David Schoenfield

  (1:05 PM)

Let's talk baseball ...

John (Cincinnati, Oh)

Allen Craig has yet to homer. Discuss

David Schoenfield

  (1:06 PM)

I'm thinking my suggestion that he was a sleeper MVP pick may not pan out.

Jason (St Louis)

Warm weather at last. Everyone get inside for a chat with David!

David Schoenfield

  (1:06 PM)

I'm sitting outside!

Matt (Northern VA)

Hey Dave, can we talk about just how ridiculous the Braves schedule has been? 16 of 18 games on the road, all against teams currently in first or second place (save 3 against the Marlins). Three series were played in 55 or below temps, while it was 70 and sunny in the ATL. What gives, MLB?

David Schoenfield

  (1:09 PM)

Jayson Stark has a good piece on this today. Check out the Angels. For example, they don't play back-to-back in Houston and Texas all season. Ridiculous. A lot of people are blaming the Astros' move for all this (and the weather) and that's part of it, but these problems existed before. It's a big issue when you're making team play in 25-degree weather because they don't visit the city again. Go back to the balanced schedule and some of these issues would be alleviated.

zack (stl)

Has Matt Cain lost his home run prevention skills?

David Schoenfield

  (1:10 PM)

Hard to say. His home runs were up a bit last year. His fastball is getting hit pretty hard -- I think five of his nine HRs were hit off the fastball. Velocity is there but maybe the same movement/command so far. Not TOO alarmed yet, but definitely something to watch.

John (Cincinnati, Oh)

Unlike Allen Craig's 0 homers, Jay Bruce is pounding the ball with 1 homer. I have tired at waiting for Bruce to develop into a legit middle of the order bat. Trade him, sign Choo, let Hamilton take over CF. Does this dream have a chance?

David Schoenfield

  (1:12 PM)

Bruce is overrated (a lot of his power has come in Cincy) but I don't think you want Josh Hamilton. Oh, wait, BILLY HAMILTON. Interesting idea, but if you trade Bruce you're really lacking power, especially with Votto not hitting many homers.

brad (madison,wi)

Is jean segura just on an incredible hot streak or does he have potential to put up these kind of numbers for a full year?

David Schoenfield

  (1:14 PM)

Well, no, he's not a .365 hitter or whatever, but who is? Was it last year when Jose Altuve was hitting like this the first 5-6 weeks? Segura may be a little better than Altuve, but I'm sure that ol' BABIP will start falling eventually. But the Brewers have to be loving that deal now.

David Schoenfield

  (1:14 PM)

Meanwhile, with Erick Aybar out, the Angels have been playing Brendan Harris at SS. And they wonder why they're 9-16. He was the guy the Rays traded after 2007 because he was so awful on defense.

Thomas (Dallas, TX)

Itd be nice if you were more objective and less subjective when hating on the Rangers, Seattle Homer.

David Schoenfield

  (1:16 PM)

How do you really feel, Thomas?

Tarek (NYC)

Yanks lost to Astros last night, how embarrassing. The only team the Stros should be good enough to beat is the M's. I kid cause I care.

David Gustafson (Minneapolis)

With shoulder & hamstring problems, are we still talking 29 teams in the hunt for Giancarlo Stanton?

David Schoenfield

  (1:17 PM)

I mentioned that last night. Do we have to start wondering about his durability? Seems like a fair question to ask. Missned 9-10 last year with a pulled intercostal muscle as well. No, I don't know where that is.

Joe (AZ)

Is it finally time to admit that Hamilton is not in a slump, he is just going to have a bad year.

David Schoenfield

  (1:18 PM)

I'm starting to get there. Just awful last night and looks helpless against lefties. He's on pace for 200+ K's and pitchers know they don't have to throw him fastballs over the plate. Maybe he's incapable of changing his approach, but if he doesn't it's going to be a long year in Anaheim.

Matt (Cincinnati)

A big problem that I have with the new school approach isn't so much that it doesn't hold relevance to me, its that I feel there is such a sense of closed-mindedness is the approach that its as if Baseball was invented lately and that if there is any approach that was pre-historic than there is no way that it works. My case in point with what I was talking about last week that the one stat that Sabr heads don't care about is Team Wins. The main reason I say this is because the people who I have talked to the most who follow the Sabr Bible, everyone of them will say even if Dusty Baker wins the World Series than they would want him fired. That is such huge flaw in the argument because you are essentially saying that any blueprint is irrelevant then, especialy the Sabr blueprint. If someone using the non-Sabr blueprint and they are still winning it, but you are saying its not right, then their is just a ginormous hole in the argument of what you essentially think the point of playing sports is, which is not to accumulate statistics but to win World Championships. Please explain the logic behind the thinking that a team that wins it all is not well off with how they did it?

Matt (Cincinnati)

Continued - Its the old argument with Dusty Baker that somehow goes to other coaches/Players that has never made any sense to me. Its impossible to lose because of a coach but to win in spite of them. Its simply impossible and irresponsible to use that argument. You either win or you lose, but its not in spite of or because of, its because of both ways.

David Schoenfield

  (1:22 PM)

I'll repeat what I said last week: Of course team wins is the "stat" that ultimately matters. What sabermetrics is trying to understand is HOW teams got there. It's not about ignoring team wins at all but breaking those wins down into answers and details.

David Schoenfield

  (1:24 PM)

As for Dusty, I agree that he gets a bad rap. He does a lot of things that a lot of managers do like hitting a bad hitter second or not using his closer in optimal situations. That doesn't mean he isn't good at other parts of managing, like communication or getting the best out of his players. But winning a World Series doesn't make you a great manager either and it's possible the Reds have a BETTER chance of winning with a different manager.

David Schoenfield

  (1:25 PM)

That said, I probably wouldn't fire Dusty unless you know you have a better candidate.

Greg (Toronto)

If only rasmus, jose, lawrie, johnson, morrow, buehrle, cabrera, lind and bonifacio can get it going, this jay steam looks legit. Your thoughts?

David Schoenfield

  (1:26 PM)

It's going to be tough. They've dug themselves such a big hole.

James (NJ)

Is Carlos Gomez for real this year?

David Schoenfield

  (1:27 PM)

Good player but not this good. I don't seem sustaining a .300+ average. No evidence he's that kind of hitter.

Clay (Charlotte)

If pigs flew we'd all carry umbrellas.

Andy [via mobile]

Why are the cardinals refusing to play Jackson over Kozma?

David Schoenfield

  (1:28 PM)

I do not know. Keith Law has wondered the same thing. The weird thing is Jackson played more SS at Triple-A last year. And hit better.

Tarek (NYC)

Harvey threw 121 pitches in 5.1 inns yesterday. I get wanting to not baby someone, but if I'm going to let my prize young pitcher throw 120+ pitches it would be over 8inns in a game he isn't laboring over. Thoughts?

David Schoenfield

  (1:30 PM)

Totally agree. I watched the end of that game but not the beginning. Trying to remember if the Mets' bullpen had been taxed in recent games (probably, considering they got swept over the weekend), so Collins probably tried to sneak one more inning out of him.

Andrew (Toronto)

Thoughts on the David Price/Hallion altercation?

David Schoenfield

  (1:31 PM)

I think Tom Hallion is better off keeping his mouth shut when the pitch was clearly a strike. I looked at his percentage of missed ball/strike calls -- he ranked something like 65 out of 83 umpires over the past three years. He's been around a long time but maybe it's time to see if somebody in Triple-A is better.

Bob (Seattle)

Uh oh, forearm tightness. The Mark Prior comparisons are coming true.

David Schoenfield

  (1:33 PM)

I hope not. Another reason you don't pass up a chance to win a World Series. You can't predict the future.

Bill (CT)

I've believed it from game one. The Red Sox are for real. Do you believe?

David Schoenfield

  (1:33 PM)

I picked them to make the playoffs (wild card), so I do.

Ian (OK)

Crasnick suggested that gay players would have a harder time coming out in MLB than the NBA. Your thoughts?

David Schoenfield

  (1:35 PM)

Jerry would have a better idea than I do. Baseball players do tend to be conservative in their political beliefs. It's sad, but as Buster Olney wrote today, I think the quality of the player matters. It would be easy for a team to dump a bench player, but not so easy if it's a star.

Gerald Laird (ATL)

I am out of a job here in a few weeks when McCann comes back, aren't I? Well, at least I signed a 2-year deal!PS: Why did the Braves offer me a 2-year deal?

David Schoenfield

  (1:35 PM)

Aren't you hitting better than Gattis right now?

Otto (CA)

How much do the Red Sox miss Punto's intangibles?

David Schoenfield

  (1:36 PM)

It's too bad Punto's intangibles can't help Matt Kemp hit and field.

Jeff (ABQ)

Pirates playing in that house of horrors aside, can they keep up their pace this year? Will returning arms of Morton, Karstens, Liriano, and Cole be the difference this year?

David Schoenfield

  (1:37 PM)

Bullpen has been lights out, rotation's peripherals don't match its runs. I'm skeptical and three of those guys you listed probably aren't that much of a help.

ron (md.)

After seeing the Jays this year, the Marlins are looking a lot smarter than I thought they were. Maybe with an up close view of these players daily, the Marlins realized they had made a big mistake. Maybe they should get credit for taking action.

David Schoenfield

  (1:38 PM)

I agree. If it wasn't the MARLINS, a lot of people would have praised that deal as a good baseball trade.

David Schoenfield

  (1:38 PM)

HOld on ... be back in a few

David Schoenfield

  (2:11 PM)

Everyone -- have to cancel for now. Maybe I can reschedule another one later this week. Apologies!