The Great Hambino

I'm talking about the possibility of free agency being divorced from service time altogether (I didn't express that very well in my original comment). Some proposals that have been thrown around peg free agency to age or years since their initial pro contract, similar to how rule 5 eligibility is determined. That would definitely put an end to service time manipulation - which holding Jenkins down for three weeks absolutely would be, regardless of how blatant it appears compared to the most blatant case on record. Now how about the draft pick and rookie of the year implications?

Twins got the short end of the stick on holiday games Mothers Day, Memorial Day, Fathers Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day are all on the road. Even the weekend series leading up to Memorial Day and Labor Day are on the road. I thought there was supposed to be some balance there. At least they have a stretch of 13 home games out of 16 in April - great time for a long homestand! Interestingly, they don't play in the Pacific Time Zone until July 31

I'm not saying it automatically overrides the potential of an extra year of his prime (which is not a certainty if his service time gets manipulated like you suggest - that assumes he has no setbacks in his development that would require a future stay in the minors; it also assumes no material change to service time rules in a CBA that looks like it's prime for several material changes), but you have to at least acknowledge the chance bringing him up to start the year results in an additional first round pick - and the slot dollars that come along with it. Does that override an extra prime year if service time rules don't change and he sticks immediately? I don't know, probably not. But it is an element in the equation. Also, you run the risk of a Kris Bryant-esque grievance if his service time gets manipulated that blatantly. In fact, doesn't he get credited with a full year of service time anyway if he finishes top 2 in rookie of the year balloting?

I want to believe you're right, but I'm afraid I don't share your optimism. They have someone in-house in Tingler that a) has managerial experience and b) buys into Falvey's overall philosophy. The trade deadline would've been a perfect time to dump Baldelli and take Tingler for a test drive for the rest of the year if they had plans to move on from him. Maybe I'm being too pessimistic. I don't think the fact they picked up his option is the impediment to change that others do, but I just don't think that Falvey thinks the manager is the problem.

Strategy based on run expectancy charts =/= strategy with strict adherance to run expectancy charts without any adjustment for the situation. Even the Twins have sent someone other than Buxton on a stolen base attempt, or attempted a sac bunt on occasion. I don't need a million articles, but you could start with one. And I'd be willing to bet that it's second-hand blogger commentary, not original research or a quote from someone in an actual decision-making position with an MLB team. Edited to add: I see you added the bit about questioning the Twins methods after I quoted you, you sly devil. I agree that the Twins likely don't apply sabermetrics as effectively as others do. To me, it's more that they lose the forest for the trees in applying concepts to specific matchups without a broader view of how it affects the rest of the game than it is applying concepts in a blanket fashion, but that's getting pretty deep into the weeds. Doesn't mean that they should throw the baby out with the bathwater in ditching sabermetrics entirely, which is the argument I'm ultimately pushing back against

If that's what you took away from what I wrote, then I don't know what to tell you. I even used the phrase "And since sabermetrics is a tool, some teams will use it better or worse than others" If you're going to respond to someone, try actually reading what you're responding to first.

Not that it's gospel, but ESPN is showing a 6 man roatation on their schedule page

You have got to be kidding me. This is not the argument of sabermetrics. This has never been the argument of sabermetrics. This is an extreme bastardization of the argument parroted around the internet by those that just have never even made an attempt to understand it because it goes against what their little league coach taught them in 1972. You will not find a single article from an actual sabermatrician that says you should try to hit home runs with every swing or never attempt to steal a base. Regarding stolen bases, the argument is there is an optimal success rate in any given situation to make the attempt worth the risk of making an out and removing the runner from the basepaths. It does not say to apply this evenly across all situations without considering the variables at hand. If a team did this, they would be using sabermetrics incorrectly. And since sabermetrics is a tool, some teams will use it better or worse than others. The idea that it has created some inflexible blanket strategy is pretty easily shot down by the fact that teams - all of which use sabermetrics (except maybe the Rockies) - still have fairly significant differences in things like stolen base rates and bunt attempts. This idea that our pure game of baseball went unchanged for 150 years until those dastardly nerds got their hands on it needs to die. Pick a statistic - home runs, stolen bases, whatever - their rates have ebbed and flowed throughout the game's history. Did the sabermatricians cause stolen base rates to crater in the 1930's? Yep. 100%. Not sure what any of this has to do with sabermetrics since they don't say to apply the average expected outcome at all times. Have you considered the possibility that perhaps you have a misunderstanding of sabermetrics?

Both the 2021 and 2022 versions were played on a Thursday with an off day Friday for travel. Both the Twins and Phillies are scheduled to be off the Thursday before the series. They've built it so they can adjust to what they've done in the past if they want They could also shift the series for it to be played on Saturday or Sunday as well (the vroom vroom racecar game was on a Saturday). Maybe with the TV contracts still getting settled, they're going to wait and let the networks bid for it (FOX for Thursday or Saturday, likely NBC for Sunday) before finalizing

Mickey Gasper: he's not the hero we deserve, he's the hero we need

I thought that was gone the way Topa reacted Gotta feel good for the Much-Maligned Mario

Hold on to your butts...

With 6 RBI in the last 2 games, no less

Did Outman just get blown away by an offspeed pitch?

Put the ball out of play?

I'm not sure Hoffman knows where these pitches are going

I guess that counts as putting the ball in play

Gonna test positive for a magic star

Super!

Oh my

Who's taking him in trade? Toledo?

Lewis missed the middle middle cookie

Deked by Outman's ghost bunt

Just tuned in with the sound off, is it loonie dog night or something?

I was wondering why the random off day in the middle of the Rangers series in the middle of June. Turns out it's the World Cup in Jerryworld moving the game off of Wednesday The More You Know