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Klawchat 2/11/21
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xxx(yyy)
1:26
anything specific on the valentines menu for this weekend?
Keith Law
1:27
I haven't planned that yet ... I've got some CSA options still here and will figure something out around whatever veg I haven't used elsewhere yet. I have a few ideas at least.
Jose
1:27
Do expect fans to be allowed at the minor leagues games this season ?
Keith Law
1:27
I do not, and if we're not mostly vaccinated I don't want fans at the games even (or especially) if they allow scouts and media.
Dee Arby
1:28
What are your thoughts on how we can become a more intellectual society? Or is that just a pipe dream and the masses will always be extremely gullible?
Keith Law
1:28
Greater investment in public education. Unfortunately we're heading the other way, with huge dark-money efforts undermining public education (funded in part by the Dbacks' owners) or trying to push right-wing ideologies into schools.
Rodney
1:29
Loved reading your Jays list this morning. How do you think time at the alt site changes a timeline for a player like Gabriel Moreno? The hitting approach seems advanced for his age, but catching takes time. Could he start at High-A, but see AA this year with a mid-2022 timeline, whether it's in Toronto or elsewhere via trade?
Keith Law
1:29
Yes, I'd say that's a possible-optimistic timeline.
Chris P
1:29
There were a few goons in the comments of an article on The Athletic about the health and safety protocols MLB and the PA agreed on, that were saying this is stupid because it's all based on fear of something that isn't *really* that dangerous. Regardless of if they are correct (they aren't), how can people not see that this is also a huge financial issue. Imagine a player, staff, ump, or someone associated with them dies from Covid when it could have been prevented or at a minimum, addressed by the league like this. The money they'd have to pay out is worth way more than just a few health and safety rules.
Keith Law
1:30
Or, if you want to be really callous, the lost productivity when there's a community outbreak, with associated quarantining, caused by MLB activity.
Santaspirt
1:30
I know you look back on previous top 100 lists you make and are always trying to improve your evaluations. You mention specifically undervaluing Goldschmidt as a prospect and using that example to evaluate Hoskins. The majors is littered with players who never made a top 100 - are there any other types you've noticed that are being undervalued at the moment? Types who don't look like much but consistently break in to the show?
Keith Law
1:30
You may notice in a lot of my writeups this year acknowledgments of players who are under six feet but still project as big leaguers, even as stars (Corbin Carroll). I think that industry bias is still strong.
I mean, if Carroll was 6'3", he goes top 3.
Nolan
1:30
I'm curious why Bauer seems to be causing such a clear divide within the baseball fandom. The most generous read of his behavior is he's a troll. That's just who he is and the online presence he's cultivated, regardless of your take on it. But people seemed to have reacted so strongly to writers just pointing out that he has a history of behavior that any club would have to consider when deciding if they should sign him. Is that the main issue, that what some view as "censorship" or "cancel culture" is really just due diligence on a guy someone is about to pay an obscene amount of money to? Wouldn't any club *rather* their 40m a year pitcher not also be an internet troll?
Keith Law
1:32
I do think some of his fans view this as cancel culture stuff, but I would be far more concerned that, given the chance to acknowledge his history of bullying on social media and promising to learn from the feedback, he chose to deny it all. That unwillingness to take responsibility for his words and actions does not speak well for the accountability he will have to take as a player and member of a new team.
Zac
1:32
Can you explain the difference between a #1 and #2 and #3 pitcher is?I think it would help me understand your prospect breakdown and why a pitchers ceiling is where it is?
Keith Law
1:34
I think of them in tiers. There should be about 15 aces (#1 starters) in any given year, give or take a few. Each tier below that - 2, 3, 4 - would have about 30 guys, one per team. There might be 30 Opening Day starters, guys who are first in their teams' rotations, but they're not all truly #1 starters who'd be aces on a majority of teams.
Alex
1:34
Does Tevin Vavra have enough of an arm to play 2b (one of the Os blogs had concerns of him playing 2b, much less filling in at SS)?
Keith Law
1:34
Yes.
Chris P
1:34
It has been pretty tough since the holidays with the weather and tighter restrictions, so I just want to say thanks for keeping up with the prospect rankings and giving us something to look forward to. My interest in baseball feels like it's been waning, so this is coming at a great time.
Keith Law
1:35
Here's hoping we get games soon for us to watch and argue about.
Aaron C.
1:35
Any new recipes/cookbook endeavors in klawland?
Keith Law
1:35
Cookbooks no, but the CSA has pushed us to try a lot of new recipes. This has been a huge hit - pasta with sausage, broccoli rabe, and chickpeas. I used chicken sausage and about 50% more pecorino romano than the recipe called for.
xxx(yyy)
1:36
wife and i are going to go back and watch some classic movies she hasn't seen - any comedies you think that stand the test of time?
Keith Law
1:36
His Girl Friday.
Dan
1:36
Thanks for that chat even though it's so obvious you hate my team. I was surprised by what seems like a light return for Benintendi. Had the bottom really fallen out that much for him? Do you expect a return to the performance from even his rookie season?
Keith Law
1:37
He seems like he needs swing help, maybe something significant, and/or the Red Sox just felt they couldn't help him develop any further. I'm shocked - I thought he'd be far better than this, at least hitting for consistently high averages even if he didn't have 20+ HR power.
Tristan
1:37
Reading your org rankings, I'm struck by how quickly the Jays have rebuilt. They started after teams like Baltimore and Detroit who still seem years away from being years away. Is the credit deserved org-wide, or are there key personnel you look at driving this success?
Keith Law
1:37
It's org-wide IMO but I also think their international scouting department deserves to be singled out for their substantial contributions.
Aaron C.
1:37
When you penned your "joined the Athletic" piece, you mentioned possibly writing about labor relations IIRC. Still in the cards for you/your editor?
Keith Law
1:38
Yes, hoping to get to that soon, now that we're in CBA negotiation time.
Jon Weisman
1:38
Hi Keith. Would you be able to name your five favorite comic-strip characters of all time? (BTW, I'm not strict about it being exactly five.)
Keith Law
1:39
Opus, Steve Dallas, Hodgepodge, Portnoy, Calvin.
Dee Arby
1:39
Hitters who make the majors by age 20 usually turn out to be stars.  Is this the year Devers goes full bonkers?
Keith Law
1:39
He was pretty good in 2019. I'm still a buyer.
PJ
1:39
any chance the new CBA will allow players to hit free agency earlier? Seems like front offices are more weary of giving big contracts to 30/31yr olds, and that is what is driving these slow and underwhelming hot stove winters
Keith Law
1:39
I'd love to see that. Owners supported it in 1994 - they tried to force through much earlier free agency, I think after 4 years - but I don't think they would do so now.
Pat D
1:39
I feel like this is the least interested I've been in the Oscars since before I became capable of seeing movies independently, even though it seems like I can watch all of the contenders through various streaming services.  I'm not sure if this is due to not being constantly bombarded with trailers and promotion due to lack of theater-going, or just general malaise from the year of COVID.  What's your interest level this year?
Keith Law
1:40
Interested but we haven't had time to see enough contenders yet, and the fact that the overall favorite, Nomadland, is still trying to do theatrical runs not only dims my interest but actively pisses me off. There's a pandemic going on right now. Nobody should be watching movies in theaters.
Eric
1:40
Is Donald trump the worst American alive?
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