Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willson Contreras’ Twitter behavior and the Yankees-Red Sox sign-stealing scandal, then answer listener emails about “up the line” vs. “down the line,” how rebuilding works, whether teams can count on the current home-run rate continuing, Deion Sanders’ career taking place today, the heat of the hot corner, the Hall of Fame candidacies of Joe Mauer and Justin Verlander, OBP vs. out rate, banning in-season trades, and more. Audio intro : The Black Eyed...
Sep 07, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about their Hurricane Harvey relief raffle’s status, hot and cold teams, Trevor Bauer’s run-in with Avisail Garcia, and evolving pitch-selection in the major leagues, then talk to EW listener Max Schleicher about his fan-sentiment-based study on the best and worst big-league ballparks (and big-league-ballpark amenities). Audio intro : Mos Def, " Pretty Dancer " Audio interstitial : Watsky, " Dent in the Moon " Audio outro : The Lonely Island, " Threw it on ...
Sep 06, 2017•45 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the strong response to their raffle for Hurricane Harvey relief, the Justin Verlander trade, a new NCAA softball rule, and the Padres relative to the NL’s other worst teams, then bring on FanGraphs writer Eno Sarris and former Red Sox outfielder (and owner of one major league hit) Alex Hassan to discuss whether an average non-athlete could get a hit in an MLB season. Audio intro : Reel Big Fish, " One Hit Wonderful " Audio outro : The Who, " We Got a ...
Sep 02, 2017•59 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about their raffle for Hurricane Harvey relief, the Justin Upton trade, walk-off hit by pitches, the brief baseball career of Olympic javelin thrower Jan Zelezny, Rich Hill and pitcher bunting, the Pirates placing Juan Nicasio on outright waivers, and infield dirt, then talk to musician and artist Will Johnson about how he started doing his popular portraits of baseball players, why baseball lends itself to art, and the Mookie Wilson work that he’s auctioni...
Sep 01, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the AL wild card race, whether the Dodgers are doing anything wrong by using the 10-day DL liberally, then answer listener emails about packaging Pujols with Trout, Gio Gonzalez’s league-leading (but also not league-leading) WAR, the pitfalls of Statcast for pitchers, Steven Souza and home-run imbalance by handedness, an especially silly save, how many major leaguers are being missed, baseball’s hidden superheroes, and more. Audio intro : Cate Le Bon,...
Aug 30, 2017•56 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the hot start of Phillies rookie Rhys Hoskins, the recent improvement of Byron Buxton, the position-player-pitching of White Sox minor leaguer Grant Massey, the Marlins’ Stanton-driven surge to .500 (and beyond), the Tigers-Yankees brawl, picking on umpires, and Michael Conforto’s injury as the latest symptom of the sad state of the Mets. Audio intro : Jethro Tull, " Commons Brawl " Audio outro : Levon Helm, " Kingfish " iTunes Feed (Please rate and review...
Aug 26, 2017•50 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Rich Hill’s heartbreaking no-hit bid and the new and not-improved Carter Capps, follow up on Albert Pujols and player nicknames, and answer listener emails about what constitutes a “journeyman,” Ryan Braun and the Hall of Fame, Ryan Goins’ new type of small-sample success, what would happen if teams played all of their games against each opponent in a single extended series, Harvey Haddix and the best starts ever, a pitcher’s single-minded pursuit of ...
Aug 25, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and a special guest conduct a nighttime, roundtable discussion (around a rectangular table) in Jeff’s living room about the Effectively Wild eclipse event and Sam Miller’s listener-inspired ESPN article about the longest play in baseball history. Audio intro : The Rolling Stones, " Sing This All Together " Audio outro : Belle and Sebastian, " The Power of Three " Link to Sam’s longest-play piece Link to Ben’s Salina Stockade article Link to Ben’s eclipse-event recap...
Aug 22, 2017•42 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s broken mic and common cold, an almost-record day for home-run hitting (and a juiced-ball update), Arthur “Doc” Irwin and the Irwin Glove, Joey Votto’s Hall of Fame case, the increasing difficulty of projecting players, the AL wild card race and the odds (and potential ramifications) of a five-way tiebreaker, the Marlins sale and the future of Giancarlo Stanton, the Dodgers’ Curtis Granderson trade, and more. Audio intro : Rage Against the Machin...
Aug 19, 2017•54 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about their upcoming eclipse event, Jered Weaver’s retirement, a Tommy Pham tweet, and two recent examples of unorthodox positioning, then follow up on player nicknames, odd fields, two-touch fielding, and Khris Davis’s arm and, finally, answer listener emails about the Indians’ record and run differential, the Giants’ disaster season, whether javelin throwers would make amazing pitchers, Chris Davis striking out on pitches down the middle, whether Albert P...
Aug 18, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about “Babe Ruth’s Legs,” then talk to researcher and statistician David Neft about how he rebuilt baseball’s historical record to create the Macmillan Baseball Encyclopedia , or “Big Mac,” which provided the most comprehensive and accurate account of the sport’s statistical past when it was published in 1969, and which made baseball’s sabermetric revolution possible. Audio intro : A.C. Newman, " Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns " Audio interstitial : Vill...
Aug 14, 2017•40 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to 17-year-old Jack Dumoulin , the first American winner of the Microsoft Excel World Championship, about how baseball stats helped him get good at spreadsheets, his high-school baseball career, how he won the championship, and his dream of working for an MLB team. Then Ben and Jeff answer listener emails about overlooked players near the top of the WAR leaderboard (with a focus on Tommy Pham), Joe Sewell on bat boning, player injury-prone-ness, whether sac b...
Aug 12, 2017•51 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the new-look, less-stuff Carter Capps, then bring on MLB on FOX reporter and MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal to discuss how and when Rosenthal relaxes and takes vacations; how baseball news leaks; how the Dodgers’ deep front office works; how he knows when a source has ulterior motives; how he evolved from a beat writer to a well-known national writer, and the differences between covering baseball nationally and locally; whether he’s learned from ne...
Aug 10, 2017•48 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about live shows, bounced throws, the spread of “such is life,” stats displayed on baseball broadcasts, more strange fields, a Dan Haren rules question, and the best non-All-Star seasons, then answer more listener emails about the Angels and Albert Pujols, an odd Brian Dozier game, crooked numbers, Chris Tillman’s first-inning problems, the Dodgers’ World Series odds, Corey Kluber’s breaking-ball usage, and more. Audio intro : Arcade Fire, " Empty Room " Au...
Aug 10, 2017•58 min
At the Bell House in Brooklyn for a Pitch Talks event, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to former major leaguer Fernando Perez about Mike Trout’s birthday pranking, the return of Carter Capps, Perez’s injury history, his late conversion to switch-hitting, what makes a pitcher deceptive, the problems with player development and batting practice, the evolution of the ex-athlete analyst, conformity in the clubhouse, Perez’s inclusion in the Chris Archer trade, and more. Audio intro : Jenny Lewi...
Aug 08, 2017•1 hr 6 min
In Effectively Wild’s second annual live recording at Saber Seminar , Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to former major league pitcher (and current Red Sox pitching development analyst) Dave Bush about his new job in the Red Sox front office, how he’s using data to develop minor league pitchers, his experience coaching in China, and his success against Barry Bonds. Then they call up three current or former pitchers from the minors or high-level indy leagues (Dan Blewett, Dave Fischer, and Kev...
Aug 06, 2017•41 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Salina, skateboarding, and Albert Pujols, then break down all the big (and modest) trade-deadline deals and non-deals, paying particular attention to the Dodgers, the Yankees, and the competitive landscape with two months remaining in the regular season. Audio intro : XV, " Boy From Kansas " Audio outro : Fabolous (Feat. Jagged Edge), " Trade it All " Link to Ben’s article on Adrián Beltré iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon...
Aug 02, 2017•54 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about humorless umpires and the on-deck circle, Michael Blazek and disaster starts, the MLB promotion of Aaron Bummer (and the nickname “Bummer” in baseball), the Brewers, Jaime Garcia and the Twins, the latest Mariners-Rays trade, Adrian Beltre’s book-worthy career, and David Price’s arm issues. Audio intro : Love, " Bummer in the Summer " Audio outro : Weezer, " Endless Bummer " iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Get Our Merch!...
Jul 29, 2017•47 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Shohei Otani, another strange stance, and Eduardo Nunez, then answer listener emails about players owning particular teams, a potential tagging-up loophole, the all-time record for grounding into double plays, the negative interpretation of the White Sox rebuild, trading for players who would have played one’s opponents, switch-hitters with big splits, a world in which the Astros are still in the NL Central, Mike Trout’s consistency, offering advice t...
Jul 27, 2017•1 hr 8 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Royals-Padres trade, Khris Davis’s arm, Keon Broxton’s demotion, Clayton Kershaw’s injury ,and the Dodgers’ degree of need for a starter, then talk to Shingo Murata , baseball strategy group manager for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (the team with the best record in Nippon Professional Baseball), about how he got a job in Japanese baseball, the resistance to sabermetrics in Japan, and Rakuten’s cutting-edge analytical efforts to optimize their in...
Jul 26, 2017•52 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Mariners’ and Marlins’ David Phelps trade, Sam Dyson’s bounceback, an eight-strikeout game, the Salina Stockade, Matt Davidson and Jeff Mathis, the first post-All Star Game weeks of Mike Trout and the Cubs, and early trade-deadline activity, then examine the results of a FiveThirtyEight survey about the most- and least-liked MLB teams. Audio intro : The Avett Brothers, " Salina " Audio outro : The Posies, " Like Me Too " Link to FiveThirtyEight su...
Jul 21, 2017•49 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about why so many moves are being made in advance of the trade deadline, the Yankees-White Sox trade, the J.D. Martinez deal, and Yoan Moncada’s promotion, then follow up on previous topics including All-Star Game revisions, Matt Holliday’s odd slide, the Salina Stockade, strange batting stances, and unusual fields before answering listener emails about pitcher similarity, the underrated well-roundedness of Anthony Rendon, teams in difficult buying/selling ...
Jul 20, 2017•56 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Mike Trout’s return, the Nats-A’s trade, a Matt Holliday play, and a Jon Heyman tweet, then bring on Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press to talk about a borderline unbelievable independent league game and an even more beautifully fake-sounding indy league franchise. Audio intro : Oasis, " Slide Away " Audio interstitial : Real Estate, " It’s Real " Audio outro : Paul McCartney, " Unbelievable Experience " Link to Mike’s game story iTunes Feed (Pl...
Jul 18, 2017•49 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Jose Quintana trade, an Aaron Judge anecdote, Dan Uggla’s disastrous 2008 All-Star Game appearance, and the significance of Ken Rosenthal being barred from writing by Fox, then discuss ways to spice up the All-Star Game with a skills competition that could actually work before closing with a question about Judge and Mike Trout. Audio intro : The Replacements, " Seen Your Video " Audio outro : Jackie Lomax, " Let the Play Begin " iTunes Feed (Pleas...
Jul 14, 2017•52 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the All-Star Game, then answer listener emails about more oddly configured fields, fouling balls straight back, non-standard batting stances, FanGraphs WAR vs. Baseball-Reference WAR, a career-earnings guessing game, All-Star Game accomplishments, knickers vs. pajama pants, stats vs. scouts, a Home Run Derby hypothetical, awarding home-run value based on defense, a tweak to ground rule doubles, and more. Audio intro : Smash Mouth, " All Star (Instrume...
Jul 13, 2017•1 hr 7 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Aaron Judge’s Home Run Derby performance, a subtle change in the way Rob Manfred talked about the baseball at the All-Star Game, and the Angels’ stats with and without Mike Trout. Then they make it two consecutive episodes of talking to a Glenn by bringing on UC Irvine professor and baseball researcher Glenn Healey to discuss the mechanics and implications of his new method of comparing pitchers based on their stuff. Audio intro : Of Montreal, " One o...
Jul 12, 2017•54 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the correct all-time leaderboard of non-qualified offensive seasons, Carlos Correa’s complaint about Roberto Osuna, and the state of the race between the Brewers and Cubs. Then they call former big leaguer Glenn Borgmann, who caught for the Twins and White Sox from 1972-1980, to ask about being behind the plate for the game with the most stolen bases by one team in the live-ball era, being involved in the big Bobby Grich brawl, playing with Bert Blyleven, ...
Jul 08, 2017•51 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s altitude sickness, Matt Albers and Ryan Raburn, an odd-field update, the Rich Hill resurgence, the MLB Battlegrounds event in Hyde Park, Logan Morrison’s comments about Gary Sánchez, Jonathan Lucroy’s comments about framing, and more on the Reds’ pitching staff. Then they take a detour to talk to listener Max Goder-Reiser about Beep Baseball and the Boston Renegades before answering listener emails about team wins, team WAR, and chemistry, the ...
Jul 06, 2017•1 hr 26 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s latest hiking expedition, then try to determine which teams had the most and least satisfying first halves. Lastly, they talk to Brian Lacusky, who reminisces about about his role in the construction of Coors Field. Audio intro : TUNS, " To Your Satisfaction " Audio interstitial : Frank Sinatra, " There Used to Be a Ballpark " Audio outro : The Decemberists, " July, July! " Link to Brian’s photos from Coors Field’s construction iTunes Feed (Ple...
Jul 03, 2017•56 min
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan do an all-banter episode about Takuya Nakashima, Dustin Fowler, the latest on home runs and the baseball, an Aaron Judge intentional walk, too many Tylers, the significance of baseball’s lowest-ever average Leverage Index, the Reds’ still-disastrous pitching staff, and more. Audio intro : Otis Redding, " Just One More Day " Audio outro : Elliott Smith, " New Disaster " Link to Jeff’s article declining leverage index iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor...
Jul 01, 2017•45 min
