The 2020 Cleveland Indians

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

No belittlement intended.

I work in the industry (pitching), know pitchers personally (3 in particular on the Indians staff), but invariably people on a forum such as this believe it is all hot air and making myself out to be something I'm not.

So my answer was brief and to the point. I know pitching and I know pitchers. In this particular case on the staff. But the chances of that being believable in a forum like this is slim and none. So that is the part about - it is up to you in choosing whether you buy it or not.

I think you'll find RCF is a bit different.

Nobody here thinks it's unbelievable that you're an insider. We've had our fair share over the years. I believe you.

Stark just wants to pick your brain and find out that knowledge you have. When you're genuinely interested and want to improve your own understanding, hearing someone respond with "because I know" kinda sucks.

 

[Derek]

I think you'll find RCF is a bit different.

Nobody here thinks it's unbelievable that you're an insider. We've had our fair share over the years. I believe you.

Stark just wants to pick your brain and find out that knowledge you have. When you're genuinely interested and want to improve your own understanding, hearing someone respond with "because I know" kinda sucks.

Screw Stark! I'm Derek!

 

[LL3]

I know (and like) Jup from elsewhere, and I acknowledge in his insider expertise, particularly in pitching. That said, there are still plenty of things to debate as even experts are not always correct....further still -- opinions and mileage will vary!

 

[Derek]

I know (and like) Jup from elsewhere, and I acknowledge in his insider expertise, particularly in pitching. That said, there are still plenty of things to debate as even experts are not always correct....further still -- opinions and mileage will vary!

Obviously! I just like to know the "why"

Do we just have philosophical differences? If so, let's debate validity!
Do you know something I don't? If so, tell me!
Do I know something you don't? If so, I win, you suck, go pound salt!

 

[LL3]

Obviously! I just like to know the "why"

Do we just have philosophical differences? If so, let's debate validity!
Do you know something I don't? If so, tell me!
Do I know something you don't? If so, I win, you suck, go pound salt!

Agree...it was too terse an exchange.

 

[Gson]

I think you'll find RCF is a bit different.

Nobody here thinks it's unbelievable that you're an insider. We've had our fair share over the years. I believe you.

Stark just wants to pick your brain and find out that knowledge you have. When you're genuinely interested and want to improve your own understanding, hearing someone respond with "because I know" kinda sucks.

Personally, I prefer.. "... because I said so...".. and it has nothing to do with the movie by the same name..

 

[jup]

Obviously! I just like to know the "why"

Do we just have philosophical differences? If so, let's debate validity!
Do you know something I don't? If so, tell me!
Do I know something you don't? If so, I win, you suck, go pound salt!

Derek, I would have to go into the repertoire they possess, how they use it and get way off into the weeds (tunneling, pitch sequencing, spin rates and axis) and I simply don't have the time nor energy.

Over on Baseball Insider I had a whole thread (I think it was Spin Stuff) that ran for a couple three years that I would post something up every so often. Charts, video and all. And people were welcome to throw questions at me, but you are talking hours of work per post and in the hundreds of posts I would guess.

So to make this point simple and put it to bed - I have nothing to substantiate my OPINION, so now you can just chalk it up to someone shouting off their mouth with no hard evidence to support it.

Sorry for spinning your wheels. Maybe when there is something that interests me enough during the regular season, I will take the time to throw something up.

In the mean time I will be busy "pounding salt", for whatever that is worth.

 

[jup]

I think you'll find RCF is a bit different.

Nobody here thinks it's unbelievable that you're an insider. We've had our fair share over the years. I believe you.

Stark just wants to pick your brain and find out that knowledge you have. When you're genuinely interested and want to improve your own understanding, hearing someone respond with "because I know" kinda sucks.

I will see what I can do about that one of these days Rafters, and I will try to stop "sucking" in the meantime.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

"I don't feel like taking the time to write it all out right now" is a very acceptable response. I know I've used it in the past.

Heck, this: https://realcavsfans.com/index.php?...ss-analysis-of-the-trade-deadline-long.28012/ was the kind of quality post I used to hold myself to (and the kind of post we used to have in our Cavs Talk section before it became the riff-raff it is today). The analysis might suck for today, but a decade ago, that was all we had access to. Writing long-winded insight is exhausting, and nobody is owed it. But if you ever feel the itch, there's a very receptive audience here.

 

[bob2the2nd]

Screw Stark! I'm Derek!

I drives me up the wall this guy gets paid to play the same character between Brooklyn 99 and the good place. But he plays it so well....

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

I’m hoping a team who had little to no chance, comes out of nowhere and causes havoc.

As long as it's not the Tigers or Royals. The Orioles would be great!

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The Twins scare me - they're a 101-win team that added Josh Donaldson to the lineup and Maeda and Clippard to the staff. Buxton is healthy and this 22-year-old kid Arraez who hit .334 in 326 AB's last year looks like a budding star at second base.

The good news is the NL Central is not that strong so the AL Central teams have an easier path the the wild card if they can't win the division.

 

[Derek]

The Twins scare me - they're a 101-win team that added Josh Donaldson to the lineup and Maeda and Clippard to the staff. Buxton is healthy and this 22-year-old kid Arraez who hit .334 in 326 AB's last year looks like a budding star at second base.

The good news is the NL Central is not that strong so the AL Central teams have an easier path the the wild card if they can't win the division.

I honestly think most of the Twins players peaked last year.

I still think they’re a good team, but I don’t think they’re nearly on the level they showed last year.

It will be tough to tell for sure this year, I expect a drop off.

 

[MirORich]

"I don't feel like taking the time to write it all out right now" is a very acceptable response. I know I've used it in the past.

Heck, this: https://realcavsfans.com/index.php?...ss-analysis-of-the-trade-deadline-long.28012/ was the kind of quality post I used to hold myself to (and the kind of post we used to have in our Cavs Talk section before it became the riff-raff it is today). The analysis might suck for today, but a decade ago, that was all we had access to. Writing long-winded insight is exhausting, and nobody is owed it. But if you ever feel the itch, there's a very receptive audience here.

So I went to that thread and:

A: gave it a like
B: Can’t believe I didn’t reply to it ten years ago. I’ve been here since at least 2006
C: In hindsight, the correct answers and far better choice than what we made(Jamison) would have been Iggy, Miller, or West. LeBron would have still bolted but those three could have helped more than Jamison did in those 2010 playoffs

 

[LL3]

I honestly think most of the Twins players peaked last year.

I still think they’re a good team, but I don’t think they’re nearly on the level they showed last year.

It will be tough to tell for sure this year, I expect a drop off.

Pretty much agree here. Not to disparage the Twins but I felt really good about our chances vs them across 162...60? We’ll see...