Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the “effectively wild” debut of Paul Skenes and the Pirates’ bases-loaded walkathon, an in-development TV series about Ippei Mizuhara, the demotion of Craig Kimbrel and possible trade dangling of Mason Miller , the continued success of Davis Schneider , the impact of replay review on the increase in catcher’s interference calls, and whether teams should go back to rearranging their rotations based on opponent quality, then (39:14) bring on Mike Petriello...
May 15, 2024•1 hr 35 min
Ben Lindbergh talks to Rays pitcher Zack Littell (4:33) about his expectation-surpassing conversion from relieving to starting and his affinity for cruise ships. Then (23:33) Ben brings on author and film critic Noah Gittell to discuss his new book about baseball movies and American culture, Baseball: The Movie , followed by six Stat Blasts with frequent Stat Blast correspondent Ryan Nelson (1:16:14). Audio intro : Xavier LeBlanc, “ Effectively Wild Theme ” Audio outro : Jonathan Crymes, “ Effec...
May 11, 2024•2 hr 2 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Pirates calling up top pitching prospect Paul Skenes , Mookie Betts’ s shortstop defense, Willson Contreras , the causes of increasingly common catcher’s interference calls, and catcher technique in an ABS world, rampant reliever shuffling, Chase Anderson as a Phiten necklace “endling,” two ways in which amateur prospects are possibly being exploited or disrupted, Ippei Mizuhara’s guilty plea, Shohei Ohtani ’s WAR and two-way future, and a momentous ...
May 09, 2024•2 hr 9 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Riley Greene ’s latest pants-related wardrobe malfunction, the Padres-Marlins Luis Arraez trade, the continued scuffling of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. , a C.B. Bucknor bit, and more. Then (52:30) they’re joined by Neil deMause , author of Field of Schemes , and J.C. Bradbury , author, stadium-funding researcher, and professor of economics, finance, and quantitative analysis at Kennesaw State University, to discuss the latest wave of attempts by teams to obtai...
May 08, 2024•1 hr 36 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a recent uptick in base stealing and why Mike Trout ’s loyalty to the Angels is criticized more than it’s celebrated. Then (16:39) they’re joined by Patreon supporter Alex Levy to discuss Alex’s background as a podcast listener, baseball fan, and mail carrier and answer emails (43:49) about a Mario approach to chemistry in baseball, back-to-back homers, providing players with a destructible piece of equipment, probabilistic robo umps, umps as neutral (bu...
May 04, 2024•1 hr 43 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s unexpected experience at the bee-delayed Diamondbacks game, Shota Imanaga’ s hot start, Reed Garrett and the phenomenon of pop-up relievers, Steven Kwan appreciation, how Mike Trout’ s and Bryce Harper ’s careers will be remembered, José Abreu being optioned to the minors, and a declined penalty in baseball, plus follow-ups about convoluted fun facts, promotion/relegation, and alternatives to “group Maddux.” Audio intro : Justin Peters, “ Effective...
May 03, 2024•1 hr 36 min
After a podcast preface by Ben Lindbergh about Mike Trout ’s knee injury (sigh), Ben and Meg Rowley banter (4:19) about a weekend White Sox sweep, the overdue news that Nike is supposedly fixing the much-maligned MLB uniforms, follow-ups about rule rollbacks, ballplayer dirt ingestion, the “group Maddux,” and promotion/relegation, and the Twins’ summer sausage. Then (50:37) they talk to FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens about when it’s safe to evaluate changes in player performance and which hitters and pi...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 51 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether they believe the projections that peg the White Sox as merely a run-of-the-mill terrible team, this season’s sophomore slumps (so far), and more on ballplayer dirt consumption and replay review protocol, then (30:09) answer listener emails about promotion and relegation in professional baseball, the definition of “getaway day,” the value of pitcher fielding, how hard it would be for big leaguers to be bad intentionally, whether pitchers could giv...
Apr 27, 2024•1 hr 28 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how much dirt MLB players ingest in a season, the second-most-encouraging stat about Mike Trout’ s season, Shohei Ohtani , Earl Webb , and the single-season doubles record, Cody Bellinger and whether the Cubs should pad the walls at Wrigley Field, whether replay review should privilege the call on the field, Matt Waldron’ s knuckleball, the disparate seasons of Elly De La Cruz and Oneil Cruz , Francisco Lindor’ s superstar status, José Ruiz’ s pursuit of...
Apr 26, 2024•1 hr 37 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rockies (and their charter pilots) running afoul of the FAA, Jackson Holliday’ s slow start, whether the Astros or Twins has hurt their division-title chances more, two embarrassing umpire incidents, offense being down relative to last season, the concept of a “combined Maddux,” Shohei Ohtani ’s WAR as a DH, the Blue Jays’ self-funded ballpark renovations, new research on Tommy John surgeries in Japan, and more. Audio intro : Jonathan Crymes, “ Effec...
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 32 min
Amid a wave of pitcher injuries, Ben Lindbergh talks to Dr. Rich Nye (4:20), a former major leaguer whose career-ending injury became a career- beginning injury when he decided to become an exotic-animal veterinarian (among other occupations). Then (1:07:09) Ben talks to prolific TV creators/writers/producers Tom Fontana and Julie Martin about what might have been for Baseball Wives , a long-lost HBO baseball drama that was canceled after its pilot episode was produced in 2002. Lastly (1:43:25),...
Apr 21, 2024•2 hr 28 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Carlos Correa’ s nerdiness, the Pirates pulling phenom Jared Jones after 59 effective pitches, the zombie runner, what Jontay Porter’s lifetime NBA ban portends for MLB, Shohei/Ippei conspiracy theories and Shohei Ohtani ’s hitting and tax loophole, Michael Busch and the Dodgers’ outfield offense, the legacy of Whitey Herzog’s “Whiteyball,” and the power and prospects of two-way college star Jac Caglianone , plus follow-ups on MLB Blazes, IMG Academy, an...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 42 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB jerseys as Fremen stillsuits, an update on Blake Snell the self-perceived strike-thrower, Brent Suter and being the “best teammate,” which MLB team is last in the league in vibes, the struggling Marlins demoting the not-struggling Max Meyer , whether teams are working minor league pitchers (such as Paul Skenes ) too lightly, and (1:02:49) the career and retirement of Yankees radio voice John Sterling and fan affection for long-lasting local broadcast...
Apr 17, 2024•2 hr
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the lack of an uptick in stolen bases this season, which of the teams that are off to surprisingly hot or cold starts has changed their minds the most, analogs to baseball’s epidemic of UCL tears in tennis and women’s soccer, whether MLB would/should allow a hypothetical UCL-strengthening steroid, and whether MLB will ever reboot its continuity, then Stat Blast (1:02:31) about players with inside-the-park homers and over-the-fence homers in the same game...
Apr 13, 2024•1 hr 29 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to news about Shohei Ohtani’ s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara being charged with bank fraud, discuss the revelations in the government’s stunning, detailed complaint, and assess the implications for Ohtani and MLB. Then (1:06:58) they banter about Jordan Montgomery changing agencies after his offseason Boras debacle, a Juan Soto fan-pandering update, Jackson Holliday ’s Orioles debut, Tyler Glasnow and the allure of a 21-strikeout game, a Driveline quote abo...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 42 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about White Sox manager Pedro Grifol’s anti-eclipse eyewash, the shrinking moon, an eyebrow-raising quote by Blake Snell , the latest signature Elly De La Cruz game, the hot starts of Mike Trout , Anthony Volpe , and Tyler O’Neill , how this season’s converted relievers (including Garrett Crochet and Jordan Hicks ) are faring, and more, then (38:57) discuss and debate the latest rash of pitcher injuries, the pitch clock as a culprit or a scapegoat, and possibl...
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 39 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the earthquake in the Northeast, Juan Soto ’s choice of walk-up song, J.J. Hardy building a ballpark in his Arizona backyard, the pluses and minuses of living in or near a ballpark, and how Shohei Ohtani relates to the Tower of Babel, then (1:04:21) answer listener emails about the Moneyball A’s vs. the 116-win Mariners, Joey Votto and players’ skill with cursive script, how long a ceremonial first pitch thrower could potentially delay a game, the value ...
Apr 06, 2024•1 hr 39 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Athletics’ intermediate move to Sacramento, the Royals’ failed public funding referendum, a Davis Schneider self scouting report, a wild Diamondbacks-Yankees game that ended with a pitcher at the plate, whether a DH day is really like a partial day off, whether the Triple-A Norfolk Tides are better than the Colorado Rockies, Josh Jung and when to classify a player as “injury-prone,” Eury Pérez ’s Tommy John surgery and MLB’s study on pitcher injuries...
Apr 05, 2024•1 hr 36 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a grab of topics, including a team meeting after two games, early bad blood and benches-clearing incidents, the continued terribleness of the new uniforms, a Bryce Harper blooper, a missing first-base coach, an A’s conspiracy, Juan Soto as instant True Yankee, new lights at Chase Field, the Dairy Daddies and marketing, a Nelson Cruz one-day-contract comp, Oswaldo Cabrera ’s selective switch-hitting, and more, followed by a Stat Blast (1:14:22) about firs...
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 35 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Opening Day naps, a Bryce Harper pandering update, Nelson Cruz’ s Mariners retirement and the one-day-contract tradition, and Yusei Kikuchi’ s latest intriguing revelation, then (21:16) share some highlights and lowlights of Opening Day action, report the results of listener voting on the preseason predictions game, analyze Will Smith ’s extension, marvel at this season’s compressed projections, and (1:05:27) conduct the fourth annual Team Fun Draft, in ...
Mar 30, 2024•2 hr 12 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley remind people to vote in their preseason predictions game , discuss the completion of the season preview series, and then (10:15) analyze Shohei Ohtani’ s remarks from Monday and preview the rest of the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers season with The Athletic’ s Fabian Ardaya , followed (1:15:31) by a 2024 Colorado Rockies preview with The Denver Gazette ’s Luke Zahlmann , plus a postscript on the Diamondbacks signing Jordan Montgomery (1:55:50) and a recap of preview guest...
Mar 27, 2024•2 hr 6 min
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs authors Michael Baumann and Ben Clemens play “Character Who Appears in Shōgun the Novel (but Not the TV Series) or International Amateur Baseball Player” (3:13), banter about an MLBPA power struggle (8:37) and the life of late Orioles owner Peter Angelos (16:51), and then explain the second annual preseason predictions game (22:38) and make 10 bold predictions apiece (29:00) about baseball in 2024, to be voted on by listeners . Audio intro : Luke Lillard,...
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr 55 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the J.D. Martinez and Michael Lorenzen signings, Eury Pérez ‘s elbow, Jackson Holliday not making the O’s Opening Day roster, and MLB’s crowded, mediocre middle, then preview the 2024 New York Yankees (16:49) with The Athletic’ s Chris Kirschner , and the 2024 Washington Nationals (1:14:13) with The Washington Post ’s Andrew Golden . 2024 EW Season Preview Series AL BAL CHW ATH BOS CLE HOU NYY DET LAA TBR KCR SEA TOR MIN TEX NL ATL CHC ARI MIA CIN COL NY...
Mar 23, 2024•1 hr 52 min
In an in-depth discussion that became a bonus episode, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley explore the state of the sports-betting scandal surrounding Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, breaking down the stakes, the most pressing sources of uncertainty, and the many possible outcomes and consequences. Audio intro : The Shirey Brothers, “ Effectively Wild Theme ” Audio outro : Ian Phillips, “ Effectively Wild Theme ” Link to MLB statement Link to Wednesday ESPN report Link to Thurs...
Mar 23, 2024•1 hr 10 min
After a brief preamble about the betting scandal surrounding Shohei Ohtani and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the first game of the regular season, whether gloves have gotten more permeable, the odds of a DH-only Ohtani MVP season, Ohtani’s lucrative endorsements, whether the addition of in-app gambling info to NBA League Pass portends a similar future for MLB.TV, the pitfalls of pervasive sports-betting ads, the implications of Eury Pérez ’s elbow injury, ...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 51 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Giants signing Blake Snell , whether Snell is now underrated, San Francisco’s offseason, Scott Boras’s offseason, leaguewide spending, an MLBPA power struggle, and (39:03) a 150-year-old message about baseball players in spring, then preview the 2024 Atlanta Braves (45:42) with 92.9 The Game’s Grant McAuley , and the 2024 Chicago White Sox (1:24:54) with Sox Machine’s James Fegan . 2024 EW Season Preview Series AL BAL CHW ATH BOS CLE HOU NYY DET LAA ...
Mar 20, 2024•2 hr 18 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Dylan Cease trade, the post-trade outlooks for the Padres and White Sox, and the incomparably chaotic Padres POBO A.J. Preller, then (31:22) discuss who the best pitcher in baseball is with Gerrit Cole on the shelf, Shohei Ohtani ’s wife reveal (41:33), and (49:34) ESPN’s planned on-screen win probability graphic on Sunday Night Baseball. Finally (1:01:58), they draft (or at least list) their favorite trades and signings of the winter. Audio intro : ...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr 37 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest on Gerrit Cole’ s elbow and how his uncertain status might affect free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery , then preview the 2024 Houston Astros (23:42) with The Athletic’s Chandler Rome , and the 2024 Oakland (for now?) Athletics (1:12:15) with The Athletic ’s Melissa Lockard . 2024 EW Season Preview Series AL BAL CHW ATH BOS CLE HOU NYY DET LAA TBR KCR SEA TOR MIN TEX NL ATL CHC ARI MIA CIN COL NYM MIL LAD PHI PIT SDP WSN STL SFG Audio...
Mar 14, 2024•1 hr 52 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the uncertain state of Gerrit Cole’ s elbow (and the larger UCL scourge), the Giants controversially releasing J.D. Davis , and the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts / Gavin Lux infield switcheroo, then preview the 2024 Seattle Mariners (29:12) with The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish , and the 2024 Kansas City Royals (1:08:53) with The Kansas City Star ’s Jaylon Thompson . 2024 EW Season Preview Series AL BAL CHW ATH BOS CLE HOU NYY DET LAA TBR KCR SEA TOR MIN TEX NL AT...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 49 min
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the retirement of Meg favorite Mike Zunino , some teams’ mismatched gray jerseys and pants, whether Blake Snell is still unsigned in part because his pitching isn’t fun to watch (and whether he walks batters by accident or on purpose), and Joey Votto ’s minor league deal with the Blue Jays, then preview the 2024 Tampa Bay Rays (36:14) with MLB.com’s Adam Berry , and the 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates (1:09:21) with MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf . 2024 EW Season Preview...
Mar 09, 2024•1 hr 53 min
