Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Drew Maggi’s major league debut and whether there should be a way for other journeyman minor leaguers to make the majors more easily, the story of short-lived Mariners mascot Spacey the Space Needle, the causes of a dramatic uptick in occurrences of catcher’s interference, Shohei Ohtani’s anti-pitch-tipping prowess, Jordan Walker’s demotion to the minors, the slow starts of the Cardinals and White Sox, and more, plus (1:17:03) a Past Blast from 1999 and a question about celebrities on major league rosters. Audio intro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to video of Maggi’s debut Link to article about Maggi’s debut Link to Reddit post about Spacey Link to 1990 Spacey article Link to other 1990 Spacey article Link to 1999 Spacey article Link to video of stilts pitching Link to video of stilts hitting Link to Ben on pitcher roster limits Link to Jay Jaffe on Ray Link to interference spreadsheet Link to CI at B-Ref Link to CI rule info Link to Jeff on CI in 2017 Link to Jeff on Ellsbury Link to Emma on Senzel Link to reach-on-error article Link to Ben on one-knee framing Link to knee-down catching info Link to Grandal on CI Link to Grandal on CI again Link to Jake & Jordan on CI Link to 2022 2-CI inning Link to 2023 2-CI inning Link to pitch-tipping post Link to Suarez tweet Link to other Suarez tweet Link to 2019 Suarez article Link to Walker pitch types Link to article on Walker demotion Link to other Walker article Link to FG on the Cardinals OF Link to playoff odds changes Link to 1998 Past Blast source Link to Past Blast source, cont’d. Link to AP piece on Brooks Link to B-Ref Bullpen on Brooks Link to Sam on baseball embarrassment Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack  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 a good time to be a Pirates fan, whether the red-hot Rays or the ice-cold A’s will regress more toward the mean over the rest of the season, Rob Manfred’s comments about A’s fans, Logan O’Hoppe’s injury and Brandon Marsh’s hot streak, whether Bryce Harper has Wolverine’s healing factor, a Byron Buxton catch-22, the Twins’ lack of stolen bases, rosin’s real effects, the early-season injury rate, and more. Then (1:00:20) they Stat Blast about the one pitcher who won’t let the pitch clock rush him, Mookie Betts and the latest-career starting-shortstop debuts, and MLB trends in paternity leave, plus (1:37:41) the surprising origin of “velocity” as an alternative term for “speed” in baseball, a Past Blast (1:45:22) from 1998, and a few follow-ups (1:48:42). Audio intro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to MLBTR on Reynolds Link to MLBTR on Shelton Link to FG playoff odds Link to MLBTR on Maggi Link to CNN on Maggi Link to old EW episode on Maggi Link to “phantom ballplayer” wiki Link to Maggi video Link to worst season-starting run diff Link to worst 23-game run diff Link to best season-starting run diff Link to best 23-game run diff Link to Manfred on the A’s Link to A’s attendance by year Link to 1991 A’s payroll Link to story on Lacob and the A’s Link to Joe Pompliano on the A’s Link to Sam Blum on O’Hoppe Link to Jay Jaffe on O’Hoppe Link to FG catcher depth charts Link to story on Harper’s return Link to Wolverine origin story Link to Twins Daily on Buxton Link to Buxton on DHing Link to Buxton collision Link to Birnbaum on the DH penalty Link to Russell on the DH penalty Link to BP on Rockies/Twins SB Link to Gleeman on the Twins’ running Link to MLBTR on pre-tacked balls Link to Southern League pitcher tweet Link to Laurila tweet Link to rosin wars info Link to Pages From Baseball’s Past Link to Rob on rosin and spin Link to Ben on sticky-stuff effects Link to BP on early injuries Link to Passan on early injuries Link to new Topps NOW cards Link to Topps NOW archive Link to Isaac’s GitHub Link to Gus’s GitHub Link to 36-game sequences Link to list of longest streaks Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter Link to pitch tempo leaderboard Link to pitch tempo spreadsheet Link to Pivetta on the clock Link to FG violations leaderboard Link to FG post on Mookie Link to story on Mookie’s SS debut Link to Mookie’s SS dream Link to most G before first SS start Link to list without DH/PH/PR Link to Kenny Jackelen on Twitter Link to 1982 Evans article Link to story on Martin’s debut Link to paternity-leave data Link to Murphy/Esiason story Link to 2011 Lewis story Link to 2011 paternity-leave story Link to Jaffe on Muncy mashing Link to 2019 article on paternity leave Link to 2011 paternity-leave story Link to 2022 paternity-leave story Link to another paternity-leave story Link to Carey Price on paternity leave Link to speed vs. velocity Link to speed vs. velocity sources Link to 1998 Past Blast source Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack Link to Buxton/Twins win Link to Reds mascots page Link to “Honey Bun” lyrics Link to Craig Edwards on relievers Link to Ben Clemens on relievers Link to dilly dally/lollygag  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 podcast’s semi-official new nickname for Yandy Díaz, what Mookie Betts playing shortstop says about the Dodgers, and Andrew McCutchen’s hot start, then (15:29) answer emails about the Reds’ many mascots, why we stop at “Quadruple-A,” how good today’s 26th men would be if they traveled back in time, sticky stuff on a tacky ball, and whether MLB would ever privatize publicly accessible Statcast data, followed (47:48) by a Stat Blast about Ross Stripling and the ultimate swingmen, the longest identical sequences of team wins and losses, and whether working the count to get pitchers out of games is still all it’s cracked up to be, plus a recap (1:23:03) of the first time the A’s played MLB games in Las Vegas and a Past Blast (1:30:27) from 1997. Audio intro: Benny and the Jeffs, “Effectively Wild” Audio outro: Jacket Thor, “My Patron Saint” Link to FG post on Mookie Link to Mookie’s play at short Link to Eric Stephen on Mookie Link to Smyly/Gomes play Link to MLB mascots wiki Link to Reds mascots page Link to Ben on Triple-A strength Link to Clay D. on league strength Link to Ben on caliber of play Link to MLBTR on pre-tacked balls Link to Topps NOW cards Link to Seinfeld clip Link to Stripling on EW Link to MLBTR on Stripling Link to Slusser tweet about Stripling Link to swingmen GS/GR ratio Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter Link to travelling salesman problem Link to Graham’s tweet Link to Turner’s quotes Link to Tango on 3-2 counts Link to article on pitch counts/TTOP Link to WP when SP doesn’t go 5 Link to 2018 opener article Link to 1996 articles on A’s in Vegas Link to Cashman Field wiki Link to 1997 Past Blast source Link to NYT on radical realignment Link to Tribune on radical realignment Link to Grant on radical realignment Link to B-Ref on radical realignment Link to Hendriks announcement  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 continued Yandy Díaz breakout and listeners’ suggestions for his new beef-related nickname, the greatness of post-peak Clayton Kershaw and the end of Diamondbacks Madison Bumgarner, the Oakland A’s (almost) officially leaving for Las Vegas, a Scott Boras metaphor about Juan Soto, Max Scherzer’s sticky suspension, the return of Fernando Tatis Jr., Rob Manfred’s comments about contract-length limitations, the Marlins walking back a Bartman promotion, the existence of Hoby Milner, the usage of batted-ball exit speeds on broadcasts, and the many twists and turns of the Jarred Kelenic, Edwin Díaz, and Robinson Canó trade, plus a Past Blast (1:24:00) from 1996. Audio intro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Ivan Julian, “Sticky” Link to 2017 Kershaw article Link to Ben on Kershaw in 2018 Link to Baumann on Kershaw Link to Baumann on the Trash Pandas Link to Soviet poster Link to Ben on Kershaw in 2019 Link to Kershaw K streak Link to MLBTR on Bumgarner Link to Bumgarner-Contreras video Link to MLBTR on the A’s Link to Las Vegas report Link to Boras baking metaphor Link to Boras/Cuzzi comments Link to suspension explanation Link to Scherzer video Link to Manfred’s contract comments Link to Bartman promo story Link to Bartman’s 2016 comments Link to Escobar/Fogo story Link to Jeff on the Kelenic trade Link to 1996 Past Blast source Link to 1996 NYT source Link to FG on the zone and pace Link to Jon Roegele on the zone Link to Ben on the zone and Ks Link to Dune kid clip Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack Link to Atlantic League experiments  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 a remedy for former Yankees slugger Moose Skowron might help current Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger’s rebound and ovation violation, Domingo Germán’s sticky start, Juan Soto’s pitch-clock problem, Bryce Harper, hitting machines, and the future of minor-league rehab stints, whether Yandy Díaz’s “Ground Beef” nickname no longer applies, the reduced drag of the baseball and the overall offensive environment this season, the Atlantic League’s new experimental rules, the rules about rundowns on third pickoff attempts, a few injuries, extensions, and call-ups, the Marlins’ mediocrity despite their trades for top pitchers, Anthony Bass’s viral popcorn complaint, and more. Then (1:29:19) they do a Meet a Major Leaguer segment on Hobie Harris and Hogan Harris, check in on the Sean Murphy/Esteury Ruiz/William Contreras trade, and close with a Past Blast (1:50:06) from 1995 and a few follow-ups. Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Monk Turner, “Beef Release” Link to article on Skowron Link to Stanton’s yoga videos Link to article on Skowron’s swimming Link to more on Skowron’s swimming Link to FG post on Stanton Link to research on static stretching Link to EW Bellinger roundtable Link to Voros’s Law Link to Bellinger ovation Link to Germán article Link to Beck tweet about Germán Link to Beck EW episode Link to Soto pitch-clock tweet Link to article on Harper’s rehab Link to Ben on pitching machines Link to Emma on rehab unis Link to BP on Díaz Link to Rob on baseball drag Link to Baseball Savant drag values Link to 2023 MiLB experiments Link to Atlantic League experiments Link to info on courtesy runners Link to article on double-hook DH Link to Ben on pitcher limits Link to Harrison’s pickle expertise Link to Sam Blum on Neto Link to article on Arraez and López Link to Baumann on Arraez Link to FG post on López extension Link to FG post on Webb extension Link to FG post on Woodruff injury Link to Sam Blum on Neto Link to Bass tweet Link to Bois on the Bass tweet Link to article about Bass tweet Link to Meet a Major Leaguer wiki Link to B-Ref new debuts page Link to Emma’s Battenfield tweet Link to article on Hobie’s name Link to Landrith obit Link to Harris scouting report Link to Mets-A’s box score Link to Mets-A’s gamer Link to possum story Link to worst debut ERAs Link to worst team ERA starts Link to FG post on A’s pitching Link to framing leaderboard Link to Contreras defense article Link to more on Contreras Link to article on Brewers framing Link to 1995 Past Blast source Link to 1995 Past Blast source, cont’d. Link to pensions article Link to more info on pensions Link to 2020 pensions column Link to Teasley episode wiki Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack Link to new Correa quote Link to “Dior store” quote Link to Wade/Ward wiki Link to Sam’s 512 intro  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 an NPB matchup between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, those aces’ current talent levels and MLB futures, how velocity has climbed in NPB compared to MLB, and how stealing bases seems to be the one thing Shohei Ohtani (and, for that matter, Mike Trout) can’t do. Then (18:52) they follow up on earlier conversations about Cast Away, playing baseball on top of a tall building, and a pitcher who throws an unhittable pitch, discuss partial runs (26:53), a strange MLB survey question (37:10), whether Rob Manfred is suddenly based (44:34), Jim Bowden’s pro-ownership stance (55:17), and why teams aren’t stealing third base more often (1:06:45), followed by Stat Blasts (1:12:43) about the most first major league hits in one game, teams with the most players who had career years, the biggest years for prominent retirements at each position, and mascot clothing, plus a reaction to an assault on Rockies mascot Dinger (1:42:04), a Past Blast (1:48:04) from 1994, concerns about ESPN micing up Martín Maldonado during a game (1:50:28), and a few follow-ups (1:54:47). Audio intro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Kelley Stoltz, “Memory Collector” Link to Yamamoto/Sasaki story Link to Yamamoto/Sasaki lines Link to Yamamoto/Sasaki highlights Link to DeltaGraphs NPB data Link to 0 SB players Link to Sam Blum on Angels steals Link to Sam Miller on Trout steals Link to Ohtani “by the way” line Link to Burj al-Arab tennis Link to Tom Cruise climbing scene Link to MLB survey screenshot Link to Manfred on blackouts Link to Bowden on opt-outs Link to 2023 basestealing stats Link to Petriello on basestealing Link to Rob Mains on going for 3rd Link to Topps NOW cards Link to info on Julien debut Link to 1938 Feller game Link to 1938 debuts game Link to 1947 debuts game Link to first-hits data Link to best-seasons data Link to best-seasons summary Link to player-retirements data Link to mascots survey Link to Dinger attack video Link to article on wanted man Link to Charmin’ bear ad Link to Ben’s bidet article Link to Abbott Elementary reference Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter Link to EW emails database Link to Maldonado news Link to Ben on in-game interviews Link to Manoah video Link to Cortes/Trevino video Link to 1994 Past Blast source Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack Link to Dinger arrest news Link to Dinger summons  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 hot start by Jarred Kelenic and when to believe in a breakout, Jo Adell and the mystery of quadruple-A players, the odds of no Marlin hitting for the cycle until Luis Arraez did it this week, the Rays’ record-tying 13th straight win, new reports about new rules, and more. Then (51:12) they answer listener emails about the best urban, non-ballpark setting for baseball, the MLB player they would most want to be stranded with on a desert island (with a digression on Matt Strahm and ballpark beer sales), a pitcher with one unhittable pitch per game, and a black-box outfield, plus a Past Blast (1:26:19) from 1993. Audio intro: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Chicano Batman, “Cycles of Existential Rhyme” Link to Kelenic homer Link to Passan tweet Link to article on Kelenic’s swing Link to Verducci on Kelenic Link to article on Adell Link to Arraez cycle video Link to cycles since 1993 Link to team cycles since ’93 Link to one-team cycle odds Link to league-wide cycle odds Link to Rays streak stats Link to Springs injury story Link to Rays rally Link to FG playoff odds Link to Baumann on Lodolo Link to FG violations report Link to new B-Ref rules report Link to aircraft-carrier diagram Link to aircraft-carrier derbies Link to Mikolas lizard story Link to AP story on beer sales Link to Astros beer news Link to Strahm comments Link to Manfred on concessions Link to BA on concessions Link to Crain’s on concessions Link to Strahm’s YouTube channel Link to EW emails database Link to 1993 Past Blast source Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack  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 a wave of injuries around MLB, affecting Oneil Cruz, Adam Duvall, Ian Anderson, and several other players, the Rays’ undefeated start, the hot starts of James Outman, Miguel Vargas, and Jason Heyward, the sensual stance of J.D. Davis, silly team celebrations, the Rocket City Trash Pandas’ no-hit loss, a downturn in pitch spin, the lack of a downturn in position player pitching, pickoff attempts and game theory, running out the clock on an intentional walk, whether the clock could change perceptions of MLB’s competence, the clock and concessions, a Royals OF shift, a ball-kid collision, a Ronald Acuña Jr. base grab, and more, plus a Past Blast (1:31:32) from 1992. Audio intro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Fujiya & Miyagi, “Ankle Injuries/Electro Karaoke” Link to Dan S. on Cruz Link to video of Cruz slide Link to story on Kelly Link to Emma on bullpens in brawls Link to Jay Jaffe on Duvall Link to MLBTR on Anderson Link to 2022 25 under 25 Link to Jay on the Rays Link to Stathead on 10-0 starts Link to Joe Sheehan on the Rays Link to record career-starting streak Link to Jay on L.A.’s outfield Link to info on Heyward Link to Davis thrust Link to Angels homer helmet Link to cheesehead celebration Link to dong bong Link to Baumann on the Trash Pandas Link to Trash Pandas montage Link to Grant on the Hawkins game Link to Joe on position player pitching Link to article on Eaton Link to Ben on active pitcher limits Link to Rob Arthur on spin Link to Tango on pickoffs Link to Rob Mains on stolen bases Link to Manfred on concessions Link to BA on concessions Link to Crain’s on concessions Link to article on concessions cutoffs Link to Silver/Manfred on pace Link to Sam on spectator attention Link to Andrus shift violation Link to Royals OF alignment Link to Tango on the Royals’ results Link to Tango on two-man outfields Link to Ben C. on the Royals’ shift Link to Chen’s pickoff attempts Link to ball-kid collision Link to ball-kid pace info Link to Acuña base article Link to breakaway bases Link to bat-carrying article Link to 1992 Past Blast source Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack Link to AP on warming study Link to 2012 McCarver comments Link to 2012 Nathan analysis Link to 11-game record run differential  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 a Star Wars emergency and (5:17) an nVenue Apple odds update, then (8:57) answer listener emails about how good a team has to be to convince people that it’s cheating, a hypothetical Mike Trout ultimatum about Shohei Ohtani, whether MLB would ban a real-life Sidd Finch, whether not having to bat makes pitchers more likely to hit batters, which teams will have the most and fewest pitch-clock violations, clock-defeating schemes using baseballs and beach balls, the speediest strikeout, and mascot polling, followed by Stat Blasts (1:23:57) about the biggest velo differences in a game and on back-to-back pitches, the longest streaks of pitching appearances with a decision, the hardest-hit liners caught in the infield, and the latest in a season a division has gone without any team falling out of first for good, and a Past Blast (1:38:00) from 1991. Audio intro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme” Link to Daniel Chin on Star Wars Link to nVenue episode Link to NBA Launchpad info Link to more Launchpad info Link to Jeff on baseball LeBron Link to Rob Mains on hitting batters Link to Machado ejection Link to Anderson ejection Link to Ohtani violations Link to Rob on age and pace Link to Russell on pace and velo Link to pitch tempo page Link to Pitching Ninja video Link to 2023 velo uptick Link to mascot poll Link to Mariner Moose info Link to Slider info Link to listener emails database Link to Stat Blasts page Link to MPH differences sheet Link to decision-streak queries Link to Pederson liner Link to hardest-hit liner Link to Acuña liner Link to hardest-hit-liner leaders Link to corner liner leaders Link to simple division analysis Link to complex division analysis Link to 2006 NL West graph Link to 1991 Past Blast source Link to 1992 article Link to 1992 article continued Link to 2014 article Link to Hall obit Link to bases website Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack  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 Ben should apply for a full-time job covering Shohei Ohtani, MLB seeking a pitch-clock sponsor, the brilliance of Sandy Alcantara, clock violations leading to ejections, post-Opening Day call-ups for top prospects (most notably Grayson Rodriguez), Alcantara compared to Jacob deGrom, the feud between Tyler O’Neill and Oli Marmol, whether teams in last place will stay there, early playoff odds changes, neither overreacting nor underreacting to early-season stats, and more, plus a Past Blast (1:18:31) from 1990. Audio intro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme” Audio outro: SAVAK, “Reaction” Link to Ohtani job listing Link to clock-sponsor story Link to Ben on pitch-clock history Link to Ben on Alcantara Link to Machado ejection Link to Anderson ejection Link to Ohtani violations Link to Ohtani and Hoberg Link to Elias on Rodriguez Link to Rodriguez debut video Link to story on O’Neill and Marmol Link to tweet about Bader/Marmol Link to Ben C. on Ohtani’s stuff Link to playoff odds changes Link to Joe Sheehan on stats so far Link to quotes about ball Link to study on spring training stats Link to Rob Arthur on batted balls Link to James on signature significance Link to “whelmed” quote Link to 1990 Past Blast source Link to 1989 Hadley paper Link to Sale scissors story Link to Turn Ahead the Clock Link to David Lewis’s Twitter Link to David Lewis’s Substack Link to drag dashboard  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