One of the nice things about getting to a championship series is that everyone is paying attention. And, at least when Pedro Baez is pitching, there is plenty of time to survey the landscape. Revisiting the action while trying not to worry about Kershaw…
Wait, that Skip and Shannon show is two and a half hours a day? Like 12.5 hours a week? Like 50 hours a month? Like 650 hours a year?
— Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) October 16, 2016
On Howie Kendrick
Roberts texted Howie Kendrick in the morning and asked him where he wanted to play tonight. Kendrick told him left field. So there is that.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) October 15, 2016
In his career, Howie Kendrick has -5 defensive runs saved in the OF and 17 saved in the infield according to FanGraphs. Make that -6
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) October 16, 2016
A. That’s not how defensive metrics work.
B. Kendrick actually grades out as more or less average in left field.
C. Yeah, pretty much.
On Javier Baez
The only thing that could make Baez cooler is if he did all this while sucking on a Blow-Pop
— Sam Miller (@SamMillerBB) October 16, 2016
REPORTER: When was the last time you stole home?
BAEZ: Um, like two hours ago.
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) October 16, 2016
Apparently, Diamond has given up on extolling the virtues of latitudinal cultural diffusion in anthropology. I think we can all agree that this is a good thing.
On Andre Ethier
@JPosnanski The double was a ball lost in the sun too…
— Daren Willman (@darenw) October 16, 2016
when statcast doesn’t like your homer pic.twitter.com/17FmEccIus
— Dayn Perry (@daynperry) October 16, 2016
On Aroldis Chapman
Adrian Gonzalez just smashed a 102.3 MPH fastball… In PITCHfx era there's only been 8 base hits on a 102.3 MPH+ pitch. Wow.
— Daren Willman (@darenw) October 16, 2016
MGL’s twitter game theory involves contradicting you immediately after you cite him favorably.
As @mitchellichtman pointed out, Chapman throws all FB with men on base – so hitters can cheat on the pitch and he's less effective
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) October 16, 2016
@snyder_matthew @keithlaw It may actually be correct because of the WP.
— Mitchel Lichtman (@mitchellichtman) October 16, 2016
On Intentional Walks
Yes, Virginia, there is an Intentional Walks Deity. And he will bring furious vengeance.
— Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) October 16, 2016
@ac13alex @robneyer LOL. If you think he made the right decision, why would I want to follow you? How in the world would YOU know?
— Mitchel Lichtman (@mitchellichtman) October 16, 2016
Cora’s follower numbers are up this morning, which can only be explained by a decline in reading comprehension, right? He said unfollow, people.
If he thinks it was correct the first time (which obviously he does) then he SHOULD say that! https://t.co/xfDvnbQMHT
— Mitchel Lichtman (@mitchellichtman) October 16, 2016
@MattGross87 @MrBrianKenny How would YOU know what the benefit is, quantitatively speaking which is the only thing that counts?
— Mitchel Lichtman (@mitchellichtman) October 16, 2016
No, really, that intentional walk of Chris Coghlan to load the bases and move the winning run to third is the stuff of nightmares.
— Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski) October 16, 2016
On Wade Davis and Joe Blanton
One of my favorite baseball quotes ever is from Sam Miller on the BP podcast a few years ago (when Kimbrel was still untouchable)
Every team in baseball has a better closer than Craig Kimbrel. And the reason that we know this is Wade Davis.
I think that this generally holds, which is why I wasn’t crazy about the Chapman trade. But… the counterpoint is Joe Blanton. If you are making the case that Joe f’ing Blanton is a relief ace, well, it’s going to take more than a year and a half’s-worth of relief innings to convince me. High variance! Small samples! Suckers!
someone's always telling Joe Blanton some weird shit during picture day. You can tell the year they went too far. pic.twitter.com/ivJfmhUF0s
— Craig Goldstein (@cdgoldstein) September 14, 2016
On Miguel Montero
Did Dexter Fowler have the best on-deck bat toss ever? (pic: USA Today Sports) pic.twitter.com/TPaRP2r8YB
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) October 16, 2016
Hey seriously I'm really bad pitch hitter lol
— Miguel Montero (@miggymont26) April 20, 2015
It’s Randy, not Todd. Right? Please tell me it’s Randy…
@CespedesBBQ Todd Hundley jersey sighting on SNL pic.twitter.com/pYCJ4akiev
— Brad Van Fechtmann (@BradVanF) October 16, 2016
Comments
The only thing from last night that really sticks in my craw is the Either HR. What a bunch of fucked-up shit that was.
Fuck you, wind. You’re not funny.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
I wonder if anyone captured Dexter Fowler’s bat flip in a clip or gif.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
I’m surprised there was only one wind-aided homer yesterday (neither Montero nor Fowler needed any help with their blasts).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
A feature Montero shares with the likes of Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth.
An intentional walk changes the risk of the situation, magnifying any move against you, like going double or nothing after losing a bet. So such walks increase the impact any hitter can have against you, magnifying further the power while giving a little back for a slow guy like Montero in the case of one out or less. But this was two outs, first base wasn’t open, it was just to get Chapman out of the game. Usually it works, but like picking up pennies in front of a steamroller, failure mode is pretty brutal.
I am just glad Maddon isn’t the one who did it. (This is the bright spot of not facing the Nationals.)
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Was it was going straight out to left? In that case, the balls to right didn’t get any help anyway.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Wind was coming from the south so yup, straight out to left.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
I would have liked to see Soler (for righty offense) or Almora (for righty defense) get the start over Heyward in right against Kershaw. Heyward tends to do very poorly against Kershaw (0–4 with 4 Ks?) and would be a great defensive replacement later in the game.
ceruleanQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Fowler
Bryant
Rizzo
Zobrist
Russell
Baez
Contreras
Heyward
Hendricks
berseliusQuote Reply
I guess with Hendricks and Willson taking over for Lester and Ross, Joe didn’t want to take out yet another of what he calls “Varsity” guys for a freshman or sophmore.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
I wouldn’t have minded both Heyward and Rizzo sitting in favor of both Soler and Almora. Go ahead, bring in a righty from the pen, Dave.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yep. That’s what I was thinking last night. Best chance to beat Kershaw is no lefties in the lineup.
dmick89Quote Reply
I wouldn’t dream of resting Rizzo in the postseason, though I’m a little surprised to see Heyward (over Soler).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
He’d be the first bat off the bench though. And Baez at third, Bryant at first, Zobrist at second, Almora in right, and Soler in left is a pretty good defensive lineup. With the buy in of the team in Maddon’s process, it makes sense to change things up like that. To be honest, I am surprised that the lineup and defensive alignment has been so consistent thus far.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
In the end, it probably doesn’t matter much. But some of the thrill of this team has been the second stringers and red-shirts beating up on the other team’s best. It makes the game so fun.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I’m probably being influenced by a small sample size, but Rizzo has not only been bad, he’s looked fucking terrible. It’s like he and Javy exchanged batting approaches prior to the playoffs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Credit to the meatball fan on the pre-game show right now who called in to complain about KB not running hard out of the box on his first inning double.
SKQuote Reply
OMG the questions they ask starting pitchers in pre-game press conferences are so stupid.
SKQuote Reply
Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS? Fuck off FOX.
ceruleanQuote Reply
@GW, I loved reading through these tweets. Thanks. If you’re inclined to do it again after game 2, I look forward to it.
game thread up: http://obstructedview.net/nlcs-game-2-dodgers-cubs-game-thread/
dmick89Quote Reply