JotCast | Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 5/21/2020

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 5/21/2020

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Dan Szymborski

12:00

And the chat has begun, sayeth the clock.

12:01

And as powerful as I like to imagine I am -- though I am not -- I cannot stop time.

And it's really hard to even break a watch!

Carl

12:01

Do you happen to know what Eric means when he projects a player as a "second division regular"? I keep missing his chats to ask. Who is a current MLB player that would constitute a "second division regular"?

Dan Szymborski

12:01

I don't have the context, but before divisions, contenders and non-contenders were widely called first division and second division in the vernacular

12:02

so a second division regular, if Eric is using it as I would expect him to, is a starter on a bad team who wouldn't really push a contender towards the playoffs.

So think guys like Randal Grichuk or Colin Moran

BeefLoaf108

12:03

Dan, IF MLB does actually play a shortened season, what avant-garde rule amendments or format amendments (playoffs or other) would you like to see them test out?

Dan Szymborski

12:03

Pitchers who intentionally throw baseballs at batters are immediately sent for vaccine challenge tests.

Beane

12:03

*looks at "Team Top Prospects" list*
*looks at Boston Red Sox entry dated December*
*looks at 5 remaining entries sitting empty 6 months later in midst of scramble for articles*
*looks at you*

Dan Szymborski

12:03

Hey, Dan doesn't write them!

Guest

12:03

Just curious: has the pandemic made you rethink some of your libertarian beliefs (eg, "maybe it'd be good to have a national strategy or orders)? Or, on the flip side, do you think it has reinforced them in ways (eg, "people should be taking more personal responsibility to avoid spreading this")?

Dan Szymborski

12:03

At their core, my beliefs are based on philosophy, so there's not much change there.

12:04

Though I have too much of a pragmatic streak to go all-in on *practice* there. In the real world, I'm the wishy-washy guy who votes for Tsongases and Hogans.

Abe

12:04

Its really frustrating to see the content most fantasy podcasts, including Fangraphs is putting out. There really isn't relevant fantasy information or player profiles left to break down and help us?

Dan Szymborski

12:05

It's a tone thing - people aren't really focused in on the season yet.

So the pure 2020 season pieces don't make sense until we get to closer.

Guest

12:05

This is all going to end with Trump "ordering" (realistically just complaining about them on twitter) ballplayers to go back to work, isn't it? If that happens, do you think he'll lose some of the support he's enjoyed from MLB players? It seems to be the one sport that really hasn't irked him with protests, outspoken opposition,etc.

Dan Szymborski

12:05

I'm sure people would just ignore him.

Billy Beane

12:06

Dan, you do the Bunker 11 Easter egg in Warzone yet?

Dan Szymborski

12:07

I have not!

Warzone's been a little temperamental for me, it's been crashing to desktop when updating shaders.

12:08

I know it's not a hardware problem, nothing wrong in any other game and I've stress-tested my GPU extensively.

I did finally get in later last night.

Compliments to the chef

12:08

Fangraphs is Far and Away the best. Adding Nicole Kidman would be a Plus. I appreciate you in particilar mostly being non political.

Dan Szymborski

12:08

I think she's a bit too pricey for us!

12:09

It's not that I don't have political beliefs, I just personally subscribe to stick to sports (and stick to craziness)

I don't have any problems with anyone else feeling differently.

Everything's so nasty and partisan and I *like* being someone that people all over the spectrum can read without them feeling like I'm bashing them for their beliefs.

Unless they think Ian Desmond is good, of course.

Guest

12:10

Isn't the main argument against "the owners are losing money without fans" just simply "why would they even consider holding a season, then?" I'd be hard pressed to think anyone could say that they're doing it out of magnanimous generosity of spirit with a straight face.

Dan Szymborski

12:10

People have weird ideas.

Guest

12:10

with all the bean talk, have you actually ever posted your chili recipe? Would love to see it because I still don't understand how you can make it with *just* meat and peppers. Don't you need some broth or something at least?

angry

1

Dan Szymborski

12:10

Broth? You ain't making a stew here!

I don't use a specific recipe.

err, soup, not stew

12:11

Finely chopped beef, a bit of suet if you can find it (lard if you don't), a couple tablespoons of masa harina, every chili you can get your hands on, and one of those little cans of chipotle en adobo.

12:12

Dump it in a crockpot or pressure cooker.

Szan Dymborski

12:12

Are you the chili heretic?

Dan Szymborski

12:12

Your autocorrected turned hero into heretic.

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