Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, Justin Verlander’s and Rob Manfred’s comments about the juiced ball, the recent rapid turnover among elite hitters, and an instance of premature celebration featuring Fernando Rodney, then answer listener emails about Verlander’s on-pace-to-be-historic strand rate, whether we should have recognized that Verlander’s decline in Detroit wasn’t permanent, whether we should redefine “scoring position,” whether it’s harder to make the majors or to stay there, and what would happen if strikeouts triggered ejections, plus a Stat Blast about a showdown (Sho-down?) between Shohei Ohtani the hitter and Shohei Ohtani the pitcher. Audio intro: Paul McCartney and Wings, "Arrow Through Me" Audio outro: Jonathan Coulton, "Sticking it to Myself" Link to Baseball Savant Derby home-run tracker Link to Zach Crizer on Verlander Link to Jayson Stark on Verlander Link to Ben on hitter turnover Link to story about Rodney’s blown save Link to video of Rodney’s blown save Link to Stat Blast song Link to Log5 explanation Link to Sam on theoretical batter-pitcher matchups Link to Rob Arthur on batter-pitcher matchups and exit velocity Link to Mike Fast on batter-pitcher matchups and quality of contact 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 Colin Poche, the “Is This Guy Good?” game for relievers, Mike Trout entering the All-Star break as baseball’s best hitter and player, whether Trout could ever have his number retired league-wide, the rate at which Trout is surpassing Hall of Famers in WAR, an old discussion about Derek Jeter jerseys and the popularity of Aaron Judge, whether catcher collisions and concussions could play a part in bringing about robot umps, Howie Kendrick and a myth about bat-dropping, Max Scherzer’s premature celebration, and more. Then they discuss the past, present, and future of the Home Run Derby, why this year’s Derby could be pivotal, whether the Derby could ever become a major standalone sport, shagging flies during the Derby, and other Derby details. Audio intro: Prince and The New Power Generation, "The Max" Audio outro: The Glands, "Something in the Air" Link to Jeff’s Poche post Link to “Is This Guy Good?” Game Link to Ben on Trout’s 2019 Link to Sam on the Hall of Famers Trout passed in June Link to Judge jersey sales article Link to Russell Carleton on the value of clubhouse guys Link to Scherzer’s premature celebration Link to Sam on how to celebrate a game-ending error Link to Ben on protecting catchers from concussions Link to Sam on home run highlights being boring Link to Sam on the future of the Derby Link to July 4 Google Doodle Link to Sam on kids shagging flies during the Derby 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 Sam Malone maligning the Mariners, the unlikely career of pinch-hitter extraordinaire Mark Sweeney, the joys of watching Fernando Tatis, Jr., Bryce Harper’s Amazon store, and the definition of “MLB legend.” Then (29:43) Ben talks to Hall of Famer Bud Selig, Commissioner Emeritus and author of the new memoir For the Good of the Game, about Selig’s career, how he built consensus, the mistakes owners made in the ’70s and ’80s, collusion, how MLB missed opportunities to promote itself, steroid testing and Barry Bonds, public ballpark funding, the rise of MLBAM and big broadcast contracts, the future of competitive balance and labor peace, and more. Lastly (56:13), Ben and Meg reconvene to discuss Selig’s comments and analyze his complex legacy. Audio intro: Rob Orbison, "(I’d Be) A Legend in My Time" Audio interstitial 1: Willie Nelson, "Buddy" Audio interstitial 2: Reba McEntire, "That’s What He Said" Audio outro: Superchunk, "I Guess I Remembered it Wrong" Link to Frasier clip Link to THT article about baseball on Cheers Link to SABRcast episode with Sweeney Link to Harper store Link to Harper hair products Link to Selig’s memoir Link to Ben on the baseball and the steroid era Link to Ben on Selig and Hall of Fame voting Link to Ben on Lords of the Realm Link to Brewers economic impact study 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 reflect on the passing of Tyler Skaggs. Then (9:57) Ben and Sam Miller banter about whether it’s better for a team to be in a division with a few good teams or a division with one great team and a few bad teams and answer listener emails about whether baseball is a strong-link sport or a weak-link sport, whether a team could benefit by tailoring its park and its roster to a homer-averse style of play, which teams they think it would have been better for baseball for Mike Trout to have been drafted by, plus Stat Blasts about Charlie Blackmon’s home/road splits and the return of vintage Coors Field, and Trout’s chances of setting the record for the longest-ever reign by an active WAR leader. Audio intro: Built to Spill, "So" Audio outro: Paul McCartney, "4th of July" Link to Fabian Ardaya on Skaggs Link to Stanton’s Instagram post Link to Trout and other teammates talking about Skaggs Link to Sam on Coors Field Link to active WAR leaders data Link to Sam on the Hall of Famers Trout passed in June 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

In a bonus episode about the London Series, Ben Lindbergh talks to Darius Austin and Russell Eassom, writers and podcasters for the UK baseball site Bat Flips and Nerds, about their experiences at both Yankees-Red Sox games, why they think there was so much scoring, whether that brand of baseball was a good advertisement for the sport, the energy in the crowd, MLB’s outreach to the UK community, what could have been better about the weekend, how they became baseball fans, the growth of the UK fan community, where the game is played in the UK, the hardest part of explaining baseball to non-fans, how they would feel about MLB rotating between juiced and non-juiced balls on a set schedule, and much more. Audio intro: The Magnetic Fields, "Swinging London" Audio outro: T. Rex, "London Boys" Link to Bat Flips and Nerds website Link to Bat Flips and Nerds podcast Link to MLB UK Community Twitter account Link to Absolute Bunts podcast Link to article at The Athletic about Baseball on Five Link to Q&A about the UK fan community Link to MLB.com article about the UK fan community Link to Cut4 piece about the history of baseball in England 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 talk to Ross Stripling, Los Angeles Dodgers starter and host of The Big Swing, about why he started and enjoys doing a podcast, how Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman influenced his pitching style, how he uses data to prepare for opponents, and how he feels about pitching in an era with the highest home-run rate ever. Then Stripling walks them through what he was thinking and why he threw what he threw in six memorable plate appearances from his career, including a showdown with his nemesis Mike Trout, the first and last batters he faced in his memorable, no-hit debut, his highest-leverage appearance, an 11-pitch PA, and a big moment from the 2017 World Series. Audio intro: Superchunk, "Throwing Things (Acoustic Version)" Audio outro: Buzzcocks, "Harmony in My Head" Link to Stripling’s podcast Link to Stripling’s Rich Hill episode Link to Stripling’s fastball height by month in 2016 Link to EW episode with Sam’s reaction to Stripling’s debut Link to Sam’s feature on Philip Humber Link to Russell Carleton on the benefits of fouling off two-strike pitches Link to Stripling PA 1 (vs. Trout) Link to Stripling PA 2 (vs. Span) Link to Stripling PA 3 (vs. Pagan) Link to Stripling PA 4 (vs. Moroff) Link to Stripling PA 5 (vs. Jay) Link to Stripling PA 6 (vs. Bregman) 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 Twitter commotion caused by the Pioneer League’s Grand Junction Rockies (who are definitely not named the Humpback Chubs), an Angels outfield sign and Mike Trout, the curious rise and fall of Yonder Alonso, the promotion of Rays rookie (and two-way player) Brendan McKay, the upcoming FanGraphs All-Star Game event, the All-Star starters and how All-Stars should be selected, and J.D. Martinez’s comments about writers wanting to work in front offices. Then (40:33) they talk to FiveThirtyEight’s Nathaniel Rakich about his sabermetric analysis of the Congressional Baseball Game, why the Dems have dominated recent games, the two-way talents of Rep. Cedric Richmond, and why the game has resisted the polarization of politics. Lastly (1:06:21), they bring on NPR’s Linda Holmes to discuss her debut novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over, her love of baseball and fascination with the yips, whether a character with the yips is based on Brandon McCarthy, how the book has been received, her writing process and approach to dialogue, and more. Audio intro: Greg Brown, "Grand Junction" Audio interstitial 1: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording), "Take a Break" Audio interstitial 2: Warm Thoughts, "Romance Novelist" Audio outro: 10cc, "The Dean and I" Link to Craig Goldstein on the Grand Junction Rockies tweets Link to Humpback Chubs petition Link to interview about the Humpback Chubs petition Link to OCR story about Angels outfield sign Link to Craig Edwards on the McKay call-up Link to Dave Cameron on Alonso Link to FanGraphs All-Star Game event post Link to Devan Fink on All-Star starters and WAR Link to Martinez’s comments about writers and voting Link to Nathaniel’s article about the Congressional Baseball Game Link to Nathaniel’s Congressional Baseball Game stats Link to order Evvie Drake Starts Over 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

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  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 whether the Red Sox pulling a pitcher in the middle of a plate appearance was an instance of “Strategy,” share a Stat Blast about whether the platoon advantage is more pronounced early or late in plate appearances, and discuss a pitch-framing flare-up between Tyler Flowers and Willson Contreras, then answer listener emails about how different baseball could be and still be baseball, whether moving the mound back would lead to many more hit batters, whether teams should be buying low on fly-ball pitchers and the future of MLB’s home-run rate, and whether the Astros or another team with a reputation for building better players could deke their rivals by expressing interest in trading for players they don’t actually want. Audio intro: Golden Earring, "Desperately Trying to be Different" Audio outro: Death Cab for Cutie, "No Room in Frame" Link to Flowers vs. Contreras beef background Link to video of Flowers-Contreras encounter Link to Ben on Flowers Link to Cooper on moving the mound back Link to Rob on moving the mound back Link to info on Ohtani’s throwing session 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 Albert Pujols’ touching return to St. Louis, the Dodgers’ deceptive Will Smith walk-off and the reason for the proportional increase in non-pulled home runs, Commissioner Manfred’s latest comments about the ball and dingers, Newsday beat writer Tim Healey’s clubhouse confrontation with Jason Vargas and Mets manager Mickey Callaway, and the possibly pivotal PED suspension of Oakland’s Frankie Montas. Then they revisit two Sullivan-era chats about “baseball IQ” and whether facing death would make baseball teams better, pass judgement on an alleged Mariners-related fun fact, provide an update on Dylan Bundy’s periodic inattention to baserunners, and discuss the causes of the persistent poor performance of relievers relative to starters and the continued democratization of saves. Audio intro: The Beach Boys, "Angel Come Home" Audio outro: The Coral, "Come Home" Link to Doolittle on peak Pujols vs. Trout Link to video of Pujols’s first at-bat as an Angel in St. Louis Link to video of Pujols homering in St. Louis Link to Will’s Pujols newsletter Link to Derrick’s story on the possible Pujols trade Link to video of Smith’s surprising walk-off homer Link to Manfred’s latest comments about the ball Link to Tim Healey’s explanation of the Callaway/Vargas incident Link to Verducci on bullpens Link to Rob Arthur on pitchers’ hot hands Link to Clay’s comment on starters and stuff 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