Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

After a podcast preface by Ben Lindbergh about Mike Trout’s knee injury (sigh), Ben and Meg Rowley banter (4:19) about a weekend White Sox sweep, the overdue news that Nike is supposedly fixing the much-maligned MLB uniforms, follow-ups about rule rollbacks, ballplayer dirt ingestion, the “group Maddux,” and promotion/relegation, and the Twins’ summer sausage. Then (50:37) they talk to FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens about when it’s safe to evaluate changes in player performance and which hitters and pitchers have changed his mind the most (either positively or negatively) so far this season, plus a postscript (1:45:05). Audio intro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio interstitial: Ted Berg, “Small Sample Size Song” Audio outro: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to MLBTR on Trout’s knee Link to BP Recovery Dashboard Link to Trout baby announcement Link to Trout hypotheticals Link to Trout video Link to uniform memo report Link to The Athletic on unis Link to Greene pants tear Link to Drellich on MLBPA/Fanatics Link to Ben on pitcher limits Link to group Maddux response Link to summer sausage wiki Link to AP on the sausage Link to Athletic on the sausage Link to EW guest leaderboard Link to signature significance info Link to batted-ball predictiveness info Link to Russell on hitter stats Link to Russell on pitcher stats Link to Carty on hitter stats Link to Carty on pitcher stats Link to Dolinar on sample size Link to Russell on stability 1 Link to Russell on stability 2 Link to Ben C.’s riser picks Link to Ben C.’s faller picks Link to Orr on Abrams Link to Ringer preseason predictions Link to FG preseason top 100 Link to Clemens on Littell Link to Clemens on Musgrove Link to FG on Realmuto Link to Tango on Realmuto Link to Flaherty strikeouts story Link to outfielder box article Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether they believe the projections that peg the White Sox as merely a run-of-the-mill terrible team, this season’s sophomore slumps (so far), and more on ballplayer dirt consumption and replay review protocol, then (30:09) answer listener emails about promotion and relegation in professional baseball, the definition of “getaway day,” the value of pitcher fielding, how hard it would be for big leaguers to be bad intentionally, whether pitchers could give away pitch selection on a pickoff throw, and recent MLB rules changes that could or should be rolled back (plus additional discussion of some injury news). Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)” Audio outro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Dan S. on the White Sox Link to Neil Paine on the Sox Link to Dubuque on the Sox Link to Dan S. on the 2023 A’s Link to Tango on the 2023 A’s Link to EW on the 2023 A’s Link to MLBTR on Lee Link to MLBTR on Pham Link to BaseRuns standings Link to Dubuque on sophomore slumps Link to The Athletic on promotion/relegation Link to ESPN on promotion/relegation Link to NYT on the Super League Link to Dan S. on Tides vs. Rockies Link to Scherzer on ump relegation Link to team P DRS range Link to team P plays made range Link to Episode 2030 Stat Blast Link to Baumann on Ohtani Link to MLB rules changes Link to Ben on faking to third Link to Ben on the Waxahachie Swap Link to article on Rendon Link to MLBTR on Rendon Link to MLBTR on Miley Link to MLBTR on Luzardo Link to listener emails database Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how much dirt MLB players ingest in a season, the second-most-encouraging stat about Mike Trout’s season, Shohei Ohtani, Earl Webb, and the single-season doubles record, Cody Bellinger and whether the Cubs should pad the walls at Wrigley Field, whether replay review should privilege the call on the field, Matt Waldron’s knuckleball, the disparate seasons of Elly De La Cruz and Oneil Cruz, Francisco Lindor’s superstar status, José Ruiz’s pursuit of Ryan Webb’s record for games finished without a save, and Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti’s request for a baseball plus/minus stat (and whether baseball would be better with more player-interaction effects). Audio intro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to dirt-consumption info Link to FG post on Trout’s running Link to BP on Trout’s swings Link to Trout’s pitch-type performance Link to Trout’s plate-discipline stats Link to Trout’s sprint speeds Link to Posnanski on Ohtani Link to Webb SABR bio Link to Maris Jr. article 1 Link to Maris Jr. article 2 Link to Bellinger play Link to Bellinger quote Link to Bellinger IL news Link to MLBTR on Bellinger Link to 1991 Wrigley padding article Link to info on the ivy Link to info on Veeck’s role Link to article on Reiser Link to second Reiser article Link to ballpark homogenization info Link to Adell play Link to Sheehan on replay Link to replay review rules Link to Waldron article Link to BP on Waldron’s latest Link to Waldron game highlights Link to Thrice band wiki Link to Ben on knuckleballs Link to Jannis EW appearance Link to Lindor’s big game Link to post-2020 hitter WAR Link to Webb/Albers wiki Link to Webb/Ruiz leaderboard Link to plus/minus wiki Link to MLB defense plus/minus Link to hockey plus/minus problems Link to NBA plus/minus problems Link to Russell on lineups Link to Ben on batter vs. pitcher stats Link to catcher ERA article Link to more on catcher impact Link to article on Jeter studies Link to all-22 film info Link to Jeff on time of possession Link to Trial By Content pod Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rockies (and their charter pilots) running afoul of the FAA, Jackson Holliday’s slow start, whether the Astros or Twins has hurt their division-title chances more, two embarrassing umpire incidents, offense being down relative to last season, the concept of a “combined Maddux,” Shohei Ohtani’s WAR as a DH, the Blue Jays’ self-funded ballpark renovations, new research on Tommy John surgeries in Japan, and more. Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2” Audio outro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Rockies plane video Link to AP on the Rockies Link to new flight deck rule Link to Blum on Holliday Link to O’s prospects joke Link to Animorphs meme Link to white guys selfie meme Link to article on Scott Link to story on Mays start Link to story on Mantle start Link to change in division odds Link to García injury update Link to RP fWAR Link to Dan S. on the Astros Link to Boone ejection video Link to EW on ump-heckling Link to CNN on Boone ejection Link to SI on Boone ejection Link to KBO ABS incident Link to offense through 4/22 Link to Joe Sheehan on offense Link to BallparkPal thread Link to “Maddux” glossary entry Link to “combined Maddux” mention Link to WAR leaderboard Link to Jaffe on the Dodgers Link to Cardinals funding post Link to more on Cards request Link to article on Jays funding Link to Diamondbacks statement Link to Jim Allen TJ research Link to archived version Link to SABR on Tippy’s pickoffs Link to Tippy video Link to Tippy call Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Former major leaguer turned exotic-animal veterinarian Dr. Rich Nye shares his career journey. TV creators discuss the unrealized HBO series 'Baseball Wives'. Plus, a segment on unique baseball batting average occurrences and pitcher performances post-sixth inning.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Carlos Correa’s nerdiness, the Pirates pulling phenom Jared Jones after 59 effective pitches, the zombie runner, what Jontay Porter’s lifetime NBA ban portends for MLB, Shohei/Ippei conspiracy theories and Shohei Ohtani’s hitting and tax loophole, Michael Busch and the Dodgers’ outfield offense, the legacy of Whitey Herzog’s “Whiteyball,” and the power and prospects of two-way college star Jac Caglianone, plus follow-ups on MLB Blazes, IMG Academy, and Reynaldo López, then (1:13:48) answer listener emails about unsigned pitchers ramping up for the start of the season, whether all of the A’s could be traded to other teams, pitcher arm injuries in Japan, foul tips with fewer than two strikes, and MLB attendance/finances vs. NFL attendance/finances. Audio intro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Benny and the Jeffs, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Correa on Dune: Part Two Link to Correa Marvel post Link to Correa Star Wars post Link to article on Correa’s dogs Link to Correa the stathead Link to Correa wRC+ video Link to Reylo wiki Link to BP on Jones Link to Jones Strike % stat Link to Mikolas start Link to Jones game story Link to Pirates pitching plan Link to Ben on workloads Link to velo leaders Link to Miller injury info Link to NBA Porter announcement Link to The Athletic on Porter Link to Ohtani taxes article Link to political baseball language Link to team OF wRC+ Link to FG Dodgers OF post Link to FG Busch post Link to NYT Erskine obit Link to NYT Herzog obit Link to Whiteyball wiki Link to Posnanski on Whiteyball Link to Miklasz on Whiteyball Link to Cranston MLB promo Link to Caglianone article Link to Gators Statcast tweet Link to top MLB draft prospects Link to longest MLB homers Link to Mazara HR Link to Boras facilities article Link to Finley/Kuhn article Link to EW Episode 1621 Link to Japan/U.S. pitchers study Link to Richard Hershberger’s book Link to EW Episode 627 Link to listener emails database Link to IMG Academy wiki Link to most-streamed 2023 shows Link to Vulture on Bluey Link to Slate on Bluey Link to John/Jack explainer Link to Caillou explainer Link to Oops! All Berries explainer Link to tick-tock explainer Link to “Am I so out of touch?” meme Link to Catherine Lowe wiki Link to Wade/Ward wiki Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB jerseys as Fremen stillsuits, an update on Blake Snell the self-perceived strike-thrower, Brent Suter and being the “best teammate,” which MLB team is last in the league in vibes, the struggling Marlins demoting the not-struggling Max Meyer, whether teams are working minor league pitchers (such as Paul Skenes) too lightly, and (1:02:49) the career and retirement of Yankees radio voice John Sterling and fan affection for long-lasting local broadcasters, then (1:29:31) meet major leaguers Spencer Arrighetti, Blaze Alexander, and Jorge Barrosa, plus postscript follow-ups (1:51:25). Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to MLB stillsuit article Link to sweat stains quote Link to sweaty Yankees jerseys Link to Snell quote Link to Elly’s catch Link to Suter article Link to article on eco-conscious Suter Link to Suter’s impressions Link to 2016 LaRoche article Link to 2021 LaRoche retrospective Link to Freeland play Link to article on Meyer demotion Link to McCarthy tweet Link to Sheehan on pitcher usage Link to BP on Skenes in college Link to Ben on TNSTAAPP Link to MLB.com on Sterling Link to The Athletic on Sterling Link to Brosius call Link to Camp call Link to BP on the Camp game Link to list of Sterling calls Link to Sterling “fangraph” comment Link to flubbed Sterling call Link to last Sterling HR call Link to “Something Sort of Grandish” Link to 2011 Sterling NYT profile Link to Warner Wolf wiki Link to Meet a Major Leaguer wiki Link to B-Ref new debuts page Link to The Athletic on Arrighetti Link to Longenhagen on Arrighetti Link to MLB.com on Arrighetti Link to Blazes on B-Ref Link to 2018 Alexanders article Link to 2019 Alexander article Link to Barrosa call-up article Link to March Barrosa article Link to Longenhagen on player heights Link to non-pitcher height query Link to pitcher height query Link to Burke break article Link to EPL history wiki Link to 1884 World Series wiki Link to Saber Seminar Link to Kite Person on Bandcamp Link to Kite Person on SoundCloud Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the lack of an uptick in stolen bases this season, which of the teams that are off to surprisingly hot or cold starts has changed their minds the most, analogs to baseball’s epidemic of UCL tears in tennis and women’s soccer, whether MLB would/should allow a hypothetical UCL-strengthening steroid, and whether MLB will ever reboot its continuity, then Stat Blast (1:02:31) about players with inside-the-park homers and over-the-fence homers in the same game, games in which one team threw many pitches faster than its opponent’s fastest pitch, and the highest player winning percentages in starts. Audio intro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Ben C. on stolen bases Link to birds and bees study Link to playoff odds changes Link to BaseRuns standings Link to MLBTR on Schumaker option Link to team defense projections Link to Jontay Porter story Link to NPR on tennis injuries Link to WaPo on soccer injuries Link to NYT on soccer injuries Link to article on soccer cleats Link to UEFA initiative Link to artificial ligament wiki Link to Mark McGwire comments Link to Andy Pettitte comments Link to EW on sports history authority Link to comic-book reboots wiki Link to EW on “modern era” Link to AFI movies list wiki Link to tweet about Babe Ruth’s wife Link to EW listener emails database Link to Garrett Krohn’s Stat Blast cover Link to Langs tweet about Elly Link to OptaSTATS tweet about Elly Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter Link to inside-the-park graph 1 Link to inside-the-park graph 2 Link to Statcast Era both HR list Link to both HR, both sides list Link to story on Nimmo game Link to inside-the-parker data Link to both HR types leaderboard Link to Lucas Apostoleris on Twitter Link to Foley tweet Link to lopsided team velos sheet Link to player winning percentage sheet Link to Craig Wright on Lou Klein Link to Moonfall wiki Link to add EW on YouTube Music Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to news about Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara being charged with bank fraud, discuss the revelations in the government’s stunning, detailed complaint, and assess the implications for Ohtani and MLB. Then (1:06:58) they banter about Jordan Montgomery changing agencies after his offseason Boras debacle, a Juan Soto fan-pandering update, Jackson Holliday’s Orioles debut, Tyler Glasnow and the allure of a 21-strikeout game, a Driveline quote about training for velocity, and an A’s giveaway (and dubious pledge to spend more on players), plus (1:35:15) a few follow-ups. Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Greene pants seam tear Link to U.S. Attorney’s Office press release Link to criminal complaint Link to NYT report Link to MLB statement Link to @Yankees betting tweet Link to Ippei surrendering tweet Link to Baumann on gambling scandals Link to MLBTR on Montgomery Link to Soto spikes Link to Glasnow game Link to Sam on a 21-strikeout game Link to MLBTR on Holliday Link to Dan S. on the Tides Link to Olney tweet story Link to video of young Holliday Link to Twins kiss Link to 2023 Albies/Arcia kiss Link to 2024 Albies/Arcia kiss Link to Adler pitcher injuries article Link to A’s giveaway tweet Link to Rosenthal on A’s spending Link to ESPN on the A’s move Link to Belt on chicken tenders Link to hitting at Rogers Centre Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about White Sox manager Pedro Grifol’s anti-eclipse eyewash, the shrinking moon, an eyebrow-raising quote by Blake Snell, the latest signature Elly De La Cruz game, the hot starts of Mike Trout, Anthony Volpe, and Tyler O’Neill, how this season’s converted relievers (including Garrett Crochet and Jordan Hicks) are faring, and more, then (38:57) discuss and debate the latest rash of pitcher injuries, the pitch clock as a culprit or a scapegoat, and possible solutions to the injury problem, plus (1:27:32) an 1892 complaint about position-player pitchers and a few follow-ups. Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Grifol quote Link to Sox Machine on Grifol Link to Ben on the 2017 eclipse Link to tweet about eclipse coincidence Link to story on shrinking moon Link to story on end of eclipses Link to more on moon shrinking Link to Nick Gordon comment Link to Adler on eyewash Link to Snell quote Link to zone rate stats Link to Elly homers Link to Elly fun fact 1 Link to Elly fun fact 2 Link to article on Volpe swing Link to Sox pitch usage story Link to Sox Run Prevention Unit Link to FG post on Sox pitching Link to FG post on Rafaela Link to FG post on Hicks Link to Ben on pitcher injuries Link to MLBTR top stories screenshot Link to MLBPA statement Link to MLB statement Link to Cole comments Link to Verlander comments Link to Taillon/Wood comments Link to Scherzer comments Link to Passan on pitcher injuries Link to Sawchik tweet Link to Dan S. on the clock Link to BP on the clock Link to story on Bieber’s offseason Link to cricket bowling rules Link to cricket and TJS Link to EW on speed limits Link to mound height study Link to Ben on pitcher roster limits Link to Rich Hill surgeries Link to 1892 article Link to Bookforum Oyler review Link to Imanaga presser Link to The Athletic on Imanaga Link to Imanaga song Link to Kelenic comment Link to Ontario cursive story Link to ballpark meetup forms Link to meetup organizer form  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Twitter Account  EW Subreddit  Effectively Wild Wiki  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source