JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 3/16/20

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 3/16/20

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Ben Clemens

2:01

Hey guys. I'm not exactly sure what we'll cover today, because I don't really know what baseball is going on. But let's just answer a few questions and see where we go from there.

James

2:01

Top 5 board games to get for a quarantine?

Ben Clemens

2:01

This is very SF, but my wife and I went to the local board game store yesterday to stock up, and the place was packed.

2:02

We got Robinson Crusoe the game, which felt appropriate.

But legacy games will probably serve you well, because you're going to have some time on your hands

Pandemic Legacy if you're into very on-the-nose suggestions, but we've been playing Aeon's End Legacy, which is fun, and also Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective

2:03

Anything that takes up a lot of time, basically.

Stevil

2:03

Two things. First, Monopoly is the greatest multi-player board game to date. Second, has there been any talk about how this situation could or will affect the Rule 4 draft?

Ben Clemens

2:03

Haha well, I don't agree with that at all, but if you're looking for a multiplayer, money-themed game, there are other old classics.

I think Acquire is awesome.

2:04

As to the draft, I hvaen't heard anything, and I think it's way too soon to speculate. If the baseball season isn't starting up again until July, which feels like a distinct possibility, they still need to have a draft, but it would be reasonable to push it to later in the summer so teams could have workouts, showcases, whatever.

Doug

2:04

Would a half season of missed games holistically hurt or help anyone's HOF chances?

Ben Clemens

2:05

It probably hurts everyone, particularly given the lens we look at HOF through. There might need to be some adjustments to JAWS for partial seasons, but this is just taking away from everyone's counting stats, and many players' peak stats.

Least of our problems, obviously, but it's bad.

Bleh

2:06

I've done more work since 8am today than I think I've ever done in a week in the office. Does this long-term change how america views working from home?

Ben Clemens

2:07

It's a good question. I think different people will handle it differently. My wife has gone a little stir crazy; if she doesn't have something external (needing to walk to a meeting, needing to go from room to room, stopping for lunch) to make her move around, she'll just work nonstop.

So she'll look up at 3, having worked nonstop since 7, and just be a zombie.

Sirras

2:07

Have any advice for those of us not used to working remotely?

Ben Clemens

2:07

Same idea here, so let's combine them.

2:08

I would suggest making sure to take breaks.

Writing isn't really the same kind of job that most people have, so I'm perhaps not the best point of comparison.

But I make a point of getting up and walking around the apartment every 20 minutes whether I need to or not, regardless of where I am in my writing.

2:09

I also try hard to get some social interaction in; chatting on slack with coworkers, or catching up with friends by text or email.

Lastly, I always keep up some random story I'm interested in (could be a book, could be a news article, whatever).

And read it in little drips and drabs

2:10

Working from home, you're susceptible to working way too hard without breaks and burning out. Just try your hardest to avoid that.

Also, don't work in bed, or on the couch. I have an office setup, but find something that separates work and leisure in your mind.

Cube Jockey

2:10

Assuming the season starts around July1, do they just play whatever remaining games are on the existing schedule, or are the schedules adjusted to equalize division opponents, home/away, etc.?

Ben Clemens

2:11

Oh, they'd have to adjust I think. It'll depend on how much time they have left, but if nothing else, home/away needs to be fixed. That's the least of baseball's problems when they're ready to restart, but it's definitely something they'll need to handle. I'd guess that as soon as they announce a new start date, they'll announce a new schedule as well.

Sirras

2:12

My group at work is trying to find a few games we can play while all working remotely as a 15 minute sanity break. Right now the Jackbox games are the only thing we've come up with. Any suggestions?

Ben Clemens

2:12

Oh Jackbox is fun! If you all have a console, maybe Overcooked? I've always enjoyed that game.

Mario Kart same kinda deal, though I doubt everyone would have a Switch.

2:13

But this isn't really my forte; I play a few online card games but I'm more of a board game person.

Bubbles

2:13

If you haven't watched The Wire by now, I take all your opinions less seriously. GOAT show.

Ben Clemens

2:13

I mean, people can watch what they want! No accounting for taste. But yeah, the Wire is great

2:14

I'm considering getting Disney+ for the Mandalorian, because I am a Star Wars fan but haven't been willing to pay for that yet. This seems like a reasonable excuse for it.

Sum

2:16

idea: RSNs should show every game, on the date (but not the year, obvi) they were played, for a given memorable season. for instance, I'd love watching the 2007 Red Sox in real time again.

Ben Clemens

2:16

I think some RSN's might do something like this.

If you can stream YouTube to a suitable device, you could do this yourself back to 2009:

2:17

https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/51ghh1/psa_how_to_watch_any...

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