Trying to Quantify Debut Greatness

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the pleasures of and precedents for the historic rookie performances on Opening Day, the pains of Netflix’s Opening Night broadcast, an Opening Day disaster for Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz, and a bird near Carson Benge, Freddie Freeman’s gameday fit, a perplexing (un?)fun fact about the Phillies and Jhoan Duran, why players don’t always challenge when they “should,” Nico Hoerner and Shane Baz extensions, baseball movies being back (thanks to Tom Hanks), and more, plus a Stat Blast (1:28:40) about Black Ink streaks and a postscript (1:37:14) featuring a follow-up and a few bonus Blasts.

Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to freemium model announcement
Link to written explanation
Link to 2026 new debuts
Link to RE24 query
Link to 2026 RE24 players
Link to 1914 RE24 players
Link to 1938 RE24 players
Link to 1950 RE24 players
Link to RE24 glossary
Link to B-Ref RE24 leaders
Link to total bases query
Link to 2026 TB players
Link to 1938 TB players
Link to 1.000 OPS query
Link to 2026 1.000 OPS players
Link to 1901 1.000 OPS players
Link to 1938 1.000 OPS players
Link to Dick Crutcher bio
Link to Baumann on the rookies
Link to “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon”
Link to first White Sox game
Link to Marchand on the Netflix game
Link to Bonds story
Link to Bonds at Rickwood game
Link to 180-degree rule
Link to FG post on Skenes
Link to Ben on the Pirates and A’s
Link to Pirates HR celebration
Link to Benge on the bird
Link to Freeman post 1
Link to Freeman post 2
Link to Stark post
Link to Sam post
Link to Phillies home closers query
Link to Phillies road closers query
Link to Phillies OD home games
Link to Phillies OD road games
Link to home OD saves by team
Link to Kruk comment
Link to Tango on location uncertainty
Link to Petriello on catcher challenges
Link to Ben’s catcher research
Link to MLBTR on Hoerner
Link to MLBTR on Baz
Link to upcoming FA class
Link to Hanks movie announcement
Link to Hanks typewriter collection
Link to Night Swim wiki
Link to Caught Stealing wiki
Link to Eephus EW interview
Link to Black Ink info
Link to Black Ink data 1
Link to Black Ink data 2
Link to Ben on Trout’s Black Ink
Link to blowout 1
Link to blowout 2
Link to blowout 3
Link to blowout 4
Link to blowout 5
Link to blowout 6
Link to blowout 7
Link to blowout 8
Link to Vinay’s data
Link to 1930 game
Link to Sam on record talent
Link to Davy on Mets basestealing
Link to Newsday on Mets basestealing
Link to story on Richardson and Riley
Link to listener emails database

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