JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 4/13/20

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Ben Clemens

2:28

Plus everything Roger Angell of course, that almost goes without saying.

Trent

2:28

The 2013 NLWC was pretty miserable to watch for us Reds fans. And to add insult to injury, Fangraphs didn’t even spell Cincinnati correctly in the piece you linked.

Ben Clemens

2:29

Oh my! The pain.

But yes, that game was, uh, not great for Reds fans.

Derek

2:29

The Wax Pack (discussed on Effectively Wild) came out last week I think (what is time?). I'm about 85% of the way through it and it has been an extremely enjoyable read so far!

Ben Clemens

2:29

I've ordered it based on listening to that interview.

Also, I'm going to crack into Eric and Kiley's book, Future Value, soon.

2:30

But that's more of a nuts-and-bolts kind of thing. Something I still like, and if you're into that genre, Dollar Sign on the Muscle is still great.

But different genre than the narrative type ones.

Off topic, but Cincinnati is the city I misspell most frequently, and it's not close.

2:31

I'm not even sure what would come in second.

Dan

2:31

I wonder if anyone is paying attention to pro baseball in Taiwan (CPBL). They just started the season with empty stadium; it's the only pro baseball going on right now. Some former major league players (mostly pitchers) are playing there.

Ben Clemens

2:31

I almost joined a CPBL fantasy league.

I could use some dang real baseball in my life.

2:32

That said, I didn't watch Opening Day. I've watched a few of the KBO scrimmages though, Sung Min Kim has been awesome about getting the word out when they're streaming.

Magic Kingdome

2:32

When does MLB take the H-O-R-S-E route and set up remote HR derbies? They can use minimum standardized dimensions with temporary fencing to make it fair (and even adjust for elevation so the Rockies player waiting it out in the Denver suburbs does not automatically win).

Ben Clemens

2:33

I actually think the trash-talking MLB The Show league is a better format than virtual HR derby.

I'd watch a HORSE-style trick hit competition, though I doubt many would.

Put a bucket on second base and pop a ball into it, that kind of thing.

But I'm not sure that HR derby would really work in a remote format.

pirates hurdles

2:34

Having been there, it was the 1st time I watched it on TV when local sports channel reran a few weeks ago. Amazing what you forget in just 7 years lol

Ben Clemens

2:34

Yeah I rewatched about half of the games we suggested. I'd seen some of them live, but watching games years later is a really different experience.

Derek

2:35

It's great to be able to talk about potentially playing baseball again, but it still seems like all of the logistical hurdles you wrote about last week seem... "insurmountable" feels strong and depressing, but... insurmountable. The isolating/testing/separation from families all seem like dealbreakers and I haven't really seen any solid plans covering any of them. It sucks, but all this scheduling talk seems almost pointless in the absence of plans for the logistical side of things.

Ben Clemens

2:35

Yeah... I think that without more details, it's hard to like any plan.

2:36

Like, most of what people are talking about is how to play the baseball.

MLB isn't going out there and saying how many rubber gloves they'd need or anything.

I imagine that behind the scenes, that's a lot of what they're working on, and that the reason we're seeing leaks of various plans is just to test public opinion.

2:37

I get the sense that if they actually announce they're coming back, it will be with a well-engineered plan that's seen a lot of stress testing.

The PR disaster if some of the support employees or coaches or whatnot get sick or die is just not something they could handle.

Nevermind actual criminal liability.

TKDC

2:39

If there is no season, how will the 2021 draft order be determined?

Ben Clemens

2:39

Hm. I guess based on 2019 finishing order?

I kind of think that if the whole season is canceled there might not be a draft this year.

You could imagine that as a good excuse.

2:40

But if they do, I still don't see how they get away from just running the order back.

Dan

2:40

Looks like CPBL games will be streamed online for free from official team accounts. Games take place early morning ET. I guess this could be an opportunity for this league that has never received any attention outside Taiwan. I heard Baseball-reference will start to include stats from this league. Wonder if Fangraph will consider it as well!

Ben Clemens

2:41

Not sure on the stats front; that's not a side of our site that I work on, but we have stats providers and such, and I dunno how that works for various foreign leagues. That said, watching and talking about it seems right up our alley, and maybe that aligns with the stats; who knows. Taiwan is really baseball crazy, though, so I bet it'd be fun to watch.

John

2:41

The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book. My favorite baseball book ever

Ben Clemens

2:42

I hadn't heard of this book, so I just googled it, and this game looks sweet!

2:43

Sorry, this book

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