JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 12/13/21

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

Ben Clemens

2:40

and that Stroman just liked Chicago

The Real Ben Clemens

2:41

Favorite holiday baked good? Made some delightful molasses cookies last weekend

Ben Clemens

2:42

Ooh

Pizelles

They're delightful Italian cookies you make in a kind of waffle iron thing

My mom made them throughout my childhood and I love eating them every chance I get

NashvilleSounds

2:42

Some owners would be uninterested in disincentizing tanking, sure. The owners who try to make money through providing a good on-field product, though? I'm sure they don't mind the absence of competition, but it has to burn to give away your own money to enrich, say, Bob Nutting for being a cheapskate.

Ben Clemens

2:43

I mean, why? Tanking is GREAT for big market owners b/c a) it means that they can tank occasionally and b) it means less competition for free agents

Mr. Burrito

2:43

Will the Bauer contract debacle change the way teams go about their due diligence... ? Also, how big a deal do you think the Bauer contract is for the Dodgers right now; did it prevent them from retaining Seager?

Ben Clemens

2:43

It absolutely should change the way teams go about their due diligence

2:44

This wasn't a hard one to see coming, let's jus say

Did it prevent them from retaining Seager? I don't thikn so

Code Names Queen

2:44

Are you more of a traditional board game fan, or do you prefer/also enjoy card or deck based games like Dominion, Seven Wonders, Red Dragon Inn, etc.?

Ben Clemens

2:44

I am more 'games' than board or card or whatever

Some of my favorite 'board games' are auction games that don't really involve a board at all

2:45

I also got into games through Magic: The Gathering, so I'm in for a good card game

In other words: yes

But I'd say that Seven Wonders comes pretty close to just being a board game, for what it's worth

That Guy in Detroit

2:45

Do you think there is any issue with Verlander's contract? Could it be as simple as an email not arriving to MLB before the deadline?

Ben Clemens

2:46

I'm guessing it's something as simple as that

Something kept them from finalizing it, and so they just haven't

2:47

I'll believe it's worse than that when I see it

Don

2:47

Is it a feasible argument, twisted as it may be, that AJ Preller is actually doing a better job than Erik Neander by bringing up attendance, building hype, and all the financial benefits that accompany that. I know as fans we’d like for it to be solely about the on field product, but not long ago San Diego was bottom half of the league in attendance and was 3rd last year. There’s no doubt Neander and his group are better on the baseball end, and clearly have disadvantages, but if you asked those two owners if they wanted to swap franchises I don’t think there’s a doubt in the world who would want what, winning aside. Maybe I’m wrong though

Ben Clemens

2:47

I think that's closer to the mark than you think, but I tihnk the amount of money he's spent to do it complicates matters

If the Padres sustain this attendance level, then yeah Preller has done really well

2:48

Having more fans come to your games is really important

That Guy in Detroit

2:48

I have a kid that loves to play Monopoly (I think because he ususally wins). I don't even mind the game but I'd sure like some variety. Any ideas on a game that maybe appeals to the parts I know he likes (owning 'territory,' market pressures) to help the transition?

Ben Clemens

2:48

Acquire is an old property-owning game (stock in companies, actually) that I like

2:49

Ticket to Ride appeals to a similar itch, you're building a train so you get to see your track grow

Settlers of Catan is an old classic, but building your town is fun, and rolling dice to get things is always a hit

Norm

2:49

What does it take to acquire Chris Bassitt in a trade? Could he fetch a 50 FV or are we looking at something like at a 45 FV plus some other pieces?

Ben Clemens

2:50

I almost wrote an article about what Bassitt could fetch in trade, so this is a good question

2:51

My answer: I think that I would be closer to the second option; a nice but not top 100 prospect plus a lottery ticket

I think that quite likely, though, some team would beat that

2:52

So I think that it's just a matter of whether you're willing to wait and hope the market is cooler than expected

Kiermaier's Piercing Green Eyes

2:52

You do any solo board gaming? I thought it was silly and then I bought Spirit Island.

Ben Clemens

2:52

I don't do much solo board gaming, because I'd often prefer to play a computer game or read or something if I'm just goofing off by myself

That said, I love Spirit Island, and it totally makes sense as a one-player game

2:53

The big downfall of multi-player open information co-op games is that you might have an alpha gamer telling everyone what to do

And I think Spirit Island's dynamic difficulty is a really clever way to handle that

Connecting…

Message History

On Off

Your current subscriptions

None

E-mail Address	Chat Owner	Status	Remove

Enter your email address to be notified when Ben Clemens hosts a chat