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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 9/29/17
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Jeff Sullivan
9:07
Hello friends
9:08
Welcome to Friday baseball chat
Sorry for that extra long delay -- had some problems recording the podcast
Bork
9:08
Hello, friend!
Jeff Sullivan
9:09
Hello friend
Tim Tebow's Thunder Thighs
9:09
The Tigers announced that Andrew Romine will play all nine positions on Sunday. Can we please do this with Andrelton Simmons, too? Watching him pitch and run down fly balls in center would be a hoot.
Jeff Sullivan
9:09
The only thing I'd be afraid of is the notion of Andrelton Simmons catching
Please nobody do anything to injure Andrelton Simmons
Not Joe Maddon
9:10
Two Part question - 1. Who starts game one for the Cubs? 2. Who would you choose?
Jeff Sullivan
9:11
I think I'd be giving the ball to Quintana. My hunch is that's the direction they'll go -- Lester hasn't looked right and Arrieta still feels something in his hamstring
JTT
9:11
Jeff, somebody successfully pulls off the hidden ball trick maybe once a year. Do players practice this play? Are defenders hyper vigilant and constantly aware of the location/mannerisms of each player on the bases, watching for their once in a lifetime opportunity to catch the runner off guard? Or do players literally attempt the hidden ball trick constantly, with every base runner? On the telecast you can sometimes see defenders repeatedly and lackadaisically tagging guys after they have been declared safe, are they trying the hidden ball trick? How do these plays happen
Jeff Sullivan
9:11
This is something I'd love to see videos of
Failed trick plays!
9:12
We only ever see them when they're successful. I want to see when the *other* team looks stupid for once
I don't think this is something a team practices constantly -- I'd guess it's an idea that comes to someone at random, and then they talk about it for a few days before trying it in a game just to see
Sterling Mallory Chris Archer
9:13
Appreciate you as always on Fridays Jeff. I read that Mackakin said Nola looks like a number 3 pitcher.  He immediately needs to be fired right? Who would be the hot names on the managerial searches this off season?
Jeff Sullivan
9:13
Wait, what? Who could say such a thing?
I get that Nola isn't the classic power-armed No. 1 type, but what he's doing is legitimate
But I can't tell you anything about the managerial pickings this winter. I pretty much make it my business to avoid managerial articles and speculations, because I just don't know anything and measurement is impossible
johnny boy
9:14
Had a disagreement yday with someone. I said 99 Pedro would be a top 10 pitcher in the mlb today. He said he would be the clear 1. Who do you side with?
Jeff Sullivan
9:15
I think he'd be...top three. Great chance of being the best. 1999 Pedro Martinez had an FIP- of THIRTY-ONE
9:16
I bump him down a little only because maybe his stuff wouldn't play quite so well, but he had a full repertoire and pinpoint command. Very good chance he was better than Kershaw is
AC000000
9:16
Not a question, just want to say how much I love late-September baseball. A Taylor Davis 2 out RBI double, a Jen-Ho Tseng 3 IP win/save, all completed with a Leonys Martin HR robbery. Just like everyone thought back in April.
Jeff Sullivan
9:16
It's liberating when the baseball is pointless
Vince Clortho
9:17
Christian Vazquez's second half: ya or eh?
Jeff Sullivan
9:18
Eh
9:19
He improved, and he can put the bat on the ball, but he's not a particularly special hitter
I'll say this for Vazquez: he's trimmed his ground-ball rate by 10 points. He's had too much batted-ball luck for his profile, but he's evolving, as so many mediocre hitters are
Greg
9:20
which teams have the best record since the all star break?
Jeff Sullivan
9:20
In order: Indians, Cubs, Nationals, Yankees, Red Sox
9:21
Tigers are worst by four games
The Average Sports Fan
9:21
I enjoyed the Jon Gray article.  What would he need to be a Cy Young contender?
Jeff Sullivan
9:21
200 innings
Even then, he'd need the voters to understand what he's dealing with in Colorado. I mean, every voter gets that Coors Field is hitter-friendly, but it's so easy to just look at the ERA
divine chanteuse
9:22
what can the rays expect from wilson ramos next year? he's gotten hot lately but I haven't had a chance to look at the underlying peripherals. just a hot streak or a sign of good things to come?
Jeff Sullivan
9:24
Would you believe me if I said Ramos is 41st in innings caught, but 10th in wild pitches allowed?
He's also struggled to throw runners out
Framing is fine, and he remains powerful. Ramos is something like an average hitter, at a premium position. But it wouldn't be surprising at all if his defense were simply too compromised to be good anymore
Mike
9:27
Between Judge, Gardner, Hicks, and Ellsbury (on fire over the last six weeks), who should the Yankees start in the wild card game?
Jeff Sullivan
9:27
Could start them all, and have one of them DH
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