JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/21/21

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/21/21

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Ben Clemens

2:42

I'm not quite there yet, but I'm turning 36 this year

So it's a matter of years

CB

2:42

Interesting point about Bader. If Carlson and O'Neill are locked into RF/LF and Arenado/Goldy are the other corners, where does Gorman fit? They're playing him at 2B but he seems like an easy fit for OF.

Ben Clemens

2:42

Yeah, throw him in right or something

2:43

I'm not in love with the Tommy Edman leadoff hitter plan

But I am comfortable with using him as a second baseman

Chet Manley

2:43

Been thinking this for weeks, and because of your OOTP Brewers series you are probably more aware of this than others... but Milwaukee has to be all-in on an impact bat, right? You can't waste the trio of Woodruff/Burnes/Peralta, along with Hader and Williams, while they're all healthy and cheap, right? Right???

Ben Clemens

2:43

I totally agree in real life.... in my sim none of the pitchers have developed as well as planned so I have actually been signing pitchers

2:44

But yes, when you roll this well on pitching (and develop this well, but let's not act like there's no luck involved) you should push on it

Pumpsie Green

2:44

Have you ever seen a player with an opt-out include a negotiation window in their contract? Wondering if Arenado could look around for a few days to see if he would be offered more than the 6/$180 he's already got.

Ben Clemens

2:45

I've never heard of it, and I don't think teams would be interested in doing that, but I also think that probably some under-the-table tampering goes on anyway

You know, call up Arenado's agent in regards to another client, and while you have him on the phone mention that you're looking for a tihrd baseman and you'd have x dollars if a premium dude came on the market this year

I don't know a lot about tampering rules but it would hardly surprise me if that happens

pitchers

2:45

Why do so many top young SPs the past couple of years seem like 2-pitch guys? And is that normal?

Ben Clemens

2:46

I agree with you that it feels that way, but I don't have a good way of quantifying it

Some of it is that there are a lot fewer prospects coming up with a pitch that is bad but that they also throw 30% of the time

2:47

Like, lots of "three-pitch starters" were two-pitch starters who threw a changeup b/c they were supposed to

If you play OOTP, you'll know the 60 fastball, 80 slider, 20 changeup type

James

2:47

We've seen repeated instances where rules are historically rarely enforced and become more like guidelines until people step over the line (e.g., steroids, sign stealing, grip enhancers), what do you think it will it take to have MLB engage in a top to bottom look at the rulebook and make changes to prevent this pattern from continuing?

Ben Clemens

2:48

A divine bolt of lightning that resets the course of human history and re-wires everyone's brains

Like, that's the story of human history

Not just baseball

To paraphrase Charlie Murphy, humanity steps over the line, habitually. We're all habitual line-steppers

Gary Sanchez

2:49

Is this basically what some of the folks pointing out he was hitting better than his underlying numbers the last couple of years were saying?

Ben Clemens

2:49

Kind of?

Like, 2019 yes

2020, no, he was just bad

2:50

But yeah, he's using a similar approach to the past

Gil

2:50

Damn, a Charlie Murphy reference? RIP to him

Ben Clemens

2:50

RIP indeed

Calvin Coolidge

2:50

Asked KG a few weeks back if Babe Ruth had a stronger influence on baseball (as a sport) than Boras. It's weird to acknowledge, but as I suspected (and agree with), his answer was something like "Boras, and it's not even close". Besides Jackie (who is obvious), are there any other players you think have exerted a stronger influence than Boras? Maybe Clemente and Ichiro b/c of their influence on baseball's globalization?

Ben Clemens

2:50

Curt Flood

Candy Cummings, who invented the idea of a pitch that curves

2:51

(though I'm fine if you don't want to include him, b/c someone else would have figured it out)

Keith

2:51

Do you believe in Sasquatch?

Ben Clemens

2:51

I don't have a good idea to be honest

And I'm not just going to snap yes or snap no

2:52

I'm guessing no

But I just don't have any view whatsoever

Gary Sanchez

2:52

Maybe it means 2020 was just a weird year for a lot of people.

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