JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 1/11/21

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Ben Clemens

2:26

He had a terrible offensive season but it was a short one and this is a case where he's demonstrated the talent before, you know?

Kiermaier's Piercing Green Eyes

2:26

Tell us about that chicken. I always botch the thighs/drumsticks during carving.

Ben Clemens

2:26

THIS is the kind of content I'm here for

2:27

So we spatchcocked the chicken, what a fun word

2:28

If you do that, and roast the breast to around 145, you can literally pull on the drumstick with your hand, jab at the joint with a knife, and just pull it off the chicken

Guest

2:28

Just thinking the word spatchcock, let alone speaking it, feels just a bit naughty.

Ben Clemens

2:28

No argument here

Gutbuster

2:28

What kind of b.s. is MLB up to in not letting people know if there will be a DH next year? Is this considered "leverage" in bargaining with the players union, or is it instead called "running your business badly and negotiating in bad faith"?

Ben Clemens

2:28

Haha it's bargaining, but I agree it's silly

Alec

2:29

what is your best guess at the likelihood of a nl DH

Ben Clemens

2:29

85?

percent, that is

I think it's gonna happen, it's just going to be a slog to get there

Tino

2:29

The Mets! Aren't they a little hard on you at times?

Ben Clemens

2:29

Oh, fair point, fair point

I'm not really sure how Mets fans think of me in aggregate

A few vocal ones think I'm a troll who hates the Mets

I find that.... unconvincing

2:30

Also my wife is a big Mets fan and I like the Mets and I used to have season tickets

Inaccessible Rail

2:30

I've not been much of a board game player, but we recently got Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Splendor, and we love all of them and have played them a lot. What should we try next?

Ben Clemens

2:30

Underrated one that we got our friends who are in a similar situation (they recently bought Catan and loved it after playing almost no board games before)

Camel Up!

It's a game where you get on racing camels

2:32

And it's way more fun than that sounds

Johnny5Alive

2:32

Braves are stacked and still favored to win the division, which I think right now the projections don't include a DH. If the DH is added to the NL, does that boost the Mets (in that Nimmo, Alonso, Smith and Davis all get to bat in every game)? What would the Mets need to do to push them over the top?

Ben Clemens

2:33

I think that the odds are overestimating the Braves, tbh

We know they have more moves to make, but that line surprises me given the recent Mets moves

I'm not sure how sharp all the lines are at this point in the offseason, though

I'd take the Mets straight up, though

Gutbuster

2:34

Should MLB just allow stick substances, and tell everyone that it is fine? Also, can you tell me how stick grip stuff works differently than vaseline on a ball and offer an opinion as to whether one has merit and others not, etc.? Thanks.

Ben Clemens

2:34

I do think that they should just legalize some standardized sticky thing

2:35

I can't explain the physics of it, but the key is to make the adhesion between finger and ball stronger so that you can impart more spin on the ball via transfer of momentum

The more slipping, the more wasted energy

Less slip, more spin, more outs

Tom

2:35

Even with Edman moving to 2B over Wong, do you see Cardinals having best defense in MLB in 2021?

Ben Clemens

2:35

I don't quite see it, to be honest

2:36

It would help if they gave Bader and O'Neill everyday reps in the outfield (help the defense, I mean)

I'm not convinced they will

And Edman isn't as good as Wong, though he's comfortably plus still