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Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat - 4/14/2020
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Toshi
2:00
Hi, thank you for chat. If the MLB season ends well into November, I am wondering if these games late in season need to be played in ballparks with roofs. How many ballparks have roofs?
Meg Rowley
2:01
Including the Rangers' new digs, by my count there are eight ballparks with roofs, either retractable or fixed.
2:02
One of those is the Rogers Centre, and I suppose we don't know what international travel might look like come November, and some of the others are in places that will be mighty chilly, but even still, with the parks in warmer parts of the country, there should be plenty of places for playoff games to be played when the time comes.
Jinder
2:03
Let's pretend all of the covid stuff hasn't happened, for a moment, which of these pitchers did you expect to have the best 2020: Darvish, Kluber, Lynn, or Paxton (pre-injury)?
Meg Rowley
2:03
Darvish - the way he was coming on late last season was pretty impressive.
2:04
I just bake in time lost to some sad, funky bit of nonsense for Paxton at this point.
Brian
2:04
In your opinion, if MLB moves forward with utilizing spring training ballparks for part or all of the season, would that favor hitters, pitchers, or indifferent?
Meg Rowley
2:06
I think pitchers are going to have weird-ass years no matter where they play. I think the heat and humidity will get to everyone, but probably be worse for hitters because of how often they're out in it?
Brian
2:06
In dynasty leagues, how does Severino's recent injury woes (shoulder and TJ) impact your long term outlook on him?
Meg Rowley
2:07
As someone who doesn't play fantasy baseball, it doesn't. From an actual on-field perspective, far too early to say. I don't want to assume a return to full strength, even as I hope for one.
Nolan
2:08
WAR7 is the stat that's often used to assess a Hall of Fame player's peak, based on the player's cumulative WAR in his best 7 seasons, but it makes me wonder: which Hall of Fame player has put up the worst 7 seasons in the course of his career?  Which HOFer, in other words, would have the lowest WAR total if you summed up the WAR from his worst 7 seasons?
Meg Rowley
2:08
This is a terrific question for Jay's next chat.
Jeff
2:10
As a baseball fan, I'm cautiously optimistic about the Arizona-Florida Plan. As a Marlins fan, I'm a bit nervous about having to come up with a whole new gimmick if half the teams are doing the whole play-in-an-empty-ballpark-in-Florida thing.
Meg Rowley
2:11
I wouldn't worry too much - the thing is, if there are games in Marlins Park, we're going to be so stupid amped for baseball you don't need a gimmick
there will be baseball
can you imagine?
Logan
2:11
If the 2020 season does not happen, how do you think the free agent market will react to Semien, LeMahieu, and other players who had excellent but largely unexpected 2019 seasons?  Presumably all players will receive smaller contracts than they otherwise would because of the impact of a cancelled season on teams' revenues, but will players like Semien and LeMahieu--who are deprived of the chance to demonstrate that 2019 was not a fluke--be harmed to a greater degree?
Meg Rowley
2:13
I suppose possibly, though I think with LeMahieu demonstrating that he could have a good year away from Coors will matter most, as will Semien having put up a second good season at short.
2:14
But I think we'll see a lot of guys take one-year deals to try to re-enter the market after a more normal season, though they'll also be in a new CBA. How they balance those factors will be interesting.
Rob k
2:14
At this point, I think the best way to keep us thinking about baseball is to leak every idea they have to bring baseball back, especially the bad ones. Five inning games with Home Run Derby tiebreakers. Play every game in Russia. Mid season redraft if teams have outbreaks. Just keep the content machine humming.
Meg Rowley
2:14
While they're at it, gimme that Red Sox report. Gimme it. Give. It. To. Me.
2:15
I think it is very fair to note the issues with these plans. I think it will be fair to criticize them if one is enacted that shows an indifference to public health. But some of the response has been a little odd to me. As I said on EW last week, you don't plan Thanksgiving dinner the night before. That's how you end up with no pie.
See! You! Later!
2:15
Can you tell us about FanGraphs Prep?
Meg Rowley
2:16
The response to the idea was great and showed there was interest, so now we're in the process of chatting with educators on the best way to execute.
We'll have more in the coming weeks.
Soundwave
2:17
Meg, Meg, she’s our friend. We’ll chat with her until the end!
Meg Rowley
2:17
I mean, at some point I have to make more coffee, but thanks!
Timmy P
2:18
Is Yandy Diaz an everyday player? Are you buying his "emergence"?
Meg Rowley
2:18
Depends on the rest of the infield. He can't really handle third, so it becomes a matter of where you can shift him to hide him as much as possible. Rays have a lot of guys like that.
#1 Flan
2:19
I asked Ben this yesterday, but favorite baseball books? I just finished "Nine Innings" and "Summer of '49" and am looking for more. Thanks!
Meg Rowley
2:20
Grab The Summer Game and Five Innings by Roger Angell.
Dollar Sign on the Muscle is also wonderful.
2:21
My two extremely biased recs are The Only Rule Is it Has to Work by Sam Miller and Ben Lindbergh, and Eric and Kiley's new book Future Value, which officially released today. I think they are objectively very good, but must acknowledge my pal status.
brad
2:21
they cant really be thinking of 7 inning games, that will destroy fantasy baseball with Wins and saves being out of whack
Meg Rowley
2:22
I don't say this to diminish it as concern to you, but I doubt strongly that is going to matter to them.
They need baseball. We need baseball. They will do whatever allows them to play the most baseball.
Choco
2:23
How do you think about rookie SPs in a short season? How would you rank these: Puk, Urquidy, McKay, Kopech?
Meg Rowley
2:23
Not really a short season consideration but Kopech, Puk, Urquidy, McKay.
bk
2:24
Meg, do you know when the next update on draft content will be?
Meg Rowley
2:24
Later this week is the plan
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