FanGraphs Yankees-Guardians ALDS Game 1 Chat
7:34 |
: Greetings all. Not sure tonight’s game can top what we just saw in Houston… but you never know.
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7:36 |
: I know we’re gonna talk about Yanks-Guards tonight but can we take a moment to acknowledge the excellent weekend baseball? Of course, the awesome 0-0 game on Saturday, but then the most entertaining 6-0 game I’ve seen in a long time on Sunday.
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7:36 |
: The baseball has been good, and we have a lot more in front of us. October is fun. (Less so today if you’re a Mariners fan.)
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7:37 |
: Serious question – is Yordan Alvarez the best hitter in baseball?
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7:37 |
: No, but as that long ball reminded us, he’s on the short list.
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7:37 |
Kirk Gibson homer in the 1988 World Series (+87.0%) Jimmy Rollins double in 2009 NLCS (+82.9%) Brett Phillips single in the 2020 World Series (+82.5%) |
7:39 |
: Hey guys, I’ll be joining shortly, just finishing up the Mariners/Astros game story
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7:39 |
: Did we just see the end of Yordan being underrated by mainstream baseball?
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7:40 |
: Don’t kid yourself, unless people think he’s the best lefty hitter in the game and a possible future Hall of Famer he’s still underrated.
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7:40 |
: Holy crap, can we just start with our first managerial WTF decision over in Houston? Robbie Ray… lefty…(checks notes)… specialist?
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7:40 |
: This will get talked about. Hindsight being 20/20 and all.
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7:41 |
: Greetings people!
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7:42 |
: How do you do fellow FanGraphers (I’m at work but don’t tell anyone)
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7:43 |
: Guardians better get to work. If it’s another Astros Yankees ALCS I’m tuning out.
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7:43 |
: I think it’s safe to say that many (most?) fans would like new blood in the ALCS. Pretty decent chance they won’t get it, though.
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7:43 |
: Saw this from a CFB writer on twitter- so so true- Playoff baseball is nothing but four hours of pain-inducing stress for both sides. The best. But also the worst.
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7:45 |
: Not sure which elite player is more underrated, Yordan Alvarez or Jose Ramirez.
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7:46 |
: Maybe Ramirez? He’s been underrating longer, if that makes sense.
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7:47 |
: underrated, that is
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7:47 |
: And re the Bader mention on the broadcast, NYY making players cut their hair is both dumb and outdated.
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7:48 |
: Alright, I’m done with the recap. And totally agreed, David.
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7:48 |
: Hi folks – excited to be here! I will be in and out tonight, but looking forward to chatting!
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7:48 |
: Evenin’ Chad
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7:49 |
: How has there not been some sort of civil suit against the Yankees hair “policy”
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7:49 |
: Bob Costas is so delightful to listen to
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7:50 |
: How has this last stretch/postseason run from kelenic changed your opinion on him next year
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7:50 |
: Not a ton – it’s a small sample. But it does give me some hope that he can turn things around. From a fantasy perspective, it gives me a little more interest in using a late pick on him.
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7:50 |
: No sarcasm emoji?
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7:51 |
: Not at all. He just has that 1950’s newscaster voice, it’s both soothing and makes me think something big is about to happen.
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7:50 |
: Kelenic is still a terrific talent and there is still a chance he can put things together, but a couple hot weeks doesn’t move the needle a ton.
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7:51 |
: Can we get an exit velocity on Yordans homer. Can’t find it
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7:51 |
: 117
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7:52 |
: Went for a walk and listened to the Astros radio broadcast of innings 7 and 8 on my phone, Was home watching on TV when Alvarez went deep, and kind of wish I’d have hear Robert Ford’s call. One of the game’s elite broadcasters.
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7:52 | : Huge shoutout to the excellent Baseball Savant game pages, which I use extensively in my recaps. You can find them here: |
7:52 |
: I should have planned some game chat food. I have sour patch kids and bourbon.
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7:53 |
: Sounds like you planned perfectly
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7:53 |
: I have planned some game chat food: sour patch kids and bourbon
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7:54 |
: (I wish that was true, it sounds delicious)
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7:54 |
: Did anyone get the Hankook commercial at about 40 TIMES THE VOLUME of everything else?
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7:54 |
: Bourbon tastes really different after Sour Patch Kids. You get a lot more oak and grainy tastes
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7:56 |
: Really elevating the “whiskey sour” drink there
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7:56 |
: Gotta ask how it tastes to have them together
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7:56 |
: I like Eagle Rare 10 and the sour patch kids kinda blow out your taste buds so you no longer get the caramel taste
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7:56 |
: I’m a Skittlebrau man.
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7:57 |
: Didn’t his dad pitch for the Yankees?
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7:57 |
: Cal Quantrill is underrated.
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7:57 |
: Yes, Paul pitched for the Yanks briefly
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7:57 |
: 2 years 2004-05
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7:58 |
: He also pitched for like half this playoff field – Toronto, San Diego, LA, and Philly
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7:58 |
: I have no specific recollections of Quantrill with the Yankees
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7:58 |
: you say Quantrill and I see a Blue Jay
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7:58 |
: @Ben when should we expect to see the recap published? Sad mariners fan over here.
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7:58 |
: Soon-ish, but if you saw the game there’s no need to relive it
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7:59 |
: Paul Quantrill gave up the 12th-inning David Otriz walk-off home run in 2004 ALCS Game 4.
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7:59 |
: Yankee Legend Paul Quantrill
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7:59 |
: Are we tired of Pete Davidson and the breakfast Crunchwrap yet? Why is he every third commercial
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7:59 |
: It’s art, really: it mirrors how I feel about Pete Davidson’s ascent a few years ago
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7:59 |
: My 9yo son has been watching baseball with me for years and this was the first season he fully bailed on me and my Guardians to cheer for his hometown Mariners. Today was a rough lesson for him…
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8:00 |
: I have never heard of Pete Davidson.
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8:00 |
: I knew I was supposed to recognize the guy in that commercial! …who’s Pete Davidson?
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8:01 |
: The first inning: Quantrill seems to get three outs in two minutes while Cole took like 17 minutes per pitch
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8:01 |
: Pratt’s doign his Mario voice
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8:01 |
: I’m very excited for the pitch clock
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8:01 |
: Per Savant’s pitch tempo, Quantrill is the 19th fastest worker with the bases empty. Cole 173rd
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8:02 |
: what are the guardians going to do if their pitching isn’t lights out? if the yankees score 5 runs do they just forfeit and get ready for the next game?
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8:02 |
: The Mariners score fewer runs per game than the Guardians, and they put up seven today! Just, uh, don’t ask what happened next.
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8:02 |
: I’ll get hell for this in certain circles, but I like there being time pressure in a sport.
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8:02 |
: The end of the Mariners was a Greek tragedy. You could see it coming but you couldn’t do anything about it.
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8:03 |
: A crane lifting Julio Rodriguez out of the stadium would have been a fitting ending
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8:02 |
: Chad – as we Cleveland fans know, it isn’t easy for us either. Many disappointments.
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8:02 |
: oh for sure. I hated watching that game with him, but I have been there soooooo many times. It’s a part of sports fandom.
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8:03 |
: Cleatus Davidson played briefly for the Twins in 1999. The only Cleatus in MLB history.
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8:03 |
: Is Judge leading off as silly as it feels to me? The pro is maximizing plate appearances, but shouldn’t they also want to maximize the men on base?
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8:04 |
: I would think he would be better used in the second spot, but I don’t hate it. It’s certainly better than the Guardians keeping Amed Rosario 2nd and Jose Ramirez 3rd, which makes me a little crazy sometimes.
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8:04 |
: But there was a Cleatis!
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8:04 |
: (Boyer for those that don’t know)
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8:04 |
: Chad, don’t even get me started on Pena second Yordan third
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8:04 |
: Ken Boyer is lucky that his parents didn’t stuck to the Cl theme. Could have been Cletis, Cloyd, and Clen
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8:05 |
: anybody going to ask Servais, why Robbie!?
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8:05 |
: Perhaps a better question: was your best plan against Yordan Alvarez two center-cut sinkers?
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8:05 |
Scott Servais on having Ray face Yordan:
“We talked about it coming into the series. We talked about it pregame today. I looked at it in the 7th inning and said, hey, this could happen. So that was the plan going in. End of the day, you have a plan, we still got to execute it.” |
8:06 |
: There’s the answer and I have to say, I get executing a plan, but that plan was bad.
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8:06 |
: I think it’s a far worse choice when you’ve planned it ahead of time.
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8:06 |
: Ken Boyer’s given name was Kenton Lloyd Boyer.
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8:06 |
: KLloyd
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8:07 |
: If Servais got caught up in the moment and his gut told him Ray was the right move, then, like OK
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8:07 |
: If your plan with the game on the line against maybe the best hitter in the game is to bring in your homer prone SP in as a reliever for the first time in forever with two men on base…that’s not great
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8:07 |
: I always thought most lineup optimizers had your best hitter batting 4th.
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8:08 |
: I haven’t run one of my own to check this recently, but the book had it basically 2>1=4>5>3
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8:08 |
: Is Yordan Alvarez the second best hitter in baseball?
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8:08 |
the best hitter in baseball
: Was he this year? Yes. Will he continue to be? I could argue he should be seen as |
8:08 |
: Hijacking the Servais decision: Who has a better career, Will Brennan, Will Benson, or Nolan Jones?
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8:08 |
: Jones, quite possibly by a wide margin.
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8:09 |
: “Not much of a hitter” is a very gentle way of describing Hedges’ offense.
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8:09 |
: Hedges offense is occasionally running into one and Cole’s weakness is throwing balls that can be run into, so I guess that could happen?
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8:09 |
: I think His Honor, Judge, holds best hitter title until proven otherwise right now, no?
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8:10 |
: Yeah, no question Judge is the best hitter right now. Who would you take for next year? …. probably still Judge
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8:10 |
: I have to go teach an English class to students in China. Do you think putting the chat up on the projector is a good use of class time?
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8:10 |
: Not if you’ve seen my spelling in chats.
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8:10 |
: Judge was inarguably the best hitter in baseball this year.
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8:11 |
: Why did Cleveland make Rosario the SS and Gimenez the 2B?
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8:11 |
: Rosario appears to be most comfortable at SS, and Gimenez wasn’t even clearly an everyday player when the season started. As they settled in and performed, Tito tends to stick with what is working.
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8:11 |
: Judge apparently best leadoff hitter ever lol
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8:11 |
: Let’s not forget that Yordan Alvarez went 12 for 23 with five XBHs and six RBIs in last year’s ALCS. He destroyed Red Sox pitching.
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8:12 |
: Yordan’s career line is .296/.384/.590
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8:13 |
: And he’s been playing hurt for 1/3 of that
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8:13 |
: Also he stopped striking out this year
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8:15 |
: It’s pretty amazing; Judge has a career 163 wRC+, Alvarez 164
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8:15 |
: Probably not poll-worthy, but Oscar Gonzalez or Yordan Alvarez for biggest HR so far this postseason is an interesting question.
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8:15 |
: They’re both tremendous
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8:15 |
: the guardians logo is so bland, big mistake passing on being the spiders, imagine the jerseys 👀
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8:16 |
: Sports team logos tend to be pretty bland but the Guardians name/look has grown on me. That said…agree, passing on Spiders was a miss.
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8:16 |
: Is it just me or is Ron Darling sounding more and more like James Woods every year?
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8:16 |
: The Cleveland Spiders went 20-134 in their final season.
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8:16 |
: Oscar because of the wild card G3 randomness factor and the clinching it led to IMO, and the game legit had 0 offense which helps
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8:16 |
Biggest HR so far this postseason?
Oscar (41.6% | 25 votes)
Yordan (58.3% | 35 votes)
Total Votes: 60
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8:16 |
: Poll-worthy, imo
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8:17 |
: I voted Yordan – down 2 bottom 9 with two outs?
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8:17 |
: A fact I really enjoyed from my recap today: Julio Rodriguez accounted for 5 Mariners runs today. Alvarez accounted for 6 Astros runs.
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8:17 |
: Yeah, Yordan was in a stickier situation for his team
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8:17 |
: Gotta go with Yordan because the game also ends if he makes an out.
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8:18 |
: Cal Quantril feels like the type of pitcher you hate to face. He’s not the Ace, but he’s gonna be a pesky pain in the ass, spotting his pitches, changing speeds and angles, and making you really pay him more attention than you think he deserves
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8:19 |
: It’s a recipe for being underrated, as David noted earlier
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8:19 |
: Yordan had a +105.2 Win Probability Added today. Wow.
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8:19 |
: What was the name of the relief pitcher the Astros traded to the Dodgers for Yordan Alvarez?
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8:19 |
: Josh Fields?
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8:20 |
: Oscar’s HR was bigger because the game may still be going on had he not hit it.
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8:20 |
: Need to step away, but I will be back!
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8:20 |
: Yes. Josh Fields. Good trade.
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8:21 |
: Kevin Goldstein’s story about it is incredible. The Dodgers wanted Fields, Luhnow asked Kevin for a name, he said Yordan Alvarez. Luhnow texted Andrew Friedman that they wanted Y Alvarez, and Friedman mistook it for Yadiel Alvarez, a huge prospect at the time
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8:22 |
: Safe to say that the Dodgers would like to take that trade back.
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8:21 |
: Bonds would have been the best leadoff hitter ever too, if they had figured out to do that.
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8:22 |
: I firmly believe Cleveland went with Guardians due to having the same number of syllables and same final syllable as the old name.
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8:22 |
: Will be interesting to see how long fans continue to wear Indians gear. On my recent three-game visit to Progressive Field, I’d estimate it was 55% Indians and 45% Guardians.
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8:22 |
: Per James Smyth on twitter, IKF’s 55.8 percent ground-ball rate was the highest in the AL this year.
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8:22 |
: I still slip and call them Indians from time to time.
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8:22 |
: If you held a gun to my head and demanded I tell you what division the Brewers in, I might still say AL East.
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8:23 |
: Is IKF the worst regular on any of the remaining teams?
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8:24 |
: Nah
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8:24 |
: An interesting stat I heard on the Astros radio broadcast today was that Bregman’s home run off of Munoz was his 13th in the postseason, and 11 of them have come against pitchers who have been All-Stars. Munoz, who throws triple digits, isn’t one of them.
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8:24 |
: I don’t think he’s *that* bad. I think people made something out of him that he was not
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8:24 |
: There are some pretty bad regulars remaining
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8:24 |
: Kwan!
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8:24 |
: I “Kwan’t” the Guardians to win!
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8:24 |
: Kwan!
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8:25 |
: I’m still going to screenshot that to blackmail Ben that he was answering Kwan to that question.
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8:26 |
: Haha don’t do it
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8:26 |
: If I had to pick worst remaining regular…. maybe Arcia?
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8:27 |
: But he’s less regular than injury replacement, and he’s a solid utility infielder, so that’s unfair
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8:27 |
: I kinda feel based on his MLB time so far, you gotta put Kelenic
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8:28 |
: Mike Pietrello sure called that HR by Kwan. Said Yankee Stadium a perfect fit for his bat.
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8:28 |
: Hedges is pretty bad.
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8:28 |
: What annoys people about IKF is probably better players stuck behind him in AAA all year, and not even kicking the tires on the many better free agent shortstops in the offseason
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8:28 |
“While he doesn’t have the highest exit velocity, he’s got enough to hit it over the wall. The more settled in he gets to the big leagues, the more power I think we’re going to see from him.” |
8:28 |
: Yeah, but that doesn’t make him horrific. If he had been horrific, the Yankees would’ve pushed him off quicker
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8:29 |
: Does ZIPS have a projection for Judge’s next contract after this year?
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8:29 |
: I did a piece!
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8:29 |
: Bader is a tremendous defensive outfielder
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8:29 |
: That was a really good cut
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8:29 |
: Ben, how the heck did you write an entire piece between chat room comments?
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8:30 |
: I wrote two potential pieces during the game
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8:30 |
: And then just blended them quickly
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8:31 |
: Luckily they were about Julio and Yordan, so the theme was pretty clean
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8:31 |
: Costas just said trudging
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8:31 |
: I like to imagine there’s an alternate Ben piece hiding in his PC
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8:31 |
: I’ve found that I can write a game story far easier when I’m at the ballpark than I can at home,
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8:32 |
: “Everything Goes Right for the M’s, Especially Robbie Ray, in Game One”
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8:32 |
: Machado, JRam, or Arenado–best current player (or third baseman, for that matter) to never win an MVP?
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8:32 |
: You blended Julio and Yordan?! Are you making some kind of atomic superplayer?
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8:32 |
: I screwed up a bit and gave them Yordan’s right-handed hitting ability and Julio’s left-handed bat
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8:32 |
: I have a graveyard of never completed or pieces that dated very quickly
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8:32 |
: I have a piece analyzing Cliff Lee to the Yankees and Jason Bay to the Rays
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8:33 |
: I have one I REALLY wish I’d published in 2019 titled “The Nationals Better Win Now, Because They Won’t Again for a While”
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8:33 |
: #ReleaseTheSzymborskiDeepCuts
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8:34 |
: For a good hitter, Andres Gimenez has some bad swings
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8:34 |
: I’m not sure what about his swing causes it, but he has a lot of those pulling off half-waves at fastballs relative to his contact rate
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8:34 |
: Even in a good Javier Baez season, there are some horrifying swings
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8:35 |
: Dan, please don’t do a piece analyzing Rodon to the Orioles. Yet.
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8:35 |
: How sure are we that he’s a good hitter? I’m definitely not sold on 140 wRC+ yet.
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8:35 |
: I’m not sure I buy the power but I definitely buy the contact, which would make him an above-average hitter even if a lot of the power goes away.
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8:36 |
: That’s 61 pitches for Cole
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8:36 |
: I believe that Gimenez came into this game 3 for his last 25.
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8:37 |
: Everybody who played in that Cleveland/Tampa series is 3 for their last 25!
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8:37 |
![]() |
8:38 |
: Yeah, but 25 PA per player only goes back like 2 games now
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8:40 |
: A question for the panel: is the Guardians’ high-contact approach the worst possible matchup (relative to talent level) for a homer-prone pitcher like Cole?
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8:41 |
: Was 0 fer 5 with 5 strikeouts in that last game
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8:41 |
: This being Gimenez, yes. Kind of wonder if he’s playing hurt, given how much he’s struggled of late.
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8:41 |
: Yankees CF goes yard, just as we all expected
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8:41 |
: The Yankees fans who hated the Montgomery-Bader trade — and there were many — are cheering now.
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8:42 |
: brb, picking up my dog (her daycare kindly drops her off)
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8:42 |
: I am back just in time to say the Guardians are going to have BIG TIME regrets about that 3rd inning
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8:42 |
: Montgomery Bader was killed here for a variety of reasons…but man it was a fun old-fashioned baseball trade. Dividends for both teams.
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8:42 |
: I thought it was fine
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8:44 |
: Ruling on the lights flickering after a HR? I think it’s weak
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8:45 |
: If the Yankees don’t win the pennant, how secure is Brian Cashman’s position?
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8:45 |
: I don’t think he’s in danger
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8:46 |
: Solid first three innings for Quantrill. Plus, his high socks are a good look.
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8:47 |
: Cashman has not only been very good at his job over a long stretch of time, he has managed to navigate everything that comes with running the Yankees. I think it would be VERY short-sighted of them to move on.
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8:47 |
: What would it take for this game to draw bigger headlines than the Astros? An all-out brawl?
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8:47 |
: The Yankees are playing, which means several such scenarios exist.
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8:47 |
: I’m tired of Chris Pratt and his soft shirts.
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8:48 |
: Calling for Cashman’s job…first world Yankees problem. 🤦♂️
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8:48 |
: Keep reminding myself that Guardians win by running over imperfect bullpens … and the Yankees have one of those.
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8:48 |
: singling over*
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8:49 |
: As a Guardians fan, I 100% believe their path in this series is to work the Yankees starters and force that pen to throw 4+ innings per game. If they can make this a pen vs. pen battle, I like their chances.
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8:49 |
: If you asked the Guardians whether they’d take a draw between Cole and Quantrill, though, they’d say yes easily
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8:50 |
: Is Peraza eligible for the playoffs? I’m surprised he’s not on the roster
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8:50 |
: Yes
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8:50 |
: As far as I know
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8:51 |
: Playoff rosters are different, situational players that do one thing well become more valuable relatively well. You have guys you’re not starting available if injury
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8:51 |
: Which manager is most likely to get fired if his team doesn’t win the World Series?
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8:51 |
: I think he’d only make the roster if they were going to start him over IKF, which they would not
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8:51 |
: Mike Matheny 😀
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8:52 |
: Sarcastically: Can we get some in-game interviews with Judge while he’s simultaneously batting? Just like the regular season !
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8:52 |
: They’d never do this, but the Trevino/Cortes ASG interview was spectacular
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8:52 |
: Matheny should’ve never been hired.
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8:53 |
: Cole needed that inning
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8:53 |
: 9 pitch inning?
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8:55 |
: If you’re the Mariners, what are you doing during your (bizarrely scheduled) off day tomorrow?
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8:55 |
: I’d be getting some Vietcajun food. I am dying to go to Houston and get some
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8:55 |
: That’s a thing?
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8:55 |
: Yeah, and it sounds great
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8:56 |
: It does
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8:56 |
: I’m interested to see how Quantrill will pitch the rest of the game cause he had a 4.36 ERA 2nd time TTO and 4.40 ERA 3rd time TTO
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8:56 |
: There was a big influx of Vietnamese immigration (I think largely refugees?) in the ’60’s and ’70’s, and a lot of them settled in the Gulf
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8:56 |
: tell us more about the vietcajun food I’m drooling
|
8:56 | : Here’s an example: |
8:56 |
: Lol, my cousin in Houston raves about Vietcajun food.
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8:57 |
: A top 5 meal of mine, ever, was Szechuan-style crawfish in a Beijing convenience store back room and I think this would scratch the exact same itch
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8:57 |
Thai-rish.
: Baltimore used to have a restaurant named |
8:59 |
… never mind. |
9:00 |
: Getting crawfish! My friend got married in Guangzhou so a bunch of us went on a trip around China afterwards, we had a local friend in Beijing who took us to his favorite local spots
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9:00 |
: Baltimore used to have the Colts
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9:00 |
: With Don “The Human Bowling Ball” Nottingham playing fullback for a few years.
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9:00 |
: From Spotrac on Twitter: Cleveland’s entire 14-man ALDS pitching staff is making $18.5 million this year, or $17.5 million less than Cole himself
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9:01 |
: Good morning from Tokyo, where playoff baseball goes very well with breakfast!
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9:01 |
: Can confirm, as someone who did that this morning
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9:02 |
: Anyone else enjoying hockey opening night during commercials?
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9:02 |
: I am not, but am happy that I will see the Red Wings play the Rangers at Madison Square garden next month. It will be my first ever game at the Garden. I’m psyched.
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9:03 |
: I cannot wait for the pitch clock, and I’m saying that as a diehard Yankees fan. My goodness their games are slooooow.
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9:03 |
: I watched chunks of the 2017 postseason walking around Toyko Disney with my kids. My wife is very patient with me in October.
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9:03 |
: Ah…the good bad days. I quit watching the NFL when Irsay drove away in the March snow. No regrets.
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9:03 |
: This is in response yo my Don Nottingham mention, I assume. Norm Bulaich was there, as well.
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9:04 |
: So Britton, Effross, King, and Chapman are all hurt or deactivated for being AWOL…am I missing anyone else on the Yankees’ staff who is hurt?
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9:04 |
: Marinaccio
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9:04 |
: Montas, Ridings, Green
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9:04 |
: Amazing that the Yankees still have a decent pen with the attrition in the back end this season
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9:06 |
: Couldn’t agree more. Add in all the pitching depth they traded at the deadline and goodness gracious they have a lot of arms
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9:06 |
: have/had
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9:06 |
: Chad Green
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9:06 |
: Did Jose not think that was ball 4?
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9:07 |
: I’m not sure. That was slowwwww
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9:07 |
: What’s so impressive about the Yankees is that many pitching prospects they traded were mid- or late-round picks
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9:07 |
: Guardians pitchers have allowed two runs and 10 hits in 28 innings so far this postseason.
|
9:08 |
: Watching Britton go out was tough. Hope he’s able to recover and come back. I’d like him to warm up in Toronto and actually make it into the game. 😬
|
9:08 |
: The Guardians really need Naylor’s bat to step up if they are going to have a real shot in this series (let alone any future series)
|
9:08 |
: Time for my first beer of the night, which doubles as my single favorite beer: Anderson Valley Briney Melon Gose
|
9:08 |
: I am having a Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest. It is my second tonight.
|
9:08 |
: This is a northern California only thing, presumably, but if you have a chance to have one and like sours at all, do it
|
9:08 |
: Ben, that’s too many words for a beer. I’ll buy you a Busch Light.
|
9:09 |
: Oooooooh I love Leinie’s
|
9:09 |
: Also a good choice, David
|
9:09 |
: Big Oktoberfest/malty beer fan.
|
9:10 |
: I like 99.5% of Bob Costas but I’m getting tired of him (along with basically every other announcer) praising players for not celebrating cool stuff they do – we want personalities!
|
9:10 |
: I have been inspired. Opening a Nine Pound Porter from Georgetown Brewing here in Seattle
|
9:11 |
: Does anyone know what on earth the Guardians’ mascot is? Seems like they missed a good opportunity to roll out a cool-looking gargoyle to go with the new name, instead of the . . . thing they have instead.
|
9:11 |
: I will not stand for Slider slander
|
9:11 |
: Programming note: I talked to Triston McKenzie recently and plan to share that conversation at the end of the week two lead into his Saturday start.
|
9:11 |
: Guardians mascot is a bridge
|
9:12 |
: Guardians mascot is a Marble Madness enemy
|
9:12 |
: Lol to this play
|
9:12 |
: My goodness…
|
9:12 |
: Well, THAT was a reversal of fortune
|
9:12 |
: wow that was awesome
|
9:12 |
: Back from my class in China. The students think baseball is a bourgeoise endeavor and you all need reeducation, and that WAR undervalues performance in high leverage situations.
|
9:13 |
: That is going to stand, isn’t it. Wow
|
9:13 |
: Forget just standing, I think it will be confirmed
|
9:13 |
: Yeah, agreed
|
9:13 |
: Yankees could have used Jeffrey Maier there.
|
9:14 |
: He’s out!
|
9:14 |
: Excellent camera work
|
9:14 |
: Hurts as a Mets fan to see Gimenez and Rosario in this game. Terrific year by Lindor but the team would have been better off with Gimenez, Rosario, PCA, and the money rather than Lindor, Carrasco, and a 1/3 of a season of Baez.
|
9:14 |
: What’s with throwing the PCA trade into this lol
|
9:14 |
: If he touched it clearly, it would have changed direction more
|
9:14 |
: Rookie with a heads up play. Veteran with an inexcusable mistake.
|
9:14 |
: It would seem that Josh Donaldson has failed to play the game the right way
|
9:15 |
: Donaldson is going to get roasted for that one.
|
9:15 |
: Either the ball would have moved or the guy would ahve reacted like he broke his finger lol
|
9:15 |
: Josh Donaldson is going to blow up on Josh Donaldson in the dugout for that one
|
9:15 |
: His name is slider? Does that mean we should expect him to hit the IL for a year after the inevitable Tommy John?
|
9:15 |
: Not for TJS, but he did have an IL stint back in the day
|
9:15 |
: Haha, sorry Ben but just talking about the long-term implications of the Lindor and Baez trades for the Mets org
|
9:15 |
: First base coach with the premature high five
|
9:16 |
: Donaldson now owes someone five
|
9:16 |
: Donaldson should NOT have celebrated that because he did not in fact do cool stuff that time
|
9:16 |
: Geeze… nothing like giving ammo to the anit-fun baseball crowd
|
9:16 |
: There have been some really entertaining games this postseason. This is yet another.
|
9:16 |
: The best part of it is that he’s the anti-fun baseball crowd!
|
9:16 |
: He’s the number one play the game the right way guy. He also doesn’t play the game the way HE thinks is right
|
9:16 |
: Speaking of how Cleveland built this team, 2 years ago they traded Clevinger ( starting tonight) for Quantrill, Naylor, Hedges (starting tonight)
|
9:16 |
: Gonzalez giving one back
|
9:16 |
: Five hole!
|
9:17 |
: In honor of hockey
|
9:17 |
: IKF is an extremely high effort guy on the basepaths
|
9:17 |
: And it paid off there
|
9:19 |
: Seems like the 2nd and 3rd time TTO is burning Quantrill
|
9:19 |
: Without the two-base error, NYY doesn’t score and it remains 1-1 through five.
|
9:19 |
: Boy, that error by Gonzalez was costly..
|
9:20 |
: I for the life of me do not understand starting Gonzalez (a not good fielder) in RF and Brennan (a good fielder not as good a hitter) as DH
|
9:21 |
: This is about late-game PH scenarios. Brennan won’t face a LHP, so if a LHP comes on, he’ll get replaced and they won’t lose their RF. The alternative is you have him in RF and are either limited in who can PH for him or have to move Gonzalez off DH and give up your DH.
|
9:20 |
Per Mariners beat writer Daniel Kramer on Twitter: After going 3-for-5 with the homer and double today, Yordan Alvarez has hit .351/.449/.719 (1.169 OPS) in 69 plate appearances over 16 games against the Mariners this season.
: |
9:20 |
: that’s like…. hardly better than his overall seasonal line
|
9:20 |
: It’s better, of course
|
9:20 |
: He had an OPS over 1.000 though
|
9:20 |
: what a hitter
|
9:22 |
: Ben (or anyone), what do you think of the Donaldson/IKF trade after one season?
|
9:22 |
: It was fine, I guess? It was too cute, in my opinion; if you wanted to spend some money on filling the left side of the infield you could have done other things. But they had to do something about the infield, so relative to not doing something, great.
|
9:22 |
: How the heck have the Yankees only worked Quantril for 72 pitches so far? That’s impressive
|
9:23 |
: Man, Costas mentioning Cleveland’s last world series and making it about the Yankees is something
|
9:23 |
: Trout vs. the Mariners this year: 1.274 OPS in 48 PAs
|
9:24 |
: For a team that allowed so few runs, the Mariners gave up some good individual performances
|
9:24 |
: Darling is too much of a gentleman to cut off Costas granpa Simpson routine
|
9:25 |
: I think Cashman just wanted a temporary upgrade until Peraza and Volpe made it to the majors. People talk about Correa’s short-term deal but it’s not clear that most teams realized that was a possibility until it actually happened.
|
9:25 |
: That’s the impression I got
|
9:25 |
: I totally agree with that. I don’t think you can compare what they did to getting Correa
|
9:26 |
: If you go to the store to buy ice cream and choose between chocolate and vanilla, but when you go back the next day they have rocky road, that wasn’t really relevant info when you made your decision
|
9:26 |
: Watch the Yankees grab Correa on a repeat of his one year deal next season
|
9:26 |
: how come most black-and-white baseball videos are shot from over 1st base? When did the sightline change to being behind the pitcher/outfield?
|
9:26 |
: I don’t actually know, though I guess technologically has a lot to do with it
|
9:26 |
: never gave it much thought
|
9:27 |
: If you’re Aaron Boone are you pushing Cole for another or going into the pen?
|
9:27 |
: I think I’d push him, as greedy as that sounds
|
9:27 |
: Hedges, Straw leading off next inning
|
9:27 |
: you aren’t really asking for much
|
9:28 |
: yeah. Stack your high lev guys against their good hitters
|
9:28 |
: I might not let him face Kwan, but those first two guys? why not
|
9:28 |
: I think Peralta is getting the preferred guy for the Kwan-Naylor lane. Loaisiga is probably getting the bottom of the order if they make a move right here. X Factor is who gets 5/6/7. Some scuttlebutt today Holmes might not be available G1.
|
9:29 |
: FWIW: Cole went 110 or more pitches seven times this year, with a high of 118.
|
9:29 |
: I’m sending Cole for one more
|
9:31 |
: Okay, taking back a bit of my Costas love
|
9:31 |
: c’mon man
|
9:31 |
: we can’t at least use PA’s
|
9:31 |
: ??
|
9:31 |
: Costas, Jesus man
|
9:31 |
: Yeah, that was garbage on multiple levels
|
9:31 |
: Yeah, like we haven’t had THIS conversation a billion times this year
|
9:31 |
: Meanwhile, Quantrill went six or more innings 21 times this season.
|
9:31 |
: If I’m Francona, I think I’m one batter from pulling Quantrill here
|
9:32 |
: Tying it to HR/AB feels like such a weird “new angle.” like he thought he came up with something unique and insightful
|
9:32 |
: with an off day tomorrow and THIS bullpen, I don’t want to get behind multiple runs without using any of them
|
9:32 |
: I would have probably pulled him already, TBH
|
9:32 |
: Lol. Been 22 years. He’s rusty
|
9:32 |
: Why does mlb insist on crapping all over baseball DURING BASEBALL GAMES
|
9:32 |
: Costas has a very NY-centric view of the world.
|
9:33 |
: Stephan is one of the best relievers in baseball, and it would be really cool if everyone got to see it this week
|
9:33 |
: A good throw gets him there, right?
|
9:33 |
: The Guardians defense failing them now is pretty frustrating
|
9:34 |
: Talked to Stephan on my Cleveland visit. Need to write that one up soon-ish.
|
9:34 |
: Hedges, this is like the one reason you exist
|
9:34 |
: Costas sounds like he scripted a bunch of his remarks. Not really a fan of his announcing
|
9:34 |
: I think his extemporaneous stuff is good, I really like his PBP, but I don’t need the diatribes.
|
9:34 |
: David, did your convo with Stephan hit on any of the differences similarities between CLE and NYY pitching machines? Two of the best at developing arms for sure.
|
9:35 |
: One batter too late.
|
9:35 |
: And THIS is why you take Blake Snell out after 18 PA.
|
9:35 |
: Showing celebrities after a home run is hit is…
|
9:35 |
: I did laugh at that
|
9:36 |
: “Yankees loving it! Fans loving it! Rizzo loving it! Cal Quantrill…not so much.”
|
9:36 |
: Francona is gonna regret this one
|
9:36 |
: Hedges also has a patent on a type of catcher helmet, so there’s that too.
|
9:36 |
: You just know it was one of those 50/50 decisions for him
|
9:36 |
: The idea that people would give a shit that Spike Lee is at the game escapes me.
|
9:37 |
: Most celebrities I’d agree with you about, David, but Spike in New York is still cool to me
|
9:37 |
: It’s kind of like how I hate corporate stadium names but like Coors Field
|
9:38 |
: Also, for those interested, the Dodgers-Padres game is starting.
|
9:38 |
: I’ll be channel-hopping the rest of the night
|
9:38 |
: I don’t need to see Spike Lee after a Yankees homerun….what is this, a Knicks game? He’s a celebrity Knicks fan, yeah, but how many Yankees’ games does he make each year?
|
9:38 |
: Anthony Rizzo hit 32 regular season home runs, tying his career high. He’s had for season with 32 and another with 31.
|
9:39 |
: Any issues with Urias game 1 over Kershaw?
|
9:39 |
: Dan and I both separately projected it when we were bantering about this series
|
9:40 |
: In other words, fine with me
|
9:40 |
: People assuming this game is over presumably haven’t been watching the postseason this year.
|
9:41 |
: Profar leading off? Is this normal?
|
9:41 |
: It is! Courtesy of our lovely FanGraphs splits pages, I just confirmed that he had 405 leadoff PA’s this year, and no more than 58 at any other lineup spot
|
9:42 |
: FanGraphs, it’s got the stats
|
9:42 |
: That one’s free, Appelman
|
9:42 |
: If you want more of my slogans, we can discuss a raise
|
9:42 |
: With a long half inning, I’m guessing Cole is done.
|
9:43 |
: Yeah, especially with a bit more breathing room. Keeping him fresh for a Game 5 on regular rest seems good.
|
9:43 |
: Am I crazy for loving the Yankees batting Judge leadoff? Maximize your best hitter’s ABs.
|
9:43 |
: Yeah I love it as well
|
9:44 |
: Someone will have to explain to me why Juan Soto swinging at the first pitch means Manny Machado can’t swing at the first pitch
|
9:44 |
: I don’t think anyone is warming in the Yankees bullpen.
|
9:44 |
: Looks like no one is in the pen
|
9:44 |
: No one up in Yankees pen…so Cole coming back?
|
9:44 |
: Seems…. strange but ok
|
9:45 |
: Speaking of Yordan, the Dodgers seem to always know which prospects to keep and which to trade
|
9:45 |
: Gonna disagree with you on this one. What about Oneil Cruz, just off the top of my head?
|
9:45 |
: Taking a first pitch strike drives me nuts. Lived through Cal doing it his entire career. Wait, that turned out OK for him. But still…
|
9:45 |
: Also that comment came after Machado took two straight balls lol
|
9:46 |
: are some of y’all gonna be hanging here for the dodgers game as well?
|
9:46 |
: Apologies Ben, I accidentally pushed “Send” and the full text was supposed to reference *other than Yordan and ONeil Cruz*…no other big names right?
|
9:46 |
: I guess I’d have to see the expected success rate. That’s two pretty good hitters.
|
9:46 |
: One full game is enough from me, after four hours I start to get punchy in chats
|
9:47 |
: Pedro Martinez is the classic “trading a prospect you shouldn’t have” in Dodgerland.
|
9:47 |
: Both Profar and Soto swung at the first pitch. You don’t want the pitcher to expect a pattern with Machado swinging at the first pitch. After two batters, they’re expecting Machado to swing first pitch as well, so the pitch will likely be out of the zone. So Machado shouldn’t swing at the first pitch. Odds are good he’ll get a ball on the first pitch.
|
9:47 |
: But isn’t that good then? Gets Machado ahead in the count for free
|
9:47 |
: I can’t stick around much longer either. Might not even make the rest of this one
|
9:47 |
: I’m speeding up with time, which is a bad sign
|
9:47 |
: I’m a build-up-and-collapse chatter
|
9:47 |
: I might stick it out for an inning or so after this one but that’s it
|
9:47 |
: Here come the Guardians
|
9:49 |
: I mean, I guess Cole wasn’t THAT long for the game
|
9:49 |
: Trea Turner: good
|
9:50 |
: Loaisiga is not a surprise here, Yankees love bringing him in against the top/heart of the order. Even though what was previously said about Wandy vs the lefties makes sense.
|
9:50 |
: Think the Guardians are much happier to see a tougher righty than the lefty
|
9:50 |
: omg
|
9:50 |
: please stop this
|
9:50 |
: What in the hell was that?
|
9:51 |
: that was awful
|
9:51 |
: I just died a little
|
9:51 |
: that was very bad
|
9:51 |
: Costas gave it the pure disdain it deserved
|
9:51 |
: ok NOT a fan of the dragon promo
|
9:51 |
: new level of corporate synergy
|
9:51 |
: He let the disgust flow through him on that read
|
9:52 |
: Does a sideline reporter have the option of saying, “No. I’m not going to do that”?
|
9:52 |
: That may be the worst commercial interruption to game that I have ever seen in my life and, yes, I am aware of the concept of regency bias but do not think it relevant.
|
9:52 |
: But is that Dragon eating Taco Bell with Pete Davidson after the game?
|
9:53 |
: ^might not have been so bad if the dragon ate Pete Davidson
|
9:53 |
: I was all “Oh, I didn’t know that there was rain in New York” when they started that and then that horrifying moment when you realize it was as promo hits
|
9:53 |
: I don’t mind promos, but I don’t like a promo that’s faking as a report
|
9:53 |
: Could there be anything less interesting than Yankees Astros Dodgers again? Baseball has a problem.
|
9:53 |
: Oh my god, I’m so tired of Tom Brady/LeBron/Steph Curry/etc. I think this is just an every-sport thing, and I choose to enjoy the continuity and the fact that I get to root for everyone else.
|
9:54 |
: When you say “there almost wasn’t a game tonight” and cut to an on-field reporter, there better be an actual damn reason why there almost wasn’t a game tonight
|
9:54 |
: Right?
|
9:54 |
: I thought it was rain as well, Dan
|
9:54 |
: Given they are already worried about Thursday’s game, it feels really weird that they did that
|
9:54 |
: Terry Francona is going into the HoF some day.
|
9:54 |
: but the check was already cashed so they had to follow through
|
9:54 |
: “We’ve just received word that Joe Torre has gone to a better place. Let’s cut to the field for a report.”
|
9:55 |
: “Torre is heading down to Sandals, Jamaica, for an all-inclusive stay as the exclusive Jamaican resort of MLB!”
|
9:55 |
: It was dumb but complaining about cash grabs in sports kinda like getting upset a stork didnt deliver you to mom and dad.
|
9:55 |
: Gotta disagree there. I’ll accept the ways that don’t take away from the action, and they’re generally good about sticking to those. This was too much.
|
9:55 |
: Let’s get a poll on which was worse, that ad or the final season of Game of Thrones
|
9:55 |
: Darling talking about Kwan’s “introduction to the postseason” like the WC round never happened
|
9:56 |
: It’s getting hard to curb my Kwanthusiasm.
|
9:56 |
: Postseason, this is Steven Kwan. Steven, this is Post
|
9:56 |
: and Cleveland *was* actually first in contact rate.
|
9:56 |
: “Gerrit Cole, alone with his thoughts” was very nice I thought
|
9:57 |
: Amed Rosario and swinging at pitches wayyyyy inside, name a more iconic duo
|
9:57 |
BREAKING: @MLB becomes the first big-league sports property to have a CBD sponsor.
@charlottesweb has signed a sponsorship deal with MLB, designating it the “Official CBD of Major League Baseball.”
|
9:58 |
: FWIW, Amed and GIDP are more iconic than Amed and swinging at inside pitchers
|
9:58 |
: I sympathize with Guardians fans on that one
|
9:58 |
: I felt like one of those floating people from Minority Report, I had a premonition of that coming true
|
9:58 |
: the insistence on sticking with him in the 2 spot is frustrating.
|
9:59 |
: We haven’t talked much about the Dodgers game… Dodgers gonna Dodger
|
9:59 |
: well that’s crushing to not have JRam bat with runners on base
|
9:59 |
: This is correct.
|
9:59 |
: I’m a big Rosario fan, ever since his prospect days, but c’mon man he’s not a 2 hitter
|
10:00 |
: The thing about Clevinger…he was pretty lousy this year
|
10:00 |
: Yeah, I had trouble ranking him as a free agent
|
10:01 |
: Do the Mets want a do-over on the Lindor trade?
|
10:01 |
: Curious to hear what Dan/David/Chad think
|
10:02 |
: Meh
|
10:02 |
: I think the Mets are plenty happy
|
10:02 |
: I think they’d do it again, Lindor has been pretty integral and a good fit
|
10:02 |
: Oh, I thought Clevinger
|
10:02 |
: My bad, asked too many questions at once
|
10:02 |
: We talked about this on the WC chat last week – it’s a great example of a win-win deal, IMO. I think both teams are very happy
|
10:02 |
![]() |
10:03 |
: I think they always do it again, but they never get to know what happens ahead of time
|
10:03 |
: that’s the whole purpose of a trade!
|
10:03 |
: WAR is great and all…. you think the Mets would have preferred to have Gimenez over Lindor this year?
|
10:03 |
: They were trading the possibility Gimenez would hit this well, not Gimenez hitting this well
|
10:04 |
: Sure, Lindor is earning more, but they’re getting their money’s worth and they have the money
|
10:04 |
: Rosario is a free swinger that belongs at the bottom of almost any lineup.
|
10:04 |
: Possibly true, although he did finish the regular season 25 for his last 75. He swung a hot bat down the stretch.
|
10:04 |
: Now, if they were the Rays, they would want it back (and also wouldn’t have extended Lindor)
|
10:05 |
: I think the good big-budget front offices are smart about using their money to take opportunities that not all teams have
|
10:05 |
: I also think it is easy to say, “they could have just signed him as a FA” but that is probably not true – if he gets traded to another team willing to make a similar offer, he likely signs there. the exclusive negotiating window is valuable
|
10:05 |
: Of course that wasn’t intentional, WTF Bob
|
10:06 |
: They could have Rosario, Giménez and Lindor if they signed him as a FA. Or Rosario, Giménez and the money they paid Lindor could go to pitching.
|
10:06 |
: I just disagree
|
10:06 |
: There’s no guarantee these guys would hit as well, and they DID spend money on pitching
|
10:06 |
: you wanted them to come into 2022 with more than Scherzer/dG/Bassitt/Carrasco/Walker?
|
10:06 |
: Who would have signed there??
|
10:06 |
: “Hey Carlos Rodon, want to be a sixth starter maybe?”
|
10:06 |
: I am a little late to the party on this, but I’m sure its hard to pull Quantrill after 2 times through the order, when he was throwing that well. Guradians had enough good arms they could have bullpen 5-9 and been okay for game 2
|
10:07 |
: Especially with an off-day tomorrow, and maybe another on Thursday. The way the schedule is set up, there was no reason to save your pen today.
|
10:09 |
: I think reluctance to bring in relievers is more about reducing reliever exposure over the series than issues with rest and workload.
|
10:09 |
: If that’s the case, it’s misplaced. Any marginal reliever performance loss due to familiarity is dwarfed by Cal Quantrill’s TTO
|
10:09 |
: If it’s Shane Bieber that’s one thing. Quantrill? Gimme the pen
|
10:10 |
: The problem is you’re bringing in a fresh reliever to face Judge. If they don’t have it, that could also end badly.
|
10:10 |
: There’s no evidence this effect is real
|
10:10 |
: Good talking point, but they might also MEGAHAVEIT
|
10:10 |
: Judge beats good relievers sometimes too
|
10:11 |
: honestly, i have no issue wiht letting Quantrill face Judge with instructions to accept a walk and not give in
|
10:11 |
: Random Cleveland baseball history: Mel Harder was a good pitcher for a long time and is considered by many to have been the first real pitching coach — and a very good one.
|
10:11 |
: That’s true, I’d be okay with that I guess?
|
10:12 |
: But I don’t get letting him face Rizzo with a man on after he lost Judge
|
10:12 |
: David, in OOTP’s historical player card collection game, there is an AWESOME Mel Harder card
|
10:12 |
: He’s become a huge favorite of mine as a result
|
10:13 |
: I’ve read through his SABR biography a few times
|
10:14 |
: Not much BABIP luck for the Guardians — a team that relies more than most teams on BABIP luck — tonight.
|
10:14 |
: My main issue with the Lindor trade wasn’t the trade itself but the extension…Cohen probably overpaid him by $100m based on what Correa, Seager, Semien, and Baez got and Turner, XB, Dansby, and Correa will get. If you can outbid everyone in the offseason, why get bullied into a very player-favorable extension in spring training?
|
10:14 |
: He got like $16MM more than Seager, right? And I have no issue with that. Plus, Lindor wanted to sign, so if you wait until the off-season, there is a very good chance he is gone already. That wasn’t an option they could plan on.
|
10:14 |
: I remember Mel harder
|
10:14 |
: You are older than most, for certain.
|
10:15 |
: I love using the Javy Baez contract to say Lindor got paid too much
|
10:15 |
: What is going on here?
|
10:16 |
: Is Trayce Thompson over Joey Gallo more of an endorsement in Thompson or an indictment on Gallo?
|
10:16 |
: Endorsement of Thompson to me. He’s been great this year and the underlying numbers make it look more real than not.
|
10:16 |
: It’s not that complicated – the alternative to that trade was likely not signing Lindor in the off-season. It was never having Lindor and getting into a bidding war with Texas and whoever else for SEager.
|
10:17 |
: Looking back at this afternoon, the Phillies hanging on to beat Atlanta was big. They have a legit shot to win that series.
|
10:17 |
: Huge for them
|
10:18 |
: They have a legit shot to sweep the series now
|
10:18 |
: Winning a game before Wheeler and Nola go, it doesn’t get better than that for them
|
10:20 |
: Karinkchak has changed his pre-pitch routine around a bit. I say this more to let you all know how much I watched it than because it’s useful analysis
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10:20 |
: For those of you who care about such things, Karinchak was reportedly the only Guardians player unable to travel to Toronto in August.
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10:20 |
: Wheeler and Nola are as tough as they come. I think the Phillies are in the driver’s seat if Strider can’t go.
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10:21 |
: Was this more of a crusher or Toronto losing to them?
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10:21 |
: I think it’s Toronto losing to them, but it’s reallllly close. This one there’s at least more runway to work with.
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10:21 |
: I am 80% sure Karinchak’s pants are so tight they work like an exo-skeleton allowing him to throw harder.
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10:21 |
Winning a game before Woodruff and Peralta go, it doesn’t get better than that for them.” |
10:22 |
: Haha for sure. No slight on the Braves. It’s not like Wheeler is a 100% win card
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10:22 |
: I think Lindor is somehow a bit overated. He was 6th in fWAR this year. 9th over the last three years. 4th since 2016. He is one of the very best in the game because in addition to having an excellent bat he plays elite defense and is an excellent base runner.
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10:22 |
: Sorry, UNDERrated
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10:24 |
: The problem with Bob here is that he seems to think that 1994-2021 was all one era and 2022 is different
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10:24 |
: Wait that’s not true?
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10:24 |
: 2022 has a lower home run rate than 2016-2010
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10:24 |
: 2016-2021
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10:24 |
: My 90’s references must have been annoying last year
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10:24 |
: But *so did those years the records were broken
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10:25 |
: Watching Cleveland through 3 games now, I feel like Cleveland will fail to score enough runs to win the series with the Yankees.
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10:26 |
: Julio Urias is carving up the zone tonight. Really impressive to begin his outing.
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10:27 |
: Beautiful by Rizzo
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10:27 |
: I’m not sure if it’s actually better defense, but I love those ole! scoops
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10:28 |
: Not a bad pick by K-F either.
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10:28 |
: I mean JFC Bob
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10:28 |
![]() |
10:28 |
: Jiminy Freaking Christmas, in case the FCC is here
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10:29 |
: Dan, do you think there’s a theoretical environment possible that would benefit outliers but not the overall crowd?
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10:30 |
: I’m not sure what league-level effects create high and low homer eras aside from the ball, but I assume there are plenty of other factors
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10:30 |
: There is
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10:30 |
: But he acts like 2022 is a different HR era
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10:30 |
: No, 2022’s decline in HR just got us *down to* the 90s
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10:30 |
: Tying run on the on-deck circle.
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10:31 |
: I do think that the fact that a ton of guys hit 60+ in 1998-2001 is a sign not of “steroids!” but of the fact that something about the league environment, expansion maybe, really benefited the best hitters
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10:31 |
: Doesn’t make the records any less legitimate though
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10:32 |
: Just like you drew it up in Cleveland this spring: Will Benson taking big playoff AB’s
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10:34 |
: Embarrassing for the crowd to boo Straw.
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10:34 |
: It may not matter, but if Straw reaches you have a great OBP guy up followed by one of the best hitters in basebal….wait, no that’s right Amed Rosario hits second
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10:34 |
: Makes you wonder why Tyler Freeman didn’t make the playoff roster so Cleveland could have another one of their high contact slappies in a PH spot
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10:35 |
: The spread of HR/PA among batters with at least 200 PA has actually gone up slightly since the 90s
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10:35 |
: Why have they been booing myles straw? Did I misss something?
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10:36 |
: Presumably the gap between the top 5% and the median has not widened, though, just mechanically
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10:36 |
: Disappointing night for the Kinderguardians.
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10:36 |
: Yeah, that was a tough one to lose
|
10:36 |
: Ok folks, I am going to step away. Enjoy the late game!
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10:36 |
: Just feels like it’s gonna be hard to score enough runs
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10:36 |
: They needed 1-2 more hits tonight. They just didn’t get them
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10:36 |
: Have a great night, Chad
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10:36 |
: Yup, I’m winding down as well, three hours is as much of me as anyone can stand!
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10:36 |
: Thanks for hanging out!
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10:37 |
: Re 1998-2001: Don’t you think that the design of the baseball was also a factor, Ben? A few years post-strike, isn’t it possible that MLB may have intentionally decided to alter the design of the ball so that it traveled further to increase interest?
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10:37 |
: I’ll hang out until the end of this half inning and then call it a night
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10:37 |
: cya’ll!
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10:37 |
: Have a good one Dan
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10:37 |
: Good night, all. Bed time looms here on the East Coast.
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10:38 |
: Thanks guys! These chats are the highlight of Fangraphs.
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10:38 |
: Good night David
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10:38 |
: Cole has taken a load of crap the past 12 months here. Feel great for him. Thanks to you all for a great chat! Enjoy the late games for those of us who have to wake up at the crack of dawn.
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10:39 |
: What an eventful day of baseball so far
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10:39 |
: The first two games were both drama-packed, and this one was too (though mostly the first five innings of tense baseball)
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10:40 |
: The 2022 playoffs are shaping up to be a very good year
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10:40 |
: Baseball has been very, very good
|
10:40 |
: It’s been an interesting four games today
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10:40 |
: That’s giving the Dogers/Padres game a lot of premature credit imo
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10:40 |
: But an interesting three!
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10:40 |
: With an option for four
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10:40 |
: Neither have been great this year, but should the Padres have gone with Manaea over Clevinger?
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10:41 |
: I would’ve, that’s how I have them personally
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10:41 |
: I assume they considered it, though. It’s not like it’s a reputation-based move or anything
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10:42 |
: A counterpoint: the Dodgers have a ton of good righty hitters
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10:45 |
: Clevinger’s exaggerated windup and hairstyle always makes me think Weird Al is pitching.
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10:45 |
: Very excited for the movie
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10:45 |
: The acoustics at Dodger Stadium hit different
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10:45 |
: Broadcasts there do a great job of integrating the organ and PA
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10:46 |
: Something about that cavern just works well
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10:46 |
: We have had a very promising start to this year’s playoffs in terms of excitement!
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10:46 |
: Yeah, if it keeps up this pace I’ll have a very good month
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10:47 |
: Alright, like Mike Clevinger, I am leaving before the conclusion of this inning.
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10:47 |
: Have a great night everyone, and thank you so much for hanging out with us tonight.
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10:47 |
: I know I speak for all four of us when I say this was super fun and we hope you’ll come back for more.
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Meg is the editor-in-chief of FanGraphs and the co-host of Effectively Wild. Prior to joining FanGraphs, her work appeared at Baseball Prospectus, Lookout Landing, and Just A Bit Outside. You can follow her on Bluesky @megrowler.fangraphs.com.