JotCast | FanGraphs After Dark Chat

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Owen

9:30

If you were Girardi, how would you ideally pitch game 5? I mean obviously CC CG would be ideal, but you know what I mean.

Paul Swydan

9:30

I'd manage it exactly the way he managed the Wild Card game. Sabathia has not just a short leash, he has no leash. Green, Robertson, Kahnle, Chapman. If the game goes to extras, Sonny Gray or Betances.

Jeff Zimmerman

9:31

There is no way to know before the game gets going. Just know who can do what and throw the best arms

Owen

9:31

Are non-human animals sentient? I'd put it to a poll

Paul Swydan

9:31

I'd like to think so, yes.

Jeff Zimmerman

9:31

yea

Anna Karina

9:31

The AL results show a clear split between people who follow and love baseball and people who voted for a team other than Cleveland.

Paul Swydan

9:32

Anna feels pretty strongly that Cleveland should be the AL's rep. Again, I agree, but Houston and New York are both pretty fun teams to watch.

Jeff Zimmerman

9:32

Any of the teams are fine. Houston or Cleveland deserve it.

Ves

9:33

I think Lebron would actually be a CF, at least earlier in his career. He'd be incredibly rangey, great arm strength, insane first step, etc.

Paul Swydan

9:33

Yeah, if you're talking about 20-year-old LeBron, sure. But now, no way. No way his knees would keep up with that pounding.

Jeff Zimmerman

9:33

And think of the home runs he'd steal

Paul Swydan

9:33

Yeah that'd be fun.

KatieCaseyWasBaseballMad

9:33

Regardless of his health, was it hubris not to hold back Stras' bullpen?

Jeff Zimmerman

9:35

Bored sports writers stuck in their hotel rooms after emptying the mini-fridge.

Paul Swydan

9:35

Look, it's an old-school approach, but I don't think it's necessarily the wrong one. Game 5 is on Thursday, so they weren't getting another Scherzer start. Strasburg is going to only start one game. They picked Game 5. Shrug.

There's no reason that the Nats can't empty the bullpen behind Roark tomorrow in Game 4.

9:36

And then just pin their whole hopes to Strasburg in Game 5.

And again, maybe he really is sick. I don't know. Do you?

Jeff Zimmerman

9:37

Dann

9:37

My dad and I had enough time for one drink and an early bit of ballpark food before they sent us home. Hooray, after dark chat to get me through make-up working hours! And kudos to Wrigley for bringing back the gluten-free burger bun for the playoffs. It's the Schwarber of 2017.

So we get Strasburg/Arrieta in game 4 tomorrow. Does that mean Washington would use Gio or Roark against the Professor in a potential g5?

Paul Swydan

9:37

Oh Dann, do I have some news for you.

Jeff Zimmerman

9:38

Dann, check twitter from about 2 hours back

Paul Swydan

9:38

The good news about Roark going tomorrow is that Gonzalez will also be on full rest tomorrow too, so they can piggy back if Roark gets into trouble.

Tony Womack

9:38

Why did Girardi use the backend of his rotation before the front end of his rotation?

Jeff Zimmerman

9:39

Talk about a manager about to lose his job.

Paul Swydan

9:39

They must have thought Severino really was tired after the Wild Card game. Obviously when he did pitch he did great, so it's hard to criticize the decision to push Severino back too much.

9:40

Also, I don't think Girardi is getting fired. That would be foolish.

Jeff Zimmerman

9:40

So it will probably happen

Big Willie Style

9:40

Do you think willie calhoun starts for Tex next year? What kimd of numbers do you think he could put up? Would he be more valuable than, say, mitch haniger?

Paul Swydan

9:41

All things equal, I would not expect Calhoun to be more valuable than Haniger next season, no. And I don't think it's a given that he opens the season as a starter for them. Not at this juncture anyway.

Jeff Zimmerman

9:41

The Rangers are a mess trying to figure out playing time (like the Cubs this year). Some trades need to go down to clear up the playing time situation.

druidiful

9:42

Starters have to just better than they have so far just by regression, right?

Paul Swydan

9:42

I would certainly think so. Greinke and Darvish were better yesterday. So was Scherzer and Quintana.

Jeff Zimmerman

9:42

Yes, but the managers seem to have a hair triggers.

Paul Swydan

9:43

Yeah, managers seem to understand now that they can be criticized for leaving a pitcher in after he has given up 3 runs, an are acting accordingly.

Survival of the fit, only the strong survive.

Tommy

9:43

I'm watching smackdown.

Paul Swydan

9:44

Well, that makes one of us, Tommy!

Jeff Zimmerman

9:44

Congrats

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