Dan Szymborski: This could be the penultimate chat of the 2019 season or possibly only the preantepenultimate chat!
8:04
Andrew: Let’s go, Nats!
8:04
Dan Szymborski: not let’s go Nats?
8:04
Dan Szymborski: Are you suggesting that you and the Nats should go somewhere? THERE’S AN IMPORTANT GAME STARTING
8:04
kevinthecomic: Walter Johnson throwing out the first pitch tonight?
8:04
Matt M: Give me a phillies offseason
8:04
Kip Selbach: Go Washington
8:04
AJ: how serious do you think the pirates are about not trading Starling Marte?
8:04
David Laurila: Hello Dan. Hello readers. As Pittsburgh-based scribe John Perrotta likes to say, “Should be a good game tonight.”
8:06
Dan Szymborski: There’s a lot of upheaval in Pittsburgh. Manager/coaches gone, Frank Coonelly gone. I would wager Neal Huntington, while appearing to be safe, was certainly in danger too.
8:06
Dan Szymborski: There are a whole lot of directions the Pirates could go, so at least *I* don’t have a sense of exactly where they’re going
8:06
Marc Tessier-Lavigne: Wouldn’t it be pre-preantepenultimate if there’s a game 7?
8:07
David Laurila: Not a betting man, but I see the Astros winning tonight. Hard to beat a good team three times it a row.
8:07
Dan Szymborski: Oh shoot, yeah, you’re right
8:07
Adam: “let’s go” is weird if you think about it. “let us go!” sounds silly
8:07
Byron Buxton : Can we get some polls please?
8:07
Dan Szymborski:
Should We Have a Poll?
Yes (32.4% | 25 votes)
No (12.9% | 10 votes)
Abstain (54.5% | 42 votes)
Total Votes: 77
8:08
Andrew: Which starter do you think has the better game?
8:08
Dan Szymborski: Still have to say Greinke.
8:08
Dan Szymborski: Also possibly wishful thinking because I’d prefer baseball not end before the weekend is over!
8:08
Juan Pursuit : Anibal Sanchez’s wife is named Annabelle, his son named Anibal Jr., and his daughter Anna.
8:09
Greg: Where are the home white unis??
8:09
David Laurila: Counting the first two games of this Series (and not spring training games), the Nationals have won 16 of their last 18 against the Astros. This stretches back to 2011, so it doesn’t mean anything… but it’s interesting.
8:10
Dan Szymborski: BTW, for readers, I sneakily activated emotes.
8:11
Section329 : ❤️
8:11
Defenestrater: It isn’t that sneaky when you publicly announce that you have done it
8:11
Dan Szymborski: I’m not really that stealthy.
8:12
Someone: Is this the rare game where the AL team benefits more from having the pitchers hit?
8:12
Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure I’d say that. I’d rather have Yordan than the pitcher offense advantage.
8:12
David Laurila: Robles was my (incorrect) rookie of the year pick when we did our preseason predictions here. That catch… wow.
8:13
Dan Szymborski: I mean, Greinke had a really nice offensive season, but he’s still like a .600 OPS hitter over his career.
8:13
Byron Buxton : Is Taylor a better defender than Robles?
8:13
Dan Szymborski: I think I’d rather have the projected difference between Alvarez and Kendrick over the projected difference between Greinke and Sanchez.
8:14
David Laurila: Taylor hit the longest home run in 2018, right?
8:15
Dan Szymborski: Coming into the season I’d say Taylor was the better defender, but his VERY SMALL SAMPLE SIZE defensive stats weren’t good after coming back from injury
8:15
Dan Szymborski: Though Robles has had some really weird angles on balls this postseason
8:15
Hire Joe Morgan?: Dan plays loud.
8:15
Bring Back Jeff: WOW
8:16
Hire Joe Morgan?: I think the difference between Alvarez and Kendrick is greater than the difference between Greinke and Sanchez.
8:16
BennyandtheMets: Hey Fangraphs staff, thanks as always for doing these chats! They make the Fall Classic that much more enjoyable!
8:16
Hire Joe Morgan?: You stole my thoughts, Dan! Get out of my brain!
8:16
…..: Robles a professional outfielder
8:16
Dave: Would a Robles-for-Betts trade be of interest to either team?
8:16
Dan Szymborski: Did that Game One inside joke persist into Game Two chat?
8:16
Dan Szymborski: I was sick and mostly on cough medicine for most of Game Two.
8:17
David Laurila: I know that Betts’ contract is a concern, but as of right now the difference in proven talent is chasm city.
8:17
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think Betts is traded unless the Red Sox are bowled over.
8:17
sucramrenrut: Can we agree that the biggest part of OF defense is just speed? Have to think top end speed can beat a great break a la Kiermeier.
Dan Szymborski: It’s not JUST speed, but speed is important.
8:18
David Laurila: No, no, an emphatic NO on speed being the biggest part of OF defense.
8:18
Dan Szymborski: ZiPS finds speed score an additional useful variable in addition to actual OF range performance when projecting future. It’s not the biggest, but it’s important.
8:19
Dan Szymborski: And it’s useful when we don’t have good defensive data.
8:19
Dan Szymborski: Like players switching positions.
8:19
Dan Szymborski: Or minor league. No matter how clever I attempt to be reverse-engineering faux zone rating, defensive stats just aren’t that good and speed score becomes an even more useful variable.
8:20
Da Bear: Which will end up higher tonight: Sanchez’s pitch count, or his count of throws over to 1st?
8:20
Hire Joe Morgan?: I second Benny. Really enjoy these chats in-game.
8:20
Hire Joe Morgan?: I think Brantley has ascended into the ‘pretty left-handed swing’ pantheon.
8:20
Dan Szymborski: Well, remember, he’s the Great American Baseball Show
8:21
Dan Szymborski: For those who weren’t here for Game One, I had the Talk to Transformer neural network generate player nicknames for the World Series rosters.
8:21
Dan Szymborski:
8:21
David Laurila: Speaking of OF defense, a year or two ago I opined that Jackie Bradley Jr. is the best CF in MLB, and Rocco Baldelli refuted my claim. Relied on the Rays’ internal metrics, and you know what? The Rays are good at that stuff.
8:21
Bring Back Jeff: Thoughts on Chaim Bloom hire? As a Sox fan, I’m pretty psyched…
8:21
Dan Szymborski: I like the hire, though it means BP beat us to first GM!
8:22
Fire Ken Tremendous: Remember when we thought Robles had never played in the outfield in Game One?
8:22
peakfreak: Hiw does a guy lay off that other stuff and then swing at an even worse pitch?
8:22
Hire Joe Morgan?: Guys like Edmonds and Jones weren’t exactly slow, but neither was ever all that fast, either.
8:22
Dan Szymborski: And Alex Sanchez stunk.
8:23
Fire Ken Tremendous: I heard the only way to get into and out of Chasm City is by rickety rope bridges as seen in Temple of Doom
8:23
Jordan: So what is the biggest part? I figured it was speed
8:23
David Laurila: Saw a tweet a few hours ago saying that former Nationals Jonny Gomes, Adam LaRoche, and Steven Souza Jr are at the game tonight. How much success did the three have in the postseason? Souza never played in October. LaRoche had 12 hits in 60 at bats and his teams lost all four postseason series. Gomes went 7 for 49 and his teams split six series. Gomes does have a World Series ring.
8:23
Eel Ffilc: About speed on defense:
8:23
Dan Szymborski: Reaction, judgment
8:24
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: The thing about the Chaim Bloom hire is I didn’t care since I thought LA already poached him. Whoops.
8:25
David Laurila: Bloom wrote six or eight articles for Baseball Prospectus about 15-18 years ago, I believe.
8:25
David Laurila: That was before I was at BP.
8:25
Dan Szymborski: Speed doesn’t matter if you don’t know where the ball is going!
8:25
Dan Szymborski:
8:26
kevinthecomic: De-juiced ball kept two in the park already!
8:26
Fire Ken Tremendous: That was some catch!
8:26
…..: Yes it did
8:27
Mad Joe-Don: The World Atlas is an underrated nickname.
8:27
CBeisbol: High drag baseballs tonight it appears
8:27
DCFC: How will Daniel Castro figure into Seattle’s starting lineup in 2020?
8:27
David Laurila: Interesting view on the called ball there. Looked like a strike on superimposed box, but like it wa slow on camera angle side view.
8:27
Dan Szymborski: As of right now, I’d say not at all.
8:27
Lunar verLander: That’s OK, you can still beat BP by being the first owner
8:28
Hire Joe Morgan?: Do either of you have any insight into how Houston’s firing of the assistant-who-must-not-be-named will affect their front office’s functioning?
8:28
Dan Szymborski: I do not.
8:28
Dan Szymborski: Taubman is something I don’t know at all.
8:28
Dan Szymborski: Dave might have a better idea as he’s physically around more than I am.
8:29
David Laurila: Good question on the assistant-who-must-not-be-named. Are the Astros an appealing org for young, smart front office types?
8:29
Dan Szymborski: I end up mostly talking to players about Fortnite and Pubg
8:29
Eel Ffilc: I’m glad Bloom is gone, Sullivan might be one step closer to GM now!
8:29
Dan Szymborski: Sully’s brutal rise to power.
8:29
Byron Buxton : Is that Trumbo? Not sure he’s the paragon of speed
8:29
Dan Szymborski: I’m just illustrating! I knew that GIF existed.
8:29
Hire Joe Morgan?: Rob Arthur said on EW the other day there could be up to eighty feet of difference on fly balls from the drag. If he’s right the drag is erratic in postseason balls, that’s a lot of variance from ball to ball.
8:30
Sonny: Rocco was no slouch himself before the body gave out. Massive range, plus arm, 80 speed
8:30
Jordan: I just figured you could teach most anything but you can’t teach speed, I suppose you can’t teach instinct either
8:30
Jamie: The first 2 games ended past 12 PM EST. MLB cannot afford another game that goes past midnight. MLB has to find a way to speed up the pace
8:30
Dan Szymborski: All the game start after noon! <ducking>
8:31
Dan Szymborski: First Astros game with an 0-0 first inning since ALCS Game Two.
8:32
sucramrenrut: Finance bros, amirite? If you’re not hiring people who have played the game, hire a computer scientist who by definition will not be a douche… not a guy from Morgan Stanley even if he was an analyst.
8:32
David Laurila: The games should start an hour earlier. If fans on one coast or the other are going to miss a few innings, wouldn’t the early innings be preferable?
8:32
Super Ape: Daytime WS would be glorious
8:32
Dan Szymborski: I like day games, though I don’t know how much of that is a privileged position in that I can watch day games since writing about baseball is my job.
8:32
Hire Joe Morgan?: My favorite part of the game is always the beginning. I like the possibilities. Would much rather miss the end than the beginning.
8:33
Defenestrater: What you lack in stealth, Dan, you make up for in reflexes.
8:33
David Laurila: Padres broadcaster Jesse Agler tweeted after Game 2 how much nicer it is to be watching these on the west coast.
8:35
Lunar verLander: I would imagine that, since the supply is MUCH greater than demand, the recent Astros front office situation wouldn’t affect the incoming crowd of analysts. And since most promotions with the Astros come from within, it’s conceivable that, barring MLB intervention, there won’t be any noticeable difference to how their front office functions.
8:35
David Laurila: True. People want to work in baseball.
8:35
Dan Szymborski: And typing! I’m 110-120 even on cough medicine.
8:35
Hire Joe Morgan?: The ability to start your route as soon as the ball is hit. Or before.
8:35
Alfredo: Can’t imagine Taubman is the cog to that FO given he’s only in the position because Sig, Mike Elias, and Mike Fast all left
8:35
Super Ape: lol’ing so hard at the idea of computer scientists being guaranteed to not be douches
8:35
Dan Szymborski: Uh oh, am I saberbro?
8:35
Wire Fan: Just a wee bit high. Is Correa dead on a good throw?
8:36
Mad Joe-Don: Amateur thrower.
8:36
Hire Joe Morgan?: I wondered if he had some particular area of expertise they’d have to adjust to cover….
8:36
David Laurila: Jesse Agler is a good guy, BTW. I do believe he reads this very site, he does.
8:36
Byron Buxton : That throw was too much “childish” not enough “bambino”
8:37
Super Ape: Just saying, as a former CS student, the field absolutely has douches. I didn’t mean you necessarily
8:37
BennyandtheMets: Sanchez doesn’t look to have it this game…missing high
8:37
Eel Ffilc: That throw was Puig levels high.
8:37
David Laurila: Speaking of Puig, he swings a Birdman bat. (Gotta hype my bat-making friends at Birdman.)
8:37
Wire Fan: Smolt safety squeeze comment incoming…
8:37
Dan Szymborski: 5 seconds
8:38
Dan Szymborski:
Who Do You Want to Win Game 3?
Houston Astros (30.3% | 24 votes)
Washington Nationals (69.6% | 55 votes)
Total Votes: 79
8:39
Dan Szymborski:
Batter on 3rd, Pitcher Up. Smoltz Talks About…
Safety Squeeze (9.0% | 5 votes)
Safety Squeeze (14.5% | 8 votes)
Safety Squeeze (14.5% | 8 votes)
Random complaints, possibly safety squeeze related (61.8% | 34 votes)
Total Votes: 55
8:40
David Laurila: Fans without a horse in this race want the Astros to win, right? I’m rooting for a seven-game series.
8:40
Dan Szymborski: I want maximum baseball.
8:40
Hire Joe Morgan?: I voted for the second safety squeeze.
8:40
Hire Joe Morgan?: I want a seven-game series, but at this point, the Astros have entered Yankee territory, right? Only Astros fans are pulling for them.
8:41
Cole’s Law: Not to speak bad of the prior chatters….but I’m glad to have Dan and his vowelless name back in the chat world
8:41
Dan Szymborski: SOMETIMES Y
8:41
Ball on the Tracks: Safety squeeze is where an nfl defender hugs a wideout?
8:41
Wire Fan: Springer should try a safety squeeze here! (even though there are 2 outs and normal people would call it bunting for a hit)
8:41
Dan Szymborski: HOMICIDE SQUEEZE
8:41
Dan Szymborski: that’s what bunting for a hit with two outs should be called.
8:42
Super Ape: Astros at this point are more like Evil Team from Shaolin Soccer
8:42
Dan Szymborski: Astros aren’t exactly winning new fans this particular week.
8:42
Hire Joe Morgan?: No one would expect a 3-2 squeeze.
8:42
Dan Szymborski: 3-2 with 2 outs bunt for hit is a GENOCIDE SQUEEZE
8:42
This is Lude-i-cris: We had to explain the professional hitter joke to your cronies in game 2.
8:42
Dan Szymborski: I don’t have cronies!
8:43
Brett W: Homicide Squeeze is when the runner takes out the catcher who is not in the baseline.
8:43
Alfredo: It’s Regicide Squeeze if you’re facing Yankees prospect Mike King
8:43
Defenestrater: With a full count, would it be a GENOCIDE SQUEEZE?
8:43
Hire Joe Morgan?: In this case, the genocidal campaign is against reason and sense?
8:43
Jordan: One of your staff “kinda likes Smoltz”, ugh… oh and Buck Martinez
8:43
Dan Szymborski: People are entitled to different opinions than me.
8:43
CBeisbol: What would Altuve’s UZR as a first baseman be?
8:44
Dan Szymborski: Has anyone done any work on 2B/3B/SS fielding errors vs. 1B height?
8:44
David Laurila: Re homicide squeeze, the punk song “Homicide,” by 999, came out in 1978, the same year Squeeze released their first album.
8:44
LFC Mike: Greetings Dan..What are you snacking on tonight to keep up your strength?🤢🤢🍎🍊🍕🌮🍺
8:45
Cesar Cedeno: 999 playing Chicago next weekend
8:45
David Laurila: Seriously?
8:46
Dan Szymborski: 🍕
8:46
Dan Szymborski: I also had a slice of pumpkin cheesecake roll thing.
8:46
Dan Szymborski: But I don’t think there’s an emoji for that
8:46
Wire Fan: Altuve’s scrappiness would make up for his height. He’d be able to cause down the overthrows more quickly too.
8:46
Dan Szymborski: I’m no longer sick, I don’t believe.
8:47
David Laurila: No cheesecake, here, but I just finished a Harpoon Octoberfest.
8:47
Dan Szymborski: Yeah, I fell asleep in my office chair from 1 to 3 today, but that could just be laziness and staying up late.
8:47
bosoxforlife: Between Osuna and Taubman, the Astros are trying to wrest the Evil Empire title from the Yankees.
8:47
CBeisbol: I’ve eaten 95% of the bag of Haloween candy I tried to purchase ahead of time
8:47
Ball on the Tracks: Give me Cheree by Suicide if we’re doing Suicide Squeeze 1978 trivia
8:48
Ball on the Tracks: So Suicide Squeeze is when the bands with those names shared a bill?
8:48
Anibal’s 3rd Time-Through Issue: Sanchez is into his second time through the order, and was terrible this year his third time through the order, but his pitch count is relatively fine. What to expect?!
8:48
Christian: I’m just tuning in now, why is Zimmerman in instead of Kendrick?
8:48
bosoxforlife: Greinke had an .883 OPS this year. How on God’s green earth can he be bunting there? Where do these decisions come from?
8:48
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think they said their reasoning?
8:49
Dan Szymborski: I’d go with Kendrick, but maybe they were worried DC fans would riot if no Zim
8:49
Adam: Has an umpire ever punched somebody with an over dramatic out call?
8:49
Dan Szymborski: Not that I recall
8:49
bosoxforlife: Greinke hit .280 this year. Hinch might as well bunt with Altuve with the bases loaded.
8:50
Dan Szymborski: 1/3, I’m not bunting
8:50
Dan Szymborski: Greinke’s 67 MPH eephus was my high school fastball
8:50
Sonny: Reckless endangerment squeeze
8:50
Brett W: Zimmerman might be Reaganing
8:50
Hire Joe Morgan?: What are the chances some player in Houston speaks out about this stuff after the season? I can’t imagine them doing it during the series, but they have some really outspoken guys who have spoken about things before.
8:51
Dan Szymborski: Honestly, I think players probably don’t want to touch something that isn’t their problem.
8:51
Sonny: criminal negligence squeeze
8:52
Dan Szymborski:
Is the Red Sox Cutting Payroll Total BS?
Yes (47.2% | 26 votes)
Yes, but in green. (52.7% | 29 votes)
Total Votes: 55
8:52
Jay Jaffe: hidely ho, neighborinos!
8:52
Dan Szymborski: Hey Jay!
8:52
LFC Mike: Joe West is suing Paul LoDuca for defamation over his strike zone comments Seriously 😂😂😂😂😂😂
8:52
Lunar verLander: A WILD Jay Jaffe APPEARS!
8:53
Jay Jaffe: wild and far outside the zone
8:53
David Laurila: What’s Jay driving tonight?
8:53
CBeisbol: I’ll try one. Collusion squeeze
8:53
Section329 : Hi Jay
8:53
Byron Buxton : Obviously what Taubman did was bad and remarkably stupid, but weren’t Osuna’s actions orders of magnitude worse? Why is the former fired and the latter possibly going to close out the World Series?
8:53
LFC Mike: Poll question: Should there be more polls during the game? Y/N
8:54
S: Already dreading the way too many camera shots of Trump when he attends a game. Especially if the Nats clinched.
8:54
Wire Fan: Am I missing something on the RedSox trading JBJ to cut payroll? It only saves them 11M if they are planning a 2 man OF. They’d still have to find a decent OF, no?
8:54
Dan Szymborski: They don’t HAVE to
8:55
Hire Joe Morgan?: I don’t want to be too cynical, but there are a lot more people with the potential to do Taubman’s job. Also, there’s a decent chance he’ll get another job in baseball, especially given that he carries all of Houston’s information in his head.
8:55
Cole’s Law: Anybody else watching the game in the apple store, with one Mac playing the game and the other one chatting on Fangraphs….or is that jump me?
8:55
kevinthecomic: Red Sox sign FA Nick Markakis
8:55
Dan Szymborski: The Red Sox already appear to have Mitch Moreland signed to a perpetual One Year Contract For Some Uknown Reason
8:56
Cole’s Law: Did the Sox Really sign Nick Markakis…Don’t ruin my night?!!
8:56
David Laurila: Nothing to do with the Astros, nor this game, but I do want to make mention of the fact that the ability to consistently display good judgement is a prerequisite for any umpire.
8:56
Hey yo: Rusney Castillo can play OF
8:56
Dan Szymborski: It’s super awkward, but the Red Sox, if trying to go below the luxury tax, can’t call up Rusney even if he’s useful.
8:56
Mad Joe-Don: Byron, I think it’s because FO personnel are more fungible than players.
8:57
Hire Joe Morgan?: David, are you saying you think there will be consequences for the umpire who advocated revolution?
8:57
David Laurila: Yes.
8:57
Dan Szymborski: I think West vs. Lo Duca dragging out for years and costing both endless amounts of $ makes us the winner.
8:57
MC Grammar: Well, Robles giveth and taketh away. Tough DP!
8:58
Eel Ffilc: I wonder if that convo Greinke and Bregman had before that batter had any effect on that DP?
8:58
Kei Igawa: No effin’ way should the Red Sox call Rusney Castillo up!
8:58
David Laurila: I’m sure others have pointed this out, but the Washington DC-based Homestead Grays won the last ever Negro League World Series, in 1948. The Grays beat the Birmingham Black Barons, whose roster included 17-year-old Willie Mays.
8:59
Dan Szymborski: He’d probably have to slug .700 in the minors for Red Sox to bring him up.
8:59
bosoxforlife: Rusney has 1 more year in purgatory.
8:59
This is Lude-i-cris: We had an umpire in softball that somehow punched himself in the nose with an over dramatic out call. Little wirey guy with a high pitched voice. He was one more reason to enjoy softball.
9:00
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Picking up the ball is the most important skill for an outfielder. Not speed.
9:00
Dan Szymborski: “Damn, the ball got stuck in a door again” “Dude, there was no door there.”
9:00
LFC Mike: In turn country music is suing Joe West for audio crimes against humanity for making not 1 but 2 CDs
9:00
S: If he slugged .700 in the minors, wouldn’t they just trade him?
9:00
Dan Szymborski: Yes
9:01
Dan Szymborski: “Let’s cut away to Dave Martinez, who almost certainly won’t say anything interesting because he’s managing the frigging game.”
9:01
David Laurila: I’ll argue that Country Joe is good for baseball, because he’s entertaining — the game needs that — and by no means is he on the short list of worst umpires.
9:01
kevinthecomic: Cowboys are suing Joe West for defamation of character
9:02
Dan Szymborski: How often do you get a live feed of a manager talking positively about a pitcher while the pitcher is simultaneously allowing a run?
9:02
bosoxforlife: I thought I knew baseball and I always thought the Homestead Grays were based in Pittsburgh.
9:02
Dan Szymborski: They did play in Pittsburgh!
9:02
Dan Szymborski: But literally from Homestead
9:03
Cole’s Law: Hot take….Corbin is better than Annibol
9:03
Cole’s Law: How does Dave Martinez not curse during the interview as the run scores
9:03
MC Grammar: Preach, Dan. If they are managing the game, they aren’t gonna give away any juicy strategy. I don’t really understand the mid-game dugout interviews.
9:03
S: ASG is the only instance where in-game interviews are acceptable.
9:03
Kenny: The Homestead Grays were from Pittsburgh.
9:03
Hire Joe Morgan?: Joe: “A-NEE-ball” Dave: “Anibal” Joe: “A-NEE-ball” Dave: “Anibal.”
9:03
Dan Szymborski: Annabelle
9:03
Jay Jaffe: I’m excited for the Chaim Bloom hire. He was only at BP briefly, around the time I began there. If I’m remembering correctly, he came to the 2004 winter meetings to interview for jobs, having put together a home-made notebook with headshots of the executives he needed to track down.
9:04
Alfredo: If he got busted for PEDs it would be for Anabol
9:04
David Laurila: The Homestead Grays were from originally from Pittsburgh. They were in DC in aforementioned Series.
9:04
Dan Szymborski: Jay, if multi-universe theory is correct, there’s probably a universe where Chaim was the notorious GM Assassin.
9:04
LFC Mike: Hannibal Sánchez.
9:04
Mad Joe-Don: Going out on a limb here. Soto is not a good outfielder.
9:05
kevinthecomic: I visited the Negro League Baseball Museum in KC a few years back. Definitely worth the trip. Got a Satchel Paige replica jersey and a Detroit Stars T-Shirt.
9:05
Jay Jaffe: the defensive metrics agree with you, though he’s not awful. -4.9 UZR, -5 DRS in his two seasons.
9:05
Dan Szymborski: Robles looks tonight in center like he’s played baseball before.
9:06
Dan Szymborski: “ima gonna keep tagging you until someone says out”
9:06
Jay Jaffe: LOL Dan. yes, those headshots may have had a different purpose
9:06
Lunar verLander: we could finally put Taco Bell out of business
9:06
Lunar verLander: If only it were a free taco PER stolen base…
9:06
bosoxforlife: I went Wikipedia and was shocked to see that the Grays ended up in DC, as David said. Even at 77. you learn something everyday.
9:06
Sonny: This is what I would have expected Houston to do against Sanchez if I knew nothing about the last five days
9:07
Mad Joe-Don: My team’s LF is Schwarber, so I’d take Soto any day of the week.
9:07
CBeisbol: Today’s Soto’s birthday? Anyone know how old he is? I don’t think I’ve heard
9:08
bosoxforlife: I went to KC in 2008 for a Sox-Royals series and thoroughly enjoyed Negro League Baseball Museum.
9:08
Jay Jaffe: the metrics say Schwarber was actually fine this year, -0.9 UZR, -1 DRS. I didn’t see a lot of him and I know the early impression is hard to shake but defense wasn’t an issue
9:08
LFC Mike: Robles lost most of last year with the arm injury which allowed Soto to get promoted. What is Robles ultimate upside? He was touted as a good prospect.
9:08
David Laurila: Quote from Nationals owner Mark Lerner, per the Washington Post: Mark Lerner: “The first pitches are our call, and we felt there are many other candidates that should be considered before him.”
9:08
Dan Szymborski: He still has a good outlook.
9:09
Dan Szymborski: It’s just that Soto is a thing
9:09
Cole’s Law: Peace out peeps…Leaving the apple store…Hopefully I’ll make it home to jump back on.
9:09
Magic Kingdome: The Negro League Museum is a treasure.
9:09
sphenreckson: Soto is a gold glove finalist….
9:09
Dan Szymborski: GG still better than it usded to be.
9:09
Dan Szymborski: Jeter wouldn’t be a multiple gold glove winner today.
9:09
Byron Buxton : How in the world is Robbie Grossman a gold glove finalist? He was a disaster in the outfield for the Twins for a few years although I don’t watch the A’s daily…
9:10
Dan Szymborski: The hard thing about getting people to understand there are better defensive metrics than fielding percentage/range factor but then having to turn around and note that them that one year is actually a fairly small sample size for defensive numbers.
9:10
Dan Szymborski: But that’s awkward because the GG is for the current season!
9:10
Mr and Mrs Cole’s Law: Be safe. Text us when you get home Cole
9:10
Mad Joe-Don: I wonder if Palmeiro displays that one GG award.
9:11
Magic Kingdome: Astros would be up 3 games to none if they had the grit of Nick Markakis.
9:11
Wire Fan: Is Schwarber’s D still largely based on his arm? (too lazy to look)
9:11
David Laurila: Washington baseball history fact: In his seven seasons as a Senator, Frank Howard logged a 151 wRC+ and averaged 34 home runs per year.
9:11
Jay Jaffe: yeah, his arm is making up for his range
9:12
Dan Szymborski: Is getting a Gold Glove for a position you didn’t really play much *really* worse than getting one for a position you played poorly?
9:12
S: How many future Hall of Famers are in this World Series?
9:13
Dan Szymborski: I feel poor Jay has had to answer this question in every one of his chats this postseason.
9:13
bosoxforlife: Never forget that Rafael Palmiero won a GG when he played like 25 games at first base, but remember who is voting. Just kidding guys.
9:13
David Laurila: Gold Glove voting has improved since the SABR Defensive Index was added to the equation.
9:14
Dan Szymborski: The man responsible for it, Chris Dial, is a more accomplished drinker than anyone here or anyone anyone here has ever known!
9:15
Jay Jaffe: I would agree that the Gold Gloves have gotten better and that Chris can drink us all under the table
9:15
David Laurila: I’ll take Shane MacGowan over Dial, although his baseball acumen is likely quite limited.
9:15
Dan Szymborski: I’ve seen Chris casually put away 20 beers as if it was nothing!
9:16
Dan Szymborski: These days, the 15 dark and stormys I had at the Cleveland panel were enough to get me sick later that night.
9:16
bosoxforlife: Seeing Buzz Aldrin gave me a chill. I wonder how many on this chat saw the moon landing. It is a moment that nobody who saw it will ever forget.
9:16
Jay Jaffe: future HOF in this World Series: very likely Verlander, Scherzer, Greinke. More likely than not: Altuve. Off to good starts: Soto, Correa, Bregman. There’s not a lot of middle ground though
9:16
David Laurila: We should put Dial on a coast-to-coast flight with Wade Boggs and make an assessment when they land.
9:16
Dan Szymborski: DIAL VS BOGGS
9:17
Adam2: Is Chris Australian?
9:17
Byron Buxton : They had an astronaut throw the first pitch?
9:17
Dan Szymborski: Chris is a pharmaceutical chemist, though he’s been more in the business/administrative side for a while now
9:17
bosoxforlife: My husband is a big Yankees fan so he sleeps on the couch.
9:17
Charlie: I thought Wade Boggs was dead
9:17
Dan Szymborski: heh
9:18
Gerrit Cole: HOF odds for me? Maybe around 20%?
9:18
Dan Szymborski:
9:18
David Laurila: Nothing to do with anything, but I discovered today that Adam Dunn had more than twice as many stolen bases as Joe DiMaggio.
9:18
kevinthecomic: I watched the first moon landing! — I was only 11 months old, but my mother sat me on her to watch on our little black and white TV so that I could one day tell my grandchildren…..
9:18
Dan Szymborski: I was born in 1978
9:19
Jay Jaffe: Forgot Cole in my list. Odds might be higher than given here he is as of age 28 (1,336 K, 94 wins) moreso than advanced stats (23.4 bWAR).
9:19
David Laurila: I was called into the house to watch the moon landing.
9:19
Dan Szymborski: The tricky thing is I’m really not sure how the BBWAA will be considering pitchers in 15 years.
9:19
Dan Szymborski: How many stat guys? How many people who are at least stat-adjacent and influenced by stats like WAR?
9:21
Dan Szymborski: David and Jay, you both start voting next year, don’t you?
9:21
David Laurila: Jay and I will have HoF votes soon.
9:22
David Laurila: I know we will cancel each other rout on at least one player, but I’m guessing we’ll agree on most.
9:22
Dan Szymborski: FIve more years for me. People at ESPN tended to forget I existed so nobody there submitted me and I didn’t have enough self-confidence to ask about membership myself; I was worried about rejection
9:22
Dan Szymborski: Passan eventually told me stop being a wuss about the whole thing.
9:22
Hire Joe Morgan?: Oooh! Who’s the disagreement?
9:22
Adam2: Who is the one you disagree on?
9:23
🙂: How disappointing will it be if MLB expands and the expansion teams’ primary colors include blue or red?
9:23
Jay Jaffe: Yeah, David and I get our ballots for 2021
9:23
Dan Szymborski: Ugggh. Baseball’s ultra-conservative palette
9:23
Dan Szymborski: Now the Nationals, they have very good reasons to be red white and blue at least.
9:23
bosoxforlife: There are no negative votes so you can’t negate another person’s ballot.
9:23
Dan Szymborski: You essentially can
9:23
Dan Szymborski: Since 75% is required. Any yes can be negated with three non votes.
9:24
Jay Jaffe: Dan beat me to it.
9:24
Lunar verLander: …could you imagine if there WERE negative votes on HOF ballots…?
9:24
Dan Szymborski: People are going to frigging hate me as a voter, because I absolutely will game my votes if there are more than 10 I want to be able to vote for.
9:25
Nick: Which is/was most annoying: the Rally Monkey; terrible towels; Baby Shark; or vuvuzelas?
9:25
Dan Szymborski: vuvuzela
9:25
David Laurila: In part because I value longevity at positions high on defensive spectrum, I consider Omar Vizquel a Hall of Famer.
9:25
Adam2: Soto’s takes getting extra spicy!
9:25
Hire Joe Morgan?: Thank you, David Laurila!
9:25
Dan Szymborski: I’m a no on Omar, but again, five more years for me!
9:25
kevinthecomic: Soto doing the spiderman thing again
9:25
LFC Mike: Vuvuzelas ruined an entire World Cup
9:25
Jesse: What about Strasburg vis a vis HOF?
9:26
Jay Jaffe: better odds than Cole
9:26
Jesse: Missed too much time early like Rendon?
9:26
Jay Jaffe: yeah late start
9:26
bosoxforlife: I agree with you David. Great defense over a long period of time. He was second to Ozzie and that si good enough for me.
9:26
kevinthecomic: I had what I thought was an interesting HOF idea — limit the hall to some finite number of players, say 250 or 300. Once the finite number is reached, the only way for a new player to get voted in is for an old player to get voted out. Would keep the exclusivity of the hall in tact and would, over time, lead to a more statistically defensible population.
9:26
Dan Szymborski: I dunno, voting a player out feels kinda dirty
9:27
Jay Jaffe: yes and it doesn’t account for an ever-growing player population
9:28
Dan Szymborski: Rube Marquard is an absolutely ridiculous Hall of Famer, but something just feels dirty about taking a plaque down.
9:28
Ace: Agreed with Dan – voting out feels like efficiency trumping the human part of it (not at all relevant in today’s baseball discussion!)
9:28
Hire Joe Morgan?: Greinke, Verlander, Scherzer are certain. Altuve, Soto, Strasburg on the way. Bregman and Correa with plausible plaths. Not impossible somebody else pops. So….six or seven?
9:28
Dan Szymborski: Just don’t use the Marquards or McCarthys or Morrises as players you use to justify other inductions!
9:28
Jay Jaffe: I wouldn’t say Strasburg is “on the way.” age-wise, he’s not in as good a shape as Correa or Bregman
9:28
Mad Joe-Don: You want to be the guy to tell an old man that one of the best days of his professional life has just been erased?
9:29
Dan Szymborski: Well, is it Jack Morris?
9:29
Ace: Side note – thoughts on the Epic shitshow that are the Astros PR department? I’m a bonafide stats nerd (spending my Friday night chatting on Fangraphs is a sign), and while I understand Kevin Goldstein can’t comment anymore, how can they be… this bad? This isn’t even a left wing vs right-wing or anything – its just, don’t be a massive dickhead, no?
9:29
David Laurila: The Cabrera numbers against Greinke coming in — 16 for 37 — aren’t meaningful in many ways, but confidence matters to a hitter, so…
9:29
Dan Szymborski: While I wouldn’t vote him “out” of a Hall of Fame out of principle, I’d sure as sugar want to be that guy who tells him!
9:29
Jay Jaffe: epic shitshow is a good term. The institutional arrogance is astounding.
9:30
Dan Szymborski: Though one of Jennifer Frey’s relatives might be a better choice.
9:30
Dan Szymborski: As bad as Taubman was, Morris’s was MUCH worse and NOTHING happened to him.
9:30
Roger: Guys, help me out here: I woke up in 2019, but now Anibal Sanchez and Asdrubal Cabrera are about to determine the outcome of the World Series? What happened? What year is it now?
9:31
Dan Szymborski: Sorry, didn’t mean to promote that comment. For those unaware, Frey’s story
Greg: Has anyone done a study to determine whether pitchers who rely more on breaking balls tend to age better (the idea being they are less susceptible to velocity loss)?
9:31
Lunar verLander: I’d argue that it isn’t institutional arrogance, it’s indifference, which is probably worse
9:31
Dan Szymborski: I haven’t found anything interesting in this vein.
9:32
Eel Ffilc: Hey David, what do players think about BvP stats? I’d guess they put some weight into them.
9:32
Hire Joe Morgan?: I want the Hall to be big. I want to remember the best players. I want to remember the players people thought were good at the time, even if they’re anacrhonisms. I want to remember players who captured people’s imaginations, even if they weren’t the best. Put ’em all in!
9:32
kevinthecomic: OK, OK, if you get voted out of the HOF, you get to take your bust home
9:32
Alfredo: Oh, that deleted message was entirely a GoT pun btw
9:32
Dan Szymborski: Oh, I know
9:32
Jay Jaffe: The arrogance begins with unquestioningly believing Taubmans’ account and issuing that statement supporting his version of events and smearing Apstein’s reporting.
The indifference is in the Osuna trade, and believing that it doesn’t have consequences in the way that they view people.
9:32
Dan Szymborski: But given what happened to Frey, it was accidentally awkward.
9:32
🙂: Why isn’t there more press about Kris Bryant’s service time grievance?
9:33
Dan Szymborski: I would wager most people expect it to be futile.
9:33
Dan Szymborski: I still like my idea of having a departing six-year MLB free agent get a “bonus” from the team for the remaining service days that don’t add up to a year
9:33
Dan Szymborski: Not that it would ever fly
9:34
Dan Szymborski: For example, I’d be in favor of the Cubs having to pay Kris Bryant, in 2022, 171/180th of his AAV of his next contract.
9:35
David Laurila: A three-person booth can be a bit noisy, so with Jay having joined in I’ll depart the chat. I’m out of interesting stuff to say, anyway. <leaves to polite applause, perhaps a golf clap>
9:35
Dan Szymborski: That way, teams have to consider the extra service time a *loan* not a freebie.
9:35
Dan Szymborski: Thanks for chatting with us David!
9:35
Sonny: Bryant should win the grievance, why would his case fail before a neutral arbiter?
9:35
Jay Jaffe: Good night, David!
9:36
Dan Szymborski: He’s going to have to have strong, direct evidence.
9:36
Jay Jaffe: Re Bryant: I’d say that also, few people actually understand what’s at stake, and that the arbitration process isn’t producing any leaks that would lead to a lot of coverage and insights.
9:37
Dan Szymborski: It’s been well-established that on this issue, teams essentially have qualified immunity. He’s got a huge barrier to get over.
9:39
Wire Fan: The other real issue is Lunhow claiming they have a zero tolerance approach toward DV, and then after the Osuna trade saying zero tolerance really means… Only if it occurs within our organization (Commit DV in someone else’s organization and apparently Lunhow, et al are cool with it)
9:39
bosoxforlife: Rooting hard for Greinke to get a hit here and make Hinch look even more foolish.
9:39
Sonny: Does the immunity have anything to do with their monopoly exemption? Or would they not jeopardize that for things like this
Sonny: Theo seems to skate for a guy with a long history of shady behavior towards players. Remember the ARod trade was contingent on him ripping up his contract
9:41
Wire Fan: Can’t Bryant/MLBPA question Theo and Hoyer at the hearing on what specific improvements on D they saw over a 12 day period? (since that was the public BS for sending him down)
9:41
Jay Jaffe: oh that would be a riot.
9:41
Dan Szymborski: The thing is, there’s a great deal of deference given to the teams on personnel decisions.
9:42
Hire Joe Morgan?: Dan, that site is creepy. They post your name and location on their front page.
9:42
Dan Szymborski: Wait, what?
9:42
Hire Joe Morgan?: How good should we expect Urquidy to be next year? He seems to have good stuff and a really high-effort delivery.
9:42
Section329 : The arrogance of not being accountable about who wrote and approved the smear against the female reporter is what gets me about the Astros front office
9:42
Gray: Do you guys subscribe to the theory that teams should avoid announcing big managerial or front office changes during the World Series? It seems like that kind of forebearance has waned in recent years.
9:42
Jay Jaffe: “Urquidy projects as a strike-throwing fifth starter” — Longenhagen a couple months ago
9:42
Dan Szymborski: I think that teams should wait
9:42
Gray: Should SCOTUS reconsider its qualified immunity jurisprudence?
9:42
Dan Szymborski: Yeah, but that’s a whole other discussion!
9:43
Brett W: The Cubs’ defense re Bryant is easy: Mike Olt was injured. That ought to do it.
9:43
Hire Joe Morgan?: Follow the link Boston College’s main page: https://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/ There’s a map posting names and locations of people reading their journals.
9:44
Dan Szymborski: That’s kinda cool! 🙂
9:44
Alfredo: Mike Olt!
9:44
Nick: Dan, where did you come across the epigram for today’s Reds article?
9:45
Dan Szymborski: In this case, I knew the quote. It’s related to a simialr quote that is attributed to Mark Twain, but Twain didn’t actually make that quote and the evidence is that it was another humorist, Billings (a pen name) who made the closest thing to that quote.
9:46
stever20: so after 3 1/2 innings in game 3- do we think the ball is back to regular season ball, or still the postseason ball??? Or is each batch just a random mixture?
Wire Fan: NL strategerinessment in all its glory right there.
9:51
Jesse: Homer is dance party
9:52
Dan Szymborski: Given nearly 4 *billion* views, the maker of the Baby Shark video has enough money to just buy there own country to catch actual children and feed them to sharks in
9:52
Sonny: no more bunts doo doo doo-doo do-doo
9:53
LFC Mike: Loan Shark?
9:53
Adam: When I interviewed for a grad school I went to a softball game and there was so much bunting
9:53
kevinthecomic: Remember Left Shark from the Super Bowl a few years ago?
here’s a handy “Baby Shark” guide featuring various members of the shark family:
26 Oct 2019
9:54
Dan Szymborski:
9:55
Wire Fan: Nats should build a Shark tank. They can throw the least valuable player into the tank after every season to keep players motivated.
9:55
Jeff: That’s one hell of a baseball resume’
9:55
Roger: How closely does the grievance arbitration process mirror qualified immunity? Can the Bryant arbitrator say that, although it was not clearly established at the time of Bryant’s manipulation that such manipulation violated the CBA, it henceforth *will* be clearly established that such conduct is a violation? Could that then open the door to new grievances?
9:55
Dan Szymborski: I was being very general, I rpobably should not have used that terminology.
9:55
Dan Szymborski: I am not a lawyer!
9:56
Dan Szymborski: I mean only i the general sense that teams have a great deal of deference about their personnel decisions.
9:56
Hey yo: Just watched it for the first time. Now at 3,752,923,359. You’re welcome.
9:56
Dan Szymborski: It’s not my video!
9:56
bosoxforlife: Will Altuve be the shortest member of the HOF when he is elected?
9:57
Dan Szymborski: I think he’s bigger than keeler
9:57
Eel Ffilc: I have genuinely never listened to this song.
9:57
Sonny: Ty Cobb was 4’11” barefoot
9:57
Jeremy: Altuve just trolling everyone by squaring to bunt
9:57
Dan Szymborski: United Nations Peacekeeping Squeeze.
9:58
Jay Jaffe: Keeler’s in B-Ref as being 5’4″, Altuve lists at 5’6″
9:58
Dan Szymborski:
9:58
LFC Mike: Police Action squeeze
9:58
bosoxforlife: Keeler is listed at 5’4″ – 140 but he didn’t hit for power.
9:59
Wire Fan: Strikezone Squeeze
9:59
This is Lude-i-cris: Michael Brantley professional hitter!
9:59
Dan Szymborski: The Great American Baseball Show
9:59
Dan Szymborski: If the series gets back to Houston, the Astros should give out plastic harpoons for the fans.
10:00
stever20: Even run lead alert!
10:00
Dan Szymborski: A home run here would maintain an even lead.
10:00
Ay Ay Ron: As an Indians fan, I was sad to see Brantley leave, but am glad to see him in the WS
10:00
🙂: Entire crowds booing umps is something I am going to miss with the auto strikezone
10:00
🙂: As long as they don’t serve shark fin soup
10:00
Dan Szymborski: They could make Gerardo Parra into soup!
10:00
Hey yo: The ball was made of lead when Wee played.
10:00
Mad Joe-Don: Is there anyone who imbues the phrase ‘based on the numbers’ with more contempt than Smoltz?
10:01
kevinthecomic: Nats need to sign Nick Markakis then sacrifice him to the shark tank
10:01
Dan Szymborski: “The Washington Nationals became the villagers in Wicker Man so gradually, we didn’t even realize it!”
10:01
Brett W: Fun side note: I live a few miles from John Smoltz Field, which is more run-down and weed-infested than his takes.
10:02
Dan Szymborski: Whew, he’s OK. From the brief shot, I thought it might have hit him in the face or something
10:03
bosoxforlife: I was shocked to see that Keeler only had 54.2 WAR. 2932 hits, 495 steals looks like a better number than that.
10:03
This is Lude-i-cris: You mean the ball had more drag when wee played.
10:03
Eel Ffilc: This has to be Awkneeball’s last inning right?
10:03
Lunar verLander: Instead of booing human umps, a few tech-savy fans will just figure out how to DOXX the robo ump
10:03
Greg: For a while, the “ex-Cubs factor” was used to explain post-season losses. Is there a team that has replaced the Cubs in this factor in light of the Cubs’ better play more recently and, in particular, the 2016 WS win?
10:04
Dan Szymborski: current Marlins.
10:04
Jeremy: Wow Turner
10:04
Jay Jaffe: I suspect Keeler had much more value as a baserunner than is in bWAR — he had 495 steals but we don’t have caught stealing totals and he’s actually debited 6 runs in overall baserunning.
10:04
twb: that was weird
10:05
Dan Szymborski: It’s very weird in that caught stealing didn’t become an official MLB stat until the *1950s*
Wire Fan: Should sac flies be re-classified as RBI flyouts, or should run scoring groundouts be re-classified as sac groundies?
10:06
Dan Szymborski: suicide jacks
10:07
Yordan: Are there are plays these days that are not official stats, but which should be (a la caught stealing before the 50s)?
10:07
bosoxforlife: How in the world could those numbers be fashioned from the information available? It is as bad as defensive metrics from the 1910’s.
10:07
Dan Szymborski: Thankfully, we stopped caring about what are official stats and what are not!
10:07
Dan Szymborski: All the caught stealing numbers were found in retrospective research
10:07
LFC Mike: Does anyone think Charlize Theron actually drinkers Budweiser
10:07
HappyfunBall: MLB really doesn’t want a short series…
10:07
Sonny: That was the first time someone was thrown out. That’s why none of those C are in the hall. Bunch-a stiffs
10:08
Brett W: I understand the frustration with the human-decided strike zone, but will we all be so trite and intolerant screaming for robots to replace our drivers and bartenders? Just saying, I know a robot can do my job, I’m just hoping you guys aren’t pissed about it.
10:08
Dan Szymborski: When your bartender gets your order wrong, is he allowed to be a giant douchebag about it and throw you out?
10:08
stever20: another horrible home plate umpiring job.. roboumps can’t come fast enough.
10:09
Jay Jaffe: damn bartender’s union, those guys think they’re untouchable. Been serving me Budweiser all night despite my ordering Lagunitas
10:09
Dan Szymborski: There’s an ongoing attempt to replace me with a robot!
Christian: Dan, in light of your Reds article, is Shogo Akiyama a good target for them? He might be in their price range, and they could use a CFer so that Senzel could help fill their void in the middle infield.
10:10
Dan Szymborski: That’s a really good idea
10:11
Brett W: I’ve seen the future of all FG content being AI-driven, and it’s basically a grammatically regressed version of Cistulli.
10:11
Sonny: A bartender can absolutely throw you out for making too big a deal about their mistakes
10:11
Dan Szymborski: The owner might not be that happy
10:11
CBeisbol:
10:12
Dan Szymborski: The REAL Szymborski story.
10:12
Dan Szymborski:
10:13
Wire Fan: Odds on the Cards hacking the automatic zone when MLB has a password of “1234” protecting it?
10:13
Hey yo: I am a fan of this umpire’s (Hederstrom?) ball/strike inflection. Solid.
10:13
CBeisbol: Oh, hey. It’s Juan Soto’s birthday! He’s 21.
10:14
Dan Szymborski: I think I heard something about that!
10:14
CBeisbol: Not even on your birthday, Juan Soto!
10:14
Dan Szymborski: I like Buck almost saying “haha, you could be his dad, Greinke!”
10:14
Yolo: Hitting a ball foul for a HR is a neat trick, and suggests the need for robot umpires.
10:14
3B2K: If the Nationals can win the whole thing, do you think this is a major upset and one of the bigger in many years? thank you
10:15
Dan Szymborski: Not really. They’re a good team and well designed for postseason.
10:15
Section329 : There is a gif of Buzz Aldren punching a conspiracy theorist in the face. ❤️ Twitter
10:15
Wire Fan: Zimmerman is bringing the veteran presents (presence?) for Soto’s birthday.
10:16
🙂: Has MLB improved under Manfred overall?
10:16
Dan Szymborski: Well, he’s better than Selig
10:16
Jay Jaffe: wow, Dan, I didn’t know about your cocaine business
10:17
Dan Szymborski: I had all that time to create ZiPS in prison!
10:17
Jay Jaffe: is it true that the first set of ZiPS projections was brewed in the toilet?
10:17
Dan Szymborski: What a coincidence, people with other birthdays getting hits on the same day as Juan Soto’s birthday!
10:18
Dan Szymborski: It was just paper bits with numbers on them in the concrete sink.
10:18
Dan Szymborski: I was in solitary confinement because I had just tried to shank someone who put beans in the prison chili
10:18
Brett W: Manfred improvement for owners: Values of franchises climbing much faster than the market. But the fans are paying more than ever and the players are getting a smaller piece by modern standards, so I guess it depends. His bosses are happy!
10:18
3B2K: How is Manfred better, Dan?
10:19
Dan Szymborski: Göring was better than Hitler.
10:19
LFC Mike: The Szymborski Redemption?
10:19
Sonny: helping the warden win their fantasy baseball league got Dan early release
10:19
Sonny: Turlet ZiPS
10:19
esa: inspired by ZiPS ties?
10:19
kevinthecomic: Right Field corner not liking being overshadowed by left field corner
10:19
Dan Szymborski: Did you know that EVERY player in the World Series has their own birthday?
10:20
Norma: Dan, I agree that the Nats are well-constructed for the post-season, but by BaseRuns, the Astros were 20 games better than the Nats. Have there been any bigger WS upsets recently?
10:20
Dan Szymborski: But you have to count playoff construction because it *is* different.
10:20
3B2K: Well then, how was Goring better than Hitler?
10:20
Dan Szymborski: I think we definitely don’t want to go down THAT road, which I foolishly opened.
10:21
Dan Szymborski: I don’t think Manfred is quite as much of a hard-liner on many issues as Manfred is.
10:21
Noah: Strength of schedule should also be noted here. NL was actually significantly better than AL this year, and NL East had 4 teams going for it. Astros schedule was a lot easier.
10:21
kevinthecomic: Today is Juan Soto’s 21st birthday. Zach Greinke is number 21! Can’t be a coincidence.
10:21
Dan Szymborski: If the astros win, the Nats will be leading 2-1!
10:22
Byron Buxton : Glad to see we’ve satisfied Godwin’s Law tonight
10:22
Sam: If I was as bad at my job as this ump I would be fired
10:22
Leeds: Every player in the World Series has *his* own birthday. L2Grammar
10:22
Dan Szymborski: Umm, Annabelle Sanchez
10:22
esa: and many 2-1 counts in the game
10:22
HappyfunBall: If the Astros win, Cederstrom will have done his job well
10:23
Wire Fan: Is it a bullpen game for the Astros tomorrow no matter what? Or does that change if they lose?
10:23
Jay Jaffe: it sounds like that’s the case regardless. No Cole for Game 4.
Rick: Ok, Dan: Based on the post-season-roster-adjusted current depth charts on Fangraphs, the Astros are 13 WAR better than the Nationals. Still not a big upset? (I don’t mean this to be catty or sarcastic; I legitimately wonder how that gap compares to other recent World Series matchups.)
10:25
Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure that’s *notable* compared to some
10:25
Dan Szymborski: I don’t have the strengths of every team.
10:25
Dan Szymborski: But I know that ZiPS at least had it less than 60/40
10:25
Dan Szymborski: And while I don’t know the history off hand, I’m pretty sure ZiPS had some over 60/40
10:26
3B2K: Which commishioners do all of you respect most?
10:26
Dan Szymborski: Giamatti
10:26
LFC Mike: James a starter in the future?
10:26
Dan Szymborski: I hope so
10:27
Hey yo: I’m sure Cole not pitching Game 4 comes down from the front office. Wonder if many in-game decisions do as well.
10:27
kevinthecomic: Gutsy pitch there — wouldn’t have been a called strike
10:27
Noah: if we had juiced ball that cabrera double gets out #conspiracy
10:27
Rick: What did Giamatti accomplish in his five months as commissioner to earn your respect?
10:28
Dan Szymborski: He didn’t have time to be that terrible in five months!
10:28
Dan Szymborski: Also owners did not like him.
10:28
Dan Szymborski: WHich I consider a plus.
10:28
Dan Szymborski: There’s a lot in Lords of the Realm
10:28
Dan Szymborski: Owners didn’t like him coming in and talking about the aesthetics of the game.
10:28
Trent: William Henry Harrison is thus Dan’s favorite president?
10:28
Dan Szymborski: I didn’t hink of it that way.
10:28
Dan Szymborski: Yes.
10:29
3B2K: What was Zimmerman thinking when they panned on his face? Certainly, damn I’m lucky to be alive.
10:29
Dan Szymborski: “Man, I wish it was my birthday”
10:29
Random person: Even ahead of Calvin “You lose” Coolidge?
10:29
Dan Szymborski: I’m too verbose to like someone with Silent as their nickname.
10:29
CBeisbol: “Man, I wish it was my *21st* birthday”
10:30
Dan Szymborski: Whoa, is a corner outfielder allowed to make a good play tonight?
10:30
Tyler: Would you rather have Manfred or Goodell as your favorite sports league’s commissioner?
10:30
Dan Szymborski: Manfred
10:30
bosoxforlife: The best baseball nickname ever, Hugh (Losing Pitcher) Mulcahy.
10:31
Dan Szymborski:
10:31
Dan Szymborski: Dinger for Black Jack Chirinos!
10:31
kevinthecomic: Odd number lead, whew!
10:31
Dan Szymborski: Things are coming up nationals
10:31
esa: a black jack is 21
10:31
Super Ape: Correction: Arlie Latham, The Freshest Man on Earth
10:32
Dan Szymborski: If you say “looking to launch” and the player doens’t launch, how can you not say “failure to launch?”
10:32
kevinthecomic: KLOON!!!!!!!!
10:33
Dan Szymborski: I like excessively long nicknames like Billy “Sweet Swingin’ Billy from Whistler” Williams.
10:33
3B2K: Dan, what sites do you read, if any, for news? real news, that is.
10:34
Dan Szymborski: Times, Post, BBC, WSJ, Economist, Reason, New Yorker, Atlantic
10:34
CJ: I know the Nats bullpen isn’t great, but… He seems to be on fumes
10:34
CBeisbol: Dan “Szymborki” Szymborki you must like, then.
10:34
Dan Szymborski: Generally speaking, in places I don’t normally go, I will search out articles that are contrary to my opinion.
10:35
Adam2: Thank you for linking to that story about Jennifer Frey. That’s where I’ve been the last couple innings.
10:35
Mad Joe-Don: Jack ‘Death to Flying Things’ Chapman says ‘hi’!
10:35
Tyler: Another notable baseball birthday today: Pedro Martinez. What kind of odds could you get on Soto surpassing Pedro to take over the WAR lead for October 25 birthdays?
10:35
Dan Szymborski: Coincidence: Pedro once had a 21st birthday too!
10:35
Jay Jaffe: called away to deal with the toddler and I see that I’ve missed a home run. Davey Martinez must have really wanted Sanchez to allow a double-digit hit total
10:35
Byron Buxton : Dan “Sometimes Y and some people say W but I tend to disagree” Szymborski
10:35
Dreamer Bob: Has any manager hated his bullpen as much as Dave Martinez does?
10:36
Dan Szymborski: But lots of managers LOVE the nats bullpen
10:36
CJ: Off topic, but… Strasburg pitching in the postseason made me think of what might have been for Harvey
10:37
James: Can we get a new rule that the announcers have to say who the new pitcher is before cutting to commercial on pitching changes? I need to know whose stats to look up.
10:37
LFC Mike: Katy Perry and Picasso’s B Day today as well
10:37
Dan Szymborski: They were both 21 *too*
10:37
CJ: I know Harvey didn’t help himself, but Mets basically burned 2 pitchers for a record (no-hitter) and a WS run
10:38
Adam2: Ozzie guillen was indifferent towards his bullpen in 2005
10:38
CJ: Of course Mets has a rather long ‘history’ with pitchers before that
10:38
Brett W: Whose non-Houston fans would be most upset by a Nats World Series win? Mets, Braves, Phillies? Orioles?
10:38
Dan Szymborski: O’s
10:39
Dan Szymborski: Suzuki just did that so Rodney won’t feel bad at issuing a walk
10:39
Eel Ffilc: Go Carrasco!
10:39
Dan Szymborski: Jay, how was the Jaffita?
10:40
Jay Jaffe: Jaffita?
10:40
Dan Szymborski: “Deal with” never sounds good
10:40
Hey yo: 42! Twice as old as 21!
10:40
Dan Szymborski: Dear God
10:40
Jay Jaffe: she’s still awake…
10:40
Dan Szymborski: It’s a friday night!
10:40
Jay Jaffe: this is pretty routine unfortunately
10:41
Jay Jaffe: she had given up napping as of early this year but at preschool they have a DoH-mandated rest time, and she falls asleep. If she naps for at least 10 minutes, it adds another 30 of being awake later
10:41
Jay Jaffe: and if she naps for 30, it’s 2 hours
10:41
Dan Szymborski: Rodney 56 / Springer 4 = 14. 14 + 6th inning + 1 out = 21
10:42
Dan Szymborski: He thre that pitch 93. 9 * 3 – 6th inning = 21
10:42
LFC Mike: Do you blame her? Blue Bloods is on CBS now
10:42
Jeff: 21 Jump Street
10:42
Brett W: Your daughter is to rest cycles what Pedro Baez is to baseball games.
10:42
Adam2: Jay, that’s literally the Nanny State
10:42
Wire Fan: I gotta ask – does anyone know where I can buy one of those hats where the bill goes off to the side? Whenever I go to the store they only have the hats with the bills in the front.
10:42
stever20: are you guys ready for a reprise of the game 3 last year?
10:43
Dan Szymborski: Please no.
10:43
Yolo: It’s a tribute to his father who was a fisherman and wore it to the side the sun was on.
10:43
Dan Szymborski: It was a joke.
10:43
CBeisbol: Suzuki just threw the ball to Rodney: 2-1
10:44
3B2K: Jay, likelihood of Soto getting into the Hall at this point? Really, just playing around. 🙂
10:44
Jay Jaffe: 23.6225413%. No, wait. 23.622531%. I transposed the final two digits.
10:44
Dan Szymborski: And Rodney was 21 in 1998. You know who played for the Yankees in 1998 and was just announced as a manager of one of the Nationals division rivals? That’s right, Joe Girardi.
10:46
LFC Mike: Rush 2112
10:46
Byron Buxton : 1998 was 21 years ago!
10:46
Byron Buxton : What percentage of World Series have featured extra inning games?
10:46
CBeisbol: 23.6225413 [math] 23.622531 = 21
10:47
3B2K: Thoughts on Girardi, even though it’s given managers dont have a huge impact?
10:47
Dan Szymborski: Meh.
10:47
Hey yo: 21%
10:47
Jay Jaffe: Play Index has 63 World Series games longer than 9 innings.
10:47
Dan Szymborski: “If you know Alex Bregman at all.” [Buck spends 30 seconds figuring out where it’s going]
10:47
Sonny: 1/21 of all WS games!
10:48
CBeisbol: No re21pect
10:48
bosoxforlife: How about that IBB? Wow.
10:48
Jay Jaffe: a total of 50 World Series had at least one extra-innings game. There’s roughly one ever two years
10:48
Dan Szymborski: It’s not like Rodney would ever issue a walk!
10:48
Adam2: Buck was asking. “Does anyone know Bregman at all?”
10:48
Jay Jaffe: “Bregman? I barely know the man!”
10:49
CJ: How long does Grienke go?
10:49
Dan Szymborski: At least for the rest of his contract and probably another deal after that.
10:49
3B2K: Why am I getting all my questions answered? Feels like my birthday.
10:50
Dan Szymborski: Who is the greatest 3B of this generation? Adrian Beltre.
10:50
Dan Szymborski: And how old was 3B Adrian Beltre in the Year 2K, 3B2K
10:50
Dan Szymborski: 21.
10:50
Byron Buxton : Where does Soto rank all time through his 21st birthday?
10:50
Dan Szymborski: he is tied for first in quickest to his 21st birthday at 21 years, 0 days.
10:51
Yolo: In my experience people joking about Rodney’s hat (including myself in the past) have no clue why he does it.
10:51
Dan Szymborski: He was joking how do you get a hat that tilts to the side because he only sees front hats in stores.
10:52
Dan Szymborski: The joke of course is that it’s all the same hat
10:52
Adam2: We all get our questions answered on Juan Soto’s birthday
10:52
LFC Mike: God.. Here it is
10:53
Dan Szymborski: Yes, Jack, Parra was in a slump going back to mid 2015.
10:53
Jeff: I love that Buck has to acknowledge that the Baby Shark idea started with the Giants so Fox does’t get flamed by incensed San Francisco fans on Twitter.
10:53
Dan Szymborski: err Joe
10:53
Dan Szymborski: I sometimes call him his dad.
10:53
Dan Szymborski: I still call Cody Bellinger Clay from time to time.
10:53
Dan Szymborski: And both the Romines Kevin
10:53
Sonny: We’ve all been in a slump since 2015. Act accordingly
10:53
Wire Fan: The hat question was from a scene in The Wire. Herc (a detective) went up to a corner boy and asked him as a laugh.
10:54
Dan Szymborski:
10:54
Dan Szymborski: Yup
10:54
Dreamer Bob: I sometimes call Baby Shark Daddy Shark.
10:54
Dude: Dan, I think you should let MLB The Show use Zips. Some of the simulated numbers I get on that game or nutty
10:54
Dan Szymborski: If they asked me for stuff, I’d help them.
10:55
Dan Szymborski: Hopefully they remember, but they said they’d make sure Szymborski got in the pronounced names list next year!
10:55
LFC Mike: I think he’s going to need a bigger bat😁😁😁😁😁
10:55
Mad Joe-Don: I love that fans in 100 years will look at the Nats’ Baby Shark thing the same way we do at old-timey baseball traditions.
10:55
Grandma Shark: Now Buck has finally heard the real Baby Shark song
Dan Szymborski: “Wow, they recorded a song in honor of Parra, who woulda thunk it?”
10:56
Dan Szymborski: (not a quote)
10:56
CBeisbol: Daddy Buck doo doo doo doo
10:56
Jay Jaffe: 8.5 for Soto, 8.7 for Al Kaline, 9.8 for Ty Cobb, 12.4 for Mel Ott
10:59
JOE BUCK!!!: YOUR TV MAY BE MUTED BUT YOU CAN STILL HEAR ME
10:59
bosoxforlife: Peacock was the hero in Game 3 in the 2017 WS going 3 2/3 against the Dodgers for the save. I don’t think he will repeat that tonight.
10:59
Wire Fan: Jay, do you use any postseason numbers in your HOF models?
10:59
Jay Jaffe: not in JAWS, but my HOF analysis only starts with JAWS, it doesn’t end with it. Somewhere I have a postseason WPA total excel sheet that Dan put together and sent me before we were colleagues. I look at that stuff but it’s not explicitly in any formula.
11:00
Dan Szymborski: I informally add Playoff WPA*3 to a player’s WAR when I’m eyeballing
11:00
Bi-Polar Bear: Matt Adams PH quadrangle here.
11:00
3B2K: You guys like Smoltz’s commentary?
11:00
Dan Szymborski: Well, I’d rather him than Reynolds.
11:00
Jay Jaffe: it keeps my molars from getting too sharp
11:01
Dan Szymborski:
11:01
LFC Mike: Robles stole a base on Juan Soto’s birthday.
11:01
Adam2: Joe Buck was good on Brockmire
11:01
Dreamer Bob: Too bad we don’t get a free taco for every stolen base.
11:01
Jay Jaffe: agree 100% re Buck. He does know how to laugh at himself, and knowing that, my opinion of him has softened over the years.
11:01
Section329 : Low bar, Dan
11:01
Dan Szymborski: I’m not really negative on Buck.
11:01
Dan Szymborski: He’s vanilla. You put him with an excellent color guy, he’s just fine.
11:02
Dan Szymborski: Buck can’t carry a pair or doom a pair.
11:02
Dan Szymborski: DYK: Brad Peacock’s mom is Mrs. Peacock from Clue.
11:03
Brett W: Who is the best color analyst in baseball in 2019?
11:03
Dan Szymborski: Petriello 🙂
11:03
Wire Fan: Does the person who does the closed captions for games called by Smoltz get paid extra? I feel a bit sorry for them.
11:03
Nick: I’m glad it’s not just me regarding Reynolds. I literally switch to different programming whenever he is on MLBN.
11:04
HappyfunBall: Why Adams? Why no Kendrick?
11:04
Dan Szymborski: HODOR
11:04
Adam2: Peacock vs. Green last series!
11:04
Sonny: Eileen Brennan?
11:04
Dan Szymborski: No, the actual piece in Clue.
11:04
Trent: So if Peacock blows the game, it was “Brad Peacock, in the Nationals’ stadium, with the hanging slider” who killed the Astros’ WS hopes?
11:04
Jay Jaffe: Colonel Mustard
11:05
JOE BUCK!!!: PEACOCKED!!!
11:05
Grandma Shark: Brad Peacock, once a Nat always a Nat
11:05
Dan Szymborski: It’s unfortunate for the Nats that the Astros don’t have Hunter Strickland.
11:05
LFC Mike: My biggest fear in life: The Reds make the World Series and free #%*•¥€#* chili for every stolen base.
11:06
Dan Szymborski: As long as it’s not mandatory chili!
11:07
Dan Szymborski: If this is a six-hour game, my gamer for Game 4 is just going to be a sentence with the final score.
11:07
Wire Fan: Seeing Joe Buck on Brockmire changed my opinion of him (in a good way)
11:08
JOE BUCK!!!: MMMM CINCINNATI CHILI INJECTIONS
11:08
bobbybaseball: I’ve never had skyline chili. Is it as bad as people say?
11:08
Dan Szymborski: Yes
11:08
21: Why can’t network executives understand that the average baseball fan is dying for a broadcast duo of Jeff Sullivan and Grant Brisbee?
11:09
kevinthecomic: what’s worse, skyline chili or Arby’s?
11:09
Dan Szymborski: HEY NO ARBY’S BASHING
11:09
Dude:
11:09
3B2K: If MLB hired you to be an announcer, Dan, what would they be getting themselves into?
11:11
Dan Szymborski: I practiced on camera in Bristol, but they were smart enough to not risk the things I might say.
11:11
3B2K: such as?
11:12
Dan Szymborski: Who knows. I don’t have a great filter.
11:12
Adam: One of the most embarrassing moments of my life was mistaking an asian woman’s praising of Arby’s curly fries as “curry fries”. I responded that curry fries did sound good and I was surprised Arby’s would have something like that.
11:12
Jay Jaffe: oh lord
11:12
Dan Szymborski: One writer told me that if they gave me a show, it might be the best and worst show ever.
11:13
Section329 : We know Dan
11:13
Dan Szymborski: I’m going to give the same answers to the same questions!
11:13
Adam2: I want to be clear that Adam and I are different people
11:13
Dan Szymborski: You could have just added a 2
11:13
Sonny: Adam Eaton looks like Matt Adams’ Scrappy Doo
11:13
Adam21: I am neither Adam1 nor Adam2
11:13
CBeisbol: Curry fries does sound pretty good
11:14
Dan Szymborski: curry fries are an actual thing
11:14
Scherzer’s Piercing Blue Eye: Harris = Grumpy Cat (RIP)
11:14
Bob we had ababyitsaboy: So were not gonna show Turner’s getting hit in the nuts huh fox
11:14
Jesse: They make curry poutine in Toronto
11:14
Cbesibol: Where does one get curry fries
11:14
Dan Szymborski: Google!
11:15
Dan Szymborski: and german frigging LOVE curry ketchup
11:15
Mad Joe-Don: From Steph Curry.
11:15
Brett W: New rule: If it’s 11:15 in the 6th inning in the World Series, we get a pitch clock now.
11:16
3B2K: Dan, ever go on any kind of health fast? Not expecting a yes, really.
The Nationals continue their streak: All six innings, they’ve had at least one player stranded on second or third base.
They have only one run, though. 4-1 Astros, and time is slipping away for the home team.
26 Oct 2019
11:16
3B2K: Good on ya.
11:17
Dan Szymborski: Great for weight loss, not so good for gregariousness.
11:17
Ace: Man, the Nats have had a LOT of chances this game. It may be convenient squinting, but off-such chances lost series are made.
11:17
Dan Szymborski: 3 hours is too frigging long for 2/3 of a game in which 5 runs are scored.
11:18
Jay Jaffe: this is a damn slog
11:18
Jay Jaffe: Nationals 0-for-10 with RISP is painful to watch, too
11:18
Adam2: And in which only one set of testicles have been hammered with a baseball
11:18
Dan Szymborski: 2 testicles, 1 set. 21
11:19
Lunar verLander: look at it this way. We’re about to enter the worst part of the year: the time without baseball. They’re just trying to give us MORE baseball to enjoy…it’s not necessarily “enjoyable”, but they’re trying, dangit!
11:19
twb: Nationals seem as productive in DC as our congress…
11:19
Jay Jaffe: roadkill is technically meat.
11:19
Dan Szymborski: A filibuster is the opposite of a pitch clock.
11:19
Sonny: More pitching changes means I get to see the weird personal injury law firm commercial where the lead attorney looks like Kurt Vonnegut and none of the partners make appropriate faces when they’re on camera.
11:19
Dan Szymborski: DYK: Joe and Tyson Ross are not related to Bob Ross.
11:19
kevinthecomic: Catch 22!!
11:20
Jay Jaffe: Bob Ross and Diana Ross were married. Look it up, I dare you
11:20
Dan Szymborski: I want Ian Desmond to change his number to 22 so I can call him Desmond Two-Two
11:20
3B2K: You guys miss Dave and Jeff? I really so but happy you both are here, thanks.
11:21
Dan Szymborski: I do. Dave and I came up as the young guys on usenet in the mid-late 90s. So it feels weird him being an insider now.
11:21
Fangraph’s Lurker: If ian desmond changed his number to 69, would you call him a niiiice player
11:21
Sonny: Bob Ross is David Ross biological father. He was a happy accident. *high fiving myself to death*
11:21
LFC Mike: 5 minute major for Dan Szymborski Desmond two two pun
11:21
Geebs: Who contends first, Baltimore or KC?
11:21
Dan Szymborski: Baltimore
11:21
John b: Any obvious MVPs yet through game 3?
11:22
Dan Szymborski: Not Houston Astros PR department
11:22
Jay Jaffe: I miss reading both their work because they caught things that I don’t, and taught me a whole lot. I never got to be Dave’s colleague — the job posting I answered was from his departure — very much enjoyed working with Jeff.
11:22
Scherzer’s Piercing Blue Eye: I did not know that, but I did recently introduce my 6-year-old to Bob Ross videos on YouTube and it has been amazing.
11:22
Adam2: That Tutu joke was a bit arch
11:23
3B2K: Dan, you know Peter Kreutzer? aka rotoman of course.
11:23
Dan Szymborski: Not personally
11:23
Lunar verLander: Speaking of introducing kids to ye olde videos, does Mister Rogers still hold up?
11:24
Jay Jaffe: I haven’t shown mine much Mr. Rogers but she loves Daniel Tiger, which is a spinoff
11:24
Jordan: So you agree with me about trade 5 of you for 1 Dave Cameron then?
11:24
Jay Jaffe: I’m still not sure I have enough kleenex to watch the Mr. Rogers documentary
11:24
Dan Szymborski: Why do you keep trying to trade me?
11:25
Fangraph’s Lurker: talk to Dan’s cats, they may be willing to trade him and have the authority to do so
11:25
Dan Szymborski: Now, the person I REALLY miss working with regularly is Christina Kahrl
11:25
Jordan: gotta give up something of value for Dave, duh!
11:25
3B2K: I wish Kreutzer was interested in writing here, I think he would be a good add.
11:25
Brett W: Look, it’s obvious that Dave, Jeff, Eno, and Carson leaving in short succession will always define the end of an era. But there are an equal number of talented people making this site hum right now.
11:26
Dan Szymborski: I’m weirdly one of the “old statheads” that never worked at BP, so I didn’t get to work with her until like 2015 when my previous editor left ESPN
11:27
Dan Szymborski: And we have similar nerdy-historical senses of humor so tend to have a lot of fun.
11:27
Jay Jaffe: Christina’s a blast to work with
11:27
Dan Szymborski: Had a fun flight from Hartford-Chicago with her. Switched seats so we could sit together. We made jokes about Star Wars the whole flight.
11:28
Dan Szymborski: Now, working with Meg and Carson is great of course. Don’t want to imply that missing working with Christina reflects poorly on anyone else!
11:28
Section329 : I grew up baseball wise with Dave and Jeff in Seattle as local bloggers. Really do miss them
11:28
kevinthecomic: I’m prepared to believe that Charlize Theron drinks the new, fancy budweiser
11:29
Bookworm: If Ben is Jeff’s spiritual successor, who is Carson?
11:29
Dan Szymborski: Damien Thorn
11:29
3B2K: I fully agree with Brett W, but OTOH those four added a lot of spice and knowledge.
11:29
Section329 : But we still have Meg in Seattle 😊
11:30
kevinthecomic: Speaking of former FG writers, what ever happened to Wendy Thurm? She still in the biz or did she go back to lawyering?
11:30
Dan Szymborski: I’m not sure what she’s up to
11:31
Jay Jaffe: her writing has been non-baseball stuff
11:31
Wire Fan: Is it really only the bottom of the 7th?
11:31
Dan Szymborski: Yeah, after 3 1/2 hours of chatting, it’s hard not to drift away from topic
11:31
Lunar verLander: what ‘topic’? we’re just chattin’ here
11:32
stever20: another ball where if this was summer, it’s a homer
11:32
Section329 : Wendy is on Twitter a lot politically and on the Astros situation
11:32
Dan Szymborski: THe more political-minded tend to not like me because I take very little all that seriously.
11:32
Jay Jaffe: yeah, she’s focused on politics and law these days
11:32
Adam2: Rendon did not think that was a home run
11:32
James: Does this game set the record for most full counts?
11:33
Dan Szymborski: I’m wondering how to check easily
11:35
Jay Jaffe: yeah i don’t think we have the tools readily available
11:35
Jay Jaffe: i wish we had postseason splits
11:36
Dan Szymborski: I haven’t found the answer
11:36
Dan Szymborski: But I did find that Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is the only hitter to have a hit on a 4-2 count.
Dan Szymborski: Wow, it took 3.5 hours for a cat to join me.
11:37
Eel Ffilc: Dan, you seen any AEW Dynamite?
11:37
Dan Szymborski: I have not yet
11:37
Alfredo: Dan, were you like me and got really into politics for a bit a few years ago when there looked like there could be a chance Gary Johnson could pull over 5%?
11:37
Dan Szymborski: I never really got into politics!
11:38
Jay Jaffe: This game is dragging so much i might get my Hall of Fame ballot by the end of it
Why is G3 on a 4-plus hour pace? 1 reason: there have been 15 full counts thru 7 innings, including 11 in which the at-bat began either 0-2 or 1-2. #Astros#Nationals
26 Oct 2019
11:41
Sonny: Jay, which established player if I told you in 5 years they would be a lock for the HOF would surprise you most. I always picture what it would take for Justin Upton to be this guy
11:42
Scherzer’s Piercing Blue Eye: I’m convinced everybody just fell asleep.
11:42
Jay Jaffe: Nick Markakis. I never bought the chance-at-3,000 hits thing at all but if he were to defy the odds, well, that’d be egg on my face
11:42
Geebs : I forgot how much Jason Werth looks like Edge
11:42
Wire Fan: Not a basketball fan but flipping between innings – when did the Lakers start using a thick black vertical stripe on the sides of their uniform. Looks hideous.
11:44
Dan Szymborski: Last year I think
11:44
Hey yo: Well, that’s it. Pace of play rule: 3 balls, you walk, 2 strikes you’re out. So now the game will be extended by, of course, 2-1 counts.
11:46
Adam2: What is average pitches per game? Is this game actually well over that?
11:46
Dan Szymborski: 150 pitchers per team per game in 2019
11:46
Dan Szymborski: pitches
11:46
Dan Szymborski: thought sometimes it feels like pitchers
11:47
Dan Szymborski: Astros are over 150, Nats in 120s
11:47
Rubes: When Washington won back in 1933 said the game ran 2:30 or so for a 10 inning game? This one’s looking like four hours. Inflation?
11:47
Adam2: I blame Annabelle’s 9 pickoff throws in the top of the first for the length of this game.
11:47
Dan Szymborski: Maybe time is in Canadian hours now.
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.
Dan Szymborski: Welcome to the Game 3 chat!
David Laurila: Hello Dan. Hello readers. As Pittsburgh-based scribe John Perrotta likes to say, “Should be a good game tonight.”
Jay Jaffe: hidely ho, neighborinos!
