Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the fact that it took a former player to hire Kim Ng as MLB’s first woman general manager, follow up on the unwritten rules controversy surrounding Kyuji Fujikawa’s final out, and evaluate two recent statements by Scott Boras, then (24:07) bring on Baseball Prospectus ’s Patrick Dubuque and FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski to discuss whether baseball is “solved,” how sabermetrics has benefited and broken baseball both economically and tactically, and whether its ...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Marlins hiring Kim Ng and the significance of Ng becoming MLB’s first woman GM, the Angels hiring Perry Minasian and the team’s ownership issues, Kyuji Fujikawa and an NPB unwritten rule, Ryan Tepera’ s accidental MVP vote, and how FanGraphs readers feel about 2020’s new rules, plus a Stat Blast about Brandon Belt , Brandon Crawford , and the most prolific putout tandems in MLB history. Then (43:30) they talk to The Athletic’ s Eno Sarris and former ...
Nov 14, 2020•1 hr 24 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Marcus Stroman accepting the qualifying offer and tweeting about Tony La Russa, what the AL Cy Young voting says about the Dodgers, and the singular greatness of the 2014-15 Royals, then answer listener emails about Noodles Hahn and how quickly former star players get forgotten, whether there should be three winners of each award in 2020, and proposed rules that could distinguish the AL from the NL in the post-pitcher hitting era (and whether it’s desira...
Nov 12, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Jeff Luhnow’s lawsuit against the Astros and Max Muncy’s and Joe Kelly’s comments about MLB’s permeable postseason quasi-bubble, then conduct their sixth annual free-agent-contract over/under draft. Audio intro : The Clash, " All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts) " Audio outro : The Electric Prunes, " Sold to the Highest Bidder " Link to L.A. Times Luhnow lawsuit story Link to The Athletic Luhnow lawsuit story Link to Muncy’s comments about Turne...
Nov 10, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Steven Goldman of Baseball Prospectus banter about MLB’s Friday news dump, covering the Red Sox hiring Alex Cora, the Mets cleaning house in the front office and the potential for new owner Steve Cohen to be baseball’s offseason spending savior, and the league announcing that it wouldn’t discipline the Dodgers’ Justin Turner for his behavior after World Series Game 6. Then (27:56) they talk to pitching coach and journalist Brian Vikander, a co-author of the new bi...
Nov 07, 2020
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the status of the designated hitter and answer a listener email with a Stat Blast about hitters who’ve homered from every spot in the lineup, then (23:11) bring on Cleveland life skills coordinator Jen Wolf to talk about her career path in baseball, what a life skills coordinator for an MLB team does, how her work with players has differed from the norm this year because of the pandemic, the group text she started for women working in baseball operations...
Nov 06, 2020
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley remind their audience to vote, then banter about this year’s selection of qualifying offers and what the Rays declining Charlie Morton ’s option for 2021 signifies for the free-agent market (if anything) before answering listener emails about front-office parity and what teams can do to differentiate themselves from each other, and what pitchers could do to diminish the times-through-the-order effect. Then (45:15) Ben talks to former major leaguer Clay Bellinger abou...
Nov 03, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the industry-shocking rehiring of Tony La Russa as the manager of the Chicago White Sox nine years after La Russa’s last managerial job and the Detroit Tigers’ hiring of A.J. Hinch immediately after the end of his sign-stealing suspension, then anticipate what could be an ominous offseason. Audio intro : Silver Jews, " I’m Getting Back into Getting Back into You " Audio outro : Stars, " Reunion " Link to James Fegan on La Russa Link to Michael Baumann on La R...
Oct 31, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss Justin Turner ’s positive COVID test, his unsafe decision to return to the field after World Series Game 6, and why his protocol-breaking behavior cast a pall over the World Series celebration, then examine the series’ significance to the legacies of the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw , why the Dodgers were a fun team to follow, why no asterisk is required, the legendary postseason performance of Randy Arozarena , Rays manager Kevin Cash’s much-maligned decision...
Oct 29, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller break down the exciting fourth and fifth games of the World Series, touching on Brett Phillips’ momentous hit and the Dodgers’ momentous misplays at the end of Game 4, the managerial decisions that led to that wild ending, Manuel Margot’ s baserunning and Clayton Kershaw ’s pitching in Game 5, and other observations, plus a preview of Game 6 and a possible Game 7. Audio intro : Guided By Voices, " Run Wild " Audio outro : Dinosaur Jr., " What Was That " Link to Dan S...
Oct 27, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the groundswell of support for Mookie Betts as the best player in baseball, stand up for Mike Trout , and explain why Betts and Trout make an ideal duo as faces of the sport, then examine Yadier Molina ’s frustration with Gold Glove voting, the sabermetric reappraisal of Yadi’s Hall of Fame case, and Jeff Luhnow’s latest attempt to proclaim his ignorance of the Astros’ sign-stealing operation before answering a listener email about playing a best-of-seve...
Oct 23, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the first two games of the World Series, touching on Clayton Kershaw ’s Game 1 excellence, the Dodgers’ discipline, Dave Roberts’ pitcher usage, the status of Rays reliever Nick Anderson , the Game 2 breakout of Brandon Lowe , and the outlook for the rest of the series. Then they banter about the differences and similarities between early baseball and the modern game and answer listener emails about the gap between pitchers’ regular-season and postseason ERAs...
Oct 23, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the exciting seventh games that decided the ALCS and NLCS, the exits of the Astros and Braves, the Braves’ future, how the Dodgers defeated Atlanta, the joy of home run robberies, the Mookie trade revisited, and more, then preview the World Series, focusing on the return of off days, the similarities and differences between the Dodgers and Rays, how we got a matchup between the two top seeds, the dangers of shifting against right-handed hitters, the best way ...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 17 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a podcast interview that may hinge on the Rays winning the World Series, John Smoltz’s on-air app suggestion, the latest developments in the Dave Roberts and Clayton Kershaw playoff narratives, the Dodgers and Astros on the brink, the long-term outlook for Randy Arozarena , encouraging catcher glove gestures, the White Sox firing Rick Renteria, and Billy Beane possibly calling it quits as a baseball executive. Then (44:00) they bring on Bradford William ...
Oct 17, 2020•1 hr 17 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a baseball ad on the radio, revisit the topic of how often teams win when they outhomer their opponents, discuss the brand of baseball on display this postseason, share a Stat Blast about the percentage of runs scored on homers and investigate whether all-or-nothing baseball is as problematic as it’s made out to be, then examine a pair of standout postseason umpiring efforts and answer listener emails about whether groundball pitchers might make a comeba...
Oct 16, 2020
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Honda Fit being discontinued, then discuss Game 5 of the Yankees-Rays ALDS, why this postseason’s strikeout-centric, home-run-reliant brand of baseball may be entertaining to hardcore fans but a turnoff to non-fans, the ALCS and NLCS matchups, the incredible depth of the Rays and Dodgers, whether (and why) offensive strikeout rate is a strong predictor of team postseason success, how Dodgers architect Andrew Friedman has put his stamp on every champi...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which team with a new opening at the top of its baseball operations department would be the most attractive to baseball executives: the Reds, the Phillies, or the Angels. Then (15:07) they bring on James Buffi , the biomechanics expert, former Driveline Baseball biomechanics consultant and Dodgers senior analyst, and current CEO of motion analysis company Reboot Motion, to discuss the path he took from public research to working for a team, the biomechan...
Oct 09, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the merits of stats about the success of teams that hit more home runs in the playoffs and then review the first several games of the division series, touching on the unparalleled power of Giancarlo Stanton , the Yankees’ piggyback pitcher decision, the Astros’ resurgence, the overtaxed Padres’ bullpen, the latest bad blood between the Braves and Ronald Acuña Jr. , Clayton Kershaw ’s 2020 renaissance, bad blown ball/strike calls, and more (plus a Stat Blast a...
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about potato chip sponsors, playoff games at neutral sites, juiced-ball suspicions, ALDS bad blood, how Pedro Martínez approached playoff starts, postseason MLB debuts, and the power of Giancarlo Stanton, then answer listener emails about how 2020’s shortened season will affect future pitcher workloads, what counts as a “crooked number,” how to define a “hard-luck pitcher,” the significance of the Dodgers’ record win total in a simulated season, whether baseba...
Oct 07, 2020
With the wild card round wrapped up, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to the end of the Marlins-Cubs and Padres-Cardinals series and reflect on the wild card round as a whole. Then they critique a few aspects of the postseason’s national baseball broadcasts (including Alex Rodriguez ’s small-ball boosterism, the scourge of live, in-game player interviews, and the portrayal of Trevor Bauer ) before previewing the division series and paying tribute to the late, great Bob Gibson . Audio intro : D...
Oct 03, 2020•1 hr 16 min
During a brief respite between games, Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller catch up on a week’s worth of wild card action, discussing the experience of being bombarded by an unprecedented amount of postseason baseball, the playoff run environment, and the state of postseason strategy, along with observations and takeaways from every wild card matchup and musings about almost every one of the 16 playoff teams. Audio intro : The Jesus and Mary Chain, " I Can’t Find the Time for Times " Audio outro : The R...
Oct 02, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a misconception about FIP and how to weigh FIP and ERA in evaluating pitcher performance after the fact, the Phillies’ failure to make the playoffs and how the outcome of their season affects (and should affect) the future of their front office, Jacob deGrom ’s ever-increasing velocity and how his record fastball speed changes his long-term outlook, what the playoff field would have been after a 54-game season instead of a 60-game season, the lack of sta...
Sep 29, 2020•48 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about late-season playoff uncertainty, whether they’re happy with how the playoff field has turned out, the Cubs’ strange season, the surprising number of top prospects who’ve made their MLB debuts in 2020, and the percentage of promoted prospects who’ve skipped the upper levels of the minors. Then (20:47) they talk to free agent left-handed pitcher David Speer about spending six seasons in Cleveland’s system, witnessing the team turn into a pitcher developmen...
Sep 26, 2020•1 hr 10 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether we need middle names and what it was like not to know what players were worth before WAR and its statistical predecessors existed, then do Stat Blasts about pickoff attempts in a fan-free season, why home-field advantage has persisted without fans in the stands, and the Phillies’ blown leads, and finally conduct a quiz based on surprising Statcast sprint speeds. Audio intro : Will Butler, " I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know " Audio outro : Fleet Fox...
Sep 25, 2020•53 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Justin Verlander’ s Tommy John surgery, a different way to expand the playoffs, and whether MLB’s approach to playing in 2020 has been vindicated, then (38:52) talk to Defector ’s David Roth about the Mets being sold to Steve Cohen, what life as a fan would be like without the Wilpons, his expectations and hopes for the franchise, and co-founding Defector . Audio intro : Matthew Sweet, " Nothing Lasts " Audio interstitial : Amy O, " David " Audio outro :...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr 17 min
In honor of New Yorker writer and editor and Baseball Hall of Famer Roger Angell’s 100th birthday, Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley discuss what they admire about Angell’s life and work, how he’s influenced their writing, and a few of their favorite Angell works. Then (26:22) they cue up a collection of original, recorded tributes to Angell from a distinguished group of baseball writers. Audio intro : The Swinghoppers & Wolfgang Lohr, " Party Like it’s 1920 " Audio interstitial : Ma...
Sep 18, 2020•1 hr 18 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss Rob Manfred’s desire to make the 16-team playoff format permanent and how the absence of off days will affect the 2020 postseason, then conduct a Stat Blast quiz about the best same-named teammate duos, plus a non-quiz Stat Blast about pitcher usage in seven-inning doubleheaders. Audio intro : Rhett Miller, " Permanent Damage " Audio outro : Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey, " Who? " Link to Manfred’s comments Link to story about MLB “bubbles” Link to Ben Cleme...
Sep 17, 2020•58 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Justin Hollander, the Seattle Mariners’ vice president and assistant general manager in charge of baseball operations, about how the Mariners have discovered and signed overlooked talents like Austin Nola and Dylan Moore , how much preparation the front office does for minor league free agency, how to blend stats and scouting information, why teams know their own players best, the secrets to signing minor league free agents, how Nola broke out, the ones who g...
Sep 14, 2020•58 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the extraordinary stat lines of Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes , the role of randomness in baseball, the latest two-team half no-hitter, the Rays’ historic all-lefty lineup, the horrors of Red Sox pitching, the approaching end of the regular season, the states of the standings and playoff odds, the underperforming Reds, deceptive doubleheaders, why writers tend to lose their childhood fandom, the Phillies’ bad bullpen, and more. Then (51:32) they talk to ...
Sep 12, 2020•1 hr 18 min
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the backstory behind the Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio trade, break down a clichéd postgame quote by Gavin Lux , and marvel at the historic excellence of 40-year-old Twins slugger Nelson Cruz . Audio intro : Todd Rundgren, " Cliché " Audio outro : Chip Taylor, " Santa Cruz " Link to the Chicago Reader on the Cubs and Brock Link to Brock obituary Link to Lux clichés quote Link to Bull Durham cliches clip Link to Ben on Cruz in 2015 Link to Russell Carleton on th...
Sep 09, 2020•56 min
