It's a guy who writes for James, not James himself. I like him; his predictions are intriguing, and he usually revisits to see how he did. Bo would have to have some really flashy old-school stats to get himself into an MVP race--he'll probably never have a really high WAR for the reasons you mention.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 28 March 2023 16:26 (one year ago) link
This doesn't quite jibe with his Bo prediction (or at least not with Bo winning):
"Bold time: Adley Rutschman will have a 10.0 WAR season in 2023."
As far as I can tell, Piazza's 8.7 bWAR in 1997 is the highest ever by a catcher. So it's probably safe to say a 10.0 would be worth an MVP.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 29 March 2023 02:16 (one year ago) link
Not if it’s 8 WAR of pitch framing!
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 29 March 2023 04:26 (one year ago) link
My category is the Blue Jays for the monthly Zoom trivia group I'm part of.
Questions: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RE-5sucHGRKMruARoDZNvgux8EI5qy_hz4zw19s7HfI/edit?usp=sharing
Answers: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v5Q0-b6rZnLXH0xSASkzTr0TmApXzsZq3VVYvI9KDNg/edit?usp=sharing
Realize that the first few questions are ridiculously easy...You can't assume people share your interests, so you have to have a few gimmes at the start.
― clemenza, Thursday, 30 March 2023 01:26 (one year ago) link
Damn dude. #4 & 5 are tough!
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 30 March 2023 04:55 (one year ago) link
the image for #6 D':<
― francisF, Thursday, 30 March 2023 16:30 (one year ago) link
sorry – 5 &6 are the really tough ones. tho i had also forgotten about #4
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 30 March 2023 18:27 (one year ago) link
I added the question about the Caribbean pipeline this morning and made #10 a bonus, which shifted some of the numbering.
― clemenza, Thursday, 30 March 2023 18:41 (one year ago) link
What an epic game to start the season
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 31 March 2023 00:12 (one year ago) link
Saw the Jays score their early runs, went for dinner, tied when I got back, skipped out, caught the end online while in the middle of my trivia thing (where people mostly tanked on my Blue Jay quiz).
― clemenza, Friday, 31 March 2023 00:17 (one year ago) link
It was pretty tough!
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 31 March 2023 02:26 (one year ago) link
Can't remember an Opening Day game as good as that.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Friday, 31 March 2023 07:12 (one year ago) link
you'd think we'd just won the world series judging by the celebrating going on at the (very awesome) bar i was at. after that wild up and down, back and forth game; Romano coming in and just shutting things down was epic.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 31 March 2023 14:09 (one year ago) link
Was surprised Manoah coughed up the lead. No cause for concern, right? I didn't see much of him, but in the little that I saw, it struck me that he felt a little rushed by the pitch clock (yet I always thought of him as a fast worker).
― clemenza, Friday, 31 March 2023 16:17 (one year ago) link
he did get down to one second once. later on, his rhythm was obviously disrupted as he was futzing around with the buttons on his arm. wouldn't be surprised if he lets Kirk call his next start
― francisF, Friday, 31 March 2023 17:39 (one year ago) link
Bassitt gave up nine runs in 3-1/3 today.
― clemenza, Sunday, 2 April 2023 19:29 (one year ago) link
Apparently he is not a fan of the new pitching rules
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 2 April 2023 20:06 (one year ago) link
Starting staff not off to the best start. Wonder if Kikuchi can keep that spring training energy going tomorrow
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 4 April 2023 05:06 (one year ago) link
Jays starters so far: 18.1 IP, 10.94 ERARays starters so far: 23.0 IP, 0.39 ERA
― clemenza, Tuesday, 4 April 2023 18:12 (one year ago) link
Didn't see any of today's game (afternoon?), but way to go, Manoah.
― clemenza, Thursday, 6 April 2023 02:04 (one year ago) link
It literally just ended 10 mins ago!
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 6 April 2023 02:09 (one year ago) link
My internal clock is still back in February.
― clemenza, Thursday, 6 April 2023 02:17 (one year ago) link
What a wild game today. Missed the Jays' comeback--dinner--but caught the last three innings. 12-10, bottom of the 10th, two out, bases loaded, Trout and Ohtani coming up. Richards goes full on Trout, bounces the next halfway to the plate--lucky two runs didn't come in. So 12-11, Ohtani up, Mayza came in and got him to ground out.
― clemenza, Monday, 10 April 2023 00:54 (one year ago) link
Matt Chapman might be a good guy to lay a modest MVP-bet on--he's not even on this tracker yet:
https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/mlb/nl-al-mvp-odds/
I do realize how ridiculously early it is. I only bring it up because he did have 6th- and 7th-place finishes with the A's, and his glove means he has to do less on offense, and right now he's hitting lights out.
― clemenza, Monday, 10 April 2023 03:14 (one year ago) link
Kind of amazing that the Jays have had 10-9 and 12-11 wins already...and I thought it was a team built on pitching and defense!
― clemenza, Tuesday, 11 April 2023 14:17 (one year ago) link
Those last two games were just nuts. Reminds me of the 92 team where even if they fell behind early you knew there was a good chance they could catch up
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 03:55 (one year ago) link
I think sometimes announcers and mlb.com overdo it on certain catches in search of highlight reels--you watch the clip, and you'll see an outfielder jump a few inches when he doesn't even really need to. That Kiermaier catch last night, though, was something to behold. (Followed, of course, by "Are you kidding me?", because every announcer has a recording of that programmed into him at birth.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTfNhDNoEQ
― clemenza, Wednesday, 12 April 2023 12:21 (one year ago) link
Reminds me of the 92 team where even if they fell behind early you knew there was a good chance they could catch up.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall)
I hereby anoint you Thermo the Magnificent.
― clemenza, Thursday, 13 April 2023 02:38 (one year ago) link
was at the game last night and my god was it a blast.
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 13 April 2023 14:39 (one year ago) link
6/8 wins are now come from behind!!
Bo 5-5, hitting .391.
― clemenza, Saturday, 15 April 2023 01:39 (one year ago) link
Disappointed they had the lead the entire game!
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 15 April 2023 03:43 (one year ago) link
was at the game today. busy, sunny. got to see a lot of the new features, enjoyed the standing area in rf where it kinda overhangs the field. great game, great defensive plays. feels good man, to be the brick wall that the rays ran into. hoping for a sweep, our 4/5 SPs did a terrific job!
― francisF, Saturday, 15 April 2023 23:39 (one year ago) link
gotta say i'm thrilled with how this series has started! no expectations for tomorrow tho, vs McClanahan
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Sunday, 16 April 2023 05:00 (one year ago) link
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, with the Rays due for a reality check, but I am. And if they sweep, wow.
― clemenza, Sunday, 16 April 2023 05:31 (one year ago) link
As perplexing as ever. (I mean, I know the Rays were due, and the Astros are the Astros, but still.)
― clemenza, Tuesday, 18 April 2023 01:59 (one year ago) link
"I know the Rays were due"--that didn't quite come out right. Due to bounce back from the two losses, I meant.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 18 April 2023 02:03 (one year ago) link
Third good start in a row by Bassitt. I feel a little sorry for him, in that he got hammered so badly his first start, it'll probably take him till the All-Star break to get his ERA under 4.00, and maybe not even then.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 19 April 2023 03:12 (one year ago) link
i think he's having some serious trouble with the new pitching rules. the short timeframe to select a pitch and start your motion is a lot more deal-able with for a two-pitch closer vs a 6-pitch Bassitt. looks like he (and possibly Schnider) had a talking to from the ump last night about something... my guess is he maybe wasn't coming all the way set each time before starting his motion and they maybe got a warning after someone noticed
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 19 April 2023 14:08 (one year ago) link
As Lou Reed once said, it's called bad luck.
https://ca.yahoo.com/sports/news/blue-jays-star-george-springer-is-off-to-a-cursed-start-to-mlb-season-200820692.html
― clemenza, Friday, 21 April 2023 20:31 (one year ago) link
Found this rather surprising: Gausman's 11 K today only the second time ever a Jay has struck out 11 in Yankee Stadium (Clemens the other).
― clemenza, Sunday, 23 April 2023 20:49 (one year ago) link
Starters’ combined ERA last 7 games, including tonight: 0.96
― francisF, Wednesday, 26 April 2023 01:11 (one year ago) link
(all QS)
― francisF, Wednesday, 26 April 2023 01:15 (one year ago) link
ok i’m not sure the total numbers but we can add on 5.2 IP 0 RA for the starter Kikuchi to this run of amazing starts, but the main story today might be that the bullpen struck out 9 of the last 10 batters!? for a total of 17.Looking forward to the at least competent Mariners. Firing on all cylinders right now
― francisF, Wednesday, 26 April 2023 20:43 (one year ago) link
Really happy to see them sweep the kind of team they need to periodically sweep.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 26 April 2023 21:01 (one year ago) link
so the last 8 starts: 0.86 ERA / 0.69 WHIP
― francisF, Thursday, 27 April 2023 00:11 (one year ago) link
Manoah's struggling (100 pitches in five innings, four walks), but he bulldozed through. If Springer and Varsho can get going, their offense will be tough 1-9.
― clemenza, Saturday, 29 April 2023 12:45 (one year ago) link
Kind of bored with the whole Gatorade thing, but today--Varsho's walk-off--I loved it.
― clemenza, Saturday, 29 April 2023 21:36 (one year ago) link
Kind of amazed by this: first time the Jays have ever started 18-9.
― clemenza, Sunday, 30 April 2023 18:20 (one year ago) link
Down 4-0 by the time I turn on the TV; Jays go up 8-4, I head out to the gym. Come back, down 10-8. What the hell happened!?
― clemenza, Sunday, 30 April 2023 20:49 (one year ago) link