Ben and Sam talk to Mike Fisher, the baseball coordinator of Moneyball and the new Fox series Pitch, about how he makes baseball look realistic on screen (and what he might have missed). Source
Ben and Sam banter about the Giants’ bullpen problems and Bryce Harper’s shoulder, then answer listener emails about Terrance Gore, Gary Sanchez, calling time, playoff formats, one-pitch baseball, and more. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Padres GM A.J. Preller’s suspension, then discuss whether each of 2016’s non-playoff teams should consider its season a success or a failure. Source
Ben and Sam talk to former Sonoma Stompers pitchers Santos Saldivar and Dylan Stoops about their progress as players, meager earnings, and clubhouse experiences during their rookie seasons in affiliated ball with the Brewers and Padres, respectively. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Shohei Otani and answer listener emails about Rich Hill, tanking in the season’s last series, interleague play, Jose Bautista’s ballpark ownage, and more. Source
Ben, Sam, and Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Andy McCullough discuss Dave Roberts’ decision to remove Rich Hill after seven perfect innings on Saturday. Source
Ben, Sam, and Sonoma Stompers GM Theo Fightmaster answer listener emails about the Stompers’ past two seasons and Ben/Sam’s book, The Only Rule Is It Has to Work. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Yasiel Puig’s clubhouse qualities, Giancarlo Stanton’s comeback, and Anthony Rizzo vs. Wily Peralta, then answer listener emails about Kershaw and Trout, the Hall of Fame, roster sizes, young cores and more. Source
Ben and Sam banter about MLB’s copycat comedians, then discuss players whose big contracts seem much more movable (or unmovable) after perception-altering 2016 seasons. Source
Ben and Sam talk to BP’s Rob Mains about what Billy Hamilton’s career might have looked like in an earlier era, and whether baseball teams’ increasing efficiency has made the sport better or worse as a spectator experience. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Shohei Otani, then answer listener emails about running the Rockies (with a twist), a Kershaw dilemma, a time-traveling Ubaldo Jimenez, umpire park effects, and more. Source
Ben and Sam banter about an In-N-Out Burger baseball promotion gone wrong and the MLB.TV Game Changer, then decide which win-value stat they side with when the available options don’t tell the same stories about certain stars. Source
Ben, Sam, and BP’s Jonathan Judge discuss the Dodgers’ puzzling decision to trade A.J. Ellis for Carlos Ruiz, breaking down the beloved backstops’ hard-to-see skills and then considering the clubhouse implications. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Rich Hill and Dylan Stoops, then answer listener emails about Collin McHugh, stacking rosters with clones of Barry Bonds, diving into first base, Dylan Bundy and Ervin Santana, and more. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Mike Trout’s draft-round dominance, then discuss whether the Diamondbacks need a regime change and whether the Orioles are making the right decisions about Dylan Bundy. Source
Ben and Sam talk to author, associate professor, and FanGraphs writer Nathaniel Grow about the financial ramifications of Prince Fielder’s retirement and how contract insurance works in baseball. Source
Ben and Sam discuss their definitions of “value” and whether they think Orioles closer Zach Britton will be a deserving candidate for end-of-season awards. Source
In their first live episode of Effectively Wild, recorded on Saturday at Saber Seminar, Ben and Sam answer listener emails with help from two players, John Baker and David Aardsma. Source
Ben and Sam talk to Georgia State University Assistant Professor Tim Kellison about his initiative to combat misinformation about public stadium funding for sports teams. Source
Ben and Sam banter about the longest-lasting plays in baseball, then answer listener emails about the Braves with a man advantage, Francisco Mejia’s hitting streak, dealing with Fenway Park poles, new unwritten rules, and more. Source
Ben and Sam banter about an odd ad, a Terry Collins quote, Andrew Miller, and more, then discuss the lessons we can learn from the legacy and career of Alex Rodriguez. Source
Ben talks to FanGraphs writer Jeff Sullivan and FiveThirtyEight writer Rob Arthur about Bryce Harper’s extended slump and their surprising (and somewhat dismaying) findings about his great 2015. Source
Ben and Sam banter about a hard-to-believe baseball ad, then answer listener emails about the NL Central, GM metadata, Aaron Sanchez, deceptive debuts and more. Source
Ben and Sam discuss Jonathan Lucroy, Rich Hill, the rebuilding Yankees, the price of relievers and multiple trade-deadline rumors they had trouble believing. Source
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about player development what-ifs, Aroldis Chapman and elite relievers, a team that could control the weather, Mike Trout and Barry Bonds, and more. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Matt Albers’ heartbreaking blown save, then discuss how much talent the Angels could acquire in a franchise-saving firesale. Source
Ben and Sam banter about the Hall of Fame and Jon Lester, then discuss Chris Sale’s jersey tantrum, Shelby Miller trade rumors, and the Cubs-Yankees Aroldis Chapman deal. Source
Ben and Sam talk to FanGraphs managing editor Dave Cameron about his probably-not-entirely-inaccurate predictions for the upcoming non-waiver trade deadline. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Ben’s new job at The Ringer, a distressing Jose Altuve video, and Clayton Kershaw, then answer listener emails about dugout pranks, contracts and the Hall of Fame, tattoos of players, how to manage managers, and more. Source
Ben and Sam banter about Joe DiMaggio’s breath and Yan Gomes’s sacrifice, then discuss the latest wrinkle in umpire-manager fights. Source
