JotCast | Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat

Kevin Goldstein FanGraphs Chat - 2/28/2022

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Kevin Goldstein

12:35

Yes. At times exceptionally so.

Guest

12:35

Why does college baseball still use metal bats? I find it strange, correct me if I'm wrong for thinking that. Does the big aluminum bat industry possess a stranglehold on the NCAA?

Kevin Goldstein

12:35

It does, but it's only a lot of money to do wood bats and a lot of college programs, most really, are not money making sports. I personally think MLB should supply D1 with wood bats, but I digress.

Thomas

12:36

Have you ever played Strat-o-Matic? I'm shortly joining a league that's been around longer than I've been alive. Equal parts nervous and excited

Kevin Goldstein

12:36

Played a TON in my younger days. I still remember a Sid Fernandez no-hitter when I was a teen.

Dave

12:36

Would there be much utility in an MLB front office bringing in an data analyst/scientist from a different sport just for the different analytics perspective they could bring?

Kevin Goldstein

12:37

Teams do it all the time already! I know of analysts right now with big league teams that have previously worked for NBA or NFL teams.

Guest

12:37

Odds that Jeter's resigning is a show of solidarity for players and a principled stand against his disillusionment with ownership groups?

Kevin Goldstein

12:37

Nope.

Insert Witty Name Here

12:37

How good is the coffee in the front office? Gourmet shit that even Tarantino wild enjoy?

Kevin Goldstein

12:38

I can only speak of Houston, and my answer is that I was well acquainted with the Starbucks across the street.

Tom

12:38

Do hitting coaches really make a difference? It seems rare when a new guy is brought in and sudden improvements happen.

Kevin Goldstein

12:38

They make a difference.

NotAA

12:39

when Scouts/Directors become overly friendly with prospects does that ever become an issue within the FO just for the accuracy of their evaluation? Asking for a friend….

Kevin Goldstein

12:39

It does not.

Tom

12:39

In your time with the Astros, did you ever throw a trade offer at the Angels for Trout? Are there some players that are never brought up in trade as it would be pointless?

Kevin Goldstein

12:39

Never did.

12:40

I would want some kind of indication that there's at least a 1% chance of it being worth our while for a player like Trout.

Inaccessible Rail

12:40

During the Marvin Miller era, the press and most fans were very pro-owner. That seems to have changed. What happened? Has it really changed, or is just what I read that has changed?

Kevin Goldstein

12:41

I think if you polled ALL fans today, they'd still be pro owner, but not anywhere near the level of the Miller days. I don't think it's a baseball thing as much as it's a overall culture thing as society has become more distrustful of those in power, often for very legitimate reasons.

Jacques Pederson

12:41

Will front office staff be put on furlough if the season is delayed a few months?

Kevin Goldstein

12:41

A few months? No.

I say Halo

12:42

Please share your thoughts on Max Stassi both as an Astro and now as an Angel.

Kevin Goldstein

12:42

Great defender with enough offense. Fantastic human being.

Jack B

12:42

Do you trust media sources that publish/tweet updates about the negotiations?

Kevin Goldstein

12:42

Direct facts? Yes. Opinions on how or when this ends? No.

12:43

RE: that Trout question, I would think the point that it is definitely not worthwhile is once he's extended. Do you think teams would still ask about Soto once the lockout is over?

Kevin Goldstein

12:43

They would be foolish not to.

Guest

12:43

Do FO employees ever get to practice/play/run around on the field when at the stadium?

Kevin Goldstein

12:43

Not really. There are people who workout in the stands, doing steps and the like.

Bill

12:43

Jeter did a ______ job with the Marlins.

Kevin Goldstein

12:43

Incomplete.

Guest

12:43

This may be a stupid question, but I didn’t play baseball growing up. I read prospect evaluators talk about “seeing a guy with a wood bat for the first time” and wonder, besides the obvious, how it’s different than swinging a metal bat. Heavier? Harder to control?

Kevin Goldstein

12:45

The biggest difference is the size of the sweet spot. You really have to square one up with a wood bat, while basically a metal bat is one giant sweet spot.

Guest

12:45

By agreeing to a Luxury Tax threshold years ago, the players already accepted a soft salary cap. Why wouldn't they now accept a salary floor? Might as well take the good with the bad.

Kevin Goldstein

12:45

It's not good, it actually depressed overall spending.

Guest

12:46

re: the question about FO on the field. Would security actually run you off if two FO employees decided to throw on the field during their lunch break in the offseason? Or would it be stopped before you even got that far?

Kevin Goldstein

12:46

I would hope those two wouldn't decide to just do that without getting a ton of permission.

Jack B

12:46

What was your first job in baseball?

Kevin Goldstein

12:47

On which side? Public or private?

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