Buzzmaster

  (12:23 PM)

Hang on folks. We're working on getting Rob.

Rob Neyer

  (12:28 PM)

Hey, sorry about being so late. Post-Series hangover. I'll make it up to you somehow...

Barry (Berkeley)

Rob is hiding in his closet right now, hoping to avoid all of the Giants fans who will be submitting comments that question his mental acuity....or straight up calling him an idiot.

Rob Neyer

  (12:29 PM)

Bring it.

Reasonable Giants Fans (SF)

Sorry for the unnecessary flak you took from the extremes for your predictions. We understand where you were coming from, and the Giants did catch a lot of breaks. However, we could not be more happy you were wrong!

Rob Neyer

  (12:29 PM)

That's the spirit! But the Giants didn't win because they caught a lot of breaks. Not the obvious kind, anyway.

Jim (Lincoln, NE)

Rob, just so you know, I took a beating from my fellow Giants fans defending your blog posts this series. Perhaps in the future you can help me out and better explain that "luck" is always present in a baseball game and getting "lucky" in no way means you don't deserve to win. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a hangover to nurse.

Rob Neyer

  (12:30 PM)

Sounds like you can explain it better than I.

Seamsplitter (SF)

Duane Kuiper said on the radio today that Boch asked Huff in early SEPT to practice his bunting b/c he may need him to do it later in the season. Sabean right in his unwaivering faith in Boch?

Rob Neyer

  (12:31 PM)

Sure. Though I don't recall a great deal of doubt about Bochy. Sabean, on the other hand ...

YK (San Jose)

Rob -- why was everyone so wrong??

Rob Neyer

  (12:31 PM)

That's a big question, YK ... So I will refer you to my blog.

Nolan (Arlington)

Where do the Giants rank in terms of the worst WS winners over the last 20 yrs?

Rob Neyer

  (12:32 PM)

I'm not going there, Nolan. Plus, we really won't know how good this team is until *next* season.

Mike (San Diego)

How scary is it that Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, and Bumgarner are all under contract through 2013? Is it possible that by 2012, the Giants could have 4 of the top 15 starting pitchers in the NL in their rotation?

Rob Neyer

  (12:34 PM)

Sure, anything's possible. I'm a little skeptical of Sanchez's ERA, though. And as we saw with Oakland's homegrown quartet a few years ago, sometimes bad things happen to good pitchers.

kl (philly)

do you think the yankees are going HUH?? after getting shut down by cliff lee, and then watching the giants beat him twice????

Rob Neyer

  (12:35 PM)

Well, if you go back and watch those games, I think you'll see that Lee simply threw better pitches against the Yankees. It happens.

Matt (Toronto)

Rob, your thoughts on expanded playoffs? As a jays fan watching the Yankees get older the Rays lose players and not sure what to make of beantown I'm excited.

Rob Neyer

  (12:37 PM)

I wouldn't mind a one-game Wild Card Series. I'm not saying I would love it. But I think if you're going to add a round, that's the way to do it.

Nora (St. Louis)

Utley missed a lot of time last year but you still voted him #1 for the Fielding Bible awards...is playing time not really a factor for you in that voting or did you just consider him so much better than everyone else that he made up for the missed playing time?

Rob Neyer

  (12:37 PM)

The second one of those. I also voted for Brendan Ryan, who started (I think) around 125 games at shortstop.

Reason (Imaginationland)

Why does there have to be a reason? Why can't we just say "The Giants simply played better baseball for these 5 games"? Any team can beat any other team in 5 games. It's friggin BASEBALL!!

Rob Neyer

  (12:38 PM)

Not good enough for some people.

Nolan (Arlington)

Do you think the Giants make the playoffs next year? Will the Rangers?

Rob Neyer

  (12:39 PM)

If the Rangers bring Cliff Lee back, yes. If the Giants bring Aubrey Huff back and find a new outfielder, probably.

Isaac (Appleton)

Seriously? The worst team in the last 20 years? There is no way this team is worse then the Cardinals team that beat the Tigers.

Rob Neyer

  (12:41 PM)

Who said they were? Though I think we might look a bit more charitably upon the Cardinals if we recall they'd won 205 games over the previous two seasons.

Chris (Phoenix)

Rob, I defended you all Post-Season because you had been such a Giant advocate all year. What made you turn around during the Post-Season and start questioning what was happening? clearly something special was happening and you ignored it.....what's the deal?

Rob Neyer

  (12:42 PM)

Chris, do you not think something "special" was happening with the Rangers, too? Because I can guarantee you that they and their fans sure did.

Nora (St. Louis)

I was happy/surprised about your vote for Brendan Ryan...I thought he had a worse defensive season than last year, but I guess he was still pretty great. Why him over Tulo?

Rob Neyer

  (12:43 PM)

It was really really close. I submitted my ballot more than a month ago, so all I can tell you is that Ryan must have done slightly better in the numbers I was looking at.

MC (SF)

What breaks did you catch to get a job "writing" about baseball?

Rob Neyer

  (12:47 PM)

More than I can count. Because I know you're sincerely interested, I'll point you toward Jonah Keri's latest podcast...

Chris (Phoenix)

Rob, fair point about something "special" happening. I guess it was just odd to hear all my life that "great pitching always beats great hitting", then seeing great pitching get overlooked by almost everyone (22 out of 28 ESPN writers). If this was 1995 no one would have questioned the Giants chances, but with all the new and helpful stats, something got lost along the way.

Rob Neyer

  (12:49 PM)

Really? Because the Rangers had pretty great pitching, too. With Cliff Lee, their starters were as good as anyone's, and their bullpen finished with the second-best ERA in the league (just like the Giants).

Brett Davis (Hot Springs, AR)

I rooted for Texas in this postseason, but I was really aggravated with many of Ron Washington's moves. Do you think he learned and will adapt next season?

Rob Neyer

  (12:51 PM)

Well, he did sort of adapt in Game 5, right? I suspect someone in the front office will have a friendly chat with Washington this winter. Of course, it's all moot if the Rangers don't get back to the playoffs next fall.

Pat (NJ)

Wouldn't it be pretty stupid for Cliff Lee to give up his leverage and make an announcement that he wants to play for the Yankees (or any other team, for that matter)? I know it's fun to speculate, but can we really say that his chances of signing in New York are lower because the fans were mean to his wife? Hasn't it always been about the money?

Rob Neyer

  (12:53 PM)

I don't think most of us real good at reading Cliff Lee's mind. But if Andy Pettitte comes back, the Yankees already have five starters. And no, it isn't always about the money. There have been other players who turned down Steinbrenner dollars.

Russ (Cape Porpoise, ME)

Thanks for stuff like the tweet about Jason Schwartzman on Fresh Air. That's why I always look at your column/blog first.

Rob Neyer

  (12:53 PM)

Thanks, Russ. It's nice to know that sometimes my interests dovetail with yours.

Kinsela (Iowa)

Time to admit that Baseball is a regional sport? the only way the ratings go high is playing in high populated city's. I.e Dodgers vs Yankees. Angels vs Phillies. Perhaps the ratings isn't what they should be worried about.

Rob Neyer

  (12:54 PM)

Not sure what you're getting at. Revenues are up, everybody's making piles of money. What *should* they be worried about.

Todd (NYC)

Is there any chance of San Fran moving Zito's or Rowand's contracts to create flexibility in the free agent market?

Rob Neyer

  (12:54 PM)

I can imagine the Giants moving one or both of those guys. I can't imagine the Giants moving most of the *money* owed to them.

Jay (PA)

It's all moot, I understand, but if the Padres go only 2-8 during that rough 10 game stretch instead of 0-10, are we looking at Phillies over Rangers in the WS?

Rob Neyer

  (12:56 PM)

Hey, who knows? Maybe the Padres go on some Magical Run of their own.

Gary (NJ)

If the Yanks sign Crawford, how do you think they'll align the rest of the outfield? Gardner to CF with Granderson moving to RF? Do they try to trade one of Gardner/Granderson?

Rob Neyer

  (12:57 PM)

Yeah, they would move one of those guys. But considering Gardner's defense, his baserunning, and his on-base percentage, I think the Yankees might just stick with the outfield they've got.

Ernie (Los Angeles)

Did you happen to catch Ken Burns' 10th Inning? If so, what are your thoughts?

Rob Neyer

  (12:59 PM)

It's quite good, deals somewhat sensitively with the whole steroids thing. I guess my criticisms are the standard ones of Burns' baseball work: too much New York, not enough players, too many pundits and academics.

Steve (NJ)

Listened to your podcast with Johna last night and like your idea of expanding to 32 teams. Would you then go with 16 teams in each league, with 4 divisions of 4 teams and division winners only in the playoffs?

Rob Neyer

  (1:00 PM)

Yeah, I think that's the obvious setup. Just not sure how you would wedge a couple of Wild Cards in there with any elegance at all.

chris (nyc)

who's the yankees 5 starters? does that include Nova? Hughes, CC, AJ, Petitte? Lee makes 5 no?

Rob Neyer

  (1:01 PM)

Oh, of course. I forgot about Vazquez's impending departure. Yes, the Yankees will be in the market for a starter this winter. Though I do think Cashman would be semi-comfortable with some of his internal options.

Jim (Colorado)

Rob, what's your basic reasoning on the answer "probably" to the earlier question about the Giants making the playoffs next year. Given that staff I'd say it's closer to a lock...

Rob Neyer

  (1:03 PM)

Jim, do you have any idea how many World Series-winning teams have seemed like *locks* the day after they won? And then didn't qualify for the tournament the next year?

Doug (NYC)

Stranger things have happened, but it should be a no-brainer for the Yanks to pass on Crawford when they have Crawford-lite on their roster already, and for $80M less (over next 5 yrs)

Rob Neyer

  (1:04 PM)

Yeah, you would think so. But the Yankees have to spend their money somewhere. Their infield's already set, and they're not going to be buying any high-dollar relief pitchers this winter. So if they're not able to corral Cliff Lee, they might turn their covetous eyes toward an outfielder just because they can.

Bubba (Seattle)

Who are your picks for next year's 8 playoff teams?

Rob Neyer

  (1:05 PM)

Honestly, I don't have the slightest idea. I'd say the Yankees are a pretty good bet, though. And the Phillies.

Carl (NY)

Do you think that brett gardner could repeat what he did this year in terms of obp?

Rob Neyer

  (1:07 PM)

Maybe not exactly, but he was a high-OBP guy in the minors, too. Think of him as a modern-day Brett Butler, maybe.

Mike (Sacramento)

If the Yanks don't seriously pursue Crawford, wouldn't it make sense for the Giants to do what it takes to sign him? He's tailor made to play in their park, both offensively and defensively.

Rob Neyer

  (1:08 PM)

Yeah, it would make a great deal of sense for them to pursue Crawford.

Ryan (SLC)

How many catchers have won the ROY and World Series in the same year?!

Rob Neyer

  (1:08 PM)

I'm pretty sure the answer is zero, Ryan.

Ellen (NYC)

How often are you gonna chat now that baseball is over?

Rob Neyer

  (1:09 PM)

Every week, same as usual.

BEN (LA)

I say the Giants are a .500 team next year and miss the playoffs - no way they can again catch all the lucky breaks they got this year. Agree or disagree?

Rob Neyer

  (1:10 PM)

I think they'll enter the season with an on-paper expectation of 87 wins. Which means they could almost as easily win 81 or 93. People underestimate the role of fortune in the standings.

Brian (Milford, CT)

Rob, Everyone now seems to be saying how could no one have picked the Giants after the fact. What they are also forgetting is how both teams got to the W.S. The Giants beat the Phillies in very close games, Texas absolutely destroyed the Yankees.

Rob Neyer

  (1:12 PM)

It's true. And a lot of people thought the Yankees were a really good team. As someone said earlier, so prosaically ... it's friggin baseball.

Larry (Hartford)

The last players to turn down Steinbrenner money were Barry Bonds and Greg Maddux.

Rob Neyer

  (1:12 PM)

Those were the big ones. And there must have been some smaller fish, too.

Muzzy (Leicester)

Where would you like to put your 2 additional major league teams? I'm guessing Portland is a no-brainer, but the 2nd?

Rob Neyer

  (1:13 PM)

There's plenty of room in the Tri-State Area (and I'm not talking about Joplin, Missouri). Also, there are lots of people in North Carolina and Tennessee.

rory (sacramento)

Albert Belle turned down the Yankees, leaving them to play with the measly potion of Bernie Williams...

stephen (sacramento)

Why were you late?

Rob Neyer

  (1:16 PM)

I was up late reading the new Mantle biography and just flat overslept. Basically, the moment the baseball season's over I fall completely out of my usual routines. It's actually quite jarring. But I do apologize. Very unprofessional.

Pat (NJ)

To be fair, Bonds, Maddux, and Belle turned down GEORGE'S money. I'd like to think the team is run a little better now by Cashmoney...

Rob Neyer

  (1:17 PM)

It's a good point, Pat. I suspect that some of the guys who spurned the Yankees were actually spurning the owner. So maybe the franchise's batting average with free agents will go even higher under the new management.

Jason (Detroit)

Rob, do you really think the Yanks & Mets would allow another team on their turf? Which reminds me, could they stop it?

Rob Neyer

  (1:17 PM)

No, and yes. I was just imagining a Perfect World.

Ryan (San Francisco)

Do you think Huff staying is a lock for next year? I knwo the Giants have Brandon Belt in the minors, and Huff could get offers elsewhere right?

Rob Neyer

  (1:20 PM)

Yeah, Belt's got only 136 professional games under his belt, but he looks like a monster who might be ready almost immediately. Still, given what we've seen from the Giants before, you have to figure they'd like to start Belt in Triple-A next year and keep him there for at least a couple of months. The problem is that Huff probably isn't going to be happy with a one-year deal. And if you sign him for more than a year, now you've got two first basemen on your roster. Tough one!

Todd (NYC)

Huff could move to RF to make room for Belt, no? Do the Giants have other position player prospects that could make an impact next year?

Rob Neyer

  (1:21 PM)

Belt's a big guy and played very little outfield this year. I just don't know enough about him to know if he could make that switch. Though if he could, suddenly the Giants' offense looks a lot better (if Huff comes back).

Nora (St. Louis)

You overslept the morning after the World Series due to reading? I hereby award you 5,000 nerd points.

Rob Neyer

  (1:22 PM)

Thanks. I don't need any (more) of those points. But, thanks.

Dave (Boston)

How's the Mantle book?

Rob Neyer

  (1:23 PM)

It's really good. Leavy's writing style is perhaps a tad clipped for my taste, but the research is incredible and I've already learned a hundred things I didn't know.

Jason (CA)

"People underestimate the role of fortune in the standings."Rob, please, why are you so hung up on luck and fortune. The standings represent a 162 game slog. Other than major injuries, simple statistical considerations will tell you that chance has little to do with who comes out on top

Rob Neyer

  (1:25 PM)

Jason, are you a professional (or amateur) statistician? I'm not. But I know enough to know that you're wrong. I mean, really really wrong. A lot of really bright people have spent a lot of time proving that you're wrong.

Brett Davis (Hot Springs, AR)

An AL team in Portland could move the Rangers to the south with a Charlotte franchise, Tampa, and Kansas City, which would in turn give the AL a truly western division. I like the sound of that Rob.

Rob Neyer

  (1:25 PM)

It all makes so much sense, doesn't it?

Utek (LA, CA)

The Giants lineup last night included Pat Burrell, Cody Ross, Aaron Rowland, and Edgar Renteria, probably the worst hitting World Series champs of my lifetime Where do they stack up historically on the list of Hitless Wonders who won a championship?

Rob Neyer

  (1:27 PM)

I don't know. But the Giants did finish (I think) ninth in the National League in scoring. My 1985 Royals finished *13th* in the American League ... and 13th again the next year.

JD (NYC)

Do you recomend the Mantle book?

Rob Neyer

  (1:28 PM)

Based on the first 80 pages, absolutely.

Dale (Calvert City KY)

What did you think of the Walking Dead?

Rob Neyer

  (1:29 PM)

It looks great. I do wonder how long they can make the "shooting zombies in the head" angle seem real interesting.

Mike (Westchester)

I'm not surprised you were late for the chat, since it appeared you were starting to watch Old Yeller at 3:00 am ET! Did it make you cry?

Rob Neyer

  (1:30 PM)

Of course. I'm not made of granite.

Morgan (Baltimore)

People might have an easier time accepting what you're saying if they understood that when you use the word "luck" you often mean "randomness." For some reason, people are offended by the use of the word "luck" because it makes it seem like their player/team didn't earn whatever you're discussing.

Rob Neyer

  (1:31 PM)

Well, sure ... But if there's one thing I've learned over the years, Morgan, it's that if people want to be offended, they're going to be offended. And switching a word here or there won't change that.

xxx (yyy)

What sort of contract does Vlad get this offseason? And with whom?

Rob Neyer

  (1:32 PM)

You know, he's the one guy whose stock might have been seriously impacted by the postseason, as he just looked so old. I won't be terribly surprised if the Rangers bring him back on a one-year deal, but the money won't be great.

Dennis (San Diego)

Just a question: Do you write your headlines, or does an editor? I think my fellow Giants fans were pretty ridiculous in their attacks of you, but in some cases I think the headlines were more aggravating than the content. Example: "Do Giants have steroids to thank for Ross?"

Rob Neyer

  (1:33 PM)

I write them. And I don't see what's so offensive about that one.

Nora (St. Louis)

Do you read the comments people post at the end of your blogs? I can't remember if I've ever seen you reply like Keith Law sometimes does.

Rob Neyer

  (1:34 PM)

I do reply sometimes, but I don't read the comments as often as I should. Typically, the moment I finish a blog entry I'm off to the next one. But I should carve out a little more time for the comments. Thanks for the reminder.

Tom (Los Angeles)

Todd above was actually asking whether *Huff* could play RF for the Giants. He actually played 63 games in the outfield this year--what about Huff in left, Ross in right, Belt at 1B?

Rob Neyer

  (1:35 PM)

Oh, sorry about that. Sure, it's possible. The Giants always had *somebody* playing one (or both) of the corner outfield spots who shouldn't have been, and all they did was win 92 games and the World Series. But again, the problem is down the road. Do you want Huff out there in 2013?

Todd (NYC)

Expansion into cities like Charlotte and Portland sound promising, but how will MLB treat teams that are lacking in fan support. Tampa had a great team and was 22nd in attendance. Florida was 28th. Oakland was 29th.

Rob Neyer

  (1:36 PM)

Those teams all have ballpark issues, Todd. Why not look instead at the Diamondbacks and the Rockies?

Joey (Tn)

What's the chances of expansion in Mexico City?

Rob Neyer

  (1:38 PM)

Slim to none, in the next decade or two anyway.

John (San Diego)

"Do Giants have steroids to thank for Ross?"You don't think that the title makes it sound like Ross is on Roids?

Rob Neyer

  (1:38 PM)

Oddly, that didn't even occur to me.

JD (NYC)

Any chance for the return of the Montreal Expos?

Rob Neyer

  (1:39 PM)

In a Perfect World, yes.

Bryan (NY)

"Do the Giants have steroids to thank for Ross" isn't offensive? I've been looking at that sentence for 5 minutes now and can't figure out how to interpret that other than "Ross is on steroids"

Rob Neyer

  (1:40 PM)

Yeah, now I get that. But because that wasn't in my head when I wrote the actual blog entry, that meaning of the headline just didn't occur to me. Sorry.

Nick (Allston, MA)

Easy way to squeeze wild cards into a 32 team league: two 8-team divisions with two wild cards. Increases the chances of the best teams making the playoffs vs four 4-team divisions.

Rob Neyer

  (1:41 PM)

Yeah. I think the nice thing about four-team divisions is you can do some nifty regional scheduling. But you're probably right.

Jeff (Detroit)

I'm afraid if you start reading the comments you'll wish you hadn't.

Rob Neyer

  (1:42 PM)

Nah, it's cool. I just wish the smart commenters wouldn't feed the trolls. Only encourages them.

Phil (SF, Ca)

The Giants must be a more attractive destination for free agents than they were at this point in time last year, yes? Any possible SS out there either via FA or trade?

Rob Neyer

  (1:45 PM)

Don't know about trade. It's a really, really thin crop of free-agent shortstops out there. Derek Jeter is the best. Uribe's the second best. And otherwise you're looking at Cesar Izturis.

Bryan (NY)

Using the Giants model as a guide, do you think more teams will try to homegrow their pitchers and buy their bats? The Giants threw $100M+ at Zito, and their 4 man rotation in the playoffs consisted of four homegrown guys

Rob Neyer

  (1:45 PM)

They're already trying. Except for the truly deep-pocketed teams, anyway. The trick is actually doing it. Developing young pitchers and keeping them healthy is really hard.

Matt (SF)

FWIW, I hadn't thought of the 'Ross is on steroids' link until it was just mentioned. I had read the news about Guillen earlier in the day and automatically thought that's what you were referring to.

Rob Neyer

  (1:47 PM)

Thank you, Matt.

Bill (Chicago)

Any thoughts on Tony Siegle, Senior Advisor of the Giants, proclaiming that "We've shown Moneyball is a bunch of garbage."? Finding undervalued players seems to be part of the Moneyball equation.

Rob Neyer

  (1:47 PM)

And developing young pitchers, etc. There's still a lot of bad blood toward that book (and Billy Beane) in the Giants organization.

Aaron (Cincinnati)

JJ Hardy?

Rob Neyer

  (1:49 PM)

Aaron, I don't believe Hardy's eligible yet for free agency. And I suspect the Twins will happily offer him arbitration.

Aaron (Cincinnati)

Any frustration over the fact that you've only stated that you were pulling for the Giants yet Giants fans seem to think you hate their team? Separating reason from emotion is so hard for some people...

Rob Neyer

  (1:51 PM)

A little. But I'll get over it.

sam (nyc)

The Brewers sent Hardy down for three weeks last year in a controversial move since some thought they did it to delay his free agency by a year

Rob Neyer

  (1:51 PM)

Yeah, that's right. And the Twins might wind up as the beneficiaries.

Aaron (Cincinnati)

I'm sorry, why do the Giants hate Moneyball? Just because they're crosstown rivals?

Rob Neyer

  (1:53 PM)

Because a lot of people compared Brian Sabean to Billy Beane, and favored Beane.

sam (nyc)

If Lee re-signs with Texas, do you think a package built around Montero & Joba gets Greinke? (assuming the Royal put him on the market)

Rob Neyer

  (1:54 PM)

Uh, no. The Royals are already loaded with catchers, including one who (like Montero) comes with questions about his defense. And Joba doesn't strike me as a Dayton Moore favorite.

Jimmy Chew (Sacramento)

Rob, love your interviews on KNBR. Do you think you will be on during the Hot Stove League?

Rob Neyer

  (1:55 PM)

I sure hope so. That's one of my favorite stations. And they actually have two KNBRs, so plenty of air time to fill!

Chris (MN)

Rob, am I wrong in my interpretation that Yankees fans are nuts if they think that Joba Chamberlain has anything more than marginal trade value?

Rob Neyer

  (1:56 PM)

At the moment? No, you are not wrong.

Matt (Manhattan, KS)

I'm sure that Yuni could be available via trade to fill the shortstop hole

Rob Neyer

  (1:58 PM)

I like the way you think, Matt. We'll trade them Yuni for Zito and $84 million.Thanks for all the questions, in this first post-Series chat. Until next time, don't forget: "The crown and climax of all learning is research."