JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 5/18/20

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Ben Clemens

2:24

Which makes sense, because if you ask a player about his life, he's an extreme nerd about the sport most likely but then also a person outside of that.

And if you give someone editorial control, they will probably want to talk about themselves, naturally.

2:26

I"m just not sure that that angle works. I like reading the baseball stories a lot though!

Sonny

2:26

I don’t believe owners want to play this season and the demands they’re placing on players are a bad faith maneuver to get out of the March agreement.

Ben Clemens

2:26

Eh, I don't think this is the case at all.

That TV money is a big deal

.I think the idea of this is to trash the players in the court of public opinion

2:27

Hence all these bizarre 'oh we're willing to lose money ot play the game' things

No you aren't!

You've been ever so clear over the years about a complete unwillingness to lose a red cent.

They just know they won't get punished by the media for it

2:28

So they lie and trash the players and hope the players cave

It's smart, honestly, b/c fans love billionaires and teams

But I think that the owners badly want a season but also know they have the leverage to both make the players look bad and make them cave

Morbo

2:28

Re The teams loosing money: I can't imagine that the Rays or the Marlins were really counting on their attendance of dozens of fans a game to be profitable. The claim that those teams will loose $91 million and $126 million respectively based on not having fans in the ball park is laughable. Additionally even if teams are allowed to have fans at 25% capacity both of those teams could experience 0 attendance loss since they don't come close to filling their stadiums

Ben Clemens

2:28

Yeah the entire thing is comical

Comical!

2:29

They also claim, with a straight face, that they've never made any profits

While publicly reported revenue skyrockets far faster than player salaries

And at the same time huge market teams take below-market deals with wholly or mostly owned RSN's

That are making insane bank

They just know that they don't even have to try

2:30

They can say whatever the heck they want.

So they do!

If you knew that if you claim you aren't making money, people would believe you

Why not do it!

Highway61

2:30

Do you think Blake Snell came across as reasonable, out of touch with society, or just a petulant child?

Ben Clemens

2:30

Honestly, a little of the first and a little of the second.

2:31

I get his overall point, but the Blake Snells of the world, while they are getting screwed over by the system, aren't the ones I care most about

It's the min salary guys and minor leaguers.

So his haha pay me thing

Yeah I mean, that's true!

But the guys I feel worst for aren't Blake Snell, and I wish he would have spoken to that more.

Doesn't mean I don't think he's right, just that it didn't come across as well as it could have.

Sir Nerdlington

2:31

Median player salary is 1.4M. At what salary level do players on the 40 man say, let's broaden the tent and include minimum wages for those in the Minors? The stronger the floor the more leverage a union has to stop work.

Ben Clemens

2:31

Yeah, I truly don't understand why this hasn't happened

A la Snell comment above.

2:32

No idea whatsoever

Guest

2:32

Ben, what are the best board games to play over zoom?

Ben Clemens

2:32

Ooh! Okay so there are a few options