JotCast | Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 8/12/2019

Dan Szymborski

11:58

Instead of getting into a random Twitter fight right at 11:58 AM and starting the chat late, I'm going to go against character and do the responsible thing and just start my chat at 11:58 AM!

ECDC

11:58

Would you give Scherzer the Verlander extension (2 years/$66 million) right now?

Dan Szymborski

11:58

Absotively, posilutely.

Bread Gardner

11:59

Gotta admit, not really digging this matte black/matte white motif for Players' Weekend. I'd have loved to see more throwback jerseys... like, it would be legendary to have '50s-era uniforms for the Yankees-at-Dodgers games, you know?

Dan Szymborski

11:59

I wouldn't mind everyone getting to choose their own. It's not football and it's not really hard to tell who is on what team from context.

Bread Gardner

11:59

I would like to call attention to Suzyn Waldman's recent nomination to the Radio Hall of Fame; unfortunately, she was not elected. She's a genuine trailblazer and I hope she someday gets a well-deserved place in Cooperstown.

Actual Knight, Multinational Treasure, MLB Shortstop Didi Gregorius spent his rehab learning to draw. His Instagram is the best thing he does on social media (even better than his post-win emoji-laden tweets). One recent sketch turned Brett Gardner into the clown of everyone's nightmares, presumably because Brett Gardner is a practical joker with a hidden dark side. Please help me spread the word.

12:00

I was thinking about how we don't appreciate how incredible our favorite ballplayers are and recalled an article Eno wrote in February for The Athletic about how major leaguers are Herculean in comparison to we mere mortals. He and two buddies did some testing, and realized thusly:

"You might have one tool that comes close to major league quality. ... Maybe there?s one thing that you could do around, let?s say, a Single-A level. But put them all together? We?re all really far from being able to do anything at even close to the level that professional baseball players are accustomed to."

In conclusion, Mike Trout, Angel, is quite possibly the Archangel Michael. Because what he does is literally superhuman.

Dan Szymborski

12:00

I would disagree with Eno. I have successfully completed three gallon-of-milk challenges with monetary involvement and won a fourth, direct showdown.

Bread Gardner

12:00

Fill in the blank: "The funniest Players' Weekend name is ________."

Dan Szymborski

12:01

The lettuce emoji that Bettis is using

Ari

12:01

Odds Padres get to 79 wins?

Dan Szymborski

12:02

Dunno, 15%? They're off the pace and there ought to be no inclination to make a push down the stretch. I'm pretty sure they don't want Paddack at 150 innings this year

But here's the thing, let's say the Padres finish at 75-87

12:03

For some, that would be a bad year, but not for San Diego. This 75-87 year would be far more productive than their 71 and 74 win seasons earlier this decade.

They used the year to *learn* things about their players. To *test* things.

Matt

12:03

Is a sandwich a hot dog?

Dan Szymborski

12:03

Of course not, what a ridiculous question.

Concrete fan

12:03

Which franchise is in the most hopeless position right now, the Orioles, Marlins or Royals?

Dan Szymborski

12:04

Royals

Somewhat better willingness to invest in team than Marlins but a wrose farm system at this point

Jim Leyland Palmer

12:04

Can you explain why pitching prospects aren't normally subject to service time manipulation?

Dan Szymborski

12:04

I'm not sure this is necessarily true

Jim Leyland Palmer

12:05

You buying any of the smoke that Dombrowski is done in Boston after this season?

Dan Szymborski

12:05

There have been a lot of rumors. When you combine a disappointing seasons with literally about 10 months in which nearly nothing has been done transactions-wise, I'd have to think D^2 isn't completely safe.

12:06

But this is a rumor. I would not imply that I have specific inside information about the Red Sox that would leave me more sure about this.

And yes, journalists aren't immune to having our backroom talks and amplifying something we believe might be true rather than actually is.

Gub Gub

12:07

At what point do we rewrite the fundamental laws of the universe to account for The Mets?

Dan Szymborski

12:07

I'm telling you, they accidentally ended up with a terrific trade deadline.

They're The Producers in baseball firm.

12:08

You can almost see Jeff Bialystock fretting in the winter after making the playoffs that because of the team's success, they'll have to trade Syndergaard *and* Stroman in the offseason

MilwaukeeBeerJays

12:08

Dan, If you were to cut a tater tot lengthwise in half, fold a small piece of deli meat and put it between the two halves, would it be a sandwich?

Dan Szymborski

12:09

Yes, but an amuse bouche type sandwich

Soxtober2020

12:09

Are you excited for the return of the Highlander decks? Seems like games are a bit more fun and unpredictable in the current meta

Dan Szymborski

12:09

At least early on, one of the keys has been that the Quest rewards and Highland rewards aren't gamebreaking.

12:10

When you have quests that essentially provide infinite value, Control decks die and control decks are always a good check against greedy aggro or minion-based decks.

IsIt2020Yet?

12:10

Local media in Pittsburgh finally asking if it's time for Huntington and Hurdle to go. How the heck does Bob Nutting even lure good replacements to the 'Burgh without massive assurances of budget increase?

Dan Szymborski

12:10

I think the ownership is the problem, not H&H Baseball Factory

Yo-Yo

12:11

Hyped for the FF7 Remake?

Dan Szymborski

12:11

Ambivalent. I'm not that excited about it being recast as an action RPG (unless this has changed as I have not followed it super closely)

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