Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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 experience at the ballpark, plus a Stat Blast (1:02:54) about the minor league affiliates with the longest streaks of sending an alum to the World Series, a Ukraine edition of Meet a Major Leaguer featuring Izzy Goldstein (1:13:01), and a few closing lockout thoughts. Audio intro: The Frames, “The Stars Are Underground” Audio outro: Bee Gees, “Odessa (City on the Black Sea)” Link to MLBPA donation tweet Link to mole eyesight info Link to Sam on the pit Link to Toe Nash story Link to Sidd Finch story Link to Tigers impostor story Link to story on umpire zones Link to Ben on robo zones Link to story on metaverse Truist Park Link to Lilly video Link to Jeff on the windup’s decline Link to lefty familiarity piece Link to sweet-swinging lefties piece Link to Stat Blast data Link to Isaac Johnston’s thesis Link to Goldstein SABR bio Link to Jewish Baseball Museum page Link to Odessa Twitter thread Link to Bill Cristal B-Ref page Link to Reuben Ewing B-Ref page Link to Goldstein B-Ref page Link to Ukraine charities Link to more Ukraine donation options Link to third Ukraine donation site  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 up to the MLB-imposed deadline for delaying the start of the season, whether MLB tried to sneak proposals past players overnight, whether the owners are trying to break the union, whether the owners and players are united internally, what still separates the two sides (and how much money it’s worth), Rob Manfred’s job security, the changing tone of national coverage of the labor negotiations, what could end the lockout, the prospect of on-field changes, and more. Audio intro: Guided By Voices, “Cohesive Scoops” Audio outro: Atomic Rooster, “People You Can’t Trust” Link to Evan’s first Manfred video Link to another Manfred video Link to well-composed Manfred video Link to MLB exec video Link to Twitter pooping exchange Link to thread on where talks stand Link to Evan’s latest report Link to Evan’s weekend column Link to MLBPA statement Link to Stripling quote Link to Martino report Link to article on Ohtani’s service time Link to Clemens on the financial gap Link to Evan on EW in November Link to Ghiroli on the talks Link to Rosenthal on the talks Link to McCullough on the talks Link to Passan on the talks Link to Ben on Lords of the Realm  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 owners’ self-interested stewardship of the sport, explain the queasy sensation of simultaneously rooting for and against baseball being played, and forecast how and when the lockout could end, while touching on a number of other topics including the prospect of MLB players suiting up overseas, Derek Jeter’s resignation as CEO of the Marlins, Tony Clark’s striking beard, and much more. Audio intro: Murder by Death, “Raw Deal” Audio outro: Bettye Swann, “(My Heart Is) Closed for the Season” Link to MLBPA statement Link to Manfred’s letter Link to Baumann’s column Link to Jaffe’s column Link to Passan on the talks Link to Rosenthal on the talks Link to McCullough on the talks Link to Ghiroli on the talks Link to Harper’s Instagram post Link to Rosenthal on Jeter Link to Sherman on Jeter Link to Rojas tweet Link to article about lockout photos Link to Ringer Baseball podcast feed Link to Dan Devine on Ja Morant Link to EW episode on lockout effects Link to Stripling quote Link to The Simpsons video clip  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 Nakagawa, the founder and director of the non-profit Nisei Baseball Research Project, about the history of baseball in Japan, the development of baseball in the Japanese American community, the impact and legacy of Kenichi Zenimura and the Vancouver Asahi, the 80th anniversary of FDR’s order to incarcerate Japanese Americans during World War II, the role of baseball in the internment camps, Masanori Murakami’s trailblazing career, Nakagawa’s athletic ancestors and his efforts to preserve Japanese American baseball history, and much more. Audio intro: Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, “Faking a Living” Audio interstitial: Kat Eggleston, “Executive Order 9066” Audio outro: Sloan, “Can’t You Figure it Out?” Link to Rosenthal’s column Link to Passan’s tweet Link to Liberty Media news Link to The Athletic on Liberty Media Link to Manfred video tweet Link to dog photo tweet Link to Nisei Baseball Research Project Link to mlb.tv autorenew article Link to NJAHS summary Link to history museum explainer Link to Diamonds in the Rough Link to barnstorming photo Link to high school curriculum Link to Executive Order 9066 Link to E.O. 9066 wiki Link to story on 80th anniversary Link to Sleeping Dogs documentary Link to Vancouver Asahi story Link to THT on the Asahi Link to Zenimura info Link to Zenimura SI story Link to Gila River story Link to MLB.com Murakami story Link to 42 for 21 list Link to 42 for 21 EW episode Link to Doc Adams EW episode Link to Doc Adams story Link to Doc Adams SABR bio  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 there was a debate about the no. 1 prospect, the future of Adley Rutschman, the glut of catching prospects and how robo umps could affect the position, Oneil Cruz and Elly De La Cruz, assessing injured prospects, the outlook for Joey Bart, the placements of Jasson Dominguez, Anthony Volpe, and Nick Yorke, farm rankings and teams with good and bad systems, disagreements within the prospect team, prospects who just missed and who might make the list next year, and setting realistic expectations (plus a postscript followup on MLB heels and Jimmy Piersall, Casey Stengel, and the fallibility of history). Audio intro: Jamestown Revival, “Prospector’s Blues” Audio outro: Tigers Jaw, “Jimmy Piersall (Alternate Version)” Link to 2021 prospects ranking Link to 2022 prospects ranking Link to prospect primer Link to The Board tutorial Link to top 100 chat Link to 2023 picks to click Link to prospect valuation study Link to Ben on pitching prospects Link to BP on picking the top prospect Link to AFL strike call video Link to Ben on robo umps Link to Ben on teaching framing Link to Rob Arthur on framing Link to James Fegan on framing Link to De La Cruz video Link to Tess Taruskin on catchers Link to story on Dominguez cards Link to Votto video playlist Link to Stanky draft episode Link to Piersall’s SABR bio Link to picture of Piersall Link to Stengel’s reaction to Piersall Link to story on Piersall and Frick Link to story on Stengel and Piersall Link to story on Stengel and Bordagary Link to story on Piersall’s release Link to second story on Piersall’s release Link to story on his Stanky maneuver  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 about preventing a Shohei Ohtani injury, anointing MLB’s biggest heel, bringing ultimate Frisbee’s self-officiating to baseball, posting the wrong lineup on the scoreboard to confuse an opposing team, a pitcher with one pitch but perfect (albeit limited) command, programming a robomanager, and more. Audio intro: Roxy Music, “Three and Nine” Audio outro: Belle and Sebastian, “I Can See Your Future” Link to Ben on pitcher hitting Link to BtBS on the universal DH Link to Star Trek Ringer MLB Show Link to ballpark homogeneity study Link to BP on LeMahieu Link to FanGraphs on LeMahieu Link to Gonny Jomes EW wiki page Link to video of Pierzynski play Link to Michael Baumann on Bregman Link to Incaviglia rule story Link to Robinson retirement story  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 to A Game of Inches intro Link to King Kelly myth Link to archaic/obsolete rule changes Link to story about Chapman and new balls Link to more on Chapman and balls Link to story on the spitball’s evolution Link to story on banning the spitball Link to Utley slide rule story Link to Stanky maneuver story Link to Stanky maneuver image Link to Stanky maneuver/sac fly rule Link to story on Randle foul ball play Link to Randle video Link to story on foul ball rules Link to A Game of Inches on fair-fouls Link to Nate Silver on Barnes Link to Barnes Stathead WAR query Link to Stanky running start rule story Link to base-coach interference passage Link to Schaefer reverse-running rule Link to story about the Schaefer play Link to Schaefer in The Glory of Their Times Link to The Glory of Their Times fact-checks Link to story on Harry Davis play Link to story on Segura play Link to Veeck’s fences story Link to Ben on Veeck As in Wreck Link to Green Cathedrals debunking Link to A Game of Inches on Lane Link to Venditte rule blog post Link to ESPN Venditte feature Link to 2008 NYT Venditte story Link to 2008 Venditte video Link to oversized mitt story Link to A Game of Inches on oversized mitts Link to Ben on the Waxahachie Swap Link to start of Stanky LIFE story Link to end of Stanky LIFE story Link to Stanky college mound visit story Link to Stanky SABR bio Link to Stanky South Alabama feature Link to Stanky retirement story Link to George Wright hat catch story Link to old hat catch rule Link to NYT Hornsby story Link to BP on why players can’t be owners Link to story on the Spiders and syndicates Link to ESPN on the foul-strike rule Link to foul-strike rule in A Game of Inches Link to Jeff’s Capps delivery post Link to Weaver’s phantom DH rule Link to Grant on Posey and Avila Link to more info on home-plate collisions Link to post on Gaedel and Veeck Link to Cooney interference story  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 the Erik Kay trial, MLB aiming to downsize the minor leagues more, a baseball rule proposal known as “The Scramble,” and a listener email about what an eccentric billionaire would have to pay a player to retire. Audio intro: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “The Year 1812 Solemn Overture, Op. 49” Audio outro: Albert Lortzing, “Zar und Zimmermann, Holzschuhtanz” Link to latest report about bargaining Link to Zimmerman’s walk-off homer Link to story about Zimmerman and spring Link to more on Zimmerman and spring Link to Zimmerman’s announcement Link to report about Soto Link to BP piece about the Nationals Link to Truist press release Link to Truist SBJ story Link to Snow Crash on the metaverse Link to WaPo on the metaverse Link to The Ringer on the metaverse Link to ESPN on the Kay verdict Link to ESPN Daily episode on Kay Link to 2019 JDA update Link to Passan story on minor leaguers Link to HUAL “Scramble” episode Link to episode with NPB hypothetical  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 leaguers during spring training, ethical consumption under capitalism, daydreaming about a better-run MLB, how and why some media members misrepresent the negotiations, how and when the lockout will end, and more. Audio intro: Ty Segall, “Play” Audio outro: The Avett Brothers, “Locked Up” Link to Manfred transcript Link to ESPN on the new proposal Link to Jay Jaffe on the new proposal Link to Heyman tweet Link to report on Rosenthal and MLBN Link to Drellich and Rosenthal report Link to Emma’s Super Bowl tweet Link to Emma on Manfred Link to Sheehan’s latest newsletter Link to EW episode with Joe Link to Marc Normandin on owner PR Link to Craig on covering the lockout Link to Craig’s podcast Link to CJR on describing lies Link to WaPo on describing lies Link to WaPo on “both sides” Link to WaPo on the media and Jan. 6 Link to Travis Sawchik on player pay Link to The Athletic fan survey Link to thread on competitive balance Link to Polygon report about crunch Link to story about Nordic countries Link to EW episode on lockout harm Link to Drellich on minor league pay Link to Drellich on minor league lawsuit Link to thread on minor league union Link to Russell on minor league pay Link to Passan report Link to Moore quote  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

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 MLB multisport players). Audio intro: Buffalo Springfield, “Everybody’s Wrong” Audio outro: The Resonars, “The World is Wrong” Link to Joe’s newsletter Link to piece about betting promotion Link to episode with Bradford and Meredith Link to Bradford’s baseballs report Link to tennis match-fixing wiki Link to Rob Mains on owner incentives Link to Rob on market size Link to Craig Goldstein on labor language Link to Travis Sawchik on player pay Link to 1998 study on ticket prices and payrolls Link to 2003 study on ticket prices and payrolls Link to 2006 column on ticket prices and payrolls Link to 2019 study on contracts and payrolls Link to thread on competitive balance Link to Evan Drellich on MLB’s counterproposal Link to Michael Baumann on Manfred Link to Ben on Lords of the Realm Link to story about the Mets’ “Five Aces” Link to multisport players draft Link to Josh Harrison pickle story  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source