Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about (and/or follow up on) Miguel Montero’s Cubs demise, philosophical Pirates quotes, Carter Capps, unusual ballpark constructions, jams and rallies, and target-based hitting competitions, then answer listener emails about extra-inning wins by wide margins, Jake Arrieta’s career vs. Brad Radke’s career, David Ortiz’s value, rampant base-stealing in single games, Theo Epstein’s workload, catcher interference, and the latest lexicon questions, including ins...
Jun 29, 2017•1 hr 11 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about high fastballs and the Red Sox, Carter Capps, the Nationals bullpen, the Giants’ clubhouse chemistry with Mark Melancon (and without Ángel Pagán), then discuss the Dodgers’ enviable present and future and whether anything can end their NL West hegemony. After that, they close with some episode- ending banter about the Adeiny Hechavarria trade and the official start of trading season. Audio intro : D’Angelo, " Higher " Audio outro : Black Rebel Motorcy...
Jun 27, 2017•57 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a non-revelatory tweet, cycles, Bryce Harper vs. Aaron Judge (and also vs. expectations), Jarrod Dyson’s homers and bunts, and Ben Davis’ 2001 bunt against Curt Schilling, then respond to Tom Verducci’s articles about baseball trends and explain why they aren’t worried about rising strikeout or home-run rates. Audio intro : Ray Davies, " I’ve Heard That Beat Before " Audio outro : The Zombies, " I Don’t Want to Worry " Link to Ben’s article about base...
Jun 24, 2017•55 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan have an only slightly outdated discussion of Freddie Freeman’s potential position change and a Coors Field scoreboard message, then answer listener emails about a ground-rule-double derby, an amateur GM taking over a team, where pitcher mechanics come from, what writers root for, how to tell when a new metric makes sense, Jake Arrieta’s free agency, hitters who get plunked more often than they walk, a different way to charge the mound, the predictive power of foul...
Jun 22, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the results of Jeff’s survey about what constitutes a “jam,” Justin Verlander’s comments about the height of baseball seams, and a Mike Chernoff quote about working in baseball, then talk to writer Joe Lemire about his glossary of scouting terminology, the evolution of scouting, and the unbreakable link between baseball and Marriott hotels. Audio intro : Jackie Lomax, " Sour Milk Sea " Audio outro : Willie Nelson, " Red Headed Stranger " Link to Jeff’...
Jun 21, 2017•45 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Diamondbacks’ baserunning, Rich Hill’s struggles, regrets about writing, reading the comments, and the prospect of an automated strike zone. Audio intro : Super Furry Animals, " Some Things Come From Nothing " Audio outro : Guided By Voices, " Gold Star for Robot Boy " Link to Ben’s Diamondbacks piece Link to Jeff’s Rich Hill piece iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Our Merch! Facebook Group Twitter Account Email Us...
Jun 17, 2017•51 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about position players pitching, another non-catcher catching, a Zack Cozart quote, and Ben’s latest home-runs research, then answer listener emails about Hunter Pence, better ways to make boundary calls, the number of plays at the plate, managerial aging curves, playing all nine positions in a game, the worst times to boo, the Freeze vs. Emilio Bonifacio, defining “moonshots,” MLB expansion, evaluating scouts and drafting, and more. Audio intro : Koufax, "...
Jun 15, 2017•1 hr 6 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Aaron Judge’s latest home runs, Terrance Gore’s first home run, the Angels without Mike Trout, and a Mets precedent for the odd Neifi Perez appearance discussed on the previous episode, then talk to listener Ryan Nelson about his research into which teams have had the most and least recent success in the amateur draft and what fans should expect from a typical team’s draft class. Audio intro : The Move, " The Words of Aaron " Audio interstitial : The ...
Jun 12, 2017•41 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an odd Neifi Perez appearance, John McCain’s Diamondbacks mention, EW’s August eclipse event, and a questionable fun fact, then talk to Janell Wheaton , a left-handed catcher for the Florida Gators Women’s College World Series team, about why baseball is biased against left-handed catchers (and why it shouldn’t be). Lastly, Ben banters (with himself) about an ankle-injury hypothesis. Audio intro : Andrew Bird, " A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the...
Jun 09, 2017•37 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Scooter Gennett and Cubs infield positioning, follow up on a Nelson Cruz question, and answer listener emails about defining “homegrown,” home-run league leaders, Liam Hendriks’ charity pledge, an official-scoring decision, the 40/40 club, the Cubs’ reputation, tracking warm-up pitches, the error-prone A’s, how to allocate extra runs, resting players, a baseball prophecy, the mysterious Sam Dyson, and more. Audio intro : The Stone Coyotes, " Four Time...
Jun 08, 2017•1 hr 4 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about another brawl involving a baseball, the still-sky-high home-run rate, and Jon Lester’s successful pickoff, then revisit their preseason playoff-team picks to decide which ones they would change. Audio intro : Sloan, " If I Could Change Your Mind " Audio outro : Elf Power, " Halloween Out Walking " Link to paperback edition of The Only Rule Is It Has to Work iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Our Merch! Facebook Group Tw...
Jun 06, 2017•43 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about teams and players of particular interest (including the Astros, Marwin Gonzalez, and Aaron Hicks), Scott Boras vs. Theo Epstein, the brawl battle between Eduardo Jimenez and Jesse Stallings, bat-boy uniforms, Corey Dickerson’s real name, pitcher hitting and Walter Johnson’s unsung skill, many a mascot, and more. Audio intro : Pete Townshend, " Uniforms (Corp D’Esprit) " Audio outro : The Kinks, " Do You Remember Walter? " Link to paperback edition of ...
Jun 03, 2017•1 hr 4 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about mountain-climbing, Charlie Blackmon’s RBI barrage, starter-switching, the Reds’ still-lousy pitching, a bat-boning shoutout, and Ryan Raburn, then answer emails about Nolan Arenado, Ervin Santana, and Zack Cozart, Nelson Cruz clones, career longevity, gushing broadcasters, Albert Pujols and home runs, Cody Bellinger’s hot hitting, a Padres promotion, and more. Audio intro : Super Furry Animals, " Mountain People " Audio outro : The Strokes, " I Can’t ...
May 31, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Ben Lindbergh and a Jeff Sullivan substitute banter about Clayton Kershaw, then discuss all of the fallout from Mike Trout’s surgery and Bryce Harper’s brawl. Audio intro : The Muppets Take Manhattan soundtrack, " Together Again " Audio outro : Paul McCartney, " Seems Like Old Times " Link to paperback edition of The Only Rule Is It Has to Work iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Our Merch! Facebook Group Twitter Account Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source...
May 30, 2017•49 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Pokémon as a baseball show, Mike Montgomery’s workload, whether the Yankees are preparing to turn heel again, and the AL’s early interleague dominance, then discuss whether baseball fans are better off with or without an awareness of projections and playoff odds. Audio intro : Steely Dan, " Gaslighting Abbie " Audio outro : Harry Belafonte, " Jamaica Farewell " Link to Pokémon clips iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Ou...
May 27, 2017•39 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan answer listener emails about performance in interleague games, how rising strikeout rates affect defense, the “foul pole” vs. the “fair pole,” the worst best player on a major league team, Terry Collins’ injury gag order, the best control pitcher of our era, “doubles up the middle,” strikeout terminology, the worst pitchers ever, a Barry Bonds fun fact, what makes baseball leaderboards interesting, a starter bait-and-switch, and more. Audio intro : Yo La Tengo, " ...
May 26, 2017•58 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the White Sox signing Luis Robert, the Twins’ turnaround, and small-sample successes such as Anthony Swarzak and Chad Pinder, then discuss Jonathan Lucroy’s perplexing defensive decline and the state of catcher framing in 2017. Audio intro : Of Montreal, " Rose Robert " Audio outro : Brian Eno & John Cale, " Empty Frame " Link to Ben’s Jonathan Lucroy article iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Our Merch! Facebook Gr...
May 24, 2017•49 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on a few topics from their previous episode, including allowing first career hits, defining jams and, naturally, bat-boning, then banter about the Mets and Kenley Jansen and discuss why we’re seeing fewer fastballs and Clayton Kershaw vs. Chris Sale. Audio intro : Robyn Hitchcock, " The Bones in the Ground " Audio outro : Fastball, " Drifting Away " Link to Jerry Crasnick’s Mets article iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get O...
May 20, 2017•50 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a mid-start adjustment by Clayton Kershaw and answer listener emails about what constitutes a “jam,” pitchers who’ve allowed the most first career hits, how to analyze player problems and improvements, team abbreviations, hitters who homer and bunt, left-handed infielders, whether bats could be causing the home-run surge, and more. Audio intro : Rage Against the Machine, " Sleep Now in the Fire " Audio outro : Soundgarden, " Bones of Birds " Link to B...
May 18, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Jason Vargas, and the evolution of Matt Albers’ save celebration, then talk to writer Sky Kalkman about his new bullpen stat, Win Probability Added Over Replacement, the problems with Win Probability Added as a tool for reliever evaluation, and the “right” way to evaluate a bullpen pitcher. Audio intro : Beck, " He’s a Mighty Good Leader " Audio interstitial : Frank Sinatra, " The Second Time Around " Audio outro : Cold War K...
May 16, 2017•37 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on two topics from the previous episode, announce an upcoming live event, banter about seven winning teams that weren’t supposed to win and Oakland’s monthly ballpark pass, and then discuss whether they’re pro- or anti-ties in baseball.. Audio intro : Beastie Boys, " No Sleep Till Brooklyn " Audio outro : Elvis Presley, " I Don’t Wanna Be Tied " Link to EW Pitch Talks event in Brooklyn Link to Ben’s article on overperforming teams iTunes Feed (Please rat...
May 13, 2017•40 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s day off and Ron Fowler’s comments about Jered Weaver, then answer listener emails about baseball’s arbitrary rules, David Ross’s unexpected cultural cachet, the definition of a “slugfest,” Manny Machado’s relationship with the Red Sox, the softening of the tone of sabermetric writing over the past two decades, “Three True Outcomes” percentage and overreactions to changes in the game, pitch-clock countdowns, poor performance during hitting strea...
May 11, 2017•1 hr 8 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to 18-year-old Effectively Wild listener/pitcher Connor Watrous about his heroic accomplishment of keeping score at an 18-inning Cubs-Yankees game, banter about a besieged closer and a Matt Albers milestone, and discuss the implications of a new development in the high-home-run-rate mystery. Audio intro : Alice Cooper, " I’m Eighteen " Audio interstitial : Sloan, " A Long Time Coming " Audio outro : Talking Heads, " Puzzlin’ Evidence " Link to Connor’s 18-inn...
May 09, 2017•47 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s preseason predictions, voiding contracts, and Matt Albers’ most recent close calls with his first career save, then discuss the contact-rate improvements of Aaron Judge and Joey Gallo, with an emphasis on Judge’s performance so far and potential for superstardom. Audio intro : Tom Verlaine, " Cry Mercy, Judge " Audio outro : Robyn Hitchcock, " Sayonara Judge " Link to Ben’s article about Judge and Gallo iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) ...
May 06, 2017•39 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about infield-alignment terminology and walking Bryce Harper, then answer listener emails about proper pitch usage, winning minor league championships, the minimum acceptable velocity given perfect command, improving equipment, taking batting practice seriously, Eric Thames vs. Ivan Nova, making positions be dictated by batting order, the Royals’ awful offensive month, a message from the baseball god, a WWE-style MLB team, pace of play and the playoffs, voi...
May 04, 2017•55 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Boog Powell’s debut, Ryan Webb’s and Matt Albers’ ongoing pursuit of history, and the ethics of baseball injuries, then discuss some early-season evidence that the save stat’s grasp on manager’s minds is starting to slip. Audio intro : Sharon Van Etten, " Save Yourself " Audio outro : Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, " Save Me " Link to Ben’s article about saves iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Our Merch! Facebook Gr...
May 02, 2017•42 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff Manship, Chris Devenski, the biggest playoff-odds changers, Mets injuries, and Joey Votto’s comments on swing changes, then discuss which players, if any, can challenge Mike Trout for the title of best player in baseball, try to assemble a FrankenTrout, and conduct a brief Bryce Harper debate. Audio intro : Courtney Barnett, " Pedestrian at Best " Audio outro : New York Dolls, " Frankenstein " iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us o...
Apr 29, 2017•39 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Chris Coghlan’s slide and the Pirates’ new international players, then answer listener emails about Korean baseball, fixing slides, the impressive JC Ramirez, baseball and humility, Space Jam and Hey Arnold! -inspired scenarios, Clayton Kershaw’s undoing, Billy Hamilton’s speed vs. on-base ability, a mysterious Seager, a pitching-change clock, Eric Thames-esque ownership of one team, intentionally walking Bryce Harper, and more. Audio intro : Laura Ma...
Apr 27, 2017•1 hr 6 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to Grant Brisbee of SB Nation about acceptable ballpark behavior, Madison Bumgarner, the Giants, and baseball’s latest tests of unwritten (and written) rules involving beanball wars between the Tigers and Twins and the Orioles and Red Sox. Audio intro : The Bees, " Chicken Payback " Audio outro : The Spinners, " They Just Can’t Stop It (The Games People Play) " iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Our Merch! Facebook Group Twitte...
Apr 25, 2017•35 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ichiro’s home run in his return to Seattle, the feasibility of intentionally allowing dingers, a John Jaso quote, and manager bobbleheads, then discuss the present and future use, abuse, and presentation of Statcast data. Audio intro : Prince, " Get Yo Groove On " Audio outro : The Jam, " Away from the Numbers " iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Our Merch! Facebook Group Twitter Account Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com ...
Apr 22, 2017•47 min
