Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Javier Báez and Will Craig combining on a baffling blooper, a naked streaker seizing the moment during a rain delay at Nationals Park, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt’s objection to a foreign-substance inspection (and how MLB should respond), an update from New Era about its short-lived “Local Market” caps, and Francisco Lindor’s protracted season-starting slump, then answer listener emails about legalizing sticky stuff for bad teams and whether umps would improve if they didn’t rotate around the field. Audio intro: Passenger, "The Wrong Direction" Audio outro: Teenage Fanclub, "I Need Direction" Link to video of Báez/Craig play Link to GIF breakdown of Báez/Craig play Link to Yakety Sax version of video Link to 2012 Astros play Link to Sam’s single-play breakdown Link to video of streaker Link to another video of streaker Link to still image of streaker Link to Shaker Samman on the streaker Link to story about banning fans Link to story about Shildt Link to video of Shildt ejection Link to video of Shildt’s comments Link to The Athletic on foreign substances Link to Ben on foreign substances Link to Tony Adams Bauer video Link to Patrick Dubuque on breaking the rules Link to EW episode on foreign substances Link to WaPo on the New Era caps Link to Lindor’s Baseball Savant page Link to Lindor’s worst 44-game stretches Link to Deesha Thosar on Lindor Link to Russell Carleton on changing positions  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 banter about cicadas, New Era’s short-lived “MLB Local Market” caps, the exploits of Adolis García, and Byron Buxton being too fast for his own good, then discuss Craig’s recent writing on how to fix what ails baseball, touching on what exactly the problem (if any) is, whether the offensive environment could correct itself, the best ways to reduce pitch speed and strikeouts, and much more, plus a real-time reaction to the conclusion of MLB’s investigation into Mickey Callaway. Audio intro: The Apples in Stereo, "If You Want to Wear a Hat" Audio outro: Tall Tall Trees, "Hats" Link to The Athletic on the caps Link to Royals’ response to caps Link to post about the Grand Junction Chubs Link to first bad fun fact Link to second bad fun fact Link to Jamey Newberg on Garcia Link to Levi Weaver on Garcia Link to Buxton tweet Link to Craig and Patrick on restrictor plates Link to Craig’s rules suggestions Link to Russell Carleton on rules changes Link to Rob Arthur on time between pitches Link to THT on ascendant strikeouts Link to BA on TTO at all levels Link to article on pitch clock and injuries Link to Hot Takedown episode on offense Link to Ben on 2021 offense Link to Petriello on pitcher strikeouts Link to The Athletic on foreign substances Link to Ben on foreign substances Link to Five and Dive podcast Link to story about baseball on ice  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 the scant separation between the top teams in each division and the division races they find the most intriguing, Buster Posey, Scott Kazmir, and other old Giants, Isiah Kiner-Falefa backing up his objection to coming in last on FanGraphs’ shortstop positional power ranking, Mariners catcher José Godoy becoming the 20,000th major leaguer (or not) and the factors that influence the way we remember history, Erik Kratz alleging that the Rockies and (seemingly) Dodgers stole signs illegally and whether the world needs another act to the sign-stealing saga, Joe West breaking the record for most games umpired and the Hall of Fame umpire drought, the motley roster of the U.S. Olympic baseball team, the latest in Oakland ballpark brinksmanship, the Hanshin Tigers’ “Curse of the Colonel,” Zach Plesac’s poor undressing skills, and a Stat Blast about new Brewers shortstop Willy Adames and extreme reverse home-road splits. Audio intro: Ramones, "Don’t Come Close" Audio outro: George Harrison, "Any Road" Link to FanGraphs playoff odds Link to Jay Jaffe on Kazmir Link to story about Kiner-Falefa Link to FanGraphs shortstop WAR leaders Link to story about Godoy Link to John Thorn on the National Association Link to story about Kratz’s comments Link to 2018 story about the Brewers and Dodgers Link to Episode 1505 (on sign stealing) Link to list of Hall of Fame umpires Link to Adam Darowski on Hall of Fame umps Link to AP story about West Link to Kill the Umpire on YouTube Link to Team USA roster Link to list of winter/summer medalists Link to story about Rays lawsuit Link to Alex Coffey on Oakland’s ballpark Link to A’s postgame show walkout Link to Curse of the Colonel Wiki Link to story about Adames at the Trop Link to Stat Blast home/road splits data  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 the Shohei Ohtani stalker cam on Japanese telecasts of Angels games, the Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals facing Jacob deGrom, why this season’s no-hitters have all been so dominant, and why it doesn’t make sense to hold hitters responsible for strikeouts and low batting averages. Then they do a Meet a Major Leaguer segment on the Cubs’ Tommy Nance and P.J. Higgins and close by discussing the exciting NL West race, the Cubs’ lackluster rotation, some clubs failing to reach the 85 percent vaccination threshold, and whether MLB’s COVID-testing protocols should be changed for vaccinated players. Audio intro: The Pillows, "Stalker" Audio outro: Yusuf / Cat Stevens, "Don’t Blame Them" Link to thread about the Ohtani cam Link to story about deGrom’s rehab start Link to Ben on no-hitters Link to McClung’s video Link to 2008-21 plate discipline stats Link to story about foreign substances Link to story about Nance Link to Bleacher Nation on Nance Link to Eric Longenhagen on Nance Link to story on the Cubs and seam-shifted wake Link to Hoyer on vaccinations Link to Scherzer’s comments Link to story on perfect game losses Link to listener email question database  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 scheduling their days around Shohei Ohtani and the latest examples of Ohtani excitement, Tony La Russa and unwritten rules vs. fun and the White Sox clubhouse, and Spencer Turnbull and no-hitter overload (before Corey Kluber’s no-no on Wednesday), then answer listener emails about whether Ohtani is the world’s best athlete, resting or playing Ohtani during All-Star week, whether not making the playoffs is too frequent a talking point when it comes to Ohtani and Mike Trout, whether the union could file a grievance over unwritten rules, flopping vs. framing and the possibility of punishing framing, and the median number of plate appearances in an MLB hitter’s career, plus a Stat Blast about Kyle Seager and the players who’ve participated in the most career no-nos. Audio intro: Weezer, "1 More Hit" Audio outro: Buzzcocks, "Why Can’t I Touch It?" Link to other athletes on Ohtani Link to Mike Petriello on Ohtani Link to Brendan Gawlowski on La Russa Link to Levi Weaver on Woodward Link to Justin Choi on Turnbull Link to Sheryl Ring on framing and cheating Link to Stat Blast no-hitter data Link to Bull Durham punch scene Link to midseason managerial changes  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 the Dodgers signing Albert Pujols and what the rest of his season could look like, Kevin Pillar’s broken nose and the ongoing HBP epidemic, Shohei Ohtani’s latest heroics (and modeling video) and whether he can become a face of baseball and a crossover star, MLB’s rising injury rate, Huascar Ynoa’s self-inflicted fracture (and whether teams should invest in dugout/tunnel padding), Yermín Mercedes hitting a homer off of Willians Astudillo and igniting a tired unwritten rules debate, the Twins as potential sellers, Yasmani Grandal’s wild slash line, Nick Castellanos getting revenge on Rob Manfred, and Kyle Schwarber enjoying a mid-game snack, plus a flopping vs. framing follow-up and postscripts about Mike Trout’s injury and Tony La Russa. Audio intro: Jimi Hendrix, "Crosstown Traffic" Audio outro: Minor Threat, "In My Eyes" Link to Jay Jaffe on the Pujols signing Link to Jay on the Mets’ many injuries Link to combined WAR leaderboard Link to MLB.com on Ohtani’s homers Link to video of Ohtani’s oppo homer Link to video of Ohtani’s pulled homer Link to Ohtani’s Hugo Boss video Link to Ohtani’s Hugo Boss page Link to tweet about the Angels Link to video of Mercedes homer Link to slowest pitches hit for homers Link to video of Andrus obstruction play Link to postgame Castellanos interview Link to Bryant/Schwarber Twix video Link to video of Trout injury Link to story about Trout injury Link to The Onion on Ohtani Link to Ben on Tatis and unwritten rules Link to Sox Machine on La Russa Link to The Athletic on La Russa  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 the same-day debuts of Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert, the future of the Mariners, and whether Mariners fans have actually had it so bad, another distinction between framing and flopping, the retirement of Tyler Flowers and the impact he had on catching technique, the resurgence of Rich Hill, the state of the AL Central and whether it’s too soon to stick a fork in the unfortunate Twins, how the controversy surrounding the NBA play-in tournament mirrors the reaction to MLB’s wild card games, and the bogus revenue numbers attached to the All-Star Game, then end with a Meet a Major Leaguer segment on the Mets’ Patrick Mazeika and the Marlins’ Cody Poteet. Audio intro: Cat Stevens, "Where Do the Children Play?" Audio outro: Death Cab for Cutie, "Your New Twin Sized Bed" Link to Brendan Gawlowski on Kelenic/Gilbert Link to Baseball Prospectus on Kelenic/Gilbert Link to Gilbert headshot Link to MLB.com on prospect debut duos Link to Facebook group thread on prospect debut duos Link to Ben on Flowers’ framing improvement Link to Ben on Flowers and league-wide framing Link to Ben’s podcast interview with Flowers Link to Ryan Lavarnway on Flowers’ influence Link to 2015-19 framing leaders Link to Ben on Molina in 2012 Link to Ben on framing and the Hall Link to called-strike-rate data by year Link to WaPo on the NBA play-in game Link to NBA play-in tournament explainer Link to HUAL episode on the play-in tournament Link to research on NBA luck vs. MLB luck Link to EW Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange Link to story on Denver ASG revenue Link to Baseball Almanac ASG revenue claims Link to AJC on ASG revenue Link to Gainesville Times on ASG revenue Link to Georgia Recorder on ASG revenue Link to study on ASG revenue Link to Mazeika’s Twitter account Link to story about Mazeika Link to Sam on walk-off celebrations Link to Mazeika walk-off videos  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 the Mariners calling up pitching prospect Logan Gilbert, the late-inning dominance of Aroldis Chapman and (more unexpectedly) Kendall Graveman, Shohei Ohtani’s best start of the season, and the Astros providing housing for their minor leaguers, then answer listener emails about their favorite baseball seasons, how long it will take for 2020 footage of fan-free ballparks to seem surprising, MLB shifting to a six-game-a-week schedule, framing vs. flopping, pitchers protesting having to hit by striking out on purpose, ordering ballpark food from home, and the culture of intentional plunkings. Audio intro: The Bangles, "One of Two" Audio outro: Paul and Linda McCartney, "Eat at Home" Link to MLB.com on Seattle’s prospect promotions Link to The Athletic on Chapman’s splitter Link to Pinstripe Alley on Chapman’s splitter Link to Bronx Pinstripes on Chapman’s splitter Link to Lookout Landing on Graveman Link to Lookout Landing on Graveman again Link to The Athletic on Graveman Link to video of Ohtani’s Tuesday highlights Link to post on Ohtani’s cutters Link to Forman Stathead tweet Link to report on Astros housing Link to Jeff Long on minor league dorms Link to Russell Carleton on minor league living Link to story about schedule makers Link to documentary about schedule makers Link to video of Walker strikeout Link to Dodgers Home Plates menu Link to story about Dodger Dog supplier Link to Dodger Dog ode  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 the Mariners’ impending call-up of top prospect Jarred Kelenic, the Dodgers’ recent slump, the Oakland A’s threatening to relocate, Wade Miley’s no-hitter and how long it takes for no-no fatigue to set in, whether MLB’s offensive downturn will force the league to take action, the role of hitters in the hit-by-pitch spike, a near-umpire perfect game and the unparalleled pitch-calling accuracy of unsung umpire John Libka, the Mets’ mysterious rat/raccoon fiasco, the return of Luke Voit, zombie runners, and players and staff testing positive post-vaccine, plus a PSA about broadcasters saying “effectively wild.” Audio intro: The Clash, "The Call Up" Audio outro: Paul McCartney, "Keep Under Cover" Link to FanGraphs’ top prospects Link to ESPN report about the A’s Link to Tony Wolfe on Miley’s no-no Link to Rob Arthur on HBP Link to Ken Rosenthal on HBP Link to Sara Sanchez on HBP Link to 2002 armor crackdown news Link to podcast with Theo Link to Libnak umpire scorecard Link to Umpire Scorecards explainer Link to Libnak call of the month Link to Libnak Mets game Link to Ben on umpire perfect games Link to ump accuracy rates by game Link to lifetime ump accuracy rates Link to seasonal ump accuracy rates Link to Meg on a baseball penalty box Link to Zack Scott rat/raccoon story Link to Jay Jaffe on zombie runners  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 Byron Buxton and the Twins, discuss the Angels designating Albert Pujols for assignment, and answer listener emails about whether to accept a scenario where one’s team always finishes .500 but one also gets to enjoy the career of a generational player, pitchers accepting automatic strikeouts, the best way for catchers to call for appeals on check swings, and appreciating the community of baseball as much as or more so than the sport itself, plus a Stat Blast about Glenn Davis and the most lopsided trades of all time. Audio intro: British Sea Power, "Albert’s Eyes" Audio outro: Shocking Blue, "Never Release the One You Love" Link to Rosenthal on injuries in 2021 Link to Sam in 2012 on Pujols Link to Ben in 2017 on Ohtani and Pujols Link to data on most hits above .300 Link to Ben on retirement gifts Link to Meg on retirement gifts Link to interview with LSU pitcher Link to Ben on checked swings Link to Stat Blast data on lopsided trades Link to Ardaya on Pujols Link to Rosenthal on Pujols  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