Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about listener responses to their earlier conversation about the proper pluralization of “hit by pitch,” then (11:41) bring on Bradford William Davis and Dr. Meredith Wills to discuss the reporting and research that revealed that two types of baseballs were used during the 2021 MLB regular season, as well as the differences between balls, players’ and teams’ reactions to the news, whether MLB’s ball problems stem from incompetence or conspiracy, how the league could improve its messaging and production process, the outlook for offense next year, the ball’s impact on gambling and the labor situation, and more.

Audio intro: Sparks, “Balls”
Audio outro: Roy Orbison, “Two of a Kind”

Link to SABR style guide
Link to Bradford’s report
Link to thread about Bradford’s report
Link to SI report about 2020 balls
Link to study about the Yankees
Link to Alonso’s comments
Link to Ben’s first piece about the HR rate
Link to Ben’s first piece about the ball
Link to Manfred’s 2019 comments
Link to Meredith’s 2019 analysis
Link to Ben on 2019 postseason balls
Link to article about Wilson basketballs
Link to Sporting News on three-pointers
Link to NPR on three-pointers
Link to Effectively Wild Secret Santa
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to Stove League review
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which teams have the most unfinished roster construction to complete post-lockout and the league’s and union’s dueling playoff format proposals, then answer listener emails about what Wander Franco would make as a free agent today, a plan to combat tanking, and the proper pluralization of “hit by pitch,” Stat Blast about Rich Hill and Scott Service, and meet two major leaguers, the Nationals’ Joan Adon and the Cubs’ Tyler Payne.

Audio intro: Leftover Salmon, “Mountain Top”
Audio outro: Biz Markie, “My Man Rich”

Link to 14-team-playoffs proposal
Link to 12-team-playoffs proposal
Link to Ken Rosenthal on Freeman
Link to Sam Miller on seeking contracts
Link to article about Boras loophole
Link to the “Gold Plan”
Link to article on MLB vs. NFL TV ratings
Link to Ben Clemens on the Hill signing
Link to list of most signings with one team
Link to list of most stints with one team
Link to article about Cubs players used
Link to article about Service
Link to Servais vs. Service record
Link to Servais vs. Service video
Link to Travis Sawchik thread
Link to Adon debut highlights
Link to Adon debut post
Link to Effectively Wild Secret Santa
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to Stove League review
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the beginning of the lockout, which marks MLB’s ninth work stoppage and the first in 26 years. They also discuss a flurry of buzzer-beating transactions, including the Dodgers re-signing Chris Taylor, the Cubs signing Marcus Stroman, the Brewers and Red Sox swapping Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hunter Renfroe, and the Red Sox remaking their rotation with Rich Hill and James Paxton. Then (32:13) they bring on Indiana University professor and FanGraphs contributor Nathaniel Grow to discuss the significance of the lockout, what can and can’t happen while the lockout is in place, how and when it might be resolved, challenging MLB’s antitrust exemption, and more.

Audio intro: Crowded House, “Locked Out”
Audio interstitial: Lucinda Williams, “Changed the Locks”
Audio outro: Pink Floyd, “The Show Must Go On“

Link to Manfred’s letter
Link to Tony Clark’s statement
Link to Manfred’s press conference
Link to more Manfred and Clark comments
Link to Ben Clemens on Taylor
Link to Eric Longenhagen on Renfroe/Bradley
Link to Kevin Goldstein on Iglesias
Link to Dan Szymborski on Paxton
Link to last Evan Drellich podcast appearance
Link to Evan on the most divisive issues
Link to Evan on the start of the lockout
Link to Evan on the path to the lockout
Link to Nathaniel’s CBA preview
Link to Nathaniel’s lockout preview
Link to Travis Sawchik on 1995 signings
Link to Ben on spring training for free agents
Link to Mike Axisa on work stoppage rules
Link to Nathaniel on the antitrust exemption
Link to Baseball on Trial
Link to Effectively Wild Secret Santa
Link to Travis on agents and earnings
Link to Shi Davidi on the Gausman signing
Link to Davidi on Gausman vs. Ray
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to Stove League review
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the onslaught of transaction activity leading up to the expiration of the CBA, touching on why they and others misread how fast the market would move, why players and teams have done deals so quickly and how the burst of spending could affect labor talks, the group of non-playoff teams that are trying to win, the Rangers and Mets pushing in their chips, the futures of Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Javier Báez, Max Scherzer’s record-breaking contract, Kevin Gausman vs. Robbie Ray, the aesthetics of Starling Marte, how close to contention the Mariners, Tigers, and Marlins might be, the Byron Buxton extension and the state of the Twins, the prominent teams that haven’t been busy, what the Rockies are thinking, where Carlos Correa could end up, and more.

Audio intro: The Orange Peels, "All at Once"
Audio outro: Bee Gees, "All My Christmases Came at Once"

Link to Dan Syzmborski on the Mets’ signings
Link to Jay Jaffe on the Scherzer signing
Link to Dan on the Semien signing
Link to Kevin Goldstein on the Seager signing
Link to Dan on the Ray signing
Link to Ben Clemens on the Gausman signing
Link to Brendan Gawlowski on the Frazier trade
Link to Ben Clemens on the Buxton extension
Link to Justin Choi on the Gray signing
Link to Ben Clemens on the Báez signing
Link to Danny Knobler on a signing deadline
Link to MLB-proposed free-agent signing deadline
Link to MLB.com on a signing deadline
Link to SI on speeding up free agency
Link to RosterResource payroll page
Link to Ken Rosenthal on Correa
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to Stove League review
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rays signing 20-year-old Wander Franco to a long-term extension, rapid movement in the starting-pitcher market (capped off by the Cardinals signing Steven Matz and Mets owner Steve Cohen tweeting out his reaction), and the White Sox inking Kendall Graveman. Then (36:41) they continue their series of discussions of Korean baseball drama Stove League by breaking down Episodes 5–8. (Note: No spoilers beyond Episode 8.)

Audio intro: Willie Nelson, "I Let My Mind Wander"
Audio outro: Lana Del Ray, "Not All Who Wander Are Lost"

Link to Dan Syzmborski on the Franco extension
Link to Ginny Searle on the Franco extension
Link to Devan Fink on the Giants’ deals
Link to story about Cohen and Matz
Link to Luke Hooper on the Graveman signing
Link to Korean report on corporal punishment
Link to “Fighting!” expression
Link to “You’ve worked hard!” expression
Link to first EW Stove League discussion
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to Stove League review
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh talks to baseball writer and romance novelist KD Casey about Unwritten Rules, her new romance novel about catchers and catcher framing, focusing on her history as a fan and writer, the intersection of sports and romance fiction, fictionalizing MLB teams, delivering details about baseball without alienating readers who aren’t fans, the ethics of dating a teammate, why MLB still hasn’t had a publicly out active player, the legacy of Glenn Burke, whether it’s harder to write baseball scenes or sex scenes, picking the cover model for a baseball romance novel, calibrating readers’ romance expectations, and more. Then (1:08:22) Ben brings on Baseball Prospectus author Gerald Schifman to discuss his latest research into whether shadows creeping across the field actually affect offensive performance.

Audio intro: Julian Lennon, “Kiss Beyond the Catcher”
Audio interstitial: Dion, “In and Out of the Shadows”
Audio outro: Great Lake Swimmers, “Catcher Song“

Link to Unwritten Rules publisher page
Link to Unwritten Rules Goodreads page
Link to KD’s website
Link to all of KD’s books
Link to KD’s social media landing page
Link to KD on Jewish families
Link to vote in Reads Rainbow Awards
Link to Ben’s 2013 framing piece
Link to most-read Goodreads baseball books
Link to Goodreads baseball romance books
Link to Emma Span on baseball slash fiction
Link to Billy Beane/Theo Epstein story
Link to podcast about Pitch
Link to retrospective Pitch piece
Link to EW episode with Billy Bean
Link to story about Burke
Link to Burke bio Singled Out
Link to excerpt from Burke bio
Link to Andrew Maraniss on Burke
Link to True Blue LA interview about Burke
Link to The Athletic interview about Burke
Link to Moneyball “romantic” scene
Link to Gerald’s first shadows study
Link to Gerald’s second shadows study
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to Stove League review
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on an earlier conversation about ERA vs. FIP and banter about Seiya Suzuki being posted, Noah Syndergaard’s explanation of why he left the Mets, the rumored Sandy Alcantara extension and the future of the Marlins, how Canada’s new policy about unvaccinated athletes could affect the Blue Jays, and a dirty punch thrown by Willians Astudillo. Then (26:49) they discuss whether and how Ben, who’s eligible to vote for the Hall of Fame for the first time, should cast his ballot in a year with an unusually divisive slate of candidates.

Audio intro: Crowded House, "Fame Is"
Audio outro: Ry Cooder, "One Cat, One Vote, One Beer"

Link to Syndergaard comments
Link to story about Canada’s policy change
Link to Reddit thread about Astudillo’s punch
Link to blog post about Astudillo’s punch
Link to earlier Astudillo brawl
Link to 2022 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot
Link to Jay Jaffe on the 2022 ballot
Link to Jay on the Era Committee ballots
Link to 2022 ballots at B-Ref
Link to Jay on his 2021 ballot
Link to EW interview with philosophers
Link to Jared Diamond on the character clause
Link to Jeff Passan on Bonds and Clemens
Link to Passan on not voting
Link to Andy McCullough on not voting
Link to The Athletic’s HoF survey
Link to Beyond the Scrum pod on not voting
Link to starting pitcher JAWS leaders
Link to Ken Rosenthal’s 2021 ballot
cw // Link to comments by Bonds’s ex-wife
cw // Link to comments by Bonds’s ex-girlfriend
Link to FanGraphs post about playerElo
Link to paper about playerElo
Link to 2019 playerElo ratings
Link to FiveThirtyEight Elo ratings
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to Stove League review
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap the results of awards week, focusing on the controversy over Corbin Burnes’s victory over Zack Wheeler in NL Cy Young voting, the inconsistency between the AL and NL Cy Young results, how voting patterns are evolving, whether anyone actually discounts the value of innings, FIP vs. ERA and a misconception about the suitability of FIP for retrospective evaluation, and the MVP victories of Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper. Then (43:24) they start their series of discussions of Korean baseball drama Stove League by breaking down the first four episodes of the show. (Note: No spoilers beyond Episode 4.)

Audio intro: The High Water Marks, "Award Show"
Audio outro: The Lemonheads, "Stove"

Link to NL Cy Young voting results
Link to AL Cy Young voting results
Link to AL MVP voting results
Link to Ben on Ohtani’s stats
Link to NL MVP voting results
Link to Alex Speier on Cy Young voting
Link to Jayson Stark on awards stats
Link to Jeff Passan’s tweet about innings
Link to Tom Tango on deGrom vs. Urías
Link to Tango on predicting Cy Young results
Link to Dan Szymborski on his NL RotY ballot
Link to Ben Clemens on Burnes
Link to Neil Paine on MVPs and team performance
Link to history of BBWAA Cy Young voting
Link to history of BBWAA MVP voting
Link to Russell Carleton on reliever workloads
Link to Incheon SSG Landers Field
Link to Moneyball bat scene
Link to Twitter thread on Jung Hwa Kim
Link to explainer about Korean beef
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to Stove League review
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Astros re-signing Justin Verlander and MLB’s plan to house minor leaguers, then (19:53) bring on listener and top-tier Patreon supporter John Choe to discuss the single game he played in indy ball, the Moonlight Graham Society he co-founded to recognize minor league cups of coffee, how his love of baseball stats helped guide him to his current career, how he and his kids have spread the gospel of sabermetrics, his daughter’s on-field experience with Baseball For All, and more. After that (42:29), Ben, Meg, and John answer listener emails about why popular pitcher stats don’t mirror popular hitting stats, how different baseball would be if players were removed from games after making outs and if players and teams could copyright tactics, whether umps should intervene in an unforced walk-off, and whether players could opt not to wear caps. Lastly (1:24:17), Ben talks to another listener/Patreon supporter, Michael Mountain, about the most efficient itinerary for a trip to every affiliated ballpark in 2022.

Audio intro: Kelley Stoltz, "You’re Out of This World"
Audio outro: Smash Mouth, "Shoes ‘N’ Hats"

Link to Brendan Gawlowski on Verlander
Link to Baseball America on MiLB housing
Link to MiLB.com on MiLB housing
Link to the Moonlight Graham Society website
Link to John’s page at the MGS site
Link to John’s article about the MGS
Link to NPR story on Evan Katz
Link to Sam Miller on playing in a pro game
Link to list of minor league one-game players
Link to lists of major league one-game players
Link to Baseball For All website
Link to paper on protecting sports secrets
Link to Ben on keeping secrets in MLB
Link to Bryan Grosnick on openers
Link to Sam on the history of bullpenning
Link to story on copyrighting game mechanics
Link to Michael’s previous pod appearance
Link to Reddit thread on 2022 road trip
Link to Michael’s ballpark grand tour
Link to traveling salesperson problem
Link to NoContextEWPod account
Link to Acuña’s quote
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a flurry of signings and other transactions, including the Tigers signing Eduardo Rodriguez, the Angels signing Noah Syndergaard, the Blue Jays extending José Berríos, and the Mets (finally) hiring a GM, Billy Eppler, plus musings on the Tigers and Mariners “turning the corner,” followups on player rankings, unorthodox trades, and the worst way to end a series, and a real-time reaction to some Shohei Ohtani sponsorship news. Then (43:47) they talk to Zack Frongillo, Director of Entertainment for the Savannah Bananas, about the team’s history, his history, the development of “Banana Ball” and its experimental rules, foul balls being in play, how a typical gameday goes, the team’s online and offline appeal, the tryout/audition process, what baseball could borrow from Banana Ball, the Bananas’ plans for the future, and much more.

Audio intro: Radiohead, “Banana Co.”
Audio interstitial: Arkells, “Savannah”
Audio outro: Matt Costa, “Savannah“

Link to Ben Clemens on the Rodriguez signing
Link to ICC cricket rankings
Link to ICC cricket rankings wiki
Link to story on the Guardians’ name
Link to Phanatic lawsuit story
Link to Harwell trade story
Link to story about Youppi! trade
Link to video of 2014 Japan Series ending
Link to story on 2014 Japan Series ending
Link to Twenty20 cricket wiki
Link to the Bananas’ “About” page
Link to Banana Ball explainer
Link to Banana Ball video
Link to Baseball America on the Bananas
Link to the Boston Globe on the Bananas
Link to the WSJ on the Bananas
Link to Max Patkin SABR bio
Link to Eddie Feigner obit
Link to the Bananas on TikTok
Link to Zack’s post in the EW Facebook group
Link to EW episode about Blaseball
Link to info on the Bananas’ 2022 tour
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest batch of silly Scott Boras quotes, featuring Meg’s real-time reactions to hearing them for the first time, a “fake quote or real quote?” quiz, and a discussion of the motivations behind the superagent’s annual stand-up routine, then discuss Boras’s comments about competitive integrity and try to identify the 13 (or more) teams that Boras says aren’t trying to win. Then (41:15) they examine the idea of an official MLB player ranking system, answer emails about Clayton Kershaw’s usage, the best type of routine out with which to end a postseason series, and the least valuable entity that teams would trade, and close (1:16:12) with Stat Blasts on the Braves as a Ship of Theseus and Pedro Feliciano vs. Chase Utley and the most prolific pitcher-batter matchups.

Audio intro: The Hives, "No Pun Intended"
Audio outro: Lilys, "Scott Free"

Link to “best” Boras quotes
Link to WaPo on Boras and competition
Link to CBS Sports on Boras and tanking
Link to video of Boras on Bryant
Link to video of Boras on Conforto
Link to video of Alderson on Boras
Link to Rob Mains on competitive inequality
Link to Bill James Handbook 2022
Link to Ben on peak Kershaw
Link to Ben on Kershaw’s adjustments
Link to final out of the 2016 World Series
Link to FanGraphs post on trading data
Link to Stat Blast data on postseason rosters
Link to Stat Blast data on common matchups
Link to Stat Blast data on Johnson vs. Cobb
Link to Stat Blast data on matchups over time
Link to study on batters learning over time
Link to Feliciano obit
Link to Feliciano vs. Utley matchup summary
Link to Feliciano vs. Utley matchup details
Link to The Athletic’s FanGaphs WAR report
Link to EW interview with Jonathan Judge
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley announce new perks available to their Patreon supporters, then (12:03) bring on Ben Clemens, the lead author of FanGraphs’ top 50 free agents ranking, to discuss qualifying offers, early transactions, and Wade Miley and size up this offseason’s free agent class, focusing on the strong selection of shortstops and starters, the players Ben is higher or lower on than the consensus, the most obvious fits for players and teams, the potential of Seiya Suzuki, how the CBA negotiations could affect the market, and more. Finally (51:10), Ben, Meg, and other Ben conduct the seventh annual EW free-agent-contract over/under draft.

Audio intro: The Stanley Brothers, "Rank Strangers"
Audio outro: Guided By Voices, "Free Agents"

Link to Effectively Wild’s Patreon page
Link to list of qualifying offer recipients
Link to FanGraphs’ top 50 free agents
Link to Ben’s top 50 free agents chat
Link to MLB Trade Rumors’ top 50 free agents
Link to Jake Mailhot on the Reds
Link to Krall’s comments about payroll
Link to MLBTR on the Athletics’ offseason
Link to Andrew Friedman’s Kershaw comments
Link to Suzuki’s B-Ref page
Link to EW competitions and drafts spreadsheet
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to Evan Drellich, senior writer for The Athletic, about the state of labor negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, the major issues separating the two sides, the odds of a work stoppage, how long a potential lockout could last, how the CBA talks may affect transaction activity, how previous rounds of bargaining led to this one, whether a salary cap and floor could work, transitioning from covering teams as a beat writer to covering the business of baseball, the future of minor league housing and local broadcast blackouts, breaking the Astros sign-stealing story, and collaborating on reporting with Ken Rosenthal.

Audio intro: Ian M Bailey, "Take it or Leave it"
Audio outro: Attic Lights, "Lock Me Out"

Link to Evan on how a lockout would work
Link to Evan on previous bargaining rounds
Link to Evan on latest MLBPA proposal
Link to Evan on Marvin Miller
Link to Ben on Lords of the Realm
Link to Morning Consult poll
Link to Greg Bouris EW interview
Link to Evan on blackouts and streaming
Link to report about future streaming service
Link to Evan on minor league housing
Link to The Athletic Baseball Show
Link to original sign-stealing report
Link to preorder Evan’s book
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s return from podcast paternity leave, the quality of the 2021 postseason, whether the Braves were underrated or simply overperformed, what teams might learn from and emulate about Atlanta’s success, postseason pitcher usage and game length, the career and retirement of Buster Posey, their upcoming discussion of TV drama Stove League, and more.

Audio intro: Pavement, "Father to a Sister of Thought"
Audio outro: Bill Withers, "Wintertime"

Link to NL East playoff odds graph
Link to FanGraphs postseason staff predictions
Link to Mark Armour on parity
Link to Paul Hembekides on game ending times
Link to Theo Epstein on emulating champions
Link to Zach Kram on Atlanta’s win
Link to Michael Baumann on the Astros’ future
Link to Ben on Atlanta’s rebuild
Link to Zach on Atlanta’s bullpen
Link to Eno Sarris on learning from Atlanta
Link to Emma Baccellieri on Atlanta’s shifting
Link to Jay on playoff pitcher usage
Link to Jay on unlikely playoff pitchers
Link to Ben on bullpenning
Link to Ben on October baseball
Link to Ben on predicting postseason sweeps
Link to Maury Brown on playoff start times
Link to John Ourand on start times and ratings
Link to Ben on re-signing World Series winners
Link to Rob Mains on pitcher usage and payroll
Link to Terrance Gore EW episode
Link to Jay Jaffe on Posey
Link to Grant Brisbee on Posey
Link to Nichols Law of Catcher Defense
Link to Stove League teaser video
Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa
Link to stream Stove League via Viki

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Eric Longenhagen discuss the conclusion of the World Series, including how Brian Snitker and Dusty Baker managed their depleted pitching staffs, the future of postseason pitching, Jorge Soler’s pyrotechnics, when they realized Atlanta was going to win the Series, and what’s next for the Astros and the Braves. Then they turn their attention to winter ball, including the balance of talent between pitchers and hitters in the Arizona Fall League, the challenges the AFL presents as an evaluation environment, the players who have impressed Eric so far, including Curtis Mead, and finally, the prospects and playing environment in Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana.

Audio intro: Oasis, “Champagne Supernova”
Audio outro: Simon & Garfunkel, “A Hazy Shade of Winter”

Link to the FanGraphs Prospects Twitter account
Link to Dan Szymborski’s World Series Game 6 recap
Link to Kevin Goldstein’s piece on Game 7 of the 2019 World Series
Link to Jayson Stark’s piece on the weird and wild facts of the World Series
Link to Michael Baumann on Carlos Correa’s last ride with Houston
Link to David Laurila’s interview with Curtis Mead
Link to LIDOM’s league website

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Meg Rowley and erstwhile Effectively Wild co-host and current Tampa Bay Rays employee Jeff Sullivan discuss World Series game start times, how Jeff’s job has changed compared to the 2020 season, Wander Franco, the Rays’ uniforms, what it is like to root (and work) for a team in the playoffs, the Rays’ ALDS against Boston, our emotional experience of momentum, and what it’s like to prepare for an uncertain offseason.

Audio intro: John Sebastian, “Welcome Back”
Audio outro: Broken Bells, “October”

Link to Devan Fink on Martín Maldonado crowding the plate
Link to Ben Clemens on the marginal pitchers in big playoff spots
Link to Jay Jaffe on the ever-expanding postseason bullpen
Link to Jay on postseason starters with limited experience
Link to Rob Arthur on Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa’s postseason clutchness
Link to Evan Drellich on how an MLB lockout would work

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Before Game 3 of the World Series, Meg Rowley and guest co-host Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated discuss postseason travel for sportswriters, the forgotten virtues of suburban malls, Emma’s piece on how Atlanta shifted its stance on the shift midseason, and how the front office, Ron Washington, and the players came together to adopt the defensive strategy, as well as the length and pace of postseason games. Then at a listener’s suggestion, they draft replacement players for each World Series team from the clubs those teams have already vanquished before discussing what Bob Melvin’s hiring as the new manager of the San Diego Padres means for the Padres… and the Oakland A’s.

Audio intro: The Decemberists, “On the Bus Mall”
Audio outro: Phoebe Bridgers, “Georgia”

Link to Five and Dive, Emma’s podcast at Baseball Prospectus
Link to Emma on Atlanta and the shift
Link to Emma on Atlanta’s pitching options
Link to Emma on the Oakland A’s from 2018
Link to Ben Clemens’ piece on Atlanta’s pitching
Link to Dennis Lin on Bob Melvin’s hiring

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In a crossover event Marvel would envy, Meg Rowley and guest co-host Michael Baumann of The Ringer discuss Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, what the loss of Charlie Morton means for Atlanta, the narrative role of the starter, how to navigate the moral conundrum that is fandom, the ever-growing length of postseason games, the conveyor-belt nature of Houston’s offense, Luis Garcia’s delivery, and what we might expect from both teams as the series shifts to Atlanta. Then they turn their attention to Rob Manfred’s comments on the chop before considering the CBA negotiations, the likelihood of a lockout (and a work stoppage), what will motivate both parties at the bargaining table, and the virtues of the pitch clock.

Audio intro: Paul Simon, “Slip Sliddin’ Away”
Audio outro: Jim Croce, “Time In a Bottle”

Link to The Ringer MLB Show podcast
Link to Michael’s piece on the areas that could decide the World Series
Link to Ben Clemens’ piece on Atlanta’s pitching
Link to Jay Jaffe’s piece on Eddie Rosario
Link to Luke Hooper’s World Series Game 2 recap
Link to Kevin Goldstein’s World Series Game 1 recap
Link to Luke’s piece on Yordan Alvarez
Link to Evan Drellich’s piece on Rob Manfred’s and Tony Clark’s remarks on the chop, the CBA negotiations, and pitch clocks
Link to the National Congress of American Indians statement on Manfred’s remarks
Link to Clinton Yates’ piece on the chop and Manfred’s remarks
Link to Steven Goldman’s piece on the chop
Link to Arnold Hano’s obituary
Link to Episode 1536 with Hano
Link to A Day In The Bleachers

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Sarah Langs of MLB.com banter about Sarah’s participation in MLB’s first game to feature an all-women broadcast crew, her research process, and what makes for a good fun fact. Then Sarah shares some Braves and Astros statistical oddities ahead of the World Series, including fun facts about Joc Pederson, Brian Snitker and Dusty Baker, Eddie Rosario, the Astros’ offense, Tyler Matzek, and more. Finally, Sarah offers what could make (and break) each team in the Fall Classic.

Audio intro: Doris Day, “Ain’t We Got Fun?”
Audio outro: Soundgarden, “Dusty”

Link to Sarah’s piece on Dusty Baker
Link to Sarah’s piece (with Matt Kelly and Andrew Simon) on Chris Taylor’s three home run NLCS Game 5
Link to David Waldstein’s New York Times piece on the Rays/Orioles game Sarah broadcast, the first MLB game called entirely by women
Link to Sarah’s latest Twitch stream
Link to Eric Longenhagen’s World Series preview
Link to Meg’s NLCS Game 6 recap
Link to Dan Szymborski’s ALCS Game 6 recap
Link to Ben Clemens’ postseason report card for Alex Cora
Link to Jayson Stark’s piece on NLCS Weirdness and Wildness
Link to Ken Rosenthal’s piece on Dusty Baker
Link to Andy McCullough’s piece on using starters in relief in the postseason
Link to Mike Petriello’s piece on using starters in relief in the postseason

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Ben Clemens discuss the Astros’ pitching woes, the role of starters in the postseason, Dave Roberts’ decision to have Brusdar Graterol hit in Game 5 of the NLCS, Yordan Alvarez, how a 3-2 series deficit feels for fans of the team with the upper hand, and Ben’s look at Ian Anderson‘s first-inning struggles. Then they consider Other Ben and Rob Arthur’s assessment of MLB’s rule experiments in the Atlantic and minor leagues, before answering listener emails on an unorthodox baserunning strategy, ump shows, how aliens might contextualize Mike Trout’s recent season stats, and whether we should re-think the ground rule double.

Audio intro: Pete Yorn, “Strange Condition”
Audio outro: The xx, “Basic Space”

Link to Ben’s piece on Houston’s pitching woes
Link to Ben’s investigation into Ian Anderson’s first-inning struggles
Link to Ben’s most recent FanGraphs Audio appearance
Link to Jake Mailhot’s recap of NLCS Game 5
Link to Ben Lindbergh and Rob Arthur’s piece on the results of MLB’s rule experiments
Link to William Boor’s tweet on the Arizona Fall League bases

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Grant Brisbee catch up on some non-postseaosn news, including Grant’s elbow injury, MLB’s decision to provide housing for minor leaguers, and Rob Arthur’s research suggesting spin rate and pitch movement have recovered after cratering in light of sticky stuff enforcement, then banter about Laz Diaz’s strike zone in Game 4 of the ALCS and the use of starting pitchers in the playoffs. Then they turn their attention to the San Francisco Giants, including the team’s wildly successful 2021 and less successful postseason run, before discussing where the Giants go from here. Finally, Grant offers some advice to the remaining playoff teams on how to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers and shares who he’s rooting for now that the Giants are out of the postseason.

Audio intro: American Music Club, “All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco”
Audio outro: Woody Guthrie, “Dusty Old Dust”

Link to Grant’s podcast, Baggs & Brisbee
Link to the latest episode of Grant’s other podcast, Baseball Barista
Link to Jeff Passan on MLB’s decision to provide housing for minor leaguers
Link to Russell Carleton on minor leaguer housing
Link to Evan Drellich on minor leaguer housing
Link to Rob Arthur on the return of spin rate post-sticky stuff enforcement
Link to Grant on the Giants’ NLDS Game 5 loss
Link to Grant on where the pain of the end of the 2021 season ranks among past Giants losses
Link to Grant on the five best developments of the 2021 Giants season
Link to David Laurila’s ALCS Game 4 recap
Link to Kevin Goldstein’s NLCS Game 3 recap
Link to Jay Jaffe’s piece on the incredible shrinking postseason starter
Link to Jay’s piece on the long shadow of the Mookie Betts trade
Link to Brendan Gawlowski on Cody Bellinger’s postseason adjustments
Link to Ben Clemens’ NLDS manager report cards

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Meg Rowley is joined by guest co-host Mike Petriello of MLB.com. They discuss Mike’s role in the booth as a part of ESPN’s Statcast broadcasts, how what is affectionately referred to as the Nerdcast got started, how Mike prepares for games, how he balances being analytics-heavy while still appealing to a broad audience, how the Nerdcast has evolved along with Statcast, what makes for a fun booth, how he works with Jason Benetti and Eduardo Perez, and what might come next for the Nerdcast as more traditional broadcasts become more statistically savvy. Then they briefly contemplate the role of the manager in light of the news of Mike Shildt’s firing in St. Louis before turning their attention (31:19) to the Dodgers’ decision to start Corey Knebel as an opener for Game 5 of the NLDS, how the Giants might counter, what they like about Logan Webb, and what each of these teams needs to do to advance to the NLCS.

Audio intro: Tokyo Police Club, “Listen to the Math”
Audio outro: First Aid Kit, “Heaven Knows”

Link to Mike’s podcast, Ballpark Dimensions
Link to Ben Clemens’ piece on the Corey Knebel decision
Link to Ben’s piece on ALDS managerial report cards
Link to Dan Szymborski’s ALCS preview
Link to Michael Ajeto’s piece on Logan Webb’s changeup

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Bradford William Davis of Insider discuss his new job as an investigative features writer and what the shift from being a daily columnist has meant for how he engages with players, sources, and baseball, and the stories he’s able to tell. Then they turn their attention to the playoffs and discuss the White Sox/Astros series, how Chicago faltered and Houston triumphed, the Astros embracing their heel turn, how players and fans view guys like Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman, why Meg underestimated Boston, how the Astros and Red Sox match up, Christian Yelich, the Brewers’ rotation, the Braves’ fun lineup and bad ballpark traditions, who they expect to emerge out of tomorrow night’s NLDS Game 5 between the Dodgers and Giants, and which teams they think will square off in the World Series.

Audio intro: The Hives, “Hate to Say I Told You So”
Audio outro: The Beths, “You Wouldn’t Like Me”

Link to Five and Dive, Bradford’s podcast
Link to Bradford’s piece on who erased Devin Williams‘ tribute to Black Lives Matter
Link to Matthew Roberson’s piece on Aaron Judge
Link to Joon Lee’s piece on Alex Bregman
Link to Jay Jaffe’s piece on Kiké Hernández
Link to Luke Hooper’s Dodgers/Giants Game 4 recap
Link to Brendan Gawlowski’s Braves/Brewers Game 4 recap
Link to James Fegan’s piece on Ryan Tepera’s remarks about the Astros

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Jon Tayler of FanGraphs banter about the Boston Red Sox’s victory over the Tampa Bay Rays to advance to the American League Championship Series, including Jon’s experience of the series as a Red Sox fan, Alex Cora’s managerial style, Boston’s particular brand of chaos ball, when Jon knew Garrett Whitlock was worth watching, Enrique Hernández’s incredible playoff run, the rule that robbed Tampa of a run in Game 3, and what Jon expects from Wander Franco in the years to come. Then they catch up on the Braves/Brewers and Dodgers/Giants action, look ahead to the Championship Series, re-predict the rest of the postseason, and analyze an ill-advised playoff promo.

Audio intro: Sufjan Stevens, “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!”
Audio outro: Fred Barton and Toni DiBuono, “Welcome to the Theatre”

Link to David Laurila’s Red Sox/Rays Game 4 recap
Link to David Laurila’s Red Sox/Rays Game 3 recap
Link to Devan Fink’s White Sox/Astros Game 4 recap
Link to Ben Clemens’ Dodgers/Giants Game 3 recap
Link to Dan Szymborski on the decision to start Carlos Rodón in Game 4
Link to Jay Jaffe on Rodón’s comeback season

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio discuss his recent trip to Monument Valley before recapping the weekend’s ALDS and NLDS action and looking ahead to what might come next, including thoughts on the Giants’ approach to platooning, Cody Bellinger‘s season-long slump, AJ Pollock‘s past postseason woes, the Brewers offense, Eduardo Escobar, Milwaukee’s bullpen, Atlanta’s starters, Houston’s bats, Craig Kimbrel‘s role, Wander Franco, the Rays’ young starters, J.D. Martinez and Kiké Hernández providing thump in Boston’s lineup, and Alex Cora’s strategy to contain Tampa’s offense. Then Meg and Mike listener emails on spitting, the strike zone, a robo ump compromise, a creative proposal to score series rather than games, and rookies adjusting to the big leagues. Plus, a Statblast/Meet a Major Leaguer combo on player debuts versus and for the Kansas City Royals.

Audio intro: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, “Desert Song”
Audio outro: Modest Mouse, “Spitting Venom”

Link to Kevin Goldstein’s Red Sox/Rays ALDS Game 1 recap
Link to Jay Jaffe’s White Sox/Astros ALDS Game 2 recap
Link to Dan Szymborski’s Braves/Brewers NLDS Game 1 recap
Link to Brendan Gawlowski’s Red Sox/Rays ALDS Game 2 recap
Link to Eric Longenhagen’s Dodgers/Giants NLDS Game 1 recap
Link to Jon Tayler’s Braves/Brewers NLDS Game 2 recap
Link to Meg Rowley’s Dodgers/Giants NLDS Game 2 recap
Link to Fabian Ardaya on Cody Bellinger and AJ Pollock’s big night
Link to Michael Baumann on the Brewers rotation
Link to the ZiPS Game-by-Game Playoff Odds
Link to Player debut data

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Eric Longenhagen banter about Walker Buehler’s unusual approach to opening beers and their own past dental emergencies before recapping the AL Wild Card game. They consider what went wrong for the Yankees, and assess the Red Sox’s good starters, potent lineup, and shaky defense, as well as Nick Pivetta and Garrett Richards. Next they shift to the Red Sox/Rays ALDS matchup and consider the state of Tampa Bay’s pitching, the Rays’ talented hitters, and whether playoff experience (or a lack thereof) will matter for Tampa’s young starters. After that it’s on to the Astros and White Sox, featuring an embarrassment of good hitters including Kyle Tucker and Luis Robert, plus Houston’s talented pitching and Chicago’s dominant bullpen. Then they wrap up with thoughts on the NL Wild Card and play a game of stumpo with Arizona Fall League rosters.

Audio intro: Death Cab for Cutie, “Crooked Teeth”
Audio outro: The Decemberists, “The Sporting Life”

The FanGraphs Prospects twitter account
Arizona Fall League rosters
Link to Walker Buehler’s tweet about opening twist-off beers with his teeth
Link to Ben Clemens’ NL Wild Card game recap
Link to Dan Szymborski’s Red Sox/Rays ALDS Preview
Link to Jake Mailhot’s White Sox/Astros ALDS Preview
Link to Ben’s White Sox/Astros ALDS Game 1 Recap
Link to Jay Jaffe’s piece on Gerrit Cole
Link to Ben on the math behind pulling Nathan Eovaldi
Link to the FanGraphs staff playoff predictions
Link to Effectively Wild Episode 1454, Eddie Robinson’s first EW appearance
Link to Effectively Wild Episode 1629, Eddie Robinson’s second EW appearance
Link to Patrick Dubuque’s playoff proposal
Claire Smith on Dusty Baker

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Meg Rowley and guest co-host Craig Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus recap the final weekend of regular season baseball before previewing this week’s Wild Card games. They discuss the Mariners’ decision not to promote Julio Rodríguez, their disappointment at the lack of tiebreaker games, franchise player farewells, the current playoff format, what comes next for Seattle and Toronto, and what they’re most excited to watch in October. Then they turn their attention to the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Cardinals, offering their thoughts on what each squad should feel confident and nervous about going into the play-in games. Finally, they try to solve the mystery of Hunter Renfroe’s defense.

Audio intro: The Strokes, “Why Are Sundays So Depressing”
Audio outro: Lucy Dacus, “Troublemaker Doppelgänger“

Craig’s podcast, Five and Dive
Patrick Dubuque’s piece on the Giants defying aging
Patrick on Seattle’s farewell to Kyle Seager
Chet Gutwein checks in on the aging curve
Carmen Ciardiello on postseason pitch usage
Kevin Goldstein on the weekend’s big news
Jayson Stark on what we learned from this season

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With the postseason around the corner, Meg Rowley and guest co-host Ben Clemens discuss the playoff picture, how the Seattle Mariners got where they are, which team Ben would prefer to see his Cardinals match up against in the NL Wild Card, and the biggest surprises of the season. Then they discuss Ben’s recent work assessing FanGraphs’ playoff odds, what the odds do well and less-well, what kinds of teams they tend to be too low on or overestimate, and how the model could improve. They also offer some theories about why we seem to struggle with probabilistic thinking, look back on what they’ll miss most about the 2021 regular season, and share some brief Cy Young thoughts.

Audio intro: The White Stripes, “Black Math”
Audio outro: The Decemberists, “The Mariner’s Revenge Song“

Ben Lindbergh’s baby announcement
Link to Ben’s piece assessing FanGraphs’ playoff odds
Link to Ben Clemens’s follow-up playoff odds piece
Link to Jay Jaffe’s Mariners-themed Team Entropy update
Link to Jake Mailhot on the performances behind the Mariners’ success
Link to Dan Szymborski’s latest ZiPS stretch run projections
Link to Corey Brock at The Athletic’s piece on whether the Mariners are good or lucky

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what Shohei Ohtani might mean for the Mariners’ slight playoff chances and Riley O’Brien’s recent debut, before Ben shares some (good) personal news. Then (17:33) they bring on Will Leitch to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals. Will shares what it has been like to root for the team during its win streak, when he realized they were playoff bound, what has gone into this incredible run, and which Cardinals are candidates for some postseason devil magic. Plus, Will makes the case for this year’s version of the team actually being fun before predicting just how deep into October the Cardinals might play.

Note: Since recording this episode, Joe Maddon has confirmed that Ohtani is done pitching for the season, though he will continue to hit.

Audio intro: Buck Meek, “Dream Daughter”
Audio interstitial: Kelley Stoltz, “Cardinal Body”
Audio outro: Of Montreal, “Baby“

Link to Will’s Substack
Link to Will’s book, How Lucky
Link to Will and Bernie Miklasz’s Cardinals podcast, Seeing Red
Link to Jay Jaffe on the Cardinals’ win streak
Link to Jay on Jon Lester
Link to Kevin Goldstein on St. Louis’ resurgence
Link to Ben Clemens on Adam Wainwright
Like to piece on Riley O’Brien’s call-up
Link to episode 1153 with Johnny O’Brien

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Giancarlo Stanton’s awe-inspiring weekend at Fenway, the most aesthetically pleasing home run hitters, what the Cardinals’ 16-game winning streak portends (or doesn’t portend) for their playoff hopes, and the last week in the remaining playoff races. Then (26:32) they bring on Patreon supporter Dylan Buell to talk about his career as a professional sports photographer and answer listener emails about setting a winning-percentage cutoff for admission to the postseason, subtracting a strike for each pitch thrown outside the strike zone, a baseball equivalent of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award, other baseball occupations that should be eligible for the Hall of Fame, how players’ appearances can affect fandom, baseball players sneaking onto Survivor, and the problems with plate-discipline highlights, plus Stat Blasts about precedents for the MVPs in both leagues coming from non-playoff teams, and the Rangers’ possibly unparalleled streak of innings without a lead.

Audio intro: The Glands, "So High"
Audio interstitial: The Pretty Things, "Photographer"
Audio outro: Bill Jr. Jr., "Run Home"

Link to Stanton homer against Chicago
Link to longest Stanton homer against Boston
Link to Ben on a Stanton homer from 2014
Link to video of that Stanton 2014 homer
Link to Strawberry dinger videos
Link to 1986 NLCS G3 homer
Link to 1986 World Series G7 homer
Link to Lindsey’s tweet about Stanton
Link to Lindsey on Stanton and Judge
Link to Glenallen Hill homer
Link to Sam on home run highlights
Link to Jay Jaffe on September records
Link to study on playoff randomness by sport
Link to Dylan Buell’s Instagram
Link to Nav Bhatia article
Link to 2016 article on Blue Jays scarf fan
Link to 2020 article on Blue Jays scarf fan
Link to article about Loretta’s Lounge
Link to article on Pros vs. Joes
Link to video of Jeff Kent on Survivor
Link to Ben on the Soto Shuffle
Link to article on the Rangers’ streak
Link to second article on the Rangers’ streak
Link to leadless streaks data
Link to 1916 Pirates/1932 Sox streaks data
Link to end-of-inning losing streaks data
Link to info on non-playoff MVPs

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about teams pitching around Shohei Ohtani and a second conspiracy theory about Rays/Jays Cardgate, then rank the fun quotient of potential playoff teams and draft their preferred playoff matchups.

Audio intro: Steve Gunn, "Protection"
Audio outro: Frankie Siragusa, "I Don’t Want to See You Again"

Link to article about Ohtani’s walks
Link to lineup protection explainer
Link to Tom Tango on lineup protection
Link to Davis-West card article
Link to current playoff bracket
Link to White Sox playoff rate
Link to Ben on Foundation
Link to past SP waiver acquisitions (before)
Link to past SP waiver acquisitions (after)

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cardinals being unbeatable, the Giants setting a record for outperforming PECOTA, the Orioles’ and Diamondbacks’ race to MLB’s worst record, the White Sox and Yankees also having identical records (and the vagaries of unbalanced schedules and divisional assignments), the saga of Drew Maggi’s call-up and demotion and the phenomenon of “phantom ballplayers,” the Phillies’ weird ways of winning, and Shane Baz in the playoffs, then answer listener emails about a Jays and Rays Cardgate conspiracy, a team of Triple-A players vs. a team of inactive ex-MLB players, completing every long extra-inning game in an end-of-season marathon, what would happen if teams could literally refuse to lose, hitters gleaning pitch locations from where the catcher sets up, and MLB’s World Series rings vs. Australian rules football’s premiership medals.

Audio intro: Daniel Johnston, "Phantom of My Own Opera"
Audio outro: The Cars, "I Refuse"

Link to Kevin Goldstein on the Cardinals
Link to Rob Mains on PECOTA overperformers
Link to Patrick Dubuque on the Giants
Link to Jay Jaffe on Wade
Link to Jay on the Orioles
Link to Phil Miller on Maggi
Link to Do-Hyoung Park on Maggi
Link to phantom ballplayers wiki
Link to Craig Goldstein on Borucki
Link to “family portrait” tweet
Link to Carleton College softball game
Link to Ben on Kratz and catching
Link to 2021 peeking controversy
Link to Jason Turbow on peeking

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the unwritten rules controversy stemming from Kevin Kiermaier absconding with a Blue Jays scouting card, the Padres’ collapse, dysfunction, and outlook for 2022, the Cardinals’ surge and the Braves’ revamped outfield, Anthony Gose’s return to the majors as a pitcher, a number of injured arms making comebacks, the Pirates yet again failing to sweep, and the impact of depressed pitcher pay on team payrolls, then (41:43) talk to Jonathan Judge of Baseball Prospectus about his proposal to redistribute MLB revenue between the owners and players and to reapportion pay among the players.

Audio intro: The Clash, "The Card Cheat"
Audio interstitial: Laura Marling, "I Was Just a Card"
Audio outro: Kiwi Jr., "Salary Man"

Link to story on Kiermaier controversy
Link to story about Rays apology
Link to story about Mets-Dodgers dispute
Link to episode on banning in-game cards
Link to The Athletic on Padres dysfunction
Link to The Union-Tribune on the Padres
Link to story on Tatis and Machado
Link to Dan Szymborski on the Padres
Link to story on the Cardinals’ surge
Link to story on Atlanta’s outfield
Link to story on Gose’s comeback
Link to story on Syndergaard and deGrom
Link to story on Bieber
Link to story on Bassitt
Link to Rob Mains on pitcher pay
Link to Judge’s baseball economics article
Link to old EW episode about similar proposal
Link to story about minor league wristbands
Link to Angell watching the Mets
Link to Roger Angell EW episode

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the potential benefits of a 15-second pitch clock and the massive winning-percentage mismatch between the NL’s impending wild card winners, then answer listener emails about intentionally swinging at a wild pitch to reach base, the obsolescence of ERA, whether Statcast should be used instead of video to make fair-foul calls, and whether DJ LeMahieu is good, then meet major leaguers Kaleb Ort and Sammy Long and do Stat Blasts about whether relievers are really all failed starters and the Pirates’ historic failure to complete sweeps (plus a postscript about Austin Adams’ record-breaking HBP).

Audio intro: Remember Sports, "Clock"
Audio outro: The Scruffs, "I’m a Failure"

Link to Jayson Stark on the pitch clock
Link to Mike Sonne on pitch clocks and injuries
Link to J.J. Cooper on pitch clocks and game times
Link to MLB time of game by year
Link to Grant Brisbee on time between pitches
Link to David Smith on time between pitches
Link to Smith on why games get longer
Link to Rob Arthur on hitters’ time between pitches
Link to Rob on pitchers’ time between pitches
Link to EW episode about wild card game
Link to Travis Sawchik on the wild card round
Link to Griffin strikeout post
Link to Griffin strikeout video
Link to Griffin strikeout newspaper clipping
Link to Fuentes strikeout video
Link to Fuentes strikeout podcast
Link to Sandoval swing video
Link to Sam Miller on the ERA qualifier threshold
Link to J.J. on the ERA qualifier threshold
Link to story on Statcast’s margin of error
Link to story on Hawk-Eye in tennis
Link to Chet Gutwein on LeMahieu’s power outage
Link to Jeff Sullivan on LeMahieu’s power
Link to Kenny Kelly on LeMahieu and park effects
Link to story on Ort’s debut
Link to Oort cloud explainer
Link to Susan Slusser on Sammy Long
Link to story on Long’s debut
Link to Chafin’s “Failed Starter” shirt
Link to relievers Stat Blast data/graph
Link to Stat Blast sweeps data
Link to “Full Nelson” tweet
Link to current “Full Nelson” club
Link to Zach Kram on Adams
Link to Adams’ record HBP

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jake Arrieta’s sub-replacement pitching and the sorry state of the Padres’ starting staff, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, and the NL MVP race, Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the competing, persuasive narratives of the AL MVP race, and the ascendance of micro sports betting. Then (31:49) they talk to FanGraphs writer Jay Jaffe about tracking “Team Entropy,” fun and far-fetched tiebreaker scenarios, the potential for wild endings to 2021’s division and wild card races, the retirement and legacy of Ryan Braun, and the players who’ve most helped their Hall of Fame cases this season.

Audio intro: Humble Pie, "The Sad Bag of Shaky Jake"
Audio interstitial: The Stroppies, "Entropy"
Audio outro: Mandolin Orange, "Old Ties and Companions"

Link to Ohtani on the Time Top 100
Link to story on Ohtani’s Top 100 appearance
Link to Jeff Sullivan on Harper’s 2015
Link to Rob Arthur on Harper’s 2015
Link to Ben on the Soto Shuffle
Link to story on micro sports betting
Link to study on micro sports bettors
Link to story on cricket betting scandal
Link to tennis match-fixing wiki
Link to Jay on Team Entropy in 2011
Link to MLB.com 2011 retrospective
Link to CBS Sports 2011 retrospective
Link to 2011 retrospective video
Link to Ben on five-way tiebreakers
Link to Russell on five-way tiebreakers
Link to Jay’s 2021 Team Entropy intro
Link to latest Team Entropy piece
Link to Rob on the Mariners’ run differential
Link to Jay on Braun
Link to Jay on pitchers’ Hall cases
Link to Jay on hitters’ Hall cases
Link to Jay on Negro Leagues candidates
Link to Jay’s first Sausage Race piece
Link to Jay’s second Sausage Race piece

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Padres reliever Austin Adams tying the single-season hit by pitch record (and some resulting safety concerns), Corbin Burnes pitching (most of) the season’s record-setting ninth no-hitter and the changing norms around pulling pitchers mid-no-no, Max Scherzer’s recent run, pitchers whose whole careers are covered by pitch-tracking tech, and Scherzer vs. Walker Buehler, the Padres’ stretch-run incentives, the Blue Jays raking and the Orioles imploding, the Yankees moving Gleyber Torres from shortstop to second base, and the latest demotion for quintessential journeyman Ryan Lavarnway. Then (40:18) they talk to writers Russell Carleton and Robert O’Connell about their recent (and not-so-recent) research and reporting about conditions in the minor leagues, touching on whether pay and housing have improved, the role of advocacy groups and media members in influencing public opinion, the cases for and against paying minor leaguers more, how much it would cost to raise the standards, the roots of low minor league pay, the impact of anxiety on development, and more.

Audio intro: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, "Just Outside of Austin"
Audio interstitial: Motorists, "Blood From the Stone"
Audio outro: The Both, "Pay for It"

Link to Zach Kram on Adams
Link to locations of Adams’ HBP
Link to Adams’ pitch to Turner
Link to story on Planet Nine
Link to Will Sammon on Counsell’s decision
Link to 1974 Preston Gomez story
Link to Jay Jaffe on Scherzer
Link to Jeff Passan on the Scherzer trade
Link to Dodgers Nation on Scherzer vs. Buehler
Link to Scherzer’s Kershaw reaction video
Link to MLB’s 3000-strikeouts graphic
Link to Ben Clemens on the Blue Jays
Link to Hyde’s postgame quote
Link to Dan Szymborski on Torres
Link to Lavarnway news
Link to Robert’s Defector story
Link to Russell on minor leaguers in 2012
Link to Russell on what it would cost
Link to Russell on responding to objections
Link to Russell on minor leaguers as investments
Link to Russell on minor league anxiety
Link to Russell on player-development losses
Link to Russell on changing teams’ thinking
Link to Marc Normandin on unionizing the minors
Link to story on G League union
Link to G League union announcement
Link to Joon Lee’s Angels report
Link to Brittany Ghiroli’s recent report
Link to Ghiroli on Astros housing
Link to FanGraphs post on housing costs
Link to story about Orioles housing
Link to subsequent story on Orioles housing
Link to Advocates for Minor Leaguers requests
Link to EW meetup info

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Blue Jays’ hot streak and playoff outlook and the meaning of clutchness, then meet major leaguers Andy Ibáñez of the Rangers and Janson Junk of the Angels. After that (37:07), they’re joined by Rob Mains of Baseball Prospectus to discuss the state of starting pitching, the future of pitcher usage, and the ebb and flow of competitive balance in MLB.

Audio intro: Magnolia Electric Co., "North Star"
Audio interstitial: Justus Proffit, "Split Into"
Audio outro: Dag, "Living in the Balance"

Link to Michael Baumann on the Jays
Link to Mike Baumanns podcast
Link to AL East playoff odds graph
Link to Levi Weaver on Ibáñez’s debut
Link to Ibáñez on his call-up
Link to Junk’s FG Audio episode
Link to last part of Rob’s starter series
Link to last part of Rob’s TTOP series
Link to Rob on limiting pitcher usage
Link to FiveThirtyEight on pitcher usage
Link to Twins’ seven-man rotation
Link to Ben on bullpenning
Link to Russell Carleton on bullpenning
Link to Ben on pitching prospects
Link to Gerald Schifman on options use
Link to Russell on four-man rotations
Link to Russell on six-man rotations
Link to Russell on swingmen
Link to Russell on one-inning relievers
Link to Rob on mobility vs. inequality
Link to Rob on competitive balance
Link to Ben on “hope and faith”

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Salvador Perez’s power output, durability, defense, and career, Shohei Ohtani’s offensive slump, the Rays calling up Josh Lowe to go with Brandon Lowe (but not Nathaniel Lowe), and the desirability of being teammates with one’s brother or father, then draft unsung players who are having good seasons that haven’t been mentioned much on the pod.

Audio intro: Ages and Ages, "Unsung Songs"
Audio outro: John Prine, "Pretty Good"

Link to Patrick Dubuque on Perez
Link to Perez oppo homer video
Link to Jay Jaffe on Perez
Link to players with more homers than walks
Link to MLB.com on catcher home runs
Link to Craig R. Wright on Ted Simmons
Link to BP on Josh Lowe
Link to Craig on manager fathers
Link to MLBFrameJobs Twitter account
Link to MLBFrameJobs app
Link to Ben Clemens on Narváez
Link to Kevin Goldstein on the Rays
Link to DRaysBay on Springs
Link to Jake Mailhot on Sewald
Link to Lookout Landing on Sewald
Link to Chet Gutwein on Cease
Link to Dan Szymborski’s breakout picks
Link to pitcher run support leaderboard
Link to EW episode on Wainwright/Miley
Link to Patrick Dubuque on Miley
Link to Ben Clemens on Wainwright
Link to Devan Fink on Riley
Link to Ben on the Soto Shuffle

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mike Yastrzemski, “bubble guts,” and the right way for a manager to publicize a player’s intestinal distress, then follow up on Miguel Cabrera and the factors that influence players’ career ratios of pitchers homered off of to total home runs, review the state of the standings, discuss the Cubs’ unexpected contributions from Frank Schwindel and Rafael Ortega, and answer listener emails about Patrick Wisdom and the difference between building blocks and fun flashes in the pan, Joey Gallo and the decline of the 0-for-4 game with no strikeouts or walks, the advent and spread of intentional balks, a potential systemic disadvantage to moving the mound back, and MLB (briefly) considering the idea of allowing fans to throw home run balls back and keep them in play, plus (1:05:15) two Stat Blasts about Ryan Lavarnway and the longest trip to 162 games played, and the Rays and the lowest leading WAR on a division winner.

Audio intro: The Jayhawks, "Living in a Bubble"
Audio outro: Built to Spill, "Conventional Wisdom"

Link to Kapler’s comment on Yaz
Link to data on pitcher-to-home-run ratios
Link to CBS Sports on the Cubs’ winning streak
Link to Cubs Insider on Schwindel
Link to Sahadev Sharma on Schwindel
Link to Rustin Dodd on Schwindel in 2018
Link to Ashley MacLennan on lovable “bad” players
Link to 1990 article on Kevin Maas
Link to Devan on Wisdom
Link to Stathead on the all-contact 0-for-4
Link to article on Gallo’s “reset”
Link to 2019 story on the intentional balk
Link to video of Jansen’s intentional balk
Link to story on the latest intentional balks
Link to post on Kimbrel’s intentional balk
Link to mention of throwing home run balls back
Link to previous EW convo about balls in stands
Link to Lavarnway Stat Blast data
Link to 2011 post on Lavarnway’s promotion
Link to Rays/WAR leaders Stat Blast data
Link to SABR on DiMaggio’s ’49 comeback
Link to Andy McCullough on the Rays
Link to Zach Kram on the Rays
Link to ESPN on the Rays in 2020
Link to story on the Rays’ saves record
Link to article about deGrom’s UCL sprain
Link to Ben on the Soto Shuffle
Link to post on EW Wiki Chrome extension

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee and SB Nation’s Eric Stephen about the last series of the regular season between the tied-for-first-place Dodgers and Giants, the historic greatness of their race, the state of (and outlook for) their respective rosters, the strengths and weaknesses of each team, their secret sauces, each team’s most pleasant surprise, the highlight of their season series so far, what went wrong for the Padres, how the Dodgers and Giants compare as playoff teams, their toughest potential postseason opponents, the biggest offseason questions facing the two teams, the NL West’s future, and more, plus a postscript on Ben’s top 10 hopes for the the final month of the regular season.

Audio intro: Beulah, "Battle Cry of the West"
Audio outro: The Mountain Goats, "We Do it Different on the West Coast"

Link to FanGraphs series preview
Link to Andrew Baggarly’s series preview
Link to Grant on the gift of Dodgers-Giants
Link to Eric on past Dodgers-Giants races
Link to Eric on the 1971 race
Link to Grant on the teams’ 100-win paces
Link to Grant on the Giants being “lucky”
Link to Grant on SF’s best-case scenario
Link to Fabian Ardaya on Bellinger
Link to Dan S. on September projections
Link to BaseRuns standings
Link to FanGraphs playoff odds
Link to Ken Rosenthal on the Giants’ secret
Link to Tauchman/Pujols play
Link to Defensive Efficiency leaderboard
Link to True Blue LA podcast
Link to Baggs & Brisbee podcast
Link to latest Ringer MLB Show episode
Link to list of 1st/2nd-place WAR gaps
Link to article on Scherzer not reaching base
Link to article on Franco reaching base
Link to article on Tatis and HR/SB leaders
Link to Ben and Meg’s SSAC panel podcast

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Wander Franco coming into his own, Kevin Newman’s steep offensive falloff post-spring training, a strikeout milestone for Robbie Ray, the Kendall Graveman–Abraham Toro trade and promotions/extensions for the Mariners’ Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais, the new-and-improved Blake Snell, Austin Adams’ historic hit-by-pitch pace, Cardinals radio broadcaster Mike Shannon discovering and attempting to explain NFTs on the air, and the difference between bad and good Mets missteps. Then (41:21) they bring on FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen to discuss September roster expansion, touching on the developmental implications of going from 40-man to 28-man rosters, the most promising prospects who could debut this month and impact pennant races or the playoffs (including Joe Ryan, Nate Pearson, Shane Baz, and Hunter Greene), the remaking of Padres pitcher MacKenzie Gore, post-deadline desperation, the Nationals’ Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz, and Riley Adams, the Royals’ Nicky Lopez and Bobby Witt Jr., and other notable names.

Audio intro: Frank Sinatra, "September in the Rain"
Audio interstitial: Frank Sinatra, "September Song"
Audio outro: Frazey Ford, "September Fields"

Link to Franco streak article
Link to Dan Szymborski on Franco
Link to article on Newman’s spring
Link to spring training stats study
Link to B-Ref career K/9 leaderboard
Link to article about Snell’s reinvention
Link to article about Adams
Link to article on Shannon and NFTs
Link to Zack Scott news
Link to roster expansion explainer
Link to list of September 1 callups
Link to Gore mechanics video
Link to Eric on AL impact pitchers
Link to Carmen Ciardiello on Lopez
Link to Adam’s EW Wiki post
Link to EW Wiki
Link to EW Wiki sign-up sheet
Link to EW emails database

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Ben Lindbergh talks to Defector’s David Roth about the Mets’ freefall in the standings, the extremely Metsy controversy surrounding multiple players giving the thumbs down to fans, and how the franchise still practices Wilpon-era self-sabotage. Then (46:18) Ben “benters” with Ben Clemens from FanGraphs about the post-sticky-stuff collapse of demoted Cleveland closer James Karinchak, the continued success of aged ace Adam Wainwright, and the consistent kind-of-good-ness of the still-contending Cardinals. Lastly (1:27:08), Ben (the first one) Stat Blasts about the most runs scored in a game with no earned runs, the longest streaks of consecutive pinch hitters, and the most outs made with runners in scoring position.

Audio intro: Dinosaur Jr., "Thumb"
Audio interstitial: Semisonic, "Get a Grip"
Audio outro: 2nd Grade, "Sucking the Thumb"

Link to David on the Mets
Link to Ray Ratto on Steve Cohen
Link to Deesha Thosar on the thumbs
Link to NL East playoff odds graph
Link to BP IL Ledger
Link to early Mets thumbs downs
Link to Deesha on the Mets’ apologies
Link to Alderson’s statement
Link to fan stress study
Link to Operation Shutdown retrospective
Link to Defector birthday party
Link to tweet about Bens on podcasts
Link to reliever championship belt article
Link to The Athletic on Karinchak
Link to Defector on Karinchak’s Instagram
Link to biggest in-season K rate drops
Link to Devan Fink on Richards
Link to Ben L. on post-sticky-stuff offense
Link to Karinchak’s 4-seam spin by game
Link to Patrick Dubuque on Miley
Link to Ben Clemens on the Cardinals’ records
Link to Ben Clemens on Wainwright
Link to Nathan Grimm on Wainwright
Link to Mike Petriello on Wainwright
Link to Wainwright on sticky stuff
Link to Cardinals defense by pitcher
Link to Timothy Jackson on RPM losers
Link to Rob Arthur on RPM losers
Link to list of all-unearned-runs games
Link to story on 1987 Petralli game
Link to info on consecutive pinch hitters
Link to article on 1979 Mauch game
Link to story on 2016 Rockies/D-backs game
Link to data on most team outs w/RISP
Link to data on most team LOB

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Ben Lindbergh talks to The Ringer’s Zach Kram about how the red-hot Yankees have salvaged their season, mounted their longest winning streak in 60 years, and put themselves in playoff position. Then (27:33) Ben brings on John Poff, former major leaguer and Stat Blast star, to discuss his brief big league career, walking away from the game, being a bookworm in baseball, playing before big salaries, the evolution of coaching, failure fueling art, his peripatetic post-baseball life, his career as a writer and poet, the racism he observed in the sport, bringing baseball to Native American reservations, and more (plus a postscript about Charlie Watts the drummer and Charlie Watts the infielder, and Vin Scully on catcher framing).

Audio intro: The Rolling Stones, "Sway"
Audio interstitial: The Rolling Stones, "Dancing With Mr. D"
Audio outro: The Rolling Stones, "The Lantern"

Link to Zach’s Yankees article
Link to AL East playoff odds graph
Link to longest Yankees winning streaks
Link to Lindsey Adler on the Yankees
Link to Jay Jaffe on the Yankees
Link to Ringer MLB Show WS draft
Link to Poff’s SABR bio
Link to Poff’s piece on Donnie Moore
Link to Stat Blast about Poff
Link to Poff’s game against Sutter
Link to Fernando Perez episode
Link to Poff’s fundraiser
Link to later Poff fundraiser
Link to piece on salaries and ticket prices
Link to Roger Angell on player salaries
Link to Angell on player salaries and fans
Link to Scully clip
Link to Rob Harvilla on Watts
Link to story on Watts visiting the NLBM
Link to 1925 Watts photo
Link to Watts’ B-Ref page

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Ben Lindbergh follows up on a Stat Blast that generated a lot of listener emails, then (13:04) talks to former major leaguer and current Angels catching coach José Molina about his unparalleled receiving skills, fooling umpires, the importance of framing compared to throwing, blocking, and game-calling, whether stealing strikes can be taught, aspects of catcher defense that still aren’t being measured, robot umps and electronic pitch-calling, Shohei Ohtani, the quarter-century reign of the Molina brothers, Yadier Molina’s Hall of Fame case, and more. After that (44:19), Ben talks to R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports about the lead-up to and aftermath of the Atlantic League’s midseason move of the mound to 61 feet, 6 inches, touching on the early offensive effects, how pitchers and hitters have compensated, why pitchers nearly revolted, the need for a Lab League, the prospects of moving the mound back in affiliated ball, and the debate about who gets to decide how the sport will evolve (plus a postscript about robot-ump perceptions and a long Padres-Dodgers game).

Audio intro: Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Molina"
Audio interstitial: Phish, "Mound"
Audio outro: Del Amitri, "In the Frame"

Link to framing runs leaderboard
Link to Molina’s advanced catching stats
Link to Molina tweet about framing
Link to Max Marchi on Molina in 2012
Link to Ben on Molina in 2012
Link to Ben on Molina in 2013
Link to Ben on Molina framing Brett Lawrie
Link to Ben on framing at Grantland
Link to Ben on Molina framing GIFs
Link to Ben on the Yankees and framing
Link to Ben on the evolution of framing
Link to Ben on framing and the Hall
Link to Ben on Yadi’s hidden value
Link to post about Yadi’s extension
Link to Foolish Baseball on Yadi
Link to EW episode about game-calling
Link to Bengie Molina’s book
Link to R.J.’s Atlantic League article
Link to Rob Arthur’s Atlantic League article
Link to Jayson Stark’s Atlantic League article
Link to Ben on moving the mound back
Link to ASMI study on moving the mound back
Link to 2021 Atlantic League footage
Link to 2019 Atlantic League EW episode
Link to Pinstriped Prospects on the robo zone
Link to the New Yorker on robot umps
Link to thread on the Atlantic League zone
Link to thread on the Low-A Southeast zone
Link to Haniger interview
Link to study on robot-ump perceptions

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s post-concert encounter with a podcast listener, Miguel Cabrera’s 500th home run and the future of the 500-homer club, the latest sighting of Tom’s enigmatic message to Caitlyn at Great American Ball Park, the Rockies possibly promoting a GM from within (again), and a few pennant race updates, then meet major leaguers Packy Naughton and Griffin Jax and share Stat Blasts about whether managers are more likely to make the outgoing pitcher or the incoming pitcher issue an intentional walk, and Yam Yaryan and the players who hit a walk-off for their only career home run.

Audio intro: The Coral, "In the Rain"
Audio outro: Paul Weller, "Moon on Your Pyjamas"

Link to rainy concert video
Link to pajama jeans commercial
Link to video of Cabrera’s 500th homer
Link to fun facts about Cabrera’s 500th
Link to video of Cabrera’s first homer
Link to latest Tom/Caitlyn message
Link to video of Wade homer
Link to video of Cronenworth homer
Link to report about Bill Schmidt
Link to Mike Petriello on the Yankees
Link to Joel Sherman on the Yankees
Link to article about Naughton
Link to article from February about Jax
Link to article about Jax’s call-up
Link to Jax tongue video
Link to Stat Blast data on all IBB
Link to Stat Blast data on pitching-change IBB
Link to PosCast episode about earned runs
Link to article about Yaryan’s nickname
Link to tweet about “the grink”
Link to article on yams vs. sweet potatoes
Link to Criscione’s SABR bio
Link to catcher using mask to touch ball
Link to Stat Blast data about walk-offs

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on a conversation about protective headgear for pitchers by discussing softball face masks, then banter about whether MLB necessarily needs a legalized sticky substance or a pre-tacked ball, and attempt to unpack a distressing message from “Tom” to “Caitlyn” on the video board at a Reds game. Then (37:47) they talk to ESPN reporter Dan Hajducky about a shocking week for the booming sports card industry, highlighted by Fanatics securing exclusive card licenses with MLB, the MLBPA, and other major leagues and unions, baseball institution Topps losing its strangehold on MLB cards and scuttling its plans to go public, and a record-breaking sale of a Honus Wagner T206 card.

Audio intro: Sweet, "Tom Tom Turnaround"
Audio interstitial: Lunchbox, "Tom, What’s Wrong?"
Audio outro: Boat, "Topps"

Link to FAQ about softball face masks
Link to list of softball face masks
Link to Columbia Missourian on face masks
Link to the OU Daily on face masks
Link to Columbia Daily Tribune on face masks
Link to The Oklahoman on face masks
Link to Kelly Barnhill tweet about face masks
Link to history of first batting helmets
Link to history of modern batting helmets
Link to video of Lynn ejection
Link to Rob Arthur on sticky stuff effects
Link to the L.A. Times on Olympic baseballs
Link to Reuters on Olympic baseballs
Link to first Caitlyn/Tom message
Link to second Caitlyn/Tom message
Link to Craig Goldstein on Caitlyn/Tom
Link to Ben on the Castellanos meme
Link to Dan’s Topps/Fanatics report
Link to WSJ Topps/Fanatics report
Link to Sportico on the Topps merger
Link to Dan on the T206 sale
Link to Emma Baccellieri on the card boom
Link to earlier EW card-boom interview
Link to Dan’s website

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Germán Márquez and the ethics of diarrhea disclosure, stretched pitching staffs that were supposed to be deep, the Orioles and Diamondbacks competing for MLB’s worst record, a somewhat deceptive salary floor in MLB’s economic proposal (and the future of the ongoing CBA talks), Mets owner Steve Cohen’s critical tweet about his team’s underperforming bats, Chris Bassitt’s injury and protecting pitchers from line drives, Freddie Freeman’s cycle, and Shohei Ohtani’s latest two-way day and improved pitching.

Audio intro: The Roches, "Runs in the Family"
Audio outro: Ezra Furman, "Haunted Head"

Link to Defector on Marquez’s diarrhea
Link to Meg on Bradley’s diarrhea
Link to Park’s diarrhea video
Link to Ben Clemens on the Padres
Link to FanGraphs farm system rankings
Link to report about MLB economic proposal
Link to JJ Cooper thread on salary cap/floor
Link to Travis Sawchik on a payroll floor
Link to EW episode with former MLBPA exec
Link to Steve Cohen tweet
Link to Mets hitting coach’s reaction
Link to Mets manager’s reaction
Link to Ray Kroc story
Link to Jay Jaffe on Bassitt
Link to story on Tyler Zombro
Link to story on Brandon Patch
Link to 2016 MLB story on pitcher headgear
Link to 2016 ESPN story on pitcher headgear
Link to 2016 story on mandating helmets
Link to 2017 story on protective cap inserts
Link to Freeman’s cycle video
Link to Freeman’s cappucino story
Link to Twitter thread about “Cyclones”
Link to Vlad’s emoji response
Link to Ohtani’s homer celebration
Link to Ohtani vs. Tigers video

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on a recent observation about a baseball-related line in Twilight, then banter about petards, Ben’s latest trip to see Shohei Ohtani at Yankee Stadium, Tyler Gilbert’s improbable no-hitter, the playoff hopes of the Padres, Reds, and Giants (and reshuffling in the NL East and AL East), the lows and highs of heckling, the Rockies’ historic home-road splits, Michael Schur adapting Field of Dreams for Peacock and the near future of baseball TV shows, Carter Stewart making his NPB debut and Kumar Rocker’s future, whether John Olerud would be a two-way player today, and Joey Votto’s revamped plate approach, plus a postscript on fun facts about sequences of wins and losses.

Audio intro: Chip Taylor, "Same Ol’ Story"
Audio outro: The Beach Boys, "Heads You Win–Tails I Lose"

Link to Davis catch
Link to Cole’s reaction to Ohtani
Link to Lindsey’s Gallo tweet
Link to article on seats moving farther from the field
Link to Ben on Gilbert’s no-hitter
Link to Twitter thread about man shouting “Dinger”
Link to Neil Paine on the Coors Field hangover effect
Link to Nick Groke on the Coors Field hangover effect
Link to all-time team home/road splits data
Link to xkcd comic about 2020
Link to story on Schur and Field of Dreams
Link to Schur EW episode
Link to story on Offerman and A League of Their Own
Link to story on Offerman’s Field of Dreams critiques
Link to stream Stove League
Link to Jim Allen on Stewart and Rocker
Link to box score from Stewart’s NPB debut
Link to ESPN on Olerud as a two-way player
Link to list of John Olerud Award winners
Link to first page of 1990 Olerud article
Link to second page of 1990 Olerud article
Link to Mike Petriello on Tatis’s position switch
Link to FanGraphs post on Tatis as an outfielder
Link to Ben on the rise of multiposition players
Link to Verducci on Votto
Link to Vieira’s record-breaking pitch
Link to win-loss sequence data

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Field of Dreams Game, “playing catch” vs. “having a catch,” scouting baseball movies, and a quibble with baseball in Twilight, answer listener emails about extending the Field of Dreams Game concept to other settings (and other baseball movies), the aesthetics of no-doubt dingers and wall-scrapers, saving the ball from a fluky first hit, and the difficulty of comparing per-game stats and statistical qualifiers across seasons with and without COVID-related rules, plus Stat Blasts on the players who’ve been called up and sent down most often in a single season and the longest streaks of matching results for two teams (and additional thoughts on Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Jo Adell, Jacob deGrom, the Dodgers’ division odds, trading catchers, and links on the show page).

Audio intro: Cub Scout Bowling Pins, "Heaven Beats Iowa"
Audio outro: The Ladybug Transistor, "Broken Links"

Link to Field of Dreams Game highlights
Link to Field of Dreams Game ratings
Link to Field of Dreams EW episode
Link to potential future settings for games
Link to Take Me In to the Ballgame podcast
Link to Twilight EW episode
Link to Tom & Jerry baseball scene
Link to expected home runs leaderboard
Link to video of Burger’s first hit
Link to Sam on ERA qualifiers
Link to FanGraphs Playoff Odds
Link to Craig Goldstein on Adell
Link to most optioned/recalled players
Link to Gerald Schifman on options use
Link to Eric Stephen on often-optioned players
Link to EW episode with Oliver Drake
Link to list of longest matching W-L streaks
Link to data on trade rates by position
Link to Ohtani on his pitching potential
Link to Ohtani WPA tweet

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about an Alek Manoah semi-fun fact, a day without any starters going deep into games, economical outings by Adam Wainwright and Corbin Burnes, Cody Bellinger’s bat, a legal decision involving the Phillie Phanatic that may have implications beyond baseball, Joey Gallo feeling small, and the cost of Ray’s lost corn crop in Field of Dreams, then (34:01) talk to writer and editor Danny Funt about his recent deep dive into the relationship between sports media and sports betting, and how the big business of legalized gambling could reshape the way baseball is covered, broadcast, and played.

Audio intro: The Coral, "Song of the Corn"
Audio interstitial: Grateful Dead, "Candyman"
Audio outro: The Notorious B.I.G., "What’s Beef?"

Link to tweet about six-inning starts
Link to origin of “The Maddux”
Link to Dan on Bellinger
Link to Phanatic story
Link to Gallo quote
Link to corn math thread
Link to Danny’s story
Link to Forbes on ballpark sportsbooks
Link to story on the Yankees and betting
Link to Bloomberg on sports betting
Link to USA Today on baseball betting
Link to story on gambling-related threats
Link to Evander Kane story
Link to MLB.com Blue Jays betting story
Link to Jim Margalus on baseball betting
Link to Jacob’s DraftKings tweet

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