You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Klawchat 11/2/17
powered byJotCast
View Full Chat Next Page
Keith Law
2:09
I was dumbfounded by truth. Klawchat.
Jake
2:09
Seems like Dodgers fans are looking to pin the blame on someone. Is it supposed to be Darvish?
Keith Law
2:10
Never a fan of putting the blame for the loss of an entire series on one player, or even just on a manager. Darvish hurt them, probably more than any other individual player, but he was far from alone. Roberts had a bad series, especially Game 5. The Dodgers' LHB had some atrocious at bats in high-leverage spots last night. Bellinger's error in the 1st was critical. And yet they still came within a game of winning.
J.P.
2:10
What do you make of this new complication between the Ham Fighters and the MLBPA with regards to Ohtani?
Keith Law
2:11
I actually think it's a positive sign that everyone is trying to find a workaround. Maybe he will come over after all.
Tim
2:11
Shane baz? is it true he has plus fastball, plus slider plus cutter and average to above curveball and average change?
Keith Law
2:11
No.
Eric
2:11
After the Vegas shooting, Trump is suspiciously quiet. After the NYC attack he tweets immediately - to blame someone else. Your thoughts?
Keith Law
2:11
I think he's playing to his base and they eat it up like soylent.
Chris
2:12
What would your offseason plan look like if your mets? Other than pray for health of Conforto, Wheeler, Matz, Harvey, Thor, Familia, and Cespedes, I'm kind of puzzled on how this team improves that much this offseason. Their health alone is what separates them from 70 and 90 wins, no?
Keith Law
2:13
I think that's fair - their health is a bigger source of potential gains than any offseason acquisitions would be. I also would guess that would make them reluctant to spend this winter, assuming they had any money to spend, because they could spend well and still fall flat.
Pat
2:13
Hi Keith, thank you for your prospect coverage.  Why is Sandy Alcantara not missing more bats?  Is it lack of elite secondary stuff, little deception, is his fastball too straight?  I would just think a guy that throws 100 would strike out more batters.  Thanks Keith.
Keith Law
2:14
Fastball is pretty true, just hard, but velocity alone doesn't miss bats. You need deception, movement, or spin. He will show you above-average secondary stuff but it's not consistent. He's also pretty young, so I'm not terribly worried.
Ed M.
2:14
Hi, Keith. I just finished reading Smart Baseball and loved every page. I'm a 36-year-old lifetime baseball fan and I love learning as much as I can about the analytical aspect of the game. One question for you: the phrase "reach/reached base safely" often comes up in your book. This isn't meant to be a smartass question, but when does one NOT reach base safely? Aren't all batters/runners who reach base also safe?
Keith Law
2:15
We tend to exclude reaching on an error from calculations of times on base.
Harold
2:15
Now that teams that blatantly tanked have won the the WS two years in a row, should MLB change the draft rules to eliminate Tanking?
Keith Law
2:15
They did condense the slot values of the top picks in the most recent CBA, which I think would discourage deliberately losing ... but I don't think Houston deliberately lost so much as they realized it was stupid to spend money on mediocre veterans. Buster & I discussed this on the podcast today.
Peter
2:16
Is Bobby Witt Jr closest thing we've seen to Harper in terms of pure talent coming out of high school? Not saying he's just as good or that type of generational prospect.
Keith Law
2:16
No, he's not in Harper's class.
Lark11
2:16
Defensive shifting makes logical and intuitive sense; places fielders where hitters have higher probability of hitting the ball. That said, I'm somewhat struggling with its effectiveness. MLB BABIP by Year: 2013: .297;  2014: .299;  2015: .299;  2016: .300; and 2017: .300.
Keith Law
2:17
BABIP includes home runs, which have increased over that time period, but aren't affected by defensive shifts. Also, aren't exit velocities and launch angles increasing? Those should affect BABIP, or at least expected BABIP.
Eric
2:17
Thoughts on J-Up's 5-year deal with the Halos?
Keith Law
2:18
Love it for the Angels. Yes, he's risky, lot of volatility in his performance, but he's a potential 5-win player and still in his peak years. He was my #1 free agent going into the winter.
Ralph
2:18
Would you rather have Pence or Trump as president?
Keith Law
2:18
I would absolutely take Hunter Pence as President over the current occupant.
Junkyard Dog
2:18
Who do you like more between Justus Sheffield and Max Fried? Who has the higher ceiling?
Keith Law
2:19
Sheffield.
Ben
2:19
We have officially arrived in an alternate reality, where fossil fuels can prevent sexual assaults and the air is TOO clean. Children need to breath dirty air to build up immunity for Christ's sake! .....I weep for humanity.
Keith Law
2:19
The reality is that these anti-science "scientists" can say whatever they want, and their followers will just accept it.
Adam
2:19
The Braves and Coppolella drama has me thinking; Is it an open secret within your industry which GMs are despised by their peers, and what role does the media have in skewing the public perception of these men?
Keith Law
2:20
I tend to hear if people don't like dealing with a certain GM or agent, or even a scouting director, but I think what you hear through the media lens is distorted.
Keith Law
2:21
Some food no one cares about is really good and your favorite player is awful.
Keith Law
2:21
Wrong. Everyone cares about good food.
Microsoft Excel
2:21
So do all the computers and spreadsheets in Houston get WS rings?  Asking for a friend
Keith Law
2:21
Yes, one ring per vacuum tube.
Rick
2:21
Loved your newsletter, but I couldn't help thinking how much your decision might have changed baseball history.  If you had gone to the Astros, they surely would have drafted Kris Bryant, and the Cubs never would have won the World Series.
Keith Law
2:21
You're very kind, but you failed to consider the possibility that I'd have given terrible advice and the Astros would never have sniffed the playoffs.
Hey there
2:22
Do you have a favorite/least favorite kind of player to scout (other than assholes like Chapman, or guys that can’t play)?
Keith Law
2:22
I love athletes. Granted, I can't stand it when they have physical tools and no instincts or feel, but there's absolutely something electric about seeing players who can do things with their bodies that even an average professional athlete can't do.
Mike
2:22
I was wading way too deep into this with my wife last night, but now that it's complete, where do you think this World Series ranks among those since 2000?
Connecting…