Baseball Prospectus Interview with Blengino
It's a big Q&A with Tony Blengino, who by the way, you can ask questions to directly, perhaps as follow-ups to answers presented above. There is lots of great stuff in the interview.
DMZ pulls two exciting quotes out and mentions something that, if you are familar at all with the internet baseball community could be the most exciting news of all this winter. Remember how Bavasi "used" Mat Olkin as a consultant except that the Ms were so backwards that a 1996 edition of the Sears holiday catalog would have been just as useful? Well, Blengino has his own consultant, but since we have a very good inkling that this administration actually cares about statistical analysis, the identity of the consultant is pretty damn important.
That person is Tom Tango.
It's literally beyond wildest dreams. I never thought we'd have to create a "Great News" section for our stories here.
Graham's addendum, presented without comment:
So it really is vital that statistics and traditional scouting work hand in hand for an organization to succeed, and I think you see that with the most successful organizations in the game; they do both well.
-Tony Blengino
0 recs | 121 comments
Tango? Holy crap!
Goose - January 4, 2009
That is what I said!
mark sobba - January 4, 2009
holy shit
TheEmrys - January 4, 2009
That is what I said!
greymstreet - January 4, 2009
Holy balls!
patsfan - January 4, 2009
That is what I said!
seattlesundevil - January 4, 2009
BUCK FUTTER!
Scruffy Lefty - January 4, 2009
I'm glad that comment became a bit of a runner.
mark sobba - January 4, 2009
In the 8th?
Omerta - January 5, 2009
One of my favorite parts:
Bavasi: So hey, Mat, how many wins did we have last season?
Olkin: Do you mean overall or based on the true talent of the roster? Because I think if you look at the true talent, you’re going to find th
Bavasi: I mean overall.
Olkin: 88?
Bavasi: Good work. Thanks!
Jeff Sullivan - January 4, 2009
It's one thing to have Great News simply because where we are coming from.
And a 100 million times better to get something that would be Great News to every other team in baseball.
Robert - January 4, 2009
Tango
Wow. And here I was a few years ago thinking the Red Sox pulled a coup by getting Bill James. Just wow. This is fantastically cool. A great start to 2009.
I know a lot of ya’ll personally away from LL. If one of you wants to hook a brother up with the transcript, I would be appreciative.
katal - January 4, 2009
Samsies
Robert - January 4, 2009
Wasn't Tango working for the Red Sox?
Edgar for Pres - January 4, 2009
I believe that was McCracken.
mikev - January 7, 2009
James' projection system may be whack but good gravy is he an entertaining read.
JI - January 4, 2009
My first question,
if I lived anywhere near Seattle and were going, would be along the lines of ‘how closely will tango be consulting you?’.
Great news indeed, and in an offseason full of it so far, so it’s not, you know, a contrast thing.
Bearskin Rugburn - January 4, 2009
If you told me last year that Tom Tango would be a consultant for the Seattle Mariners
I would’ve kicked you right in the crotch for lying. And now I would feel guilty about having done so, because holy shit you were right.
JLC - January 4, 2009
Good thing I didn't tell you last week then.
Matthew - January 4, 2009
Also, if you're reading this, Tangotiger
You’re ours now. You are not allowed to share your brain with anyone else ever.
JLC - January 4, 2009
If you did not smile at this news, shame on you
Graham MacAree - January 4, 2009
I started laughing which was awkward because I was standing outside of the dressing room at the Gap.
Aaron Campeau - January 4, 2009
Phone internet sometimes leads to weird situations.
.Taylor - January 4, 2009
Well, sorry...
….but I hurt my jaw when it hit the floor….
rtang - January 4, 2009
Every reservation I had about GMZ and his staff just vanished.
BrianL - January 4, 2009
Awesome news.
I wish I could read the whole interview. I may have to subscribe for a month just for this interview.
Happybelly - January 4, 2009
I'm still having difficulty comprehending that this is the Mariners
It’s like we’ve been possessed by a competent baseball organization
Nick S - January 4, 2009
Holy crap. What an unbelievable interview.
The meetup is going to be a total lovefest. I might have to go after all.
Eyebrows - January 4, 2009
You're going to try and harm him in some way, aren't you?
Aaron Campeau - January 4, 2009
Will it be necessary to put the guest speakers behind three inches of bulletproof glass?
JI - January 4, 2009
I can have Ms. ac alert library security if necessary.
Aaron Campeau - January 4, 2009
So I guess I can throw away this jpeg?
JI - January 4, 2009
Thank God that one didn't come true.
BrianL - January 4, 2009
Tango...
So is he M’s property or is he independent where he’ll sell his services to anyone who pays him?
PLU Tim - January 4, 2009
He's a consultant, not an employee
so he’s certainly not M’s property; as to the rest, it depends on the contract terms.
The Ancient Mariner - January 4, 2009
It's wrong to treat a being as property
JI - January 4, 2009
For some reason the key word of that sentence was deleted
that word was “sentient”
JI - January 4, 2009
Granted, but you know what he meant.
The Ancient Mariner - January 4, 2009
Tango is a slave of the Seattle Mariners
JI - January 4, 2009
:rolleyes:
The Ancient Mariner - January 5, 2009
In a couple Bill James interviews I've read, he's declined to answer certain questions.
The one that specifically comes to mind was in regards to sunlight reflecting off the Green Monster at Fenway and it’s potential effect on left handed batters. He declined to answer stating the BoSox had him look at that issue and the information he developed was proprietary.
Kermit. - January 4, 2009
The latter, I imagine
Jeff Sullivan - January 4, 2009
Tom Tango?
There is no ceiling!
ThundaPC - January 4, 2009
Let's not go nuts.
Aaron Campeau - January 4, 2009
Nothing bad will ever happen to the Mariners ever again
Dewey N - January 4, 2009
We're trading for Chase Utley
JI - January 4, 2009
We can't we already let Raul go
Fett42 - January 4, 2009
I for one, will enjoy watching Albert Pujols everyday.
Robert - January 4, 2009
Albert Pujols isn't available for trade you fool.
JI - January 4, 2009
Kidnapping
JLC - January 4, 2009
The Mariners are bringing Kevin Pritchard on board as trade master.
Pujols will be the Mariners for Brian LaHair and Phat Andy.
joof - January 4, 2009
Fat is spelled with an "f" not a "ph"
JI - January 4, 2009
It's actually both. "FPH"
mikev - January 7, 2009
This is super nitpicky in comparison to the towering ascent our front office has gone through in a matter of weeks,
but I’m curious: Are there any reservations about Blengino favoring RZR over BIP metrics, or is that just something that will have to be asked next week?
Double06 - January 4, 2009
No
And this is coming from the guy who has publicly said that we don’t need RZR anymore now that we’ve got UZR on FanGraphs from the same data source.
His point in the interview was that he liked the breakout of RZR as “in zone, out of zone” as separate entities. He then goes right on to mention PMR and UZR, so there’s no chance that he’s just looking at RZR and ignoring everything else.
These guys get it. They really are all we could have hoped for. This won’t be the last time we jump up and down and say “holy crap I can’t believe this is the Mariners we’re talking about.”
davidcameron - January 4, 2009
Oh I'm sure he doesn't just use one.
However, I remember you saying that RZR shouldn’t be given much weight anymore so my question came from the different opinions you two have. Thanks.
Double06 - January 4, 2009
I feel like this is too good to be true
my inner pessimist (or since the bavasi era, realist) says the Mariners can’t possibly have something like this start going right. It just isn’t normal, there’s some mistake. It’s just too improbable that we now have such an upper hand in our management and that we may start making intelligent decisions.
And yet, here we are, I’m in shock
mariners124m - January 4, 2009
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Graham MacAree - January 4, 2009
This must be some really poorly timed April Fools joke
because good things don’t happen to the Mariners.
But anyway now that we’re making solid decisions, where will people around the league direct their laughter?
Scrupio - January 4, 2009
Houston.
oc - January 4, 2009
Dayton Moore is infuriated
have Mike Jacobs, HoRam, and Kyle Farnsworth acquisitions been forgotten so soon?
Matt Klaassen - January 4, 2009
So when can we expect Yuni to be traded?
Wilder. - January 4, 2009
Probably when somebody wants to trade for him.
ThundaPC - January 4, 2009
The Battle for Grass Creek is not over!
You dirty Mariner Scum may have Tango, but I’m sure Dayton Moore is hard at work, and will answer with the acquisition of Christina Kahrl and Will Carroll!
Matt Klaassen - January 4, 2009
Happy 2009, everybody.
Two Rs and Two Ls - January 4, 2009
Has Tango been used by teams before?
Curious to how the relationship works. Do the M’s tell him upfront what they are going to run by him and he tells them how much it cost? Or do they use him exclusively and pay him enough that the m’s can throw as much shit as they want at him and see what he has to say? Nonetheless, very exciting
coasty141 - January 4, 2009
From the Book blog:
“My involvement is on a consulting basis, not employee basis, so I don’t have as much insight as you might think. I am happy with the direction.”
“Right, I’ve done some consulting work in the past for MLB and NHL. MGL and Andy as well. I think "The Book" also acts as a "brochure" of sorts.”
Benne - January 4, 2009
So, a sabermetrically inclined FO + an ability to support a $100MM+ payroll,
what’s stopping the Mariners now?
craig3410 - January 4, 2009
roster dead weight.
Matthew - January 4, 2009
Hmmm. Sunk cost concept finally understood???
PositivePaul - January 4, 2009
I'd like to think of that as "slowing down"
ThundaPC - January 4, 2009
Three more years!
seattlebruin - January 5, 2009
Let's not forget: God
johnbai - January 4, 2009
Ahem
Scrappy the Scapegoat - January 4, 2009
You get your ass back in your cage so we can ship you to Oklahoma.
BrianL - January 4, 2009
That's either cynical, cruel, or wildly pessimistic.
The Ancient Mariner - January 5, 2009
You forgot true
mariners124m - January 5, 2009
In the absence of any clear biblical prophecy to that effect
I see no reason to believe that.
The Ancient Mariner - January 5, 2009
Boston Red Sox...
Edgar for Pres - January 5, 2009
This A's fan has only one thing to say
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
Kyle Boddy - January 5, 2009
Go back to /b/
The Typical Idiot Fan - January 5, 2009
I literally do not know how to process this information
This organization has been so bad for so long, and I’ve been watching it be so bad for so long, that I can’t actually bring myself to be optimistic about this off season yet, because a large part of me thinks it’s either some cruel joke or that the best statistical minds in baseball will be lobotomized by the ownership group before being allowed to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
I am fully hoping to be proven wrong, and I expect that I will be – and I can’t wait until I am. I just can’t get my hopes up yet.
pdb - January 5, 2009
At least one part of the ownership group
is probably happy…Chris Larson….
rtang - January 5, 2009
USSM goes deeper into this
http://ussmariner.com/2009/01/05/ms-hire-tom-tango/#comments
Robert - January 5, 2009
As does Tango
http://www.insidethebook.com/ee/index.php/site/comments/cheers1/#comments
Robert - January 5, 2009
The. Seattle. Mariners. Hired. Tom. Tango.
!
Robert - January 5, 2009
Luckily we get to suffer for a year more before we are good, and even then it's a crapshoot
JI - January 5, 2009
Can't wait for Baker's take on this
he will surely have more info on Tango’s role and level of involvement, and possibly on the structure and size of the stats dept in the FO.
Bearskin Rugburn - January 5, 2009
I'm not sure Baker will notice
or consider it worthy of comment if he does.
The Ancient Mariner - January 5, 2009
He's usually pretty good about reporting
any personnel developments, whether they be players, coaching staff, scouts or whatever. He reads this blog as well as USSM so he will certainly notice. I don’t have any beef with him really.
People seem to think he’s a hack of some sort because he often disagrees with the LL/USSM authors and has reported on the clubhouse atmosphere. I think he’s just doing his job – writing about the things he hears and sees as a beat writer with clubhouse access; as for his analysis… it’s much more thought through and critical than what I was used to, and if it’s sometimes wrong, well, so what? He’s a beat writer not an analyst. I ignore it for the most part.
Bearskin Rugburn - January 5, 2009
I don't think he's a hack, and I'm not banging on him
It’s just that hiring a consultant can mean as little or as much as you want it to mean, as Bavasi showed with Olkin; as such — unless I’m wrong and Baker is in fact a Tangotiger fanboy — I could easily see Baker thinking nothing of this move until it actually starts to make a difference. Obviously, you don’t sign a guy like Tom Tango and then ignore his work; but to know that, you have to have a sense of who Tom Tango is and how important his work is. If Baker does, then yes, he’ll give this move real play. If he doesn’t, he may not think it matters.
The Ancient Mariner - January 5, 2009
Baker has shown a tendancy to pick up on this kind of stuff, though.
A lot of users on his blog discuss the whole “stats versus scouting” thing (which is stupid because they should both coexist in an MLB front office). He has indulged those users in the past with this kind of information.
BrianL - January 5, 2009
That's true
and certainly, there’s enough excitement in this corner of the blogosphere to justify a mention — and enough interesting stuff in Tango’s work to make a really good “introducing him to the rest of the fanbase” post. Good point.
The Ancient Mariner - January 6, 2009
Tom Tango is ours, and you can't have him.
Humongo - January 5, 2009
If You Think Tango Tiger Is Bad And/Or Overrated, I Hate You And Find You Stupid
Humongo - January 5, 2009
I kind of miss the incompetence and laughable effort by our previous FO
Dewey N - January 5, 2009
I hope Wakamatsu makes a lot of stupid decisions so that we still have things to complain about.
Or that I get hired by the Ms.
Matthew - January 5, 2009
Even Barry Bonds goes 0 for 5
we’ll always have something
JI - January 5, 2009
Thanks
Guys, thanks very much for all your kind words.
tangotiger - January 5, 2009
Congratulations, Tango.
This is awesome!
ThundaPC - January 5, 2009
Seconded.
I wish you well, sir.
pdb - January 5, 2009
Congrats
You deserve it. A lot of people here have been reading the book blog (or just The Book) for years now. It’s so…weird that you’ll be working for our beloved M’s. This feels surreal.
marc w - January 5, 2009
All the wellwishing is conditional on the Mariners winning it all next year
GO GO GO
Bearskin Rugburn - January 5, 2009
Congratulations.
Make us good!
Teej - January 5, 2009
Congrats, Tango.
Looking forward to you helping out the Mariners.
Phil Hatzenbuehler - January 5, 2009
Step 1 is to suggest a new SS please.
Sec 108 - January 5, 2009
You're the man
Corco - January 5, 2009
Don't screw up.
;)
Wilder. - January 5, 2009
More than earned
go make us happy
JI - January 5, 2009
Chris Larson can anything that he wants from me.
Robert - January 5, 2009
He told me he wants verbs in sentences.
joof - January 6, 2009
I'm ok
I just got something in both my eyes.
zeeehjee - January 5, 2009
It's just been raining
on my face
Dewey N - January 5, 2009
No, that's just Robert.
Matthew - January 5, 2009
Hidden.
Dewey N - January 5, 2009
Holy crap
I don’t know that anything could be said right now to put a bigger smile on my face
Corco - January 5, 2009
The only bad part about this
is that Tango won’t be able to publicly comment on M’s transactions anymore.
Edgar for Pres - January 5, 2009
That's like shitting gold bricks and complaining about the splashback.
Double06 - January 5, 2009
Hah. I agree
Edgar for Pres - January 6, 2009
Well done
JI - January 6, 2009
Woo!! I popped my green comment cherry!
Double06 - January 6, 2009
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