Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

In a bonus episode of EW, Ben Lindbergh talks to SABR’s Jacob Pomrenke about the centennial of the notorious 1919 White Sox, SABR’s new “Eight Myths Out” project, the persistent misconceptions about why the Black Sox threw the 1919 World Series, whether the scandal could have stayed secret, the complicated legacy of Eight Men Out, what Jacob wishes he knew about the Black Sox, the future of gambling and baseball, and more. Then (34:57) Ben brings on FanGraphs’ Paul Sporer to discuss Paul’s history with baseball video games, digital baseball versus digital versions of other sports, and why Paul’s face is in MLB The Show 19, and Ben and Paul discuss the evolution of The Show and the latest installment in the franchise (45:56) with Sony community manager and game designer Ramone Russell. Audio intro: Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez, "Extra" Audio interstitial: Guided By Voices, "Just to Show You" Audio outro: The Rolling Stones, "On With the Show" Link to SABR’s “Eight Myths Out” Link to Scandal on the South Side Link to Episode 589 on Super Mega Baseball Link to Paul and Chris Sale in MLB The Show 19 Link to Paul’s Twitch channel Link to Ben’s 2018 article on The Show mirroring the majors Link to preorder 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 Willians Astudillo making the Twins’ Opening Day roster, whether Astudillo’s uncanny ability to make contact is more mental or physical, and what Oliver Perez and the rest of the remaining LOOGYs can do to preserve their endangered places on major-league rosters when the three-batter minimum goes into effect in 2020, then complete the 30-team preseason series by previewing the 2019 Boston Red Sox (18:40) with Boston Globe reporter Alex Speier, and the 2019 Baltimore Orioles (53:12) with MLB.com Orioles beat writer Joe Trezza. 2019 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: The Weakerthans, "The Last Last One" Audio interstitial 1: Guided By Voices, "Alex and the Omegas" Audio interstitial 2: Chip Taylor, "Nine Soldiers in Baltimore" Audio outro: Neil Young, "No More" Link to Rob’s article about endangered LOOGYs Link to SI article about endangered LOOGYs Link to Ben on early-season Sale vs. late-season Sale Link to Ben on champions standing pat and the Boston bullpen Link to Ben and Baumann on the MLB extension spree Link to listener’s minor-league free agent tracker Link to Banished To The Pen’s team preview posts Link to preorder 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 Mariners-A’s opening series, the emotional last game featuring Ichiro Suzuki, and the uncertain degree to which the recent rash of contract extensions reflects players’ anxiety about free agency, then preview the 2019 New York Yankees (38:17) with The Athletic’s Yankees beat writer, Lindsey Adler, and the 2019 Miami Marlins (1:14:31) with The Athletic’s Marlins beat writer, Andre Fernandez. 2019 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Built to Spill, "Some Things Last a Long Time" Audio interstitial 1: The Black Angels, "Empire" Audio interstitial 2: Animal Collective, "Derek" Audio outro: Fairport Convention, "Farewell, Farewell" Link to video of Ichiro leaving his last game Link to Jeff’s post about extensions Link to Craig Edwards on extensions Link to Sam on Marlins trades Link to Andre on the Marlins’ young pitching Link to Ben’s On Baseball Writing appearance Link to Banished To The Pen’s team preview posts Link to preorder 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 at length about Mike Trout’s extension, why he may have wanted to stay with the Angels, what makes him different from other players, and why he’s underpaid despite his record contract, then preview the 2019 Houston Astros (44:38) with The Athletic’s Astros beat writer Jake Kaplan, and the 2019 Detroit Tigers (1:15:05) with Detroit Free Press Tigers beat writer Anthony Fenech. 2019 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Heatmiser, "Why Did I Decide to Stay?" Audio interstitial 1: Neil Finn, "Astro" Audio interstitial 2: John Doe and The Sadies, "Country Club" Audio outro: Flamin’ Groovies, "The First One’s Free" Link to Ben’s Trout extension article Link to Sam’s Trout extension article Link to Sam’s article about Trout on every team Link to story about MLB considering raising minor-league salaries Link to Banished To The Pen’s team preview posts Link to preorder 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 Effectively Wild listener and Mike Trout Tier Patreon supporter Anthony Scheff banter about the Blue Jays raising salaries for minor leaguers, the team’s motivations for doing so, and whether other teams will follow suit, then answer listener emails about A.J. Hinch getting ejected in a split-squad spring training game, MLB’s demoralizing offseason and whether baseball is in any short-term trouble, and what qualifies as a pitcher’s “stuff,” plus Stat Blasts about the most two-year-old friendly game and the longest careers among players who only ever made the majors in September. Audio intro: Martin Solveig & GTA, "Intoxicated" Audio outro: Belle & Sebastian, "Lord Anthony" Link to recent episode with Emily Waldon on minor-league pay Link to Emily Waldon on minor leaguers’ lives Link to Emily and Ken Rosenthal on the Blue Jays raising salaries Link to John Lott on the Jays raising salaries Link to Jeff on intentional walks in spring training Link to Ben Bailey on intentional walks in spring training Link to Hinch explaining why he was thrown out Link to Bryan Curtis on baseball’s perceived decline Link to box score of most two-year-old-friendly game Link to instructions for finding MLB games on YouTube Link to John Poff’s SABR bio Link to live episode with Fernando Perez Link to Episode 323 with Adrian Cardenas Link to preorder 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 witnessing actual baseball being played, her plans for watching the Mariners’ and Athletics’ international Opening Day matchup, Willians Astudillo’s spring training, the long list of 2019 and 2020 rules changes announced by MLB and the MLBPA, Meg’s new hires at FanGraphs, and Jessica Mendoza’s dual role with ESPN and the Mets, then preview the 2019 Indians (44:41) with senior writer for The Athletic Zack Meisel, and the 2019 White Sox (1:15:32) with The Athletic’s White Sox beat writer, James Fegan. 2019 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: The 88, "The Real Thing" Audio interstitial 1: The New Pornographers, "Jessica Numbers" Audio interstitial 2: Eric B. & Rakim, "No Competition" Audio outro: Pixies, "Into the White" Link to video of Astudillo dinger Link to Grant on time of game Link to Ben’s article on the rules changes Link to Gerald Schifman on teams exploiting minor-league options Link to Schifman on the rise of MLB’s minimum earners Link to Meg’s announcement about new hires Link to Zack on Mario Kart Link to March to Friendship website Link to March to Friendship Facebook post Link to preorder 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 parity in the NL and imbalance in the AL, then preview the 2019 Dodgers (7:08) with Los Angeles Times national baseball writer Andy McCullough, and the 2019 Kansas City Royals (1:02:45) with The Athletic’s Royals beat writer, Rustin Dodd. 2019 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: The High Water Marks, "National Time" Audio interstitial 1: Mark Olson, "National Express" Audio interstitial 2: Gorillaz, "Kansas" Audio outro: Matt Costa, "Sweet Thursday" Link to Ben’s AL/NL parity article Link to Andy’s Farhan article Link to preorder 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 fallout from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s oblique injury and the signings of Adam Jones and Martin Maldonado as referenda on free agency, then answer listener emails about whether the Indians and Astros could have significantly upped their playoff odds by making more moves (and fan bases that should be aggrieved about their teams’ winter inactivity), Craig Kimbrel’s in-season negotiating leverage, whether wearing or not wearing a uniform number is a more fitting tribute, the value of scouting strengths versus scouting weaknesses, and the effects of robo umps on offense, entertainment value, and chasing pitches outside the strike zone, plus a Stat Blast about manager height. Audio intro: The Glands, "Pie" Audio outro: Neuseiland, "Robots of Me" Link to Dan Szymborski on Jones and Maldonado Link to Sam on players seeking contracts Link to BP playoff odds Link to Sam’s article on manager height Link to article on the compassionate umpire Link to article on the Bayesian umpire Link to Baltimore/DC-area EW meetup Link to preorder 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 Max Scherzer’s supremacy and the changes coming to the Atlantic League in 2019 as part of its partnership with MLB, include an altered base size, mound distance, strike zone, and more, then preview the 2019 Nationals (29:00) with Washington Post columnist Barry Svrluga, and the 2019 Seattle Mariners (1:04:16) with Seattle Times Mariners beat writer Ryan Divish. 2019 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Pixies, "Debaser" Audio interstitial 1: Grateful Dead, "He’s Gone" Audio interstitial 2: The Baseball Project, "Ichiro Goes to the Moon" Audio outro: Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez, "Play it Again Sam" Link to Kershaw/Scherzer article Link to Atlantic League-MLB press release Link to Sam on Hamilton and Bolt Ben’s article on moving the mound Link to Cooper article about moving the mound Link to Jeff on banning the shift Link to Barry’s book, The Grind Link to preorder 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 (re)introduces new co-hosts Sam Miller of ESPN and Meg Rowley of FanGraphs. Together, they explain the show’s new format and schedule, pay tribute to departed co-host Jeff Sullivan, and answer listener emails about a team made of clones of Ken Griffey Jr., how to reacclimate to baseball after taking an offseason off, and what they’re most anticipating about the 2019 season. Audio intro: The Frames, "New Partner" Audio outro: The Lemon Twigs, "As Long As We’re Together" Link to Griffey clone commercial Link to Ben’s Griffey scouting report article Link to Sam’s Belt/beer vendor article Link to Sam on position players pitching Link to Sam’s Bartolo article Link to preorder 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