Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

EWFI — **Effectively Wild Episode 1867: Defining Fun** Jun 25, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about why players in the dugout seem so confident in pitch locations, whether it would ever help to wear two gloves, MLB Big Inning and other baseball equivalents of NFL RedZone, the extreme dimensions of the Polo Grounds, what makes it so impressive that some players perform at the same level for a long time, whether the Cardinals are a fun team, and what it means when we say that a player is “fun to watch,” then (55:45) take pedantic questions about “pedantic” vs. “semantic,” whether every batted ball that hits the ground is a ground ball, “former” first-round draft picks, “number one” draft picks, how best to describe a batter’s small-sample line, the (un)importance of head-to-head team records, clearing the bases and homers that drive in multiple runs, how to refer to ballparks that have since changed their names, and the on-deck circle vs. the “next batter’s box,” followed (1:32:07) by a Past Blast from 1867.

**Audio intro**: Nick Lowe, “Hope for Us All”
**Audio outro**: The Mynabirds, “Semantics”

Link to Martinez ejection story
Link to MLB Big Inning
Link to B-Ref Stream Finder
Link to Ben on baseball RedZone
Link to the Mitchell catch
Link to Sam on the Mitchell catch
Link to Polo Grounds dimensions wiki
Link to B-Ref on the Polo Grounds
Link to THT on extreme ballparks
Link to THT on ballpark homogenization
Link to 85.4 mph home run
Link to Ben on quality of competition
Link to Dan Szymborski on Cardinals projections
Link to Viva El Birdos on Cardinals projections
Link to THT on political baseball jargon
Link to *The Atlantic* on baseball stereotypes
Link to research on baseball stereotypes
Link to Craig Wright on the running game
Link to Pages From Baseball’s Past
Link to *Defector* on *The Athletic*
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1867 story source
Link to 1873 dead ball ad
Link to “next batter’s box” diagram

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1867: Defining Fun** Jun 25, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about why players in the dugout seem so confident in pitch locations, whether it would ever help to wear two gloves, MLB Big Inning and other baseball equivalents of NFL RedZone, the extreme dimensions of the Polo Grounds, what makes it so impressive that some players perform at the same level for a long time, whether the Cardinals are a fun team, and what it means when we say that a player is “fun to watch,” then (55:45) take pedantic questions about “pedantic” vs. “semantic,” whether every batted ball that hits the ground is a ground ball, “former” first-round draft picks, “number one” draft picks, how best to describe a batter’s small-sample line, the (un)importance of head-to-head team records, clearing the bases and homers that drive in multiple runs, how to refer to ballparks that have since changed their names, and the on-deck circle vs. the “next batter’s box,” followed (1:32:07) by a Past Blast from 1867.

**Audio intro**: Nick Lowe, “Hope for Us All”
**Audio outro**: The Mynabirds, “Semantics”

Link to Martinez ejection story
Link to MLB Big Inning
Link to B-Ref Stream Finder
Link to Ben on baseball RedZone
Link to the Mitchell catch
Link to Sam on the Mitchell catch
Link to Polo Grounds dimensions wiki
Link to B-Ref on the Polo Grounds
Link to THT on extreme ballparks
Link to THT on ballpark homogenization
Link to 85.4 mph home run
Link to Ben on quality of competition
Link to Dan Szymborski on Cardinals projections
Link to Viva El Birdos on Cardinals projections
Link to THT on political baseball jargon
Link to *The Atlantic* on baseball stereotypes
Link to research on baseball stereotypes
Link to Craig Wright on the running game
Link to Pages From Baseball’s Past
Link to *Defector* on *The Athletic*
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1867 story source
Link to 1873 dead ball ad
Link to “next batter’s box” diagram

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1866: That Sinking Feeling** Jun 24, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about two spectacular games by Shohei Ohtani and Ohtani’s extraordinary playing-time pace and relay a sinker-iffic response from Michael Lorenzen to a previous discussion about baseball grip, then (24:22) answer listener emails about using different-colored balls to denote different levels of liveliness, how much time to train players have in-season, whether fielders are to blame when their gloves develop holes, outlawing webbed gloves to raise BABIP, single-game team home-run records, whether players who come up now are already conditioned by pitch clocks, PitchCom and pace, which single stat they would most want to know about hitters and pitchers, and how many appeals a ball-strike challenge system should allow, plus (1:23:17) a Past Blast from 1866.

**Audio intro**: Jon Brion, “Hook, Line and Sinker”
**Audio outro**: Japanese Breakfast, “Boyish”

Link to Ohtani game stories
Link to FG combined WAR leaderboard
Link to Langs tweet
Link to pre-2022 combined BF+PA data
Link to Lorenzen comments
Link to MLB mud memo
Link to sinker HBP rate
Link to *Annie Hall* clip
Link to Justin Choi on sinkers
Link to Ben on pitching machines
Link to Diaz glove video
Link to Vlad glove video
Link to Rob Arthur on low BABIP
Link to 2015 story on age and pace
Link to Rob on pace and velo
Link to Russell on pace and velo
Link to Rob on batter age and pace
Link to 27-and-under SP pace
Link to 28-and-over SP pace
Link to team homer records in game
Link to team homer records in season
Link to MiLB experimental rules
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1866 story source
Link to Creighton SABR bio
Link to tweet about Pabor’s nickname
Link to Thorn on Pabor’s nickname
Link to Gavarni illustration

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1865: Slide Rule** Jun 22, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether changing managers is at all responsible for the Phillies’ recent success, the Yankees’ almost unparalleled winning-percentage pace, the Royals’ historically terrible pitching performance and the pressure on their pitching coach, another Taylor Ward/Tyler Wade broadcaster slipup, Anthony Rendon’s season-ending surgery, Michael Lorenzen’s comments about baseball slipperiness and MLB’s new mud mandate, a tough-negotiating teen fan’s price for J.J. Matijevic’s first career home run ball, a persuasive display of the minor-league ball/strike challenge system, the major league promotions of Riley Greene and Oneil Cruz, and Lorenzo Cain’s career, plus Stat Blasts (1:15:51) about an entire lineup turning over in a single game and losing pitchers who made the last out of a game, and (1:30:21) a Past Blast from 1865.

**Audio intro**: Pulp, “Can I Have My Balls Back, Please?”
**Audio outro**: The Moody Blues, “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone”

Link to Joe Sheehan’s poll
Link to *The Athletic* writers on Girardi
Link to Jay Jaffe on the Yankees
Link to B-Ref newsletter on the Yankees
Link to tweet with Moore quote
Link to follow-up tweet about Moore
Link to Moore audio
Link to Moore video
Link to Royals’ staff’s + stats
Link to Lorenzen comments
Link to MLB mud memo
Link to Matijevic game story
Link to Matijevic video
Link to story on Jeter’s 3000th
Link to ball/strike challenge video
Link to MiLB experimental rules
Link to news about the zone
Link to story on Cruz’s debut
Link to story on Madris’s debut
Link to Andy McCullough on Cain
Link to Stathead
Link to new Stathead feature explainer
Link to lineup-changes Stat Blast data
Link to losing P/last out Stat Blast data
Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter account
Link to Forsch game story
Link to first DH story
Link to second DH story
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1865 story source
Link to first diamond image
Link to second diamond image
Link to history of spike use

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1864: One Giant Leap** Jun 17, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a broadcaster relatably mixing up Taylor Ward and Tyler Wade, the Dodgers “fixing” former Rockies pitcher Yency Almonte, a deep, perplexing rabbit hole (7:46) of baseball-themed CarShield commercials, the bat spike as the new bat flip, an umpire’s close call with a broken-bat shard, and the building backlash against position-player pitchers. After that (39:13), they welcome back former major leaguer and current Giants director of video coaching Fernando Perez to talk about how he got his gig with the Giants, what a video coach does, the advantages of the Giants’ giant coaching staff, the disintegrating distinctions between front office and field, the player-development variation among teams, how the Giants beat preseason projections by a record margin in 2021, the upsides and downsides of being in a difficult division, some veterans the Giants’ development philosophies have helped improve (including Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford), how coaching and player dev have evolved since his playing days, the next player-dev frontiers, the Giants’ anti-unwritten-rules approach, and how new technology and information have affected the pitcher-batter balance, plus detours into Joe Maddon’s mohawk, trick plays he wants to see, and the Joc Pederson–Tommy Pham fantasy-football dispute. Then (1:43:18) Ben ends with a Past Blast from 1864, a fun fact, and a few followups.

**Audio intro**: Small Faces, “Things Are Going to Get Better”
**Audio interstitial**: Ry Cooder, “Fernando Sez”
**Audio outro**: Isotopes, “Infield Fly”

Link to Petriello’s Almonte tweet
Link to Cameron Grove on Almonte
Link to Nick Groke on Almonte
Link to CarShield MLB ad playlist
Link to other CarShield ad playlists
Link to Vierling article
Link to Vierling homer off Hader
Link to CarShield Collegiate League wiki
Link to CarShield Field wiki
Link to Stubbs bat spike video
Link to Stubbs EW episode
Link to umpire bat-shard photo
Link to umpire bat-shard article
Link to umpire bat-shard video
Link to Nightengale tweet about Hinch
Link to Jay Jaffe on the Tigers
Link to McCarthy position-player P tweet
Link to live EW episode with Fernando
Link to Rob Mains on PECOTA and the Giants
Link to 2008 Rays mohawk story
Link to 2020 story on the Dodgers’ player dev
Link to story on the Giants’ new training facility
Link to 2020 story on the Giants’ coaching staff
Link to 2022 story on the Giants’ coaching staff
Link to Tim Kurkjian on bad baserunning
Link to Kapler’s unwritten-rules comments
Link to MLB.com on the Giants’ rewritten rules
Link to Ben Clemens on the Giants’ bunting
Link to Yaz deke video
Link to story about the outfield deke
Link to Coghlan leap video
Link to Susan Slusser on the Giants’ t-shirts
Link to Tom Ley on the Giants’ t-shirts
Link to 2019 Pham interview video
Link to latest Pham comments
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to Richard on the infield fly rule
Link to story on Houston’s immaculate innings
Link to video of the immaculate innings
Link to Sarah Langs’ immaculate-innings tweet
Link to list of three-pitch-strikeout streaks
Link to Clemens on three-pitch strikeouts
Link to 2016 Albies injury video
Link to Jayson Stark on second base’s location
Link to hyper-punny ad

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1863: Belly to Bellyache** Jun 15, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what it means to be humbled, whether Joe Maddon’s mohawk could have caught on and caused a Shohawk had he not been fired, another point about Aaron Judge’s potentially historic home-run pace, a Byron Buxton fun fact, whether Buxton or Luis Arraez is a more entertaining hitter, Ozzie Albies’ fluky foot fracture, and a smart baserunning play by the Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman. Then (37:10) they answer listener emails about Pete Alonso ads for extended car warranties, Alejandro Kirk and the Blue Jays’ catching corps, line drives up the middle, whether the World Series winner is more likely to come out of either the AL East or NL West or the rest of baseball, and how splits by out count work, followed (1:16:19) by pedantic questions about swinging bunts, “contact hitting,” bloop hits, the baseball “diamond,” and “back-to-back-to-back” home runs, a Stat Blast (1:34:22) about power hitters who haven’t homered in consecutive plate appearances or at-bats, and a Past Blast (1:40:18) from 1863.

**Audio intro**: Willie Nelson, “Hard to Be Humble”
**Audio outro**: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, “Humble Me”

Link to Buxton fun fact article
Link to Albies injury video
Link to story about Albies foot fracture
Link to Jay Jaffe on Atlanta’s streak
Link to hamate-fracture study
Link to second hamate-fracture study
Link to later hamate-fracture study
Link to video of Cardinals play
Link to article on The Only Nolan
Link to first Alonso ad
Link to second Alonso ad
Link to info on Alonso accident
Link to Kershaw ad
Link to article on *30 Rock* joke rate
Link to leaders in balls hit toward pitcher
Link to leaders in straightaway liners
Link to yearly BA on balls hit toward pitchers
Link to yearly BA on straightaway grounders
Link to 2022 catcher WAR leaders
Link to 2022 team catcher WAR
Link to Effectively Wild t-shirts
Link to Giants shirts
Link to Pham’s response
Link to Stathead
Link to new Stathead feature explainer
Link to Stat Blast results list
Link to article on Grace’s first slam
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1863 story source
Link to Jeff Fogle on getaway days
Link to Bill James on getaway days

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1862: Forbidden Ball Trick** Jun 14, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joe Maddon’s mohawk, the latest details about Mike Trout’s (and Tommy Pham’s and Joc Pederson’s) legendary fantasy football league, a rash of hidden-ball-trick attempts, the “old guy’s still got it” resurgences of Nelson Cruz and Joey Votto, how big a deal Aaron Judge’s potentially historic home-run pace should be, the two-way dominance and unsurpassed hard-hitting of the Yankees (including Matt Carpenter’s hot start with the team), the AL East hogging half of the AL’s prospective playoff berths, the excellence of José Ramírez, Tommy Edman’s breakout, Ben’s new peeve about a certain type of homer, the latest extremes in position-player pitching, Walker Buehler’s injury and the NL West race, the longest-ever collective winning and losing streaks by a division, the NL East race, the winning ways of the Braves and Ronald Acuña Jr., and the history of the “base hit,” plus a Past Blast from 1862.

**Audio intro**: Francis Lung, “Bad Hair Day”
**Audio outro**: Vanessa Peters, “A Good Judge”

Link to Maddon mohawk report
Link to 2008 mohawk story
Link to Gonzalez firing story
Link to Randolph firing story
Link to clip of Trout on ESPN
Link to Votto’s May 2 tweet
Link to Dan Szymborski on Votto
Link to story on Votto’s hot streak
Link to FG on-pace leaderboard
Link to expected HR leaderboard
Link to Stanton’s 120 mph homer
Link to Ben on Stanton in 2017
Link to list of hardest-hit balls
Link to Rosenthal on rebuilding Carpenter
Link to Ohtani HR off the wall
Link to Stark on position-player pitchers
Link to story on Higashioka’s homer
Link to Mike Fast on the slowest pitch
Link to Jay Jaffe on Buehler
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1862 story source

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1861: I’m Not Maddon, I’m Just Disappointed** Jun 11, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joe Maddon’s firing, the impact and end of the Angels’ 14-game losing streak, and whether the Angels or Phillies are in a worse position for the future, Tony La Russa’s intentional walk on a 1-2 count, whether the weather and the humidor can explain MLB’s sudden upticks in fly-ball distance and home-run rate, the testing of experimental, legalized sticky stuff in the minor leagues, Hunter Greene’s rain-shortened run at a Statcast no-hitter, how the Cardinals and Rays played a nine-inning game in less than two hours, Joey Bart’s demotion and the wide range in the performance of this season’s promoted top prospects, the return of Stephen Strasburg (sort of), an update on Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich and observations about Alex Bregman, David Robertson, Sandy Alcantara, Willians Astudillo, and Tony Gonsolin and the Dodgers, the teaser for the latest TV adaptation of *A League of Their Own*, Angel Hernandez filing an appeal over his discrimination lawsuit, the Rays’ Pride Night debacle, a *NYT* crossword conflating plate appearances and at-bats, and pedantry about whether home-run hitters are actually on base, plus a Past Blast about 1861.

**Audio intro**: Nick Lowe, “14 Days”
**Audio outro**: Imperial Teen, “One Two”

Link to Jay Jaffe on Maddon
Link to Sam Blum on Maddon
Link to Rosenthal Q&A with Maddon
Link to Ohtani’s streak-ending highlights
Link to story about signature significance
Link to James Fegan on La Russa
Link to Ginny Searle on La Russa
Link to Ben Clemens on La Russa
Link to broadcast clip of La Russa IBB
Link to La Russa explanation video
Link to Seager 1-2 IBB
Link to Trout 1-2 IBB
Link to Ballpark Pal home-runs thread
Link to Alan Nathan on Twitter
Link to Mike Axisa on homers and Greene
Link to Evan Drellich on MiLB sticky stuff
Link to Sam on Statcast no-hitters
Link to Greene’s batted balls allowed
Link to short Rays-Cardinals game
Link to MLB.com on McClanahan
Link to pitcher pace leaderboard
Link to Jay on Bart’s demotion
Link to Ben on the minors-to-majors gap
Link to MLB.com on Strasburg
Link to David Laurila on Bregman
Link to Ben on Longoria
Link to Jay on Gonsolin
Link to Astudillo scoring video
Link to *A League of Their Own* teaser
Link to story about Hernandez’s appeal
Link to Hernandez at Umpire Scorecards
Link to Ginny on the Rays
Link to Emma’s crossword tweet
Link to tweet about NL Central losing streak
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1861 story source
Link to Cabrera’s spring hidden-ball trick

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1860: Start Them Young** Jun 10, 2022

With Meg Rowley on the road, Ben Lindbergh talks to a trio of guests. First (4:10), he’s joined by Mr. King, the creator of Northwoods Baseball Sleep Radio, to talk about baseball as ASMR, crafting a fictional league, broadcaster, and collection of players, replicating the soothing, white-noise sounds of a baseball broadcast, putting his listeners to sleep, and more. Then (34:32) Ben brings on coach and journalist John W. Miller to examine how the rise of private travel baseball clubs and pay-to-play tournaments has reshaped youth baseball and excluded some kids from the sport, discuss the ramifications from Little League to the major leagues, and propose some solutions. After that (1:18:12), former major leaguer (and former EW guest) John Poff rejoins, along with John Brave Bull and Ardyce Taken Alive from the Standing Rock Reservation, to talk about their histories, explain their efforts to bring baseball to kids at Standing Rock, and ask the EW audience for help (plus a reading of a Poff poem). Finally (1:50:05), Ben shares a baseball-history anecdote from 1860.

**Audio intro**: Julie Andrews, “Stay Awake”
**Audio interstitial 1**: Dave Dudley, “George (and the North Woods)”
**Audio interstitial 2**: Peter, Paul and Mary, “Right Field”
**Audio outro**: Raye Zaragoza, “Driving to Standing Rock”

Link to Baseball Sleep Radio website
Link to Baseball Sleep Radio on Spotify
Link to FG post on Baseball Sleep Radio
Link to the real Northwoods League
Link to *Bloomberg* on white noise podcasts
Link to *The Universal Baseball Association*
Link to old baseball broadcasts on YouTube
Link to old baseball broadcasts on archive.org
Link to GameChanger Plays Announcer post
Link to John Miller on youth baseball
Link to John on improving youth baseball
Link to Tom House baseball-size tweet
Link to McCutchen at *The Players’ Tribune*
Link to Pittsburgh Hardball Academy site
Link to info on the Dream Series
Link to RBI Baseball site
Link to article on commercializing youth sports
Link to data on youth sports participation
Link to John Miller’s baseball resume
Link to John Miller’s website
Link to John Poff’s SABR bio
Link to John’s first podcast appearance
Link to Poff Stat Blast episode
Link to Standing Rock Reservation wiki
Link to KLND website
Link to Community Alliance Group website
Link to John’s *North Dakota Quarterly* poems
Link to John’s GoFundMe fundraiser page
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1860 story source 1
Link to 1860 story source 2

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1859: Three Strikes and Burnout** Jun 06, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mike Yastrzemski trying the “KK play,” the distinctive smell of rat urine, Buck Showalter making a mid-PA pitching change, Dave Roberts running afoul of a position-player-pitcher rule, the wording of the zombie-runner rule, Nick Pivetta’s near-miraculous mechanical adjustment, and Mike Trout’s slump, plus a baseball-history fact from 1859. Then (38:54) they talk to former Phillies front-office executive Lewie Pollis about how working for an MLB team became his dream job and why, several years after fulfilling that dream, he decided to walk away from it by changing careers—a choice with wide-ranging lessons to offer about work-life balance in baseball and beyond (plus a postscript).

**Audio intro**: The Walkmen, “This Job is Killing Me”
**Audio interstitial**: Ramones, “The Job That Ate My Brain”
**Audio outro**: Dan Bern, “Burned Out Case”

Link to Yaz play video
Link to play in full game highlights
Link to story about the “KK play”
Link to video of the “KK play”
Link to posts about unwritten rules of deking
Link to “rat urine” report
Link to Ben on mid-PA pitching changes
Link to Showalter pitching-change video
Link to article about the pitching change
Link to Mookie quote
Link to article on Girardi’s “Strategy”
Link to 2020 zombie-runner rule
Link to article about Roberts’ confusion
Link to 4/17 story on Pivetta’s mechanics
Link to 4/20 story on Pivetta’s mechanics
Link to other 4/20 story on Pivetta
Link to story on Pivetta’s turnaround
Link to EW episode about Trout going hitless
Link to story about the Angels’ losing streak
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to 1859 story source
Link to Lewie’s 2014 story on front-office pay
Link to Lewie’s *Baseball Prospectus* archive
Link to Lewie’s newsletter
Link to Lewie on leaving his dream job
Link to Lewie on the response to his essay
Link to “Great Resignation” wiki
Link to R.J. Anderson on MLB brain drain

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**Effectively Wild Episode 1858: The Fan Who Knew Too Much** Jun 04, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joe Girardi’s firing and where the Phillies go from here, the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez extension, the dip in DH offense, and the trade deadline, then answer listener emails about MLB.TV highlights, the upside of ignoring playoff odds, getting plunked on a full count, things that haven’t happened in an MLB game, players being coached by their romantic partners, and what would happen if no one wanted to play catcher, plus a history tidbit from 1858 and a few followups.

**Audio intro**: Ezra Furman, “Wobbly”
**Audio outro**: Liz Phair, “Uncle Alvarez”

Link to MLB.com on the Girardi firing
Link to ESPN on the Girardi firing
Link to Andy McCullough on Girardi
Link to wobbly chair/squid is fried explainer
Link to MLB.com on the Alvarez extension
Link to Dan on extension candidates
Link to Dan on more extension candidates
Link to Dan on the trade deadline
Link to Passan on the trade deadline
Link to DH stats by season
Link to Russell Carleton on resting hitters
Link to story about DH and roster decisions
Link to FanGraphs WPA Inquirer
Link to Ben Clemens on Holmes
Link to Smeltzer interview video
Link to Smeltzer story
Link to subsequent Smeltzer story
Link to EW listener emails database
Link to Richard Hershberger’s *Strike Four*
Link to story about the Mets’ pitching machine
Link to video of the machine
Link to Ben on “perfect” pitching machines
Link to story about the Turner deke
Link to Turner deke video

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Effectively Wild Episode 1857: Hit Me Right in the Phils Jun 03, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley announce the availability of new Effectively Wild T-shirts, then follow up on the latest, Mike Trout-related developments in the Tommy Pham–Joc Pederson fantasy-football/slap story as well as Josh Donaldson’s comments about his teammates not supporting him. After that, they banter about a home-run robbery that wasn’t, the homer hitting of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1856: Slapped Silly Jun 01, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Nick Castellanos’s uncanny tater timing, and then (4:43) Ben attempts to explain the Joc Pederson–Tommy Pham fantasy-football dispute (and resulting slap) to Meg. After that (44:42), they discuss the Reds’ resurgence, an umpire’s hot mic, updates on defensive-positioning restrictions and the forthcoming pitch clock, and whether the standings […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1855: Glass Ass of Emotion May 28, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about why we don’t see more hidden-ball tricks in MLB, why big leaguers practice fielding grounders between innings, comparing the careers of Paul Goldschmidt and Freddie Freeman, how baseball broadcasts should discuss domestic-violence suspensions, whether Rickey Henderson would still have stolen bases if he’d been inflicted with […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1854: Comedy of Errors May 27, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the apparent end of Mike Trout’s long-lasting SuperPretzel sponsorship, Willians Astudillo’s return to the majors, the Phillies’ fielding and a seeming surfeit of amusingly bad defensive plays across the league, the arrival of overall no. 1 prospect (and Orioles catcher) Adley Rutschman and how to tell when a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1853: What Are the Odds? May 26, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to Kelly Pracht, the CEO and co-founder of predictive analytics startup nVenue, which has provided the real-time probabilities displayed on this season’s MLB Network-produced Friday Night Baseball broadcasts on Apple TV+. They discuss nVenue’s origin story, its sports-betting ambitions, its 100-plus-input machine-learning model, which factors are and aren’t predictive […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1852: Roger, Over and Out May 21, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley pay tribute (for the umpteenth time) to the great Roger Angell, who died at 101 on Friday, then banter about which underperforming hitters are most in need of the kind of breakout game that slow-starting Trevor Story had this week. After that (21:41), they bring on listener and top-tier Patreon […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1851: You Say Tyler, I Say Taylor May 20, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the rabidity of opossums and Eugenio Suárez‘s keepie-uppie skills, then discuss the White Sox offense and Tony La Russa’s rationale for batting Andrew Vaughn ninth, Max Scherzer’s oblique injury, and the possibility of a Juan Soto trade, before meeting major leaguers (53:30) Logan Gillaspie (Orioles) and Brandon Hughes […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1850: Don’t Squat So Close to Me May 18, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about two of the worst defensive plays of the season, which came courtesy of the Tigers and Nationals, Albert Pujols pitching and walking, the Pirates winning without a hit (but with one correct prediction), and the breakout of Taylor Ward; answer listener emails about banning gray uniforms, baseball jugglers, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1849: When the Whiff Hits the Fan May 14, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a wave of baseball ads for cryptocurrencies and NFTs coinciding with crashes in the crypto and NFT markets, injuries to Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw, the dominance of the Dodgers, Yankees, and (especially of late) Astros, the early NL West race, Robinson Canó getting a job as Jarred […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1848: Shantz Encounter May 13, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which is more impressive, Reid Detmers throwing a two-strikeout no-hitter or right-handed hitter Anthony Rendon homering from the left side against a position-player pitcher, recount (11:50) the surprisingly long, largely forgotten history of the 20-seconds-between-pitches rule and the pitch clock in pro ball and the big leagues, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1847: We Want a Catcher, Not a Belly-Scratcher May 11, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Josh Naylor’s record eight RBI after the eighth inning and the hot-hitting Guardians, José Ramírez taking a hometown discount to stay in Cleveland, Rangers manager Chris Woodward’s seemingly misinterpreted joke about Yankee Stadium, the perils of interpreting text-only quotes, Mets hitting coach Eric Chávez’s theory about MLB selectively […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1846: One-Night Standings May 07, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the joys of a pitcher’s duel between Shohei Ohtani and Rich Hill, have a spoiler-free discussion about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness being a baseball movie, examine whether the historically hapless Reds are truly tanking or are just a case of Nutting gone wrong, and talk […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1845: Bang Bang, Maxwell’s Sunday Homers May 05, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Madison Bumgarner ejection, players having to be held back, and sensual sticky-stuff inspections, the historically slow start of the Reds and Joey Votto’s response to a FanGraphs article about his season-opening slump, and a study on which teams improve pitchers. Then (24:10) they discuss how John T. […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1844: Grill the Umpire May 03, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about April’s low offensive numbers and Zack Greinke’s deadball-style success, then (7:11) talk to 32-year MLB umpire Dale Scott and SABRcast host Rob Neyer, co-authors of Scott’s new memoir The Umpire is Out: Calling the Game and Living My True Self, touching on the definition of “nutcutter,” how Dale […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1843: I Think You Should Leave Apr 30, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to MLB’s decision to suspend Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer for an unprecedented 324 games, then (22:25) discuss Justin Verlander and Ronald Acuña Jr. looking like their old selves and pitcher Tucker Davidson’s critiques of the minor league pitch clock before answering listener emails about the Cardinals and how to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1842: Do Not Pass First, Do Not Collect a Run Apr 29, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MacKenzie Gore and how long a player’s career has to be for something he does to be described as a “career high,” Nick Senzel’s proclivity toward catcher’s interference and the Reds’ ice-cold start, the first-place Los Angeles Angels, the hot starts of Mike Trout, Carlos Rodón, Joe Ryan, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1841: The Buxton Bops Here Apr 27, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the unsealing of the so-called “Yankees Letter” and what, if anything, it revealed about the past prevalence of sign stealing, the end of NPB pitcher Roki Sasaki’s consecutive outs streak and Matt Shoemaker’s bid for perfection, the White Sox’s injury-plagued, disconcerting slump to start the season, Michael Conforto’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1840: How Can You Not Be Pedantic About Baseball? Apr 23, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the reaction to and tactical underpinnings of the Yankees’ controversial decision to walk Miguel Cabrera, the balance between win expectancy and entertainment, and whether analytically-driven changes have hurt baseball as a spectator experience more so than other sports, then (15:19) meet major leaguers Simón Muzziotti of the Phillies […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1839: Gas Rationing Apr 22, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about exactly how many feral cats have infested the Oakland Coliseum and exactly how few fans have attended A’s games this season, Miguel Cabrera’s impending 3,000th hit and the potentially long time that may elapse before another player joins the 3,000-hit club, the recentism of MLB.TV highlights, the Guardians’ […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1838: Walk and Balk Apr 20, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Angels manager Joe Maddon’s befuddling bases-loaded intentional walk to Corey Seager, NPB phenom Roki Sasaki’s perfect followup to his perfect game, Hunter Greene and velo-induced fear for young starters, injury close calls for Byron Buxton and Mike Trout, the rise of non-fastballs leaguewide and what Andrew Heaney’s sweeper-iffic […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1837: The Meatiest Meatball Apr 15, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about an unlikely grand slam on a major meatball pitch and the hot start of Seiya Suzuki, then answer listener emails about how to make baseball sound most appealing, the effect of using different-colored balls to denote different pitch types, whether umpires would be better at calling balls and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1836: To Me, You Are Perfect Apr 15, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down a watershed week in overturning traditions, discussing the Dodgers pulling Clayton Kershaw after seven perfect innings and provoking a “baseball is dying” debate, the Giants flouting the unwritten rules, Alyssa Nakken debuting as the Giants’ first-base coach (under vexing circumstances), the new-look Alex Cobb, Andrew Heaney, and Jesús […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1835: Junk in the Plunk Apr 13, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about NPB phenom Roki Sasaki’s 19-strikeout perfect game for the Chiba Lotte Marines, the historic crop of prospect debuts in the first week of this MLB season, the unprecedented career-starting hot streak of (and long-term outlook for) Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, A’s catcher Sean Murphy’s butt photogenically taking one for […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1834: Your Moment of Zen Apr 09, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their impressions of Opening Day, the “baseball zen” interludes on MLB.TV and Apple’s proposed broadcast innovations, Joey Votto’s in-game interview (and in-game interviews in general), a tasty new MLB sponsorship, PitchCom and pace of play, the fraught relationship between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman, the Padres-Twins trade […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1833: 2022 Division Preview Series: NL East Apr 06, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Sports Illustrated writer Emma Baccellieri banter about the contrast between March Madness and early-season baseball, the Rays-Tigers trade involving Austin Meadows and Isaac Paredes, and the challenge of evaluating Rays transactions in general, then complete the 2022 division preview series by setting the stage for the season in the National […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1832: 2022 Division Preview Series: AL East Apr 05, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about top prospects making Opening Day rosters, the Padres’ Sean Manaea trade and Eric Hosmer almost-trade, the A’s firesale and accurate and inaccurate payroll figures, Joe Davis replacing Joe Buck in the World Series broadcast booth, new broadcaster Carlos Beltrán’s comments about the Astros’ sign stealing, and Wilmer Font’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1831: Where the Rubber Meets the Mound Apr 02, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jacob deGrom’s latest injury, the White Sox-Dodgers trade involving Craig Kimbrel and AJ Pollock, umpires explaining replay reviews, “Home Run Derby X,” a lousy likeness of Derek Jeter, Yankees games on Amazon Prime and the continued splintering of baseball broadcasts, and an update about MLB’s official cerveza and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1830: 2022 Division Preview Series: AL West Apr 01, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Fox Sports national writer Pedro Moura discuss Pedro’s new book How to Beat a Broken Game: The Rise of the Dodgers in a League on the Brink, then (18:54) preview the 2022 season in the American League West, team by team. Audio intro: Jim White, “Book of Angels” Audio outro: Dire Straits, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1829: 2022 Division Preview Series: NL Central Mar 30, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about an MLB beer/cerveza sponsorship, upcoming updates to sticky stuff inspections, the position of second base, and humidor use, the Twins signing Chris Archer and the Diamondbacks extending Ketel Marte, Dave Roberts guaranteeing a Dodgers championship, and Andrew Miller’s retirement, then (36:50) preview the 2022 […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1828: 2022 Division Preview Series: NL West Mar 25, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein banter about a contentious Baseball Prospectus headline and an overlooked Scott Boras quote, then preview the 2022 season in the National League West, team by team (plus closing banter about the Baseball Prospectus annual). Audio intro: Big Star, “Way Out West” Audio outro: The New Pornographers, “The […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1827: 2022 Division Preview Series: AL Central Mar 24, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the beginning of the 2022 division series preview series, rant about the reinstitution of the zombie runner, applaud the advent of the Ohtani Rule, follow up on a previous Stat Blast by recounting the most consecutive defensive plays a fielder has ever been involved in, and relate an […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1826: Last Call for Free Agency Mar 22, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Reddit description of the podcast, the pleasures of watching spring training games, and the possibly excessive coffee consumption of White Sox DH Gavin Sheets, before discussing the last burst of big free-agent signings, including Carlos Correa’s shocking contract with the Twins, Trevor Story to the Red Sox, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1825: Boom, Ghosted Mar 19, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about new details about Freddie Freeman and Kris Bryant’s contracts, Stat Blast about players not touching the ball, and then (18:59) bring on Effectively Wild listener and Patreon supporter Kevin Brotzman to discuss being an Orioles fan and season-ticket holder and answer listener emails about whether Goodhart’s law will […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1824: Who, What, When, Where, Why Mar 18, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley continue to break down a busy, chaotic week in MLB by bantering about which was wilder, this week or the week leading up to the lockout, then breaking down the Rockies signing Kris Bryant, the Dodgers signing Freddie Freeman, the Blue Jays trading for Matt Chapman and the new AL […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1823: Building Up, Tearing Down Mar 16, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a packed few days of post-lockout action, including news about the zombie runner and a ball-strike challenge system, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s fractured wrist and motorcycle mayhem, Pete Alonso‘s close call, Mike Trout’s vetoed position change, the Yankees and Mets potentially losing unvaxxed players in home games, and how […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1822: Nutting Doing Mar 11, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cardinals breaking the post-lockout free-agent signing seal, what the pre-Opening Day market will look like, day-after reflections on the new CBA (including an alternative term for tanking), the benefits and drawbacks of MLB broadcasts on streaming services, how Canadian vaccination policies could affect the Blue Jays, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1821: Lockout Lifted, Spirits Lifted Mar 11, 2022

After 99 days of lockout, the voice of the turtle speaks up, and the season is saved. Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley exuberantly respond to the news of a new CBA, breaking down the major on-field and off-field provisions in the deal and discussing the worst-cast scenario averted, the imminent prospect of spring training and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1820: Ban the Grift Mar 09, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs author Dan Szymborski discuss the drawbacks and virtues of expanded playoffs, the ideal expanded-playoff format, and the biggest beneficiaries of playoff expansion in 2022, why the competitive balance tax functions as a soft cap and how MLB could actually promote competitive integrity, whether banning the shift is a bad […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1819: The Underground Baserunner Mar 05, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about shortening the regular season, whether baserunners could tunnel under the basepaths, creating a fictional top prospect, whether umpires expanding and contracting the strike zone lengthens games, where the Hall of Fame should have been located, aesthetically pleasing pitching motions, and whether Statcast could improve the fan […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1818: Smile, You’re on Manfred Camera Mar 04, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by Evan Drellich, senior writer for The Athletic, to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of reporting from the scene of the CBA negotiations, the proper composition of photos of executives walking to meetings, not getting hoodwinked by sources, whether there really was optimism about a deal leading […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1817: Opening Delay Mar 02, 2022

In the hours immediately following MLB’s decision to cancel the first two series of the regular season, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by Ben’s colleagues from The Ringer and The Ringer MLB Show, Michael Baumann and Zach Kram, to recap the negotiations leading up to this week’s MLB-imposed deadlines, lament and lambast the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1816: Another Date That Lives in Infamy Feb 26, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a week of many meetings but no breakthroughs between MLB and the MLBPA, Liberty Media’s financial disclosures about the Braves’ profitability, the prospects of a labor deal before the owners’ deadline for starting the season on time, and more, then (25:22) talk to historian and author Kerry Yo […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1815: Better Prospects Feb 25, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen and national writer Kevin Goldstein for a FanGraphs Prospects Week discussion centered on the site’s Top 100 (or Top 114) prospects ranking, touching on the swift fall of MacKenzie Gore, the scarcity of pitchers toward the top of the list, whether […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1814: The Angel in the Outfield Feb 22, 2022

In an all-mailbag episode, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about baseball with nine DH spots (and separate offensive and defensive units), baseball with eight lineup spots instead of a DH, a visual baseball rulebook, their favorite types of ballpark quirks, adjusting offensive stats for the behavior of the ball, an ethical question […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1813: The Stanky Draft Feb 19, 2022

Inspired by the loophole-exposing chicanery of former player and manager Eddie “The Brat” Stanky, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley draft 19 MLB rule changes that were solely or largely precipitated by one player, manager, coach, or owner. Audio intro: We Are Scientists, “Rules Don’t Stop” Audio outro: Pezband, “Eddie’s Pals” Link to A Game of Inches Link […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1812: The Metaverse of Madness Feb 18, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s embarrassing use of a definite article, the latest non-developments in the MLB-MLBPA CBA discussions, the career and retirement of Ryan Zimmerman, a rejected extension offer to the new Nationals franchise player, Juan Soto, a digital recreation of Truist Park and what “the metaverse” means, the outcome of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1811: How Will the Lockout End? Feb 15, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein discuss the owners’ latest CBA counterproposal, why analyzing Competitive Balance Tax surcharges isn’t exactly riveting, where the owners and players are still furthest apart, why the deadlock is about money—and not even that much money—more so than structural change, MLB’s argument for not paying minor […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1810: The Biggest Bargaining Misconceptions Feb 11, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Joe Sheehan of the Joe Sheehan Baseball Newsletter discuss MLB’s approach to promoting sports betting and concerns about the integrity of games, then go over some of the most common misconceptions and flawed arguments about MLB labor relations, economics, and competitive balance (plus a postscript about listener nominations for potential […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1809: How Harmful Would a Longer Lockout Be? Feb 11, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball equivalents of a stat about the New York Nets’ former big three, review Rob Manfred’s comments to the press about the labor situation (with an emphasis on his assertion about MLB teams being bad investments), Stat Blast (29:05) about players who batted at the bottom of the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1808: The Multisport Player Draft Feb 09, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on or banter about minor league free agent draftee reportedly Matt Shoemaker departing for the NPB, raising kids to root for one franchise, precedents for out-of-nowhere sports video game cover models, players nominated by listeners for the nickname “Three-and-Two,” the possible effects of MLB suspending drug testing during […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1807: The Principle of the Thing Feb 05, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest lockout stalemate and how to decide where to lay blame, a changing of the umpirial guard in which Joe West (finally) leaves and John Libka enters, and whether there could be an MLB equivalent of the NFL’s current tanking scandal, then answer listener emails about watching […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1806: If the Season Started Today Feb 04, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Dan Szymborski briefly set aside the lockout blues to discuss the current state of rosters and projected standings, touching on how the talent still available via free agency compares to previous offseasons at the same stage, how the division races stack up today, the weakest-projected team positions, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1805: Up to Eleven Feb 02, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley ask their audience how to handle their team preview podcast series with the resolution of the lockout still in doubt, then banter about Shohei Ohtani becoming the cover model for MLB The Show 22, “Big Boss” Tsuyoshi Shinjo pioneering a new model of major league manager for the Nippon Ham […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1804: Trees of the Trade Jan 28, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about one of Ben’s most laborious baseball-writing experiences, answer listener emails about playing MLB games at minor league affiliates’ parks, how scouting reports affect the times-through-the-order penalty, and what they would do if they discovered that Roberto Clemente had been credited with one hit too many, share a Stat […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1803: Think of the Bat Children Jan 28, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about FanGraphs adding fancy “photograph” technology and whether Dick Monfort is any better at collective bargaining than he is at running the Rockies, then discuss the pioneering lives and careers of 2022 Hall of Fame inductees/honorees Bud Fowler and Jack Graney and Graney’s dog mascot Larry, with detours into […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1802: EW, David Jan 26, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the election of David Ortiz, the ballot banishments of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling, and the rest of the Hall of Fame voting results (including Scott Rolen’s auspicious surge), react to reports about the latest labor talks (with an emphasis on the problems with using public […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1801: Split End Jan 21, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the demise of the Rays’ two-city, split-season scheme, Carlos Correa hiring Scott Boras as his agent, and Brandon Gomes of the Dodgers becoming the latest ex-player to ascend to GM, then (31:18) talk about numerous listener nominations of baseball events that predated the podcast that would have made […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1800: All of This Has Happened Before Jan 21, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley lean into the lockout by exploring two antecedents to today’s MLB labor stalemate. First, they banter with Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated about whether the Hall of Fame Vote Tracker has helped or hurt Hall of Fame conversations, then talk to Emma about the Players’ League, a short-lived but groundbreaking […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1799: Miller’s Crossing Jan 19, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reconnect with former cohost Sam Miller to discuss what he’s been up to since he stopped working for ESPN in December 2020, how the 2021 Giants rekindled his fandom, the pros and cons of paying attention to projections, what (if anything) he’s missed about covering baseball professionally, his plans for […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1798: The 2022 Minor League Free Agent Draft Jan 15, 2022

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about a few details of MLB’s latest labor proposal to the players, the conclusion of and possible confounding factors behind a Bill James study about how switching teams affects a player’s chances of Hall of Fame induction, another historic hire of a woman in baseball, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1797: Familiarity Breeds Contempt Jan 14, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a bargaining meeting between MLB and the MLBPA that reportedly produced little progress toward a deal, the odds of a punctual start to the season, the retirement of Jon Lester and their lasting fascination with his pickoff-throw yips, a familiarity penalty for relievers who face the same team […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1796: Major League Biasball Jan 11, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rachel Balkovec becoming the first female manager in affiliated ball, Genevieve Beacom making her pro debut in Australia, and other women breaking baseball boundaries, then (13:20) conclude their “Measuring the Unmeasurable” series about studying difficult-to-quantify aspects of the sport by bringing on Rob Arthur of Baseball Prospectus and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1795: Measured Tones Jan 08, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley continue their “Measuring the Unmeasurable” series about studying difficult-to-quantify aspects of the sport by bringing on Rob Mains of Baseball Prospectus to banter about ESPN’s new Sunday Night Baseball broadcasting plans and discuss Rob’s studies about competitive balance, team mobility and inequality, starter vs. reliever performance, the magnitude and history […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1794: Play Up and Pay Up Jan 07, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley continue their “Measuring the Unmeasurable” series about studying difficult-to-quantify aspects of the sport by talking to Patrick Brennan about his studies on assessing player development at the major and minor league levels, the challenges of evaluating player development, the data he wishes he had, the most and least successful player […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1793: Measuring the Unmeasurable Jan 05, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Fanatics purchasing Topps and MLB Network reportedly parting ways with Ken Rosenthal because of his criticism of Rob Manfred. Then (27:36) they kick off a series of episodes about measuring difficult-to-quantify aspects of the sport by talking to Cameron Grove about translating his study of astrophysics into baseball […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1792: Should Old Infractions Be Forgot Jan 01, 2022

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss Ben’s decision regarding his Hall of Fame ballot, and how to handle Hall of Fame voting in the future. Then (38:05) they complete their series of discussions of Korean baseball drama Stove League by breaking down the last four episodes (13-16) and reflecting on the series as a whole. […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1791: The Stories We Missed in 2021 Dec 31, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the retirement of Kyle Seager and the lockout implications of a recent report about player payrolls, then discuss an assortment of listener-nominated, team-centric topics that they had previously overlooked on the podcast in 2021. Audio intro: Spooky Tooth, “Kyle” Audio outro: Hockey Dad, “I Missed Out” Link to list of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1790: The Fandom Menace Dec 29, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their holidays, how the omicron variant is affecting sports and personal decisions, and how analyzing COVID case counts is (kind of) akin to analyzing baseball stats, discuss the pace and prominence of signings of former major leaguers by KBO and NPB teams, the results of 2021 interleague play, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1789: One-Dan Band Dec 21, 2021

Ben Lindbergh concludes a short series of conversations with baseball content creators who work mainly in a medium other than writing or podcasting by talking to singer-songwriter Dan Bern about his origins as a baseball fan and musician, rooting for different teams at different times, his songwriting process, sneaking into Wrigley Field, composing his first […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1788: Toil on Canvas Dec 21, 2021

Ben Lindbergh continues a short series of conversations with baseball content creators who work mainly in a medium other than writing or podcasting by talking to painter Graig Kreindler about Noah Syndergaard, Nick Adenhart, and the best way to pay tribute to past players via uniform number, how Graig got started as a baseball fan […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1787: Effectively Foolish Dec 20, 2021

Ben Lindbergh kicks off a short series of conversations with baseball content creators who work mainly in mediums other than writing or podcasting by talking to YouTuber Bailey Freeman of Foolish Baseball about the Mets hiring Buck Showalter and the challenge of evaluating managers, how many bases Rickey Henderson would steal today, Bailey’s origins as […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1786: The Rosin for the Season Dec 17, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the United States of Shohei Ohtani and Baseball-Reference player page popularity, a perplexing fact about fielding percentage, time-shifted baseball (and watching only wins), learning to love a sport later in life, whether pruney fingers would be a performance-enhancer for pitchers, the great rosin bag battle of the 1920s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1785: What is This, a Cooperstown Episode? Dec 16, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how baseball writers are coping with the lockout, revisit the burst of spending that preceded its start, and marvel at the wide variety of Hall of Fame ballots that have surfaced so far. Then (19:01) they talk to Sean Gibson and Ted Knorr, two of the founders of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1784: Have You Heard The Rumor? Dec 16, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the reasons for and consequences of MLB’s lack of compelling record chases (à la Alex Ovechkin’s in the NHL, Stephen Curry’s in the NBA, and Tom Brady’s in the NFL). Then (21:16) they talk to Sam Dingman and Mac Montandon, the hosts of The Rumor, a just-completed six-part […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1783: The Rumor Chill Dec 11, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the slow drip of baseball news during the lockout, why MLB’s competitive balance gets a bad rap, the Rays’ historic collective minor league winning percentage, and the difficulty of evaluating individual defense in the age of Statcast-based and non-Statcast-based metrics. Then (33:09) they continue their series of discussions […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1782: Six Plaque Confabs Dec 08, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to Adam Darowski, the baseball historian, Hall of Fame scholar, and Head of User Experience at Sports Reference, about working on the Baseball-Reference website, creating the Hall of Stats, the Hall of Stats vs. the Hall of Fame, the appeal of 19th-century baseball, the Hall of Fame elections of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1781: Hidden Balls Trick Dec 07, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about listener responses to their earlier conversation about the proper pluralization of “hit by pitch,” then (11:41) bring on Bradford William Davis and Dr. Meredith Wills to discuss the reporting and research that revealed that two types of baseballs were used during the 2021 MLB regular season, as well […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1780: Thank You for Your Service Dec 04, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which teams have the most unfinished roster construction to complete post-lockout and the league’s and union’s dueling playoff format proposals, then answer listener emails about what Wander Franco would make as a free agent today, a plan to combat tanking, and the proper pluralization of “hit by pitch,” […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1779: The Show Must Go On Dec 03, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the beginning of the lockout, which marks MLB’s ninth work stoppage and the first in 26 years. They also discuss a flurry of buzzer-beating transactions, including the Dodgers re-signing Chris Taylor, the Cubs signing Marcus Stroman, the Brewers and Red Sox swapping Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hunter Renfroe, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1778: The Storm Before the Calm Dec 01, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the onslaught of transaction activity leading up to the expiration of the CBA, touching on why they and others misread how fast the market would move, why players and teams have done deals so quickly and how the burst of spending could affect labor talks, the group of non-playoff […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1777: Happy Francsgiving Nov 25, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rays signing 20-year-old Wander Franco to a long-term extension, rapid movement in the starting-pitcher market (capped off by the Cardinals signing Steven Matz and Mets owner Steve Cohen tweeting out his reaction), and the White Sox inking Kendall Graveman. Then (36:41) they continue their series of discussions […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1776: How Can You Not Be Romantic About Baseball? Nov 24, 2021

Ben Lindbergh talks to baseball writer and romance novelist KD Casey about Unwritten Rules, her new romance novel about catchers and catcher framing, focusing on her history as a fan and writer, the intersection of sports and romance fiction, fictionalizing MLB teams, delivering details about baseball without alienating readers who aren’t fans, the ethics of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1775: Ask the Audience Nov 23, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on an earlier conversation about ERA vs. FIP and banter about Seiya Suzuki being posted, Noah Syndergaard’s explanation of why he left the Mets, the rumored Sandy Alcantara extension and the future of the Marlins, how Canada’s new policy about unvaccinated athletes could affect the Blue Jays, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1774: In Defense of FIP Nov 20, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap the results of awards week, focusing on the controversy over Corbin Burnes’s victory over Zack Wheeler in NL Cy Young voting, the inconsistency between the AL and NL Cy Young results, how voting patterns are evolving, whether anyone actually discounts the value of innings, FIP vs. ERA and a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1773: Hats Off Nov 19, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Astros re-signing Justin Verlander and MLB’s plan to house minor leaguers, then (19:53) bring on listener and top-tier Patreon supporter John Choe to discuss the single game he played in indy ball, the Moonlight Graham Society he co-founded to recognize minor league cups of coffee, how his […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1772: Bananas in Pajamas Nov 17, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a flurry of signings and other transactions, including the Tigers signing Eduardo Rodriguez, the Angels signing Noah Syndergaard, the Blue Jays extending José Berríos, and the Mets (finally) hiring a GM, Billy Eppler, plus musings on the Tigers and Mariners “turning the corner,” followups on player rankings, unorthodox […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1771: Take the Money and Pun Nov 12, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest batch of silly Scott Boras quotes, featuring Meg’s real-time reactions to hearing them for the first time, a “fake quote or real quote?” quiz, and a discussion of the motivations behind the superagent’s annual stand-up routine, then discuss Boras’s comments about competitive integrity and try to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1770: Only the Finest Free Agents Nov 10, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley announce new perks available to their Patreon supporters, then (12:03) bring on Ben Clemens, the lead author of FanGraphs’ top 50 free agents ranking, to discuss qualifying offers, early transactions, and Wade Miley and size up this offseason’s free agent class, focusing on the strong selection of shortstops and starters, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1769: The Lockout Lookout Nov 09, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to Evan Drellich, senior writer for The Athletic, about the state of labor negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, the major issues separating the two sides, the odds of a work stoppage, how long a potential lockout could last, how the CBA talks may affect transaction activity, how previous […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1768: The Braves Blueprint Nov 05, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s return from podcast paternity leave, the quality of the 2021 postseason, whether the Braves were underrated or simply overperformed, what teams might learn from and emulate about Atlanta’s success, postseason pitcher usage and game length, the career and retirement of Buster Posey, their upcoming discussion of TV […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1767: Goodbye World Series, Hello Winter Ball Nov 04, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Eric Longenhagen discuss the conclusion of the World Series, including how Brian Snitker and Dusty Baker managed their depleted pitching staffs, the future of postseason pitching, Jorge Soler’s pyrotechnics, when they realized Atlanta was going to win the Series, and what’s next for the Astros and the Braves. Then they […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1766: Fingers in Several Rays Pies Nov 03, 2021

Meg Rowley and erstwhile Effectively Wild co-host and current Tampa Bay Rays employee Jeff Sullivan discuss World Series game start times, how Jeff’s job has changed compared to the 2020 season, Wander Franco, the Rays’ uniforms, what it is like to root (and work) for a team in the playoffs, the Rays’ ALDS against Boston, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1765: Of Cinnabon and Shifts Oct 29, 2021

Before Game 3 of the World Series, Meg Rowley and guest co-host Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated discuss postseason travel for sportswriters, the forgotten virtues of suburban malls, Emma’s piece on how Atlanta shifted its stance on the shift midseason, and how the front office, Ron Washington, and the players came together to adopt the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1764: Decrying the Sliderization of Baseball Oct 29, 2021

In a crossover event Marvel would envy, Meg Rowley and guest co-host Michael Baumann of The Ringer discuss Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, what the loss of Charlie Morton means for Atlanta, the narrative role of the starter, how to navigate the moral conundrum that is fandom, the ever-growing length of postseason […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1763: World Series Preview, Fun Fact Edition Oct 26, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Sarah Langs of MLB.com banter about Sarah’s participation in MLB’s first game to feature an all-women broadcast crew, her research process, and what makes for a good fun fact. Then Sarah shares some Braves and Astros statistical oddities ahead of the World Series, including fun facts about Joc Pederson, Brian […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1762: They Write Mike Trout Hypotheticals in Outer Space, Too Oct 23, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Ben Clemens discuss the Astros’ pitching woes, the role of starters in the postseason, Dave Roberts’ decision to have Brusdar Graterol hit in Game 5 of the NLCS, Yordan Alvarez, how a 3-2 series deficit feels for fans of the team with the upper hand, and Ben’s look at Ian […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1761: Those Wacky, Tacky Balls Oct 21, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Grant Brisbee catch up on some non-postseaosn news, including Grant’s elbow injury, MLB’s decision to provide housing for minor leaguers, and Rob Arthur’s research suggesting spin rate and pitch movement have recovered after cratering in light of sticky stuff enforcement, then banter about Laz Diaz’s strike zone in Game 4 […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1760: Choose Your Own NLCS Adventure Oct 15, 2021

Meg Rowley is joined by guest co-host Mike Petriello of MLB.com. They discuss Mike’s role in the booth as a part of ESPN’s Statcast broadcasts, how what is affectionately referred to as the Nerdcast got started, how Mike prepares for games, how he balances being analytics-heavy while still appealing to a broad audience, how the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1759: In Hindsight, This Was Inevitable Oct 14, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Bradford William Davis of Insider discuss his new job as an investigative features writer and what the shift from being a daily columnist has meant for how he engages with players, sources, and baseball, and the stories he’s able to tell. Then they turn their attention to the playoffs and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1758: Desperately Sweaty Energy Oct 13, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Jon Tayler of FanGraphs banter about the Boston Red Sox’s victory over the Tampa Bay Rays to advance to the American League Championship Series, including Jon’s experience of the series as a Red Sox fan, Alex Cora’s managerial style, Boston’s particular brand of chaos ball, when Jon knew Garrett Whitlock […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1757: Farewell to Rhubarb Oct 10, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio discuss his recent trip to Monument Valley before recapping the weekend’s ALDS and NLDS action and looking ahead to what might come next, including thoughts on the Giants’ approach to platooning, Cody Bellinger‘s season-long slump, AJ Pollock‘s past postseason woes, the Brewers offense, Eduardo […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1756: Ichabod Crane Comes to Bat Oct 08, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Eric Longenhagen banter about Walker Buehler’s unusual approach to opening beers and their own past dental emergencies before recapping the AL Wild Card game. They consider what went wrong for the Yankees, and assess the Red Sox’s good starters, potent lineup, and shaky defense, as well as Nick Pivetta and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1755: Chaos Letdown Oct 05, 2021

Meg Rowley and guest co-host Craig Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus recap the final weekend of regular season baseball before previewing this week’s Wild Card games. They discuss the Mariners’ decision not to promote Julio Rodríguez, their disappointment at the lack of tiebreaker games, franchise player farewells, the current playoff format, what comes next for Seattle […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1754: Never Tell Me the Odds Oct 01, 2021

With the postseason around the corner, Meg Rowley and guest co-host Ben Clemens discuss the playoff picture, how the Seattle Mariners got where they are, which team Ben would prefer to see his Cardinals match up against in the NL Wild Card, and the biggest surprises of the season. Then they discuss Ben’s recent work […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1753: Bringing Up Baby Sep 30, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what Shohei Ohtani might mean for the Mariners’ slight playoff chances and Riley O’Brien’s recent debut, before Ben shares some (good) personal news. Then (17:33) they bring on Will Leitch to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals. Will shares what it has been like to root for the team […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1752: Photo Finish Sep 28, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Giancarlo Stanton’s awe-inspiring weekend at Fenway, the most aesthetically pleasing home run hitters, what the Cardinals’ 16-game winning streak portends (or doesn’t portend) for their playoff hopes, and the last week in the remaining playoff races. Then (26:32) they bring on Patreon supporter Dylan Buell to talk about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1751: The Playoff Matchups Draft Sep 25, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about teams pitching around Shohei Ohtani and a second conspiracy theory about Rays/Jays Cardgate, then rank the fun quotient of potential playoff teams and draft their preferred playoff matchups. Audio intro: Steve Gunn, "Protection" Audio outro: Frankie Siragusa, "I Don’t Want to See You Again" Link to article about Ohtani’s walks […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1750: The Gift of the Maggi Sep 25, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cardinals being unbeatable, the Giants setting a record for outperforming PECOTA, the Orioles’ and Diamondbacks’ race to MLB’s worst record, the White Sox and Yankees also having identical records (and the vagaries of unbalanced schedules and divisional assignments), the saga of Drew Maggi’s call-up and demotion and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1749: Cheat Sheet Sep 22, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the unwritten rules controversy stemming from Kevin Kiermaier absconding with a Blue Jays scouting card, the Padres’ collapse, dysfunction, and outlook for 2022, the Cardinals’ surge and the Braves’ revamped outfield, Anthony Gose’s return to the majors as a pitcher, a number of injured arms making comebacks, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1748: On the Clock Sep 18, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the potential benefits of a 15-second pitch clock and the massive winning-percentage mismatch between the NL’s impending wild card winners, then answer listener emails about intentionally swinging at a wild pitch to reach base, the obsolescence of ERA, whether Statcast should be used instead of video to make […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1747: Embrace the Race Sep 16, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jake Arrieta’s sub-replacement pitching and the sorry state of the Padres’ starting staff, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, and the NL MVP race, Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the competing, persuasive narratives of the AL MVP race, and the ascendance of micro sports betting. Then (31:49) they talk […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1746: They’re Saying Boo-urns Sep 15, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Padres reliever Austin Adams tying the single-season hit by pitch record (and some resulting safety concerns), Corbin Burnes pitching (most of) the season’s record-setting ninth no-hitter and the changing norms around pulling pitchers mid-no-no, Max Scherzer’s recent run, pitchers whose whole careers are covered by pitch-tracking tech, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1745: The State of the Starting Pitcher Sep 11, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Blue Jays’ hot streak and playoff outlook and the meaning of clutchness, then meet major leaguers Andy Ibáñez of the Rangers and Janson Junk of the Angels. After that (37:07), they’re joined by Rob Mains of Baseball Prospectus to discuss the state of starting pitching, the future […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1744: The Pretty Good Players Draft Sep 10, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Salvador Perez’s power output, durability, defense, and career, Shohei Ohtani’s offensive slump, the Rays calling up Josh Lowe to go with Brandon Lowe (but not Nathaniel Lowe), and the desirability of being teammates with one’s brother or father, then draft unsung players who are having good seasons that […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1743: On the Bubble Sep 08, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mike Yastrzemski, “bubble guts,” and the right way for a manager to publicize a player’s intestinal distress, then follow up on Miguel Cabrera and the factors that influence players’ career ratios of pitchers homered off of to total home runs, review the state of the standings, discuss the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1742: The Race (and Series) of the Season Sep 03, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee and SB Nation’s Eric Stephen about the last series of the regular season between the tied-for-first-place Dodgers and Giants, the historic greatness of their race, the state of (and outlook for) their respective rosters, the strengths and weaknesses of each team, their secret sauces, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1741: Call Up the Cavalry Sep 02, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Wander Franco coming into his own, Kevin Newman’s steep offensive falloff post-spring training, a strikeout milestone for Robbie Ray, the Kendall Graveman–Abraham Toro trade and promotions/extensions for the Mariners’ Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais, the new-and-improved Blake Snell, Austin Adams’ historic hit-by-pitch pace, Cardinals radio broadcaster Mike Shannon […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1740: Thumb WAR Sep 01, 2021

Ben Lindbergh talks to Defector’s David Roth about the Mets’ freefall in the standings, the extremely Metsy controversy surrounding multiple players giving the thumbs down to fans, and how the franchise still practices Wilpon-era self-sabotage. Then (46:18) Ben “benters” with Ben Clemens from FanGraphs about the post-sticky-stuff collapse of demoted Cleveland closer James Karinchak, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1739: Poff Piece Aug 28, 2021

Ben Lindbergh talks to The Ringer’s Zach Kram about how the red-hot Yankees have salvaged their season, mounted their longest winning streak in 60 years, and put themselves in playoff position. Then (27:33) Ben brings on John Poff, former major leaguer and Stat Blast star, to discuss his brief big league career, walking away from […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1738: Molina and the Mound Aug 26, 2021

Ben Lindbergh follows up on a Stat Blast that generated a lot of listener emails, then (13:04) talks to former major leaguer and current Angels catching coach José Molina about his unparalleled receiving skills, fooling umpires, the importance of framing compared to throwing, blocking, and game-calling, whether stealing strikes can be taught, aspects of catcher […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1737: Walk on, Walk Off Aug 23, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s post-concert encounter with a podcast listener, Miguel Cabrera’s 500th home run and the future of the 500-homer club, the latest sighting of Tom’s enigmatic message to Caitlyn at Great American Ball Park, the Rockies possibly promoting a GM from within (again), and a few pennant race updates, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1736: The Wildest Week in Sports Card History Aug 21, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on a conversation about protective headgear for pitchers by discussing softball face masks, then banter about whether MLB necessarily needs a legalized sticky substance or a pre-tacked ball, and attempt to unpack a distressing message from “Tom” to “Caitlyn” on the video board at a Reds game. Then […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1735: In Play, Run(s) Aug 20, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Germán Márquez and the ethics of diarrhea disclosure, stretched pitching staffs that were supposed to be deep, the Orioles and Diamondbacks competing for MLB’s worst record, a somewhat deceptive salary floor in MLB’s economic proposal (and the future of the ongoing CBA talks), Mets owner Steve Cohen’s critical […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1734: Win Some, Lose Some Aug 18, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on a recent observation about a baseball-related line in Twilight, then banter about petards, Ben’s latest trip to see Shohei Ohtani at Yankee Stadium, Tyler Gilbert’s improbable no-hitter, the playoff hopes of the Padres, Reds, and Giants (and reshuffling in the NL East and AL East), the lows […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1733: Corn-Fed Beef Boys Aug 14, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Field of Dreams Game, “playing catch” vs. “having a catch,” scouting baseball movies, and a quibble with baseball in Twilight, answer listener emails about extending the Field of Dreams Game concept to other settings (and other baseball movies), the aesthetics of no-doubt dingers and wall-scrapers, saving the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1732: Wanna Bet? Aug 13, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about an Alek Manoah semi-fun fact, a day without any starters going deep into games, economical outings by Adam Wainwright and Corbin Burnes, Cody Bellinger’s bat, a legal decision involving the Phillie Phanatic that may have implications beyond baseball, Joey Gallo feeling small, and the cost of Ray’s lost […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1731: In Good Standings Aug 11, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their imperfections, follow up on flying horses, Justice Blackmun omitting Mel Ott from Flood vs. Kuhn, and a possible defense of pitcher hitters, then assess the state of the standings and playoff races, contemplate a position change for Fernando Tatis Jr., discuss the Field of Dreams Game, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1730: The Mike Trout 30th Birthday Draft Aug 06, 2021

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman of Céspedes Family BBQ banter about Jake’s baseball bike trip (and Jordan’s accompanying car ride) from New York to Chicago. Then, in honor of Mike Trout’s 30th birthday, they draft their favorite things about Trout and his incredible career. Audio intro: Jay-Z, "30 Something" Audio outro: Smash […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1729: That’s Just Like, Your Opinion, Man Aug 06, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball (and steeplechase?) at the Olympics, then answer listener emails about teams intentionally drafting players they don’t intend to sign, Willy Adames as an NL MVP candidate, Dominic Smith and reverse platoon splits, secret ball-strike counts, and which is better (or worse), position-player pitchers or pitcher hitters, then […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1728: On Guardians Aug 04, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mets not signing first-round pick Kumar Rocker, owner Steve Cohen’s comment about the decision, and the amateur draft as a salary-suppressing institution, then discuss how injuries have destabilized some of the major end-of-season awards races. After that (31:51), they talk to Cleveland native (and Baseball Prospectus writer) […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1727: One Trade Deadline to Rule Them All Aug 01, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap the busiest trade deadline ever, first examining why it was so frantic and then going division by division to analyze the actions or inaction of every team that made a trade (which was, well, every team). Audio intro: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, "Heard You’re Moving" Audio outro: Vanessa Peters, "Moving Day" […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1726: Hit, Stand, or Surrender Jul 28, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the one-for-one A’s-Marlins swap involving Starling Marte and Jesús Luzardo, Marte’s underrated career, and Miami’s enviable pitching stockpile, then discuss the circumstances surrounding a potential trade of Max Scherzer. After that (35:21), they talk to FiveThirtyEight senior writer Neil Paine about the factors that affect whether teams add […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1725: Jerry Built Jul 28, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Padres trading for Adam Frazier and other pre-deadline activity, Joey Votto’s offensive resurgence, Shohei Ohtani’s dirty uniform, and more, then react in real time to the Mariners surprisingly trading Kendall Graveman to the Astros for Abraham Toro. They also answer listener emails about adding a pitcher/DH position, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1724: Changing of the Guardians Jul 24, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the new name and look of Cleveland’s MLB team, the Guardians, then react to the Rays trading for Nelson Cruz and dealing away Rich Hill, analyze a new electronic system for sending signs from catchers to pitchers that’s about to be tested in A ball, and salute Juan […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1723: Absolute Zero Jul 23, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the return of the debate about batting around and other unending debates they do or don’t care about, whether MLB should borrow the NFL’s plan to make clubs forfeit games that can’t be played because of unvaccinated players, Willians Astudillo being back in the big leagues, and listeners’ […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1722: One Month Without Sticky Stuff Jul 21, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the length of the baseball season (and postseason) compared to other sports’, whether Shohei Ohtani ever grows frustrated with his mere-mortal teammates, the prolific predictions of the Rockies’ Mike Redmond, a possible modification to the zombie-runner rule, an update on the Marlins’ run differential, a story about a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1721: Forget it, Jake. It’s Chi-Town. Jul 17, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the conditions David Fletcher has faced during his hitting streak compared to those Joe DiMaggio faced, follow up on a discussion of baseball in a multiverse scenario, discuss the difficulty of extending (or trading) Byron Buxton, mention a quest to collect Willians Astudillo cards, puzzle over the stagnation […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1720: Fun Differential Jul 16, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s airport problems, discuss the All-Star Game (touching on mic’d up and profane players, unsightly uniforms, All-Stars being friendly on the field, and MLB embracing the game’s lack of stakes), lament that the zombie-runner rule may not be (un)dead after all, follow up on more players with high […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1719: The Derby and the Draft Jul 14, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rob Manfred teasing a possible permanent reprieve from zombie runners and seven-inning doubleheaders, react to Monday’s Home Run Derby and outpouring of appreciation for Shohei Ohtani, and lament Ronald Acuña Jr.’s season-ending injury (and assess the state of the Braves). Then (45:46) they bring on FanGraphs Lead Prospect […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1718: MLB in the Multiverse of Madness Jul 09, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the 10th anniversary of Mike Trout’s promotion to the majors, Rey Ordóñez and other players with high highlights-to-value ratios, opting against an Albert Pujols pun, MLB wisely forgoing the humidor for the Home Run Derby, and a quibble with the Derby bracket, then follow up on a discussion […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1717: The Bad Hatters Jul 08, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rays’ combined seven-inning hitless game, knuckleballer Mickey Jannis as a secret weapon in MLB The Show, Jacob deGrom and the near-impossibility of breaking the ERA record, Billy Hamilton and players with the highest highlight-to-value ratios, a six-man outfield against Joey Gallo, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the retelling […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1716: Hey Mickey Jul 06, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their long weekends, birthday boy (and two-way All-Star) Shohei Ohtani, MLB’s perplexing timing when it comes to announcing awards and All-Star honors and scheduling special events such as the Futures Game and the amateur draft, the Yankees’ continuing troubles, pitchers who’ve struggled since the sticky stuff crackdown began, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1715: It’s Academic Jul 02, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about passing the halfway point of the regular season, the early effects of the sticky-stuff crackdown, a historically high-scoring day, the white-hot Brewers (and Willy Adames) and the red-hot Nationals (and Kyle Schwarber), a Germán Márquez gem, and a study on how kids become fans that helps explain how […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1714: A Bad Day in Baseball Jul 02, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s experience attending the worst start of Shohei Ohtani’s MLB career, then (15:04) discuss the Dodgers’ and MLB’s response (and their own reactions to) this week’s serious assault allegations against Trevor Bauer. (Warning: This episode contains some swears, starting at 18:18.) Audio intro: Vanessa Peters, "Rather Bad Day" Audio outro: […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1713: The Straw That Broke the Umpire’s Belt Jun 29, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s borderline excessive consumption of Angels games and the latest, greatest exploits of Shohei Ohtani, who and what is to blame for the Yankees’ ongoing struggles, Gerrit Cole’s performance post-sticky stuff, Hector Santiago becoming the first pitcher ejected for alleged foreign substance use, a Triple-A umpire’s broken-belt ejection, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1712: The 21-Strikeout Salute Jun 26, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the brief big league stay of knuckleballer Mickey Jannis, Joey Votto’s predictions, decline, and reminders of mortality, Greg Maddux forecasting foul balls, and the states of the Cubs and Dodgers post-combined no-hitter. Then they answer listener emails about whether MLB regrets making Statcast data publicly available in the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1711: Strip Search Jun 25, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s much-maligned All-Star Game uniforms and a pair of odd games, discuss the highs and lows of the first few days of MLB’s enforced foreign-substance ban (with special attention to Max Scherzer, Joe Girardi, and Sergio Romo), review Wander Franco’s debut and note the less-hyped arrivals of Lars […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1710: Sticking Time Bomb Jun 22, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio and the Diamondbacks’ broadcast crew discuss the D-Backs’ 17-game losing streak and more extended stretch of futility before bantering about Shohei Ohtani’s Player of the Week Award-winning performance and the potential for Ohtani to own All-Star Week, the call-up of (and expectations for) Rays […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1709: Number One With a Bullet Jun 18, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on previous discussions about player predictions and game postponements, answer listener emails about a sticky-stuff pitcher protest, the talent level in the College World Series, the wave as a player-distraction device, a six-year-old who roots for walks, and when the Astros will stop being booed (with an aside […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1708: Spinning Out Jun 17, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jose Altuve forgoing a home run trot, then break down the details of MLB’s plan to enforce the rules against foreign-substance use starting on June 21, covering the pros and cons of putting that plan into action at midseason and opting to ban all substances, what the effects […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1707: Baseball-Reference Rewrites its Record Books Jun 15, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s experience seeing Shohei Ohtani pitch, hit, and play right field in person, why balks can be so incomprehensible, the differing recent fortunes of the Angels and the Diamondbacks (and Albert Pujols), Jacob deGrom’s dominance and durability, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the big bats (and playoff fortunes) of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1706: The Giants, (Sort of) Explained Jun 11, 2021

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee discuss Grant’s experience co-hosting a podcast with Hunter Pence and Grant’s hatred of the zombie-runner rule, before attempting to explain how and why the San Francisco Giants have baseball’s best record and what they should do at the trade deadline. Audio intro: The Baseball Project, "The Giants […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1705: Spit Takes Jun 11, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about another prescient player prediction (this time involving the Phillies’ Luke Williams), Nick Madrigal’s hamstring injury, another aspect of the baseball scene in A Quiet Place Part II, and a few observations about the foreign-substance scandal, including teams’ culpability, how the perception of sticky stuff use may mirror the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1704: How the Foreign-Substance Crackdown Could Go Jun 09, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter (sans spoilers) about baseball movie A Quiet Place Part II, Eric Sogard sliding over first base, a Travis Jankowski TOOTBLAN, Miguel Sanó repeatedly predicting success, and Jesse Winker raking, then consider whether it’s actually “unfortunate” that the first true two-way player in ages is as good as Shohei Ohtani, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1703: Yesterday’s Papers Jun 05, 2021

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri banter about Ryan Yarbrough throwing a rare Rays complete game, then share their thoughts on the recent debate about media access in sports sparked by tennis star Naomi Osaka, touching on how access to athletes compares across sports, the dubious value of press conferences, athletes’ obligations […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1702: Just a Bit Outside Jun 04, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about why “Zombie Runner,” not “Manfred Man,” remains their preferred term for the automatic runner, zombies in general, position player pitchers vs. pitcher hitters, the benefits of forfeits, the increasing rate of pitcher hitters not attempting to put the ball in play, MLB’s bad timing with NFTs, the minor […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1701: Just Spitballing Jun 02, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Luis Urías, the zombie runner, and walk-off wins, a few other aspects of the Will Craig/Javier Báez play, a new stat called the “Boner,” MLB and NFTs, Theo Epstein’s recent comments about making changes to the game, Shohei Ohtani’s player-page traffic and the future of two-way players, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1700: Dirty Secrets and Naked Truths May 28, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Javier Báez and Will Craig combining on a baffling blooper, a naked streaker seizing the moment during a rain delay at Nationals Park, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt’s objection to a foreign-substance inspection (and how MLB should respond), an update from New Era about its short-lived “Local Market” caps, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1699: Fixed That for You May 27, 2021

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein banter about cicadas, New Era’s short-lived “MLB Local Market” caps, the exploits of Adolis García, and Byron Buxton being too fast for his own good, then discuss Craig’s recent writing on how to fix what ails baseball, touching on what exactly the problem (if any) […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1698: The Smoking Theragun May 26, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the scant separation between the top teams in each division and the division races they find the most intriguing, Buster Posey, Scott Kazmir, and other old Giants, Isiah Kiner-Falefa backing up his objection to coming in last on FanGraphs’ shortstop positional power ranking, Mariners catcher José Godoy becoming […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1697: Don’t Blame the Batters May 21, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Shohei Ohtani stalker cam on Japanese telecasts of Angels games, the Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals facing Jacob deGrom, why this season’s no-hitters have all been so dominant, and why it doesn’t make sense to hold hitters responsible for strikeouts and low batting averages. Then they do a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1696: A No-Hitter a Day Keeps the Offense Away May 20, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about scheduling their days around Shohei Ohtani and the latest examples of Ohtani excitement, Tony La Russa and unwritten rules vs. fun and the White Sox clubhouse, and Spencer Turnbull and no-hitter overload (before Corey Kluber’s no-no on Wednesday), then answer listener emails about whether Ohtani is the world’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1695: The Better Angels of Our Nature May 19, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Dodgers signing Albert Pujols and what the rest of his season could look like, Kevin Pillar’s broken nose and the ongoing HBP epidemic, Shohei Ohtani’s latest heroics (and modeling video) and whether he can become a face of baseball and a crossover star, MLB’s rising injury rate, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1694: Twin Killing May 15, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the same-day debuts of Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert, the future of the Mariners, and whether Mariners fans have actually had it so bad, another distinction between framing and flopping, the retirement of Tyler Flowers and the impact he had on catching technique, the resurgence of Rich Hill, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1693: Dodger Dog Delivery May 13, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners calling up pitching prospect Logan Gilbert, the late-inning dominance of Aroldis Chapman and (more unexpectedly) Kendall Graveman, Shohei Ohtani’s best start of the season, and the Astros providing housing for their minor leaguers, then answer listener emails about their favorite baseball seasons, how long it will […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1692: No Mo’ No-Nos May 12, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ impending call-up of top prospect Jarred Kelenic, the Dodgers’ recent slump, the Oakland A’s threatening to relocate, Wade Miley’s no-hitter and how long it takes for no-no fatigue to set in, whether MLB’s offensive downturn will force the league to take action, the role of hitters […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1691: Adios, Albert May 07, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Byron Buxton and the Twins, discuss the Angels designating Albert Pujols for assignment, and answer listener emails about whether to accept a scenario where one’s team always finishes .500 but one also gets to enjoy the career of a generational player, pitchers accepting automatic strikeouts, the best way […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1690: No Regression to the Means May 06, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Orioles ace John Means pitching a no-hitter and the dropped-third-strike rule that prevented him from having a perfect game, Tony La Russa’s latest managerial miscues, an umpire admitting he guessed at a call, the Yankees turning their season around after a slow start and the perils of small-sample […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1689: Take Artists May 05, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about being fully vaccinated, injuries to Dustin May, Luis Robert, Jesús Luzardo, Jacob deGrom, Shohei Ohtani, and others around the league, grumbles about Tony La Russa’s managing, the Angels’ perplexing, persistent .500-ness, the Mets firing and hiring hitting coaches, and surprising pricing for players on Cameo, then follow up […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1688: Beware of Flying Objects May 01, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rays flamethrower Shane McClanahan’s regular-season MLB debut, a Bryce Harper hit by pitch and the causes of the current HBP epidemic, and the biggest surprises of the topsy-turvy standings entering May. Then (33:32) they’re joined by listener and Patreon supporter David Whitcomb to answer listener emails about whether […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1687: Not Bad, Vlad Apr 29, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s morbid press conference comment, the continued excellence of Byron Buxton, Mike Trout, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., an early-season dip in infield shifting and an interesting disparity in defensive disparity between the Padres and Dodgers, and Rob Manfred’s comment about sports betting and the pace […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1686: The Best and the Rest of the West Apr 27, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest riveting Padres-Dodgers series, the beef between Trevor Bauer and Fernando Tatis Jr., Tatis’s fielding, the end of GM Jeff Bridich’s reign with the Rockies, Madison Bumgarner’s hitless start (but non-no-hitter?), Jacob deGrom’s dominance and starts in which pitchers produce as many hits as they allow, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1685: Too Close to Call Apr 24, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley offer a few updates on the first subject of their “Meet a Major Leaguer” segment, Zach Pop, banter about Corey Dickerson’s impending 200th career double, and answer listener emails about weather-based scheduling, giving umpires the option of not making close calls and deferring to replay reviewers instead, the strange statistics […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1684: Let’s Premember Some Guys Apr 23, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Bryce Harper’s hot streak, the players at the top of the WAR leaderboard, the exploits of Byron Buxton and Nelson Cruz, the suddenly unbeatable Oakland A’s, Ben’s new favorite stat to track (Nick Madrigal’s K%+), pitcher hitting performance reaching a new nadir, and more. Then they debut a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1683: The Unlikely Leadoff Man Apr 21, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the brief lifespan of the soccer Super League, the gift of the Padres-Dodgers rivalry and Blake Snell vs. Joe Musgrove, position-player-pitching overload and the pitching performance of Willians Astudillo, whether the slow-starting Yankees are really doomed, the retirement of Jay Bruce, the end of Tim Locastro’s stolen-base success […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1682: You Make the Call Apr 16, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about why they haven’t been talking about Bryce Harper, follow up on previous points about the automatic-runner rule, optional home run trots, and player switcheroos, discuss the latest report about the Mets’ front-office culture and team president Sandy Alderson, and answer listener emails about two automatic-runner-rule variants, first base […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1681: Ghost Runners in the Sky Apr 15, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the unanticipated charms of podcast faves Willians Astudillo and Shohei Ohtani, Trevor Bauer’s (and the league’s) spin rates increasing despite MLB’s threatened foreign substance crackdown, the confounding behavior of the new, supposedly deadened baseball, and the news that the mound will be moved back and the “double hook” […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1680: Díganos de Dihigo Apr 13, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joe Musgrove‘s no-hitter and the significance of Musgrove snapping the Padres’ no-no-no streak, Tim Locastro breaking Tim Raines’s record for the most consecutive successful steal attempts to start a career, Ronald Acuña Jr. beating out a routine grounder and MLB’s “FieldVision” depiction of the play, the controversial call […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1679: How to Keep Players Healthy in 2021 Apr 09, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the seemingly building backlash to the extra-innings automatic-runner rule and Dusty Baker’s comments about anti-Astros heckling, then (19:51) bring on high performance coach Gary McCoy to discuss his epiphany about preventing player injuries, the importance of deceleration, how he helped a team in Taiwan have an injury-free season, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1678: The 2021 Team Fun Draft Apr 09, 2021

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer RJ McDaniel banter about a controversial walk-off hit by pitch call involving the Mets’ Michael Conforto, the early success of exciting Tigers Rule 5 pick Akil Baddoo, and unexpected fauna on the field, then conduct the second annual Effectively Wild Team Fun Draft, in which they draft all […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1677: Fully Armed and Operational Apr 05, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley convene an emergency podcast to discuss Shohei Ohtani’s exhilarating, terrifying, and historic Sunday Night Baseball performance against the White Sox (which veered from triumph to near-tragedy), touching on Ohtani’s titanic home run and resounding bat crack, the aesthetics of his stuff, his Statcast superstardom, his narrow escape from injury after […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1676: New Season, Who Dis? Apr 02, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about immersing themselves in Opening Day action, Opening Day highlights and oddities, early-season optimism, the divisive automatic-runner rule, the Francisco Lindor extension and why it matters so much for the Mets, the perception of players’ positive COVID tests today compared to last season, what they’re most looking forward to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1675: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Orioles Mar 31, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the completion of the season preview series and the Marlins renaming Marlins Park “loanDepot park,” do a draft of current corporate-sponsored MLB ballpark names from least to most objectionable, and then preview the 2021 Dodgers (24:20) with Pedro Moura of the The Athletic and the 2021 Orioles (1:09:03) […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1674: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Pirates Mar 30, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg getting vaccinated, the social dynamics of looser restrictions for vaccinated MLB players, an update on the infamous Tom & Jerry baseball scene, another baseball term named after a player, Willians Astudillo making the Twins, a few other players not making their respective teams, politicians’ performative fandom, Randy […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1673: Season Preview Series: Padres and Rockies Mar 27, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how the absence of the injured Eloy Jiménez will affect the White Sox, follow up on their discussions from the preceding episode about distracting on-field animals and baseball terms named after teams or players, then preview the 2021 Padres (19:37) with Dennis Lin of the The Athletic and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1672: Untitled Goose Gamesmanship Mar 25, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Isiah Kiner-Falefa being mad at Meg (sort of), a billboard in Boston about Mookie Betts, MLB’s renewed attempts to crack down on foreign-substance use, and what an NHL referee oopsie says about umpire makeup calls and automated strike zones, then answer listener emails about whether the season preview […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1671: Season Preview Series: Mets and Marlins Mar 24, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest spring exploits of Shohei Ohtani, the Royals extending Salvador Perez, rooting against injuries in spring training, and a mysterious former major leaguer known only as “Lewis,” then preview the 2021 Mets (37:09) with Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News and the 2021 Marlins (1:14:26) […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1670: Season Preview Series: Astros and Rangers Mar 19, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley preview the 2021 Astros with Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and the 2021 Rangers (54:07) with Levi Weaver of The Athletic. Audio intro: The Felice Brothers, "T for Texas" Audio interstitial: Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez, "Dirty Little Texas Story" Audio outro: 2nd Grade, "Bye-Bye Texas" Link to Michael Baumann on the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1669: Season Preview Series: Braves and Mariners Mar 19, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley attempt to make sense of unsightly spring training uniforms, then preview the 2021 Braves (08:42) with Grant McAuley of From The Diamond and the 2021 Mariners (45:27) with Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Audio intro: Ken Stringfellow, "Uniforms" Audio interstitial: Anti-Flag, "20 Years of Hell" Audio outro: Jethro Tull, "Uniform" Link to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1668: Season Preview Series: Twins and Tigers Mar 17, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about weirdness and whimsy in spring training, the Giants and Cleveland playing an unnecessary bottom of the ninth (without umpires), the 22-pitch plate appearance between Jordan Hicks and Luis Guillorme, Jacob deGrom’s ever-escalating velocity, and two recent research pieces, then preview the 2021 Twins (23:33) with Aaron Gleeman of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1667: Season Preview Series: White Sox and Diamondbacks Mar 13, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley pass the halfway point of their 30-team season preview series by previewing the 2021 White Sox with James Fegan of The Athletic and the 2021 Diamondbacks (46:45) with Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, plus a brief postscript on the career and retirement of Nick Markakis. Audio intro: Parquet Courts, "Black […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1666: The Number of the Banana Mar 12, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the new baseball format embraced by the Savannah Bananas, the experimental rules MLB is imposing at various levels of the minor leagues in 2021, and whether they would want to live in a ballpark (like a man who claims to have lived for three years in Veterans Stadium), […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1665: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Giants Mar 10, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB.TV repetition, Yadier Molina throwing out Jose Siri, teams opting to end innings early, the effect of Jarred Kelenic’s injury on the Mariners service-time controversy, the Astros signing Jake Odorizzi, and teams being more brazen about lowering their competitive balance tax assessments, then preview the 2021 Blue Jays […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1664: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Reds Mar 06, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s first home run and pitching appearance of spring training, follow up on their previous discussion about the abominable baseball scene in Tom & Jerry, and recap the results of a Baseball America study about the number of big leaguers (and good big leaguers) in the average […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1663: If Baseball Were Different, it Would Be Blaseball Mar 05, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Justin Dunn’s offseason overhaul and the value of spring training clichés, the Brewers signing Jackie Bradley Jr., why Jake Odorizzi is still a free agent, where he’ll end up, and why he’ll decide the EW free agent contracts competition, and an abominable baseball scene from the new movie […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1662: Season Preview Series: Angels and Royals Mar 03, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about spring training games starting, Jeff Mathis batting cleanup in a spring training game (and once improbably batting fifth in a regular-season game), the latest reports about suspended Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway, the postponement of the start of the Triple-A season, the outlook for attendance in Texas, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1661: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Cubs Feb 27, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jarred Kelenic’s beef with the Mariners about alleged service-time manipulation, then preview the 2021 Nationals (25:37) with Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post and the 2021 Cubs (59:43) with Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Audio intro: Ty Segall, "Manipulator" Audio interstitial 1: Gary Louris, "D.C. Blues" Audio interstitial 2: Jason Isbell, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1660: Season Preview Series: Athletics and Phillies Feb 24, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley preview the 2021 Athletics with Alex Coffey of The Athletic and the 2021 Phillies (30:13) with Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Audio intro: The Divine Comedy, "Come Home Billy Bird" Audio interstitial: George Harrison, "Stuck Inside a Cloud" Audio outro: The Apples in Stereo, "Play Tough" Link to Alex on Beane Link to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1659: Rotten Mather Feb 24, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Fernando Tatis Jr. coining a term for his contract, a Bill James tweet about analytics, and Shin-Soo Choo leaving MLB to make his belated KBO debut, share Stat Blasts about all-over-30 lineups and players who’ve dominated one position in their franchise’s history, and then (32:39) bring on FanGraphs […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1658: Season Preview Series: Cardinals and Cleveland Feb 20, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about discordant college baseball uniform fonts, a piece by Blake Snell in The Players’ Tribune, and whether there’s a competitive advantage in making the bullpen less visible to the pitcher on the mound, then preview the 2021 Cardinals (15:13) with Will Leitch of MLB.com (and elsewhere) and the 2021 […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1657: The Stars Were Bright, Fernando Feb 19, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Baltimore Orioles trending on Twitter because of their 0.0 percent FanGraphs playoff odds, what that figure really signifies, and how teams tend to respond to pessimistic projections, then break down why the record-breaking 14-year extension signed by superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is a windfall for him, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1656: Season Preview Series: Rays and Brewers Feb 15, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the beginning of the ninth annual Effectively Wild team-by-team season preview series, discuss a trio of players (Justin Turner, James Paxton, and Jake Arrieta) who re-signed with their most recent or former teams, and preview the 2021 Rays (16:01) with Adam Berry of MLB.com and the 2021 Brewers […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1655: Seven Minutes in the Heavens Feb 13, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the de-naming and possible renaming of the minor leagues, the Andrew Benintendi trade and the state of the Royals, and what they would add to SABR’s list of the 50 most noteworthy moments in the evolution of baseball analytics over the past 50 years, then (30:00) bring back […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1654: Home Plate Rump Feb 11, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about having baseball on the brain and the NL Central’s measly World Series odds, then answer listener emails about umpire underwear and repeated pants-splitting, an eccentric baseball billionaire who wants his son to break Cy Young’s career wins record, whether they would pitch a big-league game in exchange for […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1653: If (the) Baseball Were Different Feb 10, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the incredible longevity of Dodgers Spanish-language voice Jaime Jarrín (who’s outlasted his own son in the broadcast booth), break down the new, universal-DH-less health and safety protocols for the 2021 season and MLB’s adjustments to the baseball’s construction, the Elvis Andrus–Khris Davis trade and the unprecedented positional profile […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1652: The Best of Tweets, the Worst of Tweets Feb 06, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest developments for their minor league free agent draft teams, then discuss the Dodgers signing reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer to an unexpected and unusually structured record contract, touching on the good and bad of Bauer, the incredible Dodgers-Padres arms race, and much more. […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1651: Split Decision Feb 04, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap the Rockies’ press conference about the Nolan Arenado trade and GM Jeff Bridich claiming the belt as the game’s most-maligned GM, then discuss Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway’s suspension and Andrelton Simmons’ comments about his mental state in 2020, analyze the Twins re-signing Nelson Cruz and signing Alex Colomé, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1650: The Only Nolan Feb 02, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the Nolan Arenado trade from the Rockies’ and Cardinals’ perspectives, reflect on the Rockies’ rudderless state, touch on a few more minor transactions (Alex Cobb to the Angels, Didi Gregorius to the Phillies, and Eddie Rosario to Cleveland), remember the career of the now-retired Dustin Pedroia, and touch […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1649: The Energizer Battery Jan 30, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the quirks and cancellation of a long-lost (and recently rediscovered) baseball successor to arcade hit NBA Jam called Power-Up Baseball, then discuss the Cubs signing Joc Pederson and the Cardinals bringing back Adam Wainwright and (probably) Yadier Molina, share a Stat Blast about where Wainwright and Molina rank […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1648: Squeeze Play Jan 29, 2021

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs author Ben Clemens break down the Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons, and Tommy La Stella signings, the Steven Matz trade, and Masahiro Tanaka’s decision to return to NPB’s Rakuten Eagles (with digressions about Japan’s tradition of awarding the uniform number 18 to aces and the greatness of Hiroki Kuroda) before […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1647: The Hot Stove, The Hall, and the Hammer Jan 27, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Willians Astudillo’s award-winning heroics in the Venezuelan Winter League, then discuss the Phillies re-signing J.T. Realmuto, the Blue Jays signing Marcus Semien, the Nationals signing Brad Hand, the Padres signing Jurickson Profar, the Yankees trading for Jameson Taillon and assembling a skilled but injury-prone rotation, the Red Sox […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1646: Farewell to 44 Jan 23, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the on-field feats, statistical records, and larger legacy of baseball icon Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron, who died on Friday at age 86. Then (25:47) they talk to Joe Lowry of Prospects Live about the ongoing boom in baseball cards, touching on why 2020 fueled a surge in sports-card […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1645: Go Canada Jan 21, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Alex Rodriguez’s ubiquity on non-baseball broadcasts and then discuss George Springer signing a franchise-record contract with the Blue Jays, Michael Brantley re-signing with the Astros, and José Quintana signing with the Angels, touching on how the Jays compare to their AL East rivals and what the team may […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1644: Block and Report Jan 20, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss ESPN’s report about Mets GM Jared Porter’s harassment of a female reporter when Porter worked for the Cubs in 2016, Porter’s subsequent firing by the Mets, Mets president Sandy Alderson’s comments about Porter’s hiring, the limitations of assessing character, the obstacles media members who aren’t cis men encounter in […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1643: In Theo We Trust? Jan 16, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Blue Jays missing out on DJ LeMahieu and which remaining free agents might be bound for Toronto, follow up on their previous discussion about bagged milk and tax implications for free agency, marvel at LeMahieu’s unique invulnerability to the shift and his unlikely career trajectory, and examine […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1642: Supply and Pent-Up Demand Jan 14, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Blue Jays missing out on several free-agent or trade targets, then answer listener emails about whether fans feel pride in their division/league, the history (and future) of fundamental changes to baseball technique, how many championships one would win if transported back to 2000 and appointed as GM […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1641: The Confounding Free-Agent Market Jan 13, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about why the free-agent market has been both slow-moving and fairly lucrative for the players who’ve signed, the White Sox inking closer Liam Hendriks, whether the White Sox are the American League’s front runners, the latest report that the season will start on time, napping, MLB’s plans for fans […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1640: Ethically Speaking Jan 09, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the six-player blockbuster trade headlined by Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco, touching on Cleveland’s decision to cut costs by dealing two fan favorites and the face of the franchise, how much better Lindor makes the Mets, and more, then banter about NPB ace Tomoyuki Sugano re-signing with the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1639: Cobra Sigh Jan 06, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the re-naming of Miller Park and the good and bad of ballpark naming rights, the improbable beginning of Phil Niekro’s career and what it says about the downsizing of the minor leagues, an intriguing projection of the outcome of the Padres-Dodgers NL West race, Boog Sciambi calling Cubs […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1638: How Kim Ng Broke into Baseball Jan 04, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the official retirement of Phil Hughes, the joy of anticipating top prospects and watching them debut, the sobering reality of players their age starting to retire, a report that the 2021 season is likely to start on time, and a control group for their minor league free agent […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1637: The 2021 Minor League Free Agent Draft Jan 01, 2021

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the experience of podcasting about baseball in 2020, what purpose they think the Hall of Fame serves, and whether they would consider giving up their Hall of Fame ballots, then ring in the new year by extending an old tradition and conducting the eighth annual Effectively Wild Minor […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1636: A First-Ballot Hall of Fame Voter Dec 29, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs Hall of Fame expert Jay Jaffe (the author of The Cooperstown Casebook) discuss Jay’s experience as a first-time Hall of Fame voter, the case of Curt Schilling, weighing on-field contributions and off-field transgressions, the players on Jay’s ballot, the candidacies of Billy Wagner, Gary Sheffield, Omar Vizquel, and others, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1635: The Padres’ Wild Day Dec 29, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen convene to discuss the latest epic Padres transaction spree (in which San Diego traded for Blake Snell and Yu Darvish and signed Ha-seong Kim 김하성), touching on A.J. Preller’s penchant for frenetic activity, the Padres’ rebuilt rotation and crowded infield, the prospect packages going […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1634: Found in Translation Dec 24, 2020

Ben Lindbergh talks to Jacky Bing-Sheng Lee, translator of the traditional Chinese edition of Ben’s book The MVP Machine, Hyunsung Kim, translator of the Korean edition of The MVP Machine, and Brendan O’Connor, assistant professor and linguistic anthropologist at the School of Transborder Studies at Arizona State University, about the challenges of translating a baseball […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1633: What the Insiders Say Dec 24, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about why MLB reportedly isn’t interested in short-term expansion and an observation about Tyler Glasnow, Martin Shkreli, and Cillian Murphy, then review the accuracy of last year’s annual ESPN MLB insiders survey, predict and assess the responses to the just-released, latest edition of the survey, answer a listener email […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1632: The New Scouting Scale Dec 23, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about ballpark renaming, follow up on their discussion about managers getting fired for their actions in a single game, discuss how the history of baseball’s sabermetric movement predicts the trajectory and ramifications of analytics use in football and other sports, and reflect on the significance of the Phillies hiring […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1631: Ducks on the Walden Pond Dec 19, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up briefly on their recent Scott Boras banter, then answer listener emails about what a manager has to do to get fired because of a single game, possible scenarios in which Mookie Betts enters the Hall of Fame representing the Red Sox instead of the Dodgers, whether nature excursions […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1630: What’s Next for the Negro Leagues? Dec 17, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the news that MLB is belatedly designating the 1920-1948 Negro Leagues as major leagues (with a word from 1948 Negro Leaguer Ron Teasley), touching on the various reactions to MLB’s announcement, the positives and negatives of MLB’s approach to this process, the upcoming, complex integration of Negro Leagues stats […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1629: One Hundred Years of Gratitude Dec 15, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about secret baseball-playing robots and non-secret baseball-rooting robots, how coverage of NFL scoring changes compares to coverage of MLB scoring changes, and Meg’s research about changes in access to minor league games, follow up on the Mets signing James McCann, the Phillies hiring Dave Dombrowski, and the significance of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1628: What MLB’s Remaking of the Minors Means Dec 11, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about and the Phillies’ surprise hiring of Dave Dombrowski as their president of baseball operations, then (15:04) bring on Baseball America executive editor J.J. Cooper to talk about the ongoing overhaul of the minor leagues, the history of the relationship between the majors and minors, why MLB sought to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1627: For Your Aggressive Listening Pleasure Dec 10, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about “listening aggressively,” “progressing past just talking,” and other winter rumor terminology, contemplate what the “virtual Winter Meetings” look like, then break down several rumored or completed trades or signings, including Lance Lynn and Adam Eaton to the White Sox, Raisel Iglesias to the Angels, Carlos Santana and Mike […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1626: The All-Time-Great-Grandfather Dec 08, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s long-shot attempt to recoup COVID-related losses from its insurance providers, Tomoyuki Sugano getting posted, and why the Phillies’ rebuild has stalled, then (36:45) talk to Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of Hall of Famer and Negro Leagues great Josh Gibson and the executive director of the Josh Gibson […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1625: Baseball After Dark Dec 05, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley offer an update about Sam Miller’s status on the podcast, banter about the Rangers hiring former pitcher Chris Young as their new GM and play-by-play man Len Kasper’s move from Cubs TV broadcasts to White Sox radio broadcasts, and answer listener emails about how tanking teams could be more entertaining, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1624: How to Build a Baseball Dynasty Dec 04, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what went down at MLB’s non-tender deadline, touching on whether the news for arbitration-eligible players was as dire as forecasted, the more notable non-tenders, and the short- and long-term futures of free agency, then (29:36) talk to Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times about how the NPB’s Fukuoka […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1623: Robot Slumps Dec 03, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about how many negative WAR an average fan would be worth over a full MLB season, discuss an MLB fan survey, what they would want to ask fans, and how much MLB can actually improve baseball’s popularity, break down a baseball music video for “The Adults Are Talking” by […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1622: Non-Tender is the Night Nov 25, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to FanGraphs’ Craig Edwards and Eric Longenhagen about MLB’s approaching non-tender deadline, why a number of prominent players may not be offered contracts, the effect a non-tender deluge might have on the free agent market, how slowly this free agent market might move, whether owners’ claims of financial hardship […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1621: Japan’s Field of Dreams (and Nightmares) Nov 25, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest head-scratching Scott Boras quote, a disheartening Shohei Ohtani interview and Ohtani’s two-way future, Charlie Morton leaving the Rays to sign with the Braves, and the items from the 2020 season preserved by the Hall of Fame, then (28:06) talk to Ema Ryan Yamazaki, director of the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1620: Jeff Sullivan Partakes in a Pennant Nov 25, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley are joined by former co-host and current Tampa Bay Rays analyst Jeff Sullivan to discuss the experience of working for a team that almost won the World Series, touching on what exactly Jeff’s job is, what he learned in his second year with the Rays, what he did […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1619: Pink Hair Don’t Care Nov 21, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Effectively Wild community’s Secret Santa exchange beginning again, a new podcast featuring former EW guest (and oldest former living player) Eddie Robinson, and two more Scott Boras quotes, then reflect further on Kim Ng’s hiring and review listeners’ responses to a recent podcast discussion about picking a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1618: Robinson Canózolol Nov 20, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Representative Cedric Richmond’s retirement from the Congressional Baseball Game after a Ruthian two-way career, discuss Theo Epstein stepping down from the Cubs (and at least temporarily leaving baseball) and Robinson Canó getting suspended for the entire 2021 season after testing positive for steroid use, and share a Stat […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1617: Did Sabermetrics Break Baseball? Nov 17, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the fact that it took a former player to hire Kim Ng as MLB’s first woman general manager, follow up on the unwritten rules controversy surrounding Kyuji Fujikawa’s final out, and evaluate two recent statements by Scott Boras, then (24:07) bring on Baseball Prospectus’s Patrick Dubuque and FanGraphs’ […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1616: MLB’s Other Cheating Problem Nov 14, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Marlins hiring Kim Ng and the significance of Ng becoming MLB’s first woman GM, the Angels hiring Perry Minasian and the team’s ownership issues, Kyuji Fujikawa and an NPB unwritten rule, Ryan Tepera’s accidental MVP vote, and how FanGraphs readers feel about 2020’s new rules, plus a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1615: Yesterday’s News Nov 12, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Marcus Stroman accepting the qualifying offer and tweeting about Tony La Russa, what the AL Cy Young voting says about the Dodgers, and the singular greatness of the 2014-15 Royals, then answer listener emails about Noodles Hahn and how quickly former star players get forgotten, whether there should […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1614: The Most Difficult Free-Agent Contracts Draft Nov 10, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Jeff Luhnow’s lawsuit against the Astros and Max Muncy’s and Joe Kelly’s comments about MLB’s permeable postseason quasi-bubble, then conduct their sixth annual free-agent-contract over/under draft. Audio intro: The Clash, "All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)" Audio outro: The Electric Prunes, "Sold to the Highest Bidder" Link to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1613: The Need for Steve Nov 07, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Steven Goldman of Baseball Prospectus banter about MLB’s Friday news dump, covering the Red Sox hiring Alex Cora, the Mets cleaning house in the front office and the potential for new owner Steve Cohen to be baseball’s offseason spending savior, and the league announcing that it wouldn’t discipline the Dodgers’ […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1612: Strength in Phone Numbers Nov 06, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the status of the designated hitter and answer a listener email with a Stat Blast about hitters who’ve homered from every spot in the lineup, then (23:11) bring on Cleveland life skills coordinator Jen Wolf to talk about her career path in baseball, what a life skills coordinator […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1611: Feats of Clay Nov 03, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley remind their audience to vote, then banter about this year’s selection of qualifying offers and what the Rays declining Charlie Morton’s option for 2021 signifies for the free-agent market (if anything) before answering listener emails about front-office parity and what teams can do to differentiate themselves from each other, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1610: Tony La WHOsa? Oct 31, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the industry-shocking rehiring of Tony La Russa as the manager of the Chicago White Sox nine years after La Russa’s last managerial job and the Detroit Tigers’ hiring of A.J. Hinch immediately after the end of his sign-stealing suspension, then anticipate what could be an ominous offseason. Audio intro: Silver […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1609: Game, Set, Mask Oct 29, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss Justin Turner’s positive COVID test, his unsafe decision to return to the field after World Series Game 6, and why his protocol-breaking behavior cast a pall over the World Series celebration, then examine the series’ significance to the legacies of the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw, why the Dodgers were […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1608: A Wild World Series Weekend Oct 27, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller break down the exciting fourth and fifth games of the World Series, touching on Brett Phillips’ momentous hit and the Dodgers’ momentous misplays at the end of Game 4, the managerial decisions that led to that wild ending, Manuel Margot’s baserunning and Clayton Kershaw’s pitching in Game 5, and other […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1607: Goad Glovers Oct 23, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the groundswell of support for Mookie Betts as the best player in baseball, stand up for Mike Trout, and explain why Betts and Trout make an ideal duo as faces of the sport, then examine Yadier Molina’s frustration with Gold Glove voting, the sabermetric reappraisal of Yadi’s Hall […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1606: Call it Even Oct 23, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the first two games of the World Series, touching on Clayton Kershaw’s Game 1 excellence, the Dodgers’ discipline, Dave Roberts’ pitcher usage, the status of Rays reliever Nick Anderson, the Game 2 breakout of Brandon Lowe, and the outlook for the rest of the series. Then they banter about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1605: Welcome to the World Series Oct 20, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the exciting seventh games that decided the ALCS and NLCS, the exits of the Astros and Braves, the Braves’ future, how the Dodgers defeated Atlanta, the joy of home run robberies, the Mookie trade revisited, and more, then preview the World Series, focusing on the return of off days, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1604: The Plans for Fans in Stands Oct 17, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a podcast interview that may hinge on the Rays winning the World Series, John Smoltz’s on-air app suggestion, the latest developments in the Dave Roberts and Clayton Kershaw playoff narratives, the Dodgers and Astros on the brink, the long-term outlook for Randy Arozarena, encouraging catcher glove gestures, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1603: Match Points Oct 16, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a baseball ad on the radio, revisit the topic of how often teams win when they outhomer their opponents, discuss the brand of baseball on display this postseason, share a Stat Blast about the percentage of runs scored on homers and investigate whether all-or-nothing baseball is as problematic […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1602: Dig Deep Oct 12, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Honda Fit being discontinued, then discuss Game 5 of the Yankees-Rays ALDS, why this postseason’s strikeout-centric, home-run-reliant brand of baseball may be entertaining to hardcore fans but a turnoff to non-fans, the ALCS and NLCS matchups, the incredible depth of the Rays and Dodgers, whether (and why) […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1601: Always in Motion is the Future Oct 09, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which team with a new opening at the top of its baseball operations department would be the most attractive to baseball executives: the Reds, the Phillies, or the Angels. Then (15:07) they bring on James Buffi, the biomechanics expert, former Driveline Baseball biomechanics consultant and Dodgers senior analyst, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1600: Blown Calls Oct 07, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the merits of stats about the success of teams that hit more home runs in the playoffs and then review the first several games of the division series, touching on the unparalleled power of Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees’ piggyback pitcher decision, the Astros’ resurgence, the overtaxed Padres’ bullpen, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1599: The Mostseason Oct 07, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about potato chip sponsors, playoff games at neutral sites, juiced-ball suspicions, ALDS bad blood, how Pedro Martínez approached playoff starts, postseason MLB debuts, and the power of Giancarlo Stanton, then answer listener emails about how 2020’s shortened season will affect future pitcher workloads, what counts as a “crooked number,” […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1598: Call it Like You See It Oct 03, 2020

With the wild card round wrapped up, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to the end of the Marlins-Cubs and Padres-Cardinals series and reflect on the wild card round as a whole. Then they critique a few aspects of the postseason’s national baseball broadcasts (including Alex Rodriguez’s small-ball boosterism, the scourge of live, in-game player […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1597: The Frantic Wild Card Catch-up Oct 02, 2020

During a brief respite between games, Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller catch up on a week’s worth of wild card action, discussing the experience of being bombarded by an unprecedented amount of postseason baseball, the playoff run environment, and the state of postseason strategy, along with observations and takeaways from every wild card matchup and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1596: The Unpredictable Playoff Round Sep 29, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a misconception about FIP and how to weigh FIP and ERA in evaluating pitcher performance after the fact, the Phillies’ failure to make the playoffs and how the outcome of their season affects (and should affect) the future of their front office, Jacob deGrom’s ever-increasing velocity and how […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1595: How Cleveland Became a Pitching Powerhouse Sep 26, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about late-season playoff uncertainty, whether they’re happy with how the playoff field has turned out, the Cubs’ strange season, the surprising number of top prospects who’ve made their MLB debuts in 2020, and the percentage of promoted prospects who’ve skipped the upper levels of the minors. Then (20:47) they […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1594: Speed Trap Sep 25, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether we need middle names and what it was like not to know what players were worth before WAR and its statistical predecessors existed, then do Stat Blasts about pickoff attempts in a fan-free season, why home-field advantage has persisted without fans in the stands, and the Phillies’ […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1593: When You Wish Wilpon a Star Sep 21, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Justin Verlander’s Tommy John surgery, a different way to expand the playoffs, and whether MLB’s approach to playing in 2020 has been vindicated, then (38:52) talk to Defector’s David Roth about the Mets being sold to Steve Cohen, what life as a fan would be like without the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1592: The Roger Angell Centennial Celebration Sep 18, 2020

In honor of New Yorker writer and editor and Baseball Hall of Famer Roger Angell’s 100th birthday, Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley discuss what they admire about Angell’s life and work, how he’s influenced their writing, and a few of their favorite Angell works. Then (26:22) they cue up a collection of original, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1591: More Like Expanded Nayoffs Sep 17, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss Rob Manfred’s desire to make the 16-team playoff format permanent and how the absence of off days will affect the 2020 postseason, then conduct a Stat Blast quiz about the best same-named teammate duos, plus a non-quiz Stat Blast about pitcher usage in seven-inning doubleheaders. Audio intro: Rhett Miller, "Permanent […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1590: How to Find a Minor League Late Bloomer Sep 14, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Justin Hollander, the Seattle Mariners’ vice president and assistant general manager in charge of baseball operations, about how the Mariners have discovered and signed overlooked talents like Austin Nola and Dylan Moore, how much preparation the front office does for minor league free agency, how to blend stats […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1589: The Home Run Retriever Sep 12, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the extraordinary stat lines of Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes, the role of randomness in baseball, the latest two-team half no-hitter, the Rays’ historic all-lefty lineup, the horrors of Red Sox pitching, the approaching end of the regular season, the states of the standings and playoff odds, the underperforming […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1588: Full Nelson Sep 09, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the backstory behind the Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio trade, break down a clichéd postgame quote by Gavin Lux, and marvel at the historic excellence of 40-year-old Twins slugger Nelson Cruz. Audio intro: Todd Rundgren, "Cliché" Audio outro: Chip Taylor, "Santa Cruz" Link to the Chicago Reader on the Cubs and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1587: The Live-Ball Era Sep 05, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on an earlier Clayton Kershaw commercial conversation and banter about Tom Seaver and the benefits of being a late bloomer, then answer listener emails about catchers sharing secrets about their old teams, the value of game-calling, Manny Ramirez signing with the Sydney Blue Sox and the experience of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1586: Duke it Out Sep 04, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a Giants fun fact, two home run facts that may or may not be fun, the ways in which the circumstances of his era shaped the late Tom Seaver’s legacy, and the latest highlights of extra-innings baseball, then answer listener emails about another possible implementation of the automatic-runner […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1585: The Not-So-Deadline Sep 02, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap and analyze the trade deadline, concentrating on the Padres’ unprecedented activity, Cleveland dealing Mike Clevinger, the Blue Jays buying, the Diamondbacks selling, several other contenders retooling, and why the deadline was busier than expected, followed by banter about a second Clayton Kershaw tire commercial and an example of Honus […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1584: The Immaculate Golden Sombrero Aug 28, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about how Albert Pujols has remained an RBI man without being a good hitter and the historic slimness of Cleveland rookie pitcher Triston McKenzie, then answer a listener email about whether all innings would be better with the extra-innings automatic-runner rule, followed by Stat Blasts about what would happen […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1583: The Shift in Conversation Aug 28, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the recent protests, statements, and strikes across the sports world and in MLB specifically, touching on why some teams did or didn’t opt to play on Wednesday and Thursday, the messages that those decisions sent, and whether this week will mark a lasting break from MLB players’ past […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1582: Change My Mind Aug 25, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on two Stat Blasts from the previous week and banter about the Dodgers’ impressive winning percentage pace, the surprisingly normal state of the standings, the Phillies’ bullpen, and the record-setting sale of a Mike Trout baseball card before discussing some of the ways in which the 2020 season […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1581: Endless Cycle Aug 22, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Fernando Tatis Jr.’s “grand slam cycle,” the most exciting cycle sequence, unwritten rules, how to interpret reports of rising TV ratings, why umpires call more strikes when they work with the same catchers, historical precedents for the Cardinals’ overstuffed schedule, a confounding Clayton Kershaw commercial, and Jeff Frye’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1580: Meet Me Halfway Aug 21, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the three-year anniversary of the Effectively Wild outing to see the total solar eclipse at a minor league game in Oregon and whether the backlash to the kerfuffle over Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 3-0 grand slam made this week a watershed for MLB’s unwritten rules, then answer listener emails […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1579: Our Favorite Small-Sample Seasons So Far Aug 18, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s BABIP bouncing back from its unusually low early level, the Tigers calling up a trio of top prospects in an attempted playoff push, and Cardinals rookie Roel Ramirez’s unprecedented debut, then answer a listener email with a Stat Blast about the longest regular-season and postseason team vs. […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1578: Welcome to Planet Earth Aug 15, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cardinals finally returning to play and attempting to complete their overstuffed schedule, the teams with the most movement in playoff odds since the start of the season, Cleveland’s clubhouse problems with protocol-defying pitchers Zach Plesac and Mike Clevinger, the joy of watching Mookie Betts and Betts’s proclivity […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1577: Chaos Theory Aug 12, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether the idea of sports as a distraction from the pandemic has panned out, whether unexpectedly hot-starting teams like the Rockies and Tigers should “go for it” (and what that would entail), and what, if anything, MLB should do to address the curious case of Trevor Bauer’s spiking […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1576: The “Is This Guy Good?” Game Returns Aug 11, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a realization about fake crowd noise discomfort, a disastrous start to a Derek Holland outing that recalled an earlier podcast discussion, whether Fernando Tatís Jr. will ever have a moment as remarkable as Fernando Tatís’s two-grand-slam inning, outfielders showing up pitchers, and more, then bring back the “Is […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1575: Rookies of the Year Aug 08, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a bad fun fact on a baseball broadcast, a case of copycat pitching involving Jake Diekman and Chaz Roe, how MLB may amend eligibility for the Rookie of the Year award in 2021, a Wade LeBlanc balk and why balks remain mystifying and debatable, plus a Stat Blast […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1574: No Fans, Good Field? Aug 07, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about their minor league free agent draft results so far and whether this season has helped or hurt minor league free agents gain playing time, the continued watchability of revamped extra innings and the possibility of bringing back traditional extra innings for one week a year, and whether this […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1573: Make Some Noise Aug 04, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s arm injury and his short- and long-term prospects as a two-way player, Mike Soroka and the ongoing pitcher-injury epidemic, the latest positive tests and player opt outs, Tigers reliever Tyler Alexander’s record-setting nine consecutive strikeouts, Clayton Kershaw’s comeback and other heartening news, MLB’s uptick in TV […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1572: Baseball on Borrowed Time Aug 01, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the coronavirus spreading to the NL Central, the difficulties MLB faces compared to other sports leagues, the dramatic changes that the pandemic has imposed on the sport, why robot umps aren’t part of the pandemic makeover, the jarring visuals of virtual fans, the promotion of Nick Madrigal and the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1571: Does the Automatic-Runner Rule Rule? Jul 31, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about family members not attending big league debuts and how teams and broadcasts could make better use of empty ballparks, audible profanity on the field, the rapid change in public opinion of the extra-innings automatic-runner rule, why the rule works as well as it does, the magnitude and causes […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1570: The Season So Far Jul 28, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss several takeaways from the first weekend of the MLB regular season, starting with the COVID-19 outbreak among the Miami Marlins, the apparent inadequacy of MLB’s health and safety protocols, and the season’s tenuous state, before segueing into game action including sac bunts, pitcher usage, parity, the pace of games, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1569: Take Me Out With the Cardboard Crowd Jul 25, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s cricket home invasion, then discuss Opening Day, the experience of spectating games without fans, the merits and drawbacks of MLB’s last-second expanded playoff format, Mookie Betts’ surprise contract extension and how and why the Dodgers (and not the Red Sox) made the deal, the new […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1568: What We’re Most Excited to See This Season Jul 22, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein banter about whether official scorers will be more or less accurate when they’re working from home. Then they conduct the second of two drafts that have been presented on back-to-back episodes, completing the set by selecting five things apiece that they’re excited to see (or […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1567: What We’ll Miss Most This Season Jul 22, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein banter about Ben’s latest bad dream about baseball writing and the Toronto (or Pittsburgh?) Blue Jays’ last-minute relocation. Then they conduct the first of two drafts that will be presented on back-to-back episodes, beginning by selecting five things apiece that they’ll miss about “normal” baseball […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1566: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Orioles Jul 18, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mariners prospect Julio Rodriguez’s broken wrist, Meg’s all-time most disappointing Mariners, the Rays’ five-man infield, listener responses to two emails from the previous episode, and news about Freddie Freeman and Yasiel Puig, then complete the 2020 season preview series by (16:23) previewing the 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers with […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1565: Three Arms, You’re Out Jul 16, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about 2020 season predictions, picking (and pricing) blueberries, and a cardboard cutout of Meg at T-Mobile Park, then open up the pre-pandemic mailbag and answer old but evergreen listener emails about the best type of game for a first-time baseball viewer to attend, whether the Cubs’ 2016 title came […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1564: Season Preview Series: Astros and Mariners Jul 15, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about James Paxton’s unappetizing approach to chili, Atlanta signing Yasiel Puig, weirdness and whimsy in Summer Camp intrasquad games, the history of the catcher (and umpire) mask camera, odd-sounding fake crowd noise, players planning to wear masks in regular-season games, umpires opting out of the season, and a potential […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1563: The Masked Swinger Jul 11, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s editing activities, MLB’s COVID-19 intake testing results, Buster Posey and Michael Kopech opting out of the season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. switching positions, and the Blue Jays’ quarantine conditions. Then (19:08) they bring on Baseball Prospectus writer Shakeia Taylor to follow up on the podcast’s recent Negro Leagues […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1562: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Tigers Jul 10, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley provide a brief update on the health of co-host Sam Miller (who’s on hiatus), then preview the 2020 New York Yankees with The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler, and the 2020 Detroit Tigers (46:57) with the Detroit Free Press’s Anthony Fenech. Audio intro: Bombadil, "Binoculars" Audio interstitial: The Sadies, "Tiger Tiger" Audio outro: The Isley […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1561: Season Preview Series: Rays and Marlins Jul 08, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball dreams and a holiday weekend in MLB marred by testing delays, canceled practices, concerned players, and other impediments to a safe and smooth season, then pick up where they left off four months ago in their season preview series by previewing the 2020 Tampa Bay Rays (16:05) […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1560: Unearthing Negro Leagues History Jul 03, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the difficulties of disclosing or obscuring the identities of players who hit the injured list after contracting COVID-19, dissect a few new analogies from Scott Boras’s brain, and discuss resuming their season preview series, then (35:47) conclude their week-long celebration of the Negro Leagues by bringing on esteemed […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1559: Forgotten Greats Jul 02, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s effusive streaming recommendation, the Korean baseball drama Stove League. Then (8:51) they start the second episode of their week-long celebration of the Negro Leagues by bringing on Jeremy Beer, author of the award-winning baseball biography Oscar Charleston: The Life and Legend of Baseball’s Greatest Forgotten Player, to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1558: You Have to Tip Your Cap Jul 01, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the backlash to MLB’s use of the sponsored term “summer camp,” four players’ decisions to opt out of the season, a heartfelt, thought-provoking post by Ian Desmond, and the official cancellation of the minor league season. Then they explain the Negro Leagues theme of this week of Effectively […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1557: No Appearing in the Press Box Jun 27, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to a beat writer and a broadcaster—The Athletic’s White Sox reporter James Fegan and Diamondbacks and MLB Network Radio host Mike Ferrin—about how they plan to tackle the unique challenges of covering the 2020 season, touching on how often they’ll be at the ballpark, how restricted access to players […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1556: Zero to Sixty Jun 27, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about statistical leaders and record-setters in a small-sample season, what would make winning a championship in a 60-game season more impressive, the odds of good teams missing the playoffs, bad teams making the playoffs, and teams having unrepresentative 60-game stretches, the possibility of losing a perfect game, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1555: Baseball Ambivalence Jun 25, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the long-in-the-making announcement about the MLB season starting, touching on the resolution of the dispute between the league and the union, their deeply conflicted feelings about baseball being played during a pandemic, the strangeness of a 60-game season, how to reframe fandom and reorient rooting interests in a short […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1554: Baseball Reacts to the Killing of George Floyd Jun 23, 2020

Meg Rowley is joined by the New York Daily News’ Bradford William Davis and Baseball Prospectus’ Shakeia Taylor to discuss Major League Baseball’s response to the police killing of George Floyd and the recent Black Lives Matter protests, why the league’s statements have been so wanting, whether teams have a role to play — both […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1553: The Greed to Disagree Jun 20, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review the latest lack of progress toward starting the MLB season, touching on the false hope offered by a meeting between Rob Manfred and Tony Clark, the subsequent breakdown in talks, a poll about where the public places blame for the standstill, what negotiations without leaks would look like, how […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1552: Confidence Interval Jun 17, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss Rob Manfred’s rapid flip-flop from expressing 100 percent confidence about an MLB season starting to expressing a lack of confidence in an MLB season starting, his ultimatum to the union, how Manfred has floundered at a pivotal time and how that failure effects his future, how some owners’ reluctance […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1551: The 1998 Home Run Race Revisited Jun 15, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller interview AJ Shnack, the director of ESPN’s new 30 for 30 documentary about the 1998 home run race, Long Gone Summer, touching on the involvement of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, how AJ structured the story, which slugger was the star of the race, the myth that the home run […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1550: Make Me Your Worst Offer Jun 12, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the continued standstill over starting the season, MLB’s series of superficially different, substantively identical, and equally unproductive proposals, public perceptions of the owners’ and players’ positions, the difference between a 50-game season and an 80-game season, and how the “negotiations” seem destined to end, plus a Stat Blast […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1549: The Burdens of Being Black in Baseball Jun 09, 2020

Ben Lindbergh talks to Braves outfield prospect Trey Harris about how he’s processed the murder of George Floyd and learned from the ongoing protests, how race and racism have affected his life and career, the additional barriers black players face, how he’s tried to talk to teammates, coaches, and friends about systemic racism and recent […]

Effectively Wild Programming Note Jun 05, 2020

Ben briefly explains this week’s podcast hiatus. Link to Joon Lee on players’ statements Link to Marc Carig on MLB’s response Link to Bradford William Davis on team and league statements Link to Randy Wilkins on MLB’s statement Link to Doug Glanville and other ex-players on race and baseball Link to Shakeia Taylor on civil […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1548: MLB’s Blown Save May 30, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the results of a survey of sports fans about fake crowd noise on telecasts, then discuss a difficult, frustrating week for baseball, touching on ownership overreach and intransigence, widespread releases of minor league players, teams and players that have made more commendable choices, baseball’s lost opportunity to lead, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1547: The Hitless King May 28, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about MLB’s ongoing labor negotiations, the team-to-team differences in minor-league pay and front-office furloughs, and the perils of believing that baseball is purely for profit, follow up on the previous episode’s discussions of Carney Lansford’s claim to be a descendant of Sir Francis Drake and a forward-thinking 1989 Cy […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1546: Best of the Best May 26, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about viral particles, Mike Trout’s self-identified best at-bat, Carney Lansford’s possible link to Sir Francis Drake, sports card “breakers,” a perplexing story involving Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner, Wilbert Robinson’s five birthdays, why a love of playing baseball often translates to a love of anything connected to baseball, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1545: Boogie Mornings May 23, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a mystifying comment on the back of track star and Oakland A’s designated runner Herb Washington’s 1975 Topps card, the phenomenon of wildly inaccurate appraisals of player value, and the utility of pinch-running specialists. Then (21:48) they talk to ESPN broadcaster Jon “Boog” Sciambi about calling KBO games […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1544: The Baseball Butterfly Effect May 21, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the reliability of betting on baseball using the Grays Sports Almanac from Back to the Future Part II, then answer listener emails about a baseball broadcaster reality show, awarding bonuses for success in specific batter-pitcher matchups, and whether there’s any way to make pitchers into less terrible hitters, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1543: The Best Baseball Spectator Experiences May 19, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s proposed in-game distancing measures and what degree of difference from the norm would prevent the game from still looking like baseball, then draft and discuss their favorite highly specific ways in which to follow a baseball game, whether in person or from afar. Audio intro: Sloan, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1542: The Players’ PR Handicap May 16, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the announcement of a second Astros sign-stealing documentary and what they would want out of a sign-stealing docuseries, the ongoing negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA about starting the season, the public perception problems the players face, the way the media has covered the financial component of the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1541: Taken Out of Context May 14, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the difficulty of interpreting the context of old articles about baseball and a man obsessed with smashing certain plate glass windows, then answer listener emails about what qualifies as hitting a ball out of the ballpark and eliminating force outs, plus Stat Blasts about the all-time defensive indifference […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1540: Don’t Leave it All on the Field May 12, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about an anecdote in David Halberstam’s book The Teammates about prescient Cardinals pitcher Harry Brecheen, the uproar when players were first prevented from leaving their gloves on the field, and the 20th anniversary of Glenallen Hill’s rooftop home run, then revisit Michael Jordan’s motivations for playing baseball and discuss […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1539: It’s Not the Destination, it’s the Journeyman May 09, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about an aggressive umpiring demotion in the KBO, FanGraphs adding KBO stats, and the pleasures of falling asleep with baseball on in the background. Then (16:30) they talk to former lefty pitcher Andy Van Hekken, who pitched professionally for 21 seasons across nine countries, about being one of the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1538: KBOpening Day May 08, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about KBO season excitement and answer listener emails about MLB precedents for Warwick Saupold’s KBO complete game, whether MLB fandom would work if teams didn’t play games in their “home” cities, the ethics of time travel in Tommy John surgery rehab and if and when it makes sense to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1537: Our Hall of Fame Fives May 05, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about fear of criticism, Eddie Murphy vs. Eddie Murray, and dreams, then take turns building the best imaginary Hall of Fame exhibits they can by picking five baseball items from their lifetimes for Cooperstown preservation, drafting one artifact apiece from each of five categories. Audio intro: Death Cab […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1536: Three Days at the Ballpark May 01, 2020

Facing the prospect of a season without fans in the stands, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley console themselves and fight baseball withdrawal by revisiting classic accounts of going to games. The authors of three revered books based on single games—Arnold Hano, the author of A Day in the Bleachers (1955), Dan Okrent, the author of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1535: Leave Me Out, Coach Apr 30, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and senior writer for The Athletic Andy McCullough banter about the people they would be (or have been) most nervous about interviewing and two new noteworthy articles, then discuss Andy’s and Rustin Dodd’s highly controversial ranking of the 30 greatest baseball songs of all time, the dispute about John Fogerty’s “Centerfield,” […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1534: The Stay-at-Home Run Derby Apr 28, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Johnny Vander Meer’s ear boils and the surprisingly ancient origins of the phrase, “A walk is as good as a hit,” then answer listener emails about why some players prove to be flashes in the pan, whether a home run derby would work under current conditions, whether the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1533: It’s Baseball O’Clock Somewhere Apr 25, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about beverage consumption, foreign baseball leagues’ potential for popularity in the U.S., and the life and death of legendary flamethrower Steve Dalkowski, who passed away this week. Then they talk to Rob Liu of CPBLStats.com (25:48) and Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net (58:22) about two leagues that have beaten MLB […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1532: Dirty Watkins Apr 23, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the results of MLB’s investigation into Boston Red Sox sign stealing, touching on Boston’s lighter penalties and seemingly lesser offenses compared to the Astros’, whether Boston’s front office and coaches deserved to be absolved, the moral hazard of the advance scout who doubles as a replay-room operator, and more. […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1531: His Double-Airness Apr 21, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Effectively Wild community’s least-disliked MLB teams and two unjust Cy Young/MVP snubs, then discuss what Michael Jordan’s brief baseball career taught us about Jordan and about baseball. Audio intro: Willie Nelson, "Why Do I Have to Choose" Audio outro: Emmylou Harris, "Jordan" Link to EW MLB Survivor game recap […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1530: That’s Why They Play the Games Apr 20, 2020

With MLB in limbo, Ben Lindbergh investigates virtual baseball, talking to the designers of three new baseball video games—Ramone Russell of Sony San Diego, makers of MLB The Show 20, Markus Heinsohn of Out of the Park Developments, makers of Out of the Park Baseball 21 (37:56), and Scott Drader of Metalhead Software, makers of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1529: Presenting Future Value Apr 18, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley speak to FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel about their new book, Future Value: The Battle for Baseball’s Soul and How Teams Will Find the Next Superstar, touching on topics including the best kinds of scouting stories, how technology and data have confirmed or overturned traditional scouting beliefs, how […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1528: The Talented Mr. Henry Apr 16, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the strange story of a man named Bill Henry who impersonated former major league reliever Bill Henry for decades, then answer listener emails about seasons with an ERA+ or OPS+ of 420, teams from the past that they would most want to cover as time-traveling beat writers, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1527: The Only Rule Revisited Apr 14, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about how runs, hits, and errors became baseball’s standard scoreboard stats and the piecemeal way in which baseball evolves, then reminisce about and reevaluate the 2015 experiment that led to their 2016 book about running the independent league Sonoma Stompers, The Only Rule Is It Has to Work: Our […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1526: The Season of Uncertainty Apr 11, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about new options for supporting FanGraphs and a potential plan to play the 2020 season with a radically realigned league structure, then talk to FanGraphs writer and ZiPS projection system proprietor Dan Szymborski about how a shortened or canceled season would affect projections for 2021, whether players would exceed […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1525: Hey All You Cool Sacks and Chickens Apr 09, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a possible banter shortage, a mysterious sack of flour from 1971, the kinds of baseball stories being published in the absence of baseball, the greatness (and eye-popping pitcher usage) of the 2001 World Series, the October travails of Charlie Leibrandt, and how MLB should approach planning for the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1524: Let’s Read Two Apr 07, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller split up to talk to the authors of two new baseball books. First, Sam speaks to Sports Stories newsletter author Eric Nusbaum about Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between. Then (33:18) Ben brings on Wall Street Journal national baseball writer Jared Diamond to discuss […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1523: Do Try This at Home Apr 03, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the response to FanGraphs’ request for financial support, discuss the latest news about minor league pay, Tommy John surgeries, college eligibility, the possibility of baseball coming back, Astros suspensions, and the suspiciously lively ball, and unveil a Stat Blast song cover and a Stat Blast about the longest […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1522: Booking It Apr 01, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Brad Balukjian, author of brand-new baseball book The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife, about the long road (figuratively and literally) that led to the book, how he decided to try to track down the players from an old pack of baseball cards, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1521: Managers (Used to) Do the Darndest Things Mar 31, 2020

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley begin by discussing the financial impact that the pandemic and the postponement of the baseball season have had on FanGraphs and requesting reader/listener assistance. Then Ben and Sam review some of the worst mistakes managers made in World Series games of the 1980s and mull over why managerial […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1520: Rough Draft Mar 28, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the benefits, uncertainties, and downsides of the deal between MLB and the MLBPA to sort out salary and service time in the event of a shortened or canceled season, whether and how a social distancing-approved version of baseball could be played while maintaining a six-foot minimum distance between […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1519: Fauxpening Day Mar 26, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about which types of old games they would want to rewatch, Noah Syndergaard’s Tommy John surgery, and how short is too short for a regular season, then answer listener emails about whether the 2020 title will be tainted by a shortened season, whether MLB should skip the regular season […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1518: The Field of Dreams Debate Mar 24, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller revisit Sam’s tradition of viewing the beloved and despised 1989 film Field of Dreams on the eve of Opening Day (or in this case, what would have been Opening Day) and examine how their perceptions of the movie have evolved, what makes Field of Dreams the most divisive baseball movie, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1517: Show Minor Leaguers the Money Mar 21, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about advice for working from home, Chris Sale’s Tommy John surgery, concerns about pitcher health in a shortened season, the possibility of playing more doubleheaders when baseball comes back, how late would be too late for the season to start, the overuse, injury, and treatment of pitcher Wes Ferrell, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1516: The Odds of an Odd Season Mar 18, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on a previous discussion of advance scouting’s contribution to Kirk Gibson’s legendary 1988 home run and banter about the strangeness of not having a date for Opening Day, then answer listener emails about how to get into baseball for the first time, how a shortened season could affect […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1515: The Waiting Game Mar 17, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about life during self-isolation and delayed media consumption and explore some of the long-considered and ultimately rejected article ideas in Sam’s tickler file, including Ken Griffey Jr.’s rap career, an undiscovered baseball star in Yosemite, an advance-scouting conspiracy theory, an unorthodox solution to extra-inning games, and a complaint about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1514: The Fictional Game Goes On Mar 13, 2020

In the absence of real baseball (and with plenty of solitary time on fans’ hands), Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley devote an episode to three new fictional depictions of baseball, speaking to novelist Emily Nemens (9:18), the author of spring training tale The Cactus League, novelist Gish Jen (36:56), the author of dystopian baseball saga […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1513: Opening Day Nonstarter Mar 13, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to MLB’s COVID-19-caused cancellation of the remainder of spring training and the postponement of Opening Day and discuss the disquieting week and the ramifications for the culture and the 2020 baseball season. Audio intro: Dan Bern, "Ballpark" Audio outro: Frank Sinatra, "I Get Along Without You Very Well" Link to MLB […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1512: Let’s Predict This Decade Mar 11, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Padres outfield un-fun facts, then discuss MLB’s $1 million “The Vault” competition to predict several statistical leaders of the 2020s, producing their picks in each category, reviewing how hard it would have been to pick the winners of the 2010s, and ruminating on the nature of baseball predictions […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1511: Season Preview Series: Twins and Pirates Mar 09, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Mike Trout’s career spring training stats, then preview the 2020 Minnesota Twins (9:01) with the The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman, and the 2020 Pittsburgh Pirates (46:33) with The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey, plus a conversation between Ben and Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller (1:19:30) about Keller’s historically unlucky debut MLB […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1510: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Giants Mar 06, 2020

Meg Rowley and Sam Miller briefly banter about the state of Chris Sale’s arm and appreciating one’s friends when they are on vacation, then preview the 2020 Boston Red Sox (4:40) with the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, and the 2020 San Francisco Giants (38:40) with The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee. Audio intro: David Bowie, “Under Pressure” Audio interstitial […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1509: To All Hosts Other Than Ben Lindbergh Mar 05, 2020

With Ben Lindbergh on vacation, Meg Rowley and Sam Miller answer a few very special listener emails on Shohei Ohtani, what they want to know about the 2020 season (complete with a twist), and how we treat umpires. Plus, a Statblast! Audio intro: The Police, “Message In A Bottle” Audio outro: Letters to Cleo, “Cruel to be […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1508: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Royals Mar 02, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Twins reliever Zack Littell’s powerful affinity for cruise ships and bidding for baseballs from a baseball movie, then preview the 2020 Washington Nationals (12:39) with the Washington Post’s Sam Fortier, and the 2020 Kansas City Royals (40:26) with The Athletic’s Alec Lewis. Audio intro: Frankie Ford, "Sea Cruise" Audio interstitial […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1507: Season Preview Series: Mets and Blue Jays Feb 28, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about passing the halfway point of the season preview series, Zach Eflin’s spring training feedback on a possibly less lively baseball, the effect of sign stealing on the average time between pitches, a recent rash of spring pitcher injuries, and the incredible career trajectory of former Phillies GM Ruben […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1506: Season Preview Series: Athletics and Rockies Feb 26, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Astros confiscating signs at spring training and Madison Bumgarner’s rodeo alter ego, Mason Saunders, then preview the 2020 Athletics (13:58) with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser, and the 2020 Rockies (39:47) with The Athletic’s Nick Groke, plus a postscript on the implications of Luis Severino’s season-ending […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1505: Sign Stealing is a Flat Circle Feb 24, 2020

In a special narrative episode of Effectively Wild, Ben Lindbergh traces the parallels between baseball’s latest sign-stealing crisis and an almost 60-year-old sign-stealing scandal that caused a comparable upheaval in the sport, drawing on archival clips, contemporary music, and interviews with author Paul Dickson and former major leaguers Eddie Robinson, Al Worthington, and Jay Hook […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1504: Suing the Sign Stealers Feb 22, 2020

Will we see baseball’s sign stealers in court, or will attempts to take legal action be a suing and a miss? In a bonus episode of EW, Ben Lindbergh talks to sports-law expert Nathaniel Grow about the viability of and precedents for several lawsuits related to MLB’s ongoing sign-stealing scandal, as well as another case […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1503: Season Preview Series: Indians and Rangers Feb 22, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the AL/NL distribution of the season preview pods so far and a few notable numbers from the newly published FanGraphs playoff odds, then preview the 2020 Indians (8:11) with Sports Illustrated’s T.J. Zuppe, and the 2020 Rangers (38:55) with The Athletic’s Levi Weaver. Audio intro: Della Mae, "The Odds […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1502: Running Interference Feb 20, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about walk-off balks, a Zack Greinke oral history, and how teams will use the new 26th roster spot, break down the responses to a Jayson Stark survey of baseball insiders about the winter and upcoming season, and answer listener emails about players’ outspoken criticisms of the Astros’ sign-stealing and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1501: Season Preview Series: Braves and Phillies Feb 17, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest developments in the escalating player war of words over the Astros sign-stealing scandal, José Altuve‘s alleged unfinished tattoo, Rob Manfred’s roundly criticized comments, Shohei Ohtani’s new driver’s license, and a modest pay hike for minor leaguers. Then they preview the 2020 Braves (34:29) with From the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1500: Even More Things We Like About Baseball Feb 15, 2020

In the third incarnation of a time-honored tradition that recurs every 500-ish episodes, Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley are joined by The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee and ex-EW cohost (and current Tampa Bay Rays “Analyst, Baseball Development”) Jeff Sullivan to draft assorted things that they like about baseball. Audio intro: Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1499: Season Preview Series: Angels and Cardinals Feb 14, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about why the Astros sign-stealing scandal won’t go away, and the reception to the team’s first attempts to apologize. Then they preview the 2020 Angels (28:13) with The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, and the 2020 Cardinals (1:03:49) with MLB.com’s Will Leitch. Lastly (1:37:15), Ben talks to FanGraphs’ Craig Edwards about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1498: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Diamondbacks Feb 10, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the remade Mookie Betts trade, the latest revelations about the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal (including “Codebreaker” and “the dark arts”), and the Mets’ failed sale to hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen. Then they preview the 2020 Cubs (46:13) with The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma, and the 2020 Diamondbacks (1:20:08) with […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1497: Season Preview Series: Padres and White Sox Feb 07, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about probability, the baseball significance of a Super Bowl comeback, and whether win expectancy stats are more useful for fans during or after a game (featuring a cameo from Meg Rowley, who sort of settles the debate). Then Ben and Sam preview the 2020 Padres with MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1496: The Mookie Betts Breakdown Feb 05, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the three-team Mookie Betts blockbuster, analyzing the historic strangeness of a player as good and young as Mookie being moved, what it means for the Red Sox and Dodgers competitively and financially, how Red Sox fans must feel about Betts (and David Price) being traded, why the Red […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1495: Season Preview Series: Reds and Brewers Feb 03, 2020

In the first installment of the eighth annual Effectively Wild season preview series, Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller preview the 2020 Reds with The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans, and the 2020 Brewers (40:26) with The Athletic’s Derek VanRiper. Audio intro: Dispatch, "Begin Again" Audio interstitial: The Decemberists, "A Beginning Song" Audio outro: Imperial Teen, "The Beginning" Link to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1494: Listen to What the Bang Said Jan 31, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap and consider the implications of the latest and greatest analyses of the Astros’ banging scheme, which appear to show that the team’s cheating didn’t increase its offensive production in the aggregate. Then (20:08) they talk to the man who made that research possible, longtime Astros fan Tony Adams, about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1493: Getting Dusty in Here Jan 30, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the “vibrathrob” episode, the Astros hiring Dusty Baker, Kris Bryant reportedly losing his service-time grievance, and Delmon Young raking in Australia, then answer listener emails about a disrespectful intro for Isiah Kiner-Falefa, teams patenting tactics, and the enduring legacy of Carlos Beltrán’s NLCS-ending strikeout, plus Stat Blasts about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1492: The Hidden Hall of Famer Jan 28, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about umpire crew chiefs getting microphones for the 2020 season, the Reds signing Nick Castellanos and the small gaps between the top four teams in the NL Central, the Diamondbacks trading for Starling Marte and whether the Dodgers can be beaten in the NL West, and MLB getting sued […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1491: The Baseball Ombudsperson Jan 24, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mitch Haniger’s excruciating-sounding injuries, how Mariners fans may feel about the Braves signing Félix Hernández, the winter of Nolan Arenado’s discontent, where the Rockies went wrong, the oddness of being a baseball player, why Scott Boras believes Astros players shouldn’t apologize for stealing signs (and why he’s wrong), […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1490: Yeah Jeets Jan 23, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller do a brief, spoiler-free followup on their Knives Out banter from the previous episode, then break down the elections of Derek Jeter and Larry Walker to the Hall of Fame, touching on the contrast between their voting trajectories, how and why Walker made it, the lone Jeter ballot holdout, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1489: Let’s Create an Award Jan 21, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the symbolism of the baseball in Knives Out (beware of slight spoilers from 4:17 to 10:32), follow up on a few reader suggestions about outside hires who could clean up the Astros, and discuss the latest developments in the sign-stealing scandal, then try to invent a new end-of-season […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1488: Wrinkle, Wrinkle, Little Star Jan 18, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller review a wild, rumor-filled Thursday in baseball, touching on Jessica Mendoza’s comments about Mike Fiers, the end of Carlos Beltrán’s brief tenure as Mets manager, the Mets’ handling of his exit, the saga of not-Beltrán’s-niece, Twitter detectives following alleged leads about buzzers, Alex Bregman, and José Altuve, how efforts to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1487: We Remembered Some Guys Jan 15, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Red Sox firing Alex Cora, the Twins signing Josh Donaldson, an uptick in online player pettiness, fans taunting the visiting Astros, and a baseball-themed Jeopardy! clue. Then (22:30) Ben and Sam Miller banter about baseball fandom as a form of family bonding and the appeal of Remembering […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1486: MLB Bangs the Gavel Jan 14, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s report about the findings of the league’s investigation into the Astros’ sign-stealing activities and the firings of Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch, touching on the appropriateness of the punishments, the new details revealed in the report, where the report fell short, why players weren’t suspended, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1485: Block Bluster Jan 11, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about 2019’s non-playoff teams actually being the big buyers this winter, the six-player Rays-Cardinals trade involving Matthew Liberatore and José Martínez, working with friends, and the Mariners not making trades, then answer emails about what constitutes a blockbuster trade, the worst go-for-it trades, and whether it’s better for the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1484: Degrees of Sign-Stealing Sin Jan 10, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the latest revelations about Red Sox sign-stealing, MLB’s impending punishment of the Astros, and long-term sign-stealing solutions, then answer listener emails about banning executives, the offseason coverage of the Cubs and White Sox and what it means to win the winter, why bench players aren’t displayed in box […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1483: Baseball in the 2020s Jan 07, 2020

Ben Lindbergh and a slightly light-headed Sam Miller banter about baseball and vomit and 2019 World Series Game 7 losing pitcher Will Harris signing with the Nationals, then attempt to predict what baseball will look like in the 2020s, touching on the most celebrated retirements, how high the strikeout rate will rise, how many games […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1482: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Diversity and Inclusion) Jan 03, 2020

In the final (for now) installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to sabermetric pioneer Sherri Nichols about her trailblazing work in baseball analysis and then data scientist and sports entrepreneur Tiffany Kelly (41:02) about her experience in the sports analytics […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1481: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (NASCAR and Cycling) Jan 02, 2020

In the sixth installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to Motorsports Analytics founder and The Athletic writer David Smith about NASCAR and then former Garmin-Sharp and Team Sky analyst Robby Ketchell about cycling (47:48), touching on the origins of sabermetrics-style […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1480: What We’ll Remember About Baseball in 2019 Dec 31, 2019

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about Kohl Stewart signing with the Orioles, another convoluted Scott Boras quote, and a few of the things Sam learned in 2019 (including Candlestick Park’s “Cardiac Hill,” the sound of Hideki Matsui’s swing, and the disturbing story of “Toothpick” Sam Jones), then discuss what the most defining/enduring […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1479: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Esports and Volleyball) Dec 30, 2019

In the fifth installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to ESports One Head of Esports Data Science Tim Sevenhuysen about esports and then Volleymetrics founder Giuseppe Vinci about volleyball (43:25), touching on the origins of sabermetrics-style analysis in each sport, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1478: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Soccer and Rugby) Dec 29, 2019

In the fourth installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to StatsBomb managing editor Mike L. Goodman about soccer and then professor and soccer/rugby analyst Dr. Bill Gerrard about rugby (27:20), touching on the origins of sabermetrics-style analysis in each sport, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1477: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Tennis and Golf) Dec 28, 2019

In the third installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to Tennis Abstract founder Jeff Sackmann about tennis and then Every Shot Counts author Mark Broadie about golf (39:17), touching on the origins of sabermetrics-style analysis in each sport, the major […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1476: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Hockey and Cricket) Dec 27, 2019

In the second installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to Evolving-Hockey.com’s Josh and Luke Younggren about hockey and then writer, commentator, and team analyst Jarrod Kimber about cricket (57:13), touching on the origins of sabermetrics-style analysis in each sport, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1475: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Football and Basketball) Dec 26, 2019

In the first installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell about football (the American kind) and then ESPN’s Kevin Pelton about basketball (48:43), touching on the origins of sabermetrics-style analysis in each sport, the major challenges, big […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1474: The 2020 Minor League Free Agent Draft Dec 24, 2019

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley discuss the signings of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel, the Blue Jays’ historic 2019 rotation, the depleted pitching market, MLB’s rising revenue and the continued strength of spending on free agents, Jake Odorizzi and the qualifying offer, Nick Senzel’s switch to Scott Boras, and Rich Hill’s arrest(!), then […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1473: The Stories We Missed in 2019 (Part 3) Dec 20, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether this year’s good free agents have actually gone to an unusual selection of teams and whether they believe in Wade Miley’s supposed pitch-tipping, and then, in the third and final installment of a three-part series, discuss stories that they overlooked about 10 more teams in 2019, touching […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1472: The Stories We Missed in 2019 (Part 2) Dec 19, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Scott Boras’s mystifying goose metaphor and then, in the second installment of a three-part series, discuss stories that they overlooked about 10 more teams in 2019, touching on a Fernando Tatis Jr. fun fact and BABIP extremes, Ian Kinsler cursing, JD Hammer, Scott Kingery, and a Phillie Phanatic […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1471: The Stories We Missed in 2019 (Part 1) Dec 16, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Texas-Cleveland Corey Kluber trade, the Diamondbacks signing Madison Bumgarner, the fallout from both moves, and what Kluber and Bumgarner meant to their franchises, and then, in the first installment of a three-part series, discuss stories that they overlooked about 10 teams in 2019, touching on Mike Soroka, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1470: Baseball’s Busy Meetings Dec 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball’s busy week and the Giants and Marlins moving in their outfield fences, then discuss the Angels’ signing of Anthony Rendon, touching on Rendon’s greatness and similarity to Mike Trout, what the Angels still need to do to contend and their outlook for 2020, Shohei Ohtani’s probable workload, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1469: The Cole-Powered Yankees Dec 12, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller debate the merits of a possible Mike Trout fun fact, banter about Nomar Mazara and the evolving definition of “slugger,” discuss the record Gerrit Cole contract and its implications for the Yankees, the battle to be the best team in baseball, the Dodgers and Angels without Cole, baseball’s competitive balance, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1468: The Scott Boras Guessing Game Dec 10, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley link up during the Winter Meetings for a brief bonus episode in which Meg tries to stump Ben about genuine and fake media-scrum statements supposedly made by baseball superagent Scott Boras. Audio intro: Yo La Tengo, "If it’s True" Audio outro: Jethro Tull, "Sparrow on the Schoolyard Wall" Link to photo of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1467: Strasburg Back Dec 10, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on (o)possums playing dead, discuss the Nationals signing Stephen Strasburg to a record contract for a pitcher and the implications for the Nationals, Scott Boras, Anthony Rendon, and Gerrit Cole, banter about the possibility of Shohei Ohtani hitting on the days he pitches, the elections of Marvin Miller […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1466: Slapdick Podcast Dec 07, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about covering transactions past and present, the latest eye-catching comments by Scott Boras, the Tommy Pham trade and Blake Snell’s candid real-time reaction to it, and what the busy signing season so far augurs for the future of free agency and labor relations, then answer listener emails about players […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1465: Free Agency’s Second Wind Dec 05, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss a crowdsourced effort to help baseball writer Jen Ramos, then banter about hot stove terminology and why free-agent activity seems to be picking up, analyzing the implications of a busy non-tender deadline day and the expectations-exceeding signings of Drew Pomeranz, Mike Moustakas, Cole Hamels, Zack Wheeler, José Abreu, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1464: The New Hot Stove Survey Dec 02, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter anew about José Abreu’s perplexing RBI total, then predict and discuss the answers in the sequel to “the Crasnicks,” a survey of front-office executives on hot-button offseason questions conducted by ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. Along the way, they touch on the four-player Padres-Brewers trade involving Luis Urías and Trent Grisham, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1463: The Hall of Fame’s 2020 Hindsight Nov 27, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the artifacts from the 2019 season that will be preserved by the Hall of Fame, and then (32:25) Ben talks to FanGraphs’ Jay Jaffe about the 2020 Hall of Fame induction cycle, including the shrinking of the ballot backlog, first-timers Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu, whether Jeter will […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1462: Bring Back Little Blowhard Nov 26, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Charlie Finley’s dual “innovations,” Harvey and Little Blowhard, then answer listener emails about Chris Davis and why some veteran players may be unwilling to change, whether Gerrit Cole could regress away from Houston, the purpose of punishing the Astros for sign-stealing and how many years of draft picks […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1461: Hot Stove Stirrings Nov 26, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about what the Padres’ 2017 Rule 5 trio is up to now, the Mariners’ aggressive Evan White extension, how teams would distribute their spending if every player (amateur or pro) were a free agent but spending were capped at a percentage of MLB revenue, the just-announced All-MLB Team, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1460: Live from New York, it’s Effectively Wild! Nov 22, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley host a FanGraphs Live! event and EW taping at Subculture in Manhattan, featuring three panels comprising seven guests: “Major League Update” (current events and New York baseball) with FanGraphs’ Jay Jaffe and The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler and Mark Carig; “Baseball By the Numbers” (sabermetrics and Statcast) with FanGraphs’ Craig Edwards […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1459: The History of Sign-Stealing Nov 20, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Paul Dickson, author of The Hidden Language of Baseball: How Signs and Sign-Stealing Have Influenced the Course of Our National Pastime, about, well, what the book’s subtitle says, including the origins of sign-sending, the earliest allegations of sign-stealing, historical precedents for the Astros’ sign-stealing scheme, the effects of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1458: The Overlooked League Leaders Nov 19, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about “sinister right-handers” and scientific songs, then discuss the latest revelations about the Astros sign-stealing saga before reviewing the overlooked accomplishments of some of 2019’s league leaders and discussing the role of bold ink in the era of sabermetric saturation. Audio intro: Liam Gallagher, "Bold" Audio outro: Sloan, "Follow the Leader" […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1457: The Sign-Stealing Spiral Nov 16, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the first stirrings on the free-agent market, the latest developments in the Astros sign-stealing scandal, where MLB investigation’s might lead, what the appropriate punishments would be, the psychology of sign-stealing, whether pitchers should call pitches, fighting technology with technology, Mike Trout’s MVP award win, a fixable flaw in […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1456: Sign Language Nov 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the latest linguistic crimes by Scott Boras, then discuss the Astros sign-sealing scandal, touching on Mike Fiers’ role in the revelations, whether sign-stealing actually benefited the Astros, the immorality of sign-stealing, what the Astros’ punishment should be, the history of sign-stealing, whether the Astros sign-stealers acted alone, whether […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1455: The Fifth Free-Agent Contracts Draft Nov 12, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the baffling trade rumors swirling around Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor, and Kris Bryant, try to discern why they would be on the block, discuss how the likelihood of the top-rated team winning the World Series compares to the likelihood of the best team taking the title in other […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1454: Where Have You Gone, Mr. Robinson? Nov 09, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s return from vacation and Meg and Sam’s episodes in his absence, former Angels minor leaguer Mike Fish (not to be confused with Mike Trout), and a roundup of recent news, including Stephen Strasburg opting out, J.D. Martinez not opting out, Mookie Betts trade rumors, robot umps coming […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1453: Time Is on Our Side Nov 07, 2019

Sam Miller and Meg Rowley revisit a fast-moving 1916 afternoon tilt between the Asheville Tourists and the Winston-Salem Twins with some historic significance, and engage in an Effectively Wild experiment. Audio intro: Ben Gibbard and Feist “Train Song” Interstitial: Muddy Waters “Train Fare Home Blues” Audio outro: Oscar Peterson Trio “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be“ […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1452: Play It Again, Sam Nov 05, 2019

Meg Rowley and Sam Miller banter about Ben Lindbergh’s vacation-induced absence, an unusual umpire Wikipedia entry, and the acceptability of failure, before turning their attention to a few listener emails answered during the Jeff Sullivan era, including what would happen if Giancarlo Stanton only tried to hit home runs, how they would prefer to consume […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1451: A World Series Worth Waiting For Oct 31, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Nationals’ well-earned World Series victory, the Nationals players they’re happiest for, the a strange, all-road-wins series, the brilliance of Zack Greinke, the decisions of A.J. Hinch (including a bad bunt, pulling Greinke, using Will Harris, and not using Gerrit Cole), Max Scherzer’s high-wire act, the futures of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1450: Play Loud and Don’t Carry a Big Stick Oct 30, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a wild World Series Game 6, including a controversial interference call on Trea Turner, a strange conference call with New York, the ejection of Dave Martinez, the greatness of Stephen Strasburg, George Springer, Anthony Rendon, and Juan Soto, bat-carrying briefly becoming the new bat-flipping, a Max Scherzer sighting, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1449: The Nationals’ Lost Weekend Oct 29, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about audible umpires, Lance Barksdale’s ball/strike calls in World Series Game 5, the Nationals’ offensive outage in Games 3-5, Max Scherzer’s neck spasms, Dave Martinez’s moves, why the series has been somewhat unexciting, the Nationals’ and Astros’ outlooks going into Game 6, the Astros’ retraction of their statement about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1448: The 21-Soto Salute Oct 25, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the latest on the Astros and the benefits and limitations of front-office diversity, Rob Manfred’s new comments about the baseball, Kris Bryant’s grievance against the Cubs, umpire Rob Drake’s apology for a bad tweet, and Yu Darvish’s good tweets, then answer listener emails about Juan Soto’s age and clubhouse […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1447: The Astros Stay Losing Oct 24, 2019

After an update from Ben Lindbergh on the Astros’ firing of Brandon Taubman and inadequate apology, Ben and Sam Miller follow up on a discussion of postseason chase rate, talk more about Taubman, and break down the first two games of the World Series, focusing on what went right for the Nationals, what went wrong […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1446: How Not to Behave Oct 22, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about their playoff livestreams, the Yankees’ ALCS defeat, why pitchers are allowed to demand new baseballs, and pulling a catcher from the game when a team is leading, then discuss Sports Illustrated reporter Stephanie Apstein’s report about the post-ALCS behavior of Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman, the Astros’ response […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1445: CC Me Oct 19, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their upcoming live event, review ALCS Game 4, the Yankees’ precarious position, and the career and last appearance of CC Sabathia, then discuss the significance of MLB both allowing investment funds to take minority stakes in multiple clubs and proposing to downsize and reorganize the minor leagues before […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1444: Ball Don’t Lie Oct 17, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the Nationals’ sweep of the Cardinals, why the Nationals are good and fun, Stephen Strasburg and the history of no. 1 draft pick pitchers, Gerrit Cole’s performance in ALCS Game 3, how Wednesday’s rainout affects the Yankees and Astros, and the Angels’ opioid problem and hiring of Joe Maddon […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1443: Managing, Fast and Slow Oct 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller break down the latest ALCS and NLCS action, touching on the Cardinals’ offensive outage, Mike Shildt’s old-school managing, the Nationals’ pitching, the Astros’ purported pitch-tipping and sign-stealing, Aaron Boone’s quick hooks, and the de-juiced ball, plus a Stat Blast about this October’s anomalous bullpen usage. Audio intro: Neil Young, "Wolf Moon" […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1442: The Generous Tipper Oct 11, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s thoughts on Clayton Kershaw, Joe Kelly, and Dave Roberts, Tyler Glasnow’s pitch-tipping, Gerrit Cole’s strikeout streak, and the future of the Rays, the Astros-Yankees and Nationals-Cardinals championship series matchups, and whether it ever makes sense to predict a postseason sweep or a series lasting the maximum number […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1441: It Was the Kersh of Times Oct 11, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the wild NLDS Game 5 between the Dodgers and the Nationals and the wild (in a different way) NLDS Game 5 between the Braves and the Cardinals, touching on Clayton Kershaw’s blown lead and postseason career, what Dave Roberts was thinking and what’s next for him, the Nationals […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1440: October Oddities Oct 08, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s delayed postseason viewing schedule and five macro traits of the playoffs thus far (low batting averages with runners in scoring position, starters outperforming relievers, high pitch counts, the ball not carrying, and late-debuting postseason players), then analyze aspects of every ongoing and completed division series, including Mike […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1439: Keeping Pace With the Playoffs Oct 05, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss and reflect on the first two games of the Nationals-Dodgers and Braves-Cardinals NL division series and the first games of the Astros-Rays and Yankees-Twins AL division series, focusing on playoff win probabilities, the Nationals’ aggressive/desperate usage of Max Scherzer, the greatness of Stephen Strasburg, a perplexing but ultimately not […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1438: One and Done Oct 04, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the AL and NL wild card games (touching on Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Nick Anderson, Oliver Drake, Yandy Díaz, Avisaíl García, Josh Hader, Trent Grisham, and others), bid farewell to the Brewers and A’s, and analyze the Rays’ and Nationals’ division series prospects, then answer listener emails about the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1437: The Playoff Preview Pod Oct 01, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on banter about Mike Minor’s pop-up do-over and guaranteeing homers, revisit an earlier discussion about whether the 2019 regular season was good, and then preview the postseason, touching on every team in the playoff field, the difficulty of predicting playoff success, the most compelling matchups, the different ways […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1436: Reviewing the Regular Season Sep 27, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s mental preparations for Félix Hernández’s probable last start as a Mariner, the dubious appeal of playing spoiler, the biggest hits of the season according to Championship Win Probability Added, Rowdy Tellez delivering on a promised home run, what Meg loves about baseball, both hosts’ experiences in the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1435: What We Love About Baseball Sep 25, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the diminishing roles (and salaries) of MLB managers, then answer listener emails about whether it’s better for teams to be balanced than unbalanced and how to decide whether to upgrade on offense or defense, how consistently good a player has to be to make the Hall of Fame […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1434: The Cubs’ Lost Weekend Sep 23, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Cody Bellinger‘s and Keston Hiura’s home runs, the Cardinals’ climactic four-game sweep of the Cubs, the Brewers’ surge sans Christian Yelich, the rapid reversal in the NL Central playoff picture, Craig Kimbrel, Dallas Keuchel, and the narrative about players signed at midseason, what went wrong for Chicago and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1433: A Pitcher and Catcher Report Sep 20, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to two Atlantic League players with the Somerset Patriots, pitcher Rick Teasley and catcher Yovan Gonzalez, about the experimental rules being tested in the league this season as part of a partnership with MLB. They discuss how Rick and Yovan first heard about the new rules, how players have […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1432: The High-Pressure Promise Sep 18, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the return of Luis Severino and the Yankees’ prospective playoff roster, how teams will use their pitchers in the playoffs, a Sonny Gray fun fact that sort of checks out, Yu Darvish’s strikeout spree, and an extremely long September game, discuss the arrest of Felipe Vázquez, and answer […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1431: Curtains for Trout Sep 17, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Twins’ missed opportunity for a mid-plate-appearance pitching change, more mind-boggling home run facts about the year of the dinger, fun facts about the Diamondbacks and Jarrod Dyson, Guy Fieri endorsing Spencer Torkelson and which celebrity character references might make them draft a player higher, and how to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1430: To Win or Not to Win Sep 13, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Kyle Lewis’s debut, Rich Hill’s brief return, Daniel Palka’s second hit of the season, the Braves and Dallas Keuchel, and the Diamondbacks’ Brewers-style rebuild, then (18:13) talk to Will Leitch about what (if anything) Dave Dombrowski’s firing says about MLB teams’ competitive priorities, how the Cardinals (and Jack […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1429: Catch Me if You Can Sep 12, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the costs of Christian Yelich’s broken kneecap and other injuries disrupting pennant races and the Mets-centric personal-catcher controversy involving Noah Syndergaard, Wilson Ramos, and Tomás Nido. Then they answer listener emails about the mystery of Edwin Díaz (and the more minor mystery of Justin Verlander) and whether we’re […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1428: The Big Dombrowski Sep 09, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Michael Lorenzen, Shohei Ohtani, and two-way terminology, marvel at Eugenio Suárez and other surprises from the 2019 home run leaderboard, celebrate the AL wild card race, salute the improving A’s and Rays, and discuss teams that are reshaping their potential playoff rosters late in the regular season, respond […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1427: Most Valuable Podcast Sep 06, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s time in the mountains and subsequent September disorientation, attempt to divine the family dynamics of a Colin Moran vs. Brian Moran matchup, talk about the Twins pulling away in the AL Central race and the implications for Cleveland, and discuss the downsides of the annual debate about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1426: Fun or Foul Sep 05, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller debate whether a fact about Michael Lorenzen’s multi-way play is fun, banter about Nelson Cruz’s unflagging offense, technology and the future of the knuckleball, and an ignominious achievement by Billy Hamilton, then answer listener emails about the lack of four-homer games, what would happen if foul balls caught in the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1425: Just the Facts Sep 03, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Cardinals, the Nationals, and the NL’s increasingly interesting playoff races, the pluses and minuses of expanded September rosters, a caveat about time-traveling to see Mike Trout’s final game, and Justin Verlander’s third no-hitter and the role of health in determining pitchers’ careers, then discuss the significance of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1424: Dance With the Bat That Brought You Aug 30, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about GPS, resisting the urge to take the bait on bad takes, and the debate about access for broadcasters who double as team personnel, answer listener emails about not replacing broken bats, earning/working walks, and players with underutilized skills, and close with a discussion of Félix Hernández’s future and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1423: The Futures Game Aug 29, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether they would take a time machine into baseball’s future, Yu Darvish’s midseason makeover and ability to pick up new pitches, then answer listener emails about whether the warning track should be widened, players having the second halves of Hall of Fame careers, and a robot ump challenge […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1422: Tie Goes to the Robot Aug 27, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about what GPS directions have to do with analytics-averse managers, MLB’s black and white uniforms fiasco on Players Weekend, Sam’s takeaways from his trip to see a former podcast guest’s game in the Southern California Vintage Base Ball League, a philosophy professor’s quest to establish that the tie goes […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1421: A Game of Inches Aug 24, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about beer and the mercy rule, a 12-minute game finish at Fenway, whether baseball players have high job satisfaction, compelling playoff races and especially lucky and unlucky contending teams, robot ump implications (including measuring player heights, determining the shape of the zone, and preserving receivers’ sense of self-worth), and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1420: Have Mercy Aug 21, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and the most compelling playoff races remaining, introduce the new Effectively Wild listener email archive, then answer emails about whether a team in a three-team race suffers or benefits when its opponents play each other, whether home runs hit off of position players should […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1419: Benetti’s Booth Aug 20, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller bring on White Sox play-by-play broadcaster Jason Benetti to banter about sharing the broadcast booth with Bill Walton, Mike Schur, and Mike O’Brien over the weekend and what the success of the experiment says about the future of broadcasting. Then Ben and Sam mull a one-of-a-kind dropped third strike on […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1418: Clutch, Clayton, Mickey, and More Aug 17, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Bryce Harper’s clutchness and how he’s perceived by fans, Clayton Kershaw’s resurgence, and Mickey Callaway’s comments about analytics, then answer listener emails about the same player batting twice and playing two positions, whether Byron Buxton’s defense has hidden value, career WAR vs. career counting stats, whether players could […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1417: Defining Fun Facts Aug 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about how Gleyber Torres’s ownership of the Orioles and Aristides Aquino’s home-run spree are emblematic of 2019, fun facts about players’ accomplishments in their first X games, home-run fun facts and the juiced ball, Juan Soto vs. Ronald Acuña, Jr., two recent Scott Boras quotes, the Dodgers’ near-record extra-base-hits […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1416: Live at Saber Seminar (for the Third Time) Aug 12, 2019

In the third episode of Effectively Wild recorded live at Saber Seminar in Boston, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to Boston Globe sportswriter Alex Speier, author of the new book Homegrown: How the Red Sox Built a Champion From the Ground Up, about Boston’s championship core, the twists and turns of player development, why […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1415: You Can’t Predict Baseball Aug 10, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Bo Bichette fun facts vs. Travis Demeritte fun facts, Javier Báez batting left-handed against a position player and why the shift appears to be exempt from unwritten rules, and umpire perfect games, then (30:46) talk to The Athletic’s New York Yankees beat writer Lindsey Adler about how to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1414: Follow the Leader Aug 08, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Mike Trout’s 28th birthday, the stats he’s led the league in, and the stats he still might lead the league in for the first time, the Mets’ recent hot streak and the way in which their season has been both tumultuous and predictable, Max Muncy and a cycle/walk-off […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1413: The Bullpen Jeep Aug 05, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the non-running Royals and Terrance Gore, the Diamondbacks’ stolen-base success rate and Zack Godley’s disastrous season, the Phillies’ roster crunch, Sam’s recurring nightmare, a Roman Quinn fun fact, and the outfield exploits of Vince Velasquez, whether the 40-man roster should be bigger, what Velasquez has in common with […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1412: Everything is Invented Aug 02, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about FanGraphs’ completist coverage of the frantic trade deadline, the backlash to a perceived lack of activity at the deadline and whether the deadline was really a manifestation of baseball’s structural problems, the appropriate balance between trying to win now and trying to win later, what we can learn […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1411: The Trade Deadline Roundup Aug 01, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about bigger bases in the Atlantic League, then recap and dissect the trade deadline, focusing on why the market took so long to develop, the significance of multiple teams both buying and selling, why some top contenders didn’t do much, what a wild card is worth, the Trevor Bauer […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1410: Ballpark Figures Jul 30, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Gerrit Cole strikeout fun fact, listed heights and weights and Ketel Marte, running the bases clockwise, and a Ramon Laureano postgame comment, then answer listener emails about come-from-behind (and comeback) victories, whether the 2015 season was good or bad for Bryce Harper (and how players’ success is […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1409: Appointment Podcasting Jul 27, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on the feedback to the preceding “best players of the decade” episode and minimum innings vs. three-pitch innings, then banter about Mike Trout‘s new-and-improved throwing arm (and Ross Stripling’s new-and-improved ability to retire Mike Trout), trade-deadline procrastination, the Giants’ and Mets’ outlooks, the future of Noah Syndergaard, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1408: The Best Players of the Decade Jul 24, 2019

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about “minimum innings,” striking out the side, and an anecdote about Barry Larkin bunting, then spend the rest of the episode answering a listener request to name the five best hitters and five best pitchers of the decade—but to make matters more interesting, they do so without […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1407: How Much is That Wild Card in the Window? Jul 23, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a bat in front of home plate that deflected a ball, the José Ramírez resurgence, the base stealer in a Statcast ad, an Andrelton Simmons shift that wasn’t, the Atlantic League, a viral Oliver Drake pitch, and a misguided (and unguided) bunt by Fernando Tatís, Jr., then discuss […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1406: Taking a Stand Jul 20, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the podcast’s seventh birthday, the end of an impressive streak by the Twins, what to think of Aaron Boone‘s tirade against rookie umpire Brennan Miller (and Brett Gardner’s odd dugout anger), Mike Trout and the FanGraphs Trade Value series, an Atlantic League player revolt, and five trends taking […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1405: The Rookie Mistake Jul 17, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s visit to Cleveland, the Giants’ perplexing situation heading into the trade deadline, Edwin Jackson’s next destination, and the approaching addition of ads to MLB jerseys. Then they answer listener emails about whether Mike Trout’s popularity among stat-savvy fans stems from his lack of playoff appearances, the “strikeout […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1404: Do the Hustle Jul 15, 2019

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and professional player (and former Sonoma Stompers coach, catcher, and first baseman) Tommy Lyons discuss the different types of hustle in baseball, deciding what level of hustle is acceptable in a variety of situations and examining how the fan perspective on hustle differs from the player perspective on hustle, plus a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1403: Bullhorse and Horsecrock Jul 12, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Ball Four and Jim Bouton, Million Dollar Coin Flip, Christian Yelich’s pursuit of the first 50-30 season and which combination of power and speed would be most impressive, a baseball scene on Cheers, how the MLB All-Star Game differs from other sports’ all-star games, Bubba Starling and the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1402: Justin Time Jul 11, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, Justin Verlander’s and Rob Manfred’s comments about the juiced ball, the recent rapid turnover among elite hitters, and an instance of premature celebration featuring Fernando Rodney, then answer listener emails about Verlander’s on-pace-to-be-historic strand rate, whether we should have recognized […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1401: The Premature Celebration Jul 08, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Colin Poche, the “Is This Guy Good?” game for relievers, Mike Trout entering the All-Star break as baseball’s best hitter and player, whether Trout could ever have his number retired league-wide, the rate at which Trout is surpassing Hall of Famers in WAR, an old discussion about Derek […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1400: Bud Selig Speaks Jul 05, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Sam Malone maligning the Mariners, the unlikely career of pinch-hitter extraordinaire Mark Sweeney, the joys of watching Fernando Tatis, Jr., Bryce Harper’s Amazon store, and the definition of “MLB legend.” Then (29:43) Ben talks to Hall of Famer Bud Selig, Commissioner Emeritus and author of the new memoir […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1399: The Longest Leader Jul 03, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the passing of Tyler Skaggs. Then (9:57) Ben and Sam Miller banter about whether it’s better for a team to be in a division with a few good teams or a division with one great team and a few bad teams and answer listener emails about whether baseball […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1398: What MLB Looked Like in London Jul 01, 2019

In a bonus episode about the London Series, Ben Lindbergh talks to Darius Austin and Russell Eassom, writers and podcasters for the UK baseball site Bat Flips and Nerds, about their experiences at both Yankees-Red Sox games, why they think there was so much scoring, whether that brand of baseball was a good advertisement for […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1397: Stripling Explains it All Jul 01, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Ross Stripling, Los Angeles Dodgers starter and host of The Big Swing, about why he started and enjoys doing a podcast, how Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman influenced his pitching style, how he uses data to prepare for opponents, and how he feels about pitching in […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1396: Stars and Chubs Jun 29, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Twitter commotion caused by the Pioneer League’s Grand Junction Rockies (who are definitely not named the Humpback Chubs), an Angels outfield sign and Mike Trout, the curious rise and fall of Yonder Alonso, the promotion of Rays rookie (and two-way player) Brendan McKay, the upcoming FanGraphs All-Star […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1395: Trade Dreams and Low Seams Jun 27, 2019

In a bonus episode, Ben Lindbergh banters with FanGraphs writer Craig Edwards about Craig’s explanation for the struggles of José Ramírez, and then (11:15) Ben and Craig talk to John Bitzer, founder and editor of the new site Baseball Trade Values, about designing the trade-simulation site, the challenges of valuing players and constructing fair baseball […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1394: Hard Cora Jun 27, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether the Red Sox pulling a pitcher in the middle of a plate appearance was an instance of “Strategy,” share a Stat Blast about whether the platoon advantage is more pronounced early or late in plate appearances, and discuss a pitch-framing flare-up between Tyler Flowers and Willson Contreras, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1393: Wobbles and Squabbles Jun 25, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Albert Pujols’ touching return to St. Louis, the Dodgers’ deceptive Will Smith walk-off and the reason for the proportional increase in non-pulled home runs, Commissioner Manfred’s latest comments about the ball and dingers, Newsday beat writer Tim Healey’s clubhouse confrontation with Jason Vargas and Mets manager Mickey Callaway, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1392: All the Phils Jun 21, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Ellen Adair banter about Ellen’s acting career and baseball background, the causes of (and possible solutions to) the Phillies’ post-McCutchen slump, what the (extremely far-fetched) idea of the Rays splitting time between Tampa Bay and Montreal might look like in practice, Ellen’s script for a baseball series, and her solution […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1391: Down Goes Frazier Jun 20, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller review Sam’s latest observations on Jeff Sullivan-era EW episodes, including musings on Ketel Marte, the worst team draft of all time, and Johnnie LeMaster, then banter about Shohei Ohtani’s tools, Todd Frazier’s wild swings, Max Scherzer’s nose-breaking bunting practice, and Mickey Callaway’s odd pitching-change justification. They also answer listener emails […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1390: Baseball’s Biggest Mystery Jun 17, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Yankees acquiring Edwin Encarnacion and some surprising names near the top of the MLB home-run leaderboard, Kenley Jansen’s intentional balk, and a fun fact starring Hyun-Jin Ryu, then reckon with some of the most perplexing player seasons of 2019, focusing on the enigma that is the boom-and-bust […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1389: Too Good to Be Two Jun 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Shohei Ohtani’s hot streak and future as a two-way player, Sam’s decision to listen to all of the Jeff-era EW episodes and his reactions to a few topics from the final few (including a description of Stan Musial’s retirement tour), and two research papers about pitchers’ perceived effort […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1388: Rest Days Jun 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s upcoming vacation and brief break from baseball, Chris Paddack’s demotion to High-A, the latest act of Clayton Kershaw’s career and the perils and possibilities of player aging, whether the home-run rate is too damn high, the state of the standings, what the trade market might look like […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1387: In Trout They Didn’t Trust Jun 10, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about poor pronunciations, an oddity in Bash Brothers, a Byron Buxton hustle double, the running (but not running enough) Royals, whether to talk about and whether they did talk about the curiously contending Rangers, and a few takeaways from the Madison Bumgarner–Max Muncy kerfuffle, then discuss several insights they […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1386: Amateur Hour Jun 07, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cubs signing Craig Kimbrel, ruminating about how he’ll help Chicago, why other teams may have held off, and why it took so long for his prolonged free agency to come to a close. Then (18:06) they bring on FanGraphs prospect experts Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1385: Ask Not What WAR Can Do for You Jun 06, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the paucity of pitchers selected at the top of the draft, the Hall of Famers Mike Trout passed in career WAR in May, Trout’s quietly impressive season, whether WAR has helped Trout’s reputation more than Trout has helped WAR’s, the surprising names at the top of the 2019 […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1384: Welcome to The MVP Machine Jun 04, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether it would make sense for one team to “blow up the draft” by ignoring the bonus slotting system for one year, paying a premium for the top amateur talent, and incurring the maximum financial penalty. Then they discuss Ben’s new book about baseball’s player-development revolution, The MVP […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1383: Net Results Jun 01, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ recent run of ineptitude, why some teams talk to the media and whether there’s a moral obligation for teams to share information about preventing player injuries, a question from a fantasy player who’s aiming to compete in 2027, a Clayton Kershaw vs. Jacob deGrom matchup as […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1382: Pitchus Interruptus May 31, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a small way in which Willians Astudillo made the world better, baseball as a conversational icebreaker, Cody Bellinger’s incredible WAR pace, whether Bellinger is overshadowing the rest of the Dodgers (and Clay Bellinger), and a few of 2019’s other breakout batters, present a Stat Blast about Statcast no-hitters […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1381: Minnesota Surprise May 29, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Rays’ four-man outfield against Cavan Biggio and the gradual ascendance of four-man outfields across the league, Sam’s belated thoughts on the Mets and baseball in Avengers: Endgame, a few underappreciated aspects of the late Bill Buckner’s career, and the record number of MLB debuts this decade by […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1380: Baseball is Better, but Also Worse May 25, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about snow in Colorado, the Rockies and the decline of Kyle Freeland, and the new-look Lucas Giolito and the White Sox rebuild, then discuss the state of the standings and the number of teams out of contention, touching on how the bad teams got that way, the impact of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1379: There Are Other Leagues Than These May 23, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Robinson Cano hurting himself hustling, Chris Carter dominating the Mexican League, the incredible continuing career of Ruben Rivera, pop-up dekes, a possible fun fact involving Orioles homers, the return of Ryan Feierabend (and an uncommon complete game), multiple improvements for instant replay review, and the significance of Carter […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1378: Five-Tool Podcast May 21, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sean Doolittle’s delivery and Steve Pearce’s even/odd-year pattern, then discuss current record chases (involving Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich, and the Orioles’ pitching staff), whether it’s possible to have exciting record chases based on Statcast stats, the significance of five-tool players (and scouting tools) in 2019, and more, plus […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1377: The Prospects Are Here May 17, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the bounceback of Chris Davis, which Statcast stats they would most want to have for the entirety of baseball history, which aspect of instant replay review most dramatically changes the game, and the new-look Josh Bell and Tommy La Stella, then (28:36) talk to FanGraphs prospect analyst Eric […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1376: Root, Root, Root for the Run Differential May 16, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Chris Sale’s seven-inning, 17-strikeout game and the Marlins’ ineptitude, then answer listener emails about differences in home-run distance, rooting for run differential, reimagining errors (and quality starts), whether catchers would still squat after robot umpires were implemented, when relief innings will surpass starter innings, no-hitters as team accomplishments, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1375: The “Is This Guy Good?” Game May 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about inside-the-park homers versus over-the-fence homers, the gratifying rise of home-run robberies, and the unique career of Edwin Jackson (who’s about to have played for the most-ever MLB teams and with the most-ever MLB teammates), then discuss the convergence of starting pitching and relief pitching and play a game […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1374: Gallo’s Humor May 10, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about dogs, nieces, and nephews, their ambivalence about gambling and the future of gambling and real/fantasy baseball, the on-field and off-field excellence of Chris Paddack, the significance of Sinclair Broadcasting’s acquisition of 21 regional sports networks, the divisive Red Sox visit to the White House, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s slow […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1373: Podcasts Per Hour May 09, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Shohei Ohtani’s return, Mike Fiers’ no-hitter, and the hard-luck Reds, do a Stat Blast and banter about True Wins vs. no-hitters and other standout starts, and answer listener emails about baseball and the gambler’s fallacy, umpires estimating the outcome of every batted ball (and whether pitchers, hitters, or […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1372: The Angellic Choir May 07, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the merits of True Wins vs. no-hitters, a Pablo Sandoval fun fact, whether most pitchers would prefer to be better than average with a higher ERA or worse than average with a lower ERA, and whether the running Royals are, in fact, fun, then (26:24) talk to author […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1371: What is Sabermetrics? May 04, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Noah Syndergaard‘s True Win, an 81-pitch complete game for Kyle Hendricks, the AL Central after Corey Kluber‘s injury and the Twins’ hot start to the season, Tyler Glasnow’s breakout, the Chris Archer trade in review, the impermanence of coaching success, and the latest comments about the baseball by […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1370: Hot to Trout May 02, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Hall of Famers Mike Trout just surpassed in WAR (featuring a story about Goose Goslin and Joe Cronin) and Trout’s recent improvements in plate discipline, then answer listener emails about Cody Bellinger’s extreme hot streak, whether most baseball fans notice the rising strikeout rate, a Statcast conspiracy […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1369: Utilitarian Player Apr 30, 2019

Co-hosts assemble! Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter (briefly and sans spoilers) about baseball in Avengers: Endgame and follow up both about Meg’s attempt to keep track of baseball at a bachelorette party and about pricing on Cameo for Kevin Pillar and Mike Trout, then talk about baseball and happiness, comparing their picks […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1368: Barehand Gab Apr 27, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Rich Hill‘s dominant rehab start, the most famous catches in history and Sam’s article about recreating Kevin Mitchell’s barehand catch, their own best baseball plays, and when it becomes objectionable to sit a player who’s pursuing a single-season record, then answer listener emails about the entertainment value of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1367: Vlad Tidings Apr 26, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the long-awaited promotion of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., baseball-watching etiquette at a bachelorette party, and Mike Trout if he weren’t trying, then answer listener emails about Rhys Hoskins, Jacob Rhame, and the latest unwritten-rules flare-up between the Phillies and Mets, Tyler Wade, Andrelton Simmons, and a questionable application of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1366: The Cooperstown Crossover Apr 23, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the numbers behind the Yankees’ historic injury stack, an inspired piece of pitch-framing by Francisco Cervelli, Ramon Laureano as a human highlight machine, how often hitters would (and should) swing if they knew every pitch would be in the strike zone but still be called a ball, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1365: If a Bat Flips in a Forest Apr 19, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg seeing the Padres in person, the Phillies’ attendance surge, rooting for writers who’ve taken team jobs, and the Mariners’ lousy last week, then discuss the aesthetic and competitive ramifications of the huge spike in home-run rate in the majors and minors, why Rob Manfred is still insisting […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1364: Rounding Second and Heading for Home Apr 18, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Johnny Cooney as the Vroom Vroom Guy, minor-league closer Dusten Knight’s backflip save-celebration ritual, the extreme struggles of the Red Sox, and a new way to represent Willians Astudillo’s success at making contact, then answer listener emails about umpires calling balls and strikes from second base and the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1363: The Return of Real or Not Real Apr 16, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about baseball equivalents of Tiger Woods winning the Masters, follow up on two topics from the previous week (Willians Astudillo’s disputed whiff and Don Zimmer’s bases-loaded suicide hit and run) and, in a time-honored tradition, discuss whether selected league-wide stats from the first few weeks of the season are […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1362: An Inelegant Blooper for a More Civilized Age Apr 13, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ fun, surprising, and unsustainable start (and how it might affect the franchise), Austin Hedges’ chest protector, the extraordinary nature of Ozzie Albies’ extension, why he might have signed it, what it says about baseball’s economic market, and why we should care, the frustrating MLB/MiLB crackdown on […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1361: A Generous Tip Apr 10, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Willians Astudillo’s first strikeout of the season (and whether strike three should have been a foul ball), then answer listener emails about Alex Verdugo and whether it’s better to play full-time in Triple-A or part-time in the majors, what baseball would be like if players had a finite […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1360: The Team Fun Draft Apr 08, 2019

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about Mike Trout leading MLB in WAR and follow up on the bad ad from Episode 1358, then draft all 30 teams in terms of how fun they are to follow in 2019. Audio intro: Smash Mouth, "Fun" Audio outro: The Knack, "Serious Fun" Link to list of drafted […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1359: Errors Come in Threes Apr 06, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Blue Jays fan who’s unfazed by foul balls, a possible comeback for defunct Fox show Pitch, the Mariners (specifically Tim Beckham and Dylan Moore) committing errors in bunches, the offensive futility of Chris Davis, how Nationals fans treated Bryce Harper in his return to DC, Ramon Laureano’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1358: Return to Sender Apr 05, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Christian Yelich vs. Eugenio Suarez and Yelich vs. regression, an inscrutable ad, Jose Alvarado and the apparent increase in aesthetically pleasing pitches, visual differences between 1998 and now, and the significance of the latest contract extensions, then answer listener emails about the Twins and what makes a team […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1357: Bryce and Brockmire Apr 02, 2019

In a bonus episode of EW, Ben Lindbergh and The Ringer’s Michael Baumann banter about Bryce Harper’s transparently but nonetheless almost endearingly calculated campaign to win over Philly fans, why it’s working for him, and whether he could take it too far, then (14:26) talk to actor Hank Azaria, the star of IFC baseball TV […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1356: Keep Your Eye on the Bat Apr 01, 2019

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about Sam’s cabin sojourn, how well Major League has held up, an exciting development in strategic bat tosses, a big day for Willians Astudillo, the difficulty of drawing conclusions about baseball early in the season, the early-season home-run rate, the paradox of sports radio, Sam’s Jose Ramirez […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1355: Opening Day Banter and the Baseball Brit Mar 29, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their Opening Day experiences, the pleasure of immersing themselves in baseball again, baseball players being better than ever, and MLB’s arbitration championship belt, then (22:25) talk to Joey Mellows, AKA “The Baseball Brit,” about how he became a baseball convert, his worldwide baseball travels and his quest to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1354: Cabin Ball Mar 28, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s unusual plan to immerse himself in the beginning of the baseball season, watching games as a writer vs. watching games as a fan, two responses to previous listener-email answers, whether “ball” is synonymous with baseball, why baseball has hit a dry spell for single-season record chases, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1353: The Show Goes On Mar 26, 2019

In a bonus episode of EW, Ben Lindbergh talks to SABR’s Jacob Pomrenke about the centennial of the notorious 1919 White Sox, SABR’s new “Eight Myths Out” project, the persistent misconceptions about why the Black Sox threw the 1919 World Series, whether the scandal could have stayed secret, the complicated legacy of Eight Men Out, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1352: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Orioles Mar 26, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Willians Astudillo making the Twins’ Opening Day roster, whether Astudillo’s uncanny ability to make contact is more mental or physical, and what Oliver Perez and the rest of the remaining LOOGYs can do to preserve their endangered places on major-league rosters when the three-batter minimum goes into effect […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1351: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Marlins Mar 22, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners-A’s opening series, the emotional last game featuring Ichiro Suzuki, and the uncertain degree to which the recent rash of contract extensions reflects players’ anxiety about free agency, then preview the 2019 New York Yankees (38:17) with The Athletic’s Yankees beat writer, Lindsey Adler, and the 2019 […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1350: Season Preview Series: Astros and Tigers Mar 20, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter at length about Mike Trout’s extension, why he may have wanted to stay with the Angels, what makes him different from other players, and why he’s underpaid despite his record contract, then preview the 2019 Houston Astros (44:38) with The Athletic’s Astros beat writer Jake Kaplan, and the 2019 […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1349: Wonder Hamster Mar 18, 2019

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Effectively Wild listener and Mike Trout Tier Patreon supporter Anthony Scheff banter about the Blue Jays raising salaries for minor leaguers, the team’s motivations for doing so, and whether other teams will follow suit, then answer listener emails about A.J. Hinch getting ejected in a split-squad spring training game, MLB’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1348: Season Preview Series: Indians and White Sox Mar 16, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg witnessing actual baseball being played, her plans for watching the Mariners’ and Athletics’ international Opening Day matchup, Willians Astudillo’s spring training, the long list of 2019 and 2020 rules changes announced by MLB and the MLBPA, Meg’s new hires at FanGraphs, and Jessica Mendoza’s dual role with […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1347: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Royals Mar 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about parity in the NL and imbalance in the AL, then preview the 2019 Dodgers (7:08) with Los Angeles Times national baseball writer Andy McCullough, and the 2019 Kansas City Royals (1:02:45) with The Athletic’s Royals beat writer, Rustin Dodd. Audio intro: The High Water Marks, "National Time" Audio interstitial 1: […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1346: Baseball and Eight American Pies Mar 12, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the fallout from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s oblique injury and the signings of Adam Jones and Martin Maldonado as referenda on free agency, then answer listener emails about whether the Indians and Astros could have significantly upped their playoff odds by making more moves (and fan bases that should […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1345: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Mariners Mar 09, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Max Scherzer’s supremacy and the changes coming to the Atlantic League in 2019 as part of its partnership with MLB, include an altered base size, mound distance, strike zone, and more, then preview the 2019 Nationals (29:00) with Washington Post columnist Barry Svrluga, and the 2019 Seattle Mariners […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1344: Something Old, Something New Mar 07, 2019

Ben Lindbergh (re)introduces new co-hosts Sam Miller of ESPN and Meg Rowley of FanGraphs. Together, they explain the show’s new format and schedule, pay tribute to departed co-host Jeff Sullivan, and answer listener emails about a team made of clones of Ken Griffey Jr., how to reacclimate to baseball after taking an offseason off, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1343: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Rangers Mar 06, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Steven Goldman of The Infinite Inning banter about Luis Severino’s injury and the perils of spring training, Sonny Gray’s slider problem and the perils of player development, and Ben’s series at The Ringer about scouting past and present, then preview the 2019 Cubs (34:19) with The Athletic’s Cubs beat writer […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1342: Take Me Out With the Crowdfunding Mar 03, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Emily Waldon of The Athletic banter about how Emily got into covering the minor leagues, the perils and rewards of minor-league coverage, the progress of player development, the benefits of speaking Spanish, prospects of particular interest, the growing media interest in minor-league pay, and more, then (27:18) discuss the future […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1341: Jesse Thorn, Bryce Harper, and Cardinals and Giants Previews Mar 01, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Jesse Thorn of Maximum Fun banter about Bryce Harper signing with the Phillies and the intriguing NL East, Jesse’s Giants fandom, being an ambassador of baseball to non-fans, and Jesse’s beliefs about baseball fashion, then preview the 2019 St. Louis Cardinals (30:00) with man of many outlets Will Leitch, and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1340: Season Preview Series: Rays and Padres Feb 27, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Zach Kram of The Ringer banter about Clayton Kershaw’s bum arm, a rash of semi-suspiciously-timed signings, the Atlantic League as a testing ground for MLB rules changes, the latest Bryce Harper rumors, extensions for Nolan Arenado, Miles Mikolas, and Aaron Hicks, the Marwin Gonzalez signing and its implications for Willians […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1339: Jeff Got a Job Feb 22, 2019

In Jeff Sullivan’s final episode as the co-host of Effectively Wild (but not the podcast’s final episode), he and Ben Lindbergh discuss his new job as an analyst for the Tampa Bay Rays, what it was like to be courted by teams, why he decided to depart FanGraphs and why he feels guilty about it, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1338: Season Preview Series: Mets and Blue Jays Feb 21, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about whether contract extensions are actually on the rise, the increasingly curious career of Rinku Singh, and Pirates owner Bob Nutting’s confusing comments about payroll, then preview the 2019 New York Mets (14:07) with The Athletic’s Mets beat writer Tim Britton, and the 2019 Toronto Blue Jays (45:22) with […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1337: Season Preview Series: Angels and Brewers Feb 20, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Manny Machado signing with the Padres and what the news means for the free-agent market and the futures of the NL West, the Phillies, and Bryce Harper, then preview the 2019 Los Angeles Angels (31:34) with The Athletic’s Angels beat writer, Fabian Ardaya, and the 2019 Milwaukee Brewers […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1336: Season Preview Series: Twins and Phillies Feb 16, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about differently shaped players being in the best shape of their lives, the Luis Severino extension, and three trends: the disappearance of highly ranked pitching prospects, the plateauing of league-wide fastball velocity, and arbitration-eligible players signing team-friendly extensions. Then they preview the 2019 Minnesota Twins (17:54) with Baseball Prospectus […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1335: Horsed Retirement Feb 14, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo’s visa problem, Doug Fister’s retirement and CC Sabathia’s retirement tour, Johnny Cueto’s late horses, the current size of Yoenis Cespedes, players’ newly coordinated messaging about baseball economics, and Aaron Nola’s extension, then answer listener emails about when baseball will cease to exist, small-market teams’ spending, Shohei […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1334: Season Preview Series: Braves and Diamondbacks Feb 12, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the return of Brett Lawrie and two-way draftee Kyler Murray’s decision to pursue playing football over baseball, then preview the 2019 Atlanta Braves (8:45) with From the Diamond host Grant McAuley, and the 2019 Arizona Diamondbacks (43:23) with the Arizona Republic’s Diamondbacks beat writer, Nick Piecoro. Audio intro: The […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1333: Season Preview Series: Rockies and Pirates Feb 09, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a bunch of proposed rules changes, FanGraphs readers’ responses to them, and the general desirability of change of some sort, then preview the 2019 Colorado Rockies (19:57) with former Rockies outfielder and current AT&T SportsNet Rockies analyst Cory Sullivan, and the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates (46:20) with the Pittsburgh […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1332: The Life of Riley Feb 08, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan dissect the trade that sent catcher J.T. Realmuto from the Marlins to the Phillies for Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez, and Will Stewart, honor the legacy of Frank Robinson, and then (22:28) bring back 88-year-old 1950s two-way player and podcast king Johnny O’Brien, along with his 24-year-old grandson, current Tampa Bay […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1331: Season Preview Series: Reds and Athletics Feb 05, 2019

In the first installment of the seventh annual Effectively Wild season preview series, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Bryce Harper, Scott Boras, team meetings with free agents, the season preview series, the Super Bowl, and mortality, then preview the 2019 Reds (12:11) with The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans, and the 2019 Athletics (47:46) […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1330: Rough Drafts Feb 02, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about rumors and the offseason, then answer listener emails about forming a team from remaining free agents, the definition of “Baseball IQ,” small-market teams banding together, the best thing for a team to be bad at, incentivizing teams to win, and whether front offices are planning for a work […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1329: Statheaded Elsewhere Jan 31, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and ESPN’s Sam Miller banter about offseason content-creation strategies, recurring columns, and an alternate history in which Orlando Cepeda could have prevented writers from citing stats in stories, then (21:45) talk to longtime Baseball Prospectus writer (and author of The Shift) Russell Carleton about his departure from BP to take a job with […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1328: National Past Time Jan 31, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about players playing for their lives, Bryce Harper rumors, Harper’s fame vs. Mike Trout’s, feeling less intense anticipation than they used to, the Red Sox signing the previously permabanned Jenrry Mejia, and uncertainty surrounding the latest labor strife. Then (30:06) Ben talks to Chris Enns, author of The Death […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1327: Marginal Wince Jan 25, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about good and bad news for much-traveled pitcher Oliver Drake, the Dodgers’ signing of A.J. Pollock and the team’s perplexing offseason plan and lack of NL West competition, the Cubs’ signing of Brad Brach, and a report about the 10-day DL and the rules about optioning players to the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1326: Hall of Flames Jan 24, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the Hall of Fame results, including why (and whether) the Hall matters, Mariano Rivera’s unanimous election, the greatness of Mike Mussina, the stagnation of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, the perplexing case of Omar Vizquel, and other topics, then banter about the spread of multi-position players, the Braves bringing […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1325: Book Learning Jan 22, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo and the Sonny Gray trade, then (19:11) bring on Padres podcaster David Marver to talk about the Padres supposedly opening their books, what information the team actually revealed, the ways in which that information may be incomplete or misleading, why Padres ownership hasn’t spent more, San […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1324: The Salary Trap Jan 19, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo’s final winter league stats, the retirement of Ricky Romero, the upside of a slow market, and the anticlimax of a big free-agent signing, then (11:25) bring on Baseball Prospectus director of editorial content Patrick Dubuque to talk about why we know how much players make, how […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1323: Bed God Jan 19, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Yankees signing Adam Ottavino and the Angels signing Cody Allen, super-pens vs. improvised pens, and Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer, and Mike Trout, then (15:19) bring on Baseball Prospectus writer Sung Min Kim to talk about how the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has increased its popularity among young […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1322: Read All About It Jan 17, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben and Travis Sawchik finishing their new book, The MVP Machine, Willians Astudillo‘s MVP voting results, the Kyler Murray baseball/football decision and why it’s unusual for players in his situation to have leverage, Manny Machado rumors, and Yasmani Grandal‘s comments about the contract he didn’t sign, then answer […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1321: You Are the Boss of Me Jan 12, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo being plunked in reprisal for his home-run pimp, the surprisingly small contract of Yasmani Grandal and the state of the Brewers and the NL Central, Jed Lowrie and the Mets’ positional logjam, DJ LeMahieu joining the Yankees and the ramifications for Manny Machado, the latest in […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1320: Mets Are From Mars Jan 10, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo going viral yet again, his iconic winter-league home-run pose and the state of celebration in baseball, the improbable personality of an improbable player, Astudillo’s future in Minnesota, and the Mariners bringing back Dustin Ackley. Then (23:59) they talk to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Systems Engineer (and […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1319: Scott, Bore Us Jan 09, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Oliver Drake‘s new (and also old) team, the Mets, Brodie Van Wagenen, and Keon Broxton, the Yankees signing Zach Britton, how data and technology have helped some free agents and hurt others, the state of free-agent spending and baseball’s economic past, present, and future, Scott Boras’s latest linguistic […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1318: The Keeper of the Game Jan 04, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about New York Met Rymer Liriano and the minor league free agent draft, David Robertson signing with the Phillies, Robertson’s underrated record, and a Sabermetrics Mount Rushmore, then (14:43) talk to Retrosheet founder and president Dave Smith about how he started Retrosheet, the organization’s mission to collect a record […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1317: Alphabatical Order Jan 03, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Yankees signing Troy Tulowitzki, Whit Merrifield’s vaguely worded optimism about the Royals, and the necessity of unrealistic expectations, then answer listener emails about holiday sports conversations (featuring Ben’s mom’s hot take about Mariano Rivera and the truth about Rivera versus Edgar Martinez), players who are literally in […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1316: Oh Say Can Yusei Jan 02, 2019

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Mariners signing Yusei Kikuchi, Willians Astudillo’s last 10 days, and Oliver Drake’s latest designation for assignment, and then grade the Hall of Fame’s many choices of in-game artifacts from the 2018 season. After that (44:41), they bring on Kyodo News writer Jim Allen to talk about Kikuchi’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1315: The 2019 Minor League Free Agent Draft Dec 28, 2018

Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and ESPN’s Sam Miller review the top candidates for the most enduring baseball memory of 2018, then conduct the sixth annual Effectively Wild Minor League Free Agent Draft, selecting 11 minor league free agents each and competing to see whose roster will accumulate the most combined MLB playing time in 2019 […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1314: What We Missed in 2018 (NL Edition) Dec 27, 2018

In the second of two themed episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan review one aspect of each National League team’s year that they overlooked on earlier episodes, touching on stories involving the Baby Braves, Charlie Culberson, and Dansby Swanson, Brent Suter vs. Corey Kluber, Jack Flaherty vs. Walker Buehler, Willson Contreras‘s wedding, Archie Bradley, Yasiel […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1313: What We Missed in 2018 (AL Edition) Dec 24, 2018

In the first of two themed episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan review one aspect of each American League team’s year that they overlooked on earlier episodes, touching on stories involving Mike Scioscia, Myles Straw, Stephen Piscotty, Rowdy Tellez, Jose Ramirez, Mike Marjama, Richard Bleier, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a stathead in uniform, Tony Renda, Brad Keller, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1312: A Puig of Their Own Dec 22, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Daniel Murphy, Trevor Cahill, Anibal Sanchez, and Andrew Miller signings, react in real time to the three-team Jurickson Profar trade, and answer listener emails about signing Bryce Harper for one year, signing Harper as a catcher, choosing between watching games and having access to all other information, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1311: Rickrolled Dec 20, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Royals signing Terrance Gore and turning themselves into a bad-but-entertaining team of stolen-base threats, the Angels signing Matt Harvey and how they stack up, the renaming of Safeco Field, and the new posting system for Cuban players. Then (28:18) they talk to left-hander Rick Teasley about becoming […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1310: Pool Party Dec 19, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Astros’ signing of Michael Brantley, the curious cases of blocked prospects Kyle Tucker and Alex Verdugo, the Mets’ signing of Wilson Ramos, and the unique career of globe-trotting Trey Hillman. Then (20:49) they talk to Charlie Olson, co-founder and CEO of Pando Pooling, about his company’s plan […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1309: Manager Overboard Dec 15, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about why there have been so many Noah Syndergaard trade rumors, then answer listener emails about whether Giancarlo Stanton would be better if he raised his launch angle, how and when a manager who kept intentionally walking hitters would be stopped, how and whether to debate saber skeptics (about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1308: What Happened in Vegas Dec 14, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s sartorial choice during his MLB Network appearance at the Winter Meetings, Willians Astudillo striking out twice against the same pitcher in a pro game for (possibly) the first time, Scott Boras and Brian Cashman metaphors, big-picture takeaways from the Winter Meetings, the Phillies signing Andrew McCutchen, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1307: The Baines of Our Existence Dec 10, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about expected activity at the Winter Meetings, the pointlessness of the Winter Meetings, and the Hall of Fame elections of Lee Smith and Harold Baines (yes, that Harold Baines). Then (23:04) they talk to FanGraphs prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen about the baseball and multi-sport future of Heisman Trophy winner […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1306: Terrance Gore is Going Dec 07, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo and discuss Nathan Eovaldi re-signing with the Red Sox, the Cardinals-Diamondbacks trade involving Paul Goldschmidt, Luke Weaver, and Carson Kelly, and the significance of good teams trading away great players. Then (36:03) they bring on free-agent outfielder and probable fastest man in baseball Terrance Gore to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1305: Corbin McCarthy Dec 06, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo’s Venezuelan Winter League MVP chances, the latest scuttlebutt about banning the shift (and why it reflects the right impulse but the wrong solution), and the Nationals’ Patrick Corbin signing, the suddenly scary NL East, and the offseason market so far. Then (25:44) they bring on just-retired, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1304: The Roving Righty Dec 04, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the nomadic Andy Wilkins, revisit the Mariners-Mets trade and Robinson Cano’s graceful decline so far, discuss the Mariners-Phillies trade, the career of Jean Segura, the Mariners’ rebuild, Jerry Dipoto’s flip-flop about tearing down the team, and the status of the investigation into allegations of racism among Mariners brass, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1303: Who Says Cano Dec 01, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a busy week in rumored (and completed) transactions, touching on the Mets-Mariners blockbuster revolving around Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz, the Indians trading Yan Gomes to the Nationals (a rare trade between contenders) and teams opting not to spend, a Craig Kimbrel report, tender/non-tender decisions involving Billy Hamilton, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1302: No True Outcomes Nov 28, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Robinson Cano, Madison Bumgarner, and Paul Goldschmidt trade rumors, what makes for a slow or exciting offseason, and the cooling effect that superteams can have on the hot stove, then (16:14) bring on Superpesis marketing and communications director Jussi Pyysalo to talk about the Finnish national sport of […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1301: Twilight Doubleheader Nov 27, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Oliver Drake’s new/old home, the Braves signing Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann and converting Johan Camargo, the Pirates signing Lonnie Chisenhall, and the Twins claiming C.J. Cron, then (11:20) talk to Bill Rowe, official baseball advisor for the film Twilight, about how he helped make the movie’s depiction […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1300: Baseball Driver Nov 23, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about minor-league pay, the surprising prospect past of Neil Walker, and the impending posting and pitching of NPB star Yusei Kikuchi. Then (13:43) they bring on Cubs Double-A outfielder Connor Myers to discuss his offseason job as a UPS driver, his baseball bonus and salary, making ends meet on […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1299: The Whiff Heard Round the World Nov 22, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Willians Astudillo strikeout (and Astudillo vs. other, more highly-touted Twins), the team-switching saga of Oliver Drake, and the singular skill of Nathan Eovaldi, then answer listener emails about changing the game to appeal to non-fans, the value of base-stealing, the odds of seeing gear from every team […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1298: The Paxton Pact Nov 21, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Tommy Milone and Willians Astudillo, Bryce Harper‘s awful fielding in 2018, two more examples of percentages greater than 100, and Adrian Beltre’s retirement and atypical, incredible career, then (23:34) bring on new FanGraphs managing editor Meg Rowley to talk about both sides of the Yankees-Mariners James Paxton trade, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1297: Cistulli and Desist Nov 17, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a big day for Willians Astudillo, the still-overlooked greatness of Anthony Rendon, the mystery of Jeff Mathis, John Middleton’s comments about the Phillies’ impending spending spree, and the Orioles hiring the Astros’ Mike Elias as their new GM. Then (26:50) they bring on outgoing FanGraphs managing editor Carson […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1296: Hot Prospect Content Nov 16, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo‘s current strikeout-less streak, a few more people who gave much more than 100 percent, and end-of-season-award voting, including Mike Trout’s showing in the AL MVP race, Jacob deGrom and pitchers as MVPs, and why Jeff voted for Justin Verlander for AL Cy Young over victor Blake […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1295: The 120-Percent Podcast Nov 13, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jose Altuve and other players claiming to give (much) more than 100 percent and Joe Mauer‘s retirement and Hall of Fame case, then answer listener emails about Shohei Ohtani’s future role, whether Mike Trout could go contact-for-contact with Willians Astudillo, a baseball romance novel, winning a World Series […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1294: Signs Language Nov 10, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Carter Capps-like cricket bowler, another Scott Boras nautical analogy, the latest Mariners-Rays trade (this time involving Mike Zunino, Guillermo Heredia, and Mallex Smith), how fans felt about the 2018 season, and a Twitter kerfuffle caused by comments made by Bill James, then (31:19) bring on former major […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1293: Offseason Draft Day Nov 08, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the possibility of the Mariners selling and what a Jerry Dipoto-led rebuild would look like, the Yankees’ CC Sabathia signing and GM Brian Cashman’s comments about the luxury tax, scenes from the GM meetings, the Giants hiring Farhan Zaidi from the Dodgers, and Lance McCullers presumably pitching hurt […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1292: Strat and Tats Nov 06, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo‘s 2019 Steamer projections and turnover in the Astros front office and field staff, then (13:17) bring on Arnie Pollinger and Robin Perlow, husband and wife administrators of the 40-year-old SOMBILLA Strat-O-Matic league, to talk about the origins of the league, playing Strat on their first date, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1291: Power Ball to the People Nov 03, 2018

Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and ESPN’s Sam Miller recap the results of their 2018 minor league free agent draft and the surprising season of Wade LeBlanc, banter about Willians Astudillo and Delmon Young, discuss the defining memory of the 2018 season (and other seasons), and react to Clayton Kershaw’s contract extension. Then (28:54) they bring […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1290: Circling the Wagenen Nov 01, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Boston’s outfield rotation during the World Series, the significance of declining World Series ratings, the Orioles and the difficulty of classifying “tanking” teams, Manny Machado’s public persona and whether his reputation will hurt his free-agent appeal, and the Mets’ hiring of agent Brodie Van Wagenen as their new […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1289: Postseason Finale Oct 29, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan recap the last three games of the World Series, including a wild and interminable Game 3, Game 4’s divisive managerial decisions, Game 5’s matchup of diverging starter narratives, how this World Series and postseason stacked up historically, the futures of the Red Sox and Dodgers, how great the Red Sox […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1288: The More You Don’t Know Oct 26, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about how teams project the outcomes of matchups between batters and pitchers, the perils of second-guessing well-informed managerial decisions, and why teams still make mistakes, then answer listener emails about start-to-start strikeout variance, limiting the number of pitchers used per game, a potential problem with pitcher-catcher headsets, the four […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1287: Contact High Oct 26, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a home-run robbery by 40-year-old Endy Chavez and some managerial news, then discuss the first two games of the World Series, focusing on the Red Sox strikeout narrative, the disappointment of Clayton Kershaw vs. Chris Sale and Sale’s playoff vulnerability, David Price‘s second consecutive strong postseason start, a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1286: World Serious Oct 23, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, how long it takes to fall asleep, and international signings, then review the end of the NLCS, discuss the worst way to lose, forecast the legacy and future of the Brewers, and preview the Red Sox-Dodgers World Series matchup, including why the series is closer than […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1285: October Gets in Gear Oct 19, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a wild week of playoff baseball, including all the action from Games 3 and 4 of the ALCS and Games 4 and 5 of the NLCS, Joe West’s infamous fan-interference call against the Astros, Andrew Benintendi‘s game-saving catch, Craig Counsell‘s Curly Ogden gambit with Wade Miley, Clayton Kershaw‘s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1284: The Ghosts of Game Seven Oct 17, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Game 3 of the NLCS, the apparent breakouts of Orlando Arcia and Brock Holt, Josh Hader as Poochie, why Yasmani Grandal and other playoff catchers can’t catch, whether a “cruising” pitcher is actually likely to keep cruising, and the 15th anniversary of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1283: Hey, Look, a Playoff Episode Oct 16, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the lack of non-playoff banter and discuss the first two games of each championship series, touching on Clayton Kershaw bias, Matt Barnes curveballs, the finer points of pitcher-batter matchup stats, Josh Hader as a starter vs. as a reliever, the upcoming games, and much more (including a Brandon […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1282: Play-By-Playoffs Oct 12, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the response to their writing about the demise of the starting pitcher, the sources of their unease about baseball’s bullpen takeover, and the difficulty of previewing playoff rounds, then set up and break down the Astros-Red Sox ALCS and the Dodgers-Brewers NLCS and revisit the dullness of the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1281: The Scary Sac Fly Oct 11, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an engaging Game 4 of the ALDS and sum up the Red Sox-Yankees series, the end of Astros-Indians, and the ALDS as a whole. Then they answer listener emails about working the count and avoiding the bullpen, why broadcasts don’t give screen time to streakers, and the best […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1280: The 1.8 Percent Strike Oct 09, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Scott Oberg and the difference between good and bad balk calls, the Brewers sweeping the Rockies and the state of playoff bullpenning, the Astros juggernaut, Dodgers vs. Braves, Ronald Acuna’s grand slam, and the new Clayton Kershaw, the anomalous playoff performances of Kershaw and David Price, the Yankees’ […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1279: October, Continued Oct 05, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the difficulties of postseason scheduling, both opening games of the NLDS, a better bullpen game by the Brewers, the Rockies’ decision to pitch to Mike Moustakas, what Christian Yelich is doing differently, the composition of the Braves and the depth of the Dodgers and Astros, and Chis Sale’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1278: The Postseason Swing of Things Oct 05, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan review the saber-savvy ESPN broadcast of the NL wild card game, relive the highs, lows, and pivotal/memorable moments of both wild card games, defend the bullpen game from an analytical standpoint (and criticize it from an aesthetic standpoint), and ruminate about every division series matchup. For the first time in […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1277: The Best Baseball is Back Oct 02, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a wild end to the regular season, including the season’s final Willians Astudillo update (maybe), endings for Joe Mauer, David Wright, and Mike Scioscia, Khris Davis batting .247 again, the Orioles’ final ignominy, surgery for Shohei Ohtani, final regular-season stats about strikeouts, hits, homers, and fastball velocity, Jeff […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1276: Reviewing the Regular Season Sep 28, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the MVP races, the definition of value, Jacob deGrom, and Christian Yelich, plus an investigation into teams’ international practices, CC Sabathia’s costly hit by pitch, whether steroids were really responsible for steroid-era home run rates, and (don’t worry) Willians Astudillo. Then they review the 2018 regular season, including […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1275: Collapses and Surges Sep 27, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, Chris Davis and Khris Davis, the end of a Clayton Kershaw streak, Jacob deGrom, the ever-changing NL playoff race, the rapid spread of the opener, Joe Maddon’s comments about Addison Russell, and the worst team collapses of 2018, then answer listener emails about the Cubs’ offense […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1274: Meet the New Manager, Different From the Old Manager Sep 25, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, Jeff McNeil, and Juan Graterol, Shaq Thompson and the highest minor-league strikeout rates, the last week of the season, the lowest ERAs of the second half, Bryan Mitchell, and why voting for pitcher awards may be getting even more complicated, then (20:14) bring on The Athletic’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1273: Baseball, But Louder Sep 21, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the response to their previous episode, whether improvements in catching or improvements in umpiring have done more to reduce the variation in framing performance among teams, a Mike Trout snub, Breyvic Valera‘s contact rate, and the latest revelations about Addison Russell’s alleged domestic abuse, then answer listener emails […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1272: Take Money to Make Money? Sep 20, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Trevor Story’s close call, then (9:04) bring on former MLB pitcher Michael Schwimer, the founder and CEO of Big League Advance, to talk about the mechanics and morality of giving money to minor leaguers in exchange for a percentage of their future earnings if they make the majors, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1271: The Stretch Run Sep 18, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo and Jacob deGrom (as usual), the perception of the Cubs vs. the reality of the Cubs, the dramatic, puzzling increase in infield shifting against Mike Trout, the checkered career of honest but pugnacious umpiring legend Tim Hurst, the future of two-way players, Joel Sherman’s column about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1270: A Cup of Their Own Sep 14, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo going viral again, a Shohei Ohtani fun fact, J.D. Martinez, Mookie Betts, and how to gauge a player’s value to his teammates, the emergence of A’s outfielder Ramon Laureano, the impending ends to the careers of David Wright and Joe Mauer, a Kyle Freeland update, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1269: Best in the Business Sep 13, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the unlikely championship season of the Northwest League’s Eugene Emeralds, Jacob deGrom‘s latest hard-luck loss, and maintaining perspective about the Phillies’ late-season swoon, then answer listener emails about an MLB ballpark sleepover, whether making ballparks bigger would counter the three true outcomes, Chris Davis’s strikeouts vs. batting average […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1268: Replay, Reviewed Sep 11, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, Jeff’s ideal afterlife, Mike Trout‘s future and what an extension for Trout might look like, the Tyler Flowers extension, Michael Kopech‘s impending Tommy John surgery and the UCL scourge, how being Tampa Bay’s “bulk guy” is affecting Ryan Yarbrough‘s WAR, Mallex Smith vs. Giancarlo Stanton, a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1267: The Ohtani Elbow Inquest Sep 06, 2018

Ben Lindbergh, The Ringer’s Michael Baumann, and Tommy John surgery researcher Jon Roegele convene to discuss every aspect of the news that Shohei Ohtani will likely undergo Tommy John surgery, including how the Angels handled him and whether they bear any blame for the outcome, their recent rash of similar injuries and unusual treatments, Ohtani’s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1266: Labor WAR Sep 06, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Dee Gordon‘s walk rate, Jonathan Villar‘s daring baserunning, how much the “opener” has contributed to the Rays’ success, and Todd Frazier’s variation on the hidden-ball trick. Then they bring on FanGraphs writer Sheryl Ring (22:02) to discuss what the MLB Players Association hiring new lead negotiator Bruce Meyer […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1265: Home Runs Per Homestand Sep 05, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Trevor Story‘s improvement, Brady Feigl vs. Brady Feigl, Joe West vs. Austin Davis and an information card, a Carter Capps update, the Mariners’ clubhouse brawl, the continued dominance of Edwin Diaz, the disconcerting pitching return of Shohei Ohtani, and Kyle Schwaber’s lack of clutchness this season, then answer […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1264: Schrödinger’s Bunt Attempt Sep 01, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Matt Chapman‘s misleading error total, Tyler White and “cheap” home runs, Danny Hultzen, Aaron Nola, and the concept of “safe” players, the latest on Shohei Ohtani and Willians Astudillo, Jacob deGrom and the NL MVP race, a conditional trade followup, Magneuris Sierra and the woeful Marlins, Mike Foltynewicz‘s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1263: Around the Majors in 36 Days Aug 29, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan have a possibly premature discussion of whether Shohei Ohtani lived up to the preseason hype, then answer listener emails about the Angels’ historic record in two-run games, the last player who’ll be older than them, using expected offensive stats instead of actual ones in WAR, and David Robertson‘s far-fetched contract […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1262: Conquering Coors, with Kyle Freeland Aug 28, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the surprising home run streak of Kendrys Morales, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, and the fluctuating state of the White Sox rebuild, an unusual Yankees save streak and the changing distribution of saves across the majors, and the Rays-Pirates Chris Archer trade in retrospect. Then (25:41) they bring on […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1261: How Luck is Bailing Out Baseball Aug 25, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the returns of Mike Trout and Willians Astudillo, Astudillo’s new hobby, Jose Ramirez‘s power/speed combo, the NL Rookie of the Year race between Ronald Acuna, Juan Soto, Harrison Bader, and Brian Anderson, the decreasing incidence of stolen bases and sacrifice bunts, the Angels’ active offseason in retrospect, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1260: Waiver? I Hardly Know Her! Aug 23, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a listener-created tool to determine the first big leaguer to be born after and the last big leaguer to be born before any given date, the waiver-claim process, the Nationals’ trades, disastrous season, and hazy outlook, the Cubs acquiring Daniel Murphy and the Rockies opting not to, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1259: I Will Follow You into the Park Aug 20, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Clayton Kershaw’s resurgence and opt-out odds, the state of the playoff races, the Mariners’ balk-off weekend win, an unusual aspect of the 2008 CC Sabathia trade, the impending free agency of Nelson Cruz, and Ben’s article about the 1993 Athletics’ platoon-starter experiment, a precursor to the current Rays’ […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1258: Slow-Pitch Baseball Aug 18, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s introduction to climbing, a Mets-Phillies blowout, Scott Kingery‘s slow pitches, Jacob deGrom‘s run support, Jose Ureña‘s suspension and how to punish hit by pitches, the Rangers’ odd triple play and the 2002 debut of Ron Wright, Matt Kemp‘s slump, and an umpire’s rapid reaction, then answer listener […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1257: Being Baseball Ambassadors Aug 16, 2018

Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and writer Rachael McDaniel banter about a Scott Boras quote about Bryce Harper, the hot streaks of Matt Carpenter and Ronald Acuña, an Ender Inciarte comment, aging in relation to baseball players, the cold streak of Luis Severino, and a possible old example of groundskeeping gamesmanship. Then (24:22) they bring on […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1256: Grounds Crew Questions Aug 14, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s book activities, David Bote‘s exciting grand slam, Ramon Laureano‘s highlight throw, a few surprisingly (and not-so-surprisingly) streaking players, Taylor Ward’s call-up news, and a weird walk-off win in the minors. Then (26:10) they bring on Zach Ricketts, assistant head groundskeeper at the Oakland Coliseum, to talk about […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1255: Keep Your Eye on the Hidden Ball Aug 11, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Felix Hernandez‘s demotion to the bullpen, Willians Astudillo and the hidden-ball trick, former major leaguers who are still excelling internationally, an Augusta GreenJackets tweet, Dee Gordon‘s walk rate, Javier Baez‘s success, the state of the MVP races, Tyler Glasnow‘s apparent reinvention and the staying power of coaching gurus, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1254: Revenge of the Super-Nerds Aug 09, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jacoby Ellsbury‘s latest injury, Jayson Werth‘s anti-analytics rant, Luke Heimlich, and Shohei Ohtani, then answer listener emails about how defensive positioning is affecting positions themselves, throwing strikes to Jorge Alfaro, bringing “the wall” to baseball, why so many pitchers are throwing 100 mph, how the Orioles fit their […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1253: Executive-Producing Players Aug 08, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s excursion to a Helena Brewers game, Matt Davidson‘s relief excellence, Juan Soto‘s historic performance, Kole Calhoun‘s resurgence, the A’s acquiring Mike Fiers, Mike Trout’s 27th birthday, and more, then (25:14) talk to former big leaguer (and former live guest) Fernando Perez about the 10th anniversary of the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1252: Beware of Baseball Grumps Aug 03, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on an awful umpire call from the Mexican League, discuss the all-time top power-plus-speed players, lament Johnny Cueto’s Tommy John surgery, and acknowledge Mike Trout overtaking Mookie Betts on offense. Then they bring on Fangraphs writer Meg Rowley to discuss baseball grumps, good and bad broadcasting, the role […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1251: A Giant of the Game Aug 02, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a hiking analogy, the Nationals jettisoning relievers Brandon Kintzler and Shawn Kelley, and the no-longer-so-unhittable Justin Miller, then answer listener emails about Joey Gallo’s zero sac flies, Andrew Romine, red lights, and 3-0 swings, the ideal baseball height, the value of a roster spot, where to draw the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1250: Too Many Trades Aug 01, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan break down (almost) all the trade-deadline deals by (almost) every team, with special attention to the Chris Archer trade between the Pirates and Rays, the Nationals’ non-trades and their competitors’ improvements, the Orioles’ many moves, the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers, the Brewers’ remade infield, the Astros and Roberto Osuna, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1249: How Trades Get Made Jul 27, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan have an in-depth discussion with former Mets director of baseball operations and Braves assistant GM Adam Fisher about being a front-office utility man, talking to the media, work-life imbalance in baseball operations, the public-private information gap, the evolution of analytics, scouting, and player development over the past 15 years, the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1248: Hustle and Slow Jul 26, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Zach Britton and Nathan Eovaldi trades, the Yankees’ unbelievable bullpen, the Rays’ most recent Sergio Romo experiment, and the Gary Sanchez hustle/groin-strain saga, follow up on athletes dominating lesser competition and Noah Syndergaard’s latest affliction, then answer emails about Odubel Herrera, Rhys Hoskins, how a bad fielder […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1247: The 32-Year-Old Who Only Hit Homers Jul 24, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Billy Butler‘s beer league, the Jeurys Familia trade, the red-hot Oakland A’s, Seattle’s extensions for Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais, the AL wild card race, the Mets’ most recent dysfunction, Khris Davis’s consistency, the FanGraphs trade value series and the long-term prospects of several top teams, the latest […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1246: A Brad in the Hand Jul 20, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about beard grooming, the indy-league exploits of Rafael Palmeiro, Patrick Palmeiro, and the Chinese national team, the Padres-Indians trade involving Brad Hand, Adam Cimber, and Francisco Mejía, the Orioles’ commitment to rebuilding, post-publication regrets about articles, the worst example of umpiring they’ve ever seen, and the state of the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1245: Moving Manny Jul 19, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan break down the five-for-one deal that sent Manny Machado to Los Angeles, discussing the players changing teams, the short- and long-term implications for the Dodgers and Orioles, and the ripple effects for the rest of the trade market. Then they reflect on the latest national discourse about marketing Mike Trout, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1244: Moving on From Matheny Jul 17, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Mike Trout and marketing, the surprising Rays and the unsung Jake Bauers, the AL wild card race, Willians Astudillo’s pitching appearance, the results of a 21-question player survey, the Royals’ recent performance, and a tariff on baseball gloves, then (24:24) bring on man-of-many-bylines Will Leitch to discuss the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1243: Scoreboard! Jul 13, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Daniel Descalso, Alex Blandino, and the ongoing onslaught of position-player pitchers, Jacob deGrom‘s updated WAR vs. wins status, Kyle Schwarber‘s two-strike bunting, the death-ray potential of the Rays’ proposed stadium, Jordan Hicks and Bud Norris, and two baseball blobs, then (31:17) talk to Seattle Mariners senior marketing director […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1242: Teams in Glass Houses Jul 12, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Manny Machado trade precedents, the Astros’ weird walk-off, the A’s as wild-card contenders, Trevor Bauer and an Indians bullpen miscommunication, the Rays’ proposed stadium design, a Mike Trout shirt, and more, then answer listener emails about players and self-preservation, midseason free agents, Mike Trout hobbies besides weather, constructing […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1241: Midsummer Snubs and the Deal with the Deadline Jul 10, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an old “Umpire Day,” the Mariners’ run-differential defiance, and the Royals’ extreme struggles and possibly unprecedented amateur signing, then discuss how to define an All-Star, the All-Star Game’s fading significance, the All-Star selection process, and the perennial conversation surrounding “snubs,” as well as the trade deadline in the […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1240: Make Some Noise Jul 06, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the third-place Nationals and Wade LeBlanc’s extension, then answer listener emails about trading Bryce Harper, signing Bryce Harper, throwing super-slow pitches, a DH as the best player ever, hitting flares on purpose, losing games to set up a specific playoff matchup, John Olerud and the Hall of Fame, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1239: The Astudillo Origin Story Jul 06, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Rays using backup catcher Jesus Sucre as a pitcher to protect a lead, the return of Shohei Ohtani, Javier Baez’s exciting and silly steal of home, and what life would be like with deferred payments. Then (29:58) they bring on Phillies international scouting director Sal Agostinelli to […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1238: Absolute Unit Jul 03, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the joyous big-league debut and amazing minor-league history of Effectively Wild favorite and new Twins utility man Willians Astudillo, an awful Royals month, Jacob deGrom, a bobbled Raimel Tapia catch and tag-up confusion, Jon Gray‘s perplexing demotion, Marlins who may be traded, a Vince Velasquez highlight, Michael Lorenzen‘s […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1237: Bedtime for Trout Jun 29, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jose Alvarado, Shohei Ohtani‘s power and possible return as a hitter, Shane Bieber‘s velocity, the minor-league breakouts of Chris Paddack and Colin Poche, FanGraphs readers vs. average fans, Brandon Nimmo‘s latest HBP antics, the Mets’ recent struggles and Mets-fan fatalism, the recoveries of the Reds and Wilmer Font, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1236: Local (and National) Color Jun 29, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s lost and found voice, then bring on MLB on TBS and SNY analyst Ron Darling (5:33) to discuss preparing to call games, talking stats on TV, local broadcasting vs. national broadcasting, the beloved Mets broadcasting team, building booth rapport, positivity and negativity on TV, dealing with broadcasting […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1235: Becoming a Beat Writer and Marketing Mike Trout Jun 26, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler discuss Lindsey’s transition from blogging to beat writing, how to talk to players and become comfortable in the clubhouse, the contrasts between the Yankees and Mets (and Aaron Boone and Mickey Callaway), writing about teams vs. writing about baseball’s big picture, the beat-writing fraternity, being a beat writer […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1234: The First Baseman Who Blogs Jun 22, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Coors Field, Domingo German, the amazing Max Scherzer, Tyler Chatwood, Kole Calhoun‘s comeback, the writing process, Marcell Ozuna‘s catch attempt, Ichiro and the Home Run Derby, and the AL playoff picture, then bring on 31-year-old MLB-player-turned-FanGraphs-writer Nate Freiman (20:22) to talk about his recent embrace of advanced stats, […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1233: Baby Powder and Baby Cakes Jun 21, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Steven Brault‘s national-anthem performance, Brandon Morrow‘s ignoble injury, the Kelvin Herrera trade, banana ambivalence, a suspicious baby-powder puff, Vinny Castilla‘s bat-boning, an interleague-play update, Jose Urena‘s control, the New Orleans Baby Cakes and minor-league team names, the senseless Giants-Marlins beanball war, the debut of Jonathan Loaisiga, and a […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1232: The Ump Show Jun 19, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Juan Soto‘s timeline-rearranging home run, Adrian Houser throwing up mid-game, Nick Markakis and Braves all-star voting, a Mets official’s donut metaphor, and Mike Trout’s continued excellence, then (17:35) talk to longtime MLB umpire and crew chief Dale Scott about miking up umpires, manager-umpire arguments, the Tom Hallion/Terry Collins […]

Effectively Wild Episode 1231: Chasen the Dream Jun 16, 2018

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on Terry Collins, trick running plays, Steven Brault‘s disappointing strikeout, the Mariners, and Justin Miller, banter about Takuya Nakashima’s 200th career sacrifice bunt, the Astros’ enviable depth, the most exciting rookies of 2018 (including Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, Walker Buehler, and Adam Cimber), and MLB’s attendance decline, and […]

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast