JotCast | Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 4/30/2020

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Dan Szymborski

12:16

They have all the data and are working on it now

Numpty

12:16

Dan, can you project what I'm going to eat for lunch? The available data: Last night's dinner was spaghetti with asparagus, today's breakfast was a granola-like cold cereal, I'm working from home and eating what's available.

Dan Szymborski

12:16

Would need to know what's in your fridge.

Tom

12:16

If there is no season, how many teams pull the plug in their current window (CLE? TEX? CIN? OAK?) and start a rebuilding process. 2021 could be a feast or famine season across the league.

Dan Szymborski

12:16

Cleveland might.

The Rangers are in a window?

The offense is clownshoes

John

12:17

Posnanski picked Mays over Ruth as best player. Ruth has the, “he was a pretty good pitcher as well” and the “total dominance” argument. Mays has the “missed a couple years to the war” and “played in terrible soul-crushing ballparks”. Who was the best ?

Dan Szymborski

12:17

In their times, I have to give the edge to Ruth.

Who would be better today is always a tricky argument that needs a time machine

Jeries

12:17

Do you think teams will be more likely to manipulate service time with elite prospects during a shortened season? Or will the increased importance of marginal wins encourage them to call up guys who can actually improve their team?

Dan Szymborski

12:17

There are reasons both pro and con

For one, to get their elite prospects into actual games of baseball this year, they may have to be at the MLB level

12:18

(at least before the fall leagues)

Numpty

12:18

Fridge contents: peanut butter, yogurt, a plethora of cheeses both blocked and sliced. Freezer contents: a bevy of frozen meals and some plant-based simulated chicken patties.

Dan Szymborski

12:18

I'm programming ZiPS to crash when it sees plant-based chicken patties!

Curtis

12:18

Is the NL DH here to stay?

Dan Szymborski

12:18

I don't know if it's this time, but I think it's inevitable.

12:20

I think once there became an odd number of teams in each league, the death of the pitcher hitting was in the timeline

BLT

12:20

Any news on the gambling side of baseball and how they would react to shortened season, shorter games, realignments? I'd imagine they'd be less happy with unpredictable 7 inning double headers and loss of prop bets without traditional divisions, etc. Not saying it matters, but wonder if Vegas is trying to get a say in format

Dan Szymborski

12:20

I'm not...sure

Kiermaier's Piercing Green Eyes

12:20

Pirates would have been a good guess for the first to furlough. A part of me would have figured the Rays would want positive PR (especially as it pertains to creating jobs for the region) as they try to bilk taxpayers of hundreds of millions of dollars for a stadium, but perhaps the damage has been done by telling them they only deserve half a team and they'll just have to share with the good people of Montreal.

Dan Szymborski

12:20

I think we're way past the point where the Rays are worried about looking cheap!

dude

12:20

In the late 80s I remember getting Dave Parker, Ron Hassey, Brett Butler, and Howard Johnson’s autographs as a little kid. Did you ever meet any players/get autographs as a kid?

Dan Szymborski

12:22

I met a bunch of 1980s Orioles. I won a drawing in 1989 and got to hang out in the bullpen for a little bit.

I've never been an autograph/memorabilia collector.

As an adult, I don't buy a lot of things that I don't see direct utility from.

12:23

Which annoyed my mom so she made me buy art because I had a lot of plain white walls

Curtis

12:23

I think there's evidence that Ruth was much better than "pretty good" as a pitcher in his time. The Ken Burns Series mentions him as one of the best when he was with the Red Sox and he held a World Series (or postseason?) pitching record for many years...

Dan Szymborski

12:23

It amuses me that Ruth has more career playoff WPA as a pitcher than as a hitter

Roast Turkey Stearnes

12:23

If current regulations prevent clubs from being able to cross borders, do you think that dooms the idea of getting everyone (minus Toronto) back in their own park, or does Toronto just play an entire season on the road, batting last sometimes.

Dan Szymborski

12:23

I think if there was a problem, Toronto would be a road warrior team.

12:24

Or perhaps adopt a park as their home park

It really depends on what the season ends up looking like.

Sam

12:24

Outside of the all time legends (because of course you'd want to see them) who are some historical players you would want to see transported to the modern game?

Dan Szymborski

12:24

Some of those 19th century players for sure.

12:25

Who wouldn't want to see a player with the nickname The Freshest Man on Earth?

And while he counts as a legend, I'd like to see spin rate data for Three Finger Brown!

Maybe transport a spitballer and let them throw a spitball. I wanna see a Burleigh Grimes start.

Numpty

12:25

There is still one turkey burger left as well, and it's meat-based at that

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