Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about “minimum innings,” striking out the side, and an anecdote about Barry Larkin bunting, then spend the rest of the episode answering a listener request to name the five best hitters and five best pitchers of the decade—but to make matters more interesting, they do so without looking at WAR and then compare their picks to the stats at the end. Audio intro : Hot Snakes, " This Mystic Decade " Audio outro : The Muppets, " Mah Na Mah Na " Link to ...
Jul 24, 2019•1 hr 19 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a bat in front of home plate that deflected a ball, the José Ramírez resurgence, the base stealer in a Statcast ad, an Andrelton Simmons shift that wasn’t, the Atlantic League, a viral Oliver Drake pitch, and a misguided (and unguided) bunt by Fernando Tatís, Jr. , then discuss what a wild card is worth, how hard teams should pursue a spot in the play-in game, and what this year’s trade deadline will look like. Lastly (55:40), Ben talks to Rangers outfie...
Jul 23, 2019•1 hr 20 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the podcast’s seventh birthday, the end of an impressive streak by the Twins, what to think of Aaron Boone ‘s tirade against rookie umpire Brennan Miller (and Brett Gardner ’s odd dugout anger), Mike Trout and the FanGraphs Trade Value series, an Atlantic League player revolt, and five trends taking over the game, including the shift, relievers, and fewer fastballs. Audio intro : Destroyer, " Savage Night at the Opera " Audio outro : John Mellencamp, " I...
Jul 20, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s visit to Cleveland, the Giants’ perplexing situation heading into the trade deadline, Edwin Jackson’ s next destination, and the approaching addition of ads to MLB jerseys. Then they answer listener emails about whether Mike Trout ’s popularity among stat-savvy fans stems from his lack of playoff appearances, the “strikeout player of the game,” whether clutch matters more at lower levels, whether players or coaches could try to doctor data in the a...
Jul 17, 2019•1 hr 40 min
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and professional player (and former Sonoma Stompers coach, catcher, and first baseman) Tommy Lyons discuss the different types of hustle in baseball, deciding what level of hustle is acceptable in a variety of situations and examining how the fan perspective on hustle differs from the player perspective on hustle, plus a postscript (1:14:40) on two Atlantic League plays, the Angels’ combined no-hitter in tribute to Tyler Skaggs , and Bob Gibson ’s health. Audio intro :...
Jul 15, 2019•1 hr 24 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Ball Four and Jim Bouton , Million Dollar Coin Flip , Christian Yelich ’s pursuit of the first 50-30 season and which combination of power and speed would be most impressive, a baseball scene on Cheers , how the MLB All-Star Game differs from other sports’ all-star games, Bubba Starling and the incredible first round of the 2011 draft, the latest Atlantic League experiments and a new rule that isn’t really about stealing first base, the effect of the uni...
Jul 12, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, Justin Verlander ’s and Rob Manfred’s comments about the juiced ball, the recent rapid turnover among elite hitters, and an instance of premature celebration featuring Fernando Rodney , then answer listener emails about Verlander’s on-pace-to-be-historic strand rate, whether we should have recognized that Verlander’s decline in Detroit wasn’t permanent, whether we should redefine “scoring position,” whether it’s ...
Jul 11, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Colin Poche , the “Is This Guy Good?” game for relievers, Mike Trout entering the All-Star break as baseball’s best hitter and player, whether Trout could ever have his number retired league-wide, the rate at which Trout is surpassing Hall of Famers in WAR, an old discussion about Derek Jeter jerseys and the popularity of Aaron Judge , whether catcher collisions and concussions could play a part in bringing about robot umps, Howie Kendrick and a myth abo...
Jul 08, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Sam Malone maligning the Mariners, the unlikely career of pinch-hitter extraordinaire Mark Sweeney , the joys of watching Fernando Tatis, Jr. , Bryce Harper ’s Amazon store, and the definition of “MLB legend.” Then (29:43) Ben talks to Hall of Famer Bud Selig, Commissioner Emeritus and author of the new memoir For the Good of the Game , about Selig’s career, how he built consensus, the mistakes owners made in the ’70s and ’80s, collusion, how MLB missed ...
Jul 05, 2019•1 hr 19 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the passing of Tyler Skaggs . Then (9:57) Ben and Sam Miller banter about whether it’s better for a team to be in a division with a few good teams or a division with one great team and a few bad teams and answer listener emails about whether baseball is a strong-link sport or a weak-link sport, whether a team could benefit by tailoring its park and its roster to a homer-averse style of play, which teams they think it would have been better for baseball for...
Jul 03, 2019•1 hr 18 min
In a bonus episode about the London Series, Ben Lindbergh talks to Darius Austin and Russell Eassom , writers and podcasters for the UK baseball site Bat Flips and Nerds , about their experiences at both Yankees-Red Sox games, why they think there was so much scoring, whether that brand of baseball was a good advertisement for the sport, the energy in the crowd, MLB’s outreach to the UK community, what could have been better about the weekend, how they became baseball fans, the growth of the UK ...
Jul 01, 2019•55 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Ross Stripling , Los Angeles Dodgers starter and host of The Big Swing , about why he started and enjoys doing a podcast, how Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman influenced his pitching style, how he uses data to prepare for opponents, and how he feels about pitching in an era with the highest home-run rate ever. Then Stripling walks them through what he was thinking and why he threw what he threw in six memorable plate appearances from h...
Jul 01, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Twitter commotion caused by the Pioneer League’s Grand Junction Rockies (who are definitely not named the Humpback Chubs), an Angels outfield sign and Mike Trout , the curious rise and fall of Yonder Alonso , the promotion of Rays rookie (and two-way player) Brendan McKay , the upcoming FanGraphs All-Star Game event, the All-Star starters and how All-Stars should be selected, and J.D. Martinez’ s comments about writers wanting to work in front office...
Jun 29, 2019•1 hr 40 min
In a bonus episode, Ben Lindbergh banters with FanGraphs writer Craig Edwards about Craig’s explanation for the struggles of José Ramírez , and then (11:15) Ben and Craig talk to John Bitzer , founder and editor of the new site Baseball Trade Values , about designing the trade-simulation site, the challenges of valuing players and constructing fair baseball trades, how he used real trades to refine his trade model, whether teams might scout for front-office talent via his site, how he accounts f...
Jun 27, 2019•1 hr 31 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether the Red Sox pulling a pitcher in the middle of a plate appearance was an instance of “Strategy,” share a Stat Blast about whether the platoon advantage is more pronounced early or late in plate appearances, and discuss a pitch-framing flare-up between Tyler Flowers and Willson Contreras , then answer listener emails about how different baseball could be and still be baseball, whether moving the mound back would lead to many more hit batters, whet...
Jun 27, 2019
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Albert Pujols’ touching return to St. Louis, the Dodgers’ deceptive Will Smith walk-off and the reason for the proportional increase in non-pulled home runs, Commissioner Manfred’s latest comments about the ball and dingers, Newsday beat writer Tim Healey’s clubhouse confrontation with Jason Vargas and Mets manager Mickey Callaway , and the possibly pivotal PED suspension of Oakland’s Frankie Montas . Then they revisit two Sullivan-era chats about “baseb...
Jun 25, 2019•1 hr 23 min
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Ellen Adair banter about Ellen’s acting career and baseball background, the causes of (and possible solutions to) the Phillies’ post-McCutchen slump, what the (extremely far-fetched) idea of the Rays splitting time between Tampa Bay and Montreal might look like in practice, Ellen’s script for a baseball series, and her solution for maintaining her Phillies fandom in the wake of Odubel Herrera ’s domestic violence suspension. Then (44:51) they bring on San Diego Pa...
Jun 21, 2019•1 hr 22 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller review Sam’s latest observations on Jeff Sullivan-era EW episodes, including musings on Ketel Marte , the worst team draft of all time, and Johnnie LeMaster , then banter about Shohei Ohtani’ s tools, Todd Frazier’ s wild swings, Max Scherzer’ s nose-breaking bunting practice, and Mickey Callaway ’s odd pitching-change justification. They also answer listener emails about Scott Rolen and aliens, the Angels and the .500-est teams of all time, the Houdini-esque masters...
Jun 20, 2019•1 hr 17 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Yankees acquiring Edwin Encarnacion and some surprising names near the top of the MLB home-run leaderboard, Kenley Jansen ’s intentional balk, and a fun fact starring Hyun-Jin Ryu , then reckon with some of the most perplexing player seasons of 2019, focusing on the enigma that is the boom-and-bust trajectory of Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez . Audio intro : The Olivia Tremor Control, " Mystery " Audio outro : The Beach Boys, " You’re Still a Mystery " Lin...
Jun 17, 2019•55 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Shohei Ohtani’ s hot streak and future as a two-way player, Sam’s decision to listen to all of the Jeff-era EW episodes and his reactions to a few topics from the final few (including a description of Stan Musial’ s retirement tour), and two research papers about pitchers’ perceived effort level and arm strain. Then they answer listener emails about where to host baseball games overseas, future universal uniform number retirements, outsourcing strategic ...
Jun 14, 2019•1 hr 9 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s upcoming vacation and brief break from baseball, Chris Paddack’ s demotion to High-A, the latest act of Clayton Kershaw ’s career and the perils and possibilities of player aging, whether the home-run rate is too damn high, the state of the standings, what the trade market might look like under the unified trade deadline, and more. Audio intro : Super Furry Animals, " Long Gone " Audio outro : Bob Dylan, " Going, Going, Gone " Link to Ben on Kersha...
Jun 14, 2019•1 hr 2 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about poor pronunciations, an oddity in Bash Brothers , a Byron Buxton hustle double, the running (but not running enough) Royals, whether to talk about and whether they did talk about the curiously contending Rangers, and a few takeaways from the Madison Bumgarner – Max Muncy kerfuffle, then discuss several insights they gleaned from Keith Law’s oral history of how Mike Trout was (and wasn’t) drafted a decade ago. Audio intro : Stephen Malkmus, " Ocean of Rev...
Jun 10, 2019•1 hr 15 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cubs signing Craig Kimbrel , ruminating about how he’ll help Chicago, why other teams may have held off, and why it took so long for his prolonged free agency to come to a close. Then (18:06) they bring on FanGraphs prospect experts Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen to analyze the amateur draft and modern development, touching on player picks and team approaches they liked or disliked, how their mock drafts held up, pitchers vs. position players, t...
Jun 07, 2019•1 hr 18 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the paucity of pitchers selected at the top of the draft, the Hall of Famers Mike Trout passed in career WAR in May, Trout’s quietly impressive season, whether WAR has helped Trout’s reputation more than Trout has helped WAR’s, the surprising names at the top of the 2019 WAR leaderboard for pitchers, and Andrew McCutchen ’s season-ending ACL injury, then answer listener emails about baseball-inspired national holidays, what would happen if Max Scherzer i...
Jun 06, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether it would make sense for one team to “blow up the draft” by ignoring the bonus slotting system for one year, paying a premium for the top amateur talent, and incurring the maximum financial penalty. Then they discuss Ben’s new book about baseball’s player-development revolution, The MVP Machine: How Baseball’s New Nonconformists Are Using Data to Build Better Players , which is out today. (Go get it now!) Audio intro : The Tragically Hip, " Machin...
Jun 04, 2019
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ recent run of ineptitude, why some teams talk to the media and whether there’s a moral obligation for teams to share information about preventing player injuries, a question from a fantasy player who’s aiming to compete in 2027, a Clayton Kershaw vs. Jacob deGrom matchup as non-must-see TV, and the aging of Kershaw compared to that of Felix Hernandez , then discuss the arguments against and for extending the protective netting in MLB ballpa...
Jun 01, 2019•1 hr 15 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a small way in which Willians Astudillo made the world better, baseball as a conversational icebreaker, Cody Bellinger ’s incredible WAR pace, whether Bellinger is overshadowing the rest of the Dodgers (and Clay Bellinger ), and a few of 2019’s other breakout batters, present a Stat Blast about Statcast no-hitters (and Statcast hitting streaks), then answer listener emails about whether playoff odds are fair to teams that appear out of the race and why w...
May 31, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Rays’ four-man outfield against Cavan Biggio and the gradual ascendance of four-man outfields across the league, Sam’s belated thoughts on the Mets and baseball in Avengers: Endgame , a few underappreciated aspects of the late Bill Buckner ’s career, and the record number of MLB debuts this decade by sons of former big leaguers (including the return of star-caliber sons), then discuss the origins and sustainability of the Minnesota Twins’ best-in-bas...
May 29, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about snow in Colorado, the Rockies and the decline of Kyle Freeland , and the new-look Lucas Giolito and the White Sox rebuild, then discuss the state of the standings and the number of teams out of contention, touching on how the bad teams got that way, the impact of losing on attendance, the merits of rebuilding, the struggles of the Indians and Nationals (and the success of the Twins), the frequency of blowouts, Mike Trout leading the league in WAR, and co...
May 25, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Robinson Cano hurting himself hustling, Chris Carter dominating the Mexican League, the incredible continuing career of Ruben Rivera , pop-up dekes, a possible fun fact involving Orioles homers, the return of Ryan Feierabend (and an uncommon complete game), multiple improvements for instant replay review, and the significance of Carter Stewart signing with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the NPB, then answer listener emails about using Statcast for fair/fo...
May 23, 2019•1 hr 5 min
