Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

In the first episode of 2018, Ben Lindbergh talks to Angels GM Billy Eppler about the Angels’ active offseason, touching on Eppler’s blueprint for building a team around Mike Trout, winning the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes and his plans for the potential two-way star, the Angels’ elite infield defense and Eppler’s run-prevention philosophy, signing and evaluating Zack Cozart, how much lineup balance matters, how to cobble together a bullpen on the cheap, the Angels’ watchability, why this winter’s market has been so slow, his relationships with Mike Scioscia and Brian Cashman, and more. Audio intro: Destroyer, "Makin’ Angels" Audio outro: Elvis Costello, "Running Out of Angels" Link to Effectively Wild t-shirts  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

In the last episode of 2017, Ben Lindbergh and guests Joe Sheehan and Rany Jazayerli analyze the Rockies’ Wade Davis signing and offseason attempt to build a super-bullpen, then reprise an old exercise by picking (and dissecting) the teams they think will win the World Series in the next five years and the teams they think won’t make the playoffs in the next four years, discussing the future of rebuilding, the vast divide between baseball’s best and worst teams, and much more along the way. Audio intro: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, "Come and Be a Winner" Audio outro: The Strokes, "I Can’t Win" Link to Effectively Wild t-shirts  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Steven Goldman answer listener emails about the best and worst times to write about baseball (and the most and least rewarding ways to do it), Nolan Ryan’s Cy Young Award goose egg, Trevor Hoffman vs. Corey Kluber and Hall of Fame standards for relievers, Brandon Belt vs. Eric Hosmer, gaming the luxury-tax rules, the feasibility of one team signing both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, combining the Marlins and Tigers into one competent team, the catching implications of instituting robot umps, and the problem with too many teams rebuilding at once, plus a Stat Blast on some of the most prolifically losing players of an earlier era. Audio intro: The Kinks, "See My Friends" Audio outro: Robyn Hitchcock, "Clean Steve" Link to Effectively Wild t-shirts  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

With Jeff Sullivan on vacation, Ben Lindbergh brings on The Ringer’s Deputy Editor (and Binge Mode co-host) Mallory Rubin to talk about the Orioles’ bleak, in-between offseason and her wishes concerning Manny Machado. Then Ben talks to The Ringer’s Zach Kram and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s C. Trent Rosecrans about BBWAA Hall of Fame voting patterns, C. Trent’s latest ballot, and the future of Hall of Fame voting. Audio intro: Tennis, "Baltimore" Audio interstitial: Van Halen, "Ballot or the Bullet" Audio outro: Del Shannon, "Hats Off to Larry" Link to Zach’s Hall of Fame research Link to C. Trent’s Hall of Fame ballot column Link to Effectively Wild t-shirts  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the perplexing potential end to Manny Machado trade rumors, then bring on former major leaguer and current fun-fact star/national treasure Johnny O’Brien to discuss his life and career with the Pirates, Cardinals, and Braves in the 1950s, becoming a reluctant two-way player (and experiencing immediate, surprising success), his signing by Branch Rickey, being a “bonus baby” and skipping the minor leagues, playing in the Harvey Haddix game, forming half of the only double-play duo of twins in MLB history, playing without his twin for the first time, playing for both great and terrible teams and both with and against baseball legends, being buddies with Bing Crosby, and more. Audio intro: The Raveonettes, "The Truth About Johnny" Audio interstitial: Flogging Molly, "Sentimental Johnny" Audio outro: Chuck Berry, "Bye Bye Johnny" Link to Jeff’s O’Brien twins post Link to Effectively Wild t-shirts  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter (and bantler, again) about what they’ve learned about antlers and antler-rubbed bats, the Evan Longoria trade, Derek Jeter’s town-hall event with Marlins fans, and Jeff’s breakout-player pick for 2018 (and breakout player-picking philosophy). Then they debut a new Stat Blast theme song by Jessie Barbour, do a Stat Blast about Matt Adams, Adam Lind, and a player who shouldn’t have switch hit, and answer listener emails about paying minor-league players, Jason Heyward opting out, the Yankees’ prospects with Michael Schur in their rotation, what the Braves could do with their tiny international bonus pool, and a baseball Bachelor, then follow up on their discussions of a team with no coaches and Shohei Ohtani signing shenanigans. Audio intro: Warren Zevon, "Rub Me Raw" Audio outro: Super Furry Animals, "Fuzzy Birds" Link to Effectively Wild t-shirts  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter (and bantler?) about more Marlins trade requests, the Yankees’ outlook for 2018, antler-rubbing bats vs. bone-rubbing bats, and a scout quote about Shohei Ohtani, then discuss the financial implications of the weekend’s big Braves-Dodgers trade, the effects of the luxury tax, and the latest Manny Machado trade rumors. Audio intro: Midlake, "Chasing After Deer" Audio outro: The Tragically Hip, "The Luxury" Link to post about antler-rubbed bats  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Zack Cozart and Carlos Santana signings and the Matt Moore trade, then answer listener emails about when it makes sense to rebuild and how the second wild card has affected that calculus, Shohei Ohtani’s intel on other teams, the competitive futures of the Cubs, Yankees, and Dodgers, how a team could benefit from controlling the schedule, Oscar Robles and hitters with weird lines on 0-2 and 3-0, what “quality control” coaches do, a team with no coaches (and too many coaches), Trout/Ohtani vs. Judge/Stanton, and more. Audio intro: Chance The Rapper (Ft. Saba), "Angels" Audio outro: Smash Mouth, "Quality Control"  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s Winter Meetings experience and then discuss everything that did and didn’t go down while the baseball world was in Orlando, including the Reds’ published pitch to Shohei Ohtani, Ohtani’s injury status, the Marcell Ozuna, Stephen Piscotty, and Ian Kinsler trades (and the leveled-up Angels), Manny Machado trade rumors, and more. Audio intro: The Apples in Stereo, "Where We Meet" Audio outro: Macy Gray, "I Can’t Wait to Meetchu"  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the Giancarlo Stanton trade’s impact on the Yankees, whether and why the Marlins are an embarrassment (and where they’ll go from here), the Orioles’ attitude toward international players, and the Hall of Fame admitting Alan Trammell and Jack Morris. Then they bring on listener Lazaro Rodriguez, a certified Marlins fan, to talk about his reaction to the Stanton trade and ask him to explain why he’s still a Marlins loyalist. Audio intro: The Minus 5, "Heartache for Sale" Audio interstitial: Kendrick Lamar (Feat. Rihanna), "LOYALTY" Audio outro: Metronomy, "Miami Logic"  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Get Our Merch!  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source