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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 2/10/17
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Jeff Sullivan
9:06
Hello friends
Welcome to baseball chat
Bourque
9:06
Hi, pal!
Jeff Sullivan
9:06
Hello pal
Zach
9:07
Better long term outlook- Mets or Yankees and why?
Jeff Sullivan
9:07
Yankees. Yankees have one of the best outlooks of any team. Of course there's the farm system, but more importantly, there's just the unbelievably massive franchise value and revenue level. Their resources are almost unparalleled
9:08
Over the longest time scales, money will make an enormous difference
Jonathan
9:08
What rule change in baseball would you like to see tested/implemented? Please don't say DH in both Leagues...
Jeff Sullivan
9:08
Pitch clock. It's going to happen
Willson Contreras
9:08
will I be a good pitch framer in 2017?
Jeff Sullivan
9:09
I don't think you're actually good. I don't think you're *bad*, but I think it'll be more like Hendricks making you look good
Goober
9:09
Long term...A. Reyes/Mazara or Taillon/Benetendi
Jeff Sullivan
9:09
This smells like a fantasy question but, what the hell, Taillon/Benintendi
chdavis
9:10
Hey Jeff, I’m doing a research project of my choice, and I want to try to determine how to find the peak angle of contact to get the optimal elevation on a baseball. I was also hoping to use this data analytically to help determine a way to find a prospect who would be the best candidate in the minor leagues who could use this data to change their swing and become a potential fringe player for the Majors. In a layman’s term, how to find a similar person to Josh Donaldson that can easily change their swing like Donaldson did to become an essential part of any franchise. What are your thoughts on this?
Jeff Sullivan
9:11
Obviously this is something that would be better for a non-chat format, but it's an important question: how do you identify the players who could become successful swing-changers like Donaldson, Pollock, Martinez, etc?
9:12
I don't think we can really know from the outside -- I'm not sure we have enough info, especially when it comes to guys still in the minors. You need guys who have a solid work ethic, first of all. A certain level of open-mindedness. You also probably need guys who have pretty good eyes, or else it'll just be wasted. And you want to make sure they have quick hands so you can guess at future bat speed
9:13
Probably a case-by-case-basis thing. If a player is successful, great. If he isn't, why isn't he? Is he hitting the ball wrong? Does it seem like he could get better at that? As Travis wrote the other day, I think we're only going to see an increasing number of these adjustments
HappyFunBall
9:14
Where do you stand on this heresy that your compatriot Sawchik proposes, namely that baseball games be allowed to end in a tie after 12 innings? If it were up to me we'd have him drawn and quartered in the town square.

The "problem" with long baseball games is not extra innings. It's the dead air during the first nine!
Jeff Sullivan
9:15
I haven't yet read Travis' article, and I can tell I'm biased by just not wanting to change how things are right now. I don't think that baseball has an extra innings problem, personally. Objectively, I'm not opposed to ties, but they would be unpopular, and I think watching one of those really long games really has a chance to create a memory. It's definitely an altered baseball experience, which I'd be sad to lose
5 Run Homer
9:15
Do you have a favourite hockey player or team? Or are you just the ultimate casual observer?
Jeff Sullivan
9:15
Daniel Alfredsson, Mark Stone, Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
9:16
Yesterday they scored because the Dallas Stars scored on their own empty net!
Alex P
9:16
If you were the Rockies GM, what would you have done differently this offseason?
Jeff Sullivan
9:17
Most recently, I would've put in a claim on Park
That would be a problem, because of Desmond, but I also wouldn't have signed Desmond, not for those terms
9:18
I doubt I would've been too active -- I like the Rockies' general direction, but right now I think they're caught in between. I liked the Holland move and I probably would've just focused on the bullpen
Slugger27
9:18
Why do players that have terrible years get arbitration raises?
Jeff Sullivan
9:19
Because baseball rewards service time. Not too different from how a lot of industries work
Sterling Mallory Chris Archer
9:19
If Mike Trout asked you on a bro date to ride a two seater bike around town, would you sit in the front or back?
Jeff Sullivan
9:19
Back because it feels safer for some reason
MPP
9:20
What type of haul can the W Sox get for Nate Jones?
Jeff Sullivan
9:20
A big one. Maybe not quite on the Ken Giles level, but Jones is super valuable. And he'll still be super valuable in July, when that premium exists
9:21
Pretty good trade competition with the Padres, who could have Hand/Buchter/Capps/Maurer/etc. Maybe the A's are out of it and selling Doolittle. Decent relief market
Kiner's Disembodied Hands
9:22
Who's your favorite non-baseball writer?
Jeff Sullivan
9:22
Probably Krakauer
CircleChange11
9:22
Please retire the Hello Bork thing....
Jeff Sullivan
9:23
Your message is negative. The message you refer to is consistently positive. It is better to be and to act positive
Also no one takes you seriously when you finish with an ellipsis
NatsFan
9:23
Any chance Chase Utley would go to the Nats and take Clint Robinson's space? Is that a better option for the team?
Jeff Sullivan
9:24
I bet it's something they're thinking about. And I know Utley is close to making a decision. The difference between the two isn't great, but Utley would be an improvement for a handful of reasons
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