Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Effectively Wild Episode 2432: What Stars Deserve

12 snips
Jan 28, 2026
Guest
Zach Gozlan
Zach Gozlan, data scientist and writer who analyzed Jeopardy! sports clues, joins to explore trivia bias. He explains whether sports — especially baseball — are overrepresented on Jeopardy! and which figures get asked about most. The conversation covers contestant prep, how well players answer sports clues, and why certain athletes dominate trivia.
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INSIGHT

Baseball’s Quiet Political Culture

  • Baseball players are relatively quiet about politics compared with athletes in other sports.
  • Speaking up in MLB can carry costs due to clubhouse culture and demographic/political skews.
ANECDOTE

Cole Calhoun’s Unexpected Political Statement

  • Ben highlighted Cole Calhoun's detailed Instagram statements defending immigrants and condemning racist immigration policy.
  • Calhoun's admission of prior political ignorance made his message persuasive within baseball circles.
ANECDOTE

Carlos Rodón’s Boneless Elbow Quote

  • Ben and Meg laughed about Carlos Rodón saying surgeons 'took a lot of bones out' of his elbow after surgery.
  • The hosts joked about imagining a newly 'boneless' arm but confirmed Rodón's improved function.
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