Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

In their final team-preview podcast of 2018, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a new podcast-inspired song, the Scott Kingery, Ketel Marte, and Christian Vazquez extensions, Ben’s partially listener-inspired research about catcher offense, a Devil Rays close call, and whether the ball is juiced in MLB The Show, then preview the 2018 Mets (28:47) with MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, and the 2018 Rays (1:08:35) with CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson. 2018 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Benny and the Jeffs, "Effectively Wild" Audio interstitial 1: Benny and the Jeffs, "Effectively Wild" Audio interstitial 2: The Bees, "(This is for the) Better Days" Audio outro: Jeff Buckley, "I Know it’s Over" Link to Effectively Wild song Link to Ben’s catcher research Link to Ben’s article about MLB The Show Link to Banished To The Pen season preview posts  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 Jeff Sullivan banter about the passage of the so-called “Save America’s Pastime” Act, the future of minor-league spending, the endangered status of lower-level independent leagues, Ryan Zimmerman’s spring-training trailblazing, leadoff hitter Aaron Judge, actual likely Opening Day Dodgers starter Matt Kemp, a Zack Greinke anecdote, and Miguel Cabrera’s solution for not knowing teammates’ names, then preview the 2018 Mariners (20:38) with FanGraphs’ Meg Rowley, and the 2018 Rockies (53:35) with Rockies Magazine’s Jesse Spector. 2018 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "U.S. Government" Audio interstitial 1: Buzzcocks, "Sixteen Again" Audio interstitial 2: Manassas, "Colorado" Audio outro: Slothrust, "…Baby One More Time" Link to Baseball America article about the end of indy leagues Link to article about the resting of Ryan Zimmerman Link to article about Miguel Cabrera calling everyone “bro” Link to Banished To The Pen season preview posts  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 Jeff Sullivan banter about Alex Cobb’s surprising windfall with the Orioles and the ever-present overlap between baseball and social issues, follow up on non-throwing outfielders, and answer listener emails about challengers to Mike Trout’s email-episode throne (and Trout’s spring training strikeout-less streak), whether tanking is actually bad for baseball or becoming more common, what might make Clayton Kershaw opt not to opt out, players whom cutting-edge stats overrate, how hitters can discourage teams from shifting against them, whether Alex Rodriguez stood out for beating up on bad pitchers, and the possibility of a pitcher getting a loss and a save in the same game, plus a Stat Blast on the best-projected teams and rapid roster improvements. Audio intro: Weezer, "Beverly Hills" Audio outro: Jet, "Bring it on Back" Link to video of Tomoaki Kanemoto throwing Link to Ben’s article about tanking, hope and faith Link to Jeff’s post about projected strength of schedule  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 Jeff Sullivan banter about the Eugenio Suarez and Jose Altuve extensions, whether this offseason’s slow free-agent market will make players more likely to sign extensions, the industry’s latest effort to avoid paying minor leaguers, and the debate about where Shohei Ohtani should start the season, then preview the 2018 Twins (18:52) with Baseball Prospectus’s Aaron Gleeman, and the 2018 Rangers (56:45) with The Athletic DFW’s Levi Weaver. 2018 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Slothrust, "Let’s Stay Together" Audio interstitial 1: Math and Physics Club, "Cold As Minnesota" Audio interstitial 2: Levi Weaver, "Hear You Say My Name" Audio outro: Darren Korb, "A Step Closer" Link to EW events page Link to Banished To The Pen season preview posts  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 Jeff Sullivan banter about a new nautical analogy by Scott Boras, the resurgent Lucas Giolito, Ronald Acuña (again), and possible destinations for free agents Alex Cobb and Greg Holland, then preview the 2018 Blue Jays (15:00) with Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, and the 2018 Pirates (46:48) with MLB.com’s Adam Berry. 2018 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Cold War Kids, "Every Valley is Not a Lake" Audio interstitial 1: The Tragically Hip, "Toronto #4" Audio interstitial 2: Neko Case, "Mood to Burn Bridges" Audio outro: The Guess Who, "Three More Days" Link to Banished To The Pen season preview posts  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 Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo’s day in the spotlight, Carter Capps’s new look, and Minor League Baseball’s new pace/length-of-play rules, follow up on previous discussions of spring-training celebrations and ground-bound players, and answer listener emails about a front-office saboteur, Steve Carlton’s incredible career balk total, the predictiveness of second-half performance, Ronald Acuña’s next triumph (and the cost of a lifetime Acuña contract), David Price’s opt-out, the strange statistical profile of Hall of Fame pitcher Ted Lyons, how a young Frank Thomas would have hit in the uppercut era, and two official-scoring quandaries, plus multiple Stat Blasts about Pi-themed players and games. Audio intro: The Who, "Don’t Look Away" Audio outro: Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Don’t Look Now" Link to Jeff’s article about Willians Astudillo’s no-look pickoff Link to GIF of Carter Capps Link to article about the history of balks  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

On a Bay Area edition of EW’s season-preview series, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the resolution of their free-agent-contracts draft, the Lance Lynn, Neil Walker, and Jake Arrieta signings, the offseason market in review, and a Stephen Hawking baseball connection, then preview the 2018 Giants (32:07) with SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee, and the 2018 Athletics (1:07:20) with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser. 2018 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: The Breeders, "Spacewoman" Audio interstitial 1: Marbles, "Grant Me the Day" Audio interstitial 2: The Jayhawks, "Black-Eyed Susan" Audio outro: Metronomy, "The Bay" Link to EW competitions and drafts spreadsheet Link to Travis Sawchik’s table on free agency’s middle class Link to Banished To The Pen season preview posts  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 Jeff Sullivan banter about the odd odds of Jason Heyward opting out, the Mike Moustakas and Carlos Gonzalez contracts, the origins of shifting, the always-all-out Noah Syndergaard, Shohei Ohtani, and a non-throwing outfielder follow-up, then preview the 2018 Diamondbacks (38:46) with AZCentral Sports’ Nick Piecoro, and the 2018 Brewers (1:14:14) with The Frosty Mug’s Kyle Lobner. 2018 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Paul McCartney and Wings, "Morse Moose and the Grey Goose" Audio interstitial 1: Wilco, "Hotel Arizona" Audio interstitial 2: Lex Allen, "This is Our Year" Audio outro: Eels, "My Descent into Madness" Link to Ben’s article about shifting Link to video of Randal Grichuk play Link to Travis Sawchik’s article on Ohtani Link to March to Friendship Link to Banished To The Pen season preview posts  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 Jeff Sullivan banter about the Rays’ latest Tommy John surgery victim and the team’s potential plans for a four-man rotation, players’ decreasing IP and PA totals, exhibition-game walk-off celebrations, Marlins spring-training invitees, and Jon Lester’s new bounce pass to first base, then answer listener emails about lower-level clutchness, how quickly changes to the ball would be noticed, Shohei Ohtani’s underrated offensive ability, how teams could spend their way out of scrutiny by the Players Association, whether teams should swap outfielders in certain parks, how much MLB might expand in the future, Jason Heyward opt-out scenarios, a non-throwing Mike Trout, the value of a player who doesn’t fly for road trips, and how much experience helps players, plus a Stat Blast about league-wide spring-training rates so far. Audio intro: Shout Out Louds, "Four By Four" Audio outro: The Posies, "That Don’t Fly"  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 Jeff Sullivan banter about Ichiro Suzuki’s return to Seattle, Neil Walker’s perplexing unemployment, the unreliability of bullpens, Anthony Gose’s extremely rough start to spring training, and Kyle Jensen’s extremely hot start to spring training, then preview the 2018 Angels (20:44) with The Athletic Los Angeles’s Pedro Moura, and the 2018 Phillies (51:19) with The Athletic Philadelphia’s Meghan Montemurro. 2018 EW Season Preview Series ALBALCHWATHBOSCLEHOUNYYDETLAATBRKCRSEATORMINTEX NLATLCHCARIMIACINCOLNYMMILLADPHIPITSDPWSNSTLSFG Audio intro: Daft Punk, "One More Time" Audio interstitial 1: Rob Dougan, "Furious Angels" Audio interstitial 2: Elton John, "Philadelphia Freedom" Audio outro: The Posies, "March Climes" Link to Jeff’s post about bullpens Link to Jeff’s post about the Angels’ defense Link to Banished To The Pen season preview posts  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