World Series Game 4 Chat

by
October 24, 2020
8:00
Brendan Gawlowski: Hello everyone
8:01
Guest: Expectations for Urias tonight?  Is 5 innings too much to expect?
8:02
Brendan Gawlowski: To expect, yes.
8:02
Dodger Fan: It’s time for Dodger (and Ray) Baseball!
8:02
Brendan Gawlowski: Just killing time until the Wiz play tonight
8:02
Dodger Fan: Hi Brendan!

8:02
Brendan Gawlowski: And which team are you rooting for?
8:03
Guest: Are you familiar with Peyton Manning’s “Detail” show on the history of football and the NFL?  What retired MLB player would you like to see make a similar show for baseball?
8:03
Brendan Gawlowski: Hector Santiago
8:04
Guest: Smoltz says the Rays need at least 5 runs to win. Agree or disagree?
8:04
Brendan Gawlowski: Agree
8:05
Frenchy LaRue: Should I rename both my sons Brusdar Graterol, or just one?
8:05
Brendan Gawlowski: Grusdar Braterol
8:05
Dodger Fan: How long does Yarbrough go?
8:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Greetings!
8:06
Brendan Gawlowski: 1-2 times through the order depending how the first trip goes
8:06
Guest: Do you know something about Hector Santiago the rest of us don’t?
8:06
Brendan Gawlowski: He’s just a really big fan of the sport, collects jerseys and all that. Has a lot of appreciation for the game.
8:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Name one of your sons Brusdar, the other Kenta, and let history decide who is your primary son.
8:07
Kwah: Smoltz is pumping up the tv audience to expect an exciting, high scoring affair, lest we all change the channel to figure skating on NBCSports Network in 1 hour.
8:07
Brendan Gawlowski: Everybody savor this: Kwah commented without including a pun
8:09
5 Run Homer: Bellinger behind Muncy and Smith feels so weird
8:09
Brendan Gawlowski: Too cute by half
8:10
Avatar Dan Szymborski: That can’t be the real Kwah then!
8:10
Dodger Fan: The lack of puns is the very thing I despise about all non-Kwah commenters.
8:12
sadtrombone: The Book says your best hitters should be in 2/4/5/1/3, right? I get that they have an embarrassment of riches but it doesn’t seem right to have Bellinger at #6.
8:13
Avatar Dan Szymborski: https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/3/17/795946/optimizing-your-lin…
8:13
Brendan Gawlowski: It’s one of those things that’s more annoying than it is impactful.
8:13
Brendan Gawlowski: At least to me!
8:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Part of the fun of life is being annoyed by stupid stuff!
8:14
Brendan Gawlowski: And part of the joy of life is rooting for Joe Buck to need to give us the Rays defense again
8:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: If you can’t get annoyed by something meaningless, you’ll never get enough frothy outrage when something is important! It’s like how you have to exercise and stuff before you run the marathon.
8:14
Kwah: Foul out to 1st base, line drive out to 2nd base… this Dodgers lineup’s performance so far is like my sex life as an adolescent.
8:14
Jeremy: I think there was also something in that chapter in The Book about how spacing out your lefties (within reason) is just as important as all the rest of it.
8:14
Dodger Fan: Oh hey they changed their defensive alignment graphic!
8:15
Dodger Fan: BOOM
8:15
Brendan Gawlowski: Hey a home run
8:15
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I like how the WS Game 4 Watch Party is easier to find than WS Game 4 on FoxSports.com. It’s like they forgot people might actually go to their site.
8:16
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

8:16
Guest: What kind of contrast do you think Turner gets as a free agent this year?
8:16
LarryTheBerry: Wow, honestly didn’t expect that to get out
8:16
Brendan Gawlowski: Sure didn’t look gone off the bat
8:17
Brendan Gawlowski: As for contract, a 2-3 year high AAV deal seems about right
8:18
Dodger Fan: Contract crowdsourcing anyone?
8:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I could run the prelim projection!
8:18
Snookie Touretts: Neutral comment to maybe get accepted and not upset anyone
8:20
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I gotta say, I was taking a nap earlier and missed the original discussion of the Mike Elias thing so I’m just now getting to read the NYDN piece. The article really tries to oversell its thesis; it’s all “If A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H then Elias is in serious trouble!” He may be, but there are a *lot* of weasel words in there.
8:21
Guest: Re: contracts–do you think we’ll see more short term, high AAV values, such as that suggested for Turner, given that teams will be unlikely to make long-term commitments because of COVID uncertainty?
8:21
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And Madden *really* made a leap when he decided that Luhnow was talking about Elias/Megdal. They’re far from the only employees to leave the team. But since it worked with his thesis, he threw in how Luhnow *must* be talking about them.’
8:22
Brendan Gawlowski: That’s my guess re: contracts. Between the upcoming CBA and COVID… I don’t expect too many long-term deals.
8:22
DodgersDruid: i don’t know if this was true yesterday.  but just noticed that Lowe was finally demoted from the top of the order
8:22
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He hit 2nd yesterday
8:23
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Yeah, I think there’s going to be a huge gulf between a few top stars and the proletariat.
8:23
Avatar Dan Szymborski: More than usual.
8:23
Brendan Gawlowski: And there aren’t that many starts this year. Especially since one of them says he’s taking a one-year deal anyway.
8:23
Kenley Hansen or Chris Jansen: Any chance we see Kenley again tonight? Or no go on the B2B games?
8:24
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Yeah, if Bauer had been willing, I could see him easily getting $50 million more than anyone in the market.
8:25
Brendan Gawlowski: For Kenley: I assume so? Am I missing an injury report?
8:25
Brendan Gawlowski: He’s pitched back-to-back earlier this postseason
8:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I hope Urias never goes for a neutral look for his glasses. While they’re there for projection, that they stand out is kinda his signature look.
8:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Protection, not projection
8:25
sadtrombone: Bauer has been backing off the 1-year deal thing, which makes sense, since he’s got a chance to get a Strasburgian contract.
8:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Yeah, I’m not 100% that Bauer does it either.
8:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He can be a tough guy to figure.
8:26
Brendan Gawlowski: I’m sure Baseball Twitter will respond reasonably in either case
8:26
Turner’s black jersey stain: What are the chances returns to the Dodgers next season?  I know they don’t have the cap space but they could trade someone like Pollock to make some room
8:26
sadtrombone: I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist that a one year $32M deal is worse than a 7-year $32M deal.
8:26
5 Run Homer: The best free agent forward in the NHL took a one year deal! It’s all messed up
8:26
sadtrombone: Dan, I remember a couple weeks ago you thought a team would hire Luhnow, and I was thinking that it would be a terrible idea. After hearing from him lately, do you still think that?
8:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I still think he’ll get a job, though it may not be this year.
8:27
Dodger Fan: Manuel Margot batting cleanup is why the Dodgers’ offense is so much better.
8:27
Fire Ken Tremendous: Could have had him with a better tag
8:28
Brendan Gawlowski: There is no salary cap; if the Dodgers want to re-sign Turner, it’s not like they can’t afford it.
8:28
Dodger Fan: According to his vlog, Bauer bet his friend that he’d only do one-year deals.  The bet involves punching, iirc.
8:28
Avatar Dan Szymborski: There’s a dollar figure in which you’ll take some punches.
8:29
Dodger Fan: $$$ > a couple bruises
8:29
Avatar Dan Szymborski: For example, playing Goldeneye on N64, the rule in my circle of friends was that if someone tried to be Oddjob or Moonraker Elite #2, you were allowed to punch them until they changed. Some people still tried though.
8:29
deathstar Graterol: That’s ugly materialism. Money can’t buy happiness.
8:30
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Everybody’s got a price.
8:30
Kwah: Randy AroCSarena.
8:30
5 Run Homer: Wait why is AJ Pollock in CF? Wouldn’t moving Betts to CF and putting AJ in RF be a better defensive lineup without Bellinger?
8:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’m with you.
8:31
Brendan Gawlowski: Mookie only played two innings of CF all year
8:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’d still prefer Mookie in center.
8:31
Dodger Fan: There’s the Kwah we know and love
8:31
deathstar Graterol: I always played Baron Samedi, slappers only
8:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: We rotated weapons.
8:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: We also gambled money on game outcomes.
8:31
BauerHour: How much more $$ could I make over the next 10 years if I take things year-to-year and my performance stays where it’s at, and no major injuries?
8:32
Brendan Gawlowski: Fun question. Conservatively, $100-150 million?
8:33
LarryTheBerry: If these teams played inverted (pitchers hit/field and position players pitch), who do you think would win?
8:33
Brendan Gawlowski: Dodgers; Mookie’s good at everything
8:33
DodgersDruid: I’m going to guess $300m
8:35
Brendan Gawlowski: Not sure I’ve ever seen a pitcher make a better catch on a popup
8:36
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Yarby making a compelling argument for playing the field RE: Larry’s question.
8:36
Avatar Dan Szymborski: ZiPS has turner at 3/47. He *is* getting really up there in age.
8:36
Justin Turner’s Beard: For those saying the Dodgers would have no problem paying Turner and going over the luxury tax, they haven’t gone over the soft cap since 2016.  It doesn’t seem like something Friedman likes to do
8:37
Brendan Gawlowski: They don’t need to do it to compete.
8:37
Lzfreak: Is it just me or do these Bauer contract estimates seem high? He’s good and recently has been great but it’s not like he’s been consistently an ace throughout his career
8:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: He has a five-year ERA+ of 125
8:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: That’s ace, just not ultra-elite territory.
8:38
Brendan Gawlowski: And the worst of those seasons were four and five years ago. He’s good.
8:38
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The average top ERA+ on a team is like 120-125
8:38
Avatar Dan Szymborski: (for starters of course)
8:39
Brendan Gawlowski: In part, it depends on how conservative you want to be with the ace label. Is he one of the 5-10 best pitchers in baseball? Eh, I lean no. Next tier down? Absolutely.
8:39
DodgersDruid: humble brag. on my high school JV team i managed to bunt one safely over the charging 1B despite a pitch out attempt because our runner on third was running on the wind up.
8:40
Avatar Dan Szymborski: ZiPS had Bauer as the #19 starter in WAR entering 2020.
8:40
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And that was coming off a meh 2019.
8:40
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’d wager he’s up to 12 or so.
8:41
Lzfreak: His era has been above 4 in all but 2 years, one of those abbreviated. He’s good but inconsistent
8:41
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 3.64 ERA, 3.63 FIP. The ERA is more volatile because ERA is more volatile.
8:41
Brendan Gawlowski: The variable there is whether MLB will ever do anything to crack down on… things that make your spin rate shoot through the roof
8:41
Fire Ken Tremendous: How likely are the Rays to repeat as AL champs next season?
8:42
sadtrombone: I would be wary of giving Bauer a Strasburgian contract, but I also thought that Strasburg did not deserve a Strasburgian contract.
8:42
sadtrombone: It’s almost impossible to make an argument that Strasburg deserves it more than Bauer does, and he’s coming off a dominant performance. Someone will pay him a lot just based on recency bias.
8:43
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I *should* note that ZiPS had Strasburg as the #6 SP entering 2020. Fifth among pitchers who didn’t miss 2020 with TJ surgery!
8:43
Brendan Gawlowski: I don’t think it’s “recency bias” to pay for players who are good right now
8:43
5 Run Homer: crazy how Yarbrough has like the perfect power pitcher body and throws like 87
8:43
Brendan Gawlowski: Soft tossers get a bad rep these days
8:46
sadtrombone: I wouldn’t be surprised if Bauer was #6 going into 2021. With Strasburg and Sale and Syndergaard and and Severino Soroka missing the year and Flaherty underperforming, plus that great performance. I think there’s a pretty solid case for him in the Top 10, at least.
8:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’ll tell you when the projections are out!
8:46
Dodger Fan: Bauer’s “intangibles” – ie, his off-field shenanigans/products – will also vary his contract more than it would for other players.
8:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I think that’s mostly just Twitter noise.
8:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’ll have zero effect on his deal.
8:47
5 Run Homer: but is he an asshole? seems like he’s tough to get along with, that doesn’t play well in a clubhouse
8:47
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I don’t think people are that easily categorized.
8:47
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I *can* tell you writers opinions on players and players opinions on players are rarely on the same page.
8:48
Brendan Gawlowski: ^^^
8:48
Dodger Fan: Still amazes me that Urías is only 24. Feels like he’s been here forever.
8:48
Brendan Gawlowski: Almost a quarter of his life
8:48
Bernard Gilkey: Who says no: Jon Gray for Gary Sanchez
8:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: There are a *lot* of writers who legitimately thought that the majority of players would agree with the whole “How DARE they play a baseball season” stuff.
8:49
Brendan Gawlowski: That’s a fun trade that makes both players more exciting in 2021. I like it.
8:49
Lzfreak: What if the Rockies sign him Dan? Would you still argue for him?
8:49
Dave Cash or Kevin Roberts: What would be more exciting: A 21-k shutout from Urias, or a 21-0 Dodger win with 21 solo homers?
8:49
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I have zero problem praising the Rockies when they do something competent or ripping a competent franchise a new one if they do something I don’t like.
8:49
Brendan Gawlowski: The former
8:49
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I think the Rays are certainly well-run, but I certainly torched them for getting Souza instead of Turner
8:50
Fire Ken Tremendous: He’s the new Edwin Jackson
8:50
Dodger Fan: I think the Rockies say no.
8:50
Dodger Fan: They need a guy like Gray a lot more than most teams do.
8:51
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I don’t think they know what to do with Gray.
8:51
Brendan Gawlowski: They also haven’t had a catcher who can hit in forever
8:51
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And I dont’ think they’re smart enough to know what they might have in Gray
8:52
5 Run Homer: Imagine a good Gary Sanchez in Colorado
8:52
sadtrombone: If he doesn’t shred his hand again doing his drone hobby I don’t think teams will care.
8:52
Bernard Gilkey: I had another trade proposal that assumes Lindor leaves and Wander Franco takes over SS for TB. Not wanting Adames to depreciate in value by moving to 3B or LF and Cleveland needing bats over arms; Willy Adames for Zach Plesac (as basic framework)
8:52
5 Run Homer: The Rockies are the team that’s dumb enough to just look at ERA but also dumb enough to just look at batting average so really who knows
8:53
Eel Ffilc: Why are the lights always on at the other field
8:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski: “LOOK HOW MUCH MONEY WE’VE BURNED”
8:53
Brendan Gawlowski: The Rays don’t care about Adames’ WAR
8:53
Dodger Fan: Imagine any Yankee in Colorado…*whistles*
8:53
Brendan Gawlowski: Adam Ottavino is getting nostalgic
8:54
Avatar Dan Szymborski: You know, with his hair grown out a bit, Yarbrough has a real Patrick Bateman American Psycho look.
8:54
Bernard Gilkey: True but Zach Plesac 2026 free agent makes the TB Goldman Sachs guys faint
8:55
sadtrombone: Adames is my #1 regression candidate for next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rays move him if they can find someone who believes that batting line.
8:55
Avatar Dan Szymborski: My feeling is the Rays will move *anyone* if they see an opportunity to.
8:55
Mad Joe-Don: Yankees hitters are like Jurassic Park dinosaurs. Once they leave, they’ll suffer some amino acid deficiency and stop hitting.
8:56
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Poor Jacoby Ellsbury; he couldn’t even last enough to be a terrible ex-Yankee for a poorly run team.
8:56
5 Run Homer: Tampa can get good pitchers for cheaper than that though
8:56
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Oh, I’m not saying *this* trade ncessarily.
8:56
Mad Joe-Don: Maybe they’re more like Jem’Hadar.
8:57
Kwah: Just like Patrick Bateman, Yarbrough went *way* too far inside on his victim.
8:57
Brendan Gawlowski: When you know, you know.
8:57
Kwah: CoHRey Seager.
8:57
Fire Ken Tremendous: seager smash
8:58
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: New solution: only get double plays to end innings. You don’t want even numbered outs against LA.
8:58
Brendan Gawlowski: Alex?
8:58
Avatar Dan Szymborski: That thing was smack-dab in the wheelhouse.
8:58
Eel Ffilc: Seager with a shot from the golden gun
8:58
Avatar Dan Szymborski: “Rockies acquire two Klobbs for a Golden Gun”
8:59
Rays Front Office: Future headline: “Rays trade Batboy and bushel of unpopped popcorn for Mackenzie Gore”
9:00
Guest: Who ends up with more career postseason HRs: Seager or Correa?
9:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Correa. He’s got a lead and they’re the same age/tier.
9:00
Guest: seager will be playing in the postseason for the next ten years
9:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Correa ain’t going to the Rockies
9:00
Dodger Fan: Remember that Ben Clemens article about adding another out to an inning? It feels like the Dodgers do that.
9:00
Brendan Gawlowski: With Manfred at the helm, everybody’s gonna be playing in the postseason for the next ten years
9:01
Guest: More like “Rays trade Randy Arozarena for batboy and bushel of popcorn” and suddenly the batboy starts throwing 99 w movement
9:01
Avatar Dan Szymborski: “The new postseason is just everyone but the Rockies”
9:01
Guest: If you had to pick one of the 2021 FA SS to build a team around, who would it be?
9:01
Brendan Gawlowski: Lindor
9:03
deathstar Graterol: Muncy’s postseason walking seems like a pretty unprecedented affair
9:04
Brendan Gawlowski: Getting ridiculous
9:04
Dodger Fan: Peter Fairbanks is warming up
9:04
Brendan Gawlowski: I like it. Rays need to gamble on a game, and this as good as any.
9:05
Dodger Fan: Death, taxes, and Max Muncy drawing walks.
9:05
sadtrombone: Lindor’s definitely the best of them, and he will be paid like it.
9:05
Rudy: Dan what do you think the projections are like for Javy Baez after his dud this year?
9:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I did a piece on that!
9:06
pain: I’m feeling good about tonight… finally won’t have to hear any mention of an ex-pirate who turned into a stud after leaving
9:06
The Universe: What conspiracy can baseball conjure up to get Mike Trout in a World Series??? Even if it’s not with the Angels.
9:06
Brendan Gawlowski: They already tried doubling the playoff field…
9:07
Mike: Trout sneaks across town and plays as an anonymous Dodger Mark Bass.
9:11
Mike: Being up 2 is great and all 2 out runs feel like found money but it sure feels like a hit in either the last two innings would have made this so much worse for the Rays
9:11
Kwah: The whole silly “Is Mookie actually now better than Trout” thing has had the bittersweet consequence of injecting more Mike Trout into October discourse.
9:12
Baseball Eating: You could make it even easier and just switch Hunter Renfroe and Mike Trout
9:12
Mike: One thing that will be interesting to track is whether Trouts defensive decline this year is real.  If it is and he’s a corner guy it’s way more realistic for someone to be his peer
9:13
Brendan Gawlowski: Been thinking about this lately. Not so much the defensive decline specifically, since it’s just 50+ games… But eventually someone’s going to catch him, and it’s probably a year-to-year thing at this point.
9:14
Guest: Mookie + Buehler for Trout who says no
9:14
Brendan Gawlowski: Dodgers
9:14
Fire Ken Tremendous: How are you defining catching him? WAR?
9:15
Brendan Gawlowski: Sure; probably a combination of things.
9:15
Bernard Gilkey: “someone’s going to catch him” feels like Tatis right>
9:16
Brendan Gawlowski: One of a small group of guys with a shot. Mookie, Acuña in there too.
9:16
Mick: “Catching” Trout in a single year performance is much different than someone demonstrating a higher true talent level. Median outcome Trout >>> median outcome anyone for the foreseeable future
9:16
Brendan Gawlowski: I don’t think that’s true.
9:17
Dodger Fan: Soto!
9:17
5 Run Homer: Wander Franco or is that aggressive?
9:17
Brendan Gawlowski: I’d bet on Franco before Soto; Soto’s never going to have the same defensive contribution.
9:17
Fire Ken Tremendous: Urias is dealing
9:17
Brendan Gawlowski: Is there a game going on?
9:17
5 Run Homer: He’s been beat in a few seasons in his career though, no? But he’s still been the best player in baseball
9:18
Guest: Who was the best player in baseball before Trout? Pujols, Miggy, Cano?
9:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It was always Trout. Don’t be so time-linear!
9:18
Brendan Gawlowski: He has, and I don’t think him losing a single-season WAR title by a win here and there will knock him off the perch. But by the time he is knocked off, he won’t be running 7-8 WAR seasons, either.
9:19
Rob Manfred: “To make the game more exciting, I’m instituting a rule change: Each remaining inning of tonight’s game will begin with a runner on 3rd with 1 out. Fight me”
9:19
deathstar Graterol: Chances Kershaw wins the WS tomorrow with a complete game shutout
9:19
Brendan Gawlowski: I wonder if we’ll ever see a complete game in the WS ever again.
9:20
Mike: Bonds -> Pujols -> Trout.  If you wanna go back further figure out the best player in the 1980s.  Schmidt maybe?
9:20
Brendan Gawlowski: Peak Trout > Peak Pujols
9:21
Rob Manfred: Peak Tea > Peak Anyone
9:21
sadtrombone: Yeah, definitely Pujols before Trout. He was ridiculously good. And Bonds, although if you’re looking for a clean champion you probably have to go with Randy or Pedro.
9:21
Bernard Gilkey: The WAR leader the year before Trout claimed the title was Ellsbury. Second mention in this chat!
9:21
Mike: An outing like Kershaw’s vs the Brewers with a 10 run lead in a clinching game is the one chance I think.
9:21
Avatar Dan Szymborski: those Tacoby salad days
9:22
Kwah: Cody Beatenbytheshiftinger.
9:22
Brendan Gawlowski: I had a tweet about this earlier, but it’s remarkable how the “best player in baseball” crown has only passed hands a few times in two decades.
9:22
5 Run Homer: I’ve been playing The Show with a downloaded best players of all-time roster and the 80s hitting stars are all just super contact-oriented, low power guys, it’s so strange to me
9:22
Mick: Kind of remarkable how smooth the baton handoff from Pujols to Trout was. The former started being bad right when the latter showed up, no awkward transition period
9:22
Brendan Gawlowski: 2001-2004: Bonds
2005-2011: Pujols
Six weeks in 2012: Matt Kemp
June 2012-Present: Trout
9:23
Mike: Agreed I was going progression that’s why I used arrows
9:23
Brendan Gawlowski: My fault, I misunderstood
9:23
Guest: Seems like Miggy, Verlander, or Kershaw might’ve had the title a year or two, 2010-11
9:23
Brendan Gawlowski: Don’t ruin my narrative!
9:24
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Poor Matt Kemp is Edgar Aetheling.
9:24
Dave Roberts: Isn’t “the best player in baseball” the kind of title that necessarily requires a multi-year track record? So it’s hard to flip often. That’s why bryce harper was never considered the best player
9:25
Brendan Gawlowski: Yes.
9:25
Mike: Aj pollock had a decent season but damn he feels completely useless all postseason
9:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mike-trouts-inevitable-decline/
9:25
Brendan Gawlowski: Sorry Mike
9:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The first chart in that link is relevant.
9:26
ho: Don’t forget about Griffey, guys (I agree it’s Bonds there…but still)
9:26
Brendan Gawlowski: Or Rodriguez
9:26
Fire Ken Tremendous: Ryan Braun = William the Conqueror!
9:26
Dave: How much more Yarbrough do we think we’re seeing tonight?
9:26
Brendan Gawlowski: Dave is on the pulse
9:26
Mike: Pollock so out of place on this team because he doesnt have the chase discipline.  Makes him frustrating to watch
9:27
deathstar Graterol: Pollock’s regular season was quite good, not just decent
9:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: WE DONT NEED A QUICK WORD FROM TMOBILE
9:27
Dodger Fan: The Dodgers have hit more home runs at this park than the Rangers have…
9:27
Brendan Gawlowski: You know you have a good team when you can understandably lose A.J. Pollock in the shuffle
9:27
Mick: Was the relevant point that John McGraw was once the best player in baseball?
9:27
Guest: Seems like Rays are only super aggressive with the hook when they have the lead
9:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It has the projected WAR leader for each season, which encompasses a variety of previous seasons!@
9:28
Brendan Gawlowski: They’re definitely more aggressive in those situations. But they need to start taking chances.
9:28
Mike: Pollocks regular season was good just because he hit a bunch of dingers, even then he had an obvious hole flailing at the low away breaker
9:28
Brendan Gawlowski: To be fair to him, many people do
9:28
5 Run Homer: That chart is a fun read
9:28
Brendan Gawlowski: Yes, don’t let that link get lost in the shuffle
9:29
Mike: And in the postseason he’s just been eaten up in that hole and lacks the discipline to take it.  He’s got like a 3.5% walkrate and the rest of the team like 15% this postseason
9:29
Brendan Gawlowski: Anybody can have a shitty 30 PA’s
9:30
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

9:30
Fire Ken Tremendous: I read that shitty PA comment as an insult against Pennsylvania initially
9:30
Guest: That list is a who’s who of inner circle Hall of Famers
9:30
Mick: Article is a fun read too, and I agree that we need to stop hitting players with proverbial buses
9:31
Guest: Didn’t realize Wade Boggs was the best player in baseball for an extended period
9:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski: We secretly despise public transportation
9:31
Fire Ken Tremendous: According to that chart the title went from Boggs to Bonds. Only a two letter change was necessary!
9:31
5 Run Homer: Pretty much THE list
9:31
Mike: I think that chart is pretty accurate
9:31
Mike: That’s fair, that’s fair.  I think the postseason tests players ability to adapt as teams pound their scouting reports harder than usual.  It’s a test many Dodgers failed in previous postseasons.  See Bellinger/Seager and the low inside curveball in 17 vs the Astros
9:32
Brendan Gawlowski: My favorite Boggs fact is that he hit .335/.437/.460 with 89 walks and 47 K’s as a 23 year old in Triple-A… and Boston never called him up that year.
9:32
Kevin Cash: What’s the fastest a guy has pitched throwing sidearm/submarine like Thompson? Or what’s the upper limit velocity at that arm angle?
9:33
Brendan Gawlowski: Filing this away for a research project/article idea
9:33
Mike: 1970s boston and the service time manipulation they didn’t even know they were doing
9:33
Brendan Gawlowski: He spent two full years in Pawtucket!
9:33
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Depends how high an arm slot we’re talking.
9:33
Guest: Rays will have somebody throwing 101 fully underhand by 2022
9:33
deathstar Graterol: I want to know if the deception effect of a weird arm angle can be quantified
9:34
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Could look at platoon splits vs. arm angle but it would require some work to get the latter into a number
9:34
Mob Ranfred: “In 2021, all teams will have the universal DH. Also, they’ll be required to carry a universal remote in their right pockets at all times”
9:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Like, do you call Randy high sidearm or low three-quarters?
9:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’d at least call Justin Lawrence sidearm and he’s regularly hit 100
9:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

9:35
Kwah: Wade Boggs… the only man who could ride a horse in the Bronx and be cheered for it.
9:35
deathstar Graterol: hmm, that’s true. A cutoff for arm angle? Or a range….
9:35
Kevin Cash: The new inefficiency will be recruiting softball pitchers and transitioning them to underhand slinging baseballs. That’s the new moneyball
9:36
Dodger Fan: Couldn’t you just quantify arm angle by using release points? That seems easier to me.
9:36
Dave: A weird arm angle isn’t just deceptive, its also messing with the angles and geometry.  It’s not that you can’t necessarily see whats coming.
9:36
Mike: Someone pointed out that Rangers players may never hold any of the postseason records in their own park because it would take multiple WS runs to play as many games as the Dodgers have
9:37
Brendan Gawlowski: At least the place looks like a tin shed
9:37
Derek: Holy moly Randy Arozarena
9:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I was a submarine pitcher as a kid. Only reason I ever got anyone out in high school.
9:37
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: RECORD! THE NEW BONDS!
9:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I pitched for Lutherville travel team, too.
9:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: With *zero* talent.
9:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I had a shitty fastball, a shitty sorta curve, and a shitty sorta palmball
9:38
Mick: Settling the earlier debate, its’s clear Randy Arozarena has already overtaken Trout as the best player in baseball this postseason
9:38
Dodger Fan: Dan: a Shitty pitcher
9:38
Jeremy: Arozarena must’ve heard the broadcasters telling him to get a hittable fastball just as that pitch came in
9:38
Brendan Gawlowski: Maybe he’s wearing a buzzer!
9:38
Avatar Dan Szymborski: By the time I was a late teenager, just a funky pitching motion wasn’t enough to get anyone out.
9:39
Mike: The palmball thats one you don’t see anymore
9:39
Brendan Gawlowski: (For the record, I am not actually accusing him of wearing a buzzer)
9:39
5 Run Homer: This is the hottest I have ever seen anyone
9:39
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I held it very low in my hand and got some really funky dip/fade.
9:39
Avatar Dan Szymborski: But I doubt I ever hit 70 MPH on *any* pitch.
9:39
Kwah: Dan drySpitballski.
9:40
Derek: Late to the party here tonight, but who would have predicted at the beginning of the year that Manuel Margot would be batting cleanup in a WS game?
9:40
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Problem was I had zero control over the funky dip/fade
9:40
Brendan Gawlowski: Or Brosseau hitting third
9:40
LFC Mike: Was that Lex Luthorville HS? Archrival of Smallville HS?
9:40
Brendan Gawlowski: Dan, I’m sorry I’m talking over your palmball
9:40
Chuck: Dan, can you talk about the World Series, please?
9:40
Avatar Dan Szymborski: We were talking funky pitching motiosn!
9:41
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Oh man Urias
9:41
deathstar Graterol: If I tried to pitch I would focus completely on a knuckleball
9:41
Mike: This game has felt oddly unsuspenseful given that it’s close and important
9:41
Mick: Dan can we get a Zips Time Warp article based on your high school pitching career?
9:41
Kwah: All my live figure skating US Grand Prix updates have been shadowbanned on this forum.
9:41
Jeremy: Boy Lowe looks lost
9:42
Avatar Dan Szymborski: “You’re just low now. You want to be lau again, you’re going to have to earn it.”
9:42
Mad Joe-Don: Turner always looks like he needs a transfusion.
9:42
5 Run Homer: ruh roh
9:42
Derek: Lowe hit two home runs two games ago!
9:43
Guest: Re Mike: Felt that way the whole series. Seems partially due to low crowd noise and neutral setting
9:43
Jeremy: And then he went right back to being lost!
9:43
CapitalFrock: Is there any stat that standardizes pitcher velocity by era? I’m thinking of a wRC+-like metric where the average fastball velocity would be 100, anything harder goes higher… Do we have the velo data to be able to create something like that? Who would the outliers over the last 20 or so years be?
9:43
Brendan Gawlowski: This is a great idea
9:44
Guest: My mind says World Series but the atmosphere says Spring Exhibition
9:44
Guest: How would you deploy the Dodgers’ bullpen tonight?
9:44
Brendan Gawlowski: I recently flipped the ’97 ASG on and Maddux is out there throwing 85-87
9:44
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Carefully 😀
9:44
Mike: He went around, says Joe Buck when the pitch is just a strike
9:45
Mike: People are just deeply invested in the myths about Nolan Ryan and Bob Gibson throwing 100 to convince themselves that velocity is flat over time
9:45
Dodger Fan: I love that Velo+ idea!
9:46
Dave: Is annoncing really just so hard that Joe Buck is the best we can do, or is nepotism really just that powerful?
9:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It really is hard
9:46
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Joe Buck’s not horrible, he’s just vanilla
9:46
Brendan Gawlowski: He’s grown on me in recent years
9:46
Brendan Gawlowski: And not just b/c of the flyover comment
9:47
Derek: Joe Buck is good!
9:47
Dodger Fan: Smoltz? uhhhh
9:47
Cliff B: Got a new appreciation for Buck from Brockmire
9:47
Jeremy: I feel like the average fastball was slower decades ago, but there was also more variance? Like, you had guys like Ryan (or further back, Feller), but also a bunch of soft tossing junkballers.
9:47
Mad Joe-Don: Having a famous dad will open some doors but you have to do the job year after year.
9:48
Brendan Gawlowski: If I could get velocities for five historic pitchers, I’d take W. Johnson, Feller, N. Ryan, Herb Score, and Steve Dalkowski
9:48
Cody Smokinger: Joe Davis already better than Buck
9:48
Brendan Gawlowski: west coast bias
9:48
Mike: My only problem with Buck is that he enthusiastically encourages Smoltz in his baseball grumping.  Joe Davis with Smoltz was so much better just because he didn’t indulge Smoltz
9:48
Derek: Smoltz drags Buck down, as he would anyone
9:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Smoltz would be fine if he stayed with the stuff he knows.
9:49
Wraith: If the Dodgers win today, and Kershaw pitches tomorrow and has a similar performance to Game 1 in the clinching game of the WS do you think he finally shakes the choker narrative?
9:49
Brendan Gawlowski: More or less. As David Price did in 2018.
9:49
Derek: Fairbanks always looks like he’s 4 seconds away from a panic attack
9:49
Lzfreak: Yeah just have Smoltz break down pitching mechanics all game. That would be amazing
9:50
Brendan Gawlowski: It probably becomes like Peyton Manning, where postseason performance isn’t a big part of his story
9:50
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Exactly! Smoltz is wonderful when he talks that stuff. He should be a third guy whose job it is to break that down.
9:50
Cevin Kash: I’d get past velocities for Dan at ages 8, 10, 14, 16, and 18
9:50
Avatar Dan Szymborski: But he’s really cast poorly when it comes to general analysis.
9:50
Dave Roberts: Seems problematic that the main color commentator doesn’t really understand contemporary baseball strategy
9:50
Guest: Imo managers/catchers make better analysts because they know/think about all facets of the game
9:50
Dodgers Fans: “But it wasn’t a REAL World Series win!!”
9:51
demo: What would it take tomorrow for Kershaw to get WS MVP?
9:51
Brendan Gawlowski: 6 IP, 2 R?
9:51
Brendan Gawlowski: Turner’s been real good, but the whole lineup has chipped in for LA.
9:51
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Fairbanks is as intense as the eyes would suggest.
https://theathletic.com/2157682/2020/10/24/how-ultra-competitive-pete-…
9:51
TooDamnTall: I like watching Fairbanks. He always looks like he’s terrified
9:51
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

9:52
Dodger Fan: I feel like we’ve all been talking as if LAD is winning this game easily.  That’s definitely not the case.
9:53
Kwah: Quit showing us photos from the last time you saw a Huey Lewis & The News concert, Dan.
9:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

9:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Hey, I’m “only” 42
9:54
Dodger Fan: Just curious what our chat community is like. Age poll?
9:55
Brendan Gawlowski: 29
9:55
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

YOUR AGE
1-10 (1.0% | 1 vote)
 
11-20 (6.1% | 6 votes)
 
21-30 (38.7% | 38 votes)
 
31-40 (25.5% | 25 votes)
 
41-50 (20.4% | 20 votes)
 
51-60 (6.1% | 6 votes)
 
61-70 (2.0% | 2 votes)
 
71-80 (0% | 0 votes)
 
81-90 (0% | 0 votes)
 
91+ (0% | 0 votes)
 
Total Votes: 98
9:55
Brendan Gawlowski: Ghost of Kent Hrbek here
9:56
Brendan Gawlowski: Whoa you can do a poll in here
9:56
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’s over the in the right pane
9:56
Avatar Dan Szymborski: there’s a gear, a person face, a graph, and a robot
9:56
Derek: So did Adames tackle him too much or was that fine?
9:56
Brendan Gawlowski: I’m a little surprised they’re calling him out
9:57
5 Run Homer: Being in the 11-20 group as a 20 year old feels weird
9:57
Guest:

9:57
weezy: I’m surprised the DOdgers aren’t contesting more
9:57
demo: Can the 1 10 year old please explain yeet to me
9:57
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I assume that’s just a liar!
9:58
5 Run Homer: Randy Arozarena looks like John David Washington
9:58
LarryTheBerry: I think that one was on Muncy, he initiated the contact and would probably have fallen over if Adames wasn’t there to cushion the impact
9:58
sadtrombone: I see Gen X is in the house.
9:58
TooDamnTall: Classic Dan, calling a kid a liar to his (virtual) face
9:59
Mike: You would kind of think after such a famous bad call on that rule in a previous world series that umpires wouldn’t do it again
9:59
Remaerdbob: To me Muncy was falling on Adames and Adames was trying to protect himself.
9:59
Mick: I feel like 5 year increments starting at 15 and going to 50 or 60 might have been more productive
9:59
Dave Roberts: Is that not reviewable? Muncy definitely had regained his balance before Adames grabbed him and (probably unintentionally) pulled him down.
10:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Dont’ forget, young Gen Xers are 40 this year, so it’s more millennials than Gen X
10:00
Brendan Gawlowski: I can’t imagine that there’s a protocol for tackles at second base.
10:00
Lzfreak: Does having a 10 year old here mean we can’t swear?
10:00
Brendan Gawlowski: Fuck no
10:00
Mike: I’m 39 and right on the mil/x line
10:01
LFC Mike: Yellow Card for Muncy
10:01
Lzfreak: That was mashed
10:01
Mad Joe-Don: HR for HR!
10:01
5 Run Homer: HE HIT THAT VERY FAR
10:02
Dodger Fan: That went….far.
10:02
Brendan Gawlowski:

  1. That ball was absolutely clobbered; complete freaking missile
  2. Does anybody still not think the ball is messed up?
10:03
Craig: They must not have seen the graphic ten seconds earlier that already said how far it went
10:03
Fire Ken Tremendous: Will there be back to back homers? Zuni-NO
10:04
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Don’t take Kwah’s job!
10:04
Mike: The ball doesn’t add 40 feet of carry.  It was like 10 last year
10:05
Brendan Gawlowski: Certainly not trying to take anything from Renfroe. That’s a jack with a tennis ball
10:05
DJ Kitty: Kiermaier always looks like he’s happy just being there.
10:05
deathstar Graterol: Kwah can be dethroned, needs to defend the position
10:05
Brendan Gawlowski: Who loses their mantle first, Kwah or Trout?
10:06
Dodger Fan: A K against KK.
10:06
Fire Ken Tremendous: I refer to his period as the best punster as Kwah-nce Upon A Time
10:07
Derek: Did Kwah ever really have a mantle?
10:07
Jeremy: Roberts taking his mask off to talk; I feel like he’s kind of missing the point of the mask…
10:07
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Well, he’s missed the point at other occasions.
10:09
Dave: When talking about mantle, do we mean the garment or the portion of the hearth
10:11
Hugh Duffy: When talking about mantle, we mean the region of the earth’s interior between the crust and the core.
10:11
Mad Joe-Don: The masonry is ‘mantel’.
10:11
Guest: For how long did Mantle wear the mantle?
10:12
Dave: MW has the masonry spelled in both ways.
10:12
Mike: Mantle options include clothing and Mickey
10:12
Craig: How odd is it gonna be in like 7 years when Trout is a .790 OPS LF and people are complaining about how overpaid he is and how his salary is holding the team back
10:12
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Always gotta go full circle
10:12
Avatar Dan Szymborski: When Trout’s 37 and sucks, he’ll probably be coming off 15 years of being underpaid!
10:12
Brendan Gawlowski: Angels baseball
10:13
Mike: Feels good as the Dodgers to be in a spot where Castillo and Anderson aren’t enough to get thru the game
10:13
Brendan Gawlowski: I think this is the right call for TB, but the flip side of gambling on this game is that if you lose… things get very dark from here
10:14
Mad Joe-Don: Dave, who are you going to trust, a dictionary or an internet rando?
10:14
Mike: 45 year old Mike Trout hitting .230/.245./510 as he tries to set the HR record under manager Albert Pujols
10:14
Dave: Going down 3-1, things will get dark regardless
10:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Poor Trout. All the Angels have to do is build an 80 win team with Trout and they can’t even do that
10:14
Dave Roberts: 80 pitches tonight … how reasonable is Urias out of the pen in Game 6?
10:14
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I think it’s a possibility
10:14
Derek: Well, things get very dark from here for Tampa if they lose regardless of what pitchers they use
10:14
TooDamnTall: I imagine Smotz is probably using air quotes to talk about the Rays’ bullpen management. They make their decisions using…”Science”
10:15
Mike: Tbh none of the Tampa 3 headed monster has looked unhittable in this series.  A lot was made of Jansen but their guys are also worn down
10:15
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Rays just gotta win this game and THEN worry about tomorrow
10:15
Brendan Gawlowski: Managers mostly still managing like this was a normal postseason
10:15
Brendan Gawlowski: Besides using the fifth starter
10:16
Mike: And using the best guys a bit more often like Treinen 3 in a row
10:16
Avatar Dan Szymborski: If Rays win, ZiPS has them at 51% to win the Series. If Rays lose, 13%.\
10:17
weezy: How long do you think before national announcing starts using more analytically friendly language? Or even just language that isn’t intentionally strawman-ing analytics?
10:17
Lzfreak: Wait the Rays are favored if they win today?
10:17
Brendan Gawlowski: They’ll always be playing catchup to some degree
10:17
Avatar Dan Szymborski: In ZiPS at least because Rays have Game 6 advantage in ZiPS
10:17
Mike: Zips likes the rays in this series so much more than every other system
10:17
Jeremy: Rays slight favorites if they win tonight because of how the starting pitching lines up?
10:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Pretty much
10:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Though starting changes may change things
10:18
Derek: Was Bellinger literally swinging with his eyes closed there? Looked like it on the replay
10:19
Remaerdbob: Does ZIPS take into account projected tackles by Adames?
10:19
Dave Roberts: Joe Davis is really great at using analytics in a casual-friendly way. Hoping he becomes the top baseball guy (and the Dodgers get to hold onto him)
10:20
Dodger Fan: Aaron Loup is warming up
10:20
Avatar Dan Szymborski: WIN ONE FOR THE LOOPER
10:20
Derek: Just let Benetti announce everything
10:20
weezy: Yeah Joe Davis is excellent, he gives me hope
10:21
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Poor Pollock. pollock is literally what you get if you can’t get trout
10:21
Bb: Saw Benetti at a FanGraphs event. He could do standup.
10:21
LFC Mike: That walk by Pollock was a piece of art.
10:22
weezy: For me it’s less about using analytics and more about not-intentionally disparaging them at moments that make no sense. Or trying to explain why the Rays are using Castillo in the 6th when they have done this all year
10:22
Dave: I’m not sure a funny at a fangraphs event is determinative of who could be a comic
10:22
Fire Ken Tremendous: I see what you did there Dan and I salute the fish pun.
10:22
deathstar Graterol: Still delicious
10:23
deathstar Graterol: https://www.tridentseafoods.com/browse/recipes/sauteed-wild-alaska-pol…
10:23
Brendan Gawlowski: Joc vs. Loup or Hernandez vs. Castillo?
10:24
Dodger Fan: I’d prefer Kiké vs Castillo
10:24
Mike: Dodgers so good at making sure you work and getting multiple innings from a reliever is difficult even if they don’t get anything
10:24
Derek: I think TB prefers Castillo
10:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The worst pollock recipe of all time is prepared by

killing, gutting and cleaning one kind of fish, boiling it with corn, and leaving it to ferment in a vinegar and sugar brine for a few days.

The fish becomes completely fermented, with the soles of the dead and skinned legs and eyes still in the brine, it is then cooked in hot butter.

It is unclear which part of this recipe is the worst, cooking a fish in butter, or preparing the fish in brine.

Another popular Pollock recipe was described by Edward L. Pulman in the “New England Almanac and Farmers’ Register” in 1922:

Pollock are highly inedible.

They are sweet, but not tasty.

When picked clean, only the heads have meat.

The rest of the body is not much good.

You will probably not find them as good for frying, as cod, as there is not much fat on them, and the bones may give you too many problems.

For frying, they are not great.
10:25
Hugh Duffy: Dan, don’t take Kwah’s job!
10:25
LarryTheBerry: If I were LA I would send out Joc and see if TB would take Castillo out
10:25
Mike: Joc vs a lefty specialist is just awful for LAD though, it’s conceding the inning to burn the pitcher
10:26
weezy: I have to imagine Roberts thinks there will be a more high leverage chance for Joc later, right? Otherwise Joc would make sense to pinch hit for Taylor?
10:26
Brendan Gawlowski: Get to ruin Castillo for tomorrow too
10:26
Dodger Fan: YES
10:26
Cliff B: 103.4 on Taylor line drive
10:26
Dodger Fan: It worked!
10:26
5 Run Homer: Remember that accent, fellas
10:26
Kwah: EnRBIque Hernandez.
10:26
Dodger Fan: Insurance!
10:26
Brendan Gawlowski: Happy GEICOween
10:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Sean Forman had to change Youkilis’s BR ID when he was a rookie because the standard formula of Five Letters of Last Name Plus Two Letters of First Name was unintentionally bad.
10:27
Guest: What is the Dodgers’ championship probability right now?
10:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Good!
10:27
LFC Mike: Next year will the Rays be playing in the Aroz-Arena?
10:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The Goya Arroz Arena
10:28
Dave: Why did the boil the pollock with corn?
10:28
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Neural network!
10:28
Hugh Duffy: Well, the Dodgers have an even lead now.
10:29
Craig: After this, should I have my bourbon while watching Mad Men and pretending to be Don Draper or while watching Brockmire?
10:29
Dave: No horse tranquilizer available for watching Brockmire?
10:29
Jonah hill: Mookie Betts just became the leader in DLTs!
10:29
Morbo: Glad I don’t have to listen to ARod talk about the oddness or evenness of a lead
10:30
Avatar Dan Szymborski: If Dodgers are 80% to win
10:30
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Then they’d be like 80/20 to win Series in ZiPS
10:31
Mad Joe-Don: Who’s the leader in McDLTs?
10:31
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

10:32
Mike: A system that had them 80% entering the game would be like 87-90 by now I imagine since those will probably have them low 90s if they win the game
10:33
Derek: Man Arozarena is just insane right now
10:33
LFC Mike: It’s sad you had that commercial somewhere in your head Dan..
10:34
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Don’t you mean RAD?
10:34
Lzfreak: Jason Alexander looks very different pre-Seinfeld
10:34
LFC Mike: put on your Members Only jacket if you want to roll like that
10:35
Kwah: We could be witnessing a RanDavid AFreesezarena 2011 phenomenon.
10:35
George: Any 2021162 game projections for Arozarena?
10:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski: 2 million games, he’d crush Aaron
10:35
Mad Joe-Don: I’m just glad someone else here remembers the McDLT.
10:35
Craig: I’m out of the loop. Is your picture one of those like aged photos of yourself?
10:35
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Yeah
10:36
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

10:36
Morbo: I heard cheering in the other room what did I miss? I’m busy pouring myself a scotch
10:36
Avatar Dan Szymborski: They were cheering the McDLT
10:36
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The lettuce stays cool and crisp!
10:36
Dave: Can Arozarena win the MVP while losing?
10:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Bobby Richardson was the 1960 WS MVP
10:37
LFC Mike: Ayn Randy Arozarena likes capitalism
10:37
Avatar Dan Szymborski: So does Dan!
10:37
Remaerdbob: The Yankees haven’t done so well in the postseason since they traded Costanza.
10:37
Fire Ken Tremendous: I didn’t realize the 2020 World Series was the Dodgers v. Randy Arozarena
10:37
Brendan Gawlowski: surprisingly fair fight
10:38
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I love how you can tell exactly when Smoltz is fed a stat by the producer
10:39
Dave Roberts: they should put up giant nets in the outfield that are in play, like arena football had for FGs and kickoffs
10:39
Dave: Ayn Rand wasn’t a capitalist.  She was just a terrible, terrible writer
10:39
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Yes.
10:40
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Rand’s characters were on Star Wars Episode II level
10:40
Remaerdbob: For some reason I’m surprised Mark Prior is a pitching coach every time he comes to the mound.
10:40
Kenley Jansen: Bring me in for a 12 out save I got this
10:40
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Kenley Jansen for a 12 out save won’t be a save for all 12 outs!
10:41
Mike: I don’t mind Baez as a reliever but I think going to an extreme flyball pitcher with 2 men in base is patent idiocy
10:41
Brendan Gawlowski: I’d have agreed ten years ago
10:42
Brendan Gawlowski: I don’t think you can plan around particular batted balls as much now
10:42
Morbo: Rand’s characters were on Star Wars Episode II level. Did you mean Star Wars Episode VIII level? Because that entire movie forgot what a plot was
10:42
Avatar Dan Szymborski: VIII >>> II
10:43
To be named later: Treinen didn’t look sharp that inning.
10:43
Mike: Baez always seems much more effective when he gets a clean inning.  They have a whole bullpen full of sinker ballers including left handed ones
10:43
Remaerdbob: Austin Meadows is constantly trying to make the Pirates feel a bit better.
10:43
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Well, it’s nice he’s doing that because the Pirates aren’t trying
10:43
Kathleen Kennedy: “I didn’t ruin Star Wars!!” Slithers away and speaks on moneytongue
10:44
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Like 5.5 of the Star Wars movies aren’t very good
10:44
Dodger Fan: I have returned from my canine maintenance walk.
10:44
Brendan Gawlowski: Me too, incidentally
10:44
Erik Neander: How much will I pay Randy in arbitration?
10:44
Brendan Gawlowski: I suspect that one way or the other we’ll never get a real answer
10:44
Dave: The Last Jedi is the best of the non-original movies
10:45
Mike: The Baez playoff narrative is like the Kershaw playoff narrative but without the hof career
10:45
5 Run Homer: dave is right
10:45
Dodger Fan: Dave is wrong
10:45
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I shoudln’t have started this! lol
10:46
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Holy expletive.
10:46
Dave: You were saying about fly balls…
10:47
Dodger Fan: SWEAR WORD
10:47
Mad Joe-Don: Fortunately -1 is an odd number.
10:47
Mike: Full stop never, ever do it, it is wrong
10:47
Avatar Dan Szymborski: And just like that, it’s like 55-45 Rays in ZiPS
10:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski: that swing was like 0.25 World Serii
10:48
Pedro Baez: ”I’m a fly ball pitcher”
10:48
deathstar Graterol: MVP Lowe
10:49
Jeremy: Not the most important thing, but Baez followed up that HR by throwing the next pitch like 40 feet. The shortest pitch I’ve ever seen.
10:49
Avatar Dan Szymborski: OK Low, you can be Lau again.
10:49
Mike: Two things need to happen if the Dodgers lose this world series.  Dave Roberts needs to lose his job and I need to stop following baseball.
10:49
LarryTheBerry: Neither of those things will happen, you know this
10:49
Mike: No man makes the same mistake more times in a row than Dave Roberts
10:49
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Rays radio talking about Snell as an option tonight. Think he’s realistic?
10:50
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I think you need a crazy high-leverage situation for that to happen
10:51
Craig: Wish I could have seen the roid era with these balls, while teams were secretly banging on trash cans so Bonds et al knew what was coming. That’d be entertainment.
10:51
Morbo: Can we do a poll of the best manager in baseball, because my vote is for Craig Counsell
10:52
To be named later: That reaction by Renfroe – so insightful
10:52
weezy: After the NLCS, which felt like a lot of balls in play, this series has felt nearly all TTO
10:53
Brendan Gawlowski: It is what it is for this WS, but I’d pretty disappointed if we’re doing the four HR/g thing in 2021
10:53
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

WHO IS THE BEST MANAGER EVER?
Dave Roberts (30.1% | 16 votes)
 
Brad Ausmus (7.5% | 4 votes)
 
Ray Miller (3.7% | 2 votes)
 
Russ Nixon (5.6% | 3 votes)
 
Tony Pena (1.8% | 1 vote)
 
Walt Weiss (9.4% | 5 votes)
 
Davey Lopes (5.6% | 3 votes)
 
Tony Muser (1.8% | 1 vote)
 
Alan Trammell (1.8% | 1 vote)
 
Mike Matheny (32.0% | 17 votes)
 
Total Votes: 53
10:53
Lzfreak: That was the first lead change of the World Series
10:53
Hunter Renfroe: “I am baseball player”
10:54
CJ: I know it is a joke, but really?
10:54
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Polls are more fun if they’re amusing
10:54
Kwah: Best managers ever were Sam Miller and Ben Lindbergh, but you Fangraphs folk aren’t ready for that conversation.
10:54
Eraserhead: I don’t know any universe in which Tony Muser isn’t the best manager
10:55
Dodger Fan: I want someone to vote Mike Matheny ironically
10:55
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Matheny’s literally one of the elite in this poll!
10:55
Dodger Fan: Nick Anderson is warming up
10:55
Dave: Sam and Ben weren’t managers, they were the GMs
10:56
Dave Roberts: Smoltz with the “Urias was dominating” revisionism
10:56
Avatar Dan Szymborski: A happy ending depends on where you stop the story
10:57
Hugh Duffy: I’m surprised that Ned Yost wasn’t on that poll list, but I guess a World Series ring takes you off it.
10:57
Brendan Gawlowski: So there’s a reason why Cash spams the big three…
10:57
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Didn’t want to make it TOO easy
10:57
Morbo: Ugh, Mike Matheny got himself thrown out of a game on his birthday because he was late for his reservation at red lobster. Mike Matheny (@RealMikeMatheny) Tweeted:
I knew it was a ball the whole time, but I had an 8:30 reservation and a basket of Cheddar Bay Biscuits with my name on them #ballsandstrikes @redlobster https://twitter.com/RealMikeMatheny/status/1308586414334976001?s=20
10:57
Avatar Dan Szymborski: those biscuits ARE good!
10:58
To be named later: How can smoltz sound bored saying “this is an incredible game”?
10:58
Morbo: I know that Mike Matheny tweet is factually accurate because I wrote it
10:58
Craig: I wish Dave Stewart had made himself both GM and field manager at the same time
10:58
Avatar Dan Szymborski: and pitcher
10:58
Mike: Anderson has been fairly mortal recently as well
10:58
Mike: I had to go non-dairy a whole ago and cheesy red lobster biscuits were a big loss
10:59
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I have eaten an unhealthy number of Hershey’s Miniatures during this game
10:59
Morbo: I have no idea how to embed a tweet in the chat
10:59
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I forget
10:59
Dodger Fan: Great.  Now I want Hershey’s Minis.
10:59
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It seems weird that they still only have the 4 flavors
11:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: when they have way more bars
11:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: why not the cookies ‘n’ cream ones?
11:00
Dave: Other than Krackle, is there a single Hershey’s Miniture that’s above replacement level?
11:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I like the dark
11:00
Morbo: The best part is that you did it earlier with Old Dan Szymborski
11:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: In that case, it was in image
11:01
Dodger Fan: Just link to the tweet. Everyone here clearly knows how to use the internet.
11:01
Eraserhead: Pro tip: just splurge for the toblerone minis
11:01
LFC Mike: As long as it’s not A Butterfinger..
11:01
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

11:02
LFC Mike: Old Dan likes Hard Candy that makes a racket when you unwrap it
11:02
Kwah: I haven’t seen a Max get Louped that bad since Imperator Furiosa’s convoy got surrounded by Immortan Joe’s henchmen.
11:03
Hugh Duffy: Mr. Goodbar is below replacement level. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate is at replacement level. Special Dark has weird platoon splits.
11:03
CJ: Dodgers’ hitters are not helping Roberts
11:03
Dodger Fan: Awesome Mad Max reference with a Max Muncy strikeout, Kwah
11:03
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I just unbent my knee after it was bent for like all 3 hours of the game and now my leg no longer works.
11:04
Mike: 2 ks on 6 pitches as soon as they had a threat, what an awful time to forget you have plate discipline
11:04
Hugh Duffy: Kwah, good job doing your job.
11:04
Dave: Dan has just dicovered he’s old
11:04
weezy: remember taht question abotu a higher leverage spot for pederson?
11:04
Brendan Gawlowski: Astute
11:04
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I’m Middle Age Dan Szymborski!
11:05
CJ: And now we have Joc swinging at ball
11:05
Brendan Gawlowski: Really has been a crappy couple at-bats
11:05
Dodger Fan: Zunino is good at blocking wow
11:05
Dave: Middle age is a term made up by newly old people to avoid being called old
11:05
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Hey, I’m still hoping to live 40 more years!
11:06
CJ: I’m going to date myself again and mention Wade Boggs’ at bat in game 4 ’98 WS
11:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: and to plague you all for most if not all of those
11:06
CJ: Sorry 96
11:06
Brendan Gawlowski: Dating yourself further
11:06
Dan R: Are barrels actually overrated? My gut feeling is that they are underrated. There certainly have been a few barrels this game.
11:06
Brendan Gawlowski: Intentional walks to load the bases scare the hell out of me
11:06
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Barrels are the best place to make liquor!
11:07
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I once tried to age whiskey in a cleaned out laundry detergent container. It didn’t really work
11:07
Lzfreak: I like to date myself. Somebody has to date me, right?
11:07
Dodger Fan: JOCTOBER
11:07
Derek: That was SO CLOSE to being an incredible play by Lowe
11:07
Jeremy: Wow!
11:07
Dodger Fan: YES
11:07
Brendan Gawlowski: Agonizing
11:07
Brendan Gawlowski: Did the second run score?
11:07
Brendan Gawlowski: Apparently yes
11:07
Dave: If that had been caught, would that have stopped everyone from ever complaining about the shift?
11:08
Brendan Gawlowski: lol no
11:08
Brendan Gawlowski: tbh, not sure the shift really does that much
11:08
Jeremy: The World Series might have come off Lowe’s glove there.
11:08
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The HR is still enough that he can stay lau again, but he’s gotta do something else good
11:08
5 Run Homer: I yelled and I think scared my roommate when that nicked off Lowe’s glove
11:08
Mike: That play was wild and made me forget my frustration at Joc not getting hit by ball 2
11:08
Kwah: Brandon Lowe needed to be more Highe on that play.
11:09
Avatar Dan Szymborski: When Brandon Lowe smokes weed, does he get how?
11:09
Remaerdbob: He would mispronounce Highe as How.
11:09
Mad Joe-Don: That’s odd. Loading the bases usually works out so well.
11:10
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

Pedro Baez lined up for the W, obviously.
25 Oct 2020
11:10
Mike: LHH shift is net positive.  RHH shift is unclear
11:10
Brendan Gawlowski: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/61384/baseball-therapy…
11:10
weezy: fangraphs readers/writers are an entertaining corner of the internet
11:10
Craig: I’m a little surprised Manfred hasn’t outlawed shifts yet
11:10
Dave Roberts: If that 96% hit probability line drive had been caught then I would’ve quit my job to lobby for banning the shift
and I really like the shift
11:10
Derek: Actually loading the bases there allowed them to throw out Bellinger to end the inning!
11:11
Remaerdbob: My son had a teacher named Bosom who mispronounced her name for good reason.
11:11
Brendan Gawlowski: This is probably sacrilege in these parts, but I’d support a ban of the shift
11:11
Dan Quinn: Another blown lead.  My type of game.
11:11
Momentum: “Hi, I just shifted”
11:11
Avatar Dan Szymborski: <cries after hearing that and runs to his room>
11:11
Dodger Fan: Bellinger’s horrible base running is gonna be forgotten lol
11:11
Brendan Gawlowski: As was Juan Soto’s last season
11:12
Dave: How *exactly* do you ban the shift?  I’ve never heard of a decent rule proposal
11:12
Avatar Dan Szymborski: If Baez blows this lead, I’d be cool with giving him two losses for the game
11:12
Dodger Fan: Dan, do you still have your swan/duck game thing with Grisham in right?
11:13
Derek: Isn’t it just two infielders on either side of second base?
11:13
Avatar Dan Szymborski: I don’t think I had it for Grisham
11:13
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

11:14
Jeremy: If you’re serious about banning shifts, don’t you also have to limit how deep the infielders can play?
11:14
Brendan Gawlowski: You probably do
11:14
Dave Roberts: Baez is no longer in line for the win
11:14
Brendan Gawlowski: Pour one out for the beat writers
11:15
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

11:15
Mike: Seems Pedro Baez could have used this effective changeup last inning
11:16
Mike: Baez won’t be a Dodger after this season ends but Roberts will still find a way to bring him in to give up a backbreaking dinger in the 2022 playoffs
11:16
CJ: If I’m writing for this, I’m rooting for Rays. ‘Roberts screwed up again’ is a better narrative than ‘Dodgers win despite all the screw-ups’.
11:17
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

A live look at Pedro Baez.
25 Oct 2020
11:17
Morbo: Did Dave Roberts fall asleep in the Dodgers dougout?
11:17
Avatar Dan Szymborski: If they stick with Baez and get the lead back, maybe they could get him a -1 WPA game!
11:17
TooDamnTall: Every time they show Roberts he seems to be shaking his head in disbelief at the coaching decisions the Dodgers are making.
11:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: IF ONLY DAVE ROBERTS COULD MAKE THE DECISIONS!
11:18
dez88GOAT: is there any way a pinch hitter would ever win ws mvp
11:18
Brendan Gawlowski: Maybe if they hit for Dave Roberts?
11:18
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Neutral fans, how good is this game?
11:18
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’s become really good!
11:19
DB: Does Andrew Friedman just take over in the dugout by 9th?
11:19
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’d be fun to see a manager fired in-game
11:19
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Coming back from an inning, you see Roberts walking out of Globe Life with a cardboard box full of his stuff
11:20
Mike: I was hoping not to need this excellent photoshop again.  

@cdgoldstein I really did this
8 Oct 2020
11:20
Remaerdbob: Cool, now Baez can start the 8th.
11:22
Jeremy: I hope the US commercials are good. Here in Canada we keep having to watch a guy laying on his back blowing leaves out from underneath his deck for some reason.
11:22
Craig: Bring in Kershaw
11:22
weezy: I know this might be a hot take considering how Roberts is getting piled on here, but I don’t think he has been the cause for this game being tied…
11:22
Dodger Fan: At this rate Joe Kelly will pitch the 8th
11:22
CJ: If Baez comes out for the 8th against Choi, Friedman should take over
11:22
Cito’s Mustache: I barely remember who the starting pitchers were, this game is wild.
11:22
Kwah: Randy Arozarinningendingdoubleplay.
11:22
Neutral fan: What a game! (seriously)
11:22
MASTRBLASTR: @whoever was slandering the shift a couple minutes ago
11:23
Dodger Fan: Here in the US, they keep repeating the same 7 very bad commercials.
11:23
Brendan Gawlowski: anybody old enough to remember MLB.tv’s “mini soda twins” commercial?
11:24
Mike: Roberts is an experiment in whether you can win a world series and get fired at the same time
11:24
Dodger Fan: I have every single one of these ads memorized line by line. Not sure if that says more about me or ad spending.
11:24
Avatar Dan Szymborski: HIS FATHER IS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY!
11:24
JM: MINI SODA??
11:24
Dave: Didn’t we establish earlier that the median age in this chat is significantly older than Brendan?
11:25
Dodger Fan: I am very bad at recognizing what a check swing is
11:25
Morbo: Does this game call for a second scotch or a second beer? I plan on watching to the conclusion if that makes a difference
11:25
Dodger Fan: TAYLOR
11:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: You shoudl follow your heart..err…live
11:25
Avatar Dan Szymborski: r
11:25
Dave Roberts: BARRELS ARE OVERRATED
11:26
Jeremy: Good call [gets second beer]
11:26
Dodger Fan: Smoltz just made a better pun than Kwah ever has
11:26
Kwah: Chris Twobagslor.
11:26
Morbo: I CAN’T DECIDE THAT’S WHY I ASKED!
11:26
Avatar Dan Szymborski: then you have to drink both
11:27
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’d be funny if Smoltz didn’t even realize he made the pun
11:27
LFC Mike: smoltz  just said it was a tailor made swing .. he is coming for you kwah
11:27
JD: I’m drinking whiskey, you should too
11:27
weezy: So Anderson has had a handful of outings in a row where he has gotten whacked
11:27
Neutral fan: “Hendriks’ era was so low, it was practically down under!”
11:27
Brendan Gawlowski: The relievers steadily growing more vulnerable is a pleasant development
11:28
Mike: We’re now in this odd spot where the game is tied and the Dodgers have their better relievers left and the Rays do not
11:28
5 Run Homer: Oh hey bunts
11:28
Brendan Gawlowski: How do you not take it off when the first baseman is standing 45 feet away
11:28
DB: I picked the wrong day to stop drinking
11:28
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Did Buck call Sherriff a righty or did I mishear?
11:28
5 Run Homer: Oh no you idiot
11:29
Dave: I pick the wrong day to stop sniffing glue
11:29
Adam: Glasnow is throwing in the bullpen. what are the chances he comes in?
11:29
Guest: Betts cleverly makes an out so the Dodgers can score now.
11:29
Brendan Gawlowski: Someone has to…
11:30
Dave Roberts: Just eat the glue. Been working for me
11:31
DB: “Ms. Hoover I ate my glue stick “
11:31
Mike: Seager can just re-tie Arozarena here I wouldn’t mind
11:31
Brendan Gawlowski: Seager hits a HR but LAD has to throw Baez for all three outs in the 8th, who says no?
11:31
To be named later: I’d be in favor
11:31
To be named later: of outlawing cheat sheets
11:31
Brendan Gawlowski: 100%
11:33
Hugh Duffy: Well, then there will be more delays, because those cheat sheets have whatever sign systems they’re using.
11:33
Brendan Gawlowski: pitch clocks
11:33
Chuck: The Masters banned green reading books. Similar issue.
11:33
Eraserhead: Aren’t cheat sheets good for Fangraphs traffic?
11:33
Brendan Gawlowski: — resigns —
11:34
Dodger Fan: BARRELS ARE OVERRATED
11:34
TooDamnTall: Goodness, what a game
11:34
Kevin: Why don’t they play the whole game with 2 outs
11:34
Brendan Gawlowski: Don’t give Rob ideas
11:35
weezy: ….so who is up for more Baez?
11:36
Dave: See, barrels ARE overrated
11:36
Dave Roberts: first 64 half innings: 0 lead changes
last 4 half innings: 4 lead changes
11:36
Guest: The real problem is that none of these pitches are *firm* enough
11:36
Brendan Gawlowski: Also, this chat is hopping tonight, we have no chance to hit every message. Thank you all for coming and hanging out!
11:36
LFC Mike: This is why live sporting events are the greatest
11:36
Dodger Fan: Hot take: barrels are properly rateed
11:36
Dave Roberts: folks, Baez is back in line for the win
11:36
Pedro Baez: ”I believe I can get to 3 losses in a single game”
11:37
Morbo: Brendan, we’ll wait while you get to all the messages. We don’t mind
11:38
Brendan Gawlowski: Only… 578 and counting to go
11:38
Mike: Dodgers have 3 lefty relievers and have the Rays locked into their left handed platoon hitters in the lineup.  That’s fun
11:39
JD: I have no dog in this fight but I want the Rays to win this game, better chance at 7 games and lord knows when we’ll see baseball again after that
11:39
Brendan Gawlowski: KBO still rolling along
11:40
TooDamnTall: hot take – Dodgers have terrible beards
11:41
Dave: Korea deserves sports, we do not
11:41
Brendan Gawlowski: Dave, you probably deserve them. Whether America does…
11:41
Dodger Fan: How many chatters do we have tonight?
11:41
Brendan Gawlowski: Up to 179
11:42
Mike: The Turner Game of Thrones beard is great.  Many of the other beards are below average
11:42
CJ: Getting cold in Korea. all the playoffs will be in a dome.
11:42
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

11:42
Gogiants: Ban the shift
11:42
Brendan Gawlowski: That’s the spirit
11:42
CJ: I have to say, I’m amazed MLB made this far, given how it started (or not started)
11:42
Brendan Gawlowski: When you just play through the COVID all things are possible
11:42
Lzfreak: The Folgers commercials are pretty funny
11:43
kdl: People think Turner’s beard is good, the same way people think  an actor putting on 80 lbs for a role is good acting
11:44
Morbo: I have a legitimate question. How far are you supposed to be able to drive that all electric Hummer? It can’t go more than like 75 miles right?
11:44
Derek: Do people think Turner’s beard is good? If anything it’s kind of gross
11:44
Morbo: kdl just salty they can’t grow a beard
11:44
Neutral fan: Choleric looks pretty friendly, actually
11:44
Jeremy: Here in Canada they cut to the Canadian studio in between innings. So I get to see Justin Morneau providing studio commentary from his house, with what appears to be a child’s drawing of a sheep-person over his shoulder. Which is cute and nice, and also very 2020.
11:45
Derek: Just what they were looking for: left-on-left matchup to throw a four-pitch walk
11:45
Fire Ken Tremendous: Great question Morbo. I’d never drive that truck in a salt flat in the middle of nowhere
11:45
Avatar Dan Szymborski: YOU HAD ONE JOB KOLAREK
11:45
Pedro Baez: ”I wouldn’t have walked him on 4 pitches”
11:45
kdl: I have a great beard. My nickname in grad school was Beard.
11:47
Morbo: That sounds like a made up nickname. They type of nickname someone who can’t grow a beard would make for themselves
11:47
Jonah hill: Why do the broadcasters get so hung up on defending their (lame) arguments like Adames position guarding Taylor preventing him from catching Seagers bloop single?
11:48
CJ: Old ballplayer in Smoltz coming out
11:48
kdl: Aren’t all nicknames made up?
11:48
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

11:48
To be named later: Smoltz being Smoltz?
11:48
Lzfreak: Everything is made up on some level
11:48
a: John Curtiss looks like a 15-year-old dressed up as Justin Verlander for Halloween.
11:49
deathstar Graterol: Is Jansen going to pitch the 9th if its still one run up?
11:50
deathstar Graterol: Oh, sorry, we using nicknames? is “Gator” going to pitch the 9th?
11:50
Brendan Gawlowski: I assume so…
11:51
Smiling Politely: I don’t think it’ll be Alex Wood
11:51
Morbo: Dan, my favorite one of those was the Andrew Miller one, “Meth Machine” I almost fell off my chair laughing when I read it
11:51
Morbo: Baez has been Chock Full of Bats tonight
11:51
5 Run Homer: Brusdar looks like a cartoon dinosaur
11:52
Geebs: If we’re voting I think Dan should do the chats for the rest of the WS
11:52
Fire Ken Tremendous: Who came in to run for Blue Kitten?
11:52
Brendan Gawlowski: The Gray Crab
11:53
Craig: I want a Meg and Eric chat
11:53
Chuck: Can Meg do a chat? She’s nice.
11:53
Geebs: Brendan I don’t know you but you seem cool so you should join Dan
11:53
Brendan Gawlowski: Nice to meet you, Geebs
11:53
Yamuda: Is Arozarena a top 15 player after this postseason?
11:54
Avatar Dan Szymborski: The tentative schedule is David Laurila and me tomorrow, Paul and Tony on a possible Game 6, and Meg and Ben on a possible Game 7
11:54
Avatar Dan Szymborski: You would get really tired of me quickly if I did every game.
11:54
Brendan Gawlowski: I don’t think so on Randy
11:54
weezy: meg is also a great baseball mind!
11:54
Lzfreak: The Gray Crab in to pinch run
11:54
Jeremy: Roberts is going to bring back Baez in a fake mustache for the 9th.
11:54
Avatar Dan Szymborski: It’s not like the Rays would object
11:55
Brendan Gawlowski: yeah, no need for subterfuge
11:56
kdl: Technically speaking… would the umpire say no if Baez came back out? Or would Cash need to object?
11:56
Brendan Gawlowski: I… have no idea.
11:57
Jim: Manfred is having daily panic attacks about the length of these postseason games.
11:57
Brendan Gawlowski: Meanwhile, Dave Stewart has taken to Twitter again:

This is one of the worse managed WS ever! Pitching is bad, hitting is bad, except when the pitchers make mistakes in the middle of the zone. Oh Shit, that’s every other pitch! 😂😂😂😂Thank God tomorrow is football Sunday🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
25 Oct 2020
11:59
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Please Smoltz, talk about how versatile Renfroe is because he can play first *and* outfield
11:59
Craig: Why do these old players always wanna shit on current players? Like so they keep feeling they were the special ones or what?
11:59
Brendan Gawlowski: That is exactly what they think
12:00
Avatar Dan Szymborski: In 15 years I’m gonna be talking about how much analysts suck today
12:01
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: Wow, Jotcast, I don’t need you informing me it’s now Sunday. Stupid pace of play.
12:02
Jim: I feel personally attacked by that Sunday notification
12:02
Kwah: Dan Selfawarenesski.
12:04
Dodger Fan: 30 outs away…
12:04
Morbo: Dan, gonna be like, “If only I had programmed zips in python it wouldn’t be a sentient Excel spreadsheet bent on enslaving humanity without the necessary I/o to succeed. These kids today can’t even make a decent malevolent AI!”
12:04
Cliff B: I don’t know what insurance is, but they sure advertise the hell out it
12:05
LarryTheBerry: I don’t care what happens, I just want Arozarena to have one more AB
12:05
Dave: 2 pitches in and Kenley is both wild and slow
12:05
Wraith: Oh wow going to Jansen instead of sticking with Graterol, I have a feeling pundits are going to go wild over this move regardless of outcome
12:06
To be named later: Walk the lead off batter?
12:06
Brendan Gawlowski: what could go wrong?
12:06
Lzfreak: Why not leave Graterol in here?
12:06
Eraserhead: it’s my birthday. jotcast noticed.
12:06
Jonah hill: “If he can prove himself the dodgers will have a major asset in their bullpen”
12:06
Brendan Gawlowski: Closers gonna close
12:07
Avatar Dan Szymborski:

12:07
Brendan Gawlowski: This game needs Randy up with two outs
12:08
5 Run Homer: Not peak-Kenley but not far off
12:08
Jeremy: Kiermaier should just carry that bat handle around the bases.
12:08
Hugh Duffy: Thank you for your service, Kiermeier’s shattered bat. Your sacrifice was not in vain.
12:08
Brendan Gawlowski: we’ll have to see about that
12:09
Craig: 2 ball, anticlimactic Arozarena left on deck
12:09
Eraserhead: Do cricketers have to run with their bat?
12:09
Brendan Gawlowski: they do
12:10
Dave Roberts: cricketers also use their bat to be safe
12:11
Dave: I mean, he hits a HR here, he wins the MVP regardless
12:11
TooDamnTall: Before the game ends, just wanted to say how fun it is chatting and watching. Thanks Dan & Brendan
12:11
Brendan Gawlowski: Been a pleasure, thank you all for sticking around
12:11
CJ: I just might walk him here
12:11
Morbo: I feel like Dave Roberts knows more than he should about cricket and not enough about baseball
12:11
Craig: Bring in Kershaw
12:11
Fire Ken Tremendous: Feel like you go after Barrel Hands here. He’s still going to get out the majority of the time
12:12
Jim: This at-bat makes me randy
12:12
Jeremy: “Maybe if we all stand out here on the mound long enough the umpires will call the game and we won’t have to pitch to him.”
12:13
Smiling Politely: Baez has spent his career killing batters of old age, so that’s not totally off base
12:14
Dodger Fan: Pitch around him, sure, but no IBB here
12:14
CJ: Doesn’t Jansen usually throws only outside against RHP??
12:14
Dave: Kenley living dangerously
12:14
CJ: This may be the series
12:14
Derek: This is great
12:15
deathstar Graterol: Cutter back up to 92 mph
12:15
Brendan Gawlowski: Great take from Arozarena
12:15
Dave: 94 is as fast as Kenley has been all year
12:15
Kwah: Kenley Jansen is a Dutch Master; sounds good, but it’s always more dry and shaky than the other, better options you could be using to enjoy a victory after midnight.
12:16
To be named later: Which team luckier that went foul?
12:17
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: And it all comes down to Brett Phillips, as predicted.
12:17
Fire Ken Tremendous: Is The Gray Crab good?
12:17
5 Run Homer: Brett Phillips, huh
12:17
LFC Mike: Thanks for the chat Dan  and Brendan
12:17
Avatar Dan Szymborski: IT NOT OVER
12:18
Craig: This would be a great somewhat random player having a moment situation
12:18
CJ: Now I’m having 2001 WS G7 flashbacks
12:18
Kwah: KenLVIIIfooter Jansen.
12:18
Brendan Gawlowski: Where’s Francisco Cabrera when you need him?
12:18
Derek: Brett Phillips here is not what you want
12:18
Brendan Gawlowski: Depends on your rooting interest
12:19
Brendan Gawlowski: Oof, ball 2
12:19
Brendan Gawlowski: what in the world…
12:20
Dave: what?
12:20
Fire Ken Tremendous: WHAT AN ENDING
12:20
Guest: Wow.
12:20
LFC Mike: Thanks for the chat Dan and Brendan 2.0
12:20
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: OH MY GOD
12:20
JM: LETS GOOOOO
12:20
Kiermaier’s Piercing Green Eyes: WHAT
12:20
Derek: WHAT IN THE HELL
12:20
LarryTheBerry: OMGGGG
12:20
Brandon: Literally what in the world.
12:20
Mike: I hate this game
12:20
Neutral fan: What a classic, says the neutral fan,
12:20
JM: Brett Phillips, Randy Arozarena stan, ties up the series
12:20
Avatar Dan Szymborski: OK, that was something
12:20
Brendan Gawlowski: Phillips got a cookie there…
12:20
Lzfreak: That was not well executed defensively
12:21
Avatar Dan Szymborski: Thanks for coming to chat with us everyone!
12:21
LarryTheBerry: He even fell down!!!
12:21
Morbo: EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!
12:21
Kwah: The ball suddenly had that IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING substance on it.  For this one play.
12:21
Brendan Gawlowski: Balls in play are fun





 

Meg is the managing editor 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 twitter @megrowler.

8 Comments
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Matteincmember
3 years ago

So, that has to be on the VERY short list of the greatest games of all time, no? Game 7 ’01; Game 6 ’75. Probably more in-game drama than Game 1, ’88. Game 6 ’11?

10
dl80
3 years ago
Reply to  Matteinc

Game 6 1993?

-2
sadtrombonemember
3 years ago
Reply to  Matteinc

This was an epic game. Running around the house yelling “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS”

0
vslykemember
3 years ago
Reply to  Matteinc

Game 7 1960 remains undefeated

-1