Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up briefly on their recent Scott Boras banter, then answer listener emails about what a manager has to do to get fired because of a single game, possible scenarios in which Mookie Betts enters the Hall of Fame representing the Red Sox instead of the Dodgers, whether nature excursions could be beneficial to teams, what baseball would be like with weight classes for players, which party or parties to root for in conflicts between MLB and the minor leagues, how many players they could recognize from their mechanics if they saw them only as stick figures, and more, plus a Stat Blast about the most itinerant journeymen. Audio intro: Super Furry Animals, "Happiness is a Worn Pun" Audio outro: Jamestown Revival, "Journeyman" Link to Lucien Favre story Link to Jay’s post on Betts Link to Cueto graphic Link to study on the southpaw advantage Link to Francona’s comments about Cleveland Link to journeyman Stat Blast 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 discuss the news that MLB is belatedly designating the 1920-1948 Negro Leagues as major leagues (with a word from 1948 Negro Leaguer Ron Teasley), touching on the various reactions to MLB’s announcement, the positives and negatives of MLB’s approach to this process, the upcoming, complex integration of Negro Leagues stats with other major league stats, how the new classification could affect perceptions of the Negro Leagues and Negro Leaguers, and more. Then they banter about reports of a possible delayed start to the 2021 season and a deluge of Scott Boras analogies and jokes before wrapping up with a few final thoughts on the Negro Leagues news and a reflection on how their understanding of MLB’s role in the larger baseball landscape has evolved in 2020. Audio intro: The Beach Boys, "It’s About Time" Audio outro: The Lemonheads, "It’s About Time" Link to Ben’s report on the new Negro Leagues designation Link to Ben’s previous report on reclassifying the Negro Leagues Link to MLB’s press release Link to the Seamheads Negro Leagues Database Link to Ron Teasley’s Seamheads page Link to Clinton Yates on the Negro Leagues news Link to Randy Wilkins on the Negro Leagues news Link to Andrea Williams on the Negro Leagues news Link to Joe Posnanski on the Negro Leagues news Link to story about integration’s effects on the Negro Leagues Link to story about Hall of Fame voting on Negro Leagues players Link to story about Negro Leaguers and the Hall of Fame Link to Larry Lester EW interview episode Link to The Negro Leagues Were Major Leagues Link to report about postponing Opening Day Link to the MLBPA’s response Link to Boras comments  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 secret baseball-playing robots and non-secret baseball-rooting robots, how coverage of NFL scoring changes compares to coverage of MLB scoring changes, and Meg’s research about changes in access to minor league games, follow up on the Mets signing James McCann, the Phillies hiring Dave Dombrowski, and the significance of those moves for the Mets, the Phillies, and the free-agent market, and discuss the Cleveland baseball team’s intention to change its name (eventually). Then (1:00:26) they welcome oldest living former big leaguer Eddie Robinson back to the show to discuss his 100th birthday, his new podcast, weathering the pandemic, serving in World War II, his memories of Larry Doby, Whitey Ford, Joe Morgan, Dick Allen, Ned Garver, and Charley Pride, and—with an assist from his wife Bette—the secret to 65 years of marriage. Audio intro: Charley Pride, "A Whole Lotta Things to Sing About" Audio interstitial: Florence + The Machine, "100 Years" Audio outro: Simon & Garfunkel, "Mrs. Robinson" Link to rooting robots video Link to NFL scoring info Link to Craig Edwards on McCann Link to LeMahieu rumor Link to Rob Arthur on the slow offseason Link to Matt Gelb on Dombrowski Link to Evan Drellich on minor league owners Link to Meg and Ben Clemens on the minor leagues Link to New York Times report about Cleveland Link to Paul Dolan interview Link to Jeff Passan on Cleveland’s name change Link to Joe Posnanski on the old name’s origins Link to Eddie’s podcast Link to first EW interview episode with Eddie Link to EW sign-stealing episode with Eddie Link to EW interview episode with Garver Link to SI on Charley Pride and baseball Link to Eddie and Bette at the 1955 World Series Link to video of Eddie and Bobby Brown Link to MLB.com on Eddie’s 100th birthday Link to BP on Eddie’s 100th birthday Link to Craig Wright on Eddie’s 100th birthday Link to Pages from Baseball’s Past Link to Eddie’s autobiography  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 and the Phillies’ surprise hiring of Dave Dombrowski as their president of baseball operations, then (15:04) bring on Baseball America executive editor J.J. Cooper to talk about the ongoing overhaul of the minor leagues, the history of the relationship between the majors and minors, why MLB sought to consolidate its control over amateur ball and the minor leagues, the impact of the pandemic, the pending improvements in conditions for minor leaguers, the virtues of amateur ball versus affiliated ball, minor league owners as sympathetic figures, how the 120 affiliated teams were determined, efficiency vs. access to the sport, and whether baseball will be better or worse off in the long run. Audio intro: Whitney, "Dave’s Song" Audio interstitial: The Strokes, "Under Control" Audio outro: The Orange Peels, "Take Me Over" Link to Jayson Stark on the Phillies hiring Dombrowski Link to a compendium of J.J.’s coverage Link to J.J. on the 120 teams announcement Link to Evan Drellich on the 120 teams announcement Link to J.J. on how the 120 teams were chosen Link to J.J. on what’s next for excluded teams Link to J.J. on expanded player limits Link to J.J. on the Staten Island Yankees lawsuit Link to J.J. on the new amateur leagues Link to J.J. on the origins of short-season ball Link to J.J. on minor league player expenses Link to J.J. on minor league facility upgrades Link to Baseball America podcast Link to preorder the Baseball America 2021 Prospect Handbook  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 “listening aggressively,” “progressing past just talking,” and other winter rumor terminology, contemplate what the “virtual Winter Meetings” look like, then break down several rumored or completed trades or signings, including Lance Lynn and Adam Eaton to the White Sox, Raisel Iglesias to the Angels, Carlos Santana and Mike Minor to the Royals, and James McCann to the Mets (touching on the competitive pictures for the Rangers, Royals, and Reds), plus a listener email about heckling José Bautista. Audio intro: The Undertones, "Listening In" Audio outro: Eric B. & Rakim, "Keep ‘Em Eager to Listen" Link to Lindor report Link to Springer report Link to Sam on “drawing interest” Link to FanGraphs Twitch happy hour Link to Craig Edwards on the Lynn trade Link to Ken Rosenthal report about Lynn Link to Tony Wolfe on the Eaton signing Link to Ben Clemens on the Santana signing Link to Jay Jaffe on the Iglesias trade Link to story about McCann’s framing makeover Link to story about McCann’s improved framing Link to Bautista video  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 MLB’s long-shot attempt to recoup COVID-related losses from its insurance providers, Tomoyuki Sugano getting posted, and why the Phillies’ rebuild has stalled, then (36:45) talk to Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of Hall of Famer and Negro Leagues great Josh Gibson and the executive director of the Josh Gibson Foundation, about his campaign to get MLB’s MVP award renamed after Gibson, how he learned about his great-grandfather’s life, why he decided to devote himself to honoring the legacy of his great-grandfather and the Negro Leagues, common misconceptions about Gibson, Gibson’s skill as a catcher, what-ifs about Gibson’s career, efforts to collect Negro Leagues stats, the centennial of the Negro Leagues, the Gibson Foundation’s programs, and more. Audio intro: The Mountain Goats, "Insurance Fraud #2" Audio interstitial: Dan Bern, "Josh Gibson" Audio outro: Neil Young, "Goodbye Dick" Link to AP story about MLB suing its insurance providers Link to Rob Mains on the MLB lawsuit Link to Craig Calcaterra on the MLB lawsuit Link to story about minor league lawsuit getting dismissed Link to FanGraphs international prospect rankings Link to Wheeler trade rumors Link to Jeff Passan on the Wheeler trade rumors Link to Sam Miller on the Phillies’ rebuild Link to Josh Gibson Foundation website Link to Sean Gibson’s article for The Undefeated Link to MVP petition Link to Pittsburgh Magazine article about Gibson Link to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article about Gibson Link to Ben on MLB reclassifying Negro Leagues stats Link to Gibson’s Seamheads page Link to Shakeia Taylor on Dick Allen Link to Jay Jaffe on Allen  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 offer an update about Sam Miller’s status on the podcast, banter about the Rangers hiring former pitcher Chris Young as their new GM and play-by-play man Len Kasper’s move from Cubs TV broadcasts to White Sox radio broadcasts, and answer listener emails about how tanking teams could be more entertaining, the plausibility and value of a hitting counterpart to the pitching machine, the viability of baseball as a 24-hour service, and how different baseball would be if the dimensions of the strike zone didn’t vary by batter. Audio intro: The Hold Steady, "Blackout Sam" Audio outro: Murry Kellum, "Long Tall Texan" Link to Sam’s announcement Twitter thread Link to Sam’s ESPN archive Link to Rangers press release about Young Link to Young on pitching up in the zone Link to Ben on Young in 2015 Link to Ben on moving the mound back Link to Len Kasper report  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 what went down at MLB’s non-tender deadline, touching on whether the news for arbitration-eligible players was as dire as forecasted, the more notable non-tenders, and the short- and long-term futures of free agency, then (29:36) talk to Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times about how the NPB’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have built a dynasty that has won four consecutive Japan Series titles (and seven since 2011), how the Hawks have influenced the rest of the league, the MLB futures of Oscar Luis Colás (the “Cuban Ohtani”) and ace Tomoyuki Sugano, the strength of women’s baseball in Japan, how the NPB dealt with the pandemic, and whether more foreign players may want to play in Japan. Audio intro: The Mountain Goats, "High Hawk Season" Audio interstitial: Superchunk, "Hello Hawk" Audio outro: Shovels & Rope, "The Last Hawk" Link to list of non-tendered players Link to list of signed players who avoided arbitration Link to Craig Edwards on non-tender takeaways Link to FanGraphs Audio non-tender reactions Link to FanGraphs international prospect rankings Link to Jason on the Hawks’ recent dominance Link to Jason on the Hawks’ latest Japan Series win Link to Jason on the Pacific League/Central League imbalance Link to Jason on the NPB’s COVID restrictions Link to MLB.com story on Colás Link to MLB Network segment on Colás Link to Colás video Link to Jason on Sugano Link to Sugano video Link to Jason on women’s baseball in Japan Link to Jessica Luther on women’s baseball in Japan Link to story about Ayami Sato  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 Sam Miller banter about how many negative WAR an average fan would be worth over a full MLB season, discuss an MLB fan survey, what they would want to ask fans, and how much MLB can actually improve baseball’s popularity, break down a baseball music video for “The Adults Are Talking” by The Strokes, and do a double Stat Blast about the longest spans covered by two overlapping MLB careers and whether batted balls that become doubles are different on the whole from batted balls that become triples. Audio intro: The Strokes, "The Adults Are Talking" Audio outro: Nada Surf, "Robot" Link to Reddit thread about negative WAR Link to Sam on playing in an MLB game Link to MLB fan survey Link to video for “The Adults Are Talking” Link to Julian Casablancas on “Ode to the Mets” Link to Stat Blast long-tenured duos 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 talk to FanGraphs’ Craig Edwards and Eric Longenhagen about MLB’s approaching non-tender deadline, why a number of prominent players may not be offered contracts, the effect a non-tender deluge might have on the free agent market, how slowly this free agent market might move, whether owners’ claims of financial hardship should be believed, MLB’s offseason vs. the NBA and NFL offseasons, whether there’s a way to speed up MLB’s winter activity, whether the MLBPA should consider a salary cap (and floor), the tantalizing talent of Ha-seong Kim, the challenge of ranking prospects in 2020, and more. Audio intro: First Aid Kit, "Tender Offerings" Audio outro: Frank Sinatra, "(Love Is) The Tender Trap" Link to FanGraphs’ top 50 free agents ranking Link to Eric on the coming deluge of non-tenders Link to Eric’s team-by-team non-tender predictions Link to Craig’s crowdsourcing non-tenders post Link to Craig on Sánchez Link to Dan Szymborski on Kim Link to Syndergaard’s tweet Link to Ben on the uncertain offseason Link to Tinkers baseball passage Link to EW Secret Santa  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