→ September 16, 2023
→ By

Stick to baseball, 9/16/23.

For subscribers to the Athletic, I wrote my annual column on players I was wrong about, and I weighed in on the Red Sox’ firing – and perhaps scapegoating – of Chaim Bloom. I held a Klawchat again on Friday.

On the board game front, I reviewed the excellent new game 3 Ring Circus over at Paste, and updated my list of the best new games so far in 2023 over at Vulture.

And now, the links…

  • Longreads first: Why the actual fuck has Columbia University spent years protect an OB/GYN who abused hundreds of patients while working at the school – and even let him return to practice for five weeks after a patient went to the police, accusing him of sodomizing her, during which period he assaulted at least eight more patients. Columbia refused to cooperate with an earlier prosecution that resulted in a plea arrangement that kept him out of jail. And the Columbia leaders who oversaw all of this have gotten off scot-free, unlike the leadership at Penn State or Michigan State. Dr. Robert Hadden was convicted, finally, in January, of four counts of sexual abuse involving interstate travel (making it a federal case). Columbia still has not notified his former patients that he’s a sex offender. There are over 240 additional women who say he molested or abused them while under his care. If I had gone to Columbia, I wouldn’t give them another fucking dime.
  • There’s a million-dollar Kickstarter up for a series of expansions and enhancements to the hit game Terraforming Mars, from Indie Game Studios, which bought TM’s original publisher Stronghold Games when the latter’s founder retired a year or two ago. Kickstarter requires now that creators disclose what parts of the project are generated by AI projects, and it turns out that Indie decided to use AI for a whole bunch of the art in the new game – and Indie’s President Travis Worthington is completely unapologetic about this, even in the face of some pretty direct questions from Polygon’s Charlie Hall. What I find most distasteful about this is that they’re charging more for the product while their costs are going down, since they’re not paying actual artists for actual art. This is straight-up profit-taking. (Full disclosure: I’ve written for Polygon and Charlie was my editor.)
  • Vanity Fair has a story from author and journalist James David Robenalt on the upcoming book by and revelations from former Secret Service agent Paul Landis, who claims that he found another bullet lodged loosely in the seat behind President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy right after the President’s body was removed from the car. The implication, if we accept this story, is that there was a second shooter. It’s a long story, and I think Robenalt doth protest too much, but he’s also arguing against 60 years of government reports and denials.
  • The Zulu prince and South African politician Mangosothu Buthelezi died last week at age 95. The BBC looks at his lengthy and complicated legacy. He served as president of one of the country’s “Bantustans,” puppet states within South Africa that claimed to give autonomy to Black citizens living under apartheid, then allied with the African National Congress in the fight for equality, only to split with the ANC over whether armed action was necessary or whether to ask for international sanctions.
  • Meanwhile, the GOP’s extreme wing is trying to shoehorn further abortion restrictions, including banning the safe, effective abortion pill, into various unrelated bills, and it’s backfiring on Rep. McCarthy and other Republican leaders already – to say nothing of what it might do next November. The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent also looks at how what he calls the “MAGA doom loop” may kill their chances in key battleground states next year.
  • Argentina is trying to get Italy to extradite a priest who helped the military junta torture dissidents in the 1970s. Franco Reverberi fled Argentina to return to his native country when it became clear he might be called to account for assisting torturers, sitting in the room while these abuses took place and even telling victims that God wanted them to reveal their secrets.
  • The library director and another library official in Sterling, Kansas, were fired in July after displaying a rainbow image at the entrance to the library because a few “Christians” complained it was promoting a “gay agenda,” even though the image was about neurodivergent people. I can’t with these people. Your religion is your business but it is not an excuse for hate, ignorance, or just being an asshole.e
  • A mathematical puzzle unsolved for fifty years, about the minimum dimensions for a Möbius strip, has been solved.
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→ September 15, 2023
→ By

Klawchat 9/15/23.

For subscribers to the Athletic, I posted columns on players I was wrong about and on Boston’s firing of Chaim Bloom. I also reviewed the excellent new board game 3 Ring Circus over at Paste and updated my list of the best new games of 2023 at Vulture.

Keith Law: And more and more I get a tightness ’bout right here in my chest. Klawchat.

Dave: Hi Keith,

Have you watched The Bear? I saw you mentioned it in a recent post, but I’m not sure if you’ve written about it at length. I love the show, although sometimes it is so emotional it is hard to watch (the flashback episode of Thanksgiving dinner was especially tough.)
Keith Law: Love it. Not totally sure about the S2 cliffhangers – they felt a little overdone, especially the Marcus part – but I think the series is so well-written and acted, with the food photography especially worthy of praise.

Aaron: We’ve seen young players like Jackson Holliday and Thomas Saggese struggle in their first taste of AAA before settling in – is the jump to AAA that much of an adjustment or are we just seeing some end of year fatigue?
Keith Law: Tiny samples.

Adam (Viroqua, WI): Not a question, but I just wanted to let you know I finally pulled the trigger on an Athletic subscription because of your content.
Keith Law: Thank you! I certainly appreciate that, especially as I come to the end of my contract.

Hank: If Trout requested a trade, how much money would the Angels have to send with him? He’s owed 259M over 7 years.
Keith Law: I don’t think very much at all. He’d probably get that in free agency.

I’m Not Joey Gallo, I’m Joey Callo, C- Allo: If were were heading a team, how would you choose to manage Shohei Otani going forward. Is there a plan that makes sense, or is it just such unknown territory that you roll the dice and hope for the best with health?
Keith Law: I’d plan to have him pitch whenever he’s capable – it depends on what surgery he has, of course, but I think people saying he’ll never pitch again are being catastrophic.

Andy: Where do you stand on sleeve ads?
Keith Law: I don’t even notice them.

Pramit: Why do you think so many Jays hitters have underperformed this year?
Keith Law: I don’t have a good answer for that, sorry. Vlad and Varsho have been especially disappointing but I haven’t spent time looking at why.

Les: Should Atlanta pick up Eddie Rosario’s option, and then still look to upgrade LF if a opportunity presents itself, or decline it, maybe try Grissom in LF?
Keith Law: I think $9 million is probably reasonable for a one-win player, but I think Atlanta needs to aim for more than that. I would be about 60/40 for declining it.

Jackie: I asked you a year ago about Chaim Bloom’s job security, and you poo poohed that idea.  Three last place finishes in four years in a large market like Boston is a career killer.  Any guy who knows how to read a spreadsheet can be the assistant to the assistant GM in Tampa; being The Guy in a large market like Boston is a completely different animal, and Red Sox ownership (and you) forgot that.
Keith Law: “Any guy who knows how to read a spreadsheet can be the assistant to the assistant GM in Tampa” is a real tell here. You have zero idea what you’re talking about, don’t even know what Bloom’s last (most senior) role was in Tampa, and didn’t read the column I posted this morning which is linked atop this chat.

Tom: Would Chaim Bloom make sense as the GM in Detroit? Surprised Harris hasn’t hired one by now.
Keith Law: Wouldn’t it be odd to go from President of Baseball Ops to GM?

Heather: The Angels will begin shopping Mike Trout this winter, supposedly.  What’s the market for a guy that hasn’t played 120 games since 2019, and is signed for megabucks through 2030?
Keith Law: The durability issue is real, but he was a 6-win player last year, is still very good when healthy, and he’s Mike Fucking Trout. You sell tickets when you trade for that guy. He’s going to be a better investment than most free agents this winter.

Doug: Do you see Anthopolous making another big trade this upcoming offseason? Looks like SP will be the main need, definitely if Morton chooses to retire.
Keith Law: The betting should always be on Anthopoulos making a big trade.

JJ: This makes three GMs (or the equivalent) in a row that haven’t quite lasted four years in Boston.  That seems … rash.  Do potential hires look at that recent track record and say, “No, thanks”, or do those candidates still think, “Yeah, but it won’t happen to me“?
Keith Law: Those jobs are so scarce, and so well-paid, that I don’t expect them to have any problem finding a good candidate. Even with the ownership issues I outlined, it’s not like working for Arte Moreno or Dick Monfort or even Jim Crane.

Michael: Do you believe in the success of Orlando Arcia? Seems like they really did a nice job making adjustments with him once he came over. Very good value if he’s just a average regular, only a 2M salary or so. Or do you think they look to upgrade, looking for more upside.
Keith Law: I’m buying this. When he was a prospect I thought he’d be a much better big leaguer, but this version looks pretty sustainable.

Kevin: Going to Portland tonight to see the Sea Dogs. Could Roman Anthony be a top 5 prospect in baseball this time next year?
Keith Law: Hm. It’s a top 5 swing in the minors. If the question is “could,” then yes. I wouldn’t go to “will.”
Keith Law: I have a scouting notebook coming that will discuss him a little

Matt: Is Perry Minasian the next head of baseball operations who’ll get fired?
Keith Law: He’s the one I’m most worried about, with them missing the playoffs and his boss being crazy.
Keith Law: Also Ng, what with the owner saying they didn’t want the “distraction” of her contract situation … if that’s the case, just give her an extension. The team is better than expected this year and looks like it’s trending upwards.

Kevin w: If you were running the reds, is there anything you would have done differently in 2023?
Keith Law: Upgraded at the deadline.

Scherzers_Blue_Eye: I’ll join in with Adam, you’re one of the only reasons I keep my Athletic subscription. If you go, I go!

An overall observation from this year–it seems everyone at Harrisburg has a K-rate that makes Mike Cameron blush. Is it the player
Keith Law: They’ve rushed some guys there, too.

Kevin w: Is Vegas going to exist in 20 years?
Guest: what would you do if you were the cardinals gm.  I would trade em all and start over.  Goldy and Arenado included
Keith Law: I would have at least put their names out there in July, and would do the same this winter.

Alex: Curious why you think Kevin Alcantara has fallen off for so many? Seems like he’s proven himself pretty well after struggling the first month or so.
Keith Law: I don’t know – I remain extremely high on him.

Erwin: What do you make of Henry Davis?  Promoted too soon?  Future position?
Keith Law: Not concerned about the bat. I wish he were catching but they have Endy too and there aren’t enough AB for both.

Mike: Concern for Robert Hassell given his struggles?
Keith Law: Saw him Tuesday. Really needs to get stronger.

Adam D.: In the wake of Bloom’s firing, how much longer do you think the Giants should give Farhan? I’m of the opinion that he should get at least 3 more years to prove out the farm system improvements, but it seems many among the fanbase want him gone ASAP.
Keith Law: Owners/execs who let fan sentiment sway them are destined to make bad decisions. The Giants are also heading in the right direction, albeit more slowly than I’d thought a year or so ago.

Reggie: Do you think Max Fried will ultimately leave like Freeman and Swanson? Should they ride it out, hope for a awesome walk year, or should they explore what they could get in return for 1 year of Max on the trade market?
Keith Law: If they’re not planning to sign him, they should probably shop him, but I’d be inclined to go long-term with him.

Check our the Herz while DJ revolves it: Did Mike Rizzo just Tanner Roark the Cubs?
Keith Law: Is that about Herz? I don’t think so.

Mike: Why are so many people giving cherington a pass? Hes had 4 years and inherited a solid core. How much longer would you give him?
Keith Law: He inherited a solid core? News to me.

Marani: The Red Sox fire GMs on a weekly basis, but Brian Cashman has more job security than Clarence Thomas.  Sometimes, I miss George Steinbrenner.
Keith Law: Check Cashman’s flight records.

Bill: Is Spencer Torkelson finally over the hump? He’s had a very productive second half not only with HRs but drawing walks, and he looks more comfortable at the plate.
Keith Law: Yes.

Bret: Hey Keith. Was Richie Palacios ever a prospect of note moving through the Indians system? Does he have any chance of being a MLB level 4th OF’er/utility guy moving forward?
Keith Law: Yes and yes. Limited ceiling but I really liked him for what he was.

Dave: Did you see the announcement for Apiary? Looks pretty amazing.
Keith Law: Yes and I put in for a review copy (Jamey’s very good about that but I know there are only so many to go around).

Jay: Jett Williams .. how high could you see him rising in your prospect rankings? He has seemed to have gotten better and better
Keith Law: I’m a fan. Mets keep drafting well even when other things are going wrong for them.

Dan: CJ Abrams is a stud that will make Nats fans forget about Trea Turner. True or Truer?
Keith Law: Abrams is going to be a very, very good player, and will not make Nats fans forget about Trea Turner.

Rappa: I am very disappointed in you KLaw. In your defense of Deleware as a state, you overlooked it’s greatest invention: Scrapple. A scrapple-egg-and-cheese bagel is a big slice of Heaven.
Keith Law: I have never eaten scrapple because I know what’s in it.

Chris: Does the authority someone gets from expertise make their opinions worth more? Many people cite arguing from authority as a logical fallacy, and obviously not all authority and expertise are equal, but how do you determine the fallacy from actual authority?
Keith Law: The fallacy is saying that someone’s expertise/position makes their arguments correct. It is not a fallacy to give their arguments more consideration, or to make their background one small part of a larger evidence-based argument.

Jeff: How should the BlueJays manage Alek Manoah this offseason?  Is he tradeable? hang on in hopes of a rebound? or a sunk cost?
Keith Law: The real answer to that depends on what is actually ailing him, and I don’t think we know that.

Kip: How do view Jhancarlos Lara’s upside after this minor league season?
Keith Law: Good delivery, looks like two good pitches, some issues with LHB even at a low level this year. Intriguing arm with starter potential.

Jason rogers: Do you think the pitch clock is adding to pitcher injuries or is this just the new normal with pitchers
Keith Law: The rise in elbow injuries predates the pitch clock. It may be exacerbating the ongoing trend, but it didn’t cause it.

John: What position do you see Tyler Black playing if he’s on the Brewers opening day roster next season?
Keith Law: Third base?

Mike: Is there any hope for the Pirates being a World Series contender in the next 3-5 years? Asking for a friend
Keith Law: Yes.

Oren: What do you make of Davis Schneider? Real bat?
Keith Law: Not really. And no position.

Mike: Gavin Cross has been one of my biggest prospect disappointments this year. What’s gone wrong and has his long-term outlook changed?
Keith Law: Long-term outlook has changed dramatically. Hard to even project him as a regular given how bad his season has been.

Alex: If you were David Ross would you be playing Tauchman or PCA the rest of the way?
Keith Law: PCA, even if just for defense.

ChicagoSteve: Keith, any thoughts on former T100 guy Mets OF Alexander Ramirez. Scouting the stat line, he really seems to have regressed badly.
Keith Law: Don’t scout the stat line.

Fox: Who do you anticipate having a better career: Skenes or Yamamoto?
Keith Law: Unfair comparison.

Chris: Any comments on the George Kirby situation.  Reactions (including from Ron Darling unfortunately) seemed way over the top and typical “in my day” and “young pitchers today are coddled too much” garbage.
Keith Law: Kirby is absolutely right to say he felt gassed or tired, and all of these old guys, most of whom couldn’t have sniffed Kirby’s average velocity on the best days of their lives, should shut it.

Jay: What are your general thoughts on David Stearns? Seems to be exactly what the Mets needed
Keith Law: What about Stearns fits what the Mets needed?  I think a lot of fans advocating for Stearns don’t have any real sense of what he brings to the team.

Sedona: Do you see Cowser and Westburg the odd players out when the dust settles w/ Holliday, Heston, Mayo, Norby, Ortiz, Basallo, etc. come up?
Keith Law: Yes. Ortiz probably too, with Henderson/Holliday the left side of the infield for the next forever.

Mike: Would Bellinger’s 2023 excellence give you the confidence to give me a long term, big money deal or is there still lingering concern given how awful his previous two years were?
Keith Law: I’m leaning towards the former and I think he’ll be paid like 2021-22 never happened.

Sedona: Do you like Mason Barnett or Chayce McDermott?
Keith Law: McDermott’s a reliever for me. Barnett had some command/control questions but has been better in AA late in the year – could be real, could be a small sample issue.

Mike: Thoughts on Victor Scott II? He’s seem to have had a coming out party this year with insane numbers on the basepaths while showing some value at the plate too.
Keith Law: Extra guy. 80 speed, bat isn’t everyday.

Frank: Does Anthopolous have enough ammo in the farm system to pull off another substantial trade? It would decimate the farm if they made another from the looks of it.
Keith Law: Decimating the farm to keep the team a WS contender is worth it. I think they could.

BK: Love your monthly music lists – they turned me on to my favorite band the Wombats a few years ago. If I love the Wombats, what are some other bands I may like?
Keith Law: Maybe Sundara Karma and Two Door Cinema Club.

TomBruno23: If Wainwright ends up at 199 I know it is your fault (and Tim Lincecum and Javier Vazquez).
Keith Law: Quite possibly.

Andy: Elly is too good to not make adjustments, right?
Keith Law: I will always bet on a player this young and athletic to make adjustments.

Sedona: Believer in Ha-seong Kim’s breakout year?
Keith Law: Yes.

Dan: Whats the ceiling for guys like Trey Lipscomb and Handy Morales? Morales hits well but 0 HRs in a small sample.
Keith Law: I really don’t care if a player doesn’t homer in two months in his pro debut after he played a full college season in the spring.

Keith: Seems like Preller is safe, but should he be?
Keith Law: I wonder if he’s safe, but the fact that the Padres are so bad in extra innings doesn’t seem to be on the GM. Did he build a contending roster? Yes. That would be my #1 criterion. But finishing ~10 games under .500 in a year when you were supposed to compete is not good for one’s short-term career prospects.

Kyle: Could you ever see Oklahoma City as a future expansion market? It’s the nation’s 20th largest city in terms of population (but only 40th-something in terms of media market) – but a lot of growth in recent years.
Keith Law: It’s nowhere close. I think it’ll be decades before that’s reasonable.

Rjd: Yankee fan here, any hope for volpe? Roster construction wise, seems like the team needs him to be a superstar for 24-27 and he will probably end up a league avg ss (3 war player based on d) . I don’t have faith in this current staff of guiding him to anything more and fear the org too slow/prideful to change course, thoughts?
Keith Law: Oh I think he’s going to be much better than a league-average player.

Guy: Will it matter who Red Sox pick for GM because of ownership’s ridiculous take on being cheap these last 5 years?
Keith Law: This is one of the premises of my column today.

Steve: Are you down on Parada?   Seems to have been mediocre behind the plate, and he didn’t mash like some expected.
Keith Law: Reports from pro scouts weren’t great this year, mostly on the defense. I think he’ll hit more than enough, but he has to stay behind the dish.

Jay: A new GM fires Alex Cora, right?  Gotta have your own man in the dugout — the relationship between Bloom and Cora was downright frosty.  Cora spent many a press conference passively/aggressively telling us that Bloom was the source of every problem in Boston since King George III.
Keith Law: I don’t see that, plus I think Cora is ownership’s guy anyway. In my view he’s a good tactical manager and the right person if you’re expecting to bring up a slew of position player prospects in the next few years.

Chris: I’ve been reading you for a while and correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems you’ve become less libertarian and more liberal since 2006? Do you think this is true and if so have you thought about why?
Keith Law: I think it’s the Overton window affecting your view here. The rise of the alt-right, Christian nationalism, hate & violence towards LGBTQ+ people … I’m not going to sit quietly by while this shit takes over our country.

Mike: Do you have a sense of what Deion Sanders’ ceiling would have been had he committed to baseball?
Keith Law: He was more tools than skills, really – the lack of at bats really showed in the majors. A credit to what an incredible athlete he was that he could even accomplish what he did in MLB in what was essentially his hobby sport.

Steve: Love what the Mets did at the deadline, but while they seem stocked on position players, I’m not sure I see a pitcher in their system who projects as more than a #4 starter or middle reliever.    Am I missing anyone?
Keith Law: It’s definitely their system’s weakness. I like Sproat more than you do, I think. High beta prospect, but definitely more than #4 starter upside.

Jibraun: Re Goldschmidt and Arenado, several local writers have reported that ownership doesn’t want to trade them. The decision not to trade them can’t be pinned on Mo and Co. accordingly.
Keith Law: That’s fair, but then you have to ask ownership if they want to win, or want to just market those two stars and be happy with a .500 team.

Sedona: Jeremy Pena was unfairly destined for stardom by many… does he still have a chance?  Or has he shown who he’ll be?
Keith Law: He’s a very good player, no? League average hitter with plus defense? I’ll take it. Not a star, doubt he ever will be, but he added enough strength to make the bat play.

Guest: Do the Royals have to move MJ Melendez back to Catcher, or has that ship sailed?  Seems that the bat isn’t good enough to be an every day outfielder.  His defense has been in league worst range at both C and OF too.
Keith Law: He should be catching regularly because nobody gets better by not doing something.

Dan: MacKenzie Gore–I feel like he has the stuff, but doesn’t miss as many bats as he should. What’s his ceiling?
Keith Law: He misses plenty of bats, but his four-seamer plays well below its velocity and he needs to deemphasize it in favor of all of the other weapons he has. He’s allowed 17 homers on the four-seamer alone. That would put him in the top 50 pitchers in baseball in homers allowed even if we ignore the ten he’s given up on non-FB.

Tyler: Are you lower, higher or about the same on Kyle Harrison than a year ago? He has done a better job at limiting walks in a small sample with San Francisco but hasn’t found his groove otherwise yet.
Keith Law: Lower.
Keith Law: Tiny sample, again, and one of his outings was against a Reds team that was on the bus before they finished swinging the bats.

Sedona: Seems like Sig was big part of the Cardinals, Astros and Birds rebuilds
Keith Law: Yep. And he should get consideration for open GM jobs.

Dan: How many questions per chat do you get and just think “this person is a moron?” (other than this question, of course)
Keith Law: That’s way more common on Twitter than anywhere else. Lot of people there comment without reading an article, or comment based on something they heard I said/wrote but actually didn’t.

Jibraun: Have you considered doing a year-end books you read post? You don’t have to rank them from top to bottom, but maybe do them tiered on the 20-80 scale. I know some readers (read: me) would like that.
Keith Law: Fair idea.

Jason S: Does Langford have a higher ceiling then Crews?
Keith Law: I think so. Crews is higher probability.

Zirinsky: Yankees offense: older players having down years or an organizational philosophy that needs a rethink? Or both?
Keith Law: Why not both?

Seymour: What is Jasson Dominguez’s ceiling?
Keith Law: Superstar, top 10 player in the AL type.

Jt: Is fixing the Blue Jays just a matter of going out and getting a corner OF with some thump?
Keith Law: More than that but I think that’s a good start.

Sedona: Christopher Morel talented enough to hold down an everyday role?
Keith Law: I would bet the under.

Jibraun: Re Jay’s question and your answer, then let me ask: what do you think Stearns brings to the Mets?
Keith Law: I’m not really sure, to be honest. The most notable part of his tenure in Milwaukee was the gutting of their scouting staffs. What credit, if any, do we give him, versus Matt Arnold or Craig Counsell or the various directors involved, for their drafts? For building a great defense? For the development of the big 3 starters?

Steve: I’ve heard a bunch of people like Ryan Clifford since the deal…but that’s an awfully high strikeout rate he’s running.    How concerned should I be?
Keith Law: High risk, high reward guy.
Keith Law: There is real upside there and he may have been rushed.

Dan: Did you see Brady House yesterday? 104 MPH, 410-ft. Oppo-taco. A wise man once said “Brady House destroys baseballs.” That Nats lineup is going to be so much fun next year
Keith Law: No, I saw him Tuesday. Actually hit one ball extremely hard that was just a foulout to the RF in the box score.

Steve: Do you think the Mets should pencil Mauricio in for 2B next year (and switch McNeil to the OF), or go shopping for an OF in the winter?
Keith Law: Yes. The extension to McNeil might be an albatross … his value is so dependent on his AVG that it’s easy for him to underproduce, and now they’re kind of stuck with playing him unless they accept the sunk cost.

Jt: T or F: Babe Schnieder is a better use of a 40 man spot than is Cavan Biggio.
Keith Law: T.

Matt: Any thoughts on PCA’s first few games?
Keith Law: No.

Jeff: Will Colson Montgomery grow into more in game power?
Keith Law: I think he’ll be much more of a hitter for average/doubles than HR power.

TomBruno23: Jordan Walker…does he have to put up a 125 wRC+ to be an average player?
Keith Law: That seems too high.

Donny: Have you seen any of the robo umps in action this year? Is ke’Bryan hayes right in that we need it now?
Keith Law: My argument, based on what MLB execs have said for years, is that the ABS might not improve the overall accuracy of calls, but it will trade egregiously wrong calls for ones in the gray zone just around the plate. I believe most players would accept that – I can live with the ball 1″ off the plate being incorrectly called a strike much more than I can live with the ball 5″ off the plate being incorrectly called a strike.

Tyler: Samuel Basallo has picked up a ton of helium in the past few months. Do you see star-level potential with the bat, and where does he fit in defensively long term?
Keith Law: Blog post coming. Didn’t see him catch, unfortunately. He DHd with Ardoin, who can really catch and throw but is no more than a backup, behind the plate that day.
Keith Law: Basallo’s a big kid, BTW.

Longtime reader, first time chatter: With the explosion of prospect content in recent years, how has your job changed since you first started? Some prospect sites have multiple writers working for them, but it appears that you are flying solo – do you ever feel the need for someone to help support you in your work?
Keith Law: I like having colleagues who want to write about prospects – and when we had Zach Buchanan he did an excellent job – but I’ve got my system down for producing the key content throughout the year.

TomBruno23: Need your thoughts on Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift dating speculation, thanks.
Keith Law: Seems like he’s slumming it.
Keith Law: (I kid.)

Josh: Thoughts on this year’s draft class? Seems like a pretty uninspiring prep position player group
Keith Law: Prep class is easier to evaluate in the spring, I think. The college crop, however, is not so hot.

Joe: Do you think the way the Red Sox ownership treated Chaim Bloom will make finding his replacement difficult? He did the job they asked him to do, allowed him to build for the future with the assumption he’d see it through and then fired him in a PR move to act like the organization was turning a page. I’m a Red Sox diehard and I’m sick over this. It’s a disgrace.
Keith Law: No, for the reasons I cited above, but I said on the Athletic Baseball Show today that if you’re a candidate you should at least ask two questions: 1) will you allow me to spend to acquire pitching from outside the org and 2) was the lack of any pitchers taken with high draft picks or signed for big bonuses as international free agents an ownership mandate?

Kevin: Not sure if you have a vote this year but any thoughts on Betts vs Acuna for MVP?
Keith Law: I have NL RoY. I’ll do my column with hypothetical ballots for the other 5 awards in two weeks.

Guy: You think Biden’s too old for round 2?  Meaning competent.
Keith Law: I think Biden, Trump, Feinstein, McConnell, are all too damn old. It’s absurd.

Matt: How should Cubs fans be thinking about Miguel Amaya going forward? Hard contact, but not enough of it.
Keith Law: Does he even have 150 PA yet? You have to be more patient than that. He can hit. He will hit.

Dave: To follow up on the Kyle Harrison answer, why are you lower on him? What’s changed or not improved with profile?
Keith Law: It’s a tough delivery to repeat and his control took a real step back this year.

Kak: What’s your favorite meal to cook at home?
Keith Law: Pizza, indoor or outdoor (I have an Ooni oven, big fan); or pasta, very al dente, several ways – all’amatriciana, alla vodka, carbonara.

Jason: Listened to any of Lauren Mayberry’s solo stuff yet?
Keith Law: Just the one song. It’s fine but I hope the whole album isn’t very slow piano-driven music.

Kak: If I was starting to play board games, what would you consider the best intro game?
Keith Law: Ticket to Ride is usually my rec.
Keith Law: Five minutes to learn, and easy to find.

Kak: Will we ever have a franchise in Nashville?
Keith Law: I think yes.

TomBruno23: Sig…that list of SP drafted and developed by the Cardinals since Luhnow/Sig/Strom left after 2011 is not encouraging: Wacha, Flaherty………..Luke Weaver…………………a bunch of other guys.
Keith Law: The Weaver one I did not get. Or Hudson. Don’t sleep on Ian Bedell, though.

Josh Donaldson: What’s your album of the year so far, and why is it Geese’s “3D Country”?
Keith Law: Heh, it’s up there. Top five of the year, at least. Young Fathers’ Heavy Heavy is in there too. Grian Chatten’s Chaos for the Fly, Noname’s Sundial, Protomartyr’s Formal Growth in the Desert, Belle & Sebastian’s Late Developers, Slowdive’s Everything Is Alive. Lot of good albums this year that I liked but wouldn’t go so far as to put on a best-of list.

Steve: What would your plan with Baty be?   Give him the 3B job in 2024, bring in competition, have him start in AAA, or shop him in the offseason?    I’m guessing he won’t have much trade value at this point.
Keith Law: Third base, every day.

Fox: What was your first job out of college?
Keith Law: Management consultant. Liked it for about 6-9 months. After that it became very repetitive.

Steve: Junior Caminero’s future position with the Rays? He seems more a corner guy but I’d think it’d tough to dislodge Diaz & Paredes. They could obviously use him most at SS assuming Wander is done. 2B in place of Lowe, who never seems to stay consistently healthy or hot?
Keith Law: I think he’s a corner guy, and you dislodge whoever because he’s that kind of bat.

Pat: Grayson Rodriguez has been electric since he’s returned. Ready to believe his early season struggles are behind him and this is what’s to come?
Keith Law: I expect a lot of ups-and-downs. He wasn’t very  good his last outing, either, which I think is kind of where he’s at – stuff is more than good enough, but he’s still working out command, how to attack hitters multiple times, etc.

Matt: Jackson Jobe has been unbelievable the past few months. What’s been clicking for him this season and what’s his long-term outlook at this point?
Keith Law: Completely healthy, more than everything else.

A Salty Scientist: Is it fair to say that Eury has #1 pitcher in baseball upside? And if yes, is it just an increase in command that gets him there?
Keith Law: Yes, and I think yes.

Chew Stu: Have you ever been to Sedona?
Keith Law: Yes. I was a little hung over.

Todd: Can Wicks be a mid rotation guy?
Keith Law: That’s about right.

Kyle: How can us Orioles fan cope with talent that could turn into a dynasty but a truly horrendous Owner/Chairman set on not cashing in on it?
Just tune it all out and hope he sells?
Keith Law: Yes. Enjoy what’s on the field. Stay present. Good advice for life in general.

Bill: Love watching Bryson Stott … has he outperformed your expectations?
Keith Law: By a degree or two, yes.

Caleb: Which Wingspan habitats do you find yourself gravitating to?  I usually like to stick with building out the grasslands and wetlands.
Keith Law: I tailor it to the bonus cards. Wetlands is probably my least used, though.

Fox: In regards to my earlier question, let me rephrase. Who would you want to be the ace of your staff- Skenes, Yamamoto or other?
Keith Law: Right now, Yamamoto is an ace for someone. Skenes may be one some day.

Tom: The Anthony Rendon signing has been yet another unmitigated disaster for the Angels. I remember he was at or near the top of your free agent list that year, so my question is, how do I blame Arte Moreno for this?
Keith Law: Maybe blame him for not going all in on Cole?

Chew Derek: Have you ever played fantasy baseball?
Keith Law: Yes, from 1990 to 2002.

Mallios: Whats your favorite stadium? Least favorite?
Keith Law: PNC Park is my favorite. Tampa Bay is my least. Still haven’t been to the new Atlanta one.

Mallios: Do you agree that NYC has the best pizza?
Keith Law: Depends on what style you like. The best single pizzeria in the US for me is Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, but that’s Neapolitan style, and may not be everyone’s preference. For NY style, well, yes, it’s NYC.

Dana: Austin Wells has looked perfectly fine behind the plate and the pitchers have praised him. Aside from the throwing problems, what makes you think he can’t catch?
Keith Law: I’m surprised you think he has “looked perfectly fine.”

Andy: Shana Tova to you and your family.
Keith Law: Thank you, although none of us is Jewish. L’Shana Tovah to you as well.

Tom: Logan Gilbert… I remember you had him as a mid rotation guy.  Have your thoughts changed?
Keith Law: Velo jumped (twice, if you count the jump back after his junior year when he had mono) and he added a pitch. Loved the delivery & command in college.

Doug: Do you think Columbus OH will be considered for an expansion team?
Keith Law: No. I doubt we see a team added to the rust belt given population trends.

Ken from E720: over the last several years me, my wife, her brother, and nephew take a trip and visit a few mlb parks (have 7 left).  I had always wanted to go to Oakland, especially with them probably leaving.  I know people always say it is a dump and I know where is a lot of history there.  I’m sorry and I am sure I am in the minority and I know it isn’t modern but I was 6 rows a little beyond third base.  I loved sitting at that stadium.  i really enjoyed the experience and had a big ol grin on my face the entire time.
Keith Law: It is a dump, but you know what? It’s outside. You get to watch an MLB game outside, and that puts it above Tampa, and frankly above a whole lot of other experiences in life.
Keith Law: That’s all for this week – thank you so much for all of your questions and the kind words. My minor league player(s) of the year column will run at some point next week and I’ll have my last regular-season scouting notebook in the next day or two. Have a great weekend, everyone.

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→ September 15, 2023
→ By

Yellowface.

R.F. Kuang caused quite a stir earlier this year with the release of her fifth novel and first outside of sci-fi/fantasy, the scathing satire Yellowface, which bites the very hand that feeds her – the publishing world. The title hints at the secondary themes of cultural appropriation, racial identity, and who has the right to tell what stories, but the engine that drives this book and its self-justifying protagonist is sheer disgust at how the book sausage gets made.

June Hayward is a young white woman who has written one published novel to scant sales and mediocre reviews, while her college classmate and sort-of friend, Athena Liu, has vaulted into literary stardom in a manner not entirely dissimilar to Kuang’s history. Athena is Chinese-American and is working on her magnum opus, a massive historical novel about the use and abuse of Chinese workers in World War I, when she suffers a fatal accident in front of June … who grabs the manuscript to the unfinished and unsubmitted novel, The Last Front, and decides to clean it up and submit it as her own. June’s agent can’t believe it, shopping the book to a larger publisher, where the marketing folks suggest that June use her middle name, Song, instead of Hayward, ostensibly to get away from the failure of her first novel, but it’s hardly a coincidence that that Song could come across as an East Asian surname, is it? June’s happy to go along with all of this, even when a junior publicist at the firm pushes back on the whole scheme and questions the authenticity of some of the content, but after the book comes out to rave reviews and massive sales, the backlash begins, and eventually enough dirt comes out that June’s authorship becomes the subject of public scrutiny.

June is an anti-hero, an unreliable narrator, and a con artist, where she herself is one of her own victims: She’s so desperate for commercial and critical success that she dupes herself into doing and believing things that will obviously harm her in the end. She’s part Becky Sharp, part Maria Ruskin, and maybe a little Anna Delvey, but in the end she’s willing to do and say whatever she must to get ahead and stay there. That also means that anyone who gets in her way is an enemy and must be dealt with, which is when June becomes either ruthless or just so wrapped up in her own needs – and I think to her, this is about safety, rather than material gain – that she goes on the attack, or wants to, even when doing nothing is the best option.

The level of scorn that Kuang has for the industry is truly something to behold, and it provides some dark humor, not the laugh-out-loud sort but the “I can’t believe she’s writing that” kind. It’s not even a satire that exaggerates the truth to its limits to get its point across; Kuang does little more than sharpen a few details, letting the stark reality of things shock the reader instead. The outsized roles of Goodreads and social media sites, the emphasis on an author’s identity rather than their work, the control the Big Four publishing houses have, it all looks worse under the microscope. I doubt anyone still has the illusion that it’s the merits of a book that determines whether it’s a best-seller, but Kuang makes it clear just how far down the list of factors a novel’s quality sits.

The novel’s title refers to the history of white performers in stage and on screen pretending to be east Asian, such as the teeth-grinding cringe of Mickey Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. We’ve seen it in the publishing world as well, such as the white poet who submitted poems under a Chinese name because he claimed it increased his odds of getting published and another white poet who fabricated an entire persona of a Japanese survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima to publish his poems. Is June guilty of “yellowface” here? She takes on an Asian-sounding surname and doesn’t go out of her way to disabuse anyone of the notion that she has east Asian heritage. She takes on Athena’s novel, but makes substantial edits and rewrites, some before submitting it and some with the help of her editors. Is the mere fact that she’s telling a story about Chinese people, with references to Chinese culture and history, enough to say she’s committed this transgression? Is this cultural appropriation? Who can tell these stories – and if only an Asian writer can tell a story about Asian people, then does that mean Asian writers can only tell stories about Asian people? Kuang grapples with this last question at some length, including it in discussions of Athena Liu’s legacy, how the publishing world saw and used her, and how she felt as a token woman of color in what remains a white-dominated space where many decision-makers are still men.

I discovered Yellowface through several reviews and a Times article about the stir it caused in publishing circles, so I’m familiar with some of the criticisms. I do think it’s fair to ask about the quality of much of the prose, even though it’s told in Hayward’s voice, and while she presents herself as an underappreciated writer, she’s also extremely unreliable and likely overstates her abilities. It’s a novel that’s more readable than literary in that sense; the prose moves, and it’s evocative, but the wordsmithing here is unremarkable. What I do not understand or agree with is criticisms of its satire being insufficiently sharp, especially from writers, because I think making the satirical elements more overt or blatant risked taking the reader out of the story. Kuang could have made this funnier, but it would have come at a cost of veracity. This story rings true based on my limited experiences in and knowledge of the publishing world, which made it work for me even when the prose was a little thin.

For some comparisons, if you’re interested, you might want to read this very even-handed review by Hugo winner Amal El-Mohtar or you could read this incredibly nasty, juvenile review in the Cleveland Review of Books.

Next up: Ann Patchett’s latest, Tom Lake.

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→ September 11, 2023
→ By

The World We Make.

N.K. Jemisin’s The World We Make is the conclusion to the series she began with 2020’s Hugo-nominated The City We Became, which was a mild surprise since it seemed like this was a longer series in the making. (I thought it was supposed to be a trilogy, but I can’t find a reference to that, although there are interviews with Jemisin where she discusses how real-world events overtook her plans for the series.)

When last we saw our five heroes, the human avatars of New York City and the four boroughs that matter, they were preparing for some sort of showdown with Woman in White, also known as R’lyeh, the destroyer of worlds, who has gotten her long white tentacles into Aislyn, the living avatar of Staten Island, which the authorities could just build a bridge over to get me from Jersey to Brooklyn and I’d be completely fine with it. Anyway, the five good avatars are trying to navigate the new world in which they inhabit, as they’d been previously unaware of the fact that cities were alive and could coopt humans to serve as their living embodiments, while they’re also dealing with some sort of multidimensional enemy they know they can hold off but can’t defeat without help.

In The World We Make, however, we start to hear from other cities, as a couple of their avatars visit New York and also engage in clandestine meetings in a dimension beyond our own to discuss the fate of our world and maybe some others as well. The real gift of this novel, however, isn’t the plot, which can be fun and has a fair amount of action but also largely goes where you’d expect it to go, is the characterization of all of the boroughs and a few of the cities as well. Jemisin has created a world that’s as diverse and lively as New York City itself across all demographics, a multidimensional cast of characters with interconnecting relationships within the quintet and with people outside of it – a daughter, a boss, another city – that keeps the book moving even while the core plot with R’lyeh is still in neutral.

The story slows down when we get to Aislyn, the walking stereotype of the Staten Islander who is afraid of Manhattan to the point that she’s never gone there. Imagine growing up a ferry ride away from (sings in Hamilton) the greatest city in the world, and you never go there for your entire childhood and at least a few years of adulthood. I knew people like that growing up on Long Island, but at least there you could argue that it was an hour away by car, a little more by train, and that’s not much of an excuse but taking the Staten Island Ferry is easier than taking the LIRR and it’s free. She throws her lot in with R’lyeh/The Woman in White, because foreign is bad, more or less, which isn’t a criticism of Jemisin but of the world in which we live, where fear and ignorance led 70 million Americans to vote for Donald Trump. Their interactions are just not that interesting compared to the lively, fun interplay between the characters on the good side of things, or compared to some of the badass action sequences (the one with Brooklyn and the chop shop particularly stands out as some brilliant action writing, a car chase as exciting as anything in Baby Driver but without Ansel Elgort to drag it all down).

It turns out that R’lyeh’s battle against the New Yorkers (sans Staten Island, but that’s basically Jersey anyway) is just a tiny front in a multi-dimensional war where the fate of this specific instance of the universe hangs in the balance, so, yes, it’s up to the four boroughs and the city itself to save the universe from the destroyer of worlds. Jemisin’s trying to set the stakes high enough to keep up the narrative greed, but I never actually believed that the universe would end in the book, and kept waiting for the story to get back to the Furious Five. R’lyeh’s reasons are not that interesting; Aislyn’s are, although she’s such an obvious proxy for the sort of white Trump voters that the New York Times loves to interview in a midwestern diner that her story arc also fails to garner the same interest or connection that the other four boroughs get.

Jemisin has commented in a few places about how real-world events overtook her plans for the series, however long it was supposed to be, and that turned what seemed like it would be an ass-kicking sci-fi series into more of a fun adventure story about a makeshift family and a love letter to New York, or at least the four-fifths of it that count. That still makes for an enjoyable, quick read, but I’m grading Jemisin on a curve here, and I just wanted more from the sequel given how much I loved the first book.

Next up: I just finished R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface and have started Ann Patchett’s latest novel, Tom Lake.

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→ September 9, 2023
→ By

Stick to baseball, 9/9/23.

Nothing new this week other than two contributions to headlines on the callups of Jordan Lawlar and Evan Carter, but I’ll be back next week with the players I got wrong column. I did hold my first Klawchat in ages, though.

On The Keith Law Show this week, I spoke with Jonathan Abrams, New York Times reported and author of the 2022 book The Come Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop, which comes out in paperback on October 3rd. You can listen and subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And now, the links…

  • Vulture exposes the corruption behind Rotten Tomatoes’ algorithm as studios and publicists have paid small-time reviewers, who are often inexplicably included in the site’s calculations, to post positive reviews or withhold negative ones. I’m not included in RT’s metrics and I’m not paid by any studios or publicists, so you can always trust my reviews, even if they’re not any good!
  • Parents of trans kids who spoke to the New York Times’ Azeen Ghorayshi spoke out against the reporter and how they felt used and misled by her actions. Ghorayshi wrote a fairly uncritical piece about the so-called whistleblower at a St. Louis clinic for trans kids, but didn’t accurately reflect the sentiments of the parents she spoke to, while the whistleblower appears to have fabricated or inflated most of her claims.
  • The Florida town of Mount Dora established a program where businesses can declare themselves safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people and display a decal in their window to that effect. Several Florida Republicans are vowing to stop the program, because they are apparently opposed to the First Amendment, or too stupid to understand why it applies here.
  • Christian nationalist commentator Matt Walsh, who doesn’t understand the biology of gender, decided to dunk on a single woman for a Tiktok video about her Saturday routines, and even the National Review said it was a bit much. Walsh’s view is that women exist solely for procreation, so it’s unsurprising that Julia Mazur’s unmarried, childless lifestyle would be so confusing to him.
  • The Kids Online Safety Act isn’t about protecting kids, at least not for its Republican backers – it’s about blocking LGBTQ+ content online, according to sponsor Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R). It has broad bipartisan support, however, and I contacted both of Delaware’s Senators to voice my opposition, even though both are sponsors of the bill as well.
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→ September 8, 2023
→ By

Klawchat 9/8/23.

Keith Law: Speaking as a child of the ’70s … it’s Klawchat.

Jeb: When would expect Skenes to make his debut in the MLB?
Keith Law: If healthy, probably June or so of next year, depending maybe on whether the Pirates need him (if they’re contending in the first half). I do think he’ll have to work with his changeup a lot more before he comes up.

Jacos: Should cubs bring up PCA?
Keith Law: I don’t see the harm, but is there really playing time for him?

Nick: Do you have any concerns about Justin Crawford’s groundball rates? Is that something that will change as he gets stronger?
Keith Law: Not really. Getting guys to elevate the ball more is one of the easier things to do, according to player development folks I’ve asked over the years.

Kevin: Is Ke’Bryan Hayes turning into an elite 3B? Seems like he is finally figuring it out.
Keith Law: Defensively? I have always thought he was elite. I know he’s been on a tear at the plate recently but it’s a small sample. I’m still a fan, always ranked him pretty high, but I don’t want confirmation bias to push me here into buying into a 30-game stretch.

Steve O: I know it’s a small sample, but have you caught any Jasson Dominguez at bats in the bigs?
Keith Law: Yes but not to alter my opinions of him at all.

PJ: What is the track record of starters like Justin Steele who primarily only throw 2 pitches.  Is success sustainable long-term as a starter?
Keith Law: It’s rare, but there are exceptions. The main thing that makes me think this is sustainable is that he gets RHB out better than LHB, and as a lefty he has some natural advantage against LHB anyway, holding them to a .301 OBP this year.

addoeh: Is Justin Steele a candidate for your annual “guys I was wrong about” column?
Keith Law: He’s on it. It’s running at some point next week.

Alex (Austin): Giants seem to be stuck in this weird place of having money to spend, no one takes their money, and then it seems like they were lucky to miss (Correa, Judge).  Are they ever going to spend this money?
Keith Law: Yes, eventually they’ll find a fit, but as a fan you’d rather they spent that money on the right guys.

Tyler: What are your thoughts on Termarr Johnson’s first full season? 100 walks and around 20 HRs for an 18/19 year old in A/A+ seems like a good start….
Keith Law: That’s not the whole picture, though. He’s hit .243 on the year with a 26% strikeout rate, not great for a guy whose main tool was his ability to hit. You can’t just cherry pick those two counting stats without looking at the entire body of work. I do still like Johnson quite a bit but I really thought he’d make more contact.

JG: Keith, thanks in advance for the chats and the insight. I always learn something new.
Help me make sense of Dusty continuing to start Maldonado over Diaz and Dubon over McCormick.
Keith Law: I’m sure the Maldonado preference is about defense, right or wrong. Isn’t McCormick basically playing every day, just in RF when he’s probably the better choice in CF?

Tony: What are your feelings on Evan Carter this year? Do you believe his profile will succeed in the majors?
Keith Law: Wrote a little about him last night: https://theathletic.com/4843398/2023/09/07/rangers-promote-evan-carter…

Shatkins: Thoughts on Davis Schneider’s Ruthian start? Just a guy, or a starter on a contending team?
Keith Law: Just a guy, without a position.

Mike: Thoughts on Kyle Schwarber, leadoff hitter? Appropriate, if unorthodox, lineup construction? Or waste of a power bat before other runners get on base?
Keith Law: Would prefer to see him bat lower for that reason – HR leader in the leadoff spot seems to leave some runs on the table.

Long Time Listener: What’s wrong with Javier?  He was almost untouchable last year and he looks mediocre this year.
Keith Law: His stuff is down – lower velo on the FB, much less break on the SL – so he’s missing a lot fewer bats. Could be injury, could be fatigue.

Mike: Hi Keith! Do you think Reese Olson will be a solid starter for years to come?
Keith Law: Back-end starter, yes.

Jack: How would you grade Ben cheringtons rebuild up to this point?
Keith Law: He’s significantly boosted the talent in the system, and you’re seeing some of that in the majors. The challenge will be converting that into big-league wins – getting more pitching, getting all these guys to develop at the same time, finding the key to the fourteenth lock on Nutting’s pocketbook.

Alex (Austin): What’s going on with Jack Leiter?
Keith Law: I don’t have a great answer beyond that maybe we were all wrong about the command/control back in college.

G: First of all I want to thank you for standing up for trans rights love you Keith!!! Second, seems like Cade Horton is something to be really excited about as a cub fan. Ive seen people on twitter say he has 4-5 real pitches but don’t really trust that. Just how good is he?? How many real pitches does he have?
Keith Law: Three for sure. Cubs helped him develop a real CH since drafting him – really since the fall – and that changes his whole outlook. Good job by player development on that one.

Tony: With the Reds pumping up all of their prospects, do senzel and india get bumped out to make room for everyone else next year?
Keith Law: Senzel’s time seems like it’s up, but I don’t think they’re as keen to move on from India as that.

Braydon: Has Thomas Saggese’s stock gone up since the trade deadline, or is he just on a huge hot streak?
Keith Law: He’s good. I don’t know if his stock has changed since he’s been on an upward trend for about 15 months now. It’s not like Ragans, whose value today would be way higher than it was at the time of his trade.
Keith Law: Sorry, that is Keith Law Breakout Pick ™ Cole Ragans.

Mark: What in gods name is going on with the Nationals? Some really damning stuff coming out that’s taking the bloom off what has been a surprisingly fun season up until this point.
Keith Law: Are they just dumping salaries to try to prep for a sale? It’s pretty ugly. They let go of a lot of good people, and for a team that needs to keep acquiring talent to get rid of scouts seems really foolish.

Jeremy: I’m going to be in the Chicago area for about a week this fall; what are your must visit places? (Not spending Alinea money, but I’ll be on per diem, so I’m ok spending a bit)
Keith Law: If I could have just one meal there, it would be Monteverde or maybe the Purple Pig.

Alex (Austin): Seiya Suzuki’s statcast page is all red and he seems to be putting up corresponding numbers the last month.  Any reasons for the success spike?
Keith Law: He’s hitting about the same relative to the league as he did last year, at least overall, so I don’t want to read too much into it. I would interpret what he’s done over the last two years as a good indication of his true talent level – above-average bat, solid-average regular.

Carl: Is it concerning that Marcelo Mayer has dealt with nagging injuries in both his pro seasons? Is it fair to say he’s been surpassed by Lawlar?
Keith Law: It would be concerning if it were the same body part getting injured over and over. I’m less concerned since he’s had seemingly unrelated injuries. I don’t think it’s fair to say he’s been surpassed by Lawlar unless your main measure is proximity to the majors. They’re both great prospects.

John: When do you expect Chourio to debut with the Brewers? Is Tyler Black a candidate to be the opening day starter at 3rd base for 2024?
Keith Law: Maybe middle of next year? The good thing for Milwaukee is that they don’t need him with all the other CF options they have (including Garrett Mitchell next year). Chourio’s the long-term answer there but they can take their time with him. It was a tough call between him and Holliday for the #1 spot on the midseason rankings, but Holliday’s a shortstop and that carried the day for me.

Redraft: Knowing what you know now, would you draft Bobby Miller over Strider?  I think I take Miller.
Keith Law: I would too but it’s close.

Deke: Think there’s much chance the Rangers right the ship at this point?
Keith Law: Sure.

Tyler Y: As a lifelong A’s fan, the Las Vegas move is killing me (and also my 8 year old son, who naturally is really struggling to understand why this is happening). I’m not really sure what being a baseball “fan” will mean to me anymore if this happens. Anyway, my question is simply this–can baseball do anything to avoid the short-sighted thinking that would allow a team to flee a top 10 media market to go to Las Vegas purely to get subsidies for a stadium? It isn’t in the best interest of the sport, the players, or really even the A’s in the long-run. But here we are.
Keith Law: MLB can vote to block any team move or sale they want. I don’t think they’ll exercise that in this case because they want the public spigot to keep flowing. If Oakland or California decides to donate a bunch of taxpayer money to John Fisher, that would be better, and then another team could use Vegas as leverage (White Sox? Orioles?), but I don’t see that happening.

Romorr: Sammy Basallo is having a really great season across A/A+, what are the odds he sticks at C? And without catching, a top 100 guy at 1B/DH?
Keith Law: Sounds like he’s a catcher, which makes him a top 50ish guy for me.

Rich Campbell: Of the A’s young position players, who will be viable big leaguers in 5 years? Tyler Soderstrom (21 years old), Lawrence Butler (22), Jordan Diaz (22), Zack Gelof (23), Esteury Ruiz (24), Nick Allen (24), Shea Langeliers (25)?
Keith Law: I feel best about Gelof (bat) and Langeliers (glove) on that list.

Alex: Is Steele one of the guys you’ve missed on the most? 2020 you said he was a 2 pitch reliever.
Keith Law: In 2020 he wasn’t throwing a cutter. I’m fine saying I’m wrong, but he’s not the same guy now that he was in 2020.

Mike: I am infatuated with Nolan Schanuel. Do you think he can tap into meaningful powet?
Keith Law: Some power, not elite power, I think.

Guest: should Colson Montgomery be in line to start next year in Chicago?
Keith Law: I could go either way on this. He missed so much time this year that I don’t think they need to rush him. I’d probably vote for starting him in AAA with the intention for him to stay there for two months or so.

Romorr: I remember a write up you did about Beavers, and it seems since then, he’s taken off a bit. Have you seen him recently, and is there anything different? Surprised the power hasn’t shown up in Bowie yet.
Keith Law: Haven’t seen him recently, sorry.

Kevin: Kyle Teal opening day catcher in 2025 or is that too aggressive?
Keith Law: Any other position I’d say fine, but catching is a much harder job and they may be less inclined to push him.
Keith Law: There’s just way more to learn to be a big-league catcher than to be a big-league anything else.

Hank: What should the Braves do with Vaughn Grissom?
Keith Law: Seems like a trade piece for them.

DNL: Ronnie Mauricio is hitting the ball hard in his cup of coffee, but he’s not getting a lot of lift on the ball. Small sample size, I know, but is his AAA power going to translate to the Majors?
Keith Law: Yes, the power is real. His wrists are so loose and strong that I don’t think he’ll ever have a lot of consistency to the launch angle, though.

DJ: I hate having to ask this, but can we hopefully assume that Urias is fully done, as in will never put on an MLB uniform again?
Keith Law: Assuming the latest allegations are true, then yes, I think this would be the end of the road for him. Let’s say MLB finds sufficient cause to suspend him – he’s probably out for all of next year, and no team is going to rush to sign him after two confirmed DV events, even if he avoids legal consequences. Maybe he works his way back through Japan or another non-MLB league. He got a second chance. If this allegation is true, then what reason would any team have to believe he won’t do this again and again?

Guest: Given that the Phillies play as a 95-win team with Schwarber batting leadoff, are they committed to the bit or is that the best spot for him in their lineup?
Keith Law: Correlation is not causation.

Dave C: How appealing is the Guardians managerial job?  Any thoughts on where they might turn to replace Tito?
Keith Law: Appealing because the front office is considered a good one to work with/for, and there’s certainly some talent there. A bit less than other jobs because the ownership won’t spend. I haven’t looked into candidates, sorry.

Steve O: Is Ben Rice an MLB level talent and does he have a position?
Keith Law: Not really, and no position.

DNL: The Mets are obviously out of it. How important is it for them to get the kids (Alvarez, Baty, Mauricio, Vientos) as close to 100% playing time here on out? Is it a big failure if Showalter doesn’t do that?
Keith Law: I’m in favor of playing the kids as much as possible.

Leo: How the heck did Kyle Teel make it to the Red Sox? He looks like a major leaguer already.
Keith Law: I don’t understand why he and Matt Shaw slid out of the top 10. I had them ranked 6 and 7 in the draft and I know plenty of scouts who saw them in a similar light, probably more for Teel than Shaw. (I had a few guys tease me about how highly I ranked Shaw before the draft. I just really believe in the bat.)

SJ: Long term, do you take Jordan Lawler over Volpe? Do both stick at SS?
Keith Law: I think they have an even chance to stick at short but Volpe is more likely to get that opportunity. If you saw that play Lawlar made last night, though, you see why I don’t want Arizona to rush him off the position. Probably leaning Lawlar overall at this point but it’s close.

Ed: Is Owen Caissie getting close to the top 100 prospects list?  K’s are obviously a concern but he’s still putting up decent OBP and power numbers.
Keith Law: No. This can’t be a serious question.

Mike: Zack Litell had another nice outing. What do you make of him?
Keith Law: Could be a back-end starter. He’s been a bit lucky on BIP, but we’ve seen plenty of guys hang around as starters because they post super low walk rates like he does, which means even the higher HR rates that often come with that are less damaging.

Ruben Amaro (Renaissance Man): Who would you bet on to have a brighter future, Aidan Miller or Justin Crawford?
Keith Law: Crawford is only five months older and has better tools.

Frank: Is Henry Davis going to be a RF long term or does he eventually move back behind the plate?
Keith Law: In the absence of Endy Rodriguez, Davis is probably still catching full-time.

Tracy: Keith, you were somewhat critical about the Nats decision to move Crews from Low A to AA without going to Wilmington (high A).  However, you had mentioned some time ago that balls fly out of Wilmington’s stadium (and therefore a reason *not* to send top pitching prospects there).  Could it be that the Nats didn’t want Crews to become less selective in his swings because it’s easier to hit home runs there?   Thanks in advance.
Keith Law: That’s incorrect – Wilmington is a tough place to homer, while Harrisburg is slightly homer-friendly.

Ken: NL CY, who ya got? Am I wrong to think it’s a 5-6 person race?
Keith Law: Agreed, even trimming the ballot to 5 would be difficult, and I don’t think that race is close to settled. I have NL RoY this year.

Eric: Can the Dodgers have enough starting pitching for the playoffs without Buehler and assumedly Urias?
Keith Law: I wonder what Buehler’s role will be after his rehab. Maybe they’ll let him go a few innings per outing with long rest? Anyway, the short answer is yes, I think they can.

Matt: Is there a team other than the Angels that will allow Otahni to be a 2 way player if he signs with them?
Keith Law: All.

DNL: DJ Stewart: Late bloomer or Mike Jacobs 2.0?
Keith Law: More Jacobs.

Tyler Y: Any chance Gelof’s start is anything but SSS?
Keith Law: I’m in. He can hit.

Tim: With Patrick Bailey establishing himself as the Giants long term catcher, what would you do with Joey Bart?  Does he have any value at this point?  Seems like a change of organizations maybe his best option at this time.
Keith Law: Yes and I think a lot of teams would still value him as a backup for his defense/power with some chance he could be a starter elsewhere.

Ooglas: AL/NL MVPs if season ended today? Has to be Shohei/RAJr, no?
Keith Law: No. There’s this guy in LA, real good bowler…

johnny g: What do you think of the KW/Hahn situation, looking back? Too much dysfunction that resulted in Reinsdorf moving on, or was there a single incident like the Burger trade?
Keith Law: Reinsdorf is the source of the dysfunction.

Ed: Seems like the Cubs need to take a legitimate shot at re-signing Bellinger in the winter.  If they were to land him, though, is it as a 1b once PCA comes up?
Keith Law: Seems like the best solution all around. They’re in a really good spot right now where they’re likely to have more players than lineup spots, and could use some of that position-player depth to swing a trade.
Keith Law: Someone asked me offline about Shaw’s eventual position. I’d consider moving Hoerner to third, where I think he’ll be just as good as he is at second, and put Shaw at the keystone.

Alex: How surprised are you with how well Patrick Bailey has played?  The defense is elite level.  The caught stealing rate is amazing especially considering the new rules.
Keith Law: He was considered a plus defender out of HS, then in college became more valued for the bat while scouts seemed to question the glove more. Maybe they undervalued the glove because he was hitting so well?

Nick V: Do you think there’s any significant benefit to expensive cast iron cookware (e.g. Le Creuset) or is cast iron cast iron?
Keith Law: Le Creuset is enameled cast iron, so it is coated with a very durable nonstick surface, making it very different from traditional cast iron. I own and use both – I used a LC Dutch oven last night, in fact – but you also don’t need to get the most expensive brand.

DNL: How much money does the injury cost Shohei Ohtani?
Keith Law: I wrote a whole column about that: https://klaw.me/3R28MP0

Henry: Do we have any data yet on how the pitch clock may be contributing to pitcher injuries? It seems like the pitcher injury rate is higher overall compared to previous seasons.
Keith Law: I don’t believe the pitcher injury rate is significantly higher than in previous seasons – and I haven’t seen data either way. There has been research pre-pitch clock indicating that it could lead to more injuries if pitchers didn’t ease up on the throttle.

addoeh: How excited are you for the Rugby World Cup?  Would your wife rather see Wales win the RWC or Eagles win the Super Bowl?
Keith Law: She’s in a meeting but I’m pretty sure she’d say the Eagles.

Sedona: Hey Keith.  What do you think about Kerry Carpenter’s breakout?  Is he for real?  Above avg regular?
Keith Law: I think the power/hit is real – low OBP slugger, average to 55 regular. 19th round!

John Cazale: Has Kevin Parada’s development been disappointing, or is it too soon to conclude anything?
Keith Law: Or he’s been fine? I’m not sure what’s disappointing.

Heather: What do you make of the Red Sox’ hitting/pitching mix in the minors?  Are they incapable, or unwilling, to develop any decent pitching?  The two decent guys they’ve come up with, Bello and Crawford, are holdovers from the Dombrowski Era, and there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the horizon.
Keith Law: They don’t seem to want to draft pitching, at least not high, and haven’t brought it in on the international side, at least not to the extent they’ve gone after bats. I understand that to some extent, because the attrition rate on pitchers is so high, but the game still does require pitching and they have next to none in their system. They do have a hell of a group of position player prospects, though. That Portland team is stacked right now, even without Mayer.

Paul: Keith, love all your books. Any plans for a future tome?
Keith Law: Working on something but no official plans yet.

Chad (STL): What do the Cardinals even do? It doesn’t seem like they have the guys coming. Nolan and Paul older, young bats not hitting and ownership that has always been scared to go much above where they are currently salary wise?
Keith Law: I thought trading Arenado would have been the best choice, but if they sign one good FA starting pitcher, is there any real reason they couldn’t contend next year?

Greasy Nick: Just wanted to say I appreciated your review of Trust! I enjoyed it quite a bit and am challenging myself to be a more frequent, thoughtful reader. Reading your review helped me think about the book differently, which is really helpful for building a habit!
Keith Law: you’re quite welcome! I like those book reviews to start conversations – reading is such a subjective experience that I enjoy hearing about how different books hit my readers differently.

Chris: Thoughts on Yanks moving Pereira, Wells, and esp Martian through the system and all the way to bigs?  Too aggressive or might as well?  Also has your opinion on Wells not being a C changed at all?
Keith Law: Wells can’t catch, and he’s probably a platoon bat. I thought the promotions of the two outfielders were a little aggressive, but Pereira’s on the 40 and I think Jasson has to go on this winter so it’s not the end of the world. More “what the heck” than WTF.

DNL: Mitch McConnell (81) froze twice and Nancy Pelosi (83) just announced she’d seek re-election. Putting the Presidential election aside, how should citizens ensure that leader step aside later in their careers?
Keith Law: Dianne Feinstein’s case is the worst of all. She needs to resign yesterday. The system is rigged to keep politicians in their jobs as long as they want them.

addoeh: For Jeremy going to Chicago.  I tried Kasama, a Michelin starred Filipino restaurant a few weeks ago and thought it was really good.  The chicken adobo was excellent.
Keith Law: Call now to try to get in. That restaurant was on The Bear and apparently it’s impossible to get in now.

Jim: Has Johan Rojas done enough in 100 PA to take over full time in CF for the Phils in ’24?
Keith Law: I like Rojas but that’s a hard no.

Ryan: Keith, as best as I can recall the Diamondbacks haven’t been able to convert a pitching prospect into a successful major league pitcher in quite some time now, and the early returns on Pfaadt/Nelson/Jameson aren’t exactly promising on this front. What is your level of concern on these three? Do you think maybe having launching pad environments in Reno and Amarillo at the AAA and AA levels plays some part in this organizational difficulty?
Keith Law: They are early returns, and that’s the most salient part of your question. None of those guys has pitched that much in the majors yet, and guys do adjust and change over time.

Henry: Is Manfred ever going to get off his high horse about baseball stadiums producing local economic growth? It simply doesn’t.
Keith Law: Of course not. He’s not paid to tell the truth. He’s paid to increase the financial well-being of the 30 owners who employ him. If that means lying about decades of economic research showing that sports stadia do not produce local economic growth, so be it.

Sedona: What is the most likely scenario for Michael Busch?  Traded?  3B of the future?
Keith Law: Seems like he’s headed for a trade, no? Not basing that on gossip or anything concrete.

Tom: Hey Keith, been enjoying your content (sports and non-sports) for years, much appreciate it!  Thoughts on Chiam Bloom potentially being out of Boston this offseason and that team’s direction as a whole?  He’s done well with the ML system, trades have been mixed but he seems reluctant to add in free agency as most big market teams do.  Or is that ownership more likely?
Keith Law: I do not understand the ire towards Bloom. The position-player depth in their farm system has improved substantially just in the last six months, and I think the FA reticence you cite is from ownership, not him.

Sedona: Do you buy Frasso as a starter?  Has River Ryan confirmed your outlook by his performance this yr?  Regular starter?
Keith Law: If you watch Frasso, you’ll see why it’s hard to project him as a starter. All in on Ryan as a starter, though.

Zirinsky: Keith: Lots of “the Yankees are too analytics focused” in the NY media. This is dopey but do you hear anything around the game that validates this in any way?
Keith Law: I think that is a valid criticism at a very micro level that is getting blown up by writers who lack the curiosity to understand what they’re talking about. The Yankees may be focusing a little too much on the wrong metrics. That is not “too analytics focused.” This is a quest for knowledge that will see a lot of teams chase the wrong things. The Cubs bet big on the pitch metrics around Cade Horton’s breaking ball last June, and it had a chance to blow up spectacularly. It didn’t, but that’s the kind of risk you’ll see teams take as data and our analysis of it continue to grow and evolve.

TomBruno23: I have a friend, let’s call him Sean, who is very concerned about Chase Davis’ performance so far in the FSL. What can I tell him to assuage his worries?
Keith Law: The FSL is a pretty lousy place to hit.

TomBruno23: Are you an Immaculate Gridder?
Keith Law: I am not, sorry.

Jon V: Thoughts on what Cleveland is doing? They seem to be all over the place and are now giving ABs to guys like Calhoun and Laureano who have a very small chance of impacting the 2024 roster.
Keith Law: A little confused by the seemingly contradictory directions they’re taking. I also don’t get playing Arias at SS over Rocchio.

Kevin: If Wander never plays again, is that the biggest waste of talent you have ever seen?
Keith Law: That phrasing makes me a little uncomfortable … I guess if you’re saying is that the most talent to go unfulfilled, yeah, he would be up there.

Jackie: When I was a kid, we did the Chevy Chase vacation, and loaded up the station wagon to drive from Massachusetts to Disney World and back one summer.  On our way down, my dad pulled off I-95 unexpectedly, pulled into a parking lot, and said, “All right, everybody out!”  We got out of the car, confused, and Dad said, “All right, you can tell everyone you’ve been to Delaware.  There’s no reason to ever come back here.  Back in the car!”  And we drove on.
Keith Law: He was so wrong. Winterthur, Nemours, several art museums, the Blue Rocks, the beaches, Market Street in Wilmington… hey, we even have a murderer on the loose just over the state line!

Ken: NL CY follow-up: how does Strider trail two of his fellow Atlanta pitchers in WAR, is the ERA that big a component?
Keith Law: Isn’t he leading in fWAR? I haven’t looked in a few days. rWAR is ERA-based, fWAR is component-based.

wickethewok: Any interest in Baldur’s Gate 3? I recall you being a fan of a previous iteration
Keith Law: Yes but I’m terrified to start it and lose 80-100 hours of my life.

Bob: Crews’ timeline the same as Skenes’ – next June?
Keith Law: He gets there sooner, IMO. Wouldn’t shock me if he debuted this month.

Marani: So, which B- two-time All-Star from the 80s or 90s gets into the Hall of Fame this winter?  I can’t believe we haven’t enshrined Scott Cooper yet.
Keith Law: Bob Knepper is disappointed you didn’t push for him.

Expos: Have you been to Montreal recently? Any good food recommendations?
Keith Law: No, sorry. Been 25 years, I think.

Nick: What are Os doing to be hitting on so many of their hitting prospects they draft
Keith Law: They draft and develop well. It’s a combination of things.

TomBruno23: Credit to Nick Ahmed for maxing out his MLB career. 3rd all time in games played by a UConn Huskie (Walt Dropo, George Spinger) and over 500 more than the next guy on the list (Roberto Hernandez).
Keith Law: Yep. Saw him in college, never thought he’d get this kind of run as a position player. Pretty good reliever in college too.

TomBruno23: Is Kade Kretschmar getting close to the top 100 prospects list? Already up to Peoria after signing as an undrafted free agent in July.
Keith Law: No, not in the least. He’s 23.

DevilInLaw: is Elly De La Cruz a future superstar or is the bloom a bit off that rose at this point?
Keith Law: Has superstar ceiling.

Scott U: Is Mason Miller a top end SP or a back end SP at the end of the day?
Keith Law: Reliever. No history of staying healthy. It’s a lot of shoulder stuff, too.

Bobby Cox: LAD just announced Buehler is done for year
Keith Law: Ah, well. Nevertheless

Steve O: Is Drew Thorpe a Guy, or is he more of a 5th starter/good reliever?
Keith Law: Could see a fifth starter there, but the FB is too light to see league-average.

Jon V: Bibee or Williams?
Keith Law: I’m a Bibee guy.

DNL: If you were a closer, what would your walkup song be?
DOB: Keith Law is always pro NY or LA
Keith Law: right, those are the same city
Keith Law: christ, how tiny is your world view if you think someone is biased towards NY and LA

John 2: Kevin Alcantara basically had the same season at a higher level this year as last year. Is it just a matter of time before he breaks out? Is getting stronger really the key, or does the hit tool need to improve?
Keith Law: I like the trend but yes, I think there is (and needs to be) some more strength. He’s gained muscle and improved his body control and coordination so the swing is far more consistent. He still has room for 20+ more pounds and that should be the kind that leads to power.

Matt: Bernie a 80 tool guy? https://twitter.com/janeosanders/status/1700181183567433976
Keith Law: Hey, that’s pretty impressive. I hope I move that well at that age.

Jason: In response to the question about our gerontocracy, thanks for not advocating for term limits that just shift power to bureaucrats, lobbyists, and career staff. At least voters have the option to vote for somebody else (especially in Senate races that can’t be gerrymandered)
Keith Law: Agreed. Term limits are a bad solution.

Jon: All signs are pointing towards Steve Cohen finally being able to hire David Stearns.  What do you see him being able to do with all of the resources the Mets (finally) have at their disposal?
Keith Law: I mean, the Mets went out and spent a bunch of money last winter and that didn’t help. They’ve drafted extremely well over the last decade. What did Stearns do while running the Brewers that would apply to the Mets?

TomBruno23: KLaw I was totally kidding about Kretschmar playing off that one from earlier.
Keith Law: oh sorry, I often can’t tell when questions are sarcastic on here.

Paul: No idea whether the pizza is any good or not, but its great to see customers supporting Dragon Pizza and standing up to that A$$hole.
Keith Law: Yep. Nobody likes a bully.

Yinka Double Dare: I’d much rather hang out in the Delaware beach towns than the Jersey ones.
Keith Law: Agreed. Visit The Station on Kings in Lewes for lunch and take it to a picnic on the beach.
Keith Law: OK, I went a little long this week since it had been ages since my last chat. Thanks so much for all of your questions. My column on guys I was wrong about should run next week, followed by my minor league player of the year column, and then my hypothetical awards ballots in the final week of the season. Stay safe.

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→ September 4, 2023
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Baltimore, Charleston, and Indianapolis eats.

I’ve been remiss in feeding the blog with food posts, so here’s a rundown of where I ate on short trips to Baltimore, Charleston, and Indianapolis in the last six weeks.

Baltimore

Dooby’s is a coffee shop and all-day café with a real kitchen, serving traditional breakfasts and pan-Asian dishes from pork buns to street noodles to banh mi. It’s all very, very good, and the space itself is fantastic. They use Passenger coffee and both the drip and espresso offerings are solid, although I would quibble that the milk foam on the espresso was a little oversteamed. The breads they use are really spectacular, from the brioche on their breakfast sandwiches (with a bright pepper jam) to the crisp French bread on the banh mi. We spent probably six or seven hours there, eating, drinking coffee and tea, and writing. I’d probably skip the pork buns just because the pork belly was so fatty, even though I loved the glaze and the spicy mayo on it and even the buns. The breakfast sandwich was way beyond what I expected, though, with eggs made to order – and my over medium egg was indeed over medium, with a warm runny yolk that ended up all over my plate and a little on the counter because I’m a mess – and that outstanding brioche. I preferred their food and coffee to that of Baby’s on Fire in the same neighborhood; their drip coffee was underextracted and much their food is microwaved, although it’s a cool place, with some new and used vinyl on offer.

The Mount Vernon Marketplace is a fantastic food hall with a solid variety of food and drink options, although I wish they were open past 9 pm on a Friday night. Fishnet’s Baltimore Bomber sandwich is their signature item, fried white fish with lemony mayo, onions, lettuce, and cheese on a crunchy French bread roll. They fried this exceptionally well – it was deep brown and crunchy but not greasy or heavy at all, and the breading held to the fish throughout. The fish itself was fresh but had no flavor and the texture wasn’t ideal for deep frying, as it seemed to fall apart within the breading. That could have been just the particular fillet I got, though. Don’t skip the French fries, which were also exceptional; it’s rare to get fries that ungreasy, and they were salted properly. Around the corner is Slurpin’ Ramen, which does does a great shoyu broth, the shining ingredient in the ramen. The noodles were more average and didn’t have great tooth to them, but they did absorb the flavor of the broth well. The shrimp were clearly very high quality, tasting just of the sea, and the soy egg was also very well done.

We stayed at the boutique Ulysses Hotel in Mount Vernon, which has two bars of note, one inside the hotel and one attached but not owned by the hotel itself. The cocktail bar Coral Wig is the latter, located on the right side of the hotel, accessible only from the outside. They have a Filipino-influenced cocktail list that’s heavy on the rum, although their best offering is the Banana Hammock, a banana and nutmeg-themed take on a margarita. Within the hotel, Bloom is a more traditional bar with a broader assortment of liquors but less appealing house cocktails, and the very kitschy décor didn’t work as well for me as the upscale tiki vibe of Coral Wig.

Allora was the big disappointment of the trip; pitched as a Roman osteria, they’re serving pasta out of the box in sauces I could (and often do) make at home, and the gelato dessert was, in fact, Talenti brand. I saw them scoop it. No disrespect to Talenti, which makes a fine sea salt caramel, but I expect better at a fine restaurant.

Charleston

Renzo has a small menu of homemade pasta dishes and pizzas from the owners of the Faculty Lounge, with a focus on local produce and natural wines. The pasta is the real star, with a menu that’s constantly changing but that always features a couple of dishes of house-made pasta. We had a malfatti alla carbonara that was among the best dishes of that type I’ve ever had, even though it wasn’t completely traditional. The sauce was delicious but it was the pasta itself, perfectly al dente with actual flavor to it beyond the sauce; I’d try any pasta dish these folks served after eating that. We also tried a margherita pizza that was perfectly solid, closer to New York style than anything Italian; I might be underselling it a little because it doesn’t fit perfectly into a regional style. We also had a fresh tomato salad that I imagine is very seasonal, but we were clearly there at the height of tomato season.

Legend Deli is a fantastic little sandwich shop just off the campus of the College of Charleston with a menu designed by Tyler Hunt, the former sous chef at Husk. I tried the G.O.A.T., a turkey sandwich with whipped goat cheese, onion jam, arugula, and roasted red pepper mayo, but the standout ingredient was actually the crispy sourdough bread, which hit that nostalgia spot – it brought back memories of having a sandwich (usually tuna) as a kid and having the bread toasted just to that point where it was just all crunch.

For coffee, Second State seems to be the best option in town. The coffee I got, which I think was their Colombia Black Condor, was good but roasted a shade darker than I like, so I didn’t get many tasting notes other than some cocoa.

Indianapolis

The Eagle is a “food and beer hall” with an extensive menu of southern cooking and they’re known for their pressure cooker fried chicken, which did not disappoint. I went with the quarter dark, because I have actual standards, along with spoonbread with maple butter and collards as the sides. The collards were outstanding, and while the spoonbread was sweeter than I would normally like, it was a good contrast to the salty fried chicken and the salty and slightly tart collards. The chicken and one side would have been a better portion, as I only ate about half of the spoon bread and a little more of the collards, but I didn’t realize how large the sides where when I ordered. They also offer a five-cheese mac and cheese and horseradish mashed potatoes, both of which the bartender recommended, but that sounded way too heavy and I was determined to eat something green. They do also offer a solid craft beer selection, local and national.

Los Arroyos is an upscale Mexican restaurant and bar with a lot of overdone “margaritas” – seriously, that’s a simple enough drink, stop putting berries or habaneros in it – but a credible, fancier take on Mexican food. I went with ceviche after several days of heavier fare from food trucks and The Eagle, and the table shared a serving of guacamole, both of which were solid-average – better for freshness of ingredients than the recipes, with very fresh avocadoes in both dishes.

Commissary Barber & Barista is, indeed, a barbershop as well as a café and a bar, using coffee from a variety of small, third-wave roasters. I did not get a haircut, but I did get a macchiato, where the coffee part was excellent but the milk was overfoamed and spooned on rather than poured on – it’s a minor thing but I think the pourable foam offers the best texture and blends a little with the coffee itself. The barista was playing Slowdive’s Souvlaki, which is definitely worth extra points. The coffee there was better than what I had at Coat Check around the corner, where the milk was even more overdone and the coffee itself was too tangy, which is usually a function of underextraction.

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→ September 3, 2023
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Music update, August 2023.

Back on schedule as I crawl out of my writing hole (by which I mean a place where I have not done much writing). August saw quite a few album releases of note, including Blur, Genesis Owusu, Burna Boy, Ratboys, Be Your Own Pet, Slowdive, Noname, and more, but I think it was a little lighter on singles. Friday saw another big batch of albums and singles, but since that was the first day of September I’ve pushed all of those songs to a new playlist for that month. As always, you can access the playlist here if you can’t see the widget below.

Speedy Ortiz – Ghostwriter. Sadie Dupuis & company released their fourth album, Rabbit Rabbit, on her own label on Friday, and the album seems to have a slightly harder edge to the music without losing the off-kilter melodies and perhaps even amping up some of the harmonies in the choruses across the record.

Cory Wong feat. Dodie – Call Me Wild. I’m pretty clearly a Cory Wong fan, although I’m very late to the party. He does funk guitar so effortlessly, unsurprising for someone who grew up in Minneapolis, and you can also hear a ton of Primus (one of his stated influences) on this new album, The Lucky One, which has more famous guest appearances than Asteroid City.

BLOXX – Modern Day. I think this is the best song of the smattering BLOXX has released since their one full-length LP, Lie Out Loud, came out three years ago, and really deserves a lot more attention than it’s received – this is the pinnacle of this sort of indie-pop, and why a song like this gets overlooked while garbage like Imagine Dragons gets played to death is just beyond my limited comprehension.

The Julies – My Heaven is a Dance Floor. So this is an interesting one – the Julies released two EPs in 1994 and 1996, and then … nothing for twenty-seven years, until they released two singles as well as an EP of lost mixes from their earlier work. That’s probably why this band sounds so good to me, as they’re still channeling that early ‘90s alternative vibe, with elements of shoegaze (Ride) and dream-pop (Cocteau Twins).

Slowdive – the slab. Speaking of shoegaze, Slowdive returned on Friday with their second album since they reunited in 2014, the follow-up to 2017’s self-titled LP, and it’s a mix of some classic shoegaze like this pulsating track, “kisses,” and “alife,” and some slower songs like “skin in the game.”

Seablite – Melancholy Molly. If you played this for me and told me it was a lost track from Lush’s 1992 album Spooky, I’d believe you. It’s a spot-on rendition of that strand of early shoegaze with female vocalists, going for airy or dreamy vocals over highly textured guitars and keyboards that made it hard to pick out individual instruments. Seablite’s second album, Lemon Lights, is due out on the 29th.

Jorja Smith – GO GO GO. Smith continues to carve out her own musical path, moving away from R&B and smooth jazz here with an acoustic guitar backing that wouldn’t be out of place on pop radio. She’ll release the long-overdue follow-up to Lost & Found, which made my top 18 albums of 2018, on September 29th with Falling or Flying.

Noname feat. Common & Ayoni – Noname retired from the music industry briefly in 2020, resurfaced last year, and then came back with this surprise sophomore album Sundial last month – and it’s one of the best albums of the year, easily, with strong beats and the kind of smart, well-delivered rhymes we heard on her first album. However, she chose to platform Jay Electronica, a rapper who has a history of antisemitic commentary, even within his songs, with frequent reference to the “Rothschilds,” a popular dogwhistle among antisemites. Even in his contribution here to “Balloon,” he says he needs to “saw the Roth’ family in half to get my clout back” and makes several references to Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Noname’s response to the controversy was extremely disappointing, as she took no responsibility, threatened to scrap the album (after she scrapped a previous one, Factory Baby) and then deleted her Twitter account entirely rather than deal with the backlash she created. The real lesson is that you shouldn’t platform an antisemite, and if you do so unknowingly, be accountable for your actions.

Danger Mouse with Jemini the Gifted One – Brooklyn Bazquiat. These two artists worked together on Danger Mouse’s 2003 album Ghetto Pop Life, then recorded a second album Born Again the following year, but that latter LP never saw the light of day until last week. Nineteen years have seen the music scene evolve to the point where this record sounds like a throwback to the alternative hip-hop movement of the 1990s and early 2000s, and it holds up exceptionally well as an example of that style of music.

Jungle – Us Against the World. Volcano dropped last month and I think it’s my least favorite Jungle album, with fewer standout singles than most of their LPs and some nods to more current trends in electronic music that my older ears find kind of annoying. “Candle Flame,” which was on my March playlist, is the best song on the album, and a huge reason why is the guest vocals from rapper Erick the Architect.

Girl Ray – Tell Me. Prestige, the third album from this London-based electropop trio, came out on August 4th, and it’s full of catchy, danceable tracks like this one.

San Cisco – Under the Light. A subtle but still very catchy single from this Australian band, whose first hit single “Awkward” came out eleven years ago. I’m thrilled they’ve still got it, but jesus does that make me feel old.

Genesis Owusu – Stay Blessed. Owusu’s second album, STRUGGLER, came out last month, and the Ghanaian-Australian singer has taken a short story he wrote about a character called the Roach, based on the same existential authors who inspired Chris Cornell thirty-plus years ago, and loosely turned it into a concept album that spans all sorts of genres, with an electronic bass line opening the album on “Leaving the Light,” some R&B/funk on “Tied Up!” and garage-rock inspirations on “Freak Boy.”

The Kills – New York. I assumed the Kills had hung it up, with no new music from the duo since 2016’s Ash & Ice, which had the single “Doing It to Death,” but they released this two-sided single in August and another track on Friday in advance of the October 27th release of their sixth album, God Games. This track is no “Sour Cherry” but otherwise fits in with their better stuff.

Kula Shaker – Waves. I didn’t realize these Britpop stars, who were either twenty years ahead of their time in incorporating Indian music into mainstream rock or guilty of some sort of cultural appropriation for the same thing, had put out a new album last year, which was itself their first album since 2016. This new track, ahead of an untitled seventh album, is full of the same peace and love and good happiness stuff lyrics as their other stuff but has one of the best hooks they’ve found since the 1990s.

English Teacher – The World’s Biggest Paving Slab. It takes some stones – pun intended – to write a song called “The World’s Biggest Paving Slab” and then have that phrase in the very first line, but English Teacher, who’ve gone from very credible post-punk to something harder to pin down, with lyrics that would fit on an Arctic Monkeys album, wry delivery, and elements of dream-pop and indie rock along with those post-punk leanings.

The Hives – Two Kinds of Trouble. The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, the Hives’ first album in eleven years, dropped on August 11th, and to their great credit, they haven’t changed much of anything. This is good-time garage rock, and they’re not sorry.

The Linda Lindas – Resolution/Revolution. I know there was a big novelty factor around this quartet when they first showed up in the 2019 film Moxie, with all the band members at the time aged 15 or younger, but they’re just a good punk-pop band now and everyone, myself included, should probably just stop talking about how young they are except to say that it’s astonishing how good and how polished they are for their ages.

Public Image Ltd – End of the World. PiL released their eleventh album, End of World, in August, a very inconsistent affair highlighted by this track, which has Lu Edmonds (the guitarist from Happy and 9, perhaps their two best albums) delivering a searing guitar riff over which Lydon can caterwaul to his heart’s content.

Horrendous – Aurora Neoterica. An instrumental track off Ontological Mysterium that highlights a lot of what I like about this metal band, with ambitious and weird guitar riffs and some highly technical fretwork. The album as a whole is better than 2018’s Idol and probably on par with Ecdysis, although I still found it uneven and I don’t need to hear the death-metal screeching without the music to sort of drown it out. Anyway, this track feels more like something you might have heard from peak Rush, and it’s good to hear this band stretch out a little bit away from the trappings of their main genre.

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→ September 2, 2023
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Stick to baseball, 9/2/23.

Nothing new this week at the Athletic beyond contributing notes on the callups of Jasson Dominguez and Ceddanne Rafaela.

Over at Paste, I reviewed the board game Bamboo, a cute medium-box game that’s a pretty meaty game at heart.

I appeared on two podcasts this week, talking to Jim Margalus of Sox Machine about the White Sox’ front office turmoil and to Chris Crawford about eight prospects who’ve had surprising years, four positive and four negative.

And now, the links…

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→ August 26, 2023
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Stick to baseball, 8/26/23.

Three new pieces this week for subscribers to the Athletic: Some thoughts on Shohei Ohtani’s free agency in the wake of his torn UCL; a post mortem after the White Sox fired Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn; and why college conference realignment is probably bad for college baseball.

At Paste, I reviewed the board game Hickory Dickory, which has a very cute theme and some clever mechanics but I think might just be overdesigned in the end. I do like it, just with reservations.

On the Keith Law Show, I spoke with Joe Posnanski about his upcoming book Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, which comes out on September 5th. You can listen & subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And now, the links…

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