Effectively Wild Episode 1681: Ghost Runners in the Sky

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” DH will be tested in the Atlantic League, follow up on the extra-innings automatic-runner rule and the difference between pitch framing and “slide framing,” and answer listener emails about MLB veterans being better people than players, what would happen if home run trots were optional, and whether two players could switch places without being noticed, plus a Stat Blast about the hitter-runner duos with the most runs plated.

Audio intro: Ian Fisher, "One Foot"
Audio outro: The Easybeats, "I’ll Find Somebody to Take Your Place"

Link to latest Shohei heroics
Link to Shohei shiver video
Link to Willians foul pop video
Link to Willians slide video
Link to Ben on Astudillo
Link to MLB 4-seam spin rate by year
Link to MLB slider spin rate by year
Link to Ben on foreign substances
Link to Ben and Rob on the ball in spring training
Link to Eno on the new ball so far
Link to HR/FB rate by season
Link to MLB.com on new Atlantic League rules
Link to Jayson Stark on new Atlantic League rules
Link to Ben on the starting pitcher protagonist
Link to 2019 EW interview with Atlantic Leaguers
Link to Ben on moving the mound back
Link to Pages from Baseball’s Past on Litwhiler
Link to Stat Blast data
Link to Eddie Robinson autobiography passage

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