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Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat - 9/11/18
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The Old Buccaneer
2:37
Better nautical-themed name, Pirates or Mariners?
Meg Rowley
2:37
I don't want to reward thievery in open waters here, but
Pat G
2:37
Kluber torched my ratios yesterday. Do I just run everyone out there to get W/K/QS, or do I try and manage my way back in. In that thread, do you pitch both Chacin and Quintana today?
Meg Rowley
2:38
Today, I ask a fantasy writer.
stever20
2:38
LA 12-8 in interleague play, Seattle 6-12 in interleague play
Meg Rowley
2:39
Sure. One of those teams is pretty good and one of those teams isn't and had to play the Dodgers.
Archimedes
2:39
Can we get an article that ranks all of the weird minor league player names that Jon Bois and Jeff have compiled on Twitter?
Meg Rowley
2:39
But why? It works so well as it is. As it is, it is practically perfect.
Deacon Don
2:40
The Brewers added a bunch of hitters with little regard to defense. It seems to be working. Is offense the new market inefficiency?
Meg Rowley
2:41
Obviously small sample, etc etc and there is almost certainly a point at which it would swing too far the other way, and I would expect some the pitchers don't love it, but it makes intuitive sense to me that the thing you do a lot more on an individual basis would matter more. But there is certainly a point where the pieces add up to an unworkable whole.
George
2:41
On a scale of 1 to 10 how worried should I be the Cubs will miss the playoffs?
Meg Rowley
2:42
Entirely? Not very.
lasordid
2:42
how do you feel about starting ballgames earlier?
Meg Rowley
2:43
I work from home and watching games is part of my job, so I wouldn't mind at all. I also am based on the West Coast and so have a time advantage already. I might be the worst possible person to ask.
Southi
2:43
Regarding Newcomb, there has been some discussion that he sweats more than many people and sometimes has issues with his grip because of that issue.  I have no proof of the validity of the "excess sweat claim" but I could see the logic behind the statement if true
Meg Rowley
2:44
You will not trick me into writing another piece about ballplayers' bodily secretions. You will not do it. No. NO.
v2micca
2:44
Not saying it is time to panic, but we need to acknowledge that Freddie Freeman is slumping.
Meg Rowley
2:46
A "slumping" Freddie Freeman still has a 112 wRC+ in September. He had a 115 in August. He is down relative to himself, but also, I think we need to be better at remember how streaky most everyone is.
2:48
He does have fewer hard hit balls the last few months, but I wouldn't be super alarmed yet.
Plate-o
2:49
If your family was starving, would you steal a base to feed them?
Meg Rowley
2:49
Sure-- you see how much those things go for?
Scott
2:49
What's the easiest award to predict?
Meg Rowley
2:49
I am going to say NL Cy Young because I have faith in people being reasonably smart.
John
2:49
As a fan, would you rather your team try to be a 90-win team for a decade and hope to get lucky once or twice, or sell the farm system for a couple of ULTRATEAM® years? Seems like the Braves are at this crossroads now.
Meg Rowley
2:49
The first one I think.
2:50
As a Mariners fan, I can tell you that feeling like the team you like best is contending is amazing.
PD
2:50
What's the WAR value in MVP voting for being on a winning team? I'm guessing it's at least 1 WAR so Betts probably has the edge right now.
Meg Rowley
2:51
It shouldn't matter imo. That isn't what the award is for. You know what you get for being on a winning team? The postseason! We already have a means of rewarding guys for that. BUT I think it does matter to a lot of voters, even if I wish it didn't.
Strelok
2:52
with extreme weather appearing to increase in occurrence, should the number of games in a season be shortened and teams be given more off days?
Meg Rowley
2:52
I think the season could stand to lose a few games anyway, and more off days would be good.
2:53
The smoke in Seattle in August did make me wonder what the league's business continuity plan is when it comes to extreme weather. Seems like they'll need one.
martyvan
2:53
Meg, I love your work, and I thought your Susan Waldman comment was a little harsh. It's not as if she's a horrific person, has played an awful female stereotypical role or as if she's completely void of baseball knowledge. I mean she and John are basically dated 80s versions of Phil Rizzuto and Ralph Kiner. But it's home team baseball and is supposed to be not great. But I believe she was a pioneer for females. JMO.
Meg Rowley
2:55
She was a pioneer for women (proper style is for female to modify a noun), and as I recall, I said I didn't have a strong opinion on her because of her role. I don't listen to Yankees radio broadcasts. That's not a knock on her, it's just an acknowledgement I don't engage her broadcasts.
99 problems but a trolley aint 1
2:55
You see a runaway trolley moving toward five people tied up on the tracks. You are standing next to a lever by the tracks that controls a switch. By pulling the lever, you will save the five people but send the trolley toward one clueless soul standing on the tracks, meaning your intervention has caused their death.

Twist: that person is James Paxton.

Question: What do you do?
Meg Rowley
2:55
My job is so weird and wonderful.
2:56
Further twist: I don't know James Paxton personally but he seems like a kind person and he is Canadian, so he likely would want to be killed by a trolley.
Archimedes
2:56
This is likely the last month we'll get to watch Victor Martinez hit hard liners straight into the shift and the occasional single off the wall. Get your viewings in while you still can!
Meg Rowley
2:56
We could be kinder about this. Think about how he feels. Think about how he must feel every. single. day.
Southi
2:57
While I haven't checked the actual numbers it seems that overall compared to 2017 that homerun numbers are down.  Is that true? And if so what would you think is the biggest factor behind it?
Meg Rowley
2:57
A moment, if you'll allow.
Connecting…