Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about FanGraphs’ completist coverage of the frantic trade deadline, the backlash to a perceived lack of activity at the deadline and whether the deadline was really a manifestation of baseball’s structural problems, the appropriate balance between trying to win now and trying to win later, what we can learn from the Chris Archer trade one year later, the significance of the suspensions for the Reds’ and Pirates’ bad brawling behavior, the Hall of Famers Mike Trout passed in July, Bobby Wallace and another reminder that baseball is a wonder of human ingenuity, Jeff McNeil’s netting-assisted snag, a vintage Zack Greinke story, and more. Audio intro: Belle and Sebastian, "Dirty Dream Number Two" Audio outro: Robyn Hitchcock, "The Man Who Invented Himself" Link to FanGraphs trade deadline coverage Link to Ben Clemens on trade deadline activity Link to Ken Rosenthal on the deadline Link to Marc Carig on the deadline Link to Ben on the Greinke trade Link to Ben on revisiting the Archer trade Link to Sam on the Hall of Famers Trout passed in July Link to Pirates-Reds brawl suspensions Link to Eno on purpose pitches Link to article about McNeil’s net catch Link to Rob Arthur on ejections Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about bigger bases in the Atlantic League, then recap and dissect the trade deadline, focusing on why the market took so long to develop, the significance of multiple teams both buying and selling, why some top contenders didn’t do much, what a wild card is worth, the Trevor Bauer three-team trade, the Zack Greinke trade and the Astros as World Series favorites, and many more moves along the way. Audio intro: Son Volt, "Last Minute Shakedown" Audio outro: Great Lake Swimmers, "Let’s Trade Skins" Link to Putterman Atlantic League article Link to Baccellieri Atlantic League article Link to Sam’s study on the wild card Link to Ben on the Greinke trade Link to Gammons trade deadline article Link to FanGraphs trade coverage Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Gerrit Cole strikeout fun fact, listed heights and weights and Ketel Marte, running the bases clockwise, and a Ramon Laureano postgame comment, then answer listener emails about come-from-behind (and comeback) victories, whether the 2015 season was good or bad for Bryce Harper (and how players’ success is perceived), and whether umpiring crews should expand to include replacement umps, plus Stat Blasts about the benefit of running on 3-2 counts and the record for most MLB ballparks played in. Audio intro: The Bevis Frond, "Enjoy" Audio outro: Willie Nelson, "I’d Trade All of My Tomorrows (For Just One Yesterday)" Link to Laureano video Link to list of players who played in 40+ parks Link to Jeff on minor-league umpires Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on the feedback to the preceding “best players of the decade” episode and minimum innings vs. three-pitch innings, then banter about Mike Trout‘s new-and-improved throwing arm (and Ross Stripling’s new-and-improved ability to retire Mike Trout), trade-deadline procrastination, the Giants’ and Mets’ outlooks, the future of Noah Syndergaard, the newly slider-iffic (and highly effective) Jacob deGrom, the retirement and legacy of Troy Tulowitzki, which of baseball’s best pitchers are appointment viewing, Stevie Wilkerson and the first position-player save, and Ben’s feature article on the mid-PA-pitching-change strategy previously discussed on the podcast. Audio intro: Dire Straits, "Your Latest Trick" Audio outro: Dr. Dog, "Do the Trick" Link to Eric Stephen on Trout’s throw and throwing arm Link to Michael Baumann on Strasburg Link to Zach Kram on Tulowitzki Link to video of Wilkerson save Link to Ben on mid-PA pitching changes Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about “minimum innings,” striking out the side, and an anecdote about Barry Larkin bunting, then spend the rest of the episode answering a listener request to name the five best hitters and five best pitchers of the decade—but to make matters more interesting, they do so without looking at WAR and then compare their picks to the stats at the end. Audio intro: Hot Snakes, "This Mystic Decade" Audio outro: The Muppets, "Mah Na Mah Na" Link to Larkin bunting story Link to spring training Greinke story Link to Joe Posnanski’s Greinke story Link to Jeff’s Greinke tweet Link to Jay on Greinke’s HOF trajectory Link to Ben’s Beltré story Link to 2010-19 B-Ref batting WAR leaderboard Link to 2010-19 FanGraphs batting WAR leaderboard Link to 2010-19 B-Ref pitching WAR leaderboard Link to 2010-19 FanGraphs pitching WAR leaderboard Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a bat in front of home plate that deflected a ball, the José Ramírez resurgence, the base stealer in a Statcast ad, an Andrelton Simmons shift that wasn’t, the Atlantic League, a viral Oliver Drake pitch, and a misguided (and unguided) bunt by Fernando Tatís, Jr., then discuss what a wild card is worth, how hard teams should pursue a spot in the play-in game, and what this year’s trade deadline will look like. Lastly (55:40), Ben talks to Rangers outfielder/DH and four-time all-star Hunter Pence about how and why he reinvented his swing, working with swing whisperer Doug Latta, playing in the Dominican Republic, and recent improvements in pitching and player development. Audio intro: Peter Matthew Bauer, "Wild Light" Audio interstitial: Everclear, "The Swing" Audio outro: Laura Marling, "Master Hunter" Link to GIF of bat deflection Link to Sam on bat dropping Link to picture of supposed Simmons shift Link to Sam on the breakdown of traditional defense Link to viral Drake splitter Link to non-viral Drake splitter 1 Link to non-viral Drake splitter 2 Link to teaser for The Pence Method Link to story on The Pence Method Link to Ben on the trade deadline Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the podcast’s seventh birthday, the end of an impressive streak by the Twins, what to think of Aaron Boone‘s tirade against rookie umpire Brennan Miller (and Brett Gardner’s odd dugout anger), Mike Trout and the FanGraphs Trade Value series, an Atlantic League player revolt, and five trends taking over the game, including the shift, relievers, and fewer fastballs. Audio intro: Destroyer, "Savage Night at the Opera" Audio outro: John Mellencamp, "I’m Not Running Anymore" Link to Boone/Gardner video Link to Lindsey Adler on the players’ reaction to Boone Link to Marc Carig on Boone’s reputation Link to Trade Value top 10 Link to Meg/Kiley Trade Value podcast Link to Atlantic League video Link to Ben’s trends piece Link to Ben’s bullpenning piece Link to Sam’s flames piece Link to Sam’s piece on the first pitches of games Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s visit to Cleveland, the Giants’ perplexing situation heading into the trade deadline, Edwin Jackson’s next destination, and the approaching addition of ads to MLB jerseys. Then they answer listener emails about whether Mike Trout’s popularity among stat-savvy fans stems from his lack of playoff appearances, the “strikeout player of the game,” whether clutch matters more at lower levels, whether players or coaches could try to doctor data in the age of tech-driven development, a Dallas Keuchel postgame comment, and showing sympathy for injured players, plus bat-dog discussion, a Stat Blast on pitchers who’ve thrown both immaculate innings and three-pitch innings, and a tribute to the late, great Rob McQuown, beloved Baseball Prospectus stat wizard. Audio intro: Juliana Hatfield, "Everything’s for Sale" Audio outro: The Coral, "Answer Me" Link to Trout promo Link to Zooperstars! mascot characters Link to story about 1988 Cone column Link to Keuchel’s “so-so” pitch Link to video of Piscotty/Rengifo play Link to picture of Rookie the bat dog Link to list of immaculate innings Link to list of three-pitch innings Link to Rob McQuown’s BP article archive Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and professional player (and former Sonoma Stompers coach, catcher, and first baseman) Tommy Lyons discuss the different types of hustle in baseball, deciding what level of hustle is acceptable in a variety of situations and examining how the fan perspective on hustle differs from the player perspective on hustle, plus a postscript (1:14:40) on two Atlantic League plays, the Angels’ combined no-hitter in tribute to Tyler Skaggs, and Bob Gibson’s health. Audio intro: The Dead Weather, "Hustle and Cuss" Audio outro: Shinedown, "45 (Acoustic)" Link to EW Facebook group’s hustle-play suggestions Link to Ben on hustling to first base Link to Sport Science segment on diving into first base Link to THT on diving into first base Link to FanGraphs on diving into first base Link to Russell Carleton on trying too hard Link to video of Upton/Longoria lollygagging argument Link to video of Atlantic League sprint to first Link to video of Atlantic League ejection Link to video of Angels no-hitter Link to Fabian Ardaya’s story on the Angels’ combined no-hitter Link to Roger Angell’s Gibson story Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Ball Four and Jim Bouton, Million Dollar Coin Flip, Christian Yelich’s pursuit of the first 50-30 season and which combination of power and speed would be most impressive, a baseball scene on Cheers, how the MLB All-Star Game differs from other sports’ all-star games, Bubba Starling and the incredible first round of the 2011 draft, the latest Atlantic League experiments and a new rule that isn’t really about stealing first base, the effect of the unified trade deadline and the strange state of the standings, and more. Audio intro: Lizzo, "Juice" Audio outro: Tommy James and the Shondells, "Ball of Fire" Link to Jay on Bouton Link to Yelich 50-30 article Link to THT article on Cheers Link to Bob Costas Cheers video Link to Ben on the baseball scene in Elementary Link to article about all-star game ridiculousness Link to Rany’s draft age study Link to recap of Portland Pickles’ Future of Baseball Night Link to Sam on the most watchable players Link to Ben on busy trade deadlines Link to Ben on this year’s unified deadline and strange standings Link to order The MVP Machine  iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)  Sponsor Us on Patreon  Facebook Group  Effectively Wild Wiki  Twitter Account  Get Our Merch!  Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com Source