Klawchat 9/29/17.

My post on the five BBWAA award ballots I don’t have went up yesterday on ESPN.com, and my latest boardgame review, the excellent light strategy game Azul, went up on Paste yesterday as well.

Keith Law: There’s a madness in us all. Klawchat.

Sean: So Jeimer Candelario can really hit huh? Is there going to be power coming or more of a high AVG/OBP kinda guy?
Keith Law: I think it’s doubles power, not a ton of BB, won’t K much. Cubs people loved his bat from when he was just a teenager; he just didn’t move up as quick as expected but it’s working out in the end.

Kyle: Could a team with corporate ownership like Toronto or Atlanta sign Otani and then a different division of the corporation sign him to a massive “marketing deal” as a way to get around the compensation rules?
Keith Law: I think MLB would challenge that. All the more reason for Manfred to waive the rule for Otani and make him a true FA.

Brandon: Brett Phillips hitting a little to end the year. 4th OF because he can play CF or potential for more of a regular role?
Keith Law: Has everyday upside. Depends on contact rate. I think he’s more of a plus RF in the long term; arm plays up there, not sure he has the range for CF every day.

Jon: Correct decision to shut down Giolito a little early right? Around 50 IP more (in game situations) than last year, was very good in his time in the bigs and doesn’t really have anything more to prove this season still coming off the surgery. Projection still as a future ace?
Keith Law: No problem with having him skip his last two starts; if he met their developmental goals this year, which I think he did, then let him go out on a high note. He threw far more strikes this year in the majors, missed more bats, showed a better CH, and got back close to his old delivery. He’s also added a slider, which is key because his curveball wasn’t as good in the majors as it had been when he was in low-A or high-A. I’d be more comfortable saying #2 ceiling. To get to ace, he’ll need the CB to be as sharp and effective as it was a few years ago, or for the slider to become that pitch.

Nelson: If you read a book then dont remember if you read it a year or two later, what do you gain by reading it? Just temporary enjoyment while reading?
Im asking because I have a horrible memory and could probably reread a book 6 months later and it be new to me so sometimes I questions the point of reading at all
Keith Law: For the enjoyment of reading in the moment. If a book takes me away for an hour or two, and then I forget it six months later – which is true of a lot of genre fiction – then I’m content.

Bruce: Do you belive in any specific “conspiracy therories”? (belief contrary to official authority position)
Keith Law: I believe the ball was juiced in 1987.

Evan: Reasonable for Mitch Keller to taste the bigs next year or is that a little aggressive? Figure he starts back in Altoona and a midseason promotion to Indy if he performs well? Was unhittable in the EL playoffs.
Keith Law: I think he debuts next year, late.

Tadd: Billy McKinney remembered how to hit this season. That pure swing hasn’t really changed. His outlook any different than from before the season? 4th OF type?
Keith Law: Still a bit too much swing and miss for a low-power corner OF, but before the year I was afraid he’d never see the majors, and now he’s clearly a major league bench guy.

Mike: Do you think popularity of games such as Monopoly and Chutes and Ladders is because of price? I know I had sticker shock over the $30-$50 price of games like Settlers and Ticket to Ride.
Keith Law: Price and ubiquity. For years, B&N was the only mass market retailer to sell Eurogames. Now Target has moved aggressively into the segment. The price is surprising to newbies, absolutely, but I think many of them justify it by how often you want to replay them. Look at your hours of use vs the cost and it makes more sense.

Jeff: What in the world can the Pirates do with Glasnow? So dominant in minors, including walk rate his last stint, to can’t throw strikes to anyone in the majors. Still let him throw as a starter? Or are we going to see him showcase a little more in the pen? He’s 24 now, not the young guy we all think of him as.
Keith Law: Has to pitch somewhere to continue to get reps; if they can designate him as a long reliever next year, handling mopup and other low leverage work where he might throw 3-5 innings, that might be the bridge he needs – as if there were a AAAA level for him.

Andy: What do the Brewers do for next season? They need more good starting pitching, but so does everyone else. They’re unlikely to try to upgrade from Thames, even if that might be warranted. Hope the young guys develop more?
Keith Law: Pray Nelson gets back to pre-surgery form. Burnes should arrive soon. I still think Lopez will develop into a ML starter. I would definitely look to upgrade from Thames, even if it’s with internal options, but otherwise they’re largely waiting on the talent in the system to progress.

Joe: As Stanton gets closer to 61 homers, there seems to be this unspoken, collective agreement that if he can get to 62 he will break the “record.” Did I miss the memo where we all decided that McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds never happened?
Keith Law: Collective my ass. If you see anyone make that claim, mock them mercilessly. It’s historical revisionism: You don’t like what happened, but it still happened. And I think the dangers of historical revisionism are self-evident.

Bruce: True or false: People who put milk and sugar in their coffee shouldnt care about how long ago it was roasted and ground.
Keith Law: You’re trying to trigger me. I will equivocate: If you drink fresher coffee, you’ll use less dairy or sweetener. If you get really good coffee, you might even go black.

Matt: Robert Stephenson last 10 games: 49.2 IP, 54 K, and only 3 HR allowed. Slowly turning a corner? Fastball sitting at 94
Keith Law: 33 walks in that span. Why would you leave that out when control has been his biggest issue?

Sanchez: Imagine advocating not using a 30 home run catcher in a winner take all game because of passed balls?
Keith Law: I saw that. It’s not good.

Mark: Now that Ausmus is gone could you throw out 3 or 4 names that should be considered as his replacement?
Keith Law: I’m going to stump for Alex Cora until he gets a shot somewhere. I know Doug Davis, currently the Scranton-Wilkes Barre defensive coach, is highly regarded in player development circles; he managed a couple of years in AAA, at least. I was talking to an exec recently about under the radar candidates and realized Billy McMillon had never gotten another managing job after a couple of successful years in AA.

Nikolai: Do you think Luis Robert could end 2018 in AA/AAA?
Keith Law: I think the range of potential outcomes for his 2018 season is extremely wide because we have no idea how advanced a hitter he is.

Thorpe: What’s Lewis Thorpe’s upside if he can stay healthy?
Keith Law: Mid-rotation starter. Maybe more, but he has to show some durability first.

Chris : I feel like Terry’s horrid lineup construction the last two months has been wildly underreported the last two months. Not playing Cecchini, continuing to sit Smith and Nimmo against lefties, continuing to throw Blevins (he’s at 74 appearances), and throwing away ABs on guys like Reynolds and Evans have all drawn my disgust. TC’s a goner, but dont people understand that this actually damaged future Mets teams bc no conclusions can be drawn from such sporadic and mindless operating?
Keith Law: Not just that, but I worry he’s damaged the hitters, or at least delayed their development, by not giving them more reps.

Caleb: What does the future look like for Braves youngster Luis Gohara?
Keith Law: High end starter.

Matt: Do you think people purposefully put questions in the “comments” or just a matter of not paying attention? Always wondered your take on this.
Keith Law: I believe the chat window doesn’t always show up on mobile devices, so some folks get confused. It’s fine. But I answer questions in here.

Steve: How do u organize all your keeper books so you can find them? Is there a KLaw Top 102 section, for ex? Sci Fi? Do tell..,
Keith Law: I only keep maybe 10-15% of what I read, and they’re semi-organized by author and type.

Derek: Do scouts ever predict the kind of defensive transcendence that Andrelton Simmons displays? With SS, it’s usually “good enough to stick at the position” or “has a chance to be above average” or something similar. I guess it’s just really tough to predict someone will be historically great. My question is: did you see Simmons becoming this defensive savant when he was a prospect? Does anybody in the minors at any position have that kind of defensive ability?
Keith Law: No; I heard he was a very good defender with an 80 arm, so maybe a 60 glove, maybe better, but I don’t recall anyone telling me he was an 80 glove. Everyone thought he’d end up on the mound.

Aaron C.: Read your newsletter this morning. Sorry to hear about the general jerkiness of humanity. Curious about the seasonal assholes you hear from: Spring = your season record predictions; Fall = your awards predictions; Winter = Hall of Fame. Who hates you in the summer?
Keith Law: Late spring and summer it’s the “you were wrong with this one take on this one player” crowd. Especially popular with players having their first good year somewhere. Whatever – it’s part of the job. My only complaint is that when I get a lot of those it can drown out real comments that might merit an answer. A week or so ago, there were some BFIBs going nuts over Luke Weaver, although they went dead silent after he faced the Cubs.

Andy: The ESPN comment section is hilarious. You’re accused of East Coast Bias due to picking Sale. Then the next comment is claiming Judge is far and away the MVP, and you clearly haven’t seen him play. Other highlights, “Javy Baez is the MVP of the Cubs,” “I don’t care about pitcher’s strikeouts,” and “Kluber has more wins in less starts.” Plus the comments about how you ignored NL ROY. To someone not you, this is all amazingly fun.
Keith Law: Never read the comments.

Guy F.: Thoughts on the salted caramel craze of the past couple of years?
Keith Law: I mean, I love salted caramel, so it’s fine with me. And the salt can mute any bitter notes in the caramel (which, since it’s lightly burned sugar, will have some bitter chemicals).

jay_B: Arbitrary end points here, but Javy Baez has been excellent in the second half. If even some of this is real, two questions: .275/.325/.500 a real possibility, and with his defensive ability, what’s that worth?
Keith Law: That’s probably a star, no? Sounds like a 4 WAR player.

Larry I in L.A.: Thanks for all of your thought-provoking work over the years, Keith! A 40-year friendship of mine is in peril due to our current political situation. We were in each other’s wedding and have been fantasy baseball partners since 1982, but now he says stuff like “I refuse to believe that our leaders would intentionally lie to us for financial gain.” (And I thought the knock on progressives was that we are gullible and naïve!) This ties in to the backlash over your hypothetical awards ballot column, another illustration that too many folks prefer to cling to outdated notions than, you know, learn new stuff. Can our country recover from this ever-widening streak of anti-intellectualism?
Keith Law: I’m not hopeful; if anything, anti-intellectualism is creeping forward, like with Florida’s legislature trying to allow the teaching of “intelligent design” (which, to be very kind, is just pseudoscience) in public schools.

Jeffry: Thought on Amed Rosario and Dom Smith after some up and down showing in the majors? Growing pains or red flags?
Keith Law: All good. Same outlook as before.
Keith Law: Aaron Judge struck out in 44% of his PA in 2016. He got better.

Chris : Do you agree with this position regarding moving players around in minors? “It’s just for versatility and flexibility,” Mets farm director Ian Levin said. “You never know what will come in the future. Also, getting exposure to other positions makes you better at your position. We get all of our middle infielders experience at second, short, even third.”
Keith Law: In general, yes. I think it also allows you to develop potential utility guys by giving them a few reps at short every year. However, I’d be concerned about putting inexperienced players at second base and having them get hurt on double plays.

Jon: How can you not include Eric Thames in your MVP consideration? I feel like you’re overweighting the final 140 games of the season.
Keith Law: Can we talk about how almost everyone is pretending that they didn’t get all hysterical over him in April? You know how many “YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT THAMES” tweets and comments I got back then? Can we remember any of this next April when some rando goes off for three weeks?

Dane Iorg: Who says no to this deal: Carson Kelly, Jack Flaherty, and Jedd Gyorko for Josh Donaldson. Cards? Jays? Both? Neither?
Keith Law: I think the Cards would and should say no to that. Very likely everyday catcher, with some upside beyond that; very likely back-end starter with modest upside; both major-league ready and cheap for six years. Ton of value there, and we’re not talking about highly volatile A-ball kids.

J.O.: Which WAR do you like better? Should I just take the average of the two? (And when I do, should I not count walks/HBP when I am calculating the average?)
Keith Law: I look at both, and where they differ greatly, I delve into where they agree and where they diverge. It’s important to understand why they differ – is it a BABIP issue (for pitchers)? Defensive disagreement (for fielders)?

Ken: What kind of line do you see Matt Chapman putting up in a full season?
Keith Law: Sub-.300 OBP, 30 HR, Gold Glove defense.

Nik: Can Dane Dunning be anything better than a decent #4?
Keith Law: I think so.

Alex A.: Is Pedro’s kid a real prospect?
Keith Law: I don’t know. I wasn’t familiar with him before he signed, and he wasn’t on Jesse Sanchez’s top 30 july 2nd prospects list this year or Longenhagen’s top 25. Also a little unusual for a prospect to sign at 17 rather than 16, but that may be because his family already has money and he was finishing school.

Grover: From your front office experience, would a move like benching Pujols require GM/ownership intervention? If he were so inclined could Scoscia just do it himself since it’s probably the best move for the team?
Keith Law: Owner would have to sign off on that.

German: How should the Twins approach the wild card game? On paper, they look overmatched, but as we know, baseball is weird.
Keith Law: If they do anything novel, it should be handling the pitching staff like there’s an extended fire drill. Start Berrios, because he’s your best starter, but have all hands on deck, and if you need seven pitchers to keep the game close, you do it. Forget the traditional model – starter goes 5-6, setup guy in 8th, closer in 9th – and just get outs. They will be overmatched, but they have at least design enough for the luck to help them.

Eddie: Any good reason why Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands aren’t states yet? It seems like bringing them officially into the union would be a win/win for everyone. My only thought is that the career politicians that run our country, on both sides of the aisle, must think bringing the 2 in will tip balance of power to the other side, therefore they choose not to push for their statehood.
Keith Law: They’d lose their favorable tax status, and American taxpayers would likely end up paying a lot to prop up their economies, especially in the first few years. I’m actually fine with that, but you can see how that might not be terribly popular in Congress, with virtually no voting constituencies in favor of it.

Sam: Keith, if I remember correctly, you mentioned you renovated your kitchen. I am starting down that path. Any recommendations? Also, thoughts on induction vs. gas stove?
Keith Law: I got a gas stove; never cooked with induction. Expect to exceed your budget by at least 10%, especially if you’re taking down drywall (oh, hello, flying splices!). And remember that granite counters help increase resale value. The only thing we couldn’t do was a double oven – the wiring wouldn’t work for it – but in hindsight that was a luxury item that I would only use maybe twice a year, not worth the extra cost anyway so it worked out.

Juan: Any thoughts on the Dr. Seuss issue?
Keith Law: I don’t understand why that librarian claims the books are racist, and I thought she really just wanted attention for her (valid) criticisms of Betsy DeVos.

Mike: A year away, but could you estimate the years and total value on the contracts Bryce Harper and Manny Machado end up signing.
Keith Law: I’ll be surprised if either ends up short of $300 million.

Matt R.: The painful decline of Albert Pujols sometimes causes us to lose track of how extraordinary he was the first 10 seasons of his career. Taking the last few years into consideration, where would you rank Pujols among right handed hitters of all-time? 1? 2? 3? Lower?
Keith Law: He’s top 3, I think, but I haven’t spent a ton of time on it. You know what’s weird is how his whole aging curve is shifted to the left by, like, five years.

Anthony: Really loving the seamless way you approach the inevitable connection of sport to politics. One of the reasons it is said there is less activism among baseball players is the lower percentage of African American players. But given the persecution of Latinos under the current administration, is it at all surprising there hasn’t been more action on that front? I also wonder if/when — particularly in a city like Los Angeles where a large portion of the fans are Latino (Mexican, primarily) — fans don’t begin to engage in peaceful protest.
Keith Law: A lot of Latino MLBers aren’t US citizens, though; I assume that’s part of why they haven’t been more vocal. And those of Venezuelan birth or descent would likely use their voices to bring attention to the failed state in Caracas instead.

Mike M.: Hi Klaw – Curious if you’ve had a chance to listen to the new Wolf Alice record, and if so, any early opinions?
Keith Law: I’ve heard the four singles they released, loved “Heavenward,” liked “Beautifully Unconventional,” found “Don’t Delete the Kisses” to be a bit twee, and thought “Yuk Foo” was a decent album track. Also, their name is really Wool Phallus, right? I’m not the only one who hears that?

Dave: You said you would explore that market for Didi. I agree with the logic, but what sort of return would you expect? Comparable to Chapman/Miller deals?
Keith Law: Two major prospects back? Sure. But he could also be a chip to get a major-league ready starter, with Pineda out, Sabathia old, and Tanaka a potential blowout at any point.

Chris: Are the Twins a good reason to change the wild card format or a good reason to keep it as is?
Keith Law: I don’t like the expanded WC, but MLB likes it – owners like it, and everyone likes the extra money – so I doubt it’s going anywhere. My opinion is that it just devalues the regular season a little bit more.

Gary: Do you know anything on the Asian prospects Bae that Atlanta signed? Any information to share?
Keith Law: He signed for just $300K, which is exceptionally low for a player from Korea, not definitive but an indicator that the industry didn’t view him as a top prospect. I’ll probably catch him in March.

Santos: Any way to get in touch with you if we want to get an autograph (on a baseball perhaps, provided with a self-addressed stamped package) and send along a donation to one of your charities? I saw your tinyletter about the boardgames and I like the idea, I’d just rather have an autograph than a board game honestly.
Keith Law: I have toyed with this idea before; I’m just concerned about executing it if a lot of requests come in. I’m not the most organized fellow when it involves anything other than writing or cooking.

James: The Royals most likely will lose their starting SS, 1B, 3B, CF and their best pitcher by WAR. We obviously don’t have the minor leaguers in AAA to cover all these holes, do you take a Dewees and have him go from AA to the majors to take over CF or take a flyer on a bargain bin veteran?
Keith Law: He can’t throw enough for CF.

Mark: Did you read the Newsday story about Collins and the Mets? If so, was any of the info new to you or is that a pretty accurate depiction of him?
Keith Law: This matched most of what I’ve heard the last few years from within the industry. Lot of complaints about him from the player side.

Matt from Milw: Is Corbin Burnes a 4th/5th, or potentially better?
Keith Law: Better.

Mark: How pathetic is it that people think Puerto Rico is another country?
Keith Law: I’ve been to PR (twice) and the USVI (once) and every time someone asked me afterwards if I needed my passport for the trip.

Matt: I saw you recently said it is just as likely players are using steroids as they are using magic (or something to that effect). I know you didn’t mean that literally, but is it unreasonable to think a small percentage are probably taking HGH or some sort of “PED”?
Keith Law: We know about 1 in 7 big leaguers is taking a PED with the league’s sanction; they get therapeutic use exemptions for the drugs, nearly always Adderall (a mixture of two amphetamine salts). My tweet was in response to a terrible NYT column that argued the rise in HR rates was due to undetected league-wide steroid use, which is obvious bunkum.

Gary: Pretty much the only successful pitcher Atlanta has called up from their rebuild focused on pitching is Gohara, and it has only been a few starts for him. Any reasons for concern about this rebuild? Is it a problem with their development? Wisler, Blair, Newcomb, Folty, Sims, etc. all have been just alright. Why are we supposed to believe the next round of arms will be different?
Keith Law: Sims was the only one in that group that Atlanta drafted. The next wave – two waves, I think – are all ATL draftees.

Colin: Would now be the time to trade Rhys Hoskins? Maybe get some youth in return?
Keith Law: Don’t think so. The 1b market is bad for sellers or free agents this winter, and also I think there’s a good chance Hoskins is a core player around whom they can build.

Max: With his inability to stay healthy, do you think it might be time for HOU to think about moving McCullers to the pen? Possibly as another Devenski?
Keith Law: I’ve suggested this many times, and of course been pilloried for it when he’s been healthy. He has a high-stress delivery, he does get hurt often, and he’s thrown 120 innings in one calendar year in the five since he signed. It’s at least a plan worth considering if you’re Houston.

Larry: Would it make sense for Atlanta to deal Inciarte instead of Kemp/Markakis? Gets Acuna in the lineup and you get a good return, whereas Kemp/Markakis wouldn’t bring back anything of value.
Keith Law: That was my argument a few weeks ago. Kemp and Markakis have negative trade value. Moving one of Inciarte or Acuna to a corner creates surplus value you can’t capture, because both can play CF.

Scrapper: Any particular storylines that you will be following in the post-season?
Keith Law: Yes, I’m curious to see who wins the World Series.

Tom: Ball Juicing: Should we care? Do you think it make the game objectively worse?
Keith Law: I think it does; the current Three True Outcomes environment likely isn’t good for growing the sport long term.

Tyler: Hear rumors that the A’s may move Barretto to CF because of the dearth of OF prospects. Any chance he will be playable out there?
Keith Law: He’s also not that great at SS. The question would be is he better in CF or at 2b; I think there’s a good chance he’s plus in CF with his speed, so I’d try it.

Joe: Keith, is this the ceiling for Trey Mancini? I am worried that if his bat drops at all he won’t be a regular since he has so much negative defensive/position value.
Keith Law: If the bat doesn’t drop, though, you have a nice, cheap regular. It’s possible.

Mark: Is Dinelson Lamet a legit 4/5 starter or just a guy?
Keith Law: Until he develops a third pitch to get lefties out, he’s just a guy.

Michael : Does Bryce Harper leave Washington?
Keith Law: I assume so. If the question is Washington or the field, I’d bet on the field. Same for Machado and Baltimore.

Bob: Do you see a connection between certain aspects of your personality (love of math; a fondness for organization) and the literature you prefer?
Keith Law: I don’t. I just love things that are great.

Mike: At what point in the draft do you roll the dice on an elite HS arm like Ethan Hankins when the draft is stocked with (more mature) college pitchers?
Keith Law: I don’t think that’s a fair summary of the class; he’s a top 5 talent right now, bearing in mind a lot can change in eight months.

Eric: Other than strategy games like chess, are there any old board games (say more than 20 years old) you still like?
Keith Law: Diplomacy’s great. Acquire is very good. And I know this isn’t what you mean, but Catan is 22 years old.

Ben: Does Albies have develop 20-25hr power in his future?
Keith Law: I want to say no, but the way the ball flies right now, there might be 40 guys this year who hit 20 HR whom I never thought would hit 20 HR.

JP: what are your thoughts on Chris Archer basically saying the clubhouse wouldn’t let him perform a peaceful protest during the National Anthem?
Keith Law: Extremely disturbed. I don’t know any details, but I hope someone in Rays management talked to him about it, and let him know they’d have his back if he chose to kneel for the anthem or sit it out.

Matt: Do you have any hope that the Orioles won’t rush Hunter Harvey?
Keith Law: I’m afraid they’ll rush him, and I heard he’s still very cross-body, which is/might be how he blew out in the first place.

Bryce Harper: Dom Smith destroyed a ball the other night with one hand. What’s his HR ceiling with the new ball?
Keith Law: I saw him in HS and thought he had plus raw or better. I’m sticking to that – there’s 25 HR in there, at least.

Ty: I bought La Flamme Rouge off of your review and like it for its balance. There seems to be a broken mechanic where exhausted cyclists can block trailing cyclists by playing exhaustion cards every turn. Have your run across it? Does this sound like a good fix? An exhaustion card cannot move into the left lane ever.
Keith Law: We didn’t run across that; I think I’d have to see this in action to follow you.

Tracy: Meanwhile, Scott Pruitt is making an abomination out of the EPA and yet no one is mentioning it, at least not the corporate media. This guy is as sleazy as they come and he is single-handedly destroying one of our most important federal agencies. Keith, if you come across any informative articles on this creep I would appreciate it if you post them on your links page.
Keith Law: The problem with the current Administration – well, one of the problems – is that with scapegraces in so many positions of power, the media can’t keep every one of their misdeeds in the spotlight. We’re busy with Tom Price spending a million bucks on luxury travel; we can’t talk about Pruitt gutting environmental protections, or DeVos making life easier for rapists on campus.

Clark: You’ve answered it before, but can you tell us what Meadow Party is a reference to?
Keith Law: Don’t blame me. I voted for Bill and Opus.

GS: The other reason PR & VI aren’t states is because they’d likely bring more Democratic Party representation to Congress. Same with DC obtaining statehood.
Keith Law: I haven’t heard that about the territories but it makes sense. Also, USVI would be the smallest state by population by almost half a million people (about 20% of what Wyoming has). That would mean you’d add two Senators for 100K people, while, say, California has two for over 37 million.

Tom: Hi Keith. A certain blogger has made the assertion that Judge is “Stanton with more walks.” Does this seem to be just a wee bit clickbait?
Keith Law: Stanton with more walks is good. I’m not sure if that’s supposed to insult one or the other.

JJ: Why are you always voting for the NL ROY? Shouldn’t they mix that up a bit? Spread your East Coast Bias around to some of the other categories, perhaps?
Keith Law: This is obviously what they’ve decided I should vote on. I have no say in it.

Chris : Royal Blood newest album is very mneh to me. Going to see them open for QOTSA at MSG regardless.
Keith Law: I loved it on first and second listen, but found I haven’t gone back to it very much.

Ron: Excited for Blade Runner 2049? Early reviews have been stellar. Grierson said it is the most gorgeous film he has ever seen.
Keith Law: Yeah, I might be proven wrong on that one. I didn’t like the idea of revisiting that world at all, especially since the first movie diverged so much from PKD’s book.

Steve: What the hell happened to Chris Tillman and can he bounce back next year?
Keith Law: Came back too quick from the shoulder injury last year and hasn’t been the same since.

Andy: Will your eventual memoir be titled: No One Ever Reads the Intro?
Keith Law: Yes, but only if I get to start with a 30-page intro.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week. Thank you all, as always, for reading, and an extra thanks to everyone who’s donated to my little boardgame-sale fundraising effort. We’re over $500 to three charities, two for hurricane relief and one a local food pantry. I appreciate everyone’s generosity; goodness knows the islands hit by Irma and/or Maria need our help. I’ll be back next week for another chat.