Gleeman and the Geek questions....

[John Bonnes]

Hi gang,

 

We're doing a special Gleeman and the Geek podcast Tuesday night and I wanted to open it up for questions. I think the focus for part of the podcast will be a Sabrmetrics primer, but we're interested in any kinds of questions you have:

 

1) Sabrmetric stats questions

2) Got any questions about the podcast in general? Like the history or how we do it or anything?

3) Any other Twins or baseball questions.

 

If so, please post them here in the comments or tweet them to @TwinsGeek, @AaronGleeman or @GleemanAndGeek.

 

Thanks!

John

[jharaldson]

A couple of questions about fan interactivity with the show:

 

1. Have you considered doing a couple of special shows that include callers?  Perhaps at season start, all-star break, and a season wrap up show?

 

2.  I have noticed that when doing the mailbag questions that you guys frequently discard many of them because they are stale due to the fact you just discussed that topic on the show.  Have you considered using the "booth@kfan.com" email to get more real time comments that reflect the conversation that you and Aaron are having?

 

SABR Question:

 

1.  We just watched Buehrle handle the Twins despite not being a "SABR" guy.  His ERA is .83 runs below his  xFIP this year and is .41 runs under for his career.  What is the SABR response to these type of numbers?

 

Random Question:

 

1.  Why don't the Twins take failed pitching prospects and retool them with gimmicks?  Teach them the knuckleball, screwball, or work to give them non-traditional arm angles.  Pat Neshek doesn't have great stuff but he has had success for many years due to a sidearm delivery.

 

Thanks!

[diehardtwinsfan]

TwinsDaily guests could be a neat feature... Have a contest or something and the winner gets to join the podcast.

[Bark's Lounge]

Question: The Twins' bullpen has blown chunks this season. What is the fool proof way to fix this human wreckage?

[nytwinsfan]

Do you agree that fans (including Twins fans) overvalue Home Runs? I'm not talking aesthetically, in which case nearly everyone obviously values them tremendously. Obviously a HR is worth more than a double or a triple, but it seems like sometimes when we talk "power" we obsess over HRs and HRs alone. With a couple of guys like Buxton, Hicks, Rosario, and maybe Kepler and Polanco coming up who hit a lot of doubles and triples but not necessarily a ton of HR, in order to avoid future annoying complaints about these players' purported "lack of power" it might be helpful to explain to/remind fans that two doubles is actually more valuable than a HR, and three triples are actually more valuable than 2 HR (see wOBA: http://www.fangraphs.com/library/offense/woba/)

[John Bonnes]

Anything else gang?

[nytwinsfan]

Do you think that if Mauer continues to struggle, or even declines further that at some point, even if it is not until the heat of the pennant race in 2017, Terry Ryan and/or Molitor will make him primarily a pinch hitter/bench bat? I know we don't like to think about that scenario, and I would be thrilled if Mauer had a .800 or even .750 OPS from here on out, but we have to consider the possibility that he is a .700 OPS first baseman for the rest of his career.  At some point if a struggling Mauer at 1B is one of the Twins' biggest weaknesses, you would think that the pressure to win would overcome the loyalty that the team has to him. I know we don't have to face this decision right now, but it could be coming sooner than is widely acknowledged. Note, I'm not a "Mauer basher," and would love nothing more than for the old Mauer to reemerge. I'm just trying to be realistic and look down the road at a real possible scenario.

[Steve Penz]

Referencing your previous podcasts when you talked about the Rays and their recent approach to catcher…ie- non-hitting and good defense.  They went with Rivera and Molina.  If the Twins adopted that thought process, does Turner have enough to fill the position?  Garver has a nice OBP but I have left him out of the question as he is still in A+.