan Szymborski: He usually leaves before the ninth quarter is done, no matter who has more points.
|
| 8:54 |
: 
|
| 8:54 |
: MLB is just copying the KBO
|
| 8:54 |
: I’m very concerned about baseball being played in the middle of a pandemic which is why I’m going to watch a baseball game and also participate in a baseball live chat on a site for baseball nerds.
|
| 8:54 |
Dan Szymborski: By chatting here, you’ve delayed the vaccine by months!
|
| 8:54 |
: That groundskeeper lmfao
|
| 8:56 |
: My kid made me rewind so we could laugh at him trying to run again
|
| 8:56 |
: off of the top of your head, what do you know about Dustin May?
|
| 8:57 |
Dan Szymborski: His mom used to have a tv show
|
| 8:57 |
Dan Szymborski: 
|
| 8:57 |
: Red hair
|
| 8:57 |
: red hair
|
| 8:57 |
: Sgt. Pepper is a hypocrite and so am I, although I am actively also participating in an anti baseball chat.
|
| 8:57 |
: Was Jose Quintana’s IL related to him cutting himself washing dishes?
|
| 8:57 |
: I know Dustin May is now the face of redhead baseball players, and that’s all I need to know
|
| 8:57 |
Dan Szymborski: I tore my wrist tripping over a cat
|
| 8:58 |
: He can eat 30 hotdogs in 7 min
|
| 8:58 |
Dan Szymborski: slidery thing, throws hard
|
| 8:59 |
Dan Szymborski: I think his slider moves like a knuckle curve but I got shouted down when I suggested that
|
| 8:59 |
: Dustin May would prefer not to be compared to Noah Syndergaard (which is…kinda a fair one to make) and thus dislikes the nickname “Gingergaard”
|
| 8:59 |
Dan Szymborski: The Gingergaard sounds like Carrot Top’s shock troopers
|
| 8:59 |
: The Cleveland Cuyahoga! And once a year you set the mascot on fire.
|
| 9:00 |
Dan Szymborski: You sir, have just written the next Wicker Man remake.
|
| 9:00 |
: Nats Park scoreboard says “Please Exit the Seating Bowl” because of the thunderstorm…mission accomplished?
|
| 9:00 |
: With the playoff expansion today. Does this make the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers locks into the postseason? Or as much as locks can be?
|
| 9:00 |
: Oh good, rain delay means more A-Rod!!
|
| 9:00 |
: Could this chat let me know when we are close to resuming so that I may return to the TV?
|
| 9:00 |
:  There will be no rain delay during the nightcap.
|
| 9:00 |
: Does this mean we can refer to the trump gestapo as the Cheeto’s brigade?
|
| 9:01 |
Dan Szymborski: Cheetoh Bandito
|
| 9:01 |
: All mascots should be set on fire once a year. For a new mascot to arise from the ashes like a Phoenix. Except the Phillie Phantic whom will remain unburned much like Daenerys from Game of Thrones
|
| 9:01 |
: Speaking very charitably about randomness of a shortened season, I’d say the Astros are more likely to finish third in their division than the Yankees and Dodgers?
|
| 9:01 |
: Not the bees!
|
| 9:01 |
: but yeah, they’re in
|
| 9:01 |
: Vasgersian just said “exotic stats” and I think the should catch on
|
| 9:01 |
Dan Szymborski: Makes my job sound sexier
|
| 9:01 |
Dan Szymborski: Oil me up, here come the EXOTIC stats.
|
| 9:01 |
: Yeah I’m in LA, as the username would suggest. Beautiful day here
|
| 9:01 |
Dan Szymborski: The username suggests your fandom, your location is only partially correlated!
|
| 9:02 |
: Did Vasgersian just use the word “union” to arod??? Beef???
|
| 9:02 |
: While others might think exotic stats such as 10+ K’s in consecutive opening games is what makes baseball interesting, to me, it sounds more like cherrypicking numbers without full understanding of the changes in baseball throughout era.
|
| 9:03 |
Dan Szymborski: gravity-adjusted vertical movement <rubs oil into chest hair>
|
| 9:03 |
: Seattle is going with the Kraken for the name of its NHL franchise. Is this easily the best sports news of 2020?
|
| 9:03 |
: Its likely the Phillie Phanatic will accidentally set himself on fire at some point
|
| 9:03 |
: A-Rod is an owner calling him a union member is hate speech
|
| 9:03 |
: Dustin May’s leg kick is great to play during your favorite Bronson Arroyo guitar solo
|
| 9:04 |
: Stats are just social constructs humans created to keep track of stuff
|
| 9:04 |
Dan Szymborski: Just try to forgot Bronson Arroyo’s corn rows phase
|
| 9:04 |
: poor buster’s just hiding by himself somewhere
|
| 9:04 |
: Dustin May used to do a squat before each pitch from the stretch
|
| 9:04 |
: He stopped it during intrasquads, sadly
|
| 9:05 |
Dan Szymborski: “Hey, Dustin, we’d kinda like you to not wear out your knees by the second year of your career.”
|
| 9:05 |
: Tony, don’t say poor Buster! He texted Mike Trout earlier…
|
| 9:05 |
Dan Szymborski: I have buster’s number but not trout’s. Maybe I should keep texting buster and hope I get included on a Trout group text
|
| 9:05 |
: I know Mustin Day is not a real day yet
|
| 9:05 |
: What is your favorite non-swear word/phrase for surprise/exasperation?
|
| 9:06 |
Dan Szymborski: “Crap on a bicycle!”
|
| 9:06 |
: May Day! May Day!
|
| 9:06 |
: Buster is texting Mike Trout for weather updates
|
| 9:06 |
: Well he is a weatherman
|
| 9:07 |
Dan Szymborski: It’s in a “weather” delay. They can’t call it a rain delay?
|
| 9:07 |
: The drainage in the stands in the park does not seem all that great…
|
| 9:07 |
: The Padres’ manager explicitly said he plan to Not be creative with his management/roster construction this year. Why isn’t it the priority of every club to be mentioned amongst the Rays, A’s, Astros, and Dodgers as the most creative/efficient at maximizing results?
|
| 9:08 |
: truly the PC police have won if we can’t say rain delay
|
| 9:08 |
: the sicko libs have “cancelled” rain
|
| 9:08 |
Dan Szymborski: lol
|
| 9:09 |
Dan Szymborski: Someone really shoudl tell A-Rod that Yoenis Cespedes isn’t a superstar
|
| 9:09 |
Dan Szymborski: Nor does Robinson Cano texting you to tell you they have great chemistry isn’t actually evidence of anything.
|
| 9:09 |
: so much terrible takes in such a short time… Cespedes is the superstar Mets need…. Astros are a sleeper…
|
| 9:09 |
Dan Szymborski: I swear he was SO much better when he was doing this occasionally at the end of his career
|
| 9:10 |
: astros being a sleeper is an incredible take
|
| 9:10 |
Dan Szymborski: Don’t sleep on that team that won 107 games last year
|
| 9:10 |
: Imagine losing the World Series and being a sleeper the next season
|
| 9:10 |
Dan Szymborski: Razzed by crazy A’s fans? Matt hasn’t seen an A’s game since 1989.
|
| 9:11 |
Dan Szymborski: “Which team is an underdog. Don’t say the Dodgers”
|
| 9:12 |
: “who else is good in the nl. please do not be obvious.” “………… the defending NL east champions”
|
| 9:12 |
Dan Szymborski: So the average A-Rod sleeper pick won 102 games last year
|
| 9:12 |
Dan Szymborski: Hey A-Rod, who’s a real sleeper in the AL Cy Young race?
|
| 9:12 |
: Arent the Dodgers the MOST underdog?
|
| 9:12 |
: Royals could be buyers talk on national TV, nature is healing
|
| 9:13 |
Dan Szymborski:
“Hey A-Rod, how about a deep sleeper for the AL Cy Young?”
“Well, the Yankees picked up this pitcher Gerrit Cole who might be in for a big year. Tyler Wade texted me to let me know that Gary Sanchez has fallen for his bedroom eyes. We’ll know for sure the first 20 pitches.” |
| 9:14 |
Dan Szymborski: Sorry, tweetin ga littlet too
|
| 9:14 |
: Calling the Astros an underdog is like saying Javier Báez has good plate discipline
|
| 9:14 |
Dan Szymborski: You know who might surprise and have a big power year? Pete Alonso. You heard it here first.
|
| 9:15 |
Dan Szymborski: I kinda miss Harold Reynolds at this point.
|
| 9:15 |
: Liar
|
| 9:15 |
: John Smoltz is almost appealing right now
|
| 9:16 |
: “Buster is safe…he’s standing out in the outfield getting absolutely drenched right now as you can see on camera”
|
| 9:17 |
: Wouldnt Dodger Stadium look the same if fans were allowed there or not? #rimshot
|
| 9:17 |
: I dont want to alarm anyone but we are close to McGarver territory and I’m scared
|
| 9:17 |
: Dodgers only predicted to win 38 games in 2020 = underdog.
|
| 9:17 |
: Percentage of starts by a starter apparently changes with season length? ARod having a rough night.
|
| 9:17 |
: Player starting 12 games instead of 32 is more important.
|
| 9:19 |
: Has any team ever won a World Series after dropping in wins by 65?
|
| 9:19 |
Dan Szymborski: heh
|
| 9:19 |
Dan Szymborski: maybe once we have our 30 team playoffs!
|
| 9:19 |
: They’re going to do a 29 team playoff, just to laugh at the Orioles…
|
| 9:20 |
Dan Szymborski: Or 30 teams. The O’s show up and the commish tells them “Oh, the last spot is for the NPB champs, not you guys.”
|
| 9:20 |
: So they are going to play this to completion this year and not just call the game over since they got 5 innings in?
|
| 9:21 |
: MLB deserves the O’s making the playoffs
|
| 9:21 |
: Chris Davis WS MVP
|
| 9:21 |
: Kurkjian is making a strong play against ARod for uselessness in commentating
|
| 9:22 |
: Richie Martin walk-off to clinch a series
|
| 9:22 |
Dan Szymborski: Uh, is Tim’s audio out of sync or am I having a stroke?
|
| 9:22 |
: Hunter Harvey getting a game 7 save?
|
| 9:22 |
Dan Szymborski: haha, like he still exists
|
| 9:22 |
: The sudden death wild card games were my favorite games to watch each year as long as my team wasn’t involved. I’m going to miss that.
|
| 9:22 |
Dan Szymborski: The Orioles accidentally killed Harvey with some groundskeeping equipment and they just put him on the IL every year hoping nobody finds out
|
| 9:23 |
: there’s gonna be an earthquake in the fourth or so inning in LA tonight, isn’t there
|
| 9:23 |
: For a team that I suspect will have easily made the playoffs and won the division, a three-game series to advance is just grossly unfair.
|
| 9:24 |
Dan Szymborski: I don’t like questions that are specifically posed to try to trip them up
|
| 9:24 |
Dan Szymborski: to players
|
| 9:24 |
: With regards to the Soto news, why aren’t there more stringent guidelines regarding distancing between players on the same team? I get that it is very hard to do, but this seems like the best way to mitigate risk. Or else teams are risking a huge outbreak and subsequent disaster when they face an opponent
|
| 9:25 |
Dan Szymborski: I think they’re being a bit lax.
|
| 9:25 |
: Lindor, over or under Betts contract?
|
| 9:25 |
Dan Szymborski: As of right now, it would be over, but a lot can happen in two seasons
|
| 9:25 |
: Under
|
| 9:25 |
: remember when one of the mlb was adamant that the playoffs had to end before november in their negotiations with mlbpa
|
| 9:25 |
: Def under
|
| 9:26 |
Dan Szymborski: I like that he did the kaboom sound
|
| 9:26 |
Dan Szymborski: I’ll do a poll for Lindor! More efficient
|
| 9:26 |
Dan Szymborski:
Who Wins This Game?
Yankees (41.7% | 28 votes)
Nationals (2.9% | 2 votes)
Us When It’s Over and We Don’t Have to See Angel Hernandez Any More Tonight (55.2% | 37 votes)
Total Votes: 67
|
| 9:26 |
Dan Szymborski: I never started that poll
|
| 9:27 |
Dan Szymborski:
What Does Francisco Lindor Get In His Next Contract?
<$300 Million (20.2% | 14 votes)
$300 Million to Betts (50.7% | 35 votes)
Above Betts to $400 Million (27.5% | 19 votes)
>$400 Million (1.4% | 1 vote)
Total Votes: 69
|
| 9:28 |
: If mlb just wants endless tacky media events why not make it a 17-team playoff and the extra team is made up entirely of dogs?
|
| 9:28 |
: All time great lineup with the Betts,, Bellinger’s and…. Buehler’s (who must have a sneaky good bat?)
|
| 9:28 |
: And somehow it’ll be Kershaw’s fault again
|
| 9:28 |
: @homealone it wont be an earthquake. the sprinkler system will go off
|
| 9:29 |
: A satellite will fall out of the sky and blow up Chavez Ravine
|
| 9:29 |
: Dave Roberts can always just move Kershaw to the bullpen. He seems to like that.
|
| 9:29 |
: Betts will catch it
|
| 9:31 |
Dan Szymborski: 
|
| 9:31 |
: Pabo
|
| 9:31 |
Dan Szymborski: This was some of my best work and damn you people who don’t get it!
|
| 9:31 |
: Sandoval
|
| 9:31 |
: is
|
| 9:31 |
: batting
|
| 9:31 |
: third
|
| 9:31 |
: Finally, Dan makes a funny image
|
| 9:32 |
: Giants have to rebuild, will be bad. This has never happened to any team ever in the history of baseball
|
| 9:32 |
: Next player to exceed Betts’s contract?
|
| 9:33 |
Dan Szymborski: Outside Lindor which you guys mostly don’t agree with, I don’t see anyone on the horizon
|
| 9:33 |
: Dan if I’m ever on trial for a sandwich-related crime, you’re my lawyer’s first call as a witness
|
| 9:33 |
: I would say Acuña but…
|
| 9:33 |
Dan Szymborski: And then you look at the Albies deal and feel worse
|
| 9:33 |
: Does skittles really want to be associated with rain delays?
|
| 9:34 |
: Bellinger? Still about 5 years out…
|
| 9:34 |
: Delay the rainbow
|
| 9:34 |
Dan Szymborski: I really want to murder the lady in that Geico commercial
|
| 9:34 |
: Too bad they cut off when they did. Could’ve done a whole “Tyler Wade in the Water” bit…
|
| 9:34 |
: Juan Soto will get a big deal
|
| 9:34 |
Dan Szymborski: He’s awhile away though
|
| 9:35 |
Dan Szymborski: 5 yrs to FA and won’t get more than Betts with cost-controlled years in there
|
| 9:35 |
: Maybe it’ll be the rockies giving Corey Kluber $500 million to start in left field
|
| 9:35 |
: if he does it again Pete Alsono
|
| 9:36 |
: I might be more curious about how many of the current stars even get as close to free agency as Mookie did, with how popular extensions have gotten
|
| 9:36 |
Dan Szymborski: I’m a little concernerd about this commercial for “authentic” medication
|
| 9:36 |
: Wander Franco?
|
| 9:36 |
: Gleyber? Probably a stretch but there is nothing obvious
|
| 9:36 |
: Alonso is going to be closer to Goldschmidt than Betts due to his age.
|
| 9:36 |
: Obviously Lindor will, but
|
| 9:36 |
: Judge is too old I suppose
|
| 9:36 |
: Judge?
|
| 9:37 |
: alonso is simultaneously 25 years old and 40 years old
|
| 9:37 |
: It’ll just be Trout probably
|
| 9:37 |
Dan Szymborski: Jeff Francoeur would have swung at that Fauci pitch.
|
| 9:37 |
: Why didnt more teams put a pinch runner type on their expanded roster? Or did they do that and I just wasnt paying attention?
|
| 9:37 |
Dan Szymborski: A lot do have a guy like that around
|
| 9:37 |
: that was awful I apologize
|
| 9:37 |
: Smashing Claytons-“Zero (Rings)”
|
| 9:38 |
: Terrance Gore is on the LAD roster
|
| 9:38 |
Dan Szymborski: Billy hamilton, though not brought on FOR that purpose
|
| 9:38 |
: Andrew Stevenson is the Nats’ PR guy?
|
| 9:38 |
Dan Szymborski: Tyler Wade since I’ve been told he runs like a wide receiver
|
| 9:39 |
: I’ve been wondering about this all day… what if someone hits 400 this year? are we gonna act like it counts? will they asterisk it in the record boooks?
|
| 9:39 |
Dan Szymborski: There won’t be an official asterisk, but there’ll always be one in our hearts
|
| 9:39 |
: Cliff Lee is still on the market for teams looking for a pinch runner
|
| 9:39 |
Dan Szymborski: BARTOLO PINCH RUNNER
|
| 9:39 |
: I will personally be asterisking records, but probably not the WS champion
|
| 9:40 |
: I wonder how much will a 39 year old Mike Trout fetch in 2031? (assuming MLB still exists)
|
| 9:40 |
Dan Szymborski: I mean, is being humble *really* what makes someone into a baseball player? Is that what you *really* think?
|
| 9:40 |
: Everyone played with the same circumstances
|
| 9:40 |
: well MLB will be making 25 billion a year so his 515m contract isnt as impressive
|
| 9:40 |
: Dan I just logged into the chat and I’ve been reading through…that Mellon Collie and the Infinite Curveball image is amazing and heartbreaking, just like William Corgan, Jr.
|
| 9:41 |
Dan Szymborski: See, SOMEONE is amused by me and I swear that’s not a burner question.
|
| 9:41 |
: Was just thinking about how Chris Sale called Adam laroche’s son a leader in their clubhouse
|
| 9:41 |
: The championship ring is still gonna shine the same as a 162 season winner
|
| 9:41 |
: the WS chmpion is always asterisked given the nature of playoffs. Why not just have no divisions, everyone plays everyone else six times (three home, three away)?
|
| 9:41 |
: New 2020 rule: courtesy runners for catchers
|
| 9:42 |
: But the trophy is just a piece of metal, guys!
|
| 9:42 |
: Adam LaRoches son is the next 500m player
|
| 9:42 |
Dan Szymborski: that’s MR DRAKE LaRoche to you, peasant
|
| 9:42 |
: ESPN doesnt know who else to put as the face of the giants. They just alked about Longoria not playing
|
| 9:42 |
: now laroche appears in the chat, it never ends
|
| 9:43 |
: ARod signs himself to his 3rd record contract as owner of the Mets
|
| 9:43 |
: I’m really damn excited to see Johnny Cueto make an OD start again
|
| 9:43 |
: so will they play this game at 2 am?
|
| 9:43 |
Dan Szymborski: Bud Selig is still paid $6 million a year
|
| 9:43 |
: Tony, big fan. I’ve got a two parter for ya. Firstly, what does it say about Joey Votto that he has zero playoff series wins in his career? Secondly, who are your darkhorse Cy Young candidates? Thanks, T-Man.
|
| 9:44 |
: come on man
|
| 9:44 |
: clevinger and castillo are getting Cys though
|
| 9:44 |
: I recently graduated from the Alex Rodriguez School of Baseball Analysis, and Jacob deGrom is my dark horse Cy Young pick.
|
| 9:44 |
: i’m serious about the second one
|
| 9:45 |
: I think the runner at 2nd in the 10th inning rule should be modified to allow the opposing team to pick the runner
|
| 9:45 |
: Clevinger doesn’t deserve to be a dark horse. He’s so freaking underrated.
|
| 9:46 |
: yeah those two are only really dark horses in that they aren’t Cole/deGrom
|
| 9:46 |
: Have either of you been in MLB clubhouses? Is there any way it’s an appropriate environment for a kid, or is my vision of clubhouses just colored by the worst parts of ball four, etc
|
| 9:46 |
Dan Szymborski: I have been. It’s not super exciting sinc ea bunch of writers are around
|
| 9:47 |
Dan Szymborski: I’m not in there very often though. Beat writers are working to get their quotes and the like and if I need someone, I can get in touch with someone
|
| 9:47 |
: Has anyone else seen A-Rod’s tweet of him playing Connect-4, but just completely incorrectly? It’s sooo ~not~ how you play Connect-4 that I had a visceral reaction to the photo
|
| 9:47 |
Dan Szymborski: Wait, I have no tseen that
|
| 9:47 |
: by TEXTING?
|
| 9:47 |
Dan Szymborski: I very rarely talk to players about actual baseball. I’d make a terrible reporter lol
|
| 9:48 |
Dan Szymborski: I probably spend half the time arguing with their agents
|
| 9:48 |
: A-Rod connect-4 tweet:
For a guy who swung and missed as often as I did, connecting on four in a row can be a challenge sometimes.
Still, games like this help keep our minds sharp and focused and can be great fun for the whole family. What’s your go-to game? Text it to me at (305) 690-0485 |
| 9:48 |
: ARod sets the pieces on fire?
|
| 9:48 |
: Please send this tweet as I am too lazy to open a new tab and google it.
|
| 9:49 |
Dan Szymborski: I don’t understand what’s going on in this picture!
|
| 9:49 |
: WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS PICTURE
|
| 9:49 |
: Also, like, is he doing ads for Connect-4? So confused
|
| 9:50 |
: that picture is completely insane
|
| 9:50 |
Dan Szymborski: Tony, it’s insane on like five or six different levels
|
| 9:50 |
: This is like someone took pictures at 2 different times and super imposed the board
|
| 9:50 |
: this picture alone is enough to NOT let him own a baseball team
|
| 9:50 |
: also Connect 4 is a solved game, if you have the first move you cannot lose!
|
| 9:50 |
Dan Szymborski: A-Rod solved it. You always win if you play by yourself\
|
| 9:50 |
: How could you possibly take a picture of connect 4 that is less like how you actually play
|
| 9:51 |
Dan Szymborski: I’d love to see a whole series of professionally shot photographs of A-Rod misplaying board games.
|
| 9:51 |
Dan Szymborski: They show him playing Monopoly and he has 20 hotels on one property and he’s accumulated three tokens.
|
| 9:51 |
: Arod wearing the Sorry board as a hat
|
| 9:51 |
: bug-eyed in a dark room playing mouse trap
|
| 9:52 |
: Looks like a stock photo
|
| 9:52 |
Dan Szymborski: A-Rod playing backgammon with the doubling cube and moving 64 spaces
|
| 9:52 |
: Hey what’s up guys
|
| 9:52 |
Dan Szymborski: Hey Ben!
|
| 9:52 |
: ben!
|
| 9:52 |
: Howdy howdy
|
| 9:52 |
: Gonna be chatting the late game, and got here a little early
|
| 9:52 |
: By here, I mean my couch
|
| 9:52 |
: Chess with a knight on any 4 or 5 square in the first move
|
| 9:52 |
: BEN
|
| 9:52 |
: HI BEN
|
| 9:52 |
: Bennnnnnn!
|
| 9:52 |
Dan Szymborski: Scroll up. Did you ever see the image of A-Rod playing COnnect Four?
|
| 9:52 |
: You don’t want to know Ben
|
| 9:52 |
: Oh yeah I’ve seen it
|
| 9:52 |
: It’s truly excellent
|
| 9:53 |
: Ben is your mom joining?
|
| 9:53 |
: ARod wanted a game that would be a good message for connecting with family and so he chose Connect 4 based on it saying “Connect” on the box
|
| 9:53 |
: Maybe! She’s a Nats fan
|
| 9:53 |
: You think he’s playing connect 4 but arod is actually playing 4d chess
|
| 9:53 |
: Battleship with all the pegs in the holes with no ships
|
| 9:53 |
: And was 100% watching earlier
|
| 9:53 |
: Arod rolling dice playing monopoly
|
| 9:53 |
: dying at the battleship one
|
| 9:53 |
: I sent her a pitching ninja gif of the Fauci first pitch
|
| 9:53 |
Dan Szymborski: This is the least threatening lineup to have this music.
|
| 9:53 |
: Boy was that bad
|
| 9:53 |
: Clubbed to Extremely Slight Injury
|
| 9:54 |
Dan Szymborski: Jepsen’s was still worse
|
| 9:54 |
: thats suppose to be candyland… i’m a moron
|
| 9:54 |
: oh heck yeah, what’s up ben
|
| 9:54 |
Dan Szymborski: The people are just too big which makes it really creepy.
|
| 9:54 |
: Bold user name choice
|
| 9:55 |
Dan Szymborski: See, I just get disappointed sighs when people see it’s just me.
|
| 9:55 |
: let. johnny. ride. to. the. mound. on. his. horse.
|
| 9:55 |
: It’s a pretty weird choice to use Hip Hop is Dead but leave out the chorus, which is probably my favorite part
|
| 9:55 |
: i’ll be honest it hasn’t paid off until just now
|
| 9:55 |
: “I always battled in the box, so sometimes now I like to play a round of battleship with my family to keep us in good health”
|
| 9:55 |
: “Baseball reference!”
|
| 9:55 |
Dan Szymborski: These people cardboard cutouts are weirdly scaled
|
| 9:55 |
Dan Szymborski: There’s like this GIANT toddler lurking behind Bellinger
|
| 9:56 |
: where are the dog cutouts
|
| 9:56 |
: I was told there’d be dog cutouts
|
| 9:56 |
: Tony my wife is trying to get the Giants to let us buy a dog cutout
|
| 9:56 |
: YES
|
| 9:56 |
: And they’ve been conspicuously silent
|
| 9:56 |
: It’s aggravating
|
| 9:56 |
: ah man
|
| 9:57 |
: How much does it cost Ben?
|
| 9:57 |
: Honestly I don’t remember. We never got that far. The Dodgers one is like, what, 100 bucks?
|
| 9:58 |
: BLACK LIVES MATTER!!!
|
| 9:58 |
: Baseball needs more Morgan Freeman
|
| 9:58 |
: Are there fresh cutouts every game or are they season-ticket holder cutouts?
|
| 9:58 |
: The Giants are also 100 bucks
|
| 9:59 |
: I’ll be honest, it’s a stupid purchase, but I’m a sucker when it comes to Ruby, and also they let you pick it up, authenticate it, and take it home as game-used after the season
|
| 9:59 |
: Does the $100 go to charity? If not it’s a little weird.
|
| 9:59 |
: Ha! We’ve got jokes tonight.
|
| 9:59 |
Dan Szymborski: Wait, did he say six continents? Who’s the Australian I’m forgetting?
|
| 9:59 |
: Definitely not
|
| 9:59 |
: only 6 continents… they left out Antarctica… Is that because its only white!!! I smell conspiracy!
|
| 9:59 |
: Everyone said hi to Ben, but did anyone say hello to Eric?
|
| 10:00 |
: Joking aside, that was well done and Dodgers fan should deservedly be proud of his team.
|
| 10:01 |
: I am proud
|
| 10:01 |
Dan Szymborski: Sandoval’s just stuck
|
| 10:01 |
: Good for mookie
|
| 10:01 |
 Jay Jaffe: hey folks!
|
| 10:02 |
: I’m really psyched for Mookie the Dodger, to be honest
|
| 10:02 |
: JAYYYYYYYY
|
| 10:02 |
: Hello Jay
|
| 10:02 |
: WE LOVE YOU TOO JAY
|
| 10:02 |
: on god
|
| 10:02 |
Jay Jaffe: i just flew in from the other end of my apartment and boy are my arms tired
|
| 10:02 |
Dan Szymborski: Hey Jay!
|
| 10:02 |
: Dan I’m assuming the six continents thing is MLB-wide: Liam Hendriks I think is the only one
|
| 10:02 |
: Oh and that Thorpe guy for the Twins! I remember seeing him in OOTP
|
| 10:03 |
Dan Szymborski: Yeah, I was wondering if there was just an Aussie here I forgot about
|
| 10:03 |
: Jay are you just trying to steal Eric’s thunder?
|
| 10:03 |
: at least one Jay has a home
|
| 10:03 |
Jay Jaffe: Does Eric have thunder? I would never interfere with another man’s thunder.
|
| 10:03 |
Dan Szymborski: OK gang, the 10 PM crew is here and I’m sure you want to talk to them rather than listening to me after three hours, so I shall bid you all adieu!
|
| 10:04 |
: good night dan. your service to the chat was tolerated.
|
| 10:04 |
: you owe us two songs dan
|
| 10:04 |
Dan Szymborski: No, I don’t owe songs for group chats, only for personal chats!
|
| 10:04 |
Dan Szymborski: I will do Mr. Belvedere next week.
|
| 10:04 |
: I’m off as well, but will be back tomorrow around this time
|
| 10:04 |
Jay Jaffe: good night, Dan and Tony!
|
| 10:04 |
: Cya guys!
|
| 10:04 |
Dan Szymborski: Yup, back tomorrow!
|
| 10:04 |
: BYE TONY
|
| 10:04 |
: I miss Mookie the Red So(x/ck)
|
| 10:05 |
: Well that too. Just, more Mookie please
|
| 10:05 |
: eric you didn’t have a fancy picture like the others so i missed yr entrance, but glad you’re here! also goodnight tony and dan
|
| 10:06 |
: thanks, chat.
|
| 10:06 |
: Asked this of the last group: Who’s the next player to exceed Bett’s contract?
|
| 10:06 |
: Right on the hot seat right at the beginning
|
| 10:06 |
Jay Jaffe: I was really looking forward to some Clayton Kershaw tonight. That scratch is a big bummer, but I’m excited to see Dustin May, too. I briefly got to swap messages with FG alum Josh Herzenberg, who was the scout who signed May. He wrote about it last fall https://blogs.fangraphs.com/called-up-dustin-may/
|
| 10:07 |
: “This is a lineup where you’re not going to recognize all those names” is an excellent way to cover up for the fact that literally Kurkjian doesn’t recognize the names
|
| 10:07 |
Jay Jaffe: Lindor is the easy answer to that question re: Betts
|
| 10:07 |
: agreed, Lindor
|
| 10:07 |
Jay Jaffe: (I don’t know if he will, but if anybody on the scene will, it’s him)
|
| 10:07 |
: Can I take the field? Like players not currently in pro ball?
|
| 10:07 |
: I’m really down on big long-term deals post-COVID
|
| 10:07 |
: That might be a weird way to say it
|
| 10:08 |
: I think that teams are going to be really hesitant to hand them out
|
| 10:08 |
Jay Jaffe: the other guy i think has a shot is Gleyber – who isn’t the player Lindor is, but, um, plays for the team with the money
|
| 10:08 |
: The previous consensus was Bellinger. People dont think Lindor will do that well. I dissagree.
|
| 10:09 |
Jay Jaffe: I think a lot of Bellinger’s chance depends on whether he can continue to carry RF or CF for awhile
|
| 10:10 |
: I now have the spanish commentary on because I hit my cliche quote for the day.
|
| 10:10 |
: Tonight’s first beer will also very likely be tonight’s last beer: a 32 oz crowler from Bare Bottle Brewing here in SF
|
| 10:10 |
: Amusingly, it’s called Slam Adams
|
| 10:10 |
: Nice light lager
|
| 10:11 |
: production values on point, missing the first plate appearance entirely
|
| 10:11 |
: HOW DO YOU MISS THE FIRST PITCH ESPN
|
| 10:11 |
: But the ads!
|
| 10:12 |
Jay Jaffe: I’m going to hold off on the beer for a bit since i am already past my pitch count…
|
| 10:12 |
: The May sinker is going to replace the Jordan Hicks sinker for me as the most visually pleasing fastball in baseball
|
| 10:12 |
: The little wiggle is just so fun tow atch
|
| 10:12 |
Jay Jaffe: (not beer-wise, typing-wise)
|
| 10:12 |
: Arod: “to me, and this may be controversial, but the second batter of the game is the next best batter to start the game with!”
|
| 10:12 |
: It’s way better to start the game with an even batter than with an odd batter
|
| 10:13 |
Jay Jaffe: i have a n overtired 3 1/2 year old doing play by play for a completely different game in the background
|
| 10:13 |
: There isn’t much I’d like to see A-Rod announce
|
| 10:14 |
: He’s in the uncanny valley
|
| 10:13 |
: But given tonight’s obsession with small ball, I’d love to hear what he said there
|
| 10:14 |
: A-Rod coming out against framing
|
| 10:14 |
: Because in the playoffs small ball matters
|
| 10:14 |
: was just like
|
| 10:14 |
: bro what
|
| 10:14 |
Jay Jaffe:
Alex Rodriguez waxing philosophical about smallball is far too high a price to pay for playing baseball during a pandemic
|
| 10:14 |
: Does May really sit 98?
|
| 10:14 |
: Eh
|
| 10:14 |
: Would you accept 97?
|
| 10:14 |
: May sits 96-97
|
| 10:14 |
: Yeah
|
| 10:14 |
: This is more than last year, even across the whole minor league season. https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2020-in-season-prospect-…
|
| 10:15 |
: Dang Eric, all over it
|
| 10:15 |
Jay Jaffe: I am curious given the introduction of Hawk-Eye how seriously we should be taking velo readings right now
|
| 10:15 |
: He looked a lot like this in his major league time last year; Statcast had him 96 mph average
|
| 10:16 |
: Marlins man should buy as many cutouts as possible in all stadiums just to troll the hell out of us
|
| 10:16 |
: Counterpoint: no
|
| 10:17 |
: Holy shit pence is back on the giants?
|
| 10:17 |
: Haha yeah they are running it back, I love it
|
| 10:18 |
: It’s interesting, I’d expect a team with playoff aspirations to bring Pence in and see if last year was real
|
| 10:19 |
: But he probably projected to sell a lot of tickets for the Giants
|
| 10:19 |
: I can tell you that excitement in the bay area was HIGH for him coming back
|
| 10:19 |
: And not just from various Magic the Gathering players I know who hoped he would pop into their stores
|
| 10:20 |
: in-store play is a distant memory now
|
| 10:19 |
: They better pump in an enormous ovation for Betts
|
| 10:19 |
: I mean they have fans in the stands before the second inning
|
| 10:20 |
: So they’re clearly not playing this like it’s real-life Dodgers Stadium
|
| 10:20 |
: Ouch
|
| 10:20 |
: I kid
|
| 10:21 |
: I’m mainly interested in the dog section
|
| 10:21 |
Jay Jaffe: that was nasty from Cueto
|
| 10:21 |
: By what year of his deal does Mookie commit to being bald
|
| 10:21 |
: He does have a bit of Lebron-before-giving-up to his hairline
|
| 10:22 |
: I’ll be happy if the aging curve is the same.
|
| 10:23 |
: Haha yes when someone compares you to Lebron, that’s a good sign
|
| 10:23 |
: We all want LeBrons aging curve
|
| 10:23 |
: LeBron is my age
|
| 10:23 |
: And let me tell you, yeah
|
| 10:24 |
: Could we see more in the stands catches with only cardboard fans as obstacles?
|
| 10:24 |
: Oh, probably!
|
| 10:24 |
: I mean, only in a very narrow way, because not that many balls are in that exact zone
|
| 10:24 |
: but yeah
|
| 10:24 |
: That cueto delivery is AWESOME!
|
| 10:25 |
Jay Jaffe: He’s got a bunch of different ones. So much fun to watch
|
| 10:25 |
: Should more pitchers adopt the varied windups like cueto? Or is finding a delivery hard enough without worrying about deception?
|
| 10:25 |
: Would love to hear Eric’s take on this
|
| 10:25 |
: It’s more prevalent now among young pitching than when I started out. They don’t always go about it correctly
|
| 10:25 |
: That’s my assumption. Cueto is just a freak when it comes to repeating the core parts with so much window dressing
|
| 10:25 |
Jay Jaffe: I have to think it’s tough to keep your mechanics right when you’ve got so many different looks
|
| 10:25 |
Jay Jaffe: He is our Luis Tiant
|
| 10:26 |
:
From Friday evening, here’s Ethan Small varying his timing.
 |
| 10:26 |
: He’s not small, though. I feel deceived.
|
| 10:27 |
: Even with a healthy Kershaw, the Dodgers rotation is the obvious weakness to their team, right?
|
| 10:27 |
: Pretty sure their weakness is the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
|
| 10:27 |
: ESPN was late coming back from commercial again. Ack.
|
| 10:27 |
: the mouse wants his money
|
| 10:27 |
Jay Jaffe: I’m more worried about the Dodgers’ bullpen than their rotation. Depth and young arms galore. Buehler, Urias, May, Gonsolin…
|
| 10:27 |
: The Dodgers go about 10 deep in good starting pitchers
|
| 10:28 |
: And May is pitching in July, last names are not to be trusted like that Ben.
|
| 10:28 |
: Huh? The Dodgers are already down two of their original starting five and we still recognize all five in the rotation. They’re fine!
|
| 10:28 |
: Yeah I mean, you could argue the bullpen is a weakness
|
| 10:29 |
: It’s a relative weakness
|
| 10:29 |
: Yeah
|
| 10:29 |
: It’s still good, but I would say it’s the weakest part of the team
|
| 10:29 |
: I mean! Drink!
|
| 10:29 |
: Challenge accepted
|
| 10:29 |
: Fair. The Dodgers rotation is good. I guess just in comparison to their lineup it doesn’t seem quite as infallible
|
| 10:29 |
: Less worried about Dodgers starting 5 than I am about everyone else in the bullpen
|
| 10:30 |
Jay Jaffe: Treinin and Graterol should help but the real question is can Kenley get back to being the Kenley Jansen of a few years ago
|
| 10:31 |
: Cutter was sitting 88-92 during camp
|
| 10:30 |
Jay Jaffe: and let’s not even talk about Joe Kelly
|
| 10:30 |
: May not being in the bullpen will be a downgrade, but you know? Not the worst downgrade to move your impact reliever to an impact starter
|
| 10:31 |
:
Empty seats or cardboard fans?
Empty seats (31.6% | 25 votes)
Cardboard fans (68.3% | 54 votes)
Total Votes: 79
|
| 10:32 |
: Oh hey they didn’t miss a pitch
|
| 10:32 |
: Cueto just kept wiggling until the commercial finished
|
| 10:32 |
Jay Jaffe: what no choice for Fox football robots doing the wave?
|
| 10:32 |
: They only miss pictures with the rebuilding team is up
|
| 10:32 |
: Yeah but I want to see May pitch!
|
| 10:33 |
: I feel more strongly about no fake fan noise. It’s very off-putting to me and legitimately distracting. Maybe it’s just the dissonance it causes – like, I *know* there no fans there so why can I hear them??
|
| 10:33 |
: Every May pitch they don’t show is one time I don’t get to see that sinker
|
| 10:33 |
: agreed, it’s weird
|
| 10:33 |
: Kinda weird to keep the ball from getting HBP, even if it’s your first time on base in 2020, no?
|
| 10:33 |
: Joc Pederson… MVP candidate? Ok.
|
| 10:33 |
: I *think* that the ball has to be taken out of play after an HBP
|
| 10:33 |
: For COVID reasons
|
| 10:33 |
Jay Jaffe: i almost did a spit take on that one, Sam
|
| 10:33 |
: And that Turner was just being a helpful guy
|
| 10:34 |
: But Justin Turner asked for it from the catcher, then tossed it to someone whose attention he got in his dugout. Just seemed odd to me.
|
| 10:34 |
: It certainly looked odd
|
| 10:35 |
: The crowd is just too fake
|
| 10:35 |
Jay Jaffe: the thing about the crowd noise, as I understand it, is that it’s more for the players than it is for the viewers. keep the in-game chatter from being overheard. But anyway you slice it, it’s gonna be weird.
|
| 10:35 |
: The best fake crowd has been the cartoon characters one in the KBO
|
| 10:35 |
Jay Jaffe: the KBO is the damn best
|
| 10:36 |
Jay Jaffe: i’ve been too busy to watch much of it lately but I miss it
|
| 10:37 |
: Jung-hoo Lee and Ha Seong Kim are must-watch for me
|
| 10:37 |
Jay Jaffe: I need more Swole Daddy and Sung-Bum Na
|
| 10:38 |
: Insulting to my guy Eu-ji Yang
|
| 10:38 |
Jay Jaffe: and Euiji Yang
|
| 10:38 |
: He’s 100% my favorite to watch
|
| 10:38 |
Jay Jaffe: damn, it Ben, i was trying to remember how to type his name
|
| 10:38 |
: Well, you got it right, and I got it wrong, sooooo
|
| 10:38 |
: The revisionist history on Friedman is starting to get annoying (the waiting for Betts narrative). Didn’t the Dodgers offer Harper a very high AAV deal on I think a 5 year deal? They were also in on several other big name FA’s.
|
| 10:38 |
: Yeah, it’s obnoxious
|
| 10:39 |
: They went after Cole too
|
| 10:39 |
: It’s safe to say that they were selective, but the fact that Betts is who they ended up with is still somewhat down to chance
|
| 10:39 |
: Isn’t it enough to say that he identified the five best available players in baseball over some window and went after them?
|
| 10:40 |
: Derek Dietrich signed with the Cubs so he still gets to play against the Pirates!
|
| 10:40 |
: I’ll be off for a moment, grabbing delivery food
|
| 10:40 |
Jay Jaffe: I hope he’s healthy. He was so much fun for awhile last year and then hit like .120 for several months playing through his shoulder injury
|
| 10:41 |
: What are the chances that the Dodgers are in on Lindor? Imagine an infield with him, Seager at third, Lux and Muncy. Yikes …
|
| 10:41 |
Jay Jaffe: Tough to imagine them going with 2 $300M+ deals at once
|
| 10:42 |
Jay Jaffe: wow, Betts made that play close at second
|
| 10:43 |
Jay Jaffe: given the volume of Dodgers games I watch I am quite excited to see more Mookie
|
| 10:43 |
: That bat crack sounded nice
|
| 10:43 |
: the empty stadium bat crack is very satisfying.
|
| 10:44 |
: We back
|
| 10:44 |
: If Heineman were out that would have been quite the intro for Mookie
|
| 10:44 |
: Get a head start on that defensive value
|
| 10:44 |
: What’s for dinner, Ben?
|
| 10:44 |
: Pizza. My wife is feeling under the weather so we’ve scrapped our cooking plans
|
| 10:45 |
: Hey Fangraphs was on ESPN!
|
| 10:45 |
: Hype!
|
| 10:45 |
Jay Jaffe: had an exciting dinner here, I made hand-pulled noodles from a Xi’an Famous Foods kit and they turned out all right
|
| 10:45 |
: Jay really just bragging here. Xi’an might be the food I miss most from NY
|
| 10:46 |
: I lived about five minutes from the one in Chinatown
|
| 10:46 |
Jay Jaffe: i have one a block and a half away and it’s been closed since mid-March. but they just started doing these delivery meal kits and I am stoked
|
| 10:46 |
: San Francisco pizza?
|
| 10:46 |
: Any toppings?
|
| 10:46 |
: It’s acceptable. It’s not NY, of course
|
| 10:47 |
: Will you be mentally attaching an asterisk to the WS winners if a team like the Rockies or Mariners sneaks into the (expanded) playoffs and gets hot, but not if a team like the Yankees or Dodgers wins it all, on the grounds that the latter teams, as a matter of true talent, deserved to be in the playoffs, but the former teams did not?
|
| 10:47 |
: It should have an asterisk regardless of what happens, I’m just dismayed at how you can’t strip the negative connotation from the asterisk because of the steroid era. It just denotes a weird thing happened but it’s always discussed as if it cheapens the accomplishment.
|
| 10:47 |
: Ben, what’s your ranking of top 5 pizza places in SF? There are wrong answers
|
| 10:47 |
: I’m here in SF too, what’s the best pizza in the City?
|
| 10:47 |
: Oh man, on the spot
|
| 10:47 |
: I’m not 100% sure to be honest
|
| 10:47 |
: But I’ll give you three
|
| 10:48 |
: I like Gioia, I like Little Star if you don’t want to go too pricey, and I like Montesacro Pinsa Romana
|
| 10:49 |
: Kershaw is getting *paid* this year
|
| 10:49 |
: Hankook tires? In!
|
| 10:49 |
: When will ESPN change their default player stat line to something other than AVG-HR-RBI?
|
| 10:49 |
: Skechers? The money vault is out back
|
| 10:49 |
Jay Jaffe: when they hire ex-players who don’t wax philosophical about small ball. I have the year 2327 down on my card
|
| 10:50 |
: Just let Petriello and Benetti call every game
|
| 10:51 |
: Do you think Edwin Rios stays as the first pinch hitter off the bench for the dodgers or do you think they move him for BP help at some point?
|
| 10:51 |
: I think it’ll be a mix of him, Taylor, Joc
|
| 10:51 |
: I also don’t know how much deadline activity there will be, honestly
|
| 10:52 |
: They’re so deep. Rios has huge power, he just swings too much. But if it’s late and you need a ball in play…
|
| 10:52 |
Jay Jaffe: regarding asterisks, look, the year is weird, but any team who survives the mountain of bullshit that we have all had to contend with and wins the World Series gets to call themselves champion and tell us to kiss their asterisk.
|
| 10:52 |
: Are these going to happen every day?
|
| 10:52 |
: Today, tomorrow, and I dunno, playoffs?
|
| 10:53 |
: Yankees officially beat the Nationals
|
| 10:53 |
Jay Jaffe: wait i thought all rain-delayed games were considred suspended?
|
| 10:53 |
Jay Jaffe: what the
|
| 10:54 |
: Nah, weirdly that’s only if tied?
|
| 10:54 |
: I think
|
| 10:54 |
: I don’t know the exact rule to be honest. Too many changes coming this year
|
| 10:55 |
Jay Jaffe: ah i think it’s suspended only if it hasn’t reached official status
|
| 10:55 |
: One thing I’ve often wondered about Cueto: would he throw harder with a regular delivery
|
| 10:55 |
: ?
|
| 10:56 |
: He definitely has several variations where he can’t get his core into it quite as much
|
| 10:57 |
: I thought they were saying all games were played in full on ESPN after the rain stopped…
|
| 10:57 |
Jay Jaffe: Continuation of Suspended Games. OBR 7.01 (“Regulation Games”) and 7.02 (“Suspended, Postponed, and Tie Games”) shall be adjusted to permit the continuation of non-regulation games (i.e., less than five complete innings) that are ended because of weather. Such games shall be treated as suspended games that will be continued at a later date (see OBR 7.02(b)) and resumed at the exact point of suspension of the original game (see OBR 7.02(c)).
|
| 10:57 |
: Yeah, but Manfred said it, and as we know, anything Manfred says on ESPN gets walked back shortly thereafter
|
| 10:57 |
Jay Jaffe: from the 2020 operations manual
|
| 10:57 |
: More likely: SF Giants sweep this series OR SF Giants are forced to use a position player as a pitcher at some point in this series?
|
| 10:57 |
: Sounds like a poll!
|
| 10:58 |
:
What’s more likely?
Giants sweep series (52.9% | 36 votes)
Position player pitches (47.0% | 32 votes)
Total Votes: 68
|
| 10:58 |
: Cheers Jay, was about to ask if someone could find the rule on it but you beat me!
|
| 10:59 |
Jay Jaffe: yeah i don’t see anything about suspending games that have gone past 5.
|
| 10:59 |
: Well, most likely is “neither”
|
| 10:59 |
: SUre
|
| 10:59 |
: What’s more likely, asteroid strike or alien invasion?
|
| 10:59 |
: May’s at 40 pitches and is 1.5 times through the Giants’ lineup. Is this probably his last inning?
|
| 10:59 |
: May threw as many as four innings in camp
|
| 11:00 |
: These count as complete games for Scherzer and Cole, right?
|
| 11:00 |
: he piggybacked with Buehler like 5 days ago
|
| 11:00 |
: They will, yeah
|
| 11:01 |
Jay Jaffe: i think the broadcast said Roberts said 75 pitches for May
|
| 11:01 |
: Loving the personalized masks, btw
|
| 11:02 |
: Is it a quality start for Cole?
|
| 11:02 |
: Huh
|
| 11:02 |
: I don’t believe those are official stats
|
| 11:03 |
Jay Jaffe: it’s not a QS since a QS by definition is at least 6 innings
|
| 11:03 |
Jay Jaffe: (and yeah, not official)
|
| 11:03 |
: So a) no and b)Dayn Perry is cited in the Wikipedia article on quality starts
|
| 11:03 |
: lol
|
| 11:04 |
Jay Jaffe: i like QS more than I do pitcher wins, tbh
|
| 11:04 |
: Dayn Perry of CBS Sports has introduced what he calls the “Dominant Start”.[9] This stat would award a pitcher with a Dominant Start if he goes at least eight innings, and give up no more than one run, earned or unearned. This stat means that if a pitcher pitches a complete game and gives up two unearned runs, he would not get a Dominant Start. Perry argues that this stat would better show which pitchers are truly the best in all of baseball.
|
| 11:04 |
: Odds of Carson having put that in there as a very weird piece of public art have to be higher than 0
|
| 11:04 |
Jay Jaffe: lol yes
|
| 11:05 |
: Lakers Mavs replay still has a quarter left on NBA TV if people wanna shake off that ‘recall’ button rust and regain feel and timing
|
| 11:05 |
: “Dayn Perry is an author and possible baseball journalist. He was also a special consultant for the San Diego Padres from 2001–2003.” – Wikipedia
|
| 11:05 |
: I know Cueto has been doing this forever, but are we just supposed to pretend that his delivery isn’t illegal? The rule seems pretty clear. Delivery has to be made “without alteration or interruption.”
|
| 11:06 |
: No one knows what deliveries are and aren’t legal. If he threw to first halfway through the bleeps, the sweeps, and the creeps (to quote Spaceballs), I feel confident they’d call a balk
|
| 11:07 |
: But he tones it way down with runners on, and I just don’t see an ump calling him out for an illegal pitch without a solid reason why
|
| 11:07 |
: The Schwartz tells me the script for the Spaceballs sequel is being written
|
| 11:08 |
: Wait really?
|
| 11:09 |
: I think so. Story next staff call.
|
| 11:09 |
: Amazing
|
| 11:09 |
: I was down on the remaking of movies I liked when I was younger until I saw Super Troopers 2
|
| 11:09 |
: Now I’m back in
|
| 11:09 |
: Man the dodgers look like arod playing connect four versus cueto
|
| 11:10 |
Jay Jaffe: well, they just tied the game up
|
| 11:10 |
: Well now they don’t
|
| 11:10 |
: Super troopers 2 is good?!?
|
| 11:10 |
: I liked it quite a bit
|
| 11:10 |
: It didn’t try to be anything other than an extension of the first one
|
| 11:11 |
: And I didn’t really want anything more than that
|
| 11:11 |
: Tim Kurkijan might be my favorite baseball analyst ever, simply because he has such genuine and boundless enthusiasm for the game, in addition to being a limitless font of fascinating trivia. Who is your favorite analyst?
|
| 11:11 |
: Hershiser
|
| 11:11 |
: Wonderful question
|
| 11:11 |
Jay Jaffe: I enjoy David Cone with the Yankees
|
| 11:11 |
: I actually like Keith Hernandez quite a bit, though not so much for the baseball analysis
|
| 11:12 |
Jay Jaffe: Hershiser has grown on me too
|
| 11:12 |
: I don’t think he would work at a national level but I’ve liked Francoeur with the Braves
|
| 11:12 |
: KEITH HERNANDEZ?!
|
| 11:13 |
: I like someone who talks about cats instead of bothering to watch the Mets sometimes
|
| 11:13 |
: On NPR today there was a piece saying the reason the small sample of 60 games was unrepresentative was because there will be less games against the same pitchers (ie the games aren’t representative because there just aren’t enough games with the same starting lineups). Is that true? I’ve never heard it framed that way
|
| 11:13 |
: In a word: no
|
| 11:14 |
: Oh!
|
| 11:14 |
: Bill Walton is the best baseball analyst
|
| 11:14 |
Jay Jaffe: lol
|
| 11:14 |
: The Walton/Benetti booth in Anaheim last year was the best baseball broadcast I’ve ever heard
|
| 11:15 |
Jay Jaffe: i am drawing blanks in thinking of others I like, it’s been so long
|
| 11:15 |
: That’s what I figured! It was so odd to hear
|
| 11:15 |
: Yeah. Very weird way of explaining it, and misleading
|
| 11:16 |
: A 97-game season where each team played the other 29 3 times would be more representative than a 60-game season despite actual 0 repeated matchups
|
| 11:16 |
: Yikes, 87*
|
| 11:16 |
: honestly that whole weekend was solid, Benetti/Schur was quite an enjoyable broadcast to listen to as well
|
| 11:16 |
: Steve Berthiaume is good
|
| 11:16 |
: Charlie Steiner/Rick Monday are fun to listen to. Not really for analysis though
|
| 11:17 |
: ARod /s
|
| 11:17 |
: Potentially blasphemous, but I liked the A-Rod/Pete Rose studio
|
| 11:17 |
: I was fucking incredible in last year’s NLDS
|
| 11:17 |
Jay Jaffe: Girardi is great inthe booth
|
| 11:18 |
: A-Rod is wildly underqualified to be analyzing a game live
|
| 11:18 |
: The whole YES crew is good, but yeah Cone is the star
|
| 11:18 |
: But watching him unsuccessfully try to bro it up with a baseball legend was tremendous
|
| 11:18 |
: Ben, I was joking
|
| 11:18 |
Jay Jaffe: I am a long time Ken Singleton fan
|
| 11:18 |
: Oh I know, I just wanted it as an entree into my bad take
|
| 11:19 |
: I just wanted to express my appreciation for this community of baseball fans
|
| 11:20 |
Jay Jaffe: it’s great to be chatting about live-ass baseball right now
|
| 11:20 |
: That LA sunset looks much less cool from my place
|
| 11:20 |
Jay Jaffe: and we appreciate you too
|
| 11:21 |
: Totally agree with Jay
|
| 11:21 |
: It feels surreal to have real baseball on
|
| 11:22 |
: How many games would the Orioles win if they moved their whole team as is to the Korean league?
|
| 11:22 |
Jay Jaffe: I put out the Szymborski bat signal for that one
|
| 11:22 |
: Does the “K” indicator for a strike bother anyone else? K is for strikeout, not strike, right?
|
| 11:22 |
: Yes!
|
| 11:23 |
: I complain about it frequently
|
| 11:23 |
: Just use the solid/hollow indicator that everyone else uses
|
| 11:23 |
: Says someone who drinks hot water
|
| 11:24 |
: You tell *one* embarrassing story on a podcast you know people will listen to…
|
| 11:25 |
: It’s your connect four
|
| 11:25 |
: Dustin May’s last inning?
|
| 11:25 |
: I say yes
|
| 11:25 |
: Not convinced he’ll make it out
|
| 11:25 |
Jay Jaffe: they just pulled him at 60 pitches, so scratch what I said earlier
|
| 11:25 |
: Ha well
|
| 11:25 |
: Total number of complete game shutouts this year: over or under 3.
|
| 11:26 |
: I’ll take the under
|
| 11:26 |
: Caleb Ferguson struggled to throw strikes in his last scrimmage outing
|
| 11:26 |
| 11:26 |
Jay Jaffe: and all of last year
|
| 11:26 |
: First pitching change of the season!
|
| 11:26 |
: OOTP loves Caleb Ferguson for some reason
|
| 11:26 |
: OOTP largely equals ZiPS
|
| 11:27 |
: So take it up with Dan
|
| 11:27 |
Jay Jaffe: woof 13.2% BB rate for Ferguson last year
|
| 11:27 |
: ZiPS is lower on Ferguson than Steamer is
|
| 11:27 |
: Dodgers lefty relief situation is sneaky thin
|
| 11:28 |
: That’s really interesting. I have no clue why then
|
| 11:28 |
: Kolarek (gap), Ferg, Alexander, waiver-plucked McGee
|
| 11:28 |
Jay Jaffe: they seem to think they can fix McGee but we shall see
|
| 11:28 |
: Kolarek is great, but yeah
|
| 11:28 |
: Mind the gap
|
| 11:29 |
: Sorry Eduardo, some pitchers aren’t built up enough to face *three* hitters?
|
| 11:29 |
: That’s worrisome!
|
| 11:30 |
: How the hell do the Dodgers find major leaguers in the 38th round?
|
| 11:30 |
: Arguably the best dev group in baseball
|
| 11:30 |
: TOOTBLAN
|
| 11:30 |
: Dumbest rundown ever
|
| 11:30 |
: I thought Seager made a nice heads up read to not finish the double play attempt
|
| 11:30 |
: But also, yeah
|
| 11:31 |
: I would have made that play! Put me in, Dave.
|
| 11:31 |
Jay Jaffe: serious TOOTBLAN on that one, i missed those
|
| 11:31 |
: I just noticed there’s still netting behind the plate. The fans are cardboard!
|
| 11:31 |
: they should remove the netting and let’s see what happens to the cutouts
|
| 11:32 |
: Don’t team employees sit back there sometimes?
|
| 11:32 |
: So, shark fest and shark week are different things?
|
| 11:32 |
: or did they rebrand shark week?
|
| 11:35 |
: Matt Chapman!
|
| 11:35 |
: Anyone listen to the earlier game when they were discussing playoff dark horses?
|
| 11:35 |
Jay Jaffe: like the Astros?
|
| 11:35 |
: Yes, haaaaa
|
| 11:36 |
: I forget which announcer it was, but they said “Oh I like the A’s. Matt Chapman is an MVP candidate. Matt Olson is an MVP candidate. Marcus Semien (pause) wants to prove he can play at a high level this year.”
|
| 11:36 |
: HE WAS AN MVP VOTE GETTER LAST YEAR YOU DWEEBS
|
| 11:36 |
: A-Rod does not understand what dark horse or sleeper means, it’s true
|
| 11:36 |
: He placed third!
|
| 11:36 |
: Yeah it was inexcusable
|
| 11:37 |
Jay Jaffe: it’s Summer Camp for his brain too
|
| 11:37 |
: Which team do you think most benefits from the expanded playoff format?
|
| 11:37 |
Jay Jaffe: .500ish teams. Angels, Mets
|
| 11:37 |
: hot take: sub-.500-ish teams
|
| 11:37 |
: NL Central teams all have a better chance to beat up on AL Central and slip in
|
| 11:37 |
Jay Jaffe: as in they’ll get in. won’t get anywhere
|
| 11:38 |
: I had the NL Central winning both wild cards in the old format
|
| 11:38 |
: Couldn’t bring myself to add a *fourth*
|
| 11:38 |
Jay Jaffe: i have Reds-Cubs-Brewers all in
|
| 11:39 |
: I have Reds-Brewers-Cards
|
| 11:39 |
: There will likely be a sub-.500 team in this year, probably in the AL
|
| 11:39 |
: Potentially in the NL as well
|
| 11:39 |
: Hard to believe Flores was the starting shortstop in the World Series not that long ago
|
| 11:39 |
: Yeah, but only because of that meddling Chase Utley
|
| 11:40 |
: Going to be devastating when the 50-10 Dodgers lose to the 28-32 Padres in the first round.
|
| 11:41 |
: My best man lives in LA and loathes the Dodgers (he grew up near DC)
|
| 11:41 |
: He has mentioned a variation on this exact scenario as his biggest hope for the season
|
| 11:41 |
: Just the Dodgers finding new ways to choke
|
| 11:41 |
: Unless this is, in fact, him
|
| 11:41 |
: A possibility!
|
| 11:42 |
: I think the biggest beneficiaries are probably teams that are likely to be 2nd place in tough divisions. A’s, DBacks. The second place auto bid is the biggest change.
|
| 11:42 |
: Eh
|
| 11:42 |
: It’s pretty hard to miss an 8-game playoff field if you finish second in your division, even without the second place auto bid
|
| 11:43 |
: 8/15 make the playoffs, you already beat 3 in your league
|
| 11:43 |
Jay Jaffe: i hate the 8-team thing but then again a 60-game season is just a tournament anyway, where Cinderella has a chance of winning. this just locks that in
|
| 11:43 |
: That means you need to beat 4 teams from other divisions TOTAL
|
| 11:44 |
: Just seems unlikely to me
|
| 11:45 |
: Yeah 50-10 dodgers. So now we think they would win 138 games in a regular year. Let’s step off the third rail
|
| 11:45 |
: The phrase “the third rail” is making a comeback.
|
| 11:45 |
: Jay I totally agree with you on that (soon to be a feature-length article on Fan Graphs dot com)
|
| 11:45 |
: So long as they don’t keep expanded playoffs past this year, bring it on
|
| 11:45 |
: Now if only we could start to curb how often we all say “100%”
|
| 11:45 |
: Huge strikeout there
|
| 11:45 |
: My wife greatly dislikes that I hedge and say 99% a lot
|
| 11:46 |
Jay Jaffe: just pour Stupid Sauce on everything and we’ll puke it up in October, sleep it off from November to January, and get back to Normal Baseball next year
|
| 11:47 |
: That’s how it starts, though. You enjoy some stupid sauce on Friday, and eventually, you’re sneaking stupid sauce during work lunches and having 20 team playoffs in normal years.
|
| 11:47 |
Jay Jaffe: Pedro Baez is here to stretch the space-time continuum like a hand-pulled noodle
|
| 11:47 |
: But what if this only whets the public’s appetite for stupid sauce
|
| 11:48 |
Jay Jaffe: indeed, some people are highly susceptible to Stupid Sauce
|
| 11:48 |
: I 100% agree with you Eric
|
| 11:48 |
: Bring out the CLOCK!
|
| 11:49 |
: Imagine Baez pitching in a Sox/Yankees game
|
| 11:49 |
: Why- I’d argue that this seasons champion is one of the best of all time for all the ridiculousness they have to go through to win it. Quit with the asterisk stuff.
|
| 11:50 |
: If you had to pick one of the lowest projected teams to make the expanded playoffs? Marlins, Tigers, Royals, Pirates, Giants, Mariners, Pirates, Orioles
|
| 11:50 |
: I guess I could see a bunch of the young Mariners quickly getting good.
|
| 11:50 |
: Do the Red Sox count? I actually took them
|
| 11:51 |
: I really hope they are wrong about expanded playoffs being here to stay
|
| 11:51 |
: Kurkjian the voice of reason
|
| 11:52 |
Jay Jaffe: I like Kurkjian and Perez but i really wish this broadcast would talk more about the action on the field.
|
| 11:53 |
: They’re suffering from KBO-itis
|
| 11:53 |
: Those first few ESPN KBO broadcasts were tough to watch
|
| 11:53 |
Jay Jaffe: yes, and even having benefited from that by doing a broadcast with Perez and Boog, I’m finding this format tough to take
|
| 11:53 |
Jay Jaffe: (I did a couple innings, not a full broadcast)
|
| 11:53 |
: Resolved: Cardboard cutout fans also need to have pictures of the backs of their heads
|
| 11:53 |
: They also aren’t actually there. That probably impacts how they announce.
|
| 11:54 |
: I think that’s most of it
|
| 11:54 |
: Do they still do KBO games live? Feels like nobody watches them anymore
|
| 11:54 |
: Jeez, Idina Menzel getting checks too
|
| 11:54 |
Jay Jaffe: the Yankees booth took it like a normal game the other night, broadcasting from the Bronx while they played in Queens
|
| 11:54 |
: They do. I watched the weekend 10pm west coast game until they took them away. Now I watch some replays based on who’s playing.
|
| 11:55 |
: I guess that breaks the streak of Anna Kendrick being in every single commercial where someone needs a celebrity
|
| 11:55 |
: Let’s have Bill Walton and Rex Hudler call these games
|
| 11:56 |
: Could *we* talk more about the game?
|
| 11:56 |
: A fair counterpoint
|
| 11:56 |
: It has, to be fair, been a tame affair so far
|
| 11:57 |
: They are pushing this narrative that the Giants had a regime change over the winter hard
|
| 11:57 |
: Guys, the Giants have been bad for YEARS
|
| 11:57 |
Jay Jaffe: via Statcast only 4 balls with exit velos of 100+, 2 off May and 1 each off Cueto and Smyly
|
| 11:57 |
: Rico threw really hard in relief with COL, not so much as a starter.
|
| 11:57 |
: Not having Lux on the roster messes with the Dodgers’ infield depth a little
|
| 11:58 |
: Brody Stevens sighting
|
| 11:58 |
: Like Hernandez should only start against lefties really
|
| 11:58 |
: i need a Rico Garcia scouting report
|
| 11:58 |
: I suppose they weren’t brave enough to go Rios at first/Muncy at second
|
| 11:59 |
: Well Muncy could play second and Rios first, so it’s not like Roberts was forced to use Kiké.
|
| 11:59 |
: 93-96, average changeup and slider, couldn’t velo late. Was in the extras
|
| 11:59 |
: Haha I was getting to that! But yeah I think they plan on having Muncy 1st-only if possible this year
|
| 11:59 |
: Was Lux’s option purely service time?
|
| 11:59 |
: Kiké also looked incredible during intrasquads.
|
| 11:59 |
: Curious to see what Eric thinks about this
|
| 12:00 |
: I say no
|
| 12:00 |
Jay Jaffe: Lux showed up late due to “undisclosed reasons” for absence
|
| 12:00 |
Jay Jaffe: and had some struggles on both sides of the ball
|
| 12:00 |
: I think they’re unlikely to keep him down the month they’d need
|
| 12:00 |
Jay Jaffe: service time might be in there but plausible he’s just not ready and they have insane depth
|
| 12:00 |
: What game is that, Ben?
|
| 12:01 |
: Hm? Oh, I meant the service time game with Lux
|
| 12:01 |
Jay Jaffe: Now: source says Blue Jays will call up Nate Pearson July 29, that’s some service time games
|
| 12:01 |
: Oh, he definitely has issues throwing to first base. He either needs to get that ironed out or get reps in LF.
|
| 12:02 |
: Dylan Carlson? Service time too
|
| 12:02 |
: But I don’t buy Lux
|
| 12:03 |
: Is the deal to add playoff teams further incentive for clubs to hold down younger players (now that the 60 games don’t really matter)? did the players do it for more playoff shares and no concern for other consequences (and are they likely to agree to it down the line)?
|
| 12:03 |
: I don’t see it that way. I don’t think it does much for service time shenanigans really
|
| 12:03 |
: My take is that after the deal to start the season was agreed, the owners called the players and were like ‘hey guys, expanded playoffs?’
|
| 12:03 |
Jay Jaffe: the expanded playoffs are to get the players some money
|
| 12:03 |
: And the players said ‘nah’
|
| 12:03 |
: And the owners said “We’ll give you 50 million bucks”
|
| 12:03 |
: And the players said “Okay”
|
| 12:04 |
Jay Jaffe: right
|
| 12:05 |
: When asked to think of the best players over the past couple decades, which players do you most often find yourself *forgetting*? For instance, for some reason I tend to forget that Omar Vizquel and Matt Holliday ever existed.
|
| 12:05 |
: This might be too old but Garret Anderson for me
|
| 12:05 |
: I saw his card in OOTP and went “ohhhhhhhhhhh”
|
| 12:06 |
: Juan Gonzalez
|
| 12:06 |
: Hunter Pence has 80 grade hair, change my mind
|
| 12:06 |
: Why would I want to change your mind? I’d rather change your screen name
|
| 12:07 |
: Meanwhile human rain delay is out
|
| 12:07 |
: I had 26 seconds between pitches in his first inning
|
| 12:07 |
: here comes Kolarek
|
| 12:08 |
| 12:08 |
Jay Jaffe: if you want to know what I’ve chosen as my first beer of the 2020 MLB season
|
| 12:09 |
: Dustin May has 20 grade hair change my mind
|
| 12:09 |
: Question for Eric
|
| 12:09 |
: Does 20 grade imply that it could literally not be worse?
|
| 12:09 |
: Does the existence of a worse option mean that something can therefore not be 20 grade?
|
| 12:09 |
Jay Jaffe: somebody mistyped 80 as 20, haha
|
| 12:09 |
: Uh, yeah like it’s not playable.
|
| 12:10 |
: Ha btw Ravech going “submariner!” with shock in his voice
|
| 12:10 |
: The 20s are a problem, I’m trying to repurpose 20s
|
| 12:10 |
: After Kolarek’s first pitch
|
| 12:10 |
: Incredible
|
| 12:10 |
: Was he not watching the warmups?
|
| 12:11 |
: Very interesting that Solano hit there.
|
| 12:11 |
: Eric, if you were a team like the Giants with nothing to play for, would you hunt platoon-disadvantaged at-bats?
|
| 12:11 |
: Let your lefties hit against tough lefties and so on?
|
| 12:11 |
: Just to get them some reps and hopefully let them gain familiarity with it
|
| 12:12 |
: hmmm
|
| 12:13 |
: I think I’d be prioritizing showcasing more players as specialists to trade rather than develop a whole player but then you’re not tanking like you should be?
|
| 12:13 |
: It’s tough.
|
| 12:13 |
: Like, should KC just let franchy play everyday?
|
| 12:14 |
: Right, that’s a great example of what I’m asking
|
| 12:14 |
: Doing so with SOler probably helped him.
|
| 12:14 |
: You’re obviously hoping to get a player out of Franchy who is good enough that he plays every day
|
| 12:14 |
: But if you shelter him against lefties, he’s less likely to develop the muscle memory for it
|
| 12:15 |
: Mookie hit!!!
|
| 12:15 |
: Who just wrote about how Mookie should look for more inside pitches? Give yourself a high five!
|
| 12:15 |
Jay Jaffe: yeah i think if you’re one of these teams you have to see if some of the kids can learn to hit same-side pitching
|
| 12:15 |
: Betts quietly 2 for 4
|
| 12:16 |
: I’m busy snuggling with my dog, I’ll settle for a celebratory snuggle
|
| 12:16 |
: I think one of Mookie’s PAs was called an error, so 1-4
|
| 12:16 |
: On base twice, at least
|
| 12:16 |
: SF’s streak of 14 consecutive new opening day starters in LF since Bonds is the most astonishing bit of baseball trivia I’ve ever heard.
|
| 12:17 |
: Imagine being Taylor Rogers and they’re like hey man, we’ve got two of the next three hitters as righties, you’re good
|
| 12:17 |
: Oh by the way the righties are Mookie Betts and Justin Turner
|
| 12:17 |
: … and the lefty is Bellinger
|
| 12:17 |
Jay Jaffe: lol
|
| 12:17 |
: Tyler*
|
| 12:17 |
: Dangit!
|
| 12:18 |
: What kind of parents name their kids Tyler and Taylor
|
| 12:18 |
: C’mon
|
| 12:18 |
: Betts-Bellinger-Turner the best 2-3-4 hitters in MLB this year?
|
| 12:18 |
: I’ll give the edge to Trout/Rendon/Ohtani
|
| 12:18 |
: But it is CLOSE
|
| 12:19 |
Jay Jaffe: with both of those, a lot of it depends on how often the #4 guy shows up
|
| 12:19 |
:  SFG releases so far tonight
|
| 12:19 |
Jay Jaffe: wow
|
| 12:19 |
: They’re going full Brewers
|
| 12:20 |
: Rogers is a real weirdo, though; otherwise that wouldn’t look so crazy
|
| 12:21 |
: The Dodgers lineup must be very frustrating for opponents
|
| 12:21 |
: Insurance!
|
| 12:21 |
: Ravech now saying Kiki Hernandez
|
| 12:21 |
: And I can’t get in my feelings out of my head
|
| 12:22 |
: FG got the new playoff odds up quickly. You guys are the best
|
| 12:22 |
: Heck yeah
|
| 12:22 |
: David and Sean are awesome
|
| 12:22 |
: I think I saw Dany Jimenez coming in? Their Rule 5 pick
|
| 12:23 |
: So in this Hankook commercial
|
| 12:23 |
: Was this just a colossal homer?
|
| 12:23 |
: Are there multiple Kershaws?
|
| 12:23 |
: How did he get to the garage?
|
| 12:23 |
: Someone on Twitter suggested a sequel where Bumgarner sails a boat to catch one
|
| 12:24 |
: I’d be into it
|
| 12:24 |
Jay Jaffe: i think that’s how Kershaw hurt his back
|
| 12:24 |
: Imagine pitching the commercial to Kershaw. “So you’re going to be on the mound and just give up a monster dong.”
|
| 12:25 |
: I feel like that Hankook commercial would make more sense with an OF instead of a pitcher as the focus
|
| 12:25 |
: Or the hitter catching his own souvenir
|
| 12:25 |
: Or it’s a sandlot game and they only have one ball
|
| 12:26 |
: Jimenez looks like he’s throwing harder than the gun is registering
|
| 12:26 |
: Why do announcers always have to say, “I’m a big fan of the analytics, BUT…”
|
| 12:26 |
: Like, nobody on Fangraphs Dot Com would argue that most baseball fundamentals just don’t matter
|
| 12:27 |
: People enjoy defining themselves by their opposition
|
| 12:27 |
: It’s hard to say what you think is right, relatively easy to say what you think is wrong
|
| 12:27 |
Jay Jaffe: <broadly gestures at twitter>
|
| 12:27 |
: It’s because Jimenez has those long Ramon Martinez arms. They add 3 MPH in appearance.
|
| 12:27 |
: Jimenez looks robotic
|
| 12:28 |
: I really *want* him to have more of an arm snap
|
| 12:28 |
: When I picture a skinny guy with long levers like that, I just automatically picture a snap at the end of the delivery
|
| 12:28 |
:  Dodgers release points so far
|
| 12:29 |
: Kolarek does the Oliver Drake move for right/lefty thing I guess?
|
| 12:29 |
: Going to be a lot easier to keep rule 5 guys this year. Any chance we see more rule 5 picks this offseason?
|
| 12:29 |
: I don’t think so. Hard to evaluate minor leaguers with enough confidence to think you can roster them all next year.
|
| 12:29 |
: Ben, I don’t know the specifics of his variation.
|
| 12:30 |
: Gotcha. I wasn’t paying enough attention during his appearance
|
| 12:30 |
: I have noticed that the Rays are big fans of moving righties all the way to the first base side against lefties
|
| 12:31 |
: Was wondering if the Dodgers are getting into it as well, only in reverse
|
| 12:31 |
: Are May’s separation points distinct enough so that a hitter could tell that it was/wasn’t a SL?
|
| 12:31 |
: probably not
|
| 12:32 |
: “I’m all in when it comes to the analytics”
|
| 12:32 |
: Buddy, when you follow that sentence with a “but”, you’re just confusing us
|
| 12:32 |
: Lol I love that he’s saying “sometimes you shouldn’t pull overall good batters to get a platoon advantage”
|
| 12:32 |
: Something we’d all wholeheartedly agree with
|
| 12:33 |
: And then saying “that’s something analytics doesn’t take into account”
|
| 12:33 |
: Do you expect to see a lot of early trade activity from the bottom dwellers? I would think you’re going to get peanuts if you wait until Aug 31 to see how much people pay for 1 month of a player
|
| 12:34 |
: OH MY GOD
|
| 12:34 |
: WHAT WAS THAT
|
| 12:34 |
: lolllll
|
| 12:34 |
: 92-93 frmo Jimenez is below last year with TOR
|
| 12:35 |
Jay Jaffe: I don’t expect to see much trade activity, tbh. I think teams will be more conscious of the impact of moving guys from team to team under these conditions
|
| 12:35 |
: Did he…. did he look where Dubon was?
|
| 12:35 |
: look at*
|
| 12:35 |
: I’m not watching the game so I can only assume the all caps reaction means a naked cardboard cutout ran into the field
|
| 12:36 |
: Donovan Solano made a casual grab and flip to Mauricio Dubon to get an out at second
|
| 12:36 |
: …. Dubon was 10 feet from the bag while the runner was 5 feet away
|
| 12:36 |
: Yeah, whoops
|
| 12:37 |
: This Eduardo Perez rant is so weird
|
| 12:37 |
: Calling it because I want to: Betts slam coming up!
|
| 12:37 |
: Feel really bad for Jimenez in this inning. Got squeezed a bit and then screwed by the defense. Rough way to start the year.
|
| 12:37 |
: Yeah his stuff has not blown me away
|
| 12:37 |
: But he hasn’t been this bad
|
| 12:37 |
: I don’t think Kapler always implements new thinking in the optimal way
|
| 12:38 |
: Well that’s true, but I have no issues with pulling Crawford there
|
| 12:38 |
: This isn’t call in a reliever when no one’s warming
|
| 12:38 |
: He does some goofy stuff. But pinch hitting for Brandon Crawford in a big spot of a tie game against a lefty
|
| 12:38 |
: When Dubon can cover short?
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| 12:39 |
Jay Jaffe: ok folks, as it’s a 5-run lead and i’m the lone East Coaster on our chat squad I’m going to grab some bench
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| 12:39 |
: See ya, Jay
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| 12:39 |
Jay Jaffe: it’s been a pleasure chatting about live baseball again
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| 12:39 |
Jay Jaffe: good night!
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| 12:39 |
: Later Jay
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| 12:39 |
: Oof
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| 12:39 |
: Excellent pitch there
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| 12:40 |
: Why Solano and not a real bopper like Ruf or Davis, then Solano on D the next inning? In the 7th, the opportunities in an all-DH world for those two guys to hit are gonna be limited the rest of the way. I get not wanting to burn two guys in one move, I guess.
|
| 12:40 |
: Nah that’s fair
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| 12:40 |
: That’s a legit counter-argument
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| 12:41 |
: “But Crawford is clutch” is not
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| 12:41 |
: Yeah that was a great pitch
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| 12:41 |
: Easily his best of the night
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| 12:41 |
: he got away with that first pitch, but man did he fool him there
|
| 12:41 |
: Yeah that was what he thought he did against Joc
|
| 12:41 |
: Like, twice!
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| 12:41 |
: Maybe the announcers shouldn’t talk about the game if they are going to dwell on well-past-his-prime Brandon Crawford for 20 minutes?
|
| 12:42 |
: I’M ALL IN ON ANALYTICS BUT
|
| 12:43 |
: I figured when Farhan hired Kapler he must’ve thought there’d be improvement. But that was a classic goofball Philly Kapler decision
|
| 12:44 |
: I wonder what percentage of the game these guys have actually commented on?
|
| 12:44 |
: They go in and out
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| 12:44 |
: We do as well, to be fair
|
| 12:45 |
: it reminds me of “WITH ALL DUE RESPECT” from Talladega Nights, which permits you to say anything you want without regard to respect immediately afterward
|
| 12:45 |
: Kolarek just carving
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| 12:45 |
: “No disrespect, but”
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| 12:45 |
: “I’m all-in, but”
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| 12:46 |
: Same vibe
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| 12:46 |
: It’s fun to watch Kolarek
|
| 12:47 |
: Speaking of off topic, but I figure since it’s 6-1… any update on the OOTP trade front @ben? Or do you want to save the updates for next week.
|
| 12:47 |
: Just really quickly: Uh, everyone in the league is a baseball writer so activity has been light
|
| 12:48 |
: I don’t buy that kershaw is okay. If it was a minor thing, then why the IL and not day to day or skip a start or even push to 5th spot?
|
| 12:48 |
: Yeah I am terrified
|
| 12:48 |
: I agree. ‘Minor’ is subjective and he has a history of back issues.
|
| 12:49 |
: It’s literally his biggest weakness
|
| 12:50 |
: I still find it unbelievable that Dave Roberts trusted Kolarek so much last year… until the biggest stage. Then he went with a tired Clayton Kershaw. For no reason.
|
| 12:50 |
: Yeah
|
| 12:51 |
: His biggest weakness is Brandon Woodruff hitting
|
| 12:51 |
: Harsh
|
| 12:52 |
: A true story for you that will undoubtedly make you, the Dodgers fan, sad
|
| 12:52 |
: I was on vacation in 2013, the year I started dating my now-wife
|
| 12:52 |
: Cards-Dodgers
|
| 12:52 |
: lol
|
| 12:52 |
: The Dodgers hang 5 or whatever on the Cardinals
|
| 12:52 |
: And I was just like, nah, I need to stop watching
|
| 12:52 |
: It’s 5 runs and Kershaw
|
| 12:52 |
: Let’s go look at nature or something
|
| 12:53 |
: It’s unhealthy for me to keep watching this
|
| 12:53 |
: Got back, saw the score, could not understand
|
| 12:53 |
: Oh no, haha, this was 2014!
|
| 12:53 |
: also seriously, how did that balloon get there? There are no fans…
|
| 12:53 |
: Pennywise
|
| 12:53 |
: Ghost balloons. Pitchers catching popups. It’s officially weird baseball o’clock
|
| 12:53 |
: Pitchers catching pop ups, always a crowd pleaser
|
| 12:54 |
: The IL for Kershaw was necessary if they wanted May to start, because he was optioned the day before Kershaw hurt himself. With back-dating, Kershaw can be back next weekend. Made sense to use IL to get May onto the roster as a replacement.
|
| 12:54 |
: I didn’t realize they’d optioned May but this makes sense
|
| 12:54 |
: You need to IL someone to get an early recall
|
| 12:55 |
: There’s a 162 game covid free season down here
|
| 12:56 |
: Dubon has looked pretty smooth out there
|
| 12:56 |
: Aside from, you know, the time Solano hung him out to dry
|
| 12:56 |
: Seager hit that HARD. BABIP!
|
| 12:58 |
: Hey, ESPN reading FG on the air!
|
| 12:58 |
: ESPN gets some street cred for checking FG
|
| 12:58 |
: That is sweet
|
| 12:58 |
: That’s two FG references on the night
|
| 12:58 |
: Following up on “Gabe Kapler is going to do some analytics things…. baserunning!”
|
| 12:59 |
: Tied for the NL HR lead now!
|
| 12:59 |
: Taste it, Bellinger and Mookie
|
| 1:00 |
: Not a fan of his facial hair
|
| 1:00 |
: Mustaches are love/hate
|
| 1:02 |
: Very brief White Sox detour so I guess I’ll go ahead and say it… Yasmani Grandal is building a real HOF case
|
| 1:02 |
: He will need another 3-4 years at peak and a couple more around average, but I think he can get there. Even *if* robo umps come into play.
|
| 1:02 |
: Oof, would love to have Jay still here
|
| 1:02 |
: Time for Graterol’s Dodger debut
|
| 1:03 |
: Deathstar Graterol, you still here?
|
| 1:03 |
: Catchers are a weird HoF situation. 20 years from now there are going to be some good hot takes comparing Russell Martin and Yadier Molina
|
| 1:03 |
: Fwiw I think Molina is a surefire bet
|
| 1:03 |
: And that Martin is cuspy
|
| 1:03 |
: Not saying that’s right, but that’s just the feeling I get
|
| 1:03 |
: Is there a HOF for mustaches?
|
| 1:03 |
: I’d guess so, there’s definitely a mustache culture
|
| 1:04 |
: How did he pronounce Graterol?
|
| 1:04 |
: Obviously a very rough comp, but Mauer’s career WAR is at 52. Grandal is at 32 and has been consistently between 4.5 and 5.5 for five years now.
|
| 1:05 |
: Re Grandal – he’s 31 and catchers’ aging curves are… not kind. Hard to see it.
|
| 1:05 |
: This is basically the question
|
| 1:05 |
: If he can keep it going
|
| 1:05 |
: Sure
|
| 1:05 |
: Catchers generally have not kept it going
|
| 1:05 |
: It’s hard to catch
|
| 1:05 |
: Ballgame, folks
|
| 1:05 |
: That was, well, it was close, and then later it was not close
|
| 1:06 |
: thanks, FG!
|
| 1:06 |
: See you everyone, thanks for coming
|
| 1:06 |
: Bringing this back tomorrow for bigger opening day?
|
| 1:06 |
: Yes, we will be here all day tomorrow
|
| 1:06 |
: Well, not me and Eric
|
| 1:06 |
: But FG writers will be chatting all day tomorrow, and I’ll be hitting up the late shift again
|
| 1:06 |
: Have a great night everyone, and thanks for hanging out
|