JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/8/20

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Ben Clemens

3:08

The more that's the case, the more the salary cap just helps everyone

Derek

3:08

Catching should be significantly less grueling with robot umps though, right? Like, if no one is on base the catcher doesn't even need to try catch the ball. Not sure if that will actually make a substantial difference in reducing wear and tear long term though...

Ben Clemens

3:08

Yeah that I'm really not sure about

Like how much is the framing

And how much is the crouch

3:09

You'll still have to crouch, or at least sit or something

You can't just let the ball go to the backstop every time; the league certainly own't allow that

aaronsaron

3:09

In regards to pace of play, isn't the main issue simply that pitchers take forever to throw the ball (and to a lesser extent batters stepping out of the box every time)? I feel like this isn't brought up enough when trying to find the issue/solutions for pace of play. Some pitchers just take forever, and most aren't quick. I always was quick when I pitched, although I wasn't in the majors.

Ben Clemens

3:09

Because of pace of play!

Segues on point today

3:10

This is definitely some of it

Read this, though:

https://www.sbnation.com/a/mlb-2017-season-preview/game-length

I always like advertising Grant, because he's awesome

But this is a particularly good one

3:11

There are a few causes, with time between pitches leading

So you probably want to work on all of those

I'd say his overall conclusions match yours, which is why pitch clocks are a thing in the minors

I would say that yes, if you fixed that you'd fix a lot

3:12

So the question is how to fix that, and how much do you want to try to fix the other nitpicky things as well

Nathan

3:12

when did you realize that all your favorite players from your childhood were actually only kids as well and about 8 to 10 years older than you?

Ben Clemens

3:12

LeBron is like 8 months older than me

That's the one that really sticks with me

3:13

But I met Ozzie Smith in Cooperstown when I went to a Hall of Fame induction in 2013

Lame induction year, btw

Wouldn't suggest

But Ozzie was in his 50s then, late 50s

He was my favorite player when I was a kid, and one of my big early baseball memories was going to a game in St. Louis hoping to see Ozzie, and Royce Clayton played instead, my uncle told me Ozzie was getting too old

So I saw him as this colossally old guy

3:14

And nah, he's significantly younger than my dad and uncle

It's like that tweet, behold the ancient miracle, this 33-year-old man can still play a sport

Nathan

3:14

Do people who don’t like baseball not like it because it is too long and boring or do they think it is too long and boring because they don’t like baseball?

Ben Clemens

3:14

Definitely the second

Baseball does have too much dead space

But all sports have too much dead space

3:15

Like, have you watched a football game?

Jesus, it's all replays and showing Troy Aikman's impressively manicured hair

3:16

I like football, though I struggle with the moral implications of modern-day gladiator fighting given how awful it is for those who play

But it's notn like it's a thrill a minute

aaronsaron

3:16

I mean even if games still take long, as long as pitchers are throwing the ball something is still happening, unlike when they take forever and the game is taking long and nothing is happening.

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