EWFI
In a bonus episode, Ben Lindbergh banters with FanGraphs writer Craig Edwards about Craig’s explanation for the struggles of José Ramírez, and then (11:15) Ben and Craig talk to John Bitzer, founder and editor of the new site Baseball Trade Values, about designing the trade-simulation site, the challenges of valuing players and constructing fair baseball trades, how he used real trades to refine his trade model, whether teams might scout for front-office talent via his site, how he accounts for changing team behavior, the outlook for the 2019 trade deadline, and more. Then (49:12) Ben brings on astrophysicist and contributor to The Athletic Dr. Meredith Wills to discuss her groundbreaking research into the construction of the baseball, the difficulty of disassembling the ball, why and how the 2019 ball is different from the 2018 ball, the multiple phases of home-run-happy balls, what MLB could do to suppress the home-run rate, solving home run mysteries with science, and more.

Audio intro: Matthew Sweet, "Trade Places"
Audio interstitial: The Inbreds, "Drag Us Down"
Audio outro: Stevie Nicks (Feat. Don Henley), "Leather and Lace"

Link to Craig on Ramírez
Link to Baseball Trade Values
Link to Ben on internet commenters trying to trade for Stanton
Link to Ben on internet commenters trying to trade for Price
Link to Meredith’s new research into the 2019 ball
Link to Meredith on lace thickness
Link to Ben on blisters
Link to Ben and Rob on the 2015 home-run spike
Link to Ben and Rob on the ball at midseason 2016
Link to write-up of Alan Nathan’s 2017 Saber Seminar presentation
Link to 2018 MLB-commissioned report
Link to Rob on decreased drag in early 2019
Link to Rob on decreased drag in Triple-A in 2019
Link to Manfred’s latest comments about the ball
Link to article about Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud
Link to order The MVP Machine

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