Podcasts by Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast
Daily baseball statistical analysis and commentary
Further podcasts by Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, Meg Rowley
Podcast on the topic Baseball
All episodes
Effectively Wild Episode 2096: Sho Him the Money from 2023-12-10T01:38:46
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to Shohei Ohtani signing a titanic 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers, covering every aspect of the news. Then (57:07) they recount the even-funnier-in-r...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2095: Soto Voce from 2023-12-08T06:01:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a lackluster punning performance by Scott Boras at the Winter Meetings, then (12:03) dissect the momentous trade of a big Boras client, Juan Soto, from bot...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2094: Double Secret Shobation from 2023-12-07T00:47:06
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley (at the Winter Meetings in Nashville) banter about how the secrecy surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s free agency is breaking baseball media members’ brains, what makes free a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2093: Like Catnip from 2023-12-02T23:46:22
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and top-tier Patreon supporter Kevin Peskuric banter about and quantify the difference between the receptions to an @MLB tweet about a Shohei Ohtani cat encounter and an ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2092: Hall Pass from 2023-12-01T06:40:20
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about listeners’ end-of-year podcast stats, the reported “progress” in Padres-Yankees trade talks concerning Juan Soto, some recent Reds and Mets moves, a possib...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2091: Runs, Hits, Errors, Turnovers from 2023-11-29T08:28:04
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Eugenio Suárez trade and the Mariners’ payroll, the Cardinals signing Sonny Gray, the Tigers signing Kenta Maeda, the Dodgers re-signing Jason Heyward,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2090: How to Be a Shobae from 2023-11-26T07:12:25
Ben Lindbergh talks to Portia, proprietor of super-popular Shohei Ohtani fan account @shoheisaveus, about her Ohtani superfan origin story, life as a self-described “Shobae,” Ohtani’s popularity co...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2089: Putting the WAR in Awards from 2023-11-23T08:20:14
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the proper pluralization of “POBO,” then (7:12) answer listener emails about baseball with a five-second pitch clock, how long fans will continue to boo pi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2088: Let’s Talk Turkey from 2023-11-22T07:47:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Phillies re-signing Aaron Nola, the Braves signing Reynaldo López, trading for Aaron Bummer, and rearranging their roster, the Cardinals signing Lance ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2087: Best in Sho from 2023-11-18T13:18:15
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the possible significance of this year’s unanimous award votes, the public unveiling of Shohei Ohtani’s dog, what they learned (and didn’t learn) from the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2086: Eyewash, Greenwash, Sportswash, Tell ’im Wash from 2023-11-17T04:58:24
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss MLB owners unanimously approving the Athletics’ move to Las Vegas, new time-saving measures slated for 2024, the respective salaries of David Stearns and Craig ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2085: Do You Want an Award? from 2023-11-15T07:46:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a low-suspense awards week, the vastly varying paths to being a major league manager, the latest sign of the Angels player-development apocalypse, Brian Ca...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2084: The Sexiest Free Agents Alive from 2023-11-10T02:58:20
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about norovirus derailing the GM meetings, leftover Boras quotes, and the baseball players deemed sexiest by People magazine, Stat Blast (18:47) about a possible...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2083: Analytics Retentive from 2023-11-09T00:41:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s experience covering the GM meetings and broadcasting an AFL game, with an emphasis on Brian Cashman’s testy exchanges with reporters, Meg’s interacti...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2082: Opposing Counsell from 2023-11-07T04:58:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether whether they’d watch the winning team celebrate if they lost the World Series, then (17:09) discuss a trio of managerial moves (the Cubs poaching C...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2081: Trophy Strife from 2023-11-05T03:55:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the difficulty of watching Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the Japan Series, the last time an MLB pitcher threw as many as 138 pitches in a game, their hopes for Joe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2080: The Most Interesting Offseason Storylines from 2023-11-04T11:48:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which MLB franchise will win its first championship next, the postseason “second-chance issue,” Clayton Kershaw’s shoulder surgery and other Dodgers decisi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2079: The Rangers Are the Residue of Design from 2023-11-03T04:00:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s experience covering the World Series in Arizona, then discuss the most interesting aspects of the series, what (if anything) teams could learn from t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2078: Drought Conditions from 2023-10-28T06:56:53
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about saying the wrong episode number in the intro to Episode 2077 and the definition of a title drought, then answer listener emails (18:45) about whether it wo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2077: Now I’ve Seen Everything from 2023-10-27T06:36:56
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the end of the NLCS, discuss the discourse surrounding the improbability of and fallout from the Diamondbacks-Rangers World Series matchup, banter about th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2076: Plunk Me Twice, Shame on You from 2023-10-25T05:26:58
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss assorted ALCS and NLCS action and playoff takeaways and trends, with an emphasis on Adolis García’s heroics, the Rangers vanquishing the Astros, MLB’s handling ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2075: Right-Hands Man from 2023-10-21T07:07:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about ALCS and NLCS action, the definition of an “unanswered run,” and a forthcoming documentary about Shohei Ohtani, then (51:16) answer listener emails about a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2074: Who Had it First? from 2023-10-19T06:19:46
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the lack of pitch-clock violations in the postseason, an on-field Phillies smooch, the Phillies’ 2-0 lead on the Diamondbacks in the NLCS, a pivotal offsea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2073: Veeck As in Discotheque from 2023-10-17T10:19:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the abrupt end of Kim Ng’s tenure as the general manager of the Miami Marlins, Alyssa Nakken interviewing for the Giants’ manager job, the Rangers taking a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2072: Can You Take Me Higher (or Lower) from 2023-10-14T16:27:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the career of the incomparable Bryce Harper, more “Attaboy” blowback, the end of the Phillies-Braves NLDS, scoring and competitiveness in the postseason as...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2071: Hello Randomness, My Old Friend from 2023-10-13T05:30:06
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Diamondbacks’ victory and the Dodgers’ defeat, more musings on playoff randomness, Bryce Harper, Orlando Arcia, and the silliest sports/sports-media co...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2070: Playoff Hand-Wringing Returns from 2023-10-11T09:01:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss some renewed fretting about playoff formats, long layoffs, and upsets, recap (31:44) Clayton Kershaw’s playoff career and consider how (if at all) it will affec...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2069: Division Series Previews, Partially from 2023-10-07T12:30:33
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a failing effort to make peanuts a ballpark staple in Japan, preview the various Division Series (10:32), discuss the deep, enduring desire of former GM Pa...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2068: More Like Mild Card from 2023-10-06T06:47:07
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their takeaways from sweeps week in the wild card round (how sweep it is!) and pick the division series they’re most excited about, then examine Mariners P...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2067: The Playoff Frankenstein Draft from 2023-10-03T05:05:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners, the Cubs, and other teams that just missed the playoffs, discuss the firings of Giants manager Gabe Kapler and Mets manager Buck Showalter (1...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2066: Moral Tarpitude from 2023-09-30T02:25:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s (finally) leagues-leading jersey sales, Mets grounds crew shenanigans, and shrinking minor leaguers, then (28:18) answer listener emails ab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2065: Four Shalt Thou Not Count from 2023-09-29T07:19:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Ronald Acuña Jr.’s historic strikeout-rate reduction is as impressive as his historic power-speed combination, the Acuña-Mookie Betts NL MVP race, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2064: All Down the Foul Line from 2023-09-27T06:14:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about The Rolling Stones’ credentials as a baseball band, Mike Trout’s slow healing, more Padres reporting and one-run-game whiplash, the Mariners’ rough stretch...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2063: Yusei Are Getting Very Sleepy from 2023-09-22T23:27:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Yusei Kikuchi’s (and other players’) sleep habits and the possibility of a three-way AL West tie with no tiebreaker game, then (28:28) answer listener emai...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2062: Competing Padres Postmortems from 2023-09-20T04:56:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the five-year anniversary of a Twitter wager about Adalberto Mondesi and Shohei Ohtani, then compare and contrast two in-depth articles about the problems ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2061: Preseason Team Goals, Revisited from 2023-09-19T05:49:57
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about precedents for 50-year-old Bartolo Colon retiring as a Met, whether it’s better for a player to go out on top or be humbled a bit before the end, the ramif...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2060: Let’s Not Be Too Heston from 2023-09-16T05:58:50
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Patreon supporter Max Harris banter about Ben’s problems remembering Orioles rookie Heston Kjerstad’s name, Baltimore’s lookalike offensive core, and Max’s history wi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2059: The Bloom is Off the Bloom from 2023-09-15T05:04:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the firing of Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and the extension of Nationals president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo, injuries to Max Scherz...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2058: The POBO That Was Promised from 2023-09-13T03:54:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball comps for the season-ending injury of quarterback Aaron Rodgers four snaps into his New York Jets career, the Rip Van Winkle-esque return of Oriol...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2057: Unlimited Power/Speed from 2023-09-09T06:38:18
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the NL wild card race and Dodgers starting pitching, then (17:24) answer listener emails about league-sanctioned spies, the best second jobs for an MLB pla...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2056: Just-Noticeable Defense from 2023-09-08T03:57:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss listener responses to their banter about surprising Statcast throwing speeds, then (12:42) discuss Nick Ahmed’s unsung great glovework, the A’s turning out to b...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2055: No Throw from 2023-09-06T07:24:29
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Statcast-standout throw by Brenton Doyle, a Statcast-standout homer by Ronald Acuña Jr., and how closely Statcast data matches the eye test in various as...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2054: The Prospect-Call-Up Countdown from 2023-09-02T10:15:20
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a new browser game called Homer Hindsight, where all the players placed on waivers ended up, the White Sox promoting Chris Getz and the continued comeback ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2053: The Shohei Ohtani of Indie Rock from 2023-08-31T05:00:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s voice and the potential for an ambidextrous superstar who blends the skill sets of Shohei Ohtani and Pat Venditte, then discuss all the implications ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2052: New Kids on the Block from 2023-08-30T07:10:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about classifying throws by infielders that are actually made in the outfield, imagine a multi-sport two-way Shohei Ohtani, and belatedly acknowledge Scott Coope...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2051: Bunts and Balks and Passed Balls, Oh My from 2023-08-27T09:14:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how late it is in the season and a fan’s exuberant reaction to the only known unassisted outfield triple play in major or minor league history, answer list...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2050: Sho No from 2023-08-25T22:54:04
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley lament and discuss Shohei Ohtani’s UCL injury and its ramifications for the rest of his season, his two-way future, his free agency, the Angels, and the continued happi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2049: Seattle Slays from 2023-08-23T07:35:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s week away, Julio Rodríguez’s hot streak and the Mariners’ surge, and the White Sox firing Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn, plus a grab bag of topics tha...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2048: Calling Up All Angels from 2023-08-19T14:42:11
Baseball Prospectus’ editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein joins the show to discuss the surging Dodgers (5:26) and what led to their recently concluded win streak, the call-ups of Masyn Winn and Nolan S...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2047: This Podcast Now Competes in the Big Ten from 2023-08-18T06:05:03
With Ben Lindbergh still in Sweden, FanGraphs’ Michael Baumann takes the co-host chair for a spin. He and Meg Rowley begin (2:10) by delighting in a picture of Lance Lynn and Enrique Hernández from...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2046: These Segments Are Underrated from 2023-08-16T06:00:04
With Ben Lindbergh in Sweden on Ringer business, FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens joins Meg Rowley for a turn in the co-host chair. Ben and Meg begin (1:40) by discussing the disturbing allegations made agai...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2045: The Designated Hugger from 2023-08-11T08:50:42
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Patreon supporter Samuel Giddins banter about Samuel’s baseball background and history with Effectively Wild, before (9:52) discussing a Juan Soto quote and the type ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2044: The Catcher-Crotch Catch from 2023-08-10T08:07:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether the plight of running backs in the NFL is analogous to any data-driven developments in MLB, the benefits and drawbacks of more or fewer off days du...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2043: A Fool Rushes in Where Angelos Treads from 2023-08-09T07:42:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Tim Anderson–José Ramírez fight and White Sox clubhouse culture, John Angelos benching Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown, the Angels’ post-deadline slump...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2042: Pure Happenstance from 2023-08-05T11:49:20
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Robin Ventura truthers defending Ventura on the 30th anniversary of his brawl with Nolan Ryan, Shohei Ohtani‘s 2023 WAR matching his full-season 2021 WAR a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2041: The Trade Deadline Deals, Pt. 2 from 2023-08-03T04:21:42
After the trade-deadline dust settles, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the big deals from deadline eve and deadline day, starting with high-level trade-season takeaways (reunions, top prosp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2040: The Trade Deadline Deals, Pt. 1 from 2023-08-01T20:15:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Charlie Culberson’s surprising staying power as a barely-playing big leaguer, then break down the first batch of trades preceding the trade deadline, inclu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2039: A Miles in Someone Else’s Bruise from 2023-07-29T06:36:16
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a silly kerfuffle involving Miles Mikolas, Willson Contreras, and Ian Happ, Triston Casas’s hot streak and previous unwritten-rules run-in, Bullet Rogan vs...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2038: The Angels Are Sho-ing for It. What Will They Have to Sho for It? from 2023-07-28T07:01:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about watching Shohei Ohtani play while they podcast, the Angels’ decision not to trade Ohtani and subsequent trade for Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López, whether...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2037: Ashes to Ashes, Draft to Draft from 2023-07-26T09:08:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a J.P. France postgame quote and ballplayer clichés, the death of first overall pick Mike Ivie, and how Masataka Yoshida’s debut season stacks up to the ML...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2036: The Shohei Ohtani Trading Game from 2023-07-22T03:15:57
In a 21-guest salute to Shohei Ohtani trade hypotheticals, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by a multitude of friends for a role-playing exercise in convincing the Angels to trade Ohtani to ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2035: Hot Streaks and Cold Spells from 2023-07-21T07:41:18
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s strategies for coping with record heat in Phoenix, revisit an earlier conversation about whether the pitch clock has boosted MLB attendance (and remi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2034: Strand Rate from 2023-07-19T09:00:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Christian Encarnacion-Strand and whether record compound names deserve an asterisk, the appeal of a Legends Home Run Derby, the origins of (and long-ago ba...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2033: Need-to-Know Bases from 2023-07-15T03:33:58
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the 2024 regular-season schedule, the baseball relevance of a study about humans’ hunger for useless information, and the storylines they’re most looking f...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2032: League of Legends from 2023-07-14T08:02:55
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s spectator experience at the All-Star Game, whether it’s good or bad that the MVP was a player as obscure as Elias Díaz, the increase in the number of...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2031: No Peeking in the Press Box from 2023-07-12T05:34:47
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s experiences at the Futures Game, the draft, and the Home Run Derby, Derby highlights, the Derby on TV vs. in person, Elly De La Cruz’s mad dash, and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2030: Deadline Dilemmas and Needs from 2023-07-08T00:38:58
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s All-Star Week plans, play “Would you rather?” with the White Sox and Cardinals, the Padres and Mets, Carlos Rodón and Alek Manoah, and the Rangers an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2029: Fallen Los Angeles from 2023-07-06T03:03:44
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Mike Trout‘s injury makes the Angels more likely to trade birthday boy Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ rotation depth without Dustin May and Clayton Ke...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2028: Baseball Band from 2023-07-04T03:10:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about All-Star-roster minimums and maximums, what the Aroldis Chapman trade tells us about the how teams value prospects, Jake Diekman’s exploits with the Rays, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2027: The First Half of the Season, Summed Up from 2023-07-01T01:17:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley attempt to create a hierarchy of highlights, then (21:36) mark the midpoint of the regular season by reviewing the most salient storylines of the first half, the teams ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2026: Sound and Furries from 2023-06-30T10:38:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Andrew McCutchen’s latest “furries” tweet, the Pirates playing through a high AQI and the need for a safety standard, Domingo Germán’s perfect game and the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2025: You’ve Got a Friend in Ohtani from 2023-06-28T06:37:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the three Taylor Wards, the truth and multiple untruths about Elly De La Cruz’s twin brother, the dominance of 20-year-old Eury Pérez and the Marlins’ usag...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2024: The Old College Try from 2023-06-24T09:21:09
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Michael Baumann to banter about the Phillies’ outlier legal name, Dave Martinez and the dying art of the theatrical manage...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2023: What’s Past Blast is Prologue from 2023-06-22T09:10:48
Ben Lindbergh addresses an interview upgrade on the preceding episode, chats with FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski about Luis Arraez’s chances of batting .400, Stat Blasts (22:36) about extremes in team w...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2022: Three Strikes, You’re Out at the New Ballgame from 2023-06-21T07:17:41
Ben Lindbergh and Russell Carleton of Baseball Prospectus banter about the return of Joey Votto, the suddenly exciting Cincinnati Reds, the NL Central and NL West races, and more, then (25:45) disc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2021: Always Be Closing from 2023-06-17T00:47:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s latest exploits and career-best WAR pace, the Angels’ playoff hopes, Corbin Carroll’s physique, and Mickey Moniak’s fluky-but-fun hot strea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2020: Boo This Manfred from 2023-06-16T05:24:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review the most disappointing teams of 2023, ultimately anointing one team as the most disappointing and trying to identify which of the contenders for the “most disapp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2019: Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Sportswriters from 2023-06-14T01:15:56
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani leading MLB in WAR and the number of times his hitting has leapfrogged his pitching or vice versa, the EW audience’s verdict on who won the p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2018: Commissioner Correspondence from 2023-06-11T08:23:19
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Patreon supporter Reggie Deal banter about Reggie’s background as a baseball fan and Effectively Wild listener, his email correspondence with MLB and Rob Manfred, acc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2017: The 26-Under-25 Draft from 2023-06-10T00:57:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mets, the Padres, and the AL Central, Jacob deGrom’s UCL, Mike Trout’s slow (by his standards) start, and a Phillies pitch-clock controversy, then (23:...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2016: We’ve Got Good News and Bad News from 2023-06-07T05:55:07
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s voice, the arrival of Elly De La Cruz, the similarities between the up-and-coming Reds and Pirates, whether we need a “super-error,” Aaron Judge’s ba...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2015: Sweeping Statement from 2023-06-03T22:35:18
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Shohei Ohtani is throwing too many sweepers to opposite-handed hitters, the MLB debut of flamethrowing Ben Joyce, the extreme walk/strikeout stylin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2014: Clocks and Bonds from 2023-06-03T01:19:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s 500th EW episode, the architectural concept of the “Thomasson,” a forthcoming HBO documentary about Barry Bonds, the rebound of Juan Soto, common mis...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2013: The League Looks More Level from 2023-05-30T08:42:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Pete Alonso‘s, um, emergency swing, the activations (6:25) of four players (Liam Hendriks, Michael Soroka, Paul Blackburn, and Royce Lewis), the small lead...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2012: Double Clutch from 2023-05-27T01:45:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s prediction concerning the Padres’ and Rangers’ rest-of-season performance with runners in scoring position, then (14:08) answer listener emails about...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2011: Who Was That Mascot Man? from 2023-05-25T04:36:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the major leagues’ sudden influx of 24-year-old right-handed pitchers with the surname “Miller,” the Rays’ surprisingly precarious position in the AL East ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2010: Dead Bird Bounce from 2023-05-24T07:51:29
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Yordan Alvarez kissing Martín Maldonado, Will Brennan’s birdslaughter (12:33), the Guardians’ slow start (23:12), Madison Bumgarner’s reported reluctance t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2009: Safe By a Hair from 2023-05-20T03:20:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up with additional details about the Cardinals’ cheeseburger phone, banter about the hot hitting of Ronald Acuña Jr. and Aaron Judge, answer listener emails (31:...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2008: Big Hack Attack from 2023-05-19T06:26:24
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the sesame-seer Cardinals using a cheeseburger phone to predict home buns (er, runs) by hitters who are dialed in, the varying fortunes of three offseason ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2007: Catch As Catcher Can from 2023-05-17T07:39:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s near-cycle and newly hot hitting on days when he’s pitched, the Cardinals reinstating Willson Contreras at catcher (and Zac Gallen’s commen...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2006: Not My Cup of D from 2023-05-13T03:10:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Akil Baddoo taking a baseball to the beans, broadcasters describing groin shots, and players deciding whether to wear cups. Then they compare a resurgent J...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2005: Spring Has Sproing from 2023-05-12T03:03:32
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s recovery from COVID and the belated release of the CBA, predict how well White Sox cast-off Jake Diekman will pitch for the Rays, discuss injuries to...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2004: House of Cards from 2023-05-09T09:12:25
Ben Lindbergh talks to Will Leitch about the Cardinals’ horrendous start, their baffling decision to bar big free-agent addition Willson Contreras from catching, how Yadier Molina’s legacy looms ov...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2003: Return of the Mack from 2023-05-05T07:21:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about more examples of players whose names describe what they do (like Colin Holderman), the return of Justin Verlander, Juan Soto’s overdue hot streak, Keynan M...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2002: East Coast MLBias from 2023-05-04T06:10:39
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about players being paid for on-field, in-game interviews, pitcher injuries and pitcher call-ups, how low Oakland’s attendance could go (and whether the team mig...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2001: Open the Podcast Bay Doors, HAL from 2023-05-01T02:21:58
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the podcast’s naming conventions, the EW reverse jinx boosting Byron Buxton, the stress of observing Jacob deGrom’s high-wire act, Drew Maggi’s first major...
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Effectively Wild Episode 2000: We Thought of More Things We Like About Baseball from 2023-04-29T07:05:57
In the fourth incarnation of a time-honored tradition that recurs every 500-ish episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by former co-hosts Sam Miller and Jeff Sullivan, and The Athletic’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1999: Meet a Maggi Leaguer from 2023-04-28T04:43:46
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Drew Maggi’s major league debut and whether there should be a way for other journeyman minor leaguers to make the majors more easily, the story of short-li...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1998: Congrats on the Paternity Leave from 2023-04-26T04:50:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a good time to be a Pirates fan, whether the red-hot Rays or the ice-cold A’s will regress more toward the mean over the rest of the season, Rob Manfred’s ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1997: This Time it Pitch Counts from 2023-04-23T01:12:06
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the podcast’s semi-official new nickname for Yandy Díaz, what Mookie Betts playing shortstop says about the Dodgers, and Andrew McCutchen’s hot start, then...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1996: Sticky-Sniffing Dogs from 2023-04-21T00:47:06
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the continued Yandy Díaz breakout and listeners’ suggestions for his new beef-related nickname, the greatness of post-peak Clayton Kershaw and the end of D...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1995: Stink or Swim from 2023-04-19T03:24:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether a remedy for former Yankees slugger Moose Skowron might help current Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger’s rebound and ovation violat...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1994: Down Goes Dinger from 2023-04-15T08:00:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about an NPB matchup between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, those aces’ current talent levels and MLB futures, how velocity has climbed in NPB compared to M...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1993: Break(out) the Cycle from 2023-04-14T07:12:14
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the hot start by Jarred Kelenic and when to believe in a breakout, Jo Adell and the mystery of quadruple-A players, the odds of no Marlin hitting for the c...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1992: Hot or Hurt from 2023-04-12T07:29:05
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a wave of injuries around MLB, affecting Oneil Cruz, Adam Duvall, Ian Anderson, and several other players, the Rays’ undefeated start, the hot starts of Ja...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1991: Mascot Moment from 2023-04-08T09:01:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Star Wars emergency and (5:17) an nVenue Apple odds update, then (8:57) answer listener emails about how good a team has to be to convince people that it...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1990: Week 1 Non-Overreactions from 2023-04-07T02:28:26
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Ben should apply for a full-time job covering Shohei Ohtani, MLB seeking a pitch-clock sponsor, the brilliance of Sandy Alcantara, clock violations...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1989: Baseball Goes Back to the’80s from 2023-04-04T06:35:12
Ben Lindbergh and Noah Woodward of the newsletter The Advance Scout discuss Noah’s front-office career, the impact of the MLB rules changes on pace/time of game, the running game, and hitting and d...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1988: The 2023 Team Fun Draft from 2023-04-01T01:33:31
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the joy of Opening Day and other news, including early reactions to the new rules, Rob Manfred’s comments about the ball-strike challenge system, Aaron Jud...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1987: The 2023 Preseason Predictions Game from 2023-03-29T04:15:05
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs authors Michael Baumann and Ben Clemens play “SEC Baseball Player vs. Figure Involved in the Lincoln Assassination,” banter about two umpire faux pas (3:45)...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1986: Season Preview Series: Braves and Rockies from 2023-03-28T04:16:25
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about prospects who have (Jordan Walker, Anthony Volpe) and haven’t (Grayson Rodriguez, Brett Baty) made Opening Day rosters and MLB’s player-centric PSAs about ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1985: Season Preview Series: Padres and Reds from 2023-03-24T06:26:59
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the advisability of suspending the pitch clock in certain high-stakes situations, some last-minute spring-training tweaks to the clock’s operation, and MLB...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1984: Perfect Pitch from 2023-03-23T06:42:25
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter euphorically about the unbelievable ending of the World Baseball Classic, from Japan’s semifinal game against Mexico, to the climactic showdown between Shohei Oh...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1983: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Nationals from 2023-03-21T04:34:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Team USA’s WBC quarterfinal and semifinal victories and Jose Altuve’s injury, then continue their 2023 season preview series by discussing the New York Yan...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1982: Season Preview Series: Mets and Athletics from 2023-03-18T05:04:04
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the WBC’s TV ratings in Japan and (8:56) possible consequences of MLB’s RSN shake-up, then continue their 2023 season preview series by discussing the New ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1981: An Arrow in the Knee at the WBC from 2023-03-17T05:54:33
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Edwin Díaz’s season-ending injury at the WBC and the anti-WBC sentiment it engendered, then (20:39) bring on top-tier Patreon supporter Michael Eisen to di...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1980: Season Preview Series: Rays and Tigers from 2023-03-15T05:15:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about recent WBC highlights, whether the WBC should be held more often (7:44), extensions for Corbin Carroll and Keibert Ruiz (19:50), MLB preparing to take over...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1979: Season Preview Series: Astros and Pirates from 2023-03-10T00:40:44
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the exciting beginning of the WBC, early indications in spring training that MLB’s rules changes are having the intended effects, and a classic unprecedent...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1978: Sam’s Back, on Substack from 2023-03-09T03:35:18
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley welcome back former co-host Sam Miller to banter about his return to public baseball writing, his current relationship with baseball, and his new Substack, Pebble Hunti...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1977: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Royals from 2023-03-07T01:11:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about catcher Grayson Greiner’s height, Shohei Ohtani’s titanic homers, tight t-shirt, and pepper-grinding in WBC exhibitions, and a few preview-related trivia q...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1976: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Cubs from 2023-03-04T03:17:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Kenta Maeda pitching well despite PitchCom giving away his signs, spring training injuries (5:26), the upsides and downsides of pitchers beginning to call ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1975: Backdoor Curve from 2023-03-03T05:51:26
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley begin with a little loose talk about Kiké Hernández’s revelation that he sharted during the 2020 NLDS, and pin down the precise instant of the accident with audio evide...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1974: Season Preview Series: Cardinals and Diamondbacks from 2023-02-27T23:41:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Manny Machado’s extension, whether the Padres have spending constraints, and what the team’s future might look like, then (18:51) discuss their impressions...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1973: Season Preview Series: Phillies and Orioles from 2023-02-25T02:29:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley announce that they’re hiring a new podcast editor and solicit applications for the position, then (9:40) banter about another zombie-runner-related update to dictionary...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1972: The Prospects for the Prospects from 2023-02-23T01:59:14
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Prospect Week at FanGraphs, a misleading email, and Ben’s daughter’s cold, then discuss Alex Rodriguez as a budding book author, social-media maven, and fl...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1971: Season Preview Series: Brewers and Marlins from 2023-02-20T21:48:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the USA World Baseball Classic roster’s so-so starting pitching, the difficulty of recruiting top pitchers for the tournament, and Japan’s staff, Meg’s col...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1970: Season Preview Series: Mariners and White Sox from 2023-02-17T03:29:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the release of FanGraphs’ playoff odds and the biggest differences between the FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus playoff and World Series odds, then contin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1969: Winning Ugly from 2023-02-16T06:08:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the temperature in Phoenix, writers taking photos of bases, and Meg taking photos of the writers, then discuss Meg’s takeaways from MLB’s presentation to m...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1968: Season Preview Series: Guardians and Rangers from 2023-02-14T07:22:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley lament the newly codified permanence of the zombie runner, rededicate themselves to “ghost runner” reeducation, and banter about a new position-player-pitching limitati...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1967: Season Preview Series: Angels and Red Sox (Plus Joe West) from 2023-02-10T03:27:07
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Yu Darvish’s extension, then continue their 2023 season preview series by discussing the Los Angeles Angels (10:11) with The Athletic’s Sam Blum and the Bo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1966: Joe West, Young Man from 2023-02-09T03:16:34
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Effectively Wild listener/Patreon supporter Alana Crockett banter about Alana’s baseball background, pitcher representation in the MLB and MLBPA logos, and former ump...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1965: Season Preview Series: Giants and Twins from 2023-02-07T00:11:18
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley introduce the 11th annual Effectively Wild season preview series, then kick things off by previewing the 2023 San Francisco Giants (13:03) with The Athletic’s Grant Bri...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1964: Our Favorite Transactions from 2023-02-03T21:45:48
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about pre-Opening Day milestones and the upcoming EW season preview series, then (7:59) draft and discuss their favorite offseason transactions (and non-transact...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1963: Was the Greink There? from 2023-02-02T00:02:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley issue a sexiness-comment correction and banter about Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s MLB: The Show cover-model credentials, the 2023 Opening Day schedule, more ways in which baseba...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1962: Championship Core from 2023-01-31T04:59:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about players being in the sexiest shape of their lives, Rockies owner Dick Monfort’s comments about the Padres’ spending, and how Diamond Sports Group’s bankrup...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1961: Hallternative Energy from 2023-01-28T01:35:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Orioles owner John Angelos reneging on his offer to show reporters the team’s financial information, the O’s acquiring Cole Irvin, the Astros hiring the Br...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1960: Seventy-Six Percent Led the Big Parade from 2023-01-26T01:48:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Scott Rolen’s election to the Hall of Fame, Billy Wagner, Andy Pettitte, and relievers vs. starters as Cooperstown candidates, the Adalberto Mondesi trade ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1959: A Tale of Two Broadcasts from 2023-01-24T01:37:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the yips, more ways in which baseball is different from other sports, big leaguers playing against kids, and Rogers Centre’s new dimensions, plus a Past Bl...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1958: I Can Be Center Field? from 2023-01-21T02:24:41
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about 53-year-old Dae-Sung Koo 구대성 pitching in Australia, provide a final(?) update on Brandon Belt’s beloved Toronto chicken tenders, discuss the invisible stri...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1957: Owners’Groaners from 2023-01-19T02:15:44
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about passing the halfway point of the offseason, another way in which baseball is unusual among team sports, a few minor transactions, and (11:15) recent PR mis...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1956: Jock and Bull Stories from 2023-01-18T03:46:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about players snacking on the field and a baseball equivalent of the EGOT before (23:01) Ben brings on Ron Shelton, the Oscar-nominated writer and director of Bu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1955: Upshift, Downshift from 2023-01-14T01:17:09
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a “Dear Abby” baseball column, Andrew McCutchen’s return to Pittsburgh, Nelson Cruz signing with San Diego, the Dodgers reacquiring Miguel Rojas, catcher d...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1954: ’Los Got Physical from 2023-01-12T03:21:33
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap the conclusion of the Carlos Correa free agency saga, breaking down his new, actually finalized contract with the Twins, reviewing his offseason odyssey, and tryi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1953: The Weakest Links Left from 2023-01-10T01:29:25
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Roger Angell-identified way in which baseball is different from other sports, discuss the Mariners signing AJ Pollock and the Phillies trading for Gregor...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1952: Slash Diction from 2023-01-07T01:53:26
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and longtime listener and Patreon supporter Jacob Barak banter about Jacob’s baseball-fan background, EW origin story, and much-discussed post about a Shohei Ohtani conun...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1951: The Pod Heard ’Round the World from 2023-01-06T01:23:55
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the Red Sox signing Rafael Devers to a lengthy extension, the state of the Sox, the next two free-agent classes, and Carlos Baerga the newsbreaker, then banter ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1950: Well, We Tried from 2023-01-04T00:57:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Hall of Famer Jim Palmer‘s endorsement of Netflix series Emily in Paris, a questionable Cubs-related baseball scene in the EiP series premiere, a Royals ro...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1949: The Stories We Missed in 2022 (AL Edition) from 2022-12-31T01:08:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley close the book on 2022 by bantering about the year in Effectively Wild, the Marlins signing Jean Segura, the heretofore-unsuspected existence of Charles Leblanc, and th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1948: The 2023 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2022-12-29T23:24:52
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens continue a cherished podcast tradition by conducting the 10th annual Effectively Wild Minor League Free Agent Draft, in which they select...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1947: The Stories We Missed in 2022 (NL Edition) from 2022-12-29T01:11:55
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Carlos Correa’s contract limbo, the Pirates signing Rich Hill, the Rangers signing Nathan Eovaldi, the Red Sox signing Corey Kluber, the Blue Jays trading ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1946: I’ll Be Home for Correa-mas from 2022-12-24T00:41
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest Carlos Correa-related reporting, the Giants’ signings of Michael Conforto and Taylor Rogers, the hijinks potential of twin teammates Taylor and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1945: We Wish Carlos the Best from 2022-12-22T08:11:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down every incredible angle of the biggest twist of the MLB offseason: free agent Carlos Correa’s overnight pivot from a 13-year agreement with the San Francisco ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1944: The Christmas Socks of Free Agents from 2022-12-21T04:56:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the differences, if any, between a two-year deal with an opt out after the first year and a one-year deal with a player option for a second year, then disc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1943: Weird Decisions from 2022-12-17T01:22:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Yankees signing Carlos Rodón, Rodón’s recent trajectory and future, New York teams at the top of the payroll leaderboard and starting-pitcher projectio...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1942: Get Interested in Interest Rates! from 2022-12-16T02:02:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Pirates’ Vince Velasquez hype video, a “mutant option” for Cody Bellinger, and a Francisco Rodríguez-only Hall of Fame ballot, then (22:09) discuss Car...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1941: The Biggest of Payrolls, the Smallest of Payrolls from 2022-12-14T01:29:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the two teams at the top and bottom, respectively, of the MLB payroll hierarchy, the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics, touching on the Mets’ signings of Bran...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1940: Shipping Out of Boston from 2022-12-09T05:48:46
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their AI chatbot counterparts, then discuss the ramifications of the Padres signing Xander Bogaerts (12:58), the significance of the Red Sox losing Bogaert...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1939: It All Happened from 2022-12-08T04:59:56
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the rest of the action from the Winter Meetings, including Arson Judge not signing with the Giants, Aaron Judge re-signing with the Yankees, the Padres missi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1938: It’s All Happening from 2022-12-07T01:19:37
With Meg Rowley on the IL, Ben Lindbergh and FanGraphs author Dan Szymborski discuss the first batch of news from a busy Winter Meetings, including the big-money market as a whole, the blockbuster ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1937: Never More Than 12 from 2022-12-02T06:23:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s daughter’s first steps, follow up on differentiating players with the same name, equipment replacements, and suggested recreational sports for Ben to...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1936: Balls Out from 2022-12-01T05:44:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s latest former major leaguer Facebook friend recommendation and an important update (3:49) to the dictionary.com definition of “ghost runner,” then fo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1935: How Next Season’s Standings Project Today from 2022-11-29T03:03:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their Thanksgivings, Joe Kelly’s comments (10:29) about free agents’ team visits being “outdated and cheesy,” the Astros signing José Abreu (30:25), and so...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1934: How to Bring Back Bellinger’s Bat from 2022-11-23T23:34:48
Ben Lindbergh convenes a roundtable of hitting analysts—Robert Orr from Baseball Prospectus, Esteban Rivera from FanGraphs, and Ryan Parker, formerly of Baseball Prospectus and the Los Angeles Ange...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1933: Bats, Bets, Ballots, and Blasts from 2022-11-23T05:41:55
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about omissions from their Baseball Twitter draft, a few transactions (including the Kyle Lewis trade, the Gio Urshela trade, and multiple shortstop swaps), the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1932: The Best of Baseball Twitter from 2022-11-22T03:34:16
With the future of Twitter uncertain, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley welcome Craig Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus and Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz of Fox Sports and Céspedes Family BBQ to draft...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1931: Big Batters Don’t Cry from 2022-11-19T04:57:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about redefining the MVP award, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s unearthed baseball blogs, Billy Beane’s new role with the A’s, and the Braves’ spinoff from Liber...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1930: Meat Your Maker from 2022-11-17T08:31:53
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani and the Cy Young Award, Buck Showalter and the Manager of the Year Award, Bryce Harper’s elbow surgery, the Angels signing Tyler Anderson, An...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1929: Double Your Drafting, Double Your Fun from 2022-11-15T06:24:15
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Scott Boras’s opinions about postseason pitch clocks and a neutral-site World Series, discuss Meg’s NL Rookie of the Year vote (14:16) and the rookie class...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1928: Boras, Boldenone, Boondoggles, and Bo from 2022-11-12T04:57:15
With Meg Rowley off, Ben Lindbergh talks to three guests: James Wagner (4:55) of the New York Times about Scott Boras puns in the paper of record, why players who test positive for PEDs have dispro...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1927: The Living Legend of Willie Mays from 2022-11-08T20:36:49
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley share their impressions of HBO’s new feature-length documentary about Willie Mays, Say Hey, Willie Mays!, and reflect on Mays’s career, then (29:23) talk to director Ne...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1926: Open Offseason from 2022-11-08T05:13:48
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about Game 6 of the World Series, the Series and the playoffs as a whole, Phillies manager Rob Thomson’s decision to pull Zack Whe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1925: Cristian Science, Monitored from 2022-11-05T02:39:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review all of the action from the historic, eventful fourth and fifth games of the World Series, banter about a fan heckling Rob Manfred, and share multiple Past Blasts...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1924: Hot Tip from 2022-11-03T07:25:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the percentage of MLB fans who are paying close attention to the World Series, discuss the White Sox filling MLB’s last managerial vacancy by hiring Pedro ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1923: The Umpire Perfect Game from 2022-11-01T04:13:46
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about umpire Pat Hoberg’s unprecedented “perfect game” behind the plate in Game 2 of the World Series, followed by musings on Nolan Arenado opting not to opt out...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1922: Fall Classic, Fall Ball from 2022-10-28T01:32:36
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen banter about Ben’s latest ex-player Facebook friend recommendations and an MLB bourbon sponsorship, discuss (9:27) Da...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1921: Always Tell Me the Odds from 2022-10-26T03:54:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s baseball Facebook friend recommendations, the Phillies’ odds against the Astros in the World Series, Kyle Schwarber’s mechanical bull ride, a hidden ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1920: Pennants Fly Forever from 2022-10-25T01:51:11
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by FanGraphs writer (and Phillies fan) Michael Baumann, who covered the NLCS game in Philly, to recap the Phillies’ NLCS victory over the Padres, explain the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1919: The Dog Ate My Homer from 2022-10-22T01:51:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on their 2022 minor league free agent draft results, banter about ALDS Game 2, teams “not making excuses,” the Rangers hiring Bruce Bochy, and other news, and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1918: Call Off the Search for the Secret Sauce from 2022-10-21T01:46:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review the results of the 2022 minor league free agent draft, discuss Gold Glove finalists and a study about the lack of special ways to win in the postseason, recap th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1917: You Seem Upset from 2022-10-19T05:57:35
Meg Rowley returns from her trip to Seattle to banter with Ben Lindbergh about attending the 18-inning ALDS Game 3, the Mariners’ heartbreaking loss, the fans’ heartening response, and the franchis...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1916: The Walk-Off Talk-Off from 2022-10-14T22:04:24
With Meg Rowley on the road, Ben Lindbergh reunites with his former Ringer MLB Show colleagues Michael Baumann, Zach Kram, and Bobby Wagner to discuss the moods of Mets and Phillies fans and catch ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1915: Divided We Ball from 2022-10-11T04:15:51
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what would happen if a dominant starting pitcher were caught using sticky stuff in a playoff game, then set up the biggest storylines and scheduling consid...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1914: A Wild Weekend from 2022-10-10T11:57:08
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about and break down all four wild card series, beginning with big-picture thoughts on the weekend as a whole and the Mariners’ improbable Game 2 comeback win be...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1913: Citation Needed from 2022-10-07T10:46:47
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the beginning of the playoffs and playoff podcasting, share a few words (17:43) from the diligent author of the retiring Stephen Vogt’s exhaustive Wikipedi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1912: Write-In Campaign from 2022-10-06T03:46:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s efforts to get the new dictionary definition for “ghost runner” changed, how to watch the playoffs when one has cut the cord, Meg’s Rookie of the Yea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1911: Thump and Dump from 2022-10-05T08:11:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Braves’ first sacrifice bunt of the season, Meg’s gratitude for the effect Mariners fandom has had on her life, the Orioles’ status as impressive also-...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1910: Broken Record from 2022-09-30T06:46:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the fight for the third wild card in the National League and the way in which the expanded playoff format shifts attention toward middling teams, appreciat...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1909: The Podcasts Will Continue Until Morale Improves from 2022-09-29T07:55:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the inadequacies of dental insurance and Ben’s rewarding trip to Citi Field, a Marlins marketing strategy, Richard Bleier’s balk debacle, pitchers getting ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1908: A Movie Script Ending (to the Season)? from 2022-09-27T23:07:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest hitting heroics by 30-year-old rookie Joey Meneses, then discuss the Guardians clinching the AL Central title, underdogs that defy the projectio...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1907: Where’s There a Wills? from 2022-09-24T03:58:48
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the man who tried to return Roger Maris’s 61st home run ball, two Mickey Mantle letters, the 2017 Zac Gallen/Sandy Alcantara trade, how Maury Wills changed...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1906: Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged from 2022-09-23T04:24:51
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the ethics of returning or selling a valuable home run ball, a dilemma involving Aaron Judge on Apple TV+, selling the opposing team’s gear in a ballpark, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1905: Strikes While the Aaron is Hot from 2022-09-21T08:42:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about pitchers throwing a perplexing number of strikes to an unstoppable Aaron Judge, Judge’s sensational September, upcoming contract, and more, Shohei Ohtani’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1904: Keeping Tabs from 2022-09-16T03:52:21
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about minor leaguers officially joining the MLBPA and what minor league unionization might do to the game’s distribution of revenue, follow up on Gold Gloves for...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1903: Great Scott from 2022-09-15T01:31:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk (4:09) to baseball agent and attorney Scott Boras, the founder, owner, and president of the Boras Corporation (as if you didn’t know who Scott Boras was), about hi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1902: Bat Albert from 2022-09-13T03:59:31
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the old-and-improved Albert Pujols, Mike Trout’s homer streak, the White Sox winning, Elvis Andrus making the A’s pay, James Karinchak’s inconclusive hair ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1901: Living in Interesting Times from 2022-09-10T00:14:59
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how the White Sox have played in Tony La Russa’s absence, then discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the rules changes coming to MLB in 2023: a pitch clock...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1900: Triple Frown from 2022-09-09T02:06:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the late Queen Elizabeth II’s first baseball game, the latest on Joey Meneses and Juan Soto (and on Soto being booed!), an Albert Pujols/Willians Astudillo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1899: The Crapper Flapper Wrapper Yapper from 2022-09-07T05:23:33
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a baseball (and softball) toilet flapper, discuss (13:32) the continued excellence of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani (and the benefits of celebrating both i...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1898: One Award to Rule Them All from 2022-09-03T03:20:18
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and listener/Patreon supporter Nathan Valentine banter about Nathan’s dual team fandom, then answer listener emails (9:58) about Aaron Judge’s lead over the next-most-pro...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1897: Pluses and Meneses from 2022-09-02T06:58:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the annual promotion of Terrance Gore as a harbinger of the changing seasons, the modest September roster expansion and the arrivals or returns of Gunnar H...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1896: No Backsies from 2022-08-31T05:13:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s habitual misappraisal of checked swings and the potential for automated checked-swing calls, then discuss the potential unionization of the minor lea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1895: Buggin’Out from 2022-08-27T00:09:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Julio Rodríguez‘s complex, long-term extension with the Mariners, which wild card contenders Meg is most worried about as a Mariners fan, George Kirby’s ga...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1894: The Indomitable Dodgers from 2022-08-26T02:52:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the approving responses to Ben’s blistering (by Ben’s standards) Yankee Stadium review, Christian Walker’s scale-breaking defense at first base, “defended”...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1893: Flame Inflation from 2022-08-25T00:42:14
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the inflation of flames for fast pitches on baseball broadcasts, Oneil Cruz’s record-setting hard hit and the limitations of tools, Ben’s review of a trip ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1892: Keeping it 100 from 2022-08-19T06:31:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the impending premiere of Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, the projection-system verdict on the Braves’ extension of Michael Harris II, the Whi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1891: So Long, Jon from 2022-08-18T06:29:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on Tony La Russa’s suspicious pinch-runner call, banter about Joey Gallo on the Dodgers and Andrew Benintendi on the Yankees, the utility of booing, and the p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1890: You’re a Peach from 2022-08-17T03:58:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter a bit more about whether Dottie dropped the ball on purpose in the movie version of A League of Their Own, then discuss an Angels defensive meltdown, a vomiting ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1889: A Different League from 2022-08-13T03:35:14
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Dottie dropped the ball on purpose in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own, then (steering clear of spoilers) review and discuss the highs and lows...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1888: Paper Tigers from 2022-08-12T04:59:47
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ soaring playoff odds, a wild Mariners-Yankees game, the other greatest team gainers and losers in playoff probability over the past month, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1887: There Used to Be a Ballpark (And it’s Still There) from 2022-08-09T01:12:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Dodgers’ and Mets’ “statement” series and the awe and anxiety inspired by Jacob deGrom, follow up on Vin Scully’s musical taste, retractable mounds, an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1886: Vin’s Vignettes from 2022-08-05T23:51:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a possible solution to the quandary of not enough slashes in “triple slash stats,” discuss the increasing excitement surrounding Aaron Judge’s home run rec...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1885: The Pit Clock from 2022-08-05T06:41:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Clayton Kershaw’s back, balky backs in general, some of the players traded at the deadline who made immediate impacts in their debuts, and the perhaps surp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1884: The Great Trade Deadline Download from 2022-08-03T10:06:23
After a busy deadline day, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to all the trade activity, beginning with a high-level overview of the deadline, a recap of the Rockies’ inactivity (5:28), the Padres’...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1883: Know Your Value from 2022-07-30T06:20:48
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about a flummoxing fun fact, Justin Verlander’s career vs. Max Scherzer’s career, and Max Meyer’s Tommy John surgery, then (24:55)...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1882: Back-Tracking and Bat-Tracking from 2022-07-28T01:44:21
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mike Trout’s rare back injury, Zac Veen and vaccines, the Rangers’ one-run record, interesting team trade rumors, and teams with tough deadline decisions, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1881: Antitrust Us from 2022-07-27T04:34:15
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a convoluted fun fact, the Cardinals’ anti-vaccination contingent, a historic Red Sox slump, an injury to top draftee Druw Jones, and a Willians Astudillo ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1880: The 10th Anniversary Interview from 2022-07-22T23:55:05
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley wrap up the podcast’s 10th anniversary week by doing a dozen listener-inspired Stat Blasts and then (51:53) talking to 42-year-old Red Sox starter and podcast legend Ri...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1879: Me and Julio Down By the Ballyard from 2022-07-21T08:04:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen to banter about what accounts for the variability in how quickly prospects acclimate to the majors and de...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1878: The 10th Anniversary Draft from 2022-07-20T05:47:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley continue their celebration of the 10th anniversary of Effectively Wild by bringing on former cohost Jeff Sullivan and Most Frequent Guest (for now) Grant Brisbee to ban...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1877: The 10th Anniversary Retrospective from 2022-07-18T10:50:33
On the 10th anniversary of Effectively Wild’s first episode, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley kick off a week-long celebration by reflecting on the milestone, then (6:40) bring on producer Dylan Higgin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1876: Overbooked from 2022-07-16T00:53:14
With Meg Rowley on the road, Ben Lindbergh does an almost-all-interview episode featuring the authors of four new baseball books: First (3:22), Howard Bryant on Rickey: The Life and Legend of an Am...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1875: Ten Men Out from 2022-07-15T06:22:39
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani taking over the MLB WAR lead, a Taylor Ward/Jared Walsh mixup, an on-air “zombie runner” endorsement, another fruitless hidden ball trick att...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1874: We Are Made of All-Star Stuff from 2022-07-13T03:31:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s hazardous last week, then discuss the ongoing mellowing of attitudes and discussions surrounding the All-Star game, embracing the game’s potential fo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1873: Puke and Rally Cap from 2022-07-09T04:54:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s unfortunate Brussels sprouts incident, then answer listener emails about the ballparks with the most and least locations where a ball would be a home...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1872: A Moderate Amount of Hijinks from 2022-07-08T02:43:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley rant and banter (ranter?) about MLB’s approach to promoting the Futures Game, then (17:33) discuss superheroes throwing baseballs, the latest exploits of the semi-super...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1871: Empire State of Grind from 2022-07-05T23:45:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the possible end of the Taylor Ward/Tyler Wade broadcaster confusion, Ward getting caught unawares at first base, and the Twins turning the first-ever 8-5 ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1870: Please Don’t Put in the Newspaper That Manfred Got Mad from 2022-07-02T04:59:05
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the varying interpretations of Bobby Bonilla Day and what may be the last-ever Bruce Sutter Day, then (17:20) discuss what an expansive ESPN profile of Rob...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1869: Big Coach on Campus from 2022-06-30T06:15:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by Jake Mintz of Céspedes Family BBQ to talk about Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson leaving the team midseason to join LSU, why MLB teams are hiring coaches ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1868: And Here Come the Sunflower Seeds from 2022-06-29T06:33:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a surprising ESPY nomination for Jorge Soler, another Tyler Wade/Taylor Ward broadcaster mixup, the massive Mariners-Angels brawl and ensuing suspensions a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1867: Defining Fun from 2022-06-25T04:23:31
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about why players in the dugout seem so confident in pitch locations, whether it would ever help to wear two gloves, MLB Big Inning and other bas...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1866: That Sinking Feeling from 2022-06-24T06:10:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about two spectacular games by Shohei Ohtani and Ohtani’s extraordinary playing-time pace and relay a sinker-iffic response from Michael Lorenzen to a previous d...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1865: Slide Rule from 2022-06-22T05:10:21
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether changing managers is at all responsible for the Phillies’ recent success, the Yankees’ almost unparalleled winning-percentage pace, the Royals’ his...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1864: One Giant Leap from 2022-06-17T03:39:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a broadcaster relatably mixing up Taylor Ward and Tyler Wade, the Dodgers “fixing” former Rockies pitcher Yency Almonte, a deep, perplexing rabbit hole (7:...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1863: Belly to Bellyache from 2022-06-15T03:41:48
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what it means to be humbled, whether Joe Maddon’s mohawk could have caught on and caused a Shohawk had he not been fired, another point about Aaron Judge’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1862: Forbidden Ball Trick from 2022-06-14T02:33:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joe Maddon’s mohawk, the latest details about Mike Trout’s (and Tommy Pham’s and Joc Pederson’s) legendary fantasy football league, a rash of hidden-ball-t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1861: I’m Not Maddon, I’m Just Disappointed from 2022-06-11T00:29:26
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joe Maddon’s firing, the impact and end of the Angels’ 14-game losing streak, and whether the Angels or Phillies are in a worse position for the future, To...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1860: Start Them Young from 2022-06-10T03:44:44
With Meg Rowley on the road, Ben Lindbergh talks to a trio of guests. First (4:10), he’s joined by Mr. King, the creator of Northwoods Baseball Sleep Radio, to talk about baseball as ASMR, crafting...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1859: Three Strikes and Burnout from 2022-06-06T08:25:51
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mike Yastrzemski trying the “KK play,” the distinctive smell of rat urine, Buck Showalter making a mid-PA pitching change, Dave Roberts running afoul of a ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1858: The Fan Who Knew Too Much from 2022-06-04T03:18:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joe Girardi’s firing and where the Phillies go from here, the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez extension, the dip in DH offense, and the trade deadline, then answer ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1857: Hit Me Right in the Phils from 2022-06-03T03:56:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley announce the availability of new Effectively Wild T-shirts, then follow up on the latest, Mike Trout-related developments in the Tommy Pham–Joc Pederson fantasy-footbal...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1856: Slapped Silly from 2022-06-01T03:57:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Nick Castellanos’s uncanny tater timing, and then (4:43) Ben attempts to explain the Joc Pederson–Tommy Pham fantasy-football dispute (and resulting slap) ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1855: Glass Ass of Emotion from 2022-05-28T06:27:24
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about why we don’t see more hidden-ball tricks in MLB, why big leaguers practice fielding grounders between innings, comparing the careers of Pau...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1854: Comedy of Errors from 2022-05-27T03:46:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the apparent end of Mike Trout’s long-lasting SuperPretzel sponsorship, Willians Astudillo’s return to the majors, the Phillies’ fielding and a seeming sur...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1853: What Are the Odds? from 2022-05-26T12:55:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to Kelly Pracht, the CEO and co-founder of predictive analytics startup nVenue, which has provided the real-time probabilities displayed on this season’s MLB Netwo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1852: Roger, Over and Out from 2022-05-21T02:49:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley pay tribute (for the umpteenth time) to the great Roger Angell, who died at 101 on Friday, then banter about which underperforming hitters are most in need of the kind ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1851: You Say Tyler, I Say Taylor from 2022-05-20T01:40:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the rabidity of opossums and Eugenio Suárez‘s keepie-uppie skills, then discuss the White Sox offense and Tony La Russa’s rationale for batting Andrew Vaug...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1850: Don’t Squat So Close to Me from 2022-05-18T04:41:58
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about two of the worst defensive plays of the season, which came courtesy of the Tigers and Nationals, Albert Pujols pitching and walking, the Pirates winning wi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1849: When the Whiff Hits the Fan from 2022-05-14T02:48:26
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a wave of baseball ads for cryptocurrencies and NFTs coinciding with crashes in the crypto and NFT markets, injuries to Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw, t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1848: Shantz Encounter from 2022-05-13T07:46:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which is more impressive, Reid Detmers throwing a two-strikeout no-hitter or right-handed hitter Anthony Rendon homering from the left side against a posit...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1847: We Want a Catcher, Not a Belly-Scratcher from 2022-05-11T03:59:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Josh Naylor’s record eight RBI after the eighth inning and the hot-hitting Guardians, José Ramírez taking a hometown discount to stay in Cleveland, Rangers...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1846: One-Night Standings from 2022-05-07T02:08:11
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the joys of a pitcher’s duel between Shohei Ohtani and Rich Hill, have a spoiler-free discussion about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness being a ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1845: Bang Bang, Maxwell’s Sunday Homers from 2022-05-05T04:37:20
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Madison Bumgarner ejection, players having to be held back, and sensual sticky-stuff inspections, the historically slow start of the Reds and Joey Votto’...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1844: Grill the Umpire from 2022-05-03T05:10:49
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about April’s low offensive numbers and Zack Greinke’s deadball-style success, then (7:11) talk to 32-year MLB umpire Dale Scott and SABRcast host Rob Neyer, co-...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1843: I Think You Should Leave from 2022-04-30T03:15:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to MLB’s decision to suspend Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer for an unprecedented 324 games, then (22:25) discuss Justin Verlander and Ronald Acuña Jr. looking like ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1842: Do Not Pass First, Do Not Collect a Run from 2022-04-29T01:30:07
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MacKenzie Gore and how long a player’s career has to be for something he does to be described as a “career high,” Nick Senzel’s proclivity toward catcher’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1841: The Buxton Bops Here from 2022-04-27T05:08:19
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the unsealing of the so-called “Yankees Letter” and what, if anything, it revealed about the past prevalence of sign stealing, the end of NPB pitcher Roki ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1840: How Can You Not Be Pedantic About Baseball? from 2022-04-23T02:08:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the reaction to and tactical underpinnings of the Yankees’ controversial decision to walk Miguel Cabrera, the balance between win expectancy and entertainm...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1839: Gas Rationing from 2022-04-22T02:54:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about exactly how many feral cats have infested the Oakland Coliseum and exactly how few fans have attended A’s games this season, Miguel Cabrera’s impending 3,0...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1838: Walk and Balk from 2022-04-20T00:44:04
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Angels manager Joe Maddon’s befuddling bases-loaded intentional walk to Corey Seager, NPB phenom Roki Sasaki’s perfect followup to his perfect game, Hunter...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1837: The Meatiest Meatball from 2022-04-15T22:29:56
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about an unlikely grand slam on a major meatball pitch and the hot start of Seiya Suzuki, then answer listener emails about how to make baseball sound most appea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1836: To Me, You Are Perfect from 2022-04-15T03:34:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down a watershed week in overturning traditions, discussing the Dodgers pulling Clayton Kershaw after seven perfect innings and provoking a “baseball is dying” de...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1835: Junk in the Plunk from 2022-04-13T03:44:16
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about NPB phenom Roki Sasaki’s 19-strikeout perfect game for the Chiba Lotte Marines, the historic crop of prospect debuts in the first week of this MLB season, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1834: Your Moment of Zen from 2022-04-09T02:07:56
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their impressions of Opening Day, the “baseball zen” interludes on MLB.TV and Apple’s proposed broadcast innovations, Joey Votto’s in-game interview (and i...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1833: 2022 Division Preview Series: NL East from 2022-04-06T04:32:24
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Sports Illustrated writer Emma Baccellieri banter about the contrast between March Madness and early-season baseball, the Rays-Tigers trade involving Austin Meadows a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1832: 2022 Division Preview Series: AL East from 2022-04-05T05:48:55
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about top prospects making Opening Day rosters, the Padres’ Sean Manaea trade and Eric Hosmer almost-trade, the A’s firesale and accurate and inaccurate payroll ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1831: Where the Rubber Meets the Mound from 2022-04-02T03:05:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jacob deGrom’s latest injury, the White Sox-Dodgers trade involving Craig Kimbrel and AJ Pollock, umpires explaining replay reviews, “Home Run Derby X,” a ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1830: 2022 Division Preview Series: AL West from 2022-04-01T03:59:15
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Fox Sports national writer Pedro Moura discuss Pedro’s new book How to Beat a Broken Game: The Rise of the Dodgers in a League on the Brink, then (18:54) preview the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1829: 2022 Division Preview Series: NL Central from 2022-03-30T06:40:36
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about an MLB beer/cerveza sponsorship, upcoming updates to sticky stuff inspections, the position of second base, and humidor use,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1828: 2022 Division Preview Series: NL West from 2022-03-25T03:24
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein banter about a contentious Baseball Prospectus headline and an overlooked Scott Boras quote, then preview the 2022...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1827: 2022 Division Preview Series: AL Central from 2022-03-24T02:40:55
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the beginning of the 2022 division series preview series, rant about the reinstitution of the zombie runner, applaud the advent of the Ohtani Rule, follow ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1826: Last Call for Free Agency from 2022-03-22T01:39:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Reddit description of the podcast, the pleasures of watching spring training games, and the possibly excessive coffee consumption of White Sox DH Gavin S...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1825: Boom, Ghosted from 2022-03-19T00:32:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about new details about Freddie Freeman and Kris Bryant’s contracts, Stat Blast about players not touching the ball, and then (18:59) bring on Effectively Wild l...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1824: Who, What, When, Where, Why from 2022-03-18T02:08:57
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley continue to break down a busy, chaotic week in MLB by bantering about which was wilder, this week or the week leading up to the lockout, then breaking down the Rockies ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1823: Building Up, Tearing Down from 2022-03-16T02:15:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a packed few days of post-lockout action, including news about the zombie runner and a ball-strike challenge system, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s fractured wrist a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1822: Nutting Doing from 2022-03-11T21:36:04
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cardinals breaking the post-lockout free-agent signing seal, what the pre-Opening Day market will look like, day-after reflections on the new CBA (incl...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1821: Lockout Lifted, Spirits Lifted from 2022-03-11T05:09:23
After 99 days of lockout, the voice of the turtle speaks up, and the season is saved. Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley exuberantly respond to the news of a new CBA, breaking down the major on-field and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1820: Ban the Grift from 2022-03-09T05:31:49
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs author Dan Szymborski discuss the drawbacks and virtues of expanded playoffs, the ideal expanded-playoff format, and the biggest beneficiaries of playoff ex...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1819: The Underground Baserunner from 2022-03-05T02:05:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about shortening the regular season, whether baserunners could tunnel under the basepaths, creating a fictional top prospect, whether umpires exp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1818: Smile, You’re on Manfred Camera from 2022-03-04T06:41:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by Evan Drellich, senior writer for The Athletic, to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of reporting from the scene of the CBA negotiations, the proper co...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1817: Opening Delay from 2022-03-02T06:34:23
In the hours immediately following MLB’s decision to cancel the first two series of the regular season, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by Ben’s colleagues from The Ringer and The Ringer ML...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1816: Another Date That Lives in Infamy from 2022-02-26T03:11:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a week of many meetings but no breakthroughs between MLB and the MLBPA, Liberty Media’s financial disclosures about the Braves’ profitability, the prospect...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1815: Better Prospects from 2022-02-25T02:23:48
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen and national writer Kevin Goldstein for a FanGraphs Prospects Week discussion centered on the site’s Top ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1814: The Angel in the Outfield from 2022-02-22T01:20:10
In an all-mailbag episode, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about baseball with nine DH spots (and separate offensive and defensive units), baseball with eight lineup spots inste...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1813: The Stanky Draft from 2022-02-19T02:32:58
Inspired by the loophole-exposing chicanery of former player and manager Eddie “The Brat” Stanky, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley draft 19 MLB rule changes that were solely or largely precipitated by ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1812: The Metaverse of Madness from 2022-02-18T05:15:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s embarrassing use of a definite article, the latest non-developments in the MLB-MLBPA CBA discussions, the career and retirement of Ryan Zimmerman, a ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1811: How Will the Lockout End? from 2022-02-15T02:56:16
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein discuss the owners’ latest CBA counterproposal, why analyzing Competitive Balance Tax surcharges isn’t exactly riv...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1810: The Biggest Bargaining Misconceptions from 2022-02-11T23:31:27
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Joe Sheehan of the Joe Sheehan Baseball Newsletter discuss MLB’s approach to promoting sports betting and concerns about the integrity of games, then go over some of ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1809: How Harmful Would a Longer Lockout Be? from 2022-02-11T06:21:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball equivalents of a stat about the New York Nets’ former big three, review Rob Manfred’s comments to the press about the labor situation (with an emp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1808: The Multisport Player Draft from 2022-02-09T04:26:09
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on or banter about minor league free agent draftee reportedly Matt Shoemaker departing for the NPB, raising kids to root for one franchise, precedents for out...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1807: The Principle of the Thing from 2022-02-05T02:36:26
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest lockout stalemate and how to decide where to lay blame, a changing of the umpirial guard in which Joe West (finally) leaves and John Libka enter...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1806: If the Season Started Today from 2022-02-04T02:32:49
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Dan Szymborski briefly set aside the lockout blues to discuss the current state of rosters and projected standings, touching on how the talent still ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1805: Up to Eleven from 2022-02-02T01:48:59
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley ask their audience how to handle their team preview podcast series with the resolution of the lockout still in doubt, then banter about Shohei Ohtani becoming the cover...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1804: Trees of the Trade from 2022-01-28T22:50:39
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about one of Ben’s most laborious baseball-writing experiences, answer listener emails about playing MLB games at minor league affiliates’ parks, how scouting re...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1803: Think of the Bat Children from 2022-01-28T06:45:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about FanGraphs adding fancy “photograph” technology and whether Dick Monfort is any better at collective bargaining than he is at running the Rockies, then disc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1802: EW, David from 2022-01-26T05:32:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the election of David Ortiz, the ballot banishments of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling, and the rest of the Hall of Fame voting results (inc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1801: Split End from 2022-01-21T06:09:56
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the demise of the Rays’ two-city, split-season scheme, Carlos Correa hiring Scott Boras as his agent, and Brandon Gomes of the Dodgers becoming the latest ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1800: All of This Has Happened Before from 2022-01-21T01:52:05
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley lean into the lockout by exploring two antecedents to today’s MLB labor stalemate. First, they banter with Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated about whether the Hall...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1799: Miller’s Crossing from 2022-01-19T01:30:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reconnect with former cohost Sam Miller to discuss what he’s been up to since he stopped working for ESPN in December 2020, how the 2021 Giants rekindled his fandom, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1798: The 2022 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2022-01-15T04:12:20
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about a few details of MLB’s latest labor proposal to the players, the conclusion of and possible confounding factors behind a Bil...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1797: Familiarity Breeds Contempt from 2022-01-14T02:42:16
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a bargaining meeting between MLB and the MLBPA that reportedly produced little progress toward a deal, the odds of a punctual start to the season, the reti...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1796: Major League Biasball from 2022-01-11T23:32:47
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rachel Balkovec becoming the first female manager in affiliated ball, Genevieve Beacom making her pro debut in Australia, and other women breaking baseball...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1795: Measured Tones from 2022-01-08T01:47:47
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley continue their “Measuring the Unmeasurable” series about studying difficult-to-quantify aspects of the sport by bringing on Rob Mains of Baseball Prospectus to banter a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1794: Play Up and Pay Up from 2022-01-07T02:49:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley continue their “Measuring the Unmeasurable” series about studying difficult-to-quantify aspects of the sport by talking to Patrick Brennan about his studies on assessin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1793: Measuring the Unmeasurable from 2022-01-05T02:54:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Fanatics purchasing Topps and MLB Network reportedly parting ways with Ken Rosenthal because of his criticism of Rob Manfred. Then (27:36) they kick off a ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1792: Should Old Infractions Be Forgot from 2022-01-01T00:45:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss Ben’s decision regarding his Hall of Fame ballot, and how to handle Hall of Fame voting in the future. Then (38:05) they complete their series of discussions of...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1791: The Stories We Missed in 2021 from 2021-12-31T02:29:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the retirement of Kyle Seager and the lockout implications of a recent report about player payrolls, then discuss an assortment of listener-nominated, team...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1790: The Fandom Menace from 2021-12-29T02:24:09
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their holidays, how the omicron variant is affecting sports and personal decisions, and how analyzing COVID case counts is (kind of) akin to analyzing base...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1789: One-Dan Band from 2021-12-21T09:31:20
Ben Lindbergh concludes a short series of conversations with baseball content creators who work mainly in a medium other than writing or podcasting by talking to singer-songwriter Dan Bern about hi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1788: Toil on Canvas from 2021-12-21T03:58:51
Ben Lindbergh continues a short series of conversations with baseball content creators who work mainly in a medium other than writing or podcasting by talking to painter Graig Kreindler about Noah ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1787: Effectively Foolish from 2021-12-20T07:02:52
Ben Lindbergh kicks off a short series of conversations with baseball content creators who work mainly in mediums other than writing or podcasting by talking to YouTuber Bailey Freeman of Foolish B...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1786: The Rosin for the Season from 2021-12-17T02:59:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the United States of Shohei Ohtani and Baseball-Reference player page popularity, a perplexing fact about fielding percentage, time-shifted baseball (and w...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1785: What is This, a Cooperstown Episode? from 2021-12-16T06:35:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how baseball writers are coping with the lockout, revisit the burst of spending that preceded its start, and marvel at the wide variety of Hall of Fame bal...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1784: Have You Heard The Rumor? from 2021-12-16T02:46:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the reasons for and consequences of MLB’s lack of compelling record chases (à la Alex Ovechkin’s in the NHL, Stephen Curry’s in the NBA, and Tom Brady’s in...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1783: The Rumor Chill from 2021-12-11T02:48:29
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the slow drip of baseball news during the lockout, why MLB’s competitive balance gets a bad rap, the Rays’ historic collective minor league winning percent...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1782: Six Plaque Confabs from 2021-12-08T02:33:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to Adam Darowski, the baseball historian, Hall of Fame scholar, and Head of User Experience at Sports Reference, about working on the Baseball-Reference website, c...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1781: Hidden Balls Trick from 2021-12-07T03:12:06
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. Mer...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1780: Thank You for Your Service from 2021-12-04T02:39:10
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 answe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1779: The Show Must Go On from 2021-12-03T00:56:22
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, i...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1778: The Storm Before the Calm from 2021-12-01T02:33:14
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 playe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1777: Happy Francsgiving from 2021-11-25T01:36:22
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 Ste...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1776: How Can You Not Be Romantic About Baseball? from 2021-11-24T01:45:35
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, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1775: Ask the Audience from 2021-11-23T02:33:08
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 S...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1774: In Defense of FIP from 2021-11-20T01:51:13
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1773: Hats Off from 2021-11-19T07:19:57
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 d...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1772: Bananas in Pajamas from 2021-11-17T01:20:23
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 J...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1771: Take the Money and Pun from 2021-11-12T09:43:53
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, a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1770: Only the Finest Free Agents from 2021-11-10T06:17:53
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 qualif...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1769: The Lockout Lookout from 2021-11-09T01:40:57
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 o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1768: The Braves Blueprint from 2021-11-05T04:52:19
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1767: Goodbye World Series, Hello Winter Ball from 2021-11-04T02:32:46
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 postseaso...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1766: Fingers in Several Rays Pies from 2021-11-03T00:37:23
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, Wa...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1765: Of Cinnabon and Shifts from 2021-10-29T22:25:52
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 p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1764: Decrying the Sliderization of Baseball from 2021-10-29T02:53:44
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 ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1763: World Series Preview, Fun Fact Edition from 2021-10-26T02:15:53
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 fu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1762: They Write Mike Trout Hypotheticals in Outer Space, Too from 2021-10-23T00:27:09
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1761: Those Wacky, Tacky Balls from 2021-10-21T00:45:29
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 sugg...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1760: Choose Your Own NLCS Adventure from 2021-10-15T00:22:56
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 Nerdcas...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1759: In Hindsight, This Was Inevitable from 2021-10-14T01:28:57
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 w...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1758: Desperately Sweaty Energy from 2021-10-13T01:30:13
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 experie...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1757: Farewell to Rhubarb from 2021-10-10T23:45:09
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 nex...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1756: Ichabod Crane Comes to Bat from 2021-10-08T03:00:33
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 cons...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1755: Chaos Letdown from 2021-10-05T03:55:22
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’ deci...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1754: Never Tell Me the Odds from 2021-10-01T23:53:41
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 Card...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1753: Bringing Up Baby from 2021-09-30T01:30:34
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 ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1752: Photo Finish from 2021-09-28T07:34:57
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 ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1751: The Playoff Matchups Draft from 2021-09-25T22:40:35
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 draf...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1750: The Gift of the Maggi from 2021-09-25T05:36:35
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 ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1749: Cheat Sheet from 2021-09-22T11:47:46
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1748: On the Clock from 2021-09-18T13:16:19
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 lis...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1747: Embrace the Race from 2021-09-16T07:25:06
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, Vla...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1746: They’re Saying Boo-urns from 2021-09-15T06:49:52
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’...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1745: The State of the Starting Pitcher from 2021-09-11T02:52
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 Ang...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1744: The Pretty Good Players Draft from 2021-09-10T10:20:52
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1743: On the Bubble from 2021-09-08T10:24:37
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 fact...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1742: The Race (and Series) of the Season from 2021-09-03T22:37:43
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 h...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1741: Call Up the Cavalry from 2021-09-02T07:22:20
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–...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1740: Thumb WAR from 2021-09-01T00:07:31
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 fran...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1739: Poff Piece from 2021-08-28T03:57:34
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. The...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1738: Molina and the Mound from 2021-08-26T16:43:24
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 rec...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1737: Walk on, Walk Off from 2021-08-23T08:09:40
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 en...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1736: The Wildest Week in Sports Card History from 2021-08-21T04:22:44
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1735: In Play, Run(s) from 2021-08-20T08:33:59
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Germán Márquez and the ethics of diarrhea disclosure, stretched pitching staffs that were supposedto be deep, the Orioles and Diamondbacks competing for ML...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1734: Win Some, Lose Some from 2021-08-18T10:23:58
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 ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1733: Corn-Fed Beef Boys from 2021-08-14T04:54:36
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 a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1732: Wanna Bet? from 2021-08-13T05:59:03
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 b...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1731: In Good Standings from 2021-08-11T05:45:31
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their imperfections, follow up on flying horses, Justice Blackmun omitting Mel Ott from Flood vs. Kuhn, and a possible defense of pitcher hitters, then ass...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1730: The Mike Trout 30th Birthday Draft from 2021-08-06T15:38:39
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman of Céspedes Family BBQ banter about Jake’s baseball bike trip (and Jordan’s accompanying car ride) from New York to Chicago. Then, in...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1729: That’s Just Like, Your Opinion, Man from 2021-08-06T12:46:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball (and steeplechase?) at the Olympics, then answer listener emails about teams intentionally drafting players they don’t intend to sign, Willy Adame...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1728: On Guardians from 2021-08-04T08:33:06
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mets not signing first-round pick Kumar Rocker, owner Steve Cohen’s comment about the decision, and the amateur draft as a salary-suppressing instituti...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1727: One Trade Deadline to Rule Them All from 2021-08-01T00:22:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap the busiest trade deadline ever, first examining why it was so frantic and then going division by division to analyze the actions or inaction of every team that m...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1726: Hit, Stand, or Surrender from 2021-07-28T23:25:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the one-for-one A’s-Marlins swap involving Starling Marte and Jesús Luzardo, Marte’s underrated career, and Miami’s enviable pitching stockpile, then discu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1725: Jerry Built from 2021-07-28T09:19:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Padres trading for Adam Frazier and other pre-deadline activity, Joey Votto’s offensive resurgence, Shohei Ohtani’s dirty uniform, and more, then react...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1724: Changing of the Guardians from 2021-07-24T00:07:08
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the new name and look of Cleveland’s MLB team, the Guardians, then react to the Rays trading for Nelson Cruz and dealing away Rich Hill, analyze a new elec...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1723: Absolute Zero from 2021-07-23T10:10:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the return of the debate about batting around and other unending debates they do or don’t care about, whether MLB should borrow the NFL’s plan to make club...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1722: One Month Without Sticky Stuff from 2021-07-21T07:11:46
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the length of the baseball season (and postseason) compared to other sports’, whether Shohei Ohtani ever grows frustrated with his mere-mortal teammates, t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1721: Forget it, Jake. It’s Chi-Town. from 2021-07-17T01:37:55
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the conditions David Fletcher has faced during his hitting streak compared to those Joe DiMaggio faced, follow up on a discussion of baseball in a multiver...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1720: Fun Differential from 2021-07-16T08:00:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s airport problems, discuss the All-Star Game (touching on mic’d up and profane players, unsightly uniforms, All-Stars being friendly on the field, and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1719: The Derby and the Draft from 2021-07-14T07:53:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rob Manfred teasing a possible permanent reprieve from zombie runners and seven-inning doubleheaders, react to Monday’s Home Run Derby and outpouring of ap...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1718: MLB in the Multiverse of Madness from 2021-07-09T09:21:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the 10th anniversary of Mike Trout’s promotion to the majors, Rey Ordóñez and other players with high highlights-to-value ratios, opting against an Albert ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1717: The Bad Hatters from 2021-07-08T10:56:51
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rays’ combined seven-inning hitless game, knuckleballer Mickey Jannis as a secret weapon in MLB The Show, Jacob deGrom and the near-impossibility of br...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1716: Hey Mickey from 2021-07-06T09:37:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their long weekends, birthday boy (and two-way All-Star) Shohei Ohtani, MLB’s perplexing timing when it comes to announcing awards and All-Star honors and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1715: It’s Academic from 2021-07-02T08:12:33
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about passing the halfway point of the regular season, the early effects of the sticky-stuff crackdown, a historically high-scoring day, the white-hot Brewers (a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1714: A Bad Day in Baseball from 2021-07-02T03:28:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s experience attending the worst start of Shohei Ohtani’s MLB career, then (15:04) discuss the Dodgers’ and MLB’s response (and their own reactions to)...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1713: The Straw That Broke the Umpire’s Belt from 2021-06-29T07:35:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s borderline excessive consumption of Angels games and the latest, greatest exploits of Shohei Ohtani, who and what is to blame for the Yankees’ ongoin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1712: The 21-Strikeout Salute from 2021-06-26T05:47:33
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the brief big league stay of knuckleballer Mickey Jannis, Joey Votto’s predictions, decline, and reminders of mortality, Greg Maddux forecasting foul balls...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1711: Strip Search from 2021-06-25T09:56:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s much-maligned All-Star Game uniforms and a pair of odd games, discuss the highs and lows of the first few days of MLB’s enforced foreign-substance ba...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1710: Sticking Time Bomb from 2021-06-22T10:06:45
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio and the Diamondbacks’ broadcast crew discuss the D-Backs’ 17-game losing streak and more extended stretch of futility before banteri...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1709: Number One With a Bullet from 2021-06-18T08:05:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on previous discussions about player predictions and game postponements, answer listener emails about a sticky-stuff pitcher protest, the talent level in the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1708: Spinning Out from 2021-06-17T08:59:32
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jose Altuve forgoing a home run trot, then break down the details of MLB’s plan to enforce the rules against foreign-substance use starting on June 21, cov...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1707: Baseball-Reference Rewrites its Record Books from 2021-06-15T11:08:53
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s experience seeing Shohei Ohtani pitch, hit, and play right field in person, why balks can be so incomprehensible, the differing recent fortunes of th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1706: The Giants, (Sort of) Explained from 2021-06-11T23:32:33
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee discuss Grant’s experience co-hosting a podcast with Hunter Pence and Grant’s hatred of the zombie-runner rule, before attempting to expl...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1705: Spit Takes from 2021-06-11T06:14:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about another prescient player prediction (this time involving the Phillies’ Luke Williams), Nick Madrigal’s hamstring injury, another aspect of the baseball sce...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1704: How the Foreign-Substance Crackdown Could Go from 2021-06-09T08:10:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter (sans spoilers) about baseball movie A Quiet Place Part II, Eric Sogard sliding over first base, a Travis Jankowski TOOTBLAN, Miguel Sanó repeatedly predicting s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1703: Yesterday’s Papers from 2021-06-05T00:13:24
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri banter about Ryan Yarbrough throwing a rare Rays complete game, then share their thoughts on the recent debate about media acces...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1702: Just a Bit Outside from 2021-06-04T09:24:53
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about why “Zombie Runner,” not “Manfred Man,” remains their preferred term for the automatic runner, zombies in general, position player pitchers vs. pitcher hit...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1701: Just Spitballing from 2021-06-02T08:36:19
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Luis Urías, the zombie runner, and walk-off wins, a few other aspects of the Will Craig/Javier Báez play, a new stat called the “Boner,” MLB and NFTs, Theo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1700: Dirty Secrets and Naked Truths from 2021-05-28T05:24:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Javier Báez and Will Craig combining on a baffling blooper, a naked streaker seizing the moment during a rain delay at Nationals Park, Cardinals manager Mi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1699: Fixed That for You from 2021-05-27T08:49:15
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein banter about cicadas, New Era’s short-lived “MLB Local Market” caps, the exploits of Adolis García, and Byron Buxt...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1698: The Smoking Theragun from 2021-05-26T05:35:26
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the scant separation between the top teams in each division and the division races they find the most intriguing, Buster Posey, Scott Kazmir, and other old...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1697: Don’t Blame the Batters from 2021-05-21T22:38:07
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Shohei Ohtani stalker cam on Japanese telecasts of Angels games, the Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals facing Jacob deGrom, why this season’s no-hitters have ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1696: A No-Hitter a Day Keeps the Offense Away from 2021-05-20T06:12:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about scheduling their days around Shohei Ohtani and the latest examples of Ohtani excitement, Tony La Russa and unwritten rules vs. fun and the White Sox clubho...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1695: The Better Angels of Our Nature from 2021-05-19T07:45:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Dodgers signing Albert Pujols and what the rest of his season could look like, Kevin Pillar’s broken nose and the ongoing HBP epidemic, Shohei Ohtani’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1694: Twin Killing from 2021-05-15T08:41:06
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the same-day debuts of Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert, the future of the Mariners, and whether Mariners fans have actually had it so bad, another distinc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1693: Dodger Dog Delivery from 2021-05-13T09:33:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners calling up pitching prospect Logan Gilbert, the late-inning dominance of Aroldis Chapman and (more unexpectedly) Kendall Graveman, Shohei Ohta...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1692: No Mo’No-Nos from 2021-05-12T05:59:29
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ impending call-up of top prospect Jarred Kelenic, the Dodgers’ recent slump, the Oakland A’s threatening to relocate, Wade Miley’s no-hitter ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1691: Adios, Albert from 2021-05-07T09:44:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Byron Buxton and the Twins, discuss the Angels designating Albert Pujols for assignment, and answer listener emails about whether to accept a scenario wher...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1690: No Regression to the Means from 2021-05-06T07:35:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Orioles ace John Means pitching a no-hitter and the dropped-third-strike rule that prevented him from having a perfect game, Tony La Russa’s latest manager...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1689: Take Artists from 2021-05-05T06:31:08
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about being fully vaccinated, injuries to Dustin May, Luis Robert, Jesús Luzardo, Jacob deGrom, Shohei Ohtani, and others around the league, grumbles about Tony ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1688: Beware of Flying Objects from 2021-05-01T12:22:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rays flamethrower Shane McClanahan’s regular-season MLB debut, a Bryce Harper hit by pitch and the causes of the current HBP epidemic, and the biggest surp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1687: Not Bad, Vlad from 2021-04-29T11:10:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s morbid press conference comment, the continued excellence of Byron Buxton, Mike Trout, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., an early-seas...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1686: The Best and the Rest of the West from 2021-04-27T11:11
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest riveting Padres-Dodgers series, the beef between Trevor Bauer and Fernando Tatis Jr., Tatis’s fielding, the end of GM Jeff Bridich’s reign with ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1685: Too Close to Call from 2021-04-24T06:33:48
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley offer a few updates on the first subject of their “Meet a Major Leaguer” segment, Zach Pop, banter about Corey Dickerson’s impending 200th career double, and answer lis...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1684: Let’s Premember Some Guys from 2021-04-23T09:24:11
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Bryce Harper’s hot streak, the players at the top of the WAR leaderboard, the exploits of Byron Buxton and Nelson Cruz, the suddenly unbeatable Oakland A’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1683: The Unlikely Leadoff Man from 2021-04-21T09:36:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the brief lifespan of the soccer Super League, the gift of the Padres-Dodgers rivalry and Blake Snell vs. Joe Musgrove, position-player-pitching overload a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1682: You Make the Call from 2021-04-16T23:23:04
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about why they haven’t been talking about Bryce Harper, follow up on previous points about the automatic-runner rule, optional home run trots, and player switche...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1681: Ghost Runners in the Sky from 2021-04-15T12:09:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about theunanticipated charms of podcast faves Willians Astudillo and Shohei Ohtani, Trevor Bauer’s (and the league’s) spin rates increasing despite MLB’s threat...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1680: Díganos de Dihigo from 2021-04-13T07:26:59
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joe Musgrove‘s no-hitter and the significance of Musgrove snapping the Padres’ no-no-no streak, Tim Locastro breaking Tim Raines’s record for the most cons...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1679: How to Keep Players Healthy in 2021 from 2021-04-09T12:47:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the seemingly building backlash to the extra-innings automatic-runner rule and Dusty Baker’s comments about anti-Astros heckling, then (19:51) bring on hig...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1678: The 2021 Team Fun Draft from 2021-04-09T10:08:59
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer RJ McDaniel banter about a controversial walk-off hit by pitch call involving the Mets’ Michael Conforto, the early success of exciting Tigers Rule 5...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1677: Fully Armed and Operational from 2021-04-05T11:25:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley convene an emergency podcast to discuss Shohei Ohtani’s exhilarating, terrifying, and historic Sunday Night Baseball performance against the White Sox (which veered fro...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1676: New Season, Who Dis? from 2021-04-02T23:38:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about immersing themselves in Opening Day action, Opening Day highlights and oddities, early-season optimism, the divisive automatic-runner rule, the Francisco L...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1675: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Orioles from 2021-03-31T14:09:18
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the completion of the season preview series and the Marlins renaming Marlins Park “loanDepot park,” do a draft of current corporate-sponsored MLB ballpark ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1674: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Pirates from 2021-03-30T10:14:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg getting vaccinated, the social dynamics of looser restrictions for vaccinated MLB players, an update on the infamous Tom&Jerry baseball scene, another ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1673: Season Preview Series: Padres and Rockies from 2021-03-27T14:00:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how the absence of the injured Eloy Jiménez will affect the White Sox, follow up on their discussions from the preceding episode about distracting on-field...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1672: Untitled Goose Gamesmanship from 2021-03-25T09:19:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Isiah Kiner-Falefa being mad at Meg (sort of), a billboard in Boston about Mookie Betts, MLB’s renewed attempts to crack down on foreign-substance use, and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1671: Season Preview Series: Mets and Marlins from 2021-03-24T09:34:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest spring exploits of Shohei Ohtani, the Royals extending Salvador Perez, rooting against injuries in spring training, and a mysterious former majo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1670: Season Preview Series: Astros and Rangers from 2021-03-19T23:07:25
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley preview the 2021 Astros with Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and the 2021 Rangers (54:07) with Levi Weaver of The Athletic. Audio intro: The Felice Brothers,"T f...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1669: Season Preview Series: Braves and Mariners from 2021-03-19T07:34:25
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley attempt to make sense of unsightly spring training uniforms, then preview the 2021 Braves (08:42) with Grant McAuley of From The Diamond and the 2021 Mariners (45:27) w...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1668: Season Preview Series: Twins and Tigers from 2021-03-17T02:29:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about weirdness and whimsy in spring training, the Giants and Cleveland playing an unnecessary bottom of the ninth (without umpires), the 22-pitch plate appearan...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1667: Season Preview Series: White Sox and Diamondbacks from 2021-03-13T01:05:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley pass the halfway point of their 30-team season preview series by previewing the 2021 White Sox with James Fegan of The Athletic and the 2021 Diamondbacks (46:45) with N...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1666: The Number of the Banana from 2021-03-12T11:30:59
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the new baseball format embraced by the Savannah Bananas, the experimental rules MLB is imposing at various levels of the minor leagues in 2021, and whethe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1665: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Giants from 2021-03-10T09:39:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB.TV repetition, Yadier Molina throwing out Jose Siri, teams opting to end innings early, the effect of Jarred Kelenic’s injury on the Mariners service-t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1664: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Reds from 2021-03-06T15:19:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s first home run and pitching appearance of spring training, follow up on their previous discussion about the abominable baseball scene in To...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1663: If Baseball Were Different, it Would Be Blaseball from 2021-03-05T10:22:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Justin Dunn’s offseason overhaul and the value of spring training clichés, the Brewers signing Jackie Bradley Jr., why Jake Odorizzi is still a free agent,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1662: Season Preview Series: Angels and Royals from 2021-03-03T10:09:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about spring training games starting, Jeff Mathis batting cleanup in a spring training game (and once improbably batting fifth in a regular-season game), the lat...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1661: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Cubs from 2021-02-27T06:24:20
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jarred Kelenic’s beef with the Mariners about alleged service-time manipulation, then preview the 2021 Nationals (25:37) with Jesse Dougherty of The Washin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1660: Season Preview Series: Athletics and Phillies from 2021-02-24T10:22:31
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley preview the 2021 Athletics with Alex Coffey of The Athletic and the 2021 Phillies (30:13) with Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Audio intro: The Divine Comedy,"Come Home Bill...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1659: Rotten Mather from 2021-02-24T08:27:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Fernando Tatis Jr. coining a term for his contract, a Bill James tweet about analytics, and Shin-Soo Choo leaving MLB to make his belated KBO debut, share ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1658: Season Preview Series: Cardinals and Cleveland from 2021-02-20T10:31:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about discordant college baseball uniform fonts, a piece by Blake Snell in The Players’ Tribune, and whether there’s a competitive advantage in making the bullpe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1657: The Stars Were Bright, Fernando from 2021-02-19T06:30:48
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Baltimore Orioles trending on Twitter because of their 0.0 percent FanGraphs playoff odds, what that figure really signifies, and how teams tend to res...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1656: Season Preview Series: Rays and Brewers from 2021-02-15T09:32:05
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the beginning of the ninth annual Effectively Wild team-by-team season preview series, discuss a trio of players (Justin Turner, James Paxton, and Jake Arr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1655: Seven Minutes in the Heavens from 2021-02-13T08:36:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the de-naming and possible renaming of the minor leagues, the Andrew Benintendi trade and the state of the Royals, and what they would add to SABR’s list o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1654: Home Plate Rump from 2021-02-11T08:10:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about having baseball on the brain and the NL Central’s measly World Series odds, then answer listener emails about umpire underwear and repeated pants-splitting...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1653: If (the) Baseball Were Different from 2021-02-10T07:52:19
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the incredible longevity of Dodgers Spanish-language voice Jaime Jarrín (who’s outlasted his own son in the broadcast booth), break down the new, universal...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1652: The Best of Tweets, the Worst of Tweets from 2021-02-06T07:19:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest developments for their minor league free agent draft teams, then discuss the Dodgers signing reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer to a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1651: Split Decision from 2021-02-04T07:12:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap the Rockies’ press conference about the Nolan Arenado trade and GM Jeff Bridich claiming the belt as the game’s most-maligned GM, then discuss Angels pitching coa...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1650: The Only Nolan from 2021-02-02T08:48:15
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the Nolan Arenado trade from the Rockies’ and Cardinals’ perspectives, reflect on the Rockies’ rudderless state, touch on a few more minor transactions (Alex...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1649: The Energizer Battery from 2021-01-30T08:08:46
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the quirks and cancellation of a long-lost (and recently rediscovered) baseball successor to arcade hit NBA Jam called Power-Up Baseball, then discuss the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1648: Squeeze Play from 2021-01-29T11:48:11
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs author Ben Clemens break down the Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons, and Tommy La Stella signings, the Steven Matz trade, and Masahiro Tanaka’s decision to r...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1647: The Hot Stove, The Hall, and the Hammer from 2021-01-27T11:07:19
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Willians Astudillo’s award-winning heroics in the Venezuelan Winter League, then discuss the Phillies re-signing J.T. Realmuto, the Blue Jays signing Marcu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1646: Farewell to 44 from 2021-01-23T08:33:51
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the on-field feats, statistical records, and larger legacy of baseball icon Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron, who died on Friday at age 86. Then (25:47) they talk to...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1645: Go Canada from 2021-01-21T08:31:08
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Alex Rodriguez’s ubiquity on non-baseball broadcasts and then discuss George Springer signing a franchise-record contract with the Blue Jays, Michael Brant...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1644: Block and Report from 2021-01-20T09:18:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss ESPN’s report about Mets GM Jared Porter’s harassment of a female reporter when Porter worked for the Cubs in 2016, Porter’s subsequent firing by the Mets, Mets...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1643: In Theo We Trust? from 2021-01-16T12:19:14
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Blue Jays missing out on DJ LeMahieu and which remaining free agents might be bound for Toronto, follow up on their previous discussion about bagged mi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1642: Supply and Pent-Up Demand from 2021-01-14T07:15:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Blue Jays missing out on several free-agent or trade targets, then answer listener emails about whether fans feel pride in their division/league, the h...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1641: The Confounding Free-Agent Market from 2021-01-13T09:20:49
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about why the free-agent market has been both slow-moving and fairly lucrative for the players who’ve signed, the White Sox inking closer Liam Hendriks, whether ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1640: Ethically Speaking from 2021-01-09T10:26:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the six-player blockbuster trade headlined by Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco, touching on Cleveland’s decision to cut costs by dealing two fan favorite...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1639: Cobra Sigh from 2021-01-06T13:09:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the re-naming of Miller Park and the good and bad of ballpark naming rights, the improbable beginning of Phil Niekro’s career and what it says about the do...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1638: How Kim Ng Broke into Baseball from 2021-01-04T11:24:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the official retirement of Phil Hughes, the joy of anticipating top prospects and watching them debut, the sobering reality of players their age starting t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1637: The 2021 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2021-01-01T08:39:54
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the experience of podcasting about baseball in 2020, what purpose they think the Hall of Fame serves, and whether they would consider giving up their Hall ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1636: A First-Ballot Hall of Fame Voter from 2020-12-29T14:11:20
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs Hall of Fame expert Jay Jaffe (the author of The Cooperstown Casebook) discuss Jay’s experience as a first-time Hall of Fame voter, the case of Curt Schilli...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1635: The Padres’Wild Day from 2020-12-29T09:30:17
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen convene to discuss the latest epic Padres transaction spree (in which San Diego traded for Blake Snell and Yu Darvish...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1634: Found in Translation from 2020-12-24T10:37:48
Ben Lindbergh talks to Jacky Bing-Sheng Lee, translator of the traditional Chinese edition of Ben’s book The MVP Machine, Hyunsung Kim, translator of the Korean edition of The MVP Machine, and Bren...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1633: What the Insiders Say from 2020-12-24T09:09:05
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about why MLB reportedly isn’t interested in short-term expansion and an observation about Tyler Glasnow, Martin Shkreli, and Cillian Murphy, then review the acc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1632: The New Scouting Scale from 2020-12-23T10:15:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about ballpark renaming, follow up on their discussion about managers getting fired for their actions in a single game, discuss how the history of baseball’s sab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1631: Ducks on the Walden Pond from 2020-12-19T09:45:04
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up briefly on their recent Scott Boras banter, then answer listener emails about what a manager has to do to get fired because of a single game, possible scenari...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1630: What’s Next for the Negro Leagues? from 2020-12-17T09:19:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the news that MLB is belatedly designating the 1920-1948 Negro Leagues as major leagues (with a word from 1948 Negro Leaguer Ron Teasley), touching on the vario...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1629: One Hundred Years of Gratitude from 2020-12-15T11:15:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about secret baseball-playing robots and non-secret baseball-rooting robots, how coverage of NFL scoring changes compares to coverage of MLB scoring changes, and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1628: What MLB’s Remaking of the Minors Means from 2020-12-11T08:24:47
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about and the Phillies’ surprise hiring of Dave Dombrowski as their president of baseball operations, then (15:04) bring on Baseball America executive editor J.J...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1627: For Your Aggressive Listening Pleasure from 2020-12-10T00:50:34
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about “listening aggressively,” “progressing past just talking,” and other winter rumor terminology, contemplate what the “virtual Winter Meetings” look like, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1626: The All-Time-Great-Grandfather from 2020-12-08T07:57:09
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s long-shot attempt to recoup COVID-related losses from its insurance providers, Tomoyuki Sugano getting posted, and why the Phillies’ rebuild has stal...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1625: Baseball After Dark from 2020-12-05T14:09:56
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley offer an update about Sam Miller’s status on the podcast, banter about the Rangers hiring former pitcher Chris Young as their new GM and play-by-play man Len Kasper’s m...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1624: How to Build a Baseball Dynasty from 2020-12-04T07:49:57
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what went down at MLB’s non-tender deadline, touching on whether the news for arbitration-eligible players was as dire as forecasted, the more notable non-...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1623: Robot Slumps from 2020-12-03T00:56:05
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about how many negative WAR an average fan would be worth over a full MLB season, discuss an MLB fan survey, what they would want to ask fans, and how much MLB c...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1622: Non-Tender is the Night from 2020-11-25T23:34:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to FanGraphs’ Craig Edwards and Eric Longenhagen about MLB’s approaching non-tender deadline, why a number of prominent players may not be offered contracts, the e...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1621: Japan’s Field of Dreams (and Nightmares) from 2020-11-25T10:29:44
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest head-scratching Scott Boras quote, a disheartening Shohei Ohtani interview and Ohtani’s two-way future, Charlie Morton leaving the Rays to sign ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1620: Jeff Sullivan Partakes in a Pennant from 2020-11-25T08:02:47
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley are joined by former co-host and current Tampa Bay Rays analyst Jeff Sullivan to discuss the experience of working for a team that almost won the World Ser...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1619: Pink Hair Don’t Care from 2020-11-21T17:14:24
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Effectively Wild community’s Secret Santa exchange beginning again, a new podcast featuring former EW guest (and oldest former living player) Eddie Rob...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1618: Robinson Canózolol from 2020-11-20T07:57:02
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Representative Cedric Richmond’s retirement from the Congressional Baseball Game after a Ruthian two-way career, discuss Theo Epstein stepping down from th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1617: Did Sabermetrics Break Baseball? from 2020-11-17T09:13:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the fact that it took a former player to hire Kim Ng as MLB’s first woman general manager, follow up on the unwritten rules controversy surrounding Kyuji Fuj...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1616: MLB’s Other Cheating Problem from 2020-11-14T08:46:58
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Marlins hiring Kim Ng and the significance of Ng becoming MLB’s first woman GM, the Angels hiring Perry Minasian and the team’s ownership issues, Kyuji...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1615: Yesterday’s News from 2020-11-12T11:28:20
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Marcus Stroman accepting the qualifying offer and tweeting about Tony La Russa, what the AL Cy Young voting says about the Dodgers, and the singular greatn...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1614: The Most Difficult Free-Agent Contracts Draft from 2020-11-10T06:20:42
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Jeff Luhnow’s lawsuit against the Astros and Max Muncy’s and Joe Kelly’s comments about MLB’s permeable postseason quasi-bubble, then conduct their sixth a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1613: The Need for Steve from 2020-11-07T09:03:52
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Steven Goldman of Baseball Prospectus banter about MLB’s Friday news dump, covering the Red Sox hiring Alex Cora, the Mets cleaning house in the front office and the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1612: Strength in Phone Numbers from 2020-11-06T08:18:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the status of the designated hitter and answer a listener email with a Stat Blast about hitters who’ve homered from every spot in the lineup, then (23:11) ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1611: Feats of Clay from 2020-11-03T05:58:14
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley remind their audience to vote, then banter about this year’s selection of qualifying offers and what the Rays declining Charlie Morton’s option for 2021 signifies for t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1610: Tony La WHOsa? from 2020-10-31T14:32:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the industry-shocking rehiring of Tony La Russa as the manager of the Chicago White Sox nine years after La Russa’s last managerial job and the Detroit Tigers’ ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1609: Game, Set, Mask from 2020-10-29T12:50:23
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss Justin Turner’s positive COVID test, his unsafe decision to return to the field after World Series Game 6, and why his protocol-breaking behavior cast a pall ov...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1608: A Wild World Series Weekend from 2020-10-27T10:27:53
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller break down the exciting fourth and fifth games of the World Series, touching on Brett Phillips’ momentous hit and the Dodgers’ momentous misplays at the end of Game 4, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1607: Goad Glovers from 2020-10-23T23:46:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the groundswell of support for Mookie Betts as the best player in baseball, stand up for Mike Trout, and explain why Betts and Trout make an ideal duo as f...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1606: Call it Even from 2020-10-23T10:24:29
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the first two games of the World Series, touching on Clayton Kershaw’s Game 1 excellence, the Dodgers’ discipline, Dave Roberts’ pitcher usage, the status of Ra...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1605: Welcome to the World Series from 2020-10-20T10:14:55
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the exciting seventh games that decided the ALCS and NLCS, the exits of the Astros and Braves, the Braves’ future, how the Dodgers defeated Atlanta, the joy of ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1604: The Plans for Fans in Stands from 2020-10-17T00:14:39
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a podcast interview that may hinge on the Rays winning the World Series, John Smoltz’s on-air app suggestion, the latest developments in the Dave Roberts a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1603: Match Points from 2020-10-16T10:24:53
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a baseball ad on the radio, revisit the topic of how often teams win when they outhomer their opponents, discuss the brand of baseball on display this post...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1602: Dig Deep from 2020-10-12T20:03:28
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Honda Fit being discontinued, then discuss Game 5 of the Yankees-Rays ALDS, why this postseason’s strikeout-centric, home-run-reliant brand of baseball...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1601: Always in Motion is the Future from 2020-10-09T10:32:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which team with a new opening at the top of its baseball operations department would be the most attractive to baseball executives: the Reds, the Phillies,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1600: Blown Calls from 2020-10-07T21:55:36
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the merits of stats about the success of teams that hit more home runs in the playoffs and then review the first several games of the division series, touching ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1599: The Mostseason from 2020-10-07T07:58:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about potato chip sponsors, playoff games at neutral sites, juiced-ball suspicions, ALDS bad blood, how Pedro Martínez approached playoff starts, postseason MLB ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1598: Call it Like You See It from 2020-10-03T13:28:45
With the wild card round wrapped up, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to the end of the Marlins-Cubs and Padres-Cardinals series and reflect on the wild card round as a whole. Then they critique ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1597: The Frantic Wild Card Catch-up from 2020-10-02T18:13:15
During a brief respite between games, Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller catch up on a week’s worth of wild card action, discussing the experience of being bombarded by an unprecedented amount of postsea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1596: The Unpredictable Playoff Round from 2020-09-29T09:46:57
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a misconception about FIP and how to weigh FIP and ERA in evaluating pitcher performance after the fact, the Phillies’ failure to make the playoffs and how...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1595: How Cleveland Became a Pitching Powerhouse from 2020-09-26T03:12:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about late-season playoff uncertainty, whether they’re happy with how the playoff field has turned out, the Cubs’ strange season, the surprising number of top pr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1594: Speed Trap from 2020-09-25T11:15:37
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether we need middle names and what it was like not to know what players were worth before WAR and its statistical predecessors existed, then do Stat Bla...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1593: When You Wish Wilpon a Star from 2020-09-21T10:42:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Justin Verlander’s Tommy John surgery, a different way to expand the playoffs, and whether MLB’s approach to playing in 2020 has been vindicated, then (38:...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1592: The Roger Angell Centennial Celebration from 2020-09-18T08:08:25
In honor of New Yorker writer and editor and Baseball Hall of Famer Roger Angell’s 100th birthday, Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley discuss what they admire about Angell’s life and work, h...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1591: More Like Expanded Nayoffs from 2020-09-17T02:15:18
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss Rob Manfred’s desire to make the 16-team playoff format permanent and how the absence of off days will affect the 2020 postseason, then conduct a Stat Blast qui...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1590: How to Find a Minor League Late Bloomer from 2020-09-14T10:08:23
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Justin Hollander, the Seattle Mariners’ vice president and assistant general manager in charge of baseball operations, about how the Mariners have discovered an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1589: The Home Run Retriever from 2020-09-12T03:58:32
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the extraordinary stat lines of Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes, the role of randomness in baseball, the latest two-team half no-hitter, the Rays’ historic a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1588: Full Nelson from 2020-09-09T23:44:06
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the backstory behind the Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio trade, break down a clichéd postgame quote by Gavin Lux, and marvel at the historic excellence of 40-year-o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1587: The Live-Ball Era from 2020-09-05T03:12:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on an earlier Clayton Kershaw commercial conversation and banter about Tom Seaver and the benefits of being a late bloomer, then answer listener emails about ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1586: Duke it Out from 2020-09-04T01:15:42
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a Giants fun fact, twohome run facts that may or may not be fun, the ways in which the circumstances of his era shaped the late Tom Seaver’s legacy, and th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1585: The Not-So-Deadline from 2020-09-02T01:14:47
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap and analyze the trade deadline, concentrating on the Padres’ unprecedented activity, Cleveland dealing Mike Clevinger, the Blue Jays buying, the Diamondbacks sell...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1584: The Immaculate Golden Sombrero from 2020-08-28T16:53:30
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about how Albert Pujols has remained an RBI man without being a good hitter and the historic slimness of Cleveland rookie pitcher Triston McKenzie, then answer a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1583: The Shift in Conversation from 2020-08-28T12:30:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the recent protests, statements, and strikes across the sports world and in MLB specifically, touching on why some teams did or didn’t opt to play on Wednesd...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1582: Change My Mind from 2020-08-25T02:02:44
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on two Stat Blasts from the previous week and banter about the Dodgers’ impressive winning percentage pace, the surprisingly normal state of the standings, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1581: Endless Cycle from 2020-08-22T00:17:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Fernando Tatis Jr.’s “grand slam cycle,” the most exciting cycle sequence, unwritten rules, how to interpret reports of rising TV ratings, why umpires call...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1580: Meet Me Halfway from 2020-08-21T09:57:01
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the three-year anniversary of the Effectively Wild outing to see the total solar eclipse at a minor league game in Oregon and whether the backlash to the k...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1579: Our Favorite Small-Sample Seasons So Far from 2020-08-18T09:33:20
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s BABIP bouncing back from its unusually low early level, the Tigers calling up a trio of top prospects in an attempted playoff push, and Cardinals roo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1578: Welcome to Planet Earth from 2020-08-15T02:41:37
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cardinals finally returning to play and attempting to complete their overstuffed schedule, the teams with the most movement in playoff odds since the s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1577: Chaos Theory from 2020-08-12T05:09:36
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether the idea of sports as a distraction from the pandemic has panned out, whether unexpectedly hot-starting teams like the Rockies and Tigers should “g...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1576: The “Is This Guy Good?” Game Returns from 2020-08-11T02:59:32
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a realization about fake crowd noise discomfort, a disastrous start to a Derek Holland outing that recalled an earlier podcast discussion, whether Fernando...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1575: Rookies of the Year from 2020-08-08T04:21:24
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a bad fun fact on a baseball broadcast, a case of copycat pitching involving Jake Diekman and Chaz Roe, how MLB may amend eligibility for the Rookie of the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1574: No Fans, Good Field? from 2020-08-07T03:56:54
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about their minor league free agent draft results so far and whether this season has helped or hurt minor league free agents gain playing time, the continued wat...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1573: Make Some Noise from 2020-08-04T09:48:26
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s arm injury and his short- and long-term prospects as a two-way player, Mike Soroka and the ongoing pitcher-injury epidemic, the latest posi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1572: Baseball on Borrowed Time from 2020-08-01T01:24
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the coronavirus spreading to the NL Central, the difficulties MLB faces compared to other sports leagues, the dramatic changes that the pandemic has imposed on ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1571: Does the Automatic-Runner Rule Rule? from 2020-07-31T10:19:44
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about family members not attending big league debuts and how teams and broadcasts could make better use of empty ballparks, audible profanity on the field, the r...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1570: The Season So Far from 2020-07-28T06:27:17
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss several takeaways from the first weekend of the MLB regular season, starting with the COVID-19 outbreak among the Miami Marlins, the apparent inadequacy of MLB’...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1569: Take Me Out With the Cardboard Crowd from 2020-07-25T04:09:41
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s cricket home invasion, then discuss Opening Day, the experience of spectating games without fans, the merits and drawbacks of MLB’s last...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1568: What We’re Most Excited to See This Season from 2020-07-22T09:00
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein banter about whether official scorers will be more or less accurate when they’re working from home. Then they cond...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1567: What We’ll Miss Most This Season from 2020-07-22T07:08:39
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein banter about Ben’s latest bad dream about baseball writing and the Toronto (or Pittsburgh?) Blue Jays’ last-minute...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1566: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Orioles from 2020-07-18T08:18:59
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mariners prospect Julio Rodriguez’s broken wrist, Meg’s all-time most disappointing Mariners, the Rays’ five-man infield, listener responses to two emails ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1565: Three Arms, You’re Out from 2020-07-16T06:51:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about 2020 season predictions, picking (and pricing) blueberries, and a cardboard cutout of Meg at T-Mobile Park, then open up the pre-pandemic mailbag and answe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1564: Season Preview Series: Astros and Mariners from 2020-07-15T08:16:41
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about James Paxton’s unappetizing approach to chili, Atlanta signing Yasiel Puig, weirdness and whimsy in Summer Camp intrasquad games, the history of the catche...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1563: The Masked Swinger from 2020-07-11T07:54:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s editing activities, MLB’s COVID-19 intake testing results, Buster Posey and Michael Kopech opting out of the season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. switching ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1562: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Tigers from 2020-07-10T08:17:47
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley provide a brief update on the health of co-host Sam Miller (who’s on hiatus), then preview the 2020 New York Yankees with The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler, and the 2020 Det...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1561: Season Preview Series: Rays and Marlins from 2020-07-08T07:04:49
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball dreams and a holiday weekend in MLB marred by testing delays, canceled practices, concerned players, and other impediments to a safe and smooth se...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1560: Unearthing Negro Leagues History from 2020-07-03T09:37:44
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the difficulties of disclosing or obscuring the identities of players who hit the injured list after contracting COVID-19, dissect a few new analogies from...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1559: Forgotten Greats from 2020-07-02T11:37:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s effusive streaming recommendation, the Korean baseball drama Stove League. Then (8:51) they start the second episode of their week-long celebration o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1558: You Have to Tip Your Cap from 2020-07-01T06:15:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the backlash to MLB’s use of the sponsored term “summer camp,” four players’ decisions to opt out of the season, a heartfelt, thought-provoking post by Ian...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1557: No Appearing in the Press Box from 2020-06-27T06:12:08
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to a beat writer and a broadcaster—The Athletic’s White Sox reporter James Fegan and Diamondbacks and MLB Network Radio host Mike Ferrin—about how they plan to tac...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1556: Zero to Sixty from 2020-06-27T02:41
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about statistical leaders and record-setters in a small-sample season, what would make winning a championship in a 60-game season more impressive...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1555: Baseball Ambivalence from 2020-06-25T05:02:15
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the long-in-the-making announcement about the MLB season starting, touching on the resolution of the dispute between the league and the union, their deeply conf...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1554: Baseball Reacts to the Killing of George Floyd from 2020-06-23T20:00:33
Meg Rowley is joined by the New York Daily News’ Bradford William Davis and Baseball Prospectus’ Shakeia Taylor to discuss Major League Baseball’s response to the police killing of George Floyd and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1553: The Greed to Disagree from 2020-06-20T09:22:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review the latest lack of progress toward starting the MLB season, touching on the false hope offered by a meeting between Rob Manfred and Tony Clark, the subsequent br...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1552: Confidence Interval from 2020-06-17T08:07:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss Rob Manfred’s rapid flip-flop from expressing 100 percent confidence about an MLB season starting to expressing a lack of confidence in an MLB season starting, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1551: The 1998 Home Run Race Revisited from 2020-06-15T03:00:34
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller interview AJ Shnack, the director of ESPN’s new 30 for 30 documentary about the 1998 home run race, Long Gone Summer, touching on the involvement of Mark McGwire and Sa...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1550: Make Me Your Worst Offer from 2020-06-12T14:00:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the continued standstill over starting the season, MLB’s series of superficially different, substantively identical, and equally unproductive proposals, pu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1549: The Burdens of Being Black in Baseball from 2020-06-09T01:51:51
Ben Lindbergh talks to Braves outfield prospect Trey Harris about how he’s processed the murder of George Floyd and learned from the ongoing protests, how race and racism have affected his life and...
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Effectively Wild Programming Note from 2020-06-05T06:46:54
Ben briefly explains this week’s podcast hiatus. Link to Joon Lee on players’ statements Link to Marc Carig on MLB’s response Link to Bradford William Davis on team and league statements Link to Ra...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1548: MLB’s Blown Save from 2020-05-30T06:34:04
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the results of a survey of sports fans about fake crowd noise on telecasts, then discuss a difficult, frustrating week for baseball, touching on ownership ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1547: The Hitless King from 2020-05-28T08:33
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about MLB’s ongoing labor negotiations, the team-to-team differences in minor-league pay and front-office furloughs, and the perils of believing that baseball is...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1546: Best of the Best from 2020-05-26T08:31:40
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about viral particles, Mike Trout’s self-identified best at-bat, Carney Lansford’s possible link to Sir Francis Drake, sports card “breakers,” a perplexing story...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1545: Boogie Mornings from 2020-05-23T05:10:25
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a mystifying comment on the back of track star and Oakland A’s designated runner Herb Washington’s 1975 Topps card, the phenomenon of wildly inaccurate app...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1544: The Baseball Butterfly Effect from 2020-05-21T10:52:56
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the reliability of betting on baseball using the Grays Sports Almanac from Back to the Future Part II, then answer listener emails about a baseball broadca...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1543: The Best Baseball Spectator Experiences from 2020-05-19T09:26:18
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about MLB’s proposed in-game distancing measures and what degree of difference from the norm would prevent the game from still looking like baseball...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1542: The Players’PR Handicap from 2020-05-16T05:29:43
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the announcement of a second Astros sign-stealing documentary and what they would want out of a sign-stealing docuseries, the ongoing negotiations between ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1541: Taken Out of Context from 2020-05-14T10:23:09
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the difficulty of interpreting the context of old articles about baseball and a man obsessed with smashing certain plate glass windows, then answer listene...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1540: Don’t Leave it All on the Field from 2020-05-12T07:44:28
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about an anecdote in David Halberstam’s book The Teammates about prescient Cardinals pitcher Harry Brecheen, the uproar when players were first prevented from le...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1539: It’s Not the Destination, it’s the Journeyman from 2020-05-09T06:02:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about an aggressive umpiring demotion in the KBO, FanGraphs adding KBO stats, and the pleasures of falling asleep with baseball on in the background. Then (16:30...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1538: KBOpening Day from 2020-05-08T09:46:59
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about KBO season excitement and answer listener emails about MLB precedents for Warwick Saupold’s KBO complete game, whether MLB fandom would work if teams didn’...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1537: Our Hall of Fame Fives from 2020-05-05T10:20:36
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about fear of criticism, Eddie Murphy vs. Eddie Murray, and dreams, then take turns building the best imaginary Hall of Fame exhibits they can by pi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1536: Three Days at the Ballpark from 2020-05-01T05:46:09
Facing the prospect of a season without fans in the stands, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley console themselves and fight baseball withdrawal by revisiting classic accounts of going to games. The autho...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1535: Leave Me Out, Coach from 2020-04-30T05:36:36
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and senior writer for The Athletic Andy McCullough banter about the people they would be (or have been) most nervous about interviewing and two new noteworthy articles, t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1534: The Stay-at-Home Run Derby from 2020-04-28T07:40:37
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Johnny Vander Meer’s ear boils and the surprisingly ancient origins of the phrase, “A walk is as good as a hit,” then answer listener emails about why some...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1533: It’s Baseball O’Clock Somewhere from 2020-04-25T09:55:25
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about beverage consumption, foreign baseball leagues’ potential for popularity in the U.S., and the life and death of legendary flamethrower Steve Dalkowski, who...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1532: Dirty Watkins from 2020-04-23T12:12:22
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the results of MLB’s investigation into Boston Red Sox sign stealing, touching on Boston’s lighter penalties and seemingly lesser offenses compared to the Astro...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1531: His Double-Airness from 2020-04-21T05:09:25
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Effectively Wild community’s least-disliked MLB teams and two unjust Cy Young/MVP snubs, then discuss what Michael Jordan’s brief baseball career taugh...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1530: That’s Why They Play the Games from 2020-04-20T11:10:18
With MLB in limbo, Ben Lindbergh investigates virtual baseball, talking to the designers of three new baseball video games—Ramone Russell of Sony San Diego, makers of MLB The Show 20, Markus Heinso...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1529: Presenting Future Value from 2020-04-18T03:58:42
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley speak to FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel about their new book, Future Value: The Battle for Baseball’s Soul and How Teams Will Find the Next Super...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1528: The Talented Mr. Henry from 2020-04-16T10:45:15
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the strange story of a man named Bill Henry who impersonated former major league reliever Bill Henry for decades, then answer listener emails about seasons...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1527: The Only Rule Revisited from 2020-04-14T02:02:08
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about how runs, hits, and errors became baseball’s standard scoreboard stats and the piecemeal way in which baseball evolves, then reminisce about and reevaluate...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1526: The Season of Uncertainty from 2020-04-11T01:54:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about new options for supporting FanGraphs and a potential plan to play the 2020 season with a radically realigned league structure, then talk to FanGraphs write...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1525: Hey All You Cool Sacks and Chickens from 2020-04-09T09:49:28
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a possible banter shortage, a mysterious sack of flour from 1971, the kinds of baseball stories being published in the absence of baseball, the greatness (...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1524: Let’s Read Two from 2020-04-07T06:54:03
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller split up to talk to the authors of two new baseball books. First, Sam speaks to Sports Stories newsletter author Eric Nusbaum about Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodg...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1523: Do Try This at Home from 2020-04-03T05:14:29
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the response to FanGraphs’ request for financial support, discuss the latest news about minor league pay, Tommy John surgeries, college eligibility, the po...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1522: Booking It from 2020-04-01T10:39:46
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Brad Balukjian, author of brand-new baseball book The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife, about the long road (figuratively and litera...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1521: Managers (Used to) Do the Darndest Things from 2020-03-31T05:56:45
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley begin by discussing the financial impact that the pandemic and the postponement of the baseball season have had on FanGraphs and requesting reader/listener...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1520: Rough Draft from 2020-03-28T02:35:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the benefits, uncertainties, and downsides of the deal between MLB and the MLBPA to sort out salary and service time in the event of a shortened or cancele...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1519: Fauxpening Day from 2020-03-26T10:18:53
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about which types of old games they would want to rewatch, Noah Syndergaard’s Tommy John surgery, and how short is too short for a regular season, then answer li...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1518: The Field of Dreams Debate from 2020-03-24T07:01:38
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller revisit Sam’s tradition of viewing the beloved and despised 1989 film Field of Dreams on the eve of Opening Day (or in this case, what would have been Opening Day) and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1517: Show Minor Leaguers the Money from 2020-03-21T03:43:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about advice for working from home, Chris Sale’s Tommy John surgery, concerns about pitcher health in a shortened season, the possibility of playing more doubleh...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1516: The Odds of an Odd Season from 2020-03-18T10:17:10
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on a previous discussion of advance scouting’s contribution to Kirk Gibson’s legendary 1988 home run and banter about the strangeness of not having a date for...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1515: The Waiting Game from 2020-03-17T08:53:22
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about life during self-isolation and delayed media consumption and explore some of the long-considered and ultimately rejected article ideas in Sam’s tickler fil...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1514: The Fictional Game Goes On from 2020-03-13T10:04:49
In the absence of real baseball (and with plenty of solitary time on fans’ hands), Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley devote an episode to three new fictional depictions of baseball, speaking to novelist...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1513: Opening Day Nonstarter from 2020-03-13T01:45:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to MLB’s COVID-19-caused cancellation of the remainder of spring training and the postponement of Opening Day and discuss the disquieting week and the ramificatio...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1512: Let’s Predict This Decade from 2020-03-11T09:10:39
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Padres outfield un-fun facts, then discuss MLB’s $1 million “The Vault” competition to predict several statistical leaders of the 2020s, producing their pi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1511: Season Preview Series: Twins and Pirates from 2020-03-09T09:51:23
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Mike Trout’s career spring training stats, then preview the 2020 Minnesota Twins (9:01) with the The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman, and the 2020 Pittsburgh Pira...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1510: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Giants from 2020-03-06T23:47:05
Meg Rowley and Sam Miller briefly banter about the state of Chris Sale’s arm and appreciating one’s friends when they are on vacation, then preview the 2020 Boston Red Sox (4:40) with the Boston Gl...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1509: To All Hosts Other Than Ben Lindbergh from 2020-03-05T01:10:25
With Ben Lindbergh on vacation, Meg Rowley and Sam Miller answer a few very special listener emails on Shohei Ohtani, what they want to know about the 2020 season (complete with a twist), and how w...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1508: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Royals from 2020-03-02T08:50:42
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Twins reliever Zack Littell’s powerful affinity for cruise ships and bidding for baseballs from a baseball movie, then preview the 2020 Washington National...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1507: Season Preview Series: Mets and Blue Jays from 2020-02-28T04:21:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about passing the halfway point of the season preview series, Zach Eflin’s spring training feedback on a possibly less lively baseball, the effect of sign steali...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1506: Season Preview Series: Athletics and Rockies from 2020-02-26T02:15:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Astros confiscating signs at spring training and Madison Bumgarner’s rodeo alter ego, Mason Saunders, then preview the 2020 Athletics (13:58) with the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1505: Sign Stealing is a Flat Circle from 2020-02-24T07:31:40
In a special narrative episode of Effectively Wild, Ben Lindbergh traces the parallels between baseball’s latest sign-stealing crisis and an almost 60-year-old sign-stealing scandal that caused a c...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1504: Suing the Sign Stealers from 2020-02-22T08:55:08
Will we see baseball’s sign stealers in court, or will attempts to take legal action be a suing and a miss? In a bonus episode of EW, Ben Lindbergh talks to sports-law expert Nathaniel Grow about t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1503: Season Preview Series: Indians and Rangers from 2020-02-22T03:48:48
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the AL/NL distribution of the season preview pods so far and a few notable numbers from the newly published FanGraphs playoff odds, then preview the 2020 I...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1502: Running Interference from 2020-02-20T11:25:59
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about walk-off balks, a Zack Greinke oral history, and how teams will use the new 26th roster spot, break down the responses to a Jayson Stark survey of baseball...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1501: Season Preview Series: Braves and Phillies from 2020-02-17T06:35:19
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the latest developments in the escalating player war of words over the Astros sign-stealing scandal, José Altuve‘s alleged unfinished tattoo, Rob Manfred’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1500: Even More Things We Like About Baseball from 2020-02-15T01:43:30
In the third incarnation of a time-honored tradition that recurs every 500-ish episodes, Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley are joined by The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee and ex-EW cohost (and c...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1499: Season Preview Series: Angels and Cardinals from 2020-02-14T08:06:27
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about why the Astros sign-stealing scandal won’t go away, and the reception to the team’s first attempts to apologize. Then they preview the 2020 Angels (28:13) ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1498: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Diamondbacks from 2020-02-10T12:31:32
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the remade Mookie Betts trade, the latest revelations about the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal (including “Codebreaker” and “the dark arts”), and the Mets’ ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1497: Season Preview Series: Padres and White Sox from 2020-02-07T11:30:32
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about probability, the baseball significance of a Super Bowl comeback, and whether win expectancy stats are more useful for fans during or after a game (featurin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1496: The Mookie Betts Breakdown from 2020-02-05T22:19:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the three-team Mookie Betts blockbuster, analyzing the historic strangeness of a player as good and young as Mookie being moved, what it means for the Red So...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1495: Season Preview Series: Reds and Brewers from 2020-02-03T12:04:42
In the first installment of the eighth annual Effectively Wild season preview series, Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller preview the 2020 Reds with The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans, and the 2020 Brewers...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1494: Listen to What the Bang Said from 2020-01-31T09:36:21
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap and consider the implications of the latest and greatest analyses of the Astros’ banging scheme, which appear to show that the team’s cheating didn’t increase its...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1493: Getting Dusty in Here from 2020-01-30T08:00:15
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the “vibrathrob” episode, the Astros hiring Dusty Baker, Kris Bryant reportedly losing his service-time grievance, and Delmon Young raking in Australia, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1492: The Hidden Hall of Famer from 2020-01-28T07:36:07
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about umpire crew chiefs getting microphones for the 2020 season, the Reds signing Nick Castellanos and the small gaps between the top four teams in the NL Centr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1491: The Baseball Ombudsperson from 2020-01-24T10:53:28
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Mitch Haniger’s excruciating-sounding injuries, how Mariners fans may feel about the Braves signing Félix Hernández, the winter of Nolan Arenado’s disconte...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1490: Yeah Jeets from 2020-01-23T11:39:47
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller do a brief, spoiler-free followup on their Knives Out banter from the previous episode, then break down the elections of Derek Jeter and Larry Walker to the Hall of Fam...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1489: Let’s Create an Award from 2020-01-21T03:06:42
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the symbolism of the baseball in Knives Out (beware of slight spoilers from 4:17 to 10:32), follow up on a few reader suggestions about outside hires who c...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1488: Wrinkle, Wrinkle, Little Star from 2020-01-18T01:58:43
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller review a wild, rumor-filled Thursday in baseball, touching on Jessica Mendoza’s comments about Mike Fiers, the end of Carlos Beltrán’s brief tenure as Mets manager, the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1487: We Remembered Some Guys from 2020-01-15T11:00:08
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Red Sox firing Alex Cora, the Twins signing Josh Donaldson, an uptick in online player pettiness, fans taunting the visiting Astros, and a baseball-the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1486: MLB Bangs the Gavel from 2020-01-14T22:07:26
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s report about the findings of the league’s investigation into the Astros’ sign-stealing activities and the firings of Jeff Luhnow ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1485: Block Bluster from 2020-01-11T02:00:45
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about 2019’s non-playoff teams actually being the big buyers this winter, the six-player Rays-Cardinals trade involving Matthew Liberatore and José Martínez, wor...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1484: Degrees of Sign-Stealing Sin from 2020-01-10T08:18:38
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the latest revelations about Red Sox sign-stealing, MLB’s impending punishment of the Astros, and long-term sign-stealing solutions, then answer listener e...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1483: Baseball in the 2020s from 2020-01-07T01:33:36
Ben Lindbergh and a slightly light-headed Sam Miller banter about baseball and vomit and 2019 World Series Game 7 losing pitcher Will Harris signing with the Nationals, then attempt to predict what...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1482: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Diversity and Inclusion) from 2020-01-03T06:00:43
In the final (for now) installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to sabermetric pioneer Sherri...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1481: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (NASCAR and Cycling) from 2020-01-02T06:00:51
In the sixth installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to Motorsports Analytics founder and Th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1480: What We’ll Remember About Baseball in 2019 from 2019-12-31T06:00:28
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about Kohl Stewart signing with the Orioles, another convoluted Scott Boras quote, and a few of the things Sam learned in 2019 (including Candlestic...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1479: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Esports and Volleyball) from 2019-12-30T06:00:49
In the fifth installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to ESports One Head of Esports Data Sci...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1478: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Soccer and Rugby) from 2019-12-29T06:00:24
In the fourth installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to StatsBomb managing editor Mike L. G...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1477: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Tennis and Golf) from 2019-12-28T09:14:29
In the third installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to Tennis Abstract founder Jeff Sackman...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1476: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Hockey and Cricket) from 2019-12-27T06:00:17
In the second installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to Evolving-Hockey.com’s Josh and Luke...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1475: Multisport Sabermetrics Exchange (Football and Basketball) from 2019-12-26T09:49:45
In the first installment of a special, seven-episode series on the past, present, and future of advanced analysis in non-baseball sports, Ben Lindbergh talks to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell about football ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1474: The 2020 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2019-12-24T08:37:38
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley discuss the signings of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel, the Blue Jays’ historic 2019 rotation, the depleted pitching market, MLB’s rising revenue and the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1473: The Stories We Missed in 2019 (Part 3) from 2019-12-20T00:46:36
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether this year’s good free agents have actually gone to an unusual selection of teams and whether they believe in Wade Miley’s supposed pitch-tipping, a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1472: The Stories We Missed in 2019 (Part 2) from 2019-12-19T03:44:41
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Scott Boras’s mystifying goose metaphor and then, in the second installment of a three-part series, discuss stories that they overlooked about 10 more team...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1471: The Stories We Missed in 2019 (Part 1) from 2019-12-16T13:37:52
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Texas-Cleveland Corey Kluber trade, the Diamondbacks signing Madison Bumgarner, the fallout from both moves, and what Kluber and Bumgarner meant to the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1470: Baseball’s Busy Meetings from 2019-12-14T02:48:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball’s busy week and the Giants and Marlins moving in their outfield fences, then discuss the Angels’ signing of Anthony Rendon, touching on Rendon’s g...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1469: The Cole-Powered Yankees from 2019-12-12T02:21:19
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller debate the merits of a possible Mike Trout fun fact, banter about Nomar Mazara and the evolving definition of “slugger,” discuss the record Gerrit Cole contract and its...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1468: The Scott Boras Guessing Game from 2019-12-10T23:36:35
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley link up during the Winter Meetings for a brief bonus episode in which Meg tries to stump Ben about genuine and fake media-scrum statements supposedly made by baseball s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1467: Strasburg Back from 2019-12-10T11:53:28
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on (o)possums playing dead, discuss the Nationals signing Stephen Strasburg to a record contract for a pitcher and the implications for the Nationals, Scott B...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1466: Slapdick Podcast from 2019-12-07T05:23:20
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about covering transactions past and present, the latest eye-catching comments by Scott Boras, the Tommy Pham trade and Blake Snell’s candid real-time reaction t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1465: Free Agency’s Second Wind from 2019-12-05T11:05:09
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss a crowdsourced effort to help baseball writer Jen Ramos, then banter about hot stove terminology and why free-agent activity seems to be picking up, analyzing t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1464: The New Hot Stove Survey from 2019-12-02T11:56:32
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter anew about José Abreu’s perplexing RBI total, then predict and discuss the answers in the sequel to “the Crasnicks,” a survey of front-office executives on hot-b...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1463: The Hall of Fame’s 2020 Hindsight from 2019-11-27T08:00:03
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the artifacts from the 2019 season that will be preserved by the Hall of Fame, and then (32:25) Ben talks to FanGraphs’ Jay Jaffe about the 2020 Hall of Fa...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1462: Bring Back Little Blowhard from 2019-11-26T17:53:38
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Charlie Finley’s dual “innovations,” Harvey and Little Blowhard, then answer listener emails about Chris Davis and why some veteran players may be unwillin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1461: Hot Stove Stirrings from 2019-11-26T04:48:54
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about what the Padres’ 2017 Rule 5 trio is up to now, the Mariners’ aggressive Evan White extension, how teams would distribute their spending if every player (a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1460: Live from New York, it’s Effectively Wild! from 2019-11-22T21:11:36
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley host a FanGraphs Live! event and EW taping at Subculture in Manhattan, featuring three panels comprising seven guests: “Major League Update” (current events and New Yor...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1459: The History of Sign-Stealing from 2019-11-20T02:38:21
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Paul Dickson, author of The Hidden Language of Baseball: How Signs and Sign-Stealing Have Influenced the Course of Our National Pastime, about, well, what the b...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1458: The Overlooked League Leaders from 2019-11-19T03:29:54
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about “sinister right-handers” and scientific songs, then discuss the latest revelations about the Astros sign-stealing saga before reviewing the overlooked acco...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1457: The Sign-Stealing Spiral from 2019-11-16T03:32:53
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the first stirrings on the free-agent market, the latest developments in the Astros sign-stealing scandal, where MLB investigation’s might lead, what the a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1456: Sign Language from 2019-11-14T11:52:18
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the latest linguistic crimes by Scott Boras, then discuss the Astros sign-sealing scandal, touching on Mike Fiers’ role in the revelations, whether sign-st...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1455: The Fifth Free-Agent Contracts Draft from 2019-11-12T03:29:32
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the baffling trade rumors swirling around Mookie Betts, Francisco Lindor, and Kris Bryant, try to discern why they would be on the block, discuss how the l...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1454: Where Have You Gone, Mr. Robinson? from 2019-11-09T13:53:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s return from vacation and Meg and Sam’s episodes in his absence, former Angels minor leaguer Mike Fish (not to be confused with Mike Trout), and a rou...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1453: Time Is on Our Side from 2019-11-07T22:03:36
Sam Miller and Meg Rowley revisit a fast-moving 1916 afternoon tilt between the Asheville Tourists and the Winston-Salem Twins with some historic significance, and engage in an Effectively Wild exp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1452: Play It Again, Sam from 2019-11-05T21:09:43
Meg Rowley and Sam Miller banter about Ben Lindbergh’s vacation-induced absence, an unusual umpire Wikipedia entry, and the acceptability of failure, before turning their attention to a few listene...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1451: A World Series Worth Waiting For from 2019-10-31T11:31:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Nationals’ well-earned World Series victory, the Nationals players they’re happiest for, the a strange, all-road-wins series, the brilliance of Zack Gr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1450: Play Loud and Don’t Carry a Big Stick from 2019-10-30T11:35:23
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a wild World Series Game 6, including a controversial interference call on Trea Turner, a strange conference call with New York, the ejection of Dave Marti...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1449: The Nationals’Lost Weekend from 2019-10-29T03:55:45
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about audible umpires, Lance Barksdale’s ball/strike calls in World Series Game 5, the Nationals’ offensive outage in Games 3-5, Max Scherzer’s neck spasms, Dave...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1448: The 21-Soto Salute from 2019-10-25T22:41:23
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the latest on the Astros and the benefits and limitations of front-office diversity, Rob Manfred’s new comments about the baseball, Kris Bryant’s grievance agai...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1447: The Astros Stay Losing from 2019-10-24T23:53:43
After an update from Ben Lindbergh on the Astros’ firing of Brandon Taubman and inadequate apology, Ben and Sam Miller follow up on a discussion of postseason chase rate, talk more about Taubman, a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1446: How Not to Behave from 2019-10-22T13:01:54
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about their playoff livestreams, the Yankees’ ALCS defeat, why pitchers are allowed to demand new baseballs, and pulling a catcher from the game when a team is l...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1445: CC Me from 2019-10-19T00:57:51
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their upcoming live event, review ALCS Game 4, the Yankees’ precarious position, and the career and last appearance of CC Sabathia, then discuss the signif...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1444: Ball Don’t Lie from 2019-10-17T10:32:36
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the Nationals’ sweep of the Cardinals, why the Nationals are good and fun, Stephen Strasburg and the history of no. 1 draft pick pitchers, Gerrit Cole’s perform...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1443: Managing, Fast and Slow from 2019-10-14T22:40:40
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller break down the latest ALCS and NLCS action, touching on the Cardinals’ offensive outage, Mike Shildt’s old-school managing, the Nationals’ pitching, the Astros’ purport...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1442: The Generous Tipper from 2019-10-11T23:28:06
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s thoughts on Clayton Kershaw, Joe Kelly, and Dave Roberts, Tyler Glasnow’s pitch-tipping, Gerrit Cole’s strikeout streak, and the future of the Rays, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1441: It Was the Kersh of Times from 2019-10-11T07:51:22
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the wild NLDS Game 5 between the Dodgers and the Nationals and the wild (in a different way) NLDS Game 5 between the Braves and the Cardinals, touching on ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1440: October Oddities from 2019-10-08T11:22:06
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s delayed postseason viewing schedule and five macro traits of the playoffs thus far (low batting averages with runners in scoring position, starters o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1439: Keeping Pace With the Playoffs from 2019-10-05T20:25:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss and reflect on the first two games of the Nationals-Dodgers and Braves-Cardinals NL division series and the first games of the Astros-Rays and Yankees-Twins AL ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1438: One and Done from 2019-10-04T01:08:09
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the AL and NL wild card games (touching on Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Nick Anderson, Oliver Drake, Yandy Díaz, Avisaíl García, Josh Hader, Trent Grisham, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1437: The Playoff Preview Pod from 2019-10-01T02:22:16
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on banter about Mike Minor’s pop-up do-over and guaranteeing homers, revisit an earlier discussion about whether the 2019 regular season was good, and then pr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1436: Reviewing the Regular Season from 2019-09-27T08:54:19
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s mental preparations for Félix Hernández’s probable last start as a Mariner, the dubious appeal of playing spoiler, the biggest hits of the season acc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1435: What We Love About Baseball from 2019-09-25T06:54:50
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the diminishing roles (and salaries) of MLB managers, then answer listener emails about whether it’s better for teams to be balanced than unbalanced and ho...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1434: The Cubs’Lost Weekend from 2019-09-23T10:13:59
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Cody Bellinger‘s and Keston Hiura’s home runs, the Cardinals’ climactic four-game sweep of the Cubs, the Brewers’ surge sans Christian Yelich, the rapid re...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1433: A Pitcher and Catcher Report from 2019-09-20T18:11:36
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to two Atlantic League players with the Somerset Patriots, pitcher Rick Teasley and catcher Yovan Gonzalez, about the experimental rules being tested in the league...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1432: The High-Pressure Promise from 2019-09-18T23:58:17
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the return of Luis Severino and the Yankees’ prospective playoff roster, how teams will use their pitchers in the playoffs, a Sonny Gray fun fact that sort...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1431: Curtains for Trout from 2019-09-17T14:25:55
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Twins’ missed opportunity for a mid-plate-appearance pitching change, more mind-boggling home run facts about the year of the dinger, fun facts about t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1430: To Win or Not to Win from 2019-09-13T23:32:44
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Kyle Lewis’s debut, Rich Hill’s brief return, Daniel Palka’s second hit of the season, the Braves and Dallas Keuchel, and the Diamondbacks’ Brewers-style r...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1429: Catch Me if You Can from 2019-09-12T10:02:58
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the costs of Christian Yelich’s broken kneecap and other injuries disrupting pennant races and the Mets-centric personal-catcher controversy involving Noah...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1428: The Big Dombrowski from 2019-09-09T11:32:06
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Michael Lorenzen, Shohei Ohtani, and two-way terminology, marvel at Eugenio Suárez and other surprises from the 2019 home run leaderboard, celebrate the AL...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1427: Most Valuable Podcast from 2019-09-06T21:54:12
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s time in the mountains and subsequent September disorientation, attempt to divine the family dynamics of a Colin Moran vs. Brian Moran matchup, talk a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1426: Fun or Foul from 2019-09-05T20:08:30
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller debate whether a fact about Michael Lorenzen’s multi-way play is fun, banter about Nelson Cruz’s unflagging offense, technology and the future of the knuckleball, and a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1425: Just the Facts from 2019-09-03T10:34:19
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Cardinals, the Nationals, and the NL’s increasingly interesting playoff races, the pluses and minuses of expanded September rosters, a caveat about tim...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1424: Dance With the Bat That Brought You from 2019-08-30T22:40:31
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about GPS, resisting the urge to take the bait on bad takes, and the debate about access for broadcasters who double as team personnel, answer listener emails ab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1423: The Futures Game from 2019-08-29T11:23:58
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether they would take a time machine into baseball’s future, Yu Darvish’s midseason makeover and ability to pick up new pitches, then answer listener ema...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1422: Tie Goes to the Robot from 2019-08-27T10:34:14
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about what GPS directions have to do with analytics-averse managers, MLB’s black and white uniforms fiasco on Players Weekend, Sam’s takeaways from his trip to s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1421: A Game of Inches from 2019-08-24T05:19:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about beer and the mercy rule, a 12-minute game finish at Fenway, whether baseball players have high job satisfaction, compelling playoff races and especially lu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1420: Have Mercy from 2019-08-21T13:57:18
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, and the most compelling playoff races remaining, introduce the new Effectively Wild listener email archive, then answer emails a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1419: Benetti’s Booth from 2019-08-20T00:41:53
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller bring on White Sox play-by-play broadcaster Jason Benetti to banter about sharing the broadcast booth with Bill Walton, Mike Schur, and Mike O’Brien over the weekend an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1418: Clutch, Clayton, Mickey, and More from 2019-08-17T02:43:39
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Bryce Harper’s clutchness and how he’s perceived by fans, Clayton Kershaw’s resurgence, and Mickey Callaway’s comments about analytics, then answer listene...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1417: Defining Fun Facts from 2019-08-14T19:23:21
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about how Gleyber Torres’s ownership of the Orioles and Aristides Aquino’s home-run spree are emblematic of 2019, fun facts about players’ accomplishments in the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1416: Live at Saber Seminar (for the Third Time) from 2019-08-12T11:34:47
In the third episode of Effectively Wild recorded live at Saber Seminar in Boston, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley talk to Boston Globe sportswriter Alex Speier, author of the new book Homegrown: How ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1415: You Can’t Predict Baseball from 2019-08-10T05:09:02
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Bo Bichette fun facts vs. Travis Demeritte fun facts, Javier Báez batting left-handed against a position player and why the shift appears to be exempt from...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1414: Follow the Leader from 2019-08-08T00:48:11
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Mike Trout’s 28th birthday, the stats he’s led the league in, and the stats he still might lead the league in for the first time, the Mets’ recent hot stre...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1413: The Bullpen Jeep from 2019-08-05T14:20:39
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the non-running Royals and Terrance Gore, the Diamondbacks’ stolen-base success rate and Zack Godley’s disastrous season, the Phillies’ roster crunch, Sam’...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1412: Everything is Invented from 2019-08-02T03:39:57
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about FanGraphs’ completist coverage of the frantic trade deadline, the backlash to a perceived lack of activity at the deadline and whether the deadline was rea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1411: The Trade Deadline Roundup from 2019-08-01T10:02:39
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about bigger bases in the Atlantic League, then recap and dissect the trade deadline, focusing on why the market took so long to develop, the significance of mul...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1410: Ballpark Figures from 2019-07-30T09:56:49
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Gerrit Cole strikeout fun fact, listed heights and weights and Ketel Marte, running the bases clockwise, and a Ramon Laureano postgame comment, then an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1409: Appointment Podcasting from 2019-07-27T00:38:16
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on the feedback to the preceding “best players of the decade” episode and minimum innings vs. three-pitch innings, then banter about Mike Trout‘s new-and-impr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1408: The Best Players of the Decade from 2019-07-24T11:40:09
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about “minimum innings,” striking out the side, and an anecdote about Barry Larkin bunting, then spend the rest of the episode answering a listener ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1407: How Much is That Wild Card in the Window? from 2019-07-23T01:13:24
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a bat in front of home plate that deflected a ball, the José Ramírez resurgence, the base stealer in a Statcast ad, an Andrelton Simmons shift that wasn’t,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1406: Taking a Stand from 2019-07-20T02:21:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the podcast’s seventh birthday, the end of an impressive streak by the Twins, what to think of Aaron Boone‘s tirade against rookie umpire Brennan Miller (a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1405: The Rookie Mistake from 2019-07-17T15:45:25
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s visit to Cleveland, the Giants’ perplexing situation heading into the trade deadline, Edwin Jackson’s next destination, and the approaching addition ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1404: Do the Hustle from 2019-07-15T04:01:53
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and professional player (and former Sonoma Stompers coach, catcher, and first baseman) Tommy Lyons discuss the different types of hustle in baseball, deciding what level ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1403: Bullhorse and Horsecrock from 2019-07-12T11:20:05
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Ball Four and Jim Bouton, Million Dollar Coin Flip, Christian Yelich’s pursuit of the first 50-30 season and which combination of power and speed would be ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1402: Justin Time from 2019-07-11T00:39:15
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, Justin Verlander’s and Rob Manfred’s comments about the juiced ball, the recent rapid turnover among elite hitter...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1401: The Premature Celebration from 2019-07-08T12:15:15
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Colin Poche, the “Is This Guy Good?” game for relievers, Mike Trout entering the All-Star break as baseball’s best hitter and player, whether Trout could e...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1400: Bud Selig Speaks from 2019-07-05T04:01:38
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Sam Malone maligning the Mariners, the unlikely career of pinch-hitter extraordinaire Mark Sweeney, the joys of watching Fernando Tatis, Jr., Bryce Harper’...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1399: The Longest Leader from 2019-07-03T07:50:40
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley reflect on the passing of Tyler Skaggs. Then (9:57) Ben and Sam Miller banter about whether it’s better for a team to be in a division with a few good teams or a divisi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1398: What MLB Looked Like in London from 2019-07-01T11:51:48
In a bonus episode about the London Series, Ben Lindbergh talks to Darius Austin and Russell Eassom, writers and podcasters for the UK baseball site Bat Flips and Nerds, about their experiences at ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1397: Stripling Explains it All from 2019-07-01T11:46:14
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller talk to Ross Stripling, Los Angeles Dodgers starter and host of The Big Swing, about why he started and enjoys doing a podcast, how Dodgers president of baseball operat...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1396: Stars and Chubs from 2019-06-29T05:14:49
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Twitter commotion caused by the Pioneer League’s Grand Junction Rockies (who are definitely not named the Humpback Chubs), an Angels outfield sign and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1395: Trade Dreams and Low Seams from 2019-06-27T13:36:18
In a bonus episode, Ben Lindbergh banters with FanGraphs writer Craig Edwards about Craig’s explanation for the struggles of José Ramírez, and then (11:15) Ben and Craig talk to John Bitzer, founde...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1394: Hard Cora from 2019-06-27T06:13:02
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether the Red Sox pulling a pitcher in the middle of a plate appearance was an instance of “Strategy,” share a Stat Blast about whether the platoon advan...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1393: Wobbles and Squabbles from 2019-06-25T06:22:05
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Albert Pujols’ touching return to St. Louis, the Dodgers’ deceptive Will Smith walk-off and the reason for the proportional increase in non-pulled home run...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1392: All the Phils from 2019-06-21T12:29:41
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Ellen Adair banter about Ellen’s acting career and baseball background, the causes of (and possible solutions to) the Phillies’ post-McCutchen slump, what the (extre...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1391: Down Goes Frazier from 2019-06-20T00:41:57
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller review Sam’s latest observations on Jeff Sullivan-era EW episodes, including musings on Ketel Marte, the worst team draft of all time, and Johnnie LeMaster, then banter...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1390: Baseball’s Biggest Mystery from 2019-06-17T09:24:30
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Yankees acquiring Edwin Encarnacion and some surprising names near the top of the MLB home-run leaderboard, Kenley Jansen’s intentional balk, and a fun...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1389: Too Good to Be Two from 2019-06-14T23:53:58
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Shohei Ohtani’s hot streak and future as a two-way player, Sam’s decision to listen to all of the Jeff-era EW episodes and his reactions to a few topics fr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1388: Rest Days from 2019-06-14T00:28:10
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s upcoming vacation and brief break from baseball, Chris Paddack’s demotion to High-A, the latest act of Clayton Kershaw’s career and the perils and po...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1387: In Trout They Didn’t Trust from 2019-06-10T10:35:47
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about poor pronunciations, an oddity in Bash Brothers, a Byron Buxton hustle double, the running (but not running enough) Royals, whether to talk about and wheth...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1386: Amateur Hour from 2019-06-07T02:51:50
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Cubs signing Craig Kimbrel, ruminating about how he’ll help Chicago, why other teams may have held off, and why it took so long for his prolonged free ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1385: Ask Not What WAR Can Do for You from 2019-06-06T01:46:59
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the paucity of pitchers selected at the top of the draft, the Hall of Famers Mike Trout passed in career WAR in May, Trout’s quietly impressive season, whe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1384: Welcome to The MVP Machine from 2019-06-04T04:06:05
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about whether it would make sense for one team to “blow up the draft” by ignoring the bonus slotting system for one year, paying a premium for the top amateur ta...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1383: Net Results from 2019-06-01T10:18:07
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ recent run of ineptitude, why some teams talk to the media and whether there’s a moral obligation for teams to share information about preven...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1382: Pitchus Interruptus from 2019-05-31T03:26:28
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a small way in which Willians Astudillo made the world better, baseball as a conversational icebreaker, Cody Bellinger’s incredible WAR pace, whether Belli...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1381: Minnesota Surprise from 2019-05-29T06:27:14
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Rays’ four-man outfield against Cavan Biggio and the gradual ascendance of four-man outfields across the league, Sam’s belated thoughts on the Mets and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1380: Baseball is Better, but Also Worse from 2019-05-25T03:25:21
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about snow in Colorado, the Rockies and the decline of Kyle Freeland, and the new-look Lucas Giolito and the White Sox rebuild, then discuss the state of the sta...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1379: There Are Other Leagues Than These from 2019-05-23T09:27:17
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Robinson Cano hurting himself hustling, Chris Carter dominating the Mexican League, the incredible continuing career of Ruben Rivera, pop-up dekes, a possi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1378: Five-Tool Podcast from 2019-05-21T02:40:03
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sean Doolittle’s delivery and Steve Pearce’s even/odd-year pattern, then discuss current record chases (involving Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich, and the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1377: The Prospects Are Here from 2019-05-17T10:05:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the bounceback of Chris Davis, which Statcast stats they would most want to have for the entirety of baseball history, which aspect of instant replay revie...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1376: Root, Root, Root for the Run Differential from 2019-05-16T05:29:35
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Chris Sale’s seven-inning, 17-strikeout game and the Marlins’ ineptitude, then answer listener emails about differences in home-run distance, rooting for r...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1375: The“Is This Guy Good?”Game from 2019-05-14T07:43:36
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about inside-the-park homers versus over-the-fence homers, the gratifying rise of home-run robberies, and the unique career of Edwin Jackson (who’s about to have...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1374: Gallo’s Humor from 2019-05-10T05:30:58
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about dogs, nieces, and nephews, their ambivalence about gambling and the future of gambling and real/fantasy baseball, the on-field and off-field excellence of ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1373: Podcasts Per Hour from 2019-05-09T07:04:05
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Shohei Ohtani’s return, Mike Fiers’ no-hitter, and the hard-luck Reds, do a Stat Blast and banter about True Wins vs. no-hitters and other standout starts,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1372: The Angellic Choir from 2019-05-07T07:44:02
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the merits of True Wins vs. no-hitters, a Pablo Sandoval fun fact, whether most pitchers would prefer to be better than average with a higher ERA or worse ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1371: What is Sabermetrics? from 2019-05-04T04:11:32
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Noah Syndergaard‘s True Win, an 81-pitch complete game for Kyle Hendricks, the AL Central after Corey Kluber‘s injury and the Twins’ hot start to the seaso...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1370: Hot to Trout from 2019-05-02T02:32:53
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the Hall of Famers Mike Trout just surpassed in WAR (featuring a story about Goose Goslin and Joe Cronin) and Trout’s recent improvements in plate discipli...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1369: Utilitarian Player from 2019-04-30T08:48:09
Co-hosts assemble! Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter (briefly and sans spoilers) about baseball in Avengers: Endgame and follow up both about Meg’s attempt to keep track of baseball ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1368: Barehand Gab from 2019-04-27T00:02:55
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Rich Hill‘s dominant rehab start, the most famous catches in history and Sam’s article about recreating Kevin Mitchell’s barehand catch, their own best bas...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1367: Vlad Tidings from 2019-04-26T04:09:30
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the long-awaited promotion of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., baseball-watching etiquette at a bachelorette party, and Mike Trout if he weren’t trying, then answer ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1366: The Cooperstown Crossover from 2019-04-23T13:48:44
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the numbers behind the Yankees’ historic injury stack, an inspired piece of pitch-framing by Francisco Cervelli, Ramon Laureano as a human highlight machin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1365: If a Bat Flips in a Forest from 2019-04-19T23:00:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg seeing the Padres in person, the Phillies’ attendance surge, rooting for writers who’ve taken team jobs, and the Mariners’ lousy last week, then discus...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1364: Rounding Second and Heading for Home from 2019-04-18T04:49:26
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Johnny Cooney as the Vroom Vroom Guy, minor-league closer Dusten Knight’s backflip save-celebration ritual, the extremestruggles of the Red Sox, and a new ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1363: The Return of Real or Not Real from 2019-04-16T11:33:52
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about baseball equivalents of Tiger Woods winning the Masters, follow up on two topics from the previous week (Willians Astudillo’s disputed whiff and Don Zimmer...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1362: An Inelegant Blooper for a More Civilized Age from 2019-04-13T00:43:29
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ fun, surprising, and unsustainable start (and how it might affect the franchise), Austin Hedges’ chest protector, the extraordinary nature of...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1361: A Generous Tip from 2019-04-10T22:33:27
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Willians Astudillo’s first strikeout of the season (and whether strike three should have been a foul ball), then answer listener emails about Alex Verdugo ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1360: The Team Fun Draft from 2019-04-08T14:02:48
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about Mike Trout leading MLB in WAR and follow up on the bad ad from Episode 1358, then draft all 30 teams in terms of how fun they are to follow in...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1359: Errors Come in Threes from 2019-04-06T15:22:52
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a Blue Jays fan who’s unfazed by foul balls, a possible comeback for defunct Fox show Pitch, the Mariners (specifically Tim Beckham and Dylan Moore) commit...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1358: Return to Sender from 2019-04-05T01:58:23
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Christian Yelich vs. Eugenio Suarez and Yelich vs. regression, an inscrutable ad, Jose Alvarado and the apparent increase in aesthetically pleasing pitches...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1357: Bryce and Brockmire from 2019-04-02T10:05:21
In a bonus episode of EW, Ben Lindbergh and The Ringer’s Michael Baumann banter about Bryce Harper’s transparently but nonetheless almost endearingly calculated campaign to win over Philly fans, wh...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1356: Keep Your Eye on the Bat from 2019-04-01T11:11:16
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Meg Rowley banter about Sam’s cabin sojourn, how well Major League has held up, an exciting development in strategic bat tosses, a big day for Willians Astudillo, the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1355: Opening Day Banter and the Baseball Brit from 2019-03-29T22:15:27
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their Opening Day experiences, the pleasure of immersing themselves in baseball again, baseball players being better than ever, and MLB’s arbitration champ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1354: Cabin Ball from 2019-03-28T10:37:21
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s unusual plan to immerse himself in the beginning of the baseball season, watching games as a writer vs. watching games as a fan, two responses to pre...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1353: The Show Goes On from 2019-03-26T12:26:36
In a bonus episode of EW, Ben Lindbergh talks to SABR’s Jacob Pomrenke about the centennial of the notorious 1919 White Sox, SABR’s new “Eight Myths Out” project, the persistent misconceptions abou...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1352: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Orioles from 2019-03-26T10:11:02
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Willians Astudillo making the Twins’ Opening Day roster, whether Astudillo’s uncanny ability to make contact is more mental or physical, and what Oliver Pe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1351: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Marlins from 2019-03-22T10:31:01
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners-A’s opening series, the emotional last game featuring Ichiro Suzuki, and the uncertain degree to which the recent rash of contract extensions ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1350: Season Preview Series: Astros and Tigers from 2019-03-20T12:56:08
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter at length about Mike Trout’s extension, why he may have wanted to stay with the Angels, what makes him different from other players, and why he’s underpaid despi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1349: Wonder Hamster from 2019-03-18T09:32:04
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller, and Effectively Wild listener and Mike Trout Tier Patreon supporter Anthony Scheff banter about the Blue Jays raising salaries for minor leaguers, the team’s motivations ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1348: Season Preview Series: Indians and White Sox from 2019-03-16T02:56:13
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg witnessing actual baseball being played, her plans for watching the Mariners’ and Athletics’ international Opening Day matchup, Willians Astudillo’s sp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1347: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Royals from 2019-03-14T09:56:11
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about parity in the NL and imbalance in the AL, then preview the 2019 Dodgers (7:08) with Los Angeles Times national baseball writer Andy McCullough, and the 201...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1346: Baseball and Eight American Pies from 2019-03-12T08:10:57
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about the fallout from Vladimir GuerreroJr.’s oblique injury and the signings of Adam Jones and Martin Maldonado as referenda on free agency, then answer listene...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1345: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Mariners from 2019-03-09T13:55:33
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Max Scherzer’s supremacy and the changes coming to the Atlantic League in 2019 as part of its partnership with MLB, include an altered base size, mound dis...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1344: Something Old, Something New from 2019-03-07T22:53:50
Ben Lindbergh (re)introduces new co-hosts Sam Miller of ESPN and Meg Rowley of FanGraphs. Together, they explain the show’s new format and schedule, pay tribute to departed co-host Jeff Sullivan, a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1343: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Rangers from 2019-03-06T10:28:45
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Steven Goldman of The Infinite Inning banter about Luis Severino’s injury and the perils of spring training, Sonny Gray’s slider problem and the perils of player dev...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1342: Take Me Out With the Crowdfunding from 2019-03-03T03:06
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Emily Waldon of The Athletic banter about how Emily got into covering the minor leagues, the perils and rewards of minor-league coverage, the progress of player deve...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1341: Jesse Thorn, Bryce Harper, and Cardinals and Giants Previews from 2019-03-01T06:39:33
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Jesse Thorn of Maximum Fun banter about Bryce Harper signing with the Phillies and the intriguing NL East, Jesse’s Giants fandom, being an ambassador of baseball to ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1340: Season Preview Series: Rays and Padres from 2019-02-27T09:56:40
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Zach Kram of The Ringer banter about Clayton Kershaw’s bum arm, a rash of semi-suspiciously-timed signings, the Atlantic League as a testing ground for MLB rules cha...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1339: Jeff Got a Job from 2019-02-22T16:35:05
In Jeff Sullivan’s final episode as the co-host of Effectively Wild (but not the podcast’s final episode), he and Ben Lindbergh discuss his new job as an analyst for the Tampa Bay Rays, what it was...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1338: Season Preview Series: Mets and Blue Jays from 2019-02-21T03:24:33
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about whether contract extensions are actually on the rise, the increasingly curious career of Rinku Singh, and Pirates owner Bob Nutting’s confusing comments...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1337: Season Preview Series: Angels and Brewers from 2019-02-20T12:10
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Manny Machado signing with the Padres and what the news means for the free-agent market and the futures of the NL West, the Phillies, and Bryce Harper, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1336: Season Preview Series: Twins and Phillies from 2019-02-16T03:21:49
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about differently shaped players being in the best shape of their lives, the Luis Severino extension, and three trends: the disappearance of highly ranked pit...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1335: Horsed Retirement from 2019-02-14T10:35:53
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo’s visa problem, Doug Fister’s retirement and CC Sabathia’s retirement tour, Johnny Cueto’s late horses, the current size of Yoenis Ce...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1334: Season Preview Series: Braves and Diamondbacks from 2019-02-12T08:46:46
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the return of Brett Lawrie and two-way draftee Kyler Murray’s decision to pursue playing football over baseball, then preview the 2019 Atlanta Braves (8...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1333: Season Preview Series: Rockies and Pirates from 2019-02-09T01:40:21
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a bunch of proposed rules changes, FanGraphs readers’ responses to them, and the general desirability of change of some sort, then preview the 2019 Colo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1332: The Life of Riley from 2019-02-08T11:06:03
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan dissect the trade that sent catcher J.T. Realmuto from the Marlins to the Phillies for Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez, and Will Stewart, honor the legacy of Frank Robin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1331: Season Preview Series: Reds and Athletics from 2019-02-05T12:20:05
In the first installment of the seventh annual Effectively Wild season preview series, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Bryce Harper, Scott Boras, team meetings with free agents, the se...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1330: Rough Drafts from 2019-02-02T01:52:39
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about rumors and the offseason, then answer listener emails about forming a team from remaining free agents, the definition of “Baseball IQ,” small-market tea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1329: Statheaded Elsewhere from 2019-01-31T10:15:05
Ben Lindbergh and ESPN’s Sam Miller banter about offseason content-creation strategies, recurring columns, and an alternate history in which Orlando Cepeda could have prevented writers from citing ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1328: National Past Time from 2019-01-31T00:01:58
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about players playing for their lives, Bryce Harper rumors, Harper’s fame vs. Mike Trout’s, feeling less intense anticipation than they used to, the Red Sox s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1327: Marginal Wince from 2019-01-25T11:58:44
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about good and bad news for much-traveled pitcher Oliver Drake, the Dodgers’ signing of A.J. Pollock and the team’s perplexing offseason plan and lack of NL W...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1326: Hall of Flames from 2019-01-24T01:48:07
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the Hall of Fame results, including why (and whether) the Hall matters, Mariano Rivera’s unanimous election, the greatness of Mike Mussina, the stagnation of...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1325: Book Learning from 2019-01-22T02:06:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo and the Sonny Gray trade, then (19:11) bring on Padres podcaster David Marver to talk about the Padres supposedly opening their books...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1324: The Salary Trap from 2019-01-19T11:12:22
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo’s final winter league stats, the retirement of Ricky Romero, the upside of a slow market, and the anticlimax of a big free-agent sign...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1323: Bed God from 2019-01-19T02:06:07
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Yankees signing Adam Ottavino and the Angels signing Cody Allen, super-pens vs. improvised pens, and Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer, and Mike Trout, the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1322: Read All About It from 2019-01-17T02:31:33
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben and Travis Sawchik finishing their new book, The MVP Machine, Willians Astudillo‘s MVP voting results, the Kyler Murray baseball/football decision a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1321: You Are the Boss of Me from 2019-01-12T04:28:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo being plunked in reprisal for his home-run pimp, the surprisingly small contract of Yasmani Grandal and the state of the Brewers and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1320: Mets Are From Mars from 2019-01-10T07:43:07
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo going viral yet again, his iconic winter-league home-run pose and the state of celebration in baseball, the improbable personality of...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1319: Scott, Bore Us from 2019-01-09T01:39:05
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Oliver Drake‘s new (and also old) team, the Mets, Brodie Van Wagenen, and Keon Broxton, the Yankees signing Zach Britton, how data and technology have h...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1318: The Keeper of the Game from 2019-01-04T05:29:50
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about New York Met Rymer Liriano and the minor league free agent draft, David Robertson signing with the Phillies, Robertson’s underrated record, and a Saberm...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1317: Alphabatical Order from 2019-01-03T08:34:45
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Yankees signing Troy Tulowitzki, Whit Merrifield’s vaguely worded optimism about the Royals, and the necessity of unrealistic expectations, then ans...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1316: Oh Say Can Yusei from 2019-01-02T10:22:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Mariners signing Yusei Kikuchi, Willians Astudillo’s last 10 days, and Oliver Drake’s latest designation for assignment, and then grade the Hall of ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1315: The 2019 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2018-12-28T08:37:22
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and ESPN’s Sam Miller review the top candidates for the most enduring baseball memory of 2018, then conduct the sixth annual Effectively Wild Minor League Free Agent D...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1314: What We Missed in 2018 (NL Edition) from 2018-12-27T11:57:25
In the second of two themed episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan review one aspect of each National League team’s year that they overlooked on earlier episodes, touching on stories involving t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1313: What We Missed in 2018 (AL Edition) from 2018-12-24T09:10:44
In the first of two themed episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan review one aspect of each American League team’s year that they overlooked on earlier episodes, touching on stories involving Mi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1312: A Puig of Their Own from 2018-12-22T09:02:37
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Daniel Murphy, Trevor Cahill, Anibal Sanchez, and Andrew Miller signings, react in real time to the three-team Jurickson Profar trade, and answer li...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1311: Rickrolled from 2018-12-20T11:38:45
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Royals signing Terrance Gore and turning themselves into a bad-but-entertaining team of stolen-base threats, the Angels signing Matt Harvey and how ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1310: Pool Party from 2018-12-19T03:09:46
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Astros’ signing of Michael Brantley, the curious cases of blocked prospects Kyle Tucker and Alex Verdugo, the Mets’ signing of Wilson Ramos, and the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1309: Manager Overboard from 2018-12-15T03:01:39
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about why there have been so many Noah Syndergaard trade rumors, then answer listener emails about whether Giancarlo Stanton would be better if he raised his ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1308: What Happened in Vegas from 2018-12-14T12:32:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s sartorial choice during his MLB Network appearance at the Winter Meetings, Willians Astudillo striking out twice against the same pitcher in a pr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1307: The Baines of Our Existence from 2018-12-10T14:19:24
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about expected activity at the Winter Meetings, the pointlessness of the Winter Meetings, and the Hall of Fame elections of Lee Smith and Harold Baines (yes, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1306: Terrance Gore is Going from 2018-12-07T09:21:01
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo and discuss Nathan Eovaldi re-signing with the Red Sox, the Cardinals-Diamondbacks trade involving Paul Goldschmidt, Luke Weaver, and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1305: Corbin McCarthy from 2018-12-06T05:05:12
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo’s Venezuelan Winter League MVP chances, the latest scuttlebutt about banning the shift (and why it reflects the right impulse but the...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1304: The Roving Righty from 2018-12-04T06:13:31
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the nomadic Andy Wilkins, revisit the Mariners-Mets trade and Robinson Cano’s graceful decline so far, discuss the Mariners-Phillies trade, the career o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1303: Who Says Cano from 2018-12-01T05:14:06
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a busy week in rumored (and completed) transactions, touching on the Mets-Mariners blockbuster revolving around Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz, the Indian...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1302: No True Outcomes from 2018-11-28T10:45:12
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Robinson Cano, Madison Bumgarner, and Paul Goldschmidt trade rumors, what makes for a slow or exciting offseason, and the cooling effect that superteams...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1301: Twilight Doubleheader from 2018-11-27T13:47:17
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Oliver Drake’s new/old home, the Braves signing Josh Donaldson and Brian McCann and converting Johan Camargo, the Pirates signing Lonnie Chisenhall, and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1300: Baseball Driver from 2018-11-23T06:00:31
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about minor-league pay, the surprising prospect past of Neil Walker, and the impending posting and pitching of NPB star Yusei Kikuchi. Then (13:43) they bring...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1299: The Whiff Heard Round the World from 2018-11-22T05:57:10
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Willians Astudillo strikeout (and Astudillo vs. other, more highly-touted Twins), the team-switching saga of Oliver Drake, and the singular skill of N...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1298: The Paxton Pact from 2018-11-21T03:09:33
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Tommy Milone and Willians Astudillo, Bryce Harper‘s awful fielding in 2018, two more examples of percentages greater than 100, and Adrian Beltre’s retir...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1297: Cistulli and Desist from 2018-11-17T04:04:49
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a big day for Willians Astudillo, the still-overlooked greatness of Anthony Rendon, the mystery of Jeff Mathis, John Middleton’s comments about the Phil...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1296: Hot Prospect Content from 2018-11-16T11:41:52
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo‘s current strikeout-less streak, a few more people who gave much more than 100 percent, and end-of-season-award voting, including Mik...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1295: The 120-Percent Podcast from 2018-11-13T04:36:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jose Altuve and other players claiming to give (much) more than 100 percent and Joe Mauer‘s retirement and Hall of Fame case, then answer listener email...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1294: Signs Language from 2018-11-10T11:48:28
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Carter Capps-like cricket bowler, another Scott Boras nautical analogy, the latest Mariners-Rays trade (this time involving Mike Zunino, Guillermo Her...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1293: Offseason Draft Day from 2018-11-08T01:48:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the possibility of the Mariners selling and what a Jerry Dipoto-led rebuild would look like, the Yankees’ CC Sabathia signing and GM Brian Cashman’s com...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1292: Strat and Tats from 2018-11-06T10:15:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo‘s 2019 Steamer projections and turnover in the Astros front office and field staff, then (13:17) bring on Arnie Pollinger and Robin P...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1291: Power Ball to the People from 2018-11-03T03:33:56
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and ESPN’s Sam Miller recap the results of their 2018 minor league free agent draft and the surprising season of Wade LeBlanc, banter about Willians Astudillo and Delm...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1290: Circling the Wagenen from 2018-11-01T00:22:21
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Boston’s outfield rotation during the World Series, the significance of declining World Series ratings, the Orioles and the difficulty of classifying “t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1289: Postseason Finale from 2018-10-29T22:26:44
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan recap the last three games of the World Series, including a wild and interminable Game 3, Game 4’s divisive managerial decisions, Game 5’s matchup of diverging start...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1288: The More You Don’t Know from 2018-10-26T22:00:25
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about how teams project the outcomes of matchups between batters and pitchers, the perils of second-guessing well-informed managerial decisions, and why teams...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1287: Contact High from 2018-10-26T10:53:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a home-run robbery by 40-year-old Endy Chavez and some managerial news, then discuss the first two games of the World Series, focusing on the Red Sox st...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1286: World Serious from 2018-10-23T09:47:03
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, how long it takes to fall asleep, and international signings, then review the end of the NLCS, discuss the worst way to lose, foreca...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1285: October Gets in Gear from 2018-10-19T08:28:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a wild week of playoff baseball, including all the action from Games 3 and 4 of the ALCS and Games 4 and 5 of the NLCS, Joe West’s infamous fan-interfer...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1284: The Ghosts of Game Seven from 2018-10-17T02:49:51
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Game 3 of the NLCS, the apparent breakouts of Orlando Arcia and Brock Holt, Josh Hader as Poochie, why Yasmani Grandal and other playoff catchers can’t ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1283: Hey, Look, a Playoff Episode from 2018-10-16T07:21:55
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the lack of non-playoff banter and discuss the first two games of each championship series, touching on Clayton Kershaw bias, Matt Barnes curveballs, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1282: Play-By-Playoffs from 2018-10-12T08:36:05
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the response to their writing about the demise of the starting pitcher, the sources of their unease about baseball’s bullpen takeover, and the difficult...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1281: The Scary Sac Fly from 2018-10-11T01:29:46
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an engaging Game 4 of the ALDS and sum up the Red Sox-Yankees series, the end of Astros-Indians, and the ALDS as a whole. Then they answer listener emai...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1280: The 1.8 Percent Strike from 2018-10-09T00:05:35
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Scott Oberg and the difference between good and bad balk calls, the Brewers sweeping the Rockies and the state of playoff bullpenning, the Astros jugger...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1279: October, Continued from 2018-10-05T23:55:36
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the difficulties of postseason scheduling, both opening games of the NLDS, a better bullpen game by the Brewers, the Rockies’ decision to pitch to Mike ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1278: The Postseason Swing of Things from 2018-10-05T02:37:39
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan review the saber-savvy ESPN broadcast of the NL wild card game, relive the highs, lows, and pivotal/memorable moments of both wild card games, defend the bullpen gam...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1277: The Best Baseball is Back from 2018-10-02T06:47:55
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a wild end to the regular season, including the season’s final Willians Astudillo update (maybe), endings for Joe Mauer, David Wright, and Mike Scioscia...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1276: Reviewing the Regular Season from 2018-09-28T22:11:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the MVP races, the definition of value, Jacob deGrom, and Christian Yelich, plus an investigation into teams’ international practices, CC Sabathia’s cos...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1275: Collapses and Surges from 2018-09-27T06:12:16
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, Chris Davis and Khris Davis, the end of a Clayton Kershaw streak, Jacob deGrom, the ever-changing NL playoff race, the rapid spread ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1274: Meet the New Manager, Different From the Old Manager from 2018-09-25T07:47:47
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, Jeff McNeil, and Juan Graterol, Shaq Thompson and the highest minor-league strikeout rates, the last week of the season, the lowest ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1273: Baseball, But Louder from 2018-09-21T22:46:20
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the response to their previous episode, whether improvements in catching or improvements in umpiring have done more to reduce the variation in framing p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1272: Take Money to Make Money? from 2018-09-20T05:45:01
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Trevor Story’s close call, then (9:04) bring on former MLB pitcher Michael Schwimer, the founder and CEO of Big League Advance, to talk about the mechan...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1271: The Stretch Run from 2018-09-18T11:52:28
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo and Jacob deGrom (as usual), the perception of the Cubs vs. the reality of the Cubs, the dramatic, puzzling increase in infield shift...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1270: A Cup of Their Own from 2018-09-14T11:04:15
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo going viral again, a Shohei Ohtani fun fact, J.D. Martinez, Mookie Betts, and how to gauge a player’s value to his teammates, the eme...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1269: Best in the Business from 2018-09-13T08:13:05
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the unlikely championship season of the Northwest League’s Eugene Emeralds, Jacob deGrom‘s latest hard-luck loss, and maintaining perspective about the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1268: Replay, Reviewed from 2018-09-11T00:21:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, Jeff’s ideal afterlife, Mike Trout‘s future and what an extension for Trout might look like, the Tyler Flowers extension, Michael Ko...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1267: The Ohtani Elbow Inquest from 2018-09-06T10:59:15
Ben Lindbergh, The Ringer’s Michael Baumann, and Tommy John surgery researcher Jon Roegele convene to discuss every aspect of the news that Shohei Ohtani will likely undergo Tommy John surgery, inc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1266: Labor WAR from 2018-09-06T08:26:26
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Dee Gordon‘s walk rate, Jonathan Villar‘s daring baserunning, how much the “opener” has contributed to the Rays’ success, and Todd Frazier’s variation o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1265: Home Runs Per Homestand from 2018-09-05T10:45:35
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Trevor Story‘s improvement, Brady Feigl vs. Brady Feigl, Joe West vs. Austin Davis and an information card, a Carter Capps update, the Mariners’ clubhou...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1264: Schrödinger’s Bunt Attempt from 2018-09-01T00:33:15
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Matt Chapman‘s misleading error total, Tyler White and “cheap” home runs, Danny Hultzen, Aaron Nola, and the concept of “safe” players, the latest on Sh...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1263: Around the Majors in 36 Days from 2018-08-29T09:51:54
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan have a possibly premature discussion of whether Shohei Ohtani lived up to the preseason hype, then answer listener emails about the Angels’ historic record in two-ru...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1262: Conquering Coors, with Kyle Freeland from 2018-08-28T05:09:54
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the surprising home run streak of Kendrys Morales, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, and the fluctuating state of the White Sox rebuild, an unusual Yankees...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1261: How Luck is Bailing Out Baseball from 2018-08-25T05:12:33
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the returns of Mike Trout and Willians Astudillo, Astudillo’s new hobby, Jose Ramirez‘s power/speed combo, the NL Rookie of the Year race between Ronald...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1260: Waiver? I Hardly Know Her! from 2018-08-23T10:35:20
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a listener-created tool to determine the first big leaguer to be born after and the last big leaguer to be born before any given date, the waiver-claim ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1259: I Will Follow You into the Park from 2018-08-20T13:47:26
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Clayton Kershaw’s resurgence and opt-out odds, the state of the playoff races, the Mariners’ balk-off weekend win, an unusual aspect of the 2008 CC Saba...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1258: Slow-Pitch Baseball from 2018-08-18T09:56:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s introduction to climbing, a Mets-Phillies blowout, Scott Kingery‘s slow pitches, Jacob deGrom‘s run support, Jose Ureña‘s suspension and how to pu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1257: Being Baseball Ambassadors from 2018-08-16T13:57:04
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and writer Rachael McDaniel banter about a Scott Boras quote about Bryce Harper, the hot streaks of Matt Carpenter and Ronald Acuña, an Ender Inciarte comment, aging i...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1256: Grounds Crew Questions from 2018-08-14T07:35:02
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s book activities, David Bote‘s exciting grand slam, Ramon Laureano‘s highlight throw, a few surprisingly (and not-so-surprisingly) streaking player...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1255: Keep Your Eye on the Hidden Ball from 2018-08-11T03:28:01
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Felix Hernandez‘s demotion to the bullpen, Willians Astudillo and the hidden-ball trick, former major leaguers who are still excelling internationally, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1254: Revenge of the Super-Nerds from 2018-08-09T08:55:15
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jacoby Ellsbury‘s latest injury, Jayson Werth‘s anti-analytics rant, Luke Heimlich, and Shohei Ohtani, then answer listener emails about how defensive p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1253: Executive-Producing Players from 2018-08-08T16:10:28
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s excursion to a Helena Brewers game, Matt Davidson‘s relief excellence, Juan Soto‘s historic performance, Kole Calhoun‘s resurgence, the A’s acquir...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1252: Beware of Baseball Grumps from 2018-08-03T05:00:55
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on an awful umpire call from the Mexican League, discuss the all-time top power-plus-speed players, lament Johnny Cueto’s Tommy John surgery, and acknowled...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1251: A Giant of the Game from 2018-08-02T04:46:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a hiking analogy, the Nationals jettisoning relievers Brandon Kintzler and Shawn Kelley, and the no-longer-so-unhittable Justin Miller, then answer list...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1250: Too Many Trades from 2018-08-01T07:43:04
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan break down (almost) all the trade-deadline deals by (almost) every team, with special attention to the Chris Archer trade between the Pirates and Rays, the Nationals...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1249: How Trades Get Made from 2018-07-27T07:35:31
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan have an in-depth discussion with former Mets director of baseball operations and Braves assistant GM Adam Fisher about being a front-office utility man, talking to t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1248: Hustle and Slow from 2018-07-26T07:38:09
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Zach Britton and Nathan Eovaldi trades, the Yankees’ unbelievable bullpen, the Rays’ most recent Sergio Romo experiment, and the Gary Sanchez hustle...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1247: The 32-Year-Old Who Only Hit Homers from 2018-07-24T07:44:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Billy Butler‘s beer league, the Jeurys Familia trade, the red-hot Oakland A’s, Seattle’s extensions for Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais, the AL wild card...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1246: A Brad in the Hand from 2018-07-20T14:30:16
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about beard grooming, the indy-league exploits of Rafael Palmeiro, Patrick Palmeiro, and the Chinese national team, the Padres-Indians trade involving Brad Ha...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1245: Moving Manny from 2018-07-19T05:33:56
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan break down the five-for-one deal that sent Manny Machado to Los Angeles, discussing the players changing teams, the short- and long-term implications for the Dodgers...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1244: Moving on From Matheny from 2018-07-17T00:52:12
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Mike Trout and marketing, the surprising Rays and the unsung Jake Bauers, the AL wild card race, Willians Astudillo’s pitching appearance, the results o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1243: Scoreboard! from 2018-07-13T17:10:57
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Daniel Descalso, Alex Blandino, and the ongoing onslaught of position-player pitchers, Jacob deGrom‘s updated WAR vs. wins status, Kyle Schwarber‘s two-...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1242: Teams in Glass Houses from 2018-07-12T06:09:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Manny Machado trade precedents, the Astros’ weird walk-off, the A’s as wild-card contenders, Trevor Bauer and an Indians bullpen miscommunication, the R...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1241: Midsummer Snubs and the Deal with the Deadline from 2018-07-10T07:51:39
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an old “Umpire Day,” the Mariners’ run-differential defiance, and the Royals’ extreme struggles and possibly unprecedented amateur signing, then discuss...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1240: Make Some Noise from 2018-07-06T13:21:12
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the third-place Nationals and Wade LeBlanc’s extension, then answer listener emails about trading Bryce Harper, signing Bryce Harper, throwing super-slo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1239: The Astudillo Origin Story from 2018-07-06T08:00:34
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Rays using backup catcher Jesus Sucre as a pitcher to protect a lead, the return of Shohei Ohtani, Javier Baez’s exciting and silly steal of home, a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1238: Absolute Unit from 2018-07-03T10:58:20
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the joyous big-league debut and amazing minor-league history of Effectively Wild favorite and new Twins utility man Willians Astudillo, an awful Royals ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1237: Bedtime for Trout from 2018-06-29T12:53:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jose Alvarado, Shohei Ohtani‘s power and possible return as a hitter, Shane Bieber‘s velocity, the minor-league breakouts of Chris Paddack and Colin Poc...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1236: Local (and National) Color from 2018-06-29T06:59:01
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s lost and found voice, then bring on MLB on TBS and SNY analyst Ron Darling (5:33) to discuss preparing to call games, talking stats on TV, local ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1235: Becoming a Beat Writer and Marketing Mike Trout from 2018-06-26T07:35:48
Ben Lindbergh and The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler discuss Lindsey’s transition from blogging to beat writing, how to talk to players and become comfortable in the clubhouse, the contrasts between the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1234: The First Baseman Who Blogs from 2018-06-22T22:02:46
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Coors Field, Domingo German, the amazing Max Scherzer, Tyler Chatwood, Kole Calhoun‘s comeback, the writing process, Marcell Ozuna‘s catch attempt, Ichi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1233: Baby Powder and Baby Cakes from 2018-06-21T06:28:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Steven Brault‘s national-anthem performance, Brandon Morrow‘s ignoble injury, the Kelvin Herrera trade, banana ambivalence, a suspicious baby-powder puf...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1232: The Ump Show from 2018-06-19T15:03:52
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Juan Soto‘s timeline-rearranging home run, Adrian Houser throwing up mid-game, Nick Markakis and Braves all-star voting, a Mets official’s donut metapho...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1231: Chasen the Dream from 2018-06-16T11:34:40
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on Terry Collins, trick running plays, Steven Brault‘s disappointing strikeout, the Mariners, and Justin Miller, banter about Takuya Nakashima’s 200th care...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1230: Our Cast is in the Jackpot from 2018-06-14T12:19:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the end of Steven Brault‘s strikeout streak, Brandon Nimmo‘s non-HBP, Jacob deGrom‘s and Mike Trout’s latest futile heroics, the Mariners’ luck, leaked ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1229: Say it Ain’t Shohei from 2018-06-12T01:17:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Masahiro Tanaka‘s double hamstring strain, Joey Gallo‘s bunt against the shift, and Nationals reliever Justin Miller‘s amazing stats this season. Then t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1228: Dangerous DH Ideas from 2018-06-09T00:14:07
After Ben Lindbergh briefly mourns the Shohei Ohtani injury news, he and Jeff Sullivan banter about the…impassioned response to Ben’s article about the DH and pitcher hitting, a few DH-related fall...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1227: The Draft is Done from 2018-06-07T07:37:44
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jonny Venters, Max Scherzer and immaculate innings, the futility of pitcher hitting in 2018, the NL’s encouraging interleague record, MLB buying Rawling...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1226: Straight from the Fireman’s Mouth from 2018-06-06T09:21:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the improving defense of Mike Trout and Matt Kemp, two minor observations prompted by amateur draft coverage, and a confusing quirk in the standings, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1225: Such is This Game, and Such is John Jaso from 2018-06-02T05:35:34
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Clayton Kershaw‘s latest back injury, the “opener” strategy spreading to L.A., and the unexpected sources of production that have helped keep the Dodger...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1224: Two Hands Are Worse Than One from 2018-05-31T11:24:05
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s moderately close encounter with a volcano, various events that took place in baseball while he was away, Rob Manfred’s recent comments about chan...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1223: Expansion Strategies and a Defense of Casey from 2018-05-28T06:00:31
On the day the Stanley Cup finals start, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to Baseball Prospectus writer Zach Crizer about how future MLB expansion clubs could construct baseball’s equivalent of...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1222: Testing the Balls and Beating the Bookies from 2018-05-26T04:44:34
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Red Sox designating Hanley Ramirez for assignment, what Mookie Betts and Barry Bonds have in common, Shohei Ohtani‘s “workload management,” Bartolo ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1221: Stay Strong, Ron from 2018-05-24T00:24:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the banged-up Mariners, Tyler Chatwood‘s wildness, the Astros’ record-setting run prevention, a Mike Trout milestone, Chris Davis and looking strikeouts...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1220: Brockmire and Upon Further Review from 2018-05-23T00:37:36
In a bonus EW episode, Ben Lindbergh brings on The Ringer’s Michael Baumann to talk to actor Hank Azaria about the second season of IFC’s Brockmire, real broadcasters’ affection for the show, provi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1219: The Opener Arrives from 2018-05-22T00:18:51
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about baffling flamethrower Jordan Hicks, Rich Hill‘s latest blister problem, the Orioles’ unlikely 13-hit, zero-run game, Albert Pujols‘ prospects, Ryan Zimm...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1218: Commission and Omission from 2018-05-18T07:13:26
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the dominant Justin Verlander and the Astros’ historic pitching pace, the still-struggling Dodgers, and the prospects of Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Gue...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1217: The Sound of Strikes from 2018-05-17T03:45:22
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the fallout from Robinson Cano‘s 80-game suspension, the league’s latest adjustment to Shohei Ohtani, Jason Castro‘s injury and Willians Astudillo’s opp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1216: Let it Ride and Peacock Pride from 2018-05-15T15:15:31
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Freddy Peralta‘s unique Coors Field debut, Takuya Nakashima’s improbable grand slam, Shohei Ohtani‘s ongoing pitching evolution, Javier Baez‘s perplexin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1215: The Giant-Catcher Club from 2018-05-12T02:35:13
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a new newsletter about baseball debuts, Shohei Ohtani’s latest exploits, the pitiful state of the AL Central, the even more pitiful performance of Oriol...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1214: The Three-Time Tommy John from 2018-05-10T08:15:10
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter (and answer listener emails) about podcast personas, Dylan Bundy’s bad day, players’ favorite stats and a Joc Pederson conundrum, James Paxton and the recent ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1213: The No-Strikeout Streaker from 2018-05-07T10:17:50
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on HBP rules and two of the three radical ideas they discussed last week and banter about Ichiro’s quasi-retirement, the Braves’ talented-but-overperformin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1212: Three Radical Ideas from 2018-05-04T09:40:31
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and ESPN’s Sam Miller banter about James Paxton’s 16-strikeout start and the elusive 21-strikeout game, why no-hitters are becoming more common but are also endangered...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1211: The 21-Loss Salute from 2018-05-03T10:11:56
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee banter about Trevor Bauer, sticky substances, and spin rate, Ken Giles’s self-harming home-run reaction, the best baseball clips to rewat...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1210: You Stay Classy, Salvy (and San Diego) from 2018-05-01T09:15:44
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Steven Brault’s non-strikeout streak, the failing Wilmer Font and Kazuhisa Makita, the excellent Ozzie Albies, scouting Pablo Sandoval’s pitching, a sil...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1209: Stop, Pop, and Roll from 2018-04-27T23:17:49
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on previous talk of triples, popups, and foul balls, then discuss Ronald Acuña’s big second game, the intriguing Oakland A’s, the new and maybe-improved Jo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1208: The Acuña Cometh from 2018-04-26T10:44:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ronald Acuña’s debut and the Braves’ pivot to position players, the history of Peter Bourjos losing his job, Eric Lauer’s less heralded/distinguished de...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1207: The 21-Topic Podcast from 2018-04-24T00:28:10
In an unwitting tribute to Brandon Belt’s 21-pitch plate appearance, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about approximately 21 topics, including the Mariners’ awkward, self-imposed Ichiro situa...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1206: From FanGraphs to the Phillies from 2018-04-21T00:18:11
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the strange standings, turnover in the Reds’ dugout, the hot starts by the Red Sox and MookieBetts, the side effects of pitchers’ increasing avoidance o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1205: Baseball on the Brain from 2018-04-19T11:08:10
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Shohei Ohtani’s blister, the Braves signing Jose Bautista as a third baseman, and Oakland’s well-attended free-admission game, then talk to two authors ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1204: Shifting Weather Patterns from 2018-04-16T23:35:22
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and Baseball Prospectus writer Russell Carleton discuss Russell’s new book, The Shift, banter about bad weather, Bartolo Colon, baseball’s unexpectedly competitive div...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1203: Bullpen Brawlers and Statcast Crossovers from 2018-04-14T10:54:57
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a recent spat of basebrawls, Clint Hurdle vs. Javier Baez and bat flips, Shohei Ohtani’s latest heroics, what bullpens do during brawls, and a fun-fact-...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1202: The Strike Zone is Scary from 2018-04-12T11:11:01
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Shohei Ohtani’s platoon splits and pitchers’ league-wide avoidance of the strike zone this season, then answer listener emails about the power and prest...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1201: The Shohei Ohtani Reappreciation Pod from 2018-04-09T23:36:49
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a walk-off popup, a weekend brawl, booing Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper’s hot start and Byron Buxton’s slow (but not slowest) start, Xander Bogaerts, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1200: The Small-Sample Sampler from 2018-04-06T23:35:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a James Paxton eagle attack (and an earlier condor attack), a successful Jon Lester bounce pass, a play that proves that some players don’t know the rul...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1199: Two for Ohtani from 2018-04-05T03:22:30
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Shohei Ohtani’s hot hitting start, revisit the subject of Joey Gallo bunting against the four-man outfield, and critique a retracted Trevor Rosenthal re...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1198: The Regular-Season Routine from 2018-04-03T09:55:24
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about returning to the regular-season routine, between-innings highlights on MLB.TV, Shohei Ohtani’s Angels debut, Gerrit Cole’s Astros debut, Ichiro’s home-r...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1197: Real Baseball is Back from 2018-03-31T03:19:58
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s research into the performance of college teams vs. MLB teams in spring training, then reach into the grab bag for a selection of topics inspired ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1196: A Minor-League Pitcher Explains Minor-League Pay from 2018-03-28T20:57:27
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an update on the fate of the indy leagues, their rapid playoff predictions for 2018, the inaugural journey of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen cart, juiced-bal...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1195: Season Preview Series: Mets and Rays from 2018-03-27T12:26:36
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 partia...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1194: Season Preview Series: Mariners and Rockies from 2018-03-24T15:44:47
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1193: Unicorn on the Cobb from 2018-03-22T09:36:34
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,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1192: Season Preview Series: Twins and Rangers from 2018-03-20T05:55:08
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 ind...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1191: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Pirates from 2018-03-16T11:49:01
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 H...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1190: The No-Look Podcast from 2018-03-15T09:40:52
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 dis...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1189: Season Preview Series: Giants and Athletics from 2018-03-14T10:35:58
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 s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1188: Season Preview Series: Diamondbacks and Brewers from 2018-03-10T15:29:39
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1187: The Baseball Bounce Pass from 2018-03-08T10:07:48
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...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1186: Season Preview Series: Angels and Phillies from 2018-03-06T14:59:54
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 ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1185: Season Preview Series: Cardinals and Braves from 2018-03-03T14:46:44
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Justin Verlander’s contribution to the juiced-balls debate, home runs, and a frank Justin Upton interview about how teams treat players, then preview th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1183: Extra, Extra, Read Ball About It from 2018-03-01T17:15:16
In a bonus, non-team-preview episode, Ben Lindbergh talks to FiveThirtyEight’s Rob Arthur about his new research into the changing construction of the baseball and its possible effect on the rising...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1182: Turning the Corners from 2018-03-01T07:25:59
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Rangers’ Tim Lincecum signing, the Phillies’ corner-outfield experiment, and the Royals’ Lucas Duda signing, then follow up on a knuckleball questio...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1181: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Reds from 2018-02-27T14:49:53
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Logan Morrison signing and the Twins’ potent lineup, the Rays’ potentially lucrative new TV deal, and two tidbits from a game played in 1870, then p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1180: Season Preview Series: Yankees and Orioles from 2018-02-23T12:44:45
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Brent Honeywell injury and Corey Dickerson trade, the Yankees’ and Orioles’ potentially record-breaking projected home-run totals, two addenda about...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1179: The Nate Colbert Report from 2018-02-22T09:55:47
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Rays’ Carlos Gomez signing, the Padres’ improbable all-time home run leader, and the players’ portion of MLB revenue, then answer listener emails ab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1178: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Tigers from 2018-02-21T12:58:40
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about another volcanic comment by Scott Boras, the Eric Hosmer and J.D. Martinez signings and the Rays’ sudden sell-off, MLB’s latest pace-of-play initiatives...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1177: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Padres from 2018-02-17T02:55:13
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Orioles’ Andrew Cashner signing, recent “super-teams” that missed the playoffs, and Marcus Stroman’s arbitration tweets, then preview the 2018 Cubs ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1176: The Best Tape of Our Lives from 2018-02-15T07:16:39
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the installation of a humidor at Chase Field, how peak Ichiro would have hit at Coors Field, and what to make of reports about players in the best shape...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1175: Season Preview Series: Indians and Royals from 2018-02-13T13:54
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Esteban Loaiza’s drug bust and the Cubs’ Yu Darvish signing, then preview the 2018 Indians (15:31) with writer/editor Pete Beatty, and the 2018 Royals (...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1174: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Marlins from 2018-02-10T08:22:53
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the new spring training camp for free agents, return to the topic of why so many high-profile free agents remain unsigned, discuss Todd Frazier’s contra...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1173: Actual Stats vs. Actual Scouts from 2018-02-09T18:24:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about two reports citing anonymous sources, Scott Boras’ boat metaphor, “Memento Mori” as a motivational tool, a John Jaso update, and a Patreon plug, then br...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1172: Season Preview Series: Astros and White Sox from 2018-02-06T12:26:08
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about February rituals and the start and format of the sixth annual EW season preview series, as well as transaction inactivity and another player trampoline ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1171: Take Me Out With the Crowd from 2018-02-02T12:10:04
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about bullpen-cart feasibility, a listener crowdsourcing project to fill out the Effectively Wild Wiki, and the effect of starting an inning with a runner on ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1170: Are the Robots Ready? from 2018-02-01T13:50:21
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Nori Aoki’s return to Japan, Vladimir Guerrero’s swing rate, Franchy Cordero’s power/speed skills, spring training for free agents (again), and Melky Ca...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1169: Trout on a Trampoline from 2018-01-30T12:18:16
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Mike Trout’s trampoline encounter, a Matt Albers update, Ryan Braun’s rumored move to second base, the belated demise of Chief Wahoo, and Ben’s article ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1168: Winning is for Losers from 2018-01-27T14:14:25
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk about the Brewers’ trade for Christian Yelich and signing of Lorenzo Cain, how the Brewers stack up in the NL Central, whether they’re the new model for a rebui...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1167: The Economic Volcano from 2018-01-26T13:59:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Padres’ social-media accounts getting hacked, Scott Boras’ “volcano” comment, Hall of Fame voting results, and Jeff’s article about batting practice...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1166: The 2018 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2018-01-22T07:00:58
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and ESPN’s Sam Miller conduct the fifth annual Effectively Wild Minor League Free Agent Draft, selecting 10 minor league free agents each and competing to see whose ro...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1165: Jeff Passan Diagnoses Baseball’s Broken Market from 2018-01-19T10:43:30
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a few recent trade demands (or non-demands), then bring on Yahoo Sports MLB columnist Jeff Passan to talk about what’s behind baseball’s slow-moving lab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1164: The Names of the Game from 2018-01-18T08:41:05
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan answer listener emails about rebuilding teams absorbing bad contracts, bad teams signing good players, an MLB amnesty clause, fans switching team allegiances, pitche...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1163: Engaged in Trade Talks from 2018-01-17T07:23:55
Ben Lindbergh and a newly engaged Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s absence and return, Willson Contreras and Jon Lester, and the Astros’ and Giants’ ends of the Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen tr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1162: Coping and Collecting from 2018-01-12T22:48:37
Ben Lindbergh talks to SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee about the Mets’ Jay Bruce signing and finding ways to engage with baseball and keep the content coming during an excruciatingly slow offseason, then...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1161: Dave Cameron’s Goodbye to Blogging from 2018-01-10T16:05:43
Ben Lindbergh and outgoing FanGraphs Managing Editor Dave Cameron review Dave’s decision to retire from writing to take a job as an analyst in the San Diego Padres’ front office, discussing his per...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1160: The Podcast of Continuing Education from 2018-01-08T17:46
Ben Lindbergh and his Ringer MLB Show co-host Michael Baumann speculate about how the slow offseason will end, answer listener emails about sabermetrics and salary depression, sumo wrestling and th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1159: The Reverse DePodesta from 2018-01-06T09:06:57
Ben Lindbergh talks to FanGraphs’ newest hire, Meg Rowley, about her transition to full-time baseball writing, becoming a professional writer after starting out in a very different occupation, and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1158: Is a Harper in the Hand Worth Two on the 25-Man? from 2018-01-03T12:34:28
Ben Lindbergh and former co-host Sam Miller of ESPN discuss what (if anything) future generations will remember about the 2017 season, then answer listener emails about an Albert Pujols hypothetica...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1157: Angels GM Billy Eppler on Winning the Winter from 2018-01-01T05:01:34
In the first episode of 2018, Ben Lindbergh talks to Angels GM Billy Eppler about the Angels’ active offseason, touching on Eppler’s blueprint for building a team around Mike Trout, winning the Sho...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1156: The Winners and Losers of MLB’s Next Five Years from 2017-12-30T16:01:09
In the last episode of 2017, Ben Lindbergh and guests Joe Sheehan and Rany Jazayerli analyze the Rockies’ Wade Davis signing and offseason attempt to build a super-bullpen, then reprise an old exer...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1155: Hoffman Kluber Meets the MarlinTigers from 2017-12-28T13:49:23
Ben Lindbergh and Steven Goldman answer listener emails about the best and worst times to write about baseball (and the most and least rewarding ways to do it), Nolan Ryan’s Cy Young Award goose eg...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1154: Orioles Angst and Cooperstown Questions from 2017-12-27T22:00:57
With Jeff Sullivan on vacation, Ben Lindbergh brings on The Ringer’s Deputy Editor (and Binge Mode co-host) Mallory Rubin to talk about the Orioles’ bleak, in-between offseason and her wishes conce...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1153: Johnny on the Spot from 2017-12-22T02:03:13
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the perplexing potential end to Manny Machado trade rumors, then bring on former major leaguer and current fun-fact star/national treasure Johnny O’Brie...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1152: The Pod Calling the Ketel from 2017-12-21T12:15:15
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter (and bantler, again) about what they’ve learned about antlers and antler-rubbed bats, the Evan Longoria trade, Derek Jeter’s town-hall event with Marlins fans...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1151: Performance-Enhancing Antlers from 2017-12-19T00:30:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter (and bantler?) about more Marlins trade requests, the Yankees’ outlook for 2018, antler-rubbing bats vs. bone-rubbing bats, and a scout quote about Shohei Oht...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1150: Sighs and Signings from 2017-12-16T13:34:13
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Zack Cozart and Carlos Santana signings and the Matt Moore trade, then answer listener emails about when it makes sense to rebuild and how the secon...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1149: The Winter Meetings That Were from 2017-12-16T03:03:54
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s Winter Meetings experience and then discuss everything that did and didn’t go down while the baseball world was in Orlando, including the Reds’ p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1148: I’m a Marlins Fan, AMA from 2017-12-11T15:07:10
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the Giancarlo Stanton trade’s impact on the Yankees, whether and why the Marlins are an embarrassment (and where they’ll go from here), the Orioles’ attitude...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1147: Ohtani Time at Last from 2017-12-09T08:51:58
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss all the implications of the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani signing, including its impact on the franchise’s short- and long-term outlook, the Ohtani-Trout tag team, t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1146: Unmaking Multiple Myths from 2017-12-07T02:32:47
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a baseball earthquake in Cleveland and the Miles Mikolas and Mike Minor signings, debunk myths about NPB pitchers and Pud Galvin, and answer listener em...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1145: The Reigning-MVP Podcast from 2017-12-05T04:21:34
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the latest Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani news, speculate about why some teams reportedly didn’t try to sign Ohtani, and discuss the Yankees’ surpr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1144: The Explosive Edition from 2017-12-01T11:32:20
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, Shohei Ohtani’s true two-way prospects (look, there’s no other news), MLB’s extraordinarily slow November, and trampoline pitching, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1143: Giancarlohtani from 2017-11-30T05:15:18
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter, as always, about Shohei Ohtani and Giancarlo Stanton, as well as the slow start to the offseason and baseball takeaways from news about basketball and footba...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1142: The Shohei Ohtani Assignment from 2017-11-28T03:42:13
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a slow week in baseball and the likely effects of MLB’s impending pitch clock, then talk to former front-office executive (and former FanGraphs writer) ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1141: The Overlooked Negro Leagues Legend from 2017-11-24T07:30:51
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan profess their thanks for each other, answer listener emails about the 1890s Orioles’ field manipulations, the importance of Carlos Beltran to the 2017 Astros, and ho...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1140: Just Another Slow November News Day from 2017-11-22T11:21:46
After an abnormally busy baseball news day, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Aaron Judge’s shoulder surgery, Joe Morgan’s letter about steroids and the Hall of Fame, the Shohei Ohtani p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1139: The WAR We Want from 2017-11-21T02:31:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Shohei Otani “deadline” and Braves prospect Ronald Acuna, then bring on FanGraphs managing editor Dave Cameron to discuss a dispute about WAR and valu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1138: No Loopholes Here from 2017-11-17T01:24:56
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Gabe Kapler’s prospects as Phillies manager, Aaron Judge’s hard hitting, various end-of-season awards results, MLB’s baseball-studying committee, and Sh...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1137: How Much is That Slugger in the Window? from 2017-11-16T01:44:15
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about pitcher Luis Perdomo’s unusual triples total, Carlos Beltran’s retirement, and Giancarlo Stanton’s trade value, then answer listener emails about Aaron ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1136: The Double-Draft Edition from 2017-11-14T08:35:33
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Mookie Betts’ bowling exploits and Jeff’s AL Rookie of the Year ballot, then predict and review the results of Jerry Crasnick’s annual insiders survey, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1135: Players Seeking Salaries from 2017-11-10T22:48:41
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the latest Shohei Otani news, the contract requests of free agents J.D. Martinez and Jay Bruce, the Tigers’ MLB-worst World Series odds, and changes in ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1134: Remembering Roy from 2017-11-09T02:10:56
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan mourn the loss of (and celebrate the greatness of) Roy Halladay, then answer listener emails about Halladay’s career, what Aaron Judge and the Astros teach us about ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1133: Lessons to Learn (and Unlearn) from October from 2017-11-07T01:35:37
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Shohei Otani, the Players Association, and a trio of opt-ins, then discuss whether tanking is bad for baseball and which conclusions can and can’t be dr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1132: There’s No Hibernating in Baseball from 2017-11-03T21:56:35
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the end of the season and the challenging (if somewhat merciful) transition to offseason mode, the resolution of the World Series and an underwhelming Game 7...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1131: This One Goes to Seven from 2017-11-01T22:08:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the historic nature of the 2017 World Series and discuss World Series Game 6, including Josh Reddick’s record in clutch situations, David Roberts’ Rich ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1130: From Game 5 to Eternity from 2017-10-31T06:14:22
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the madness of World Series Game 5, including slick balls and home runs, Clayton Kershaw and Yuli Gurriel, and the many moments when the game appeared t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1129: The Darvish Dodgers Difference from 2017-10-27T20:36:54
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the all-time leaders in WAR for two teams, what Yu Darvish has done differently with the Dodgers, and whether Carlos Correa or Corey Seager will have th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1128: Two for Game 2 from 2017-10-27T02:28:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the thrills, surprises, and unlikely heroes of World Series Game 2, the ongoing home-run barrage this October, and where the World Series stands, then d...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1127: A Whole New World (Series) from 2017-10-24T03:09:41
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s weekend trip and discuss the end of the ALCS and the Astros’ crazy curveball reliance in ALCS Game 7, the Astros’ reluctance to use regular relie...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1126: Homers, Homers, Everywhere from 2017-10-21T03:54:48
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the home run’s postseason supremacy, Clayton Kershaw’s performance in NLCS Game 5 and the Dodgers’ World Series outlook, the Cubs’ upcoming offseason an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1125: Effectively Arrieta from 2017-10-20T00:42:34
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jake Arrieta’s effective wildness (and free agency), the Astros’ offensive struggles, and Yu Darvish’s bases-loaded walk, then answer listener emails ab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1124: Winging It from 2017-10-17T03:21:46
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s wedding weekend, the outfield-wall padding at Minute Maid Park, the rapid repair of a behind-home-plate sign, and a very long pause between pitche...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1123: Judgment Calls from 2017-10-14T04:06:50
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Yellowstone-explosion sensationalism and discuss the improbability of the Cubs’ 277-minute NLDS Game 5 victory over the Nationals, the game’s umpiring o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1122: Frog in Our Throats from 2017-10-12T01:23:12
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about John Farrell’s firing and the Nationals’ will-they-or-won’t-they pregame routine with Stephen Strasburg, then answer listener emails about the definitio...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1121: Is This Really a Revolution? from 2017-10-11T08:54:06
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the inaccessibility of playoff stats and the average length of this year’s playoff games, then discuss whether we’re really witnessing a revolution in p...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1120: Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back Baseball from 2017-10-06T21:15:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the larger improbability and significance of Archie Bradley’s triple in the NL wild-card game, how to experience a four-playoff-game day, the first game...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1119: We’re in the Great Game Now from 2017-10-06T05:33:31
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter one last time about the Glory Hole Recreation Area, as well as fading feelings of fandom, the circumstances that led to Braves GM John Coppolella’s resignatio...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1118: The Playoff Prep Podcast from 2017-10-03T06:18:03
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about John Jaso’s possibly career-ending comments, the ends of the Dodgers’ and Tigers’ seasons and the teams that have never had a first-overall pick, the se...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1117: Pats on the Back and Slaps on the Wrist from 2017-09-30T00:25:53
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s chat with Bill James, a fan who got ejected for giving Gary Sanchez pitch locations, a suggestion for tweaking the wild card game, and Sammy Sosa,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1116: Sleep on It from 2017-09-29T03:21:24
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about how one’s incentives alter one’s perception of a season, then answer listener emails about FanGraphs’ World Series odds, the mid-1990s Braves pitching s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1115: Has The 2017 Season Been Bad? from 2017-09-26T00:19:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on their Glory Hole Recreation Area discussion and banter about a Brandon Crawford bunt attempt, an Andrelton Simmons deke, Oakland catcher Bruce Maxwell’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1114: Net Gains from 2017-09-22T13:08:31
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Glory Hole Recreation Area, solve the mystery of Bill Doaks, discuss archaic baseball language and how today’s baseball writing will age, and touch ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1113: Welcome to the Machine from 2017-09-21T06:23:37
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about another odd end to an American Association game, a recent javelin-baseball crossover, Nick Sinay, the first Tibetan-born player signed by an MLB team, a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1112: The Insulting Infield from 2017-09-18T05:14:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Astros’ almost insulting infield alignment against Albert Pujols and minor league hit-by-pitch machine Nick Sinay, then welcome on MIT draftee/new M...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1111: The World-Series-Winner Draft from 2017-09-16T05:39:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter (one last time) about Cleveland’s winning streak, Lenny Harris and an Ichiro record, Jeff’s successful search for the fly-ball revolution, and the increasing ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1110: Pitch-Tipping is Appreciated from 2017-09-14T03:10:43
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Indians (again), the AL Cy Young race, Jacoby Ellsbury’s new record, the 2018 MLB schedule (and the possibility of a pitch clock), and Shohei Otani’...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1109: Still Streaking from 2017-09-13T02:48:19
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan revisit their banter about ups and downs and Joe Mauer, then talk about (and talk about talking about) baseball’s long-lasting streaks, their takeaways from the Indi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1108: Always Look on the Bright Side of Baseball from 2017-09-09T01:27:02
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the end of their Hurricane Harvey relief raffle, the Indians’ and Diamondbacks’ winning streaks (and the Dodgers’ losing streak), an ambitious Hector Sa...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1107: Dropping (and Drawing) a Line from 2017-09-07T09:38:52
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willson Contreras’ Twitter behavior and the Yankees-Red Sox sign-stealing scandal, then answer listener emails about “up the line” vs. “down the line,” ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1106: The Sortable Ballpark Leaderboard from 2017-09-06T02:58:56
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about their Hurricane Harvey relief raffle’s status, hot and cold teams, Trevor Bauer’s run-in with Avisail Garcia, and evolving pitch-selection in the major ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1105: We Want a Hit from 2017-09-02T04:01:06
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the strong response to their raffle for Hurricane Harvey relief, the Justin Verlander trade, a new NCAA softball rule, and the Padres relative to the NL...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1104: Operation Mic Drop from 2017-09-01T13:53:09
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about their raffle for Hurricane Harvey relief, the Justin Upton trade, walk-off hit by pitches, the brief baseball career of Olympic javelin thrower Jan Zele...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1103: The Wildest Card from 2017-08-30T08:27:02
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the AL wild card race, whether the Dodgers are doing anything wrong by using the 10-day DL liberally, then answer listener emails about packaging Pujols...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1102: The Miami Stantons from 2017-08-26T00:42:56
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the hot start of Phillies rookie Rhys Hoskins, the recent improvement of Byron Buxton, the position-player-pitching of White Sox minor leaguer Grant Massey, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1101: Comings and Goins from 2017-08-25T02:11:35
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Rich Hill’s heartbreaking no-hit bid and the new and not-improved Carter Capps, follow up on Albert Pujols and player nicknames, and answer listener ema...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1100: Exploring the Longest Play from 2017-08-22T20:38:25
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and a special guest conduct a nighttime, roundtable discussion (around a rectangular table) in Jeff’s living room about the Effectively Wild eclipse event and Sam Mill...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1099: How a Five-Way (Tie) Would Work from 2017-08-19T12:15:59
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s broken mic and common cold, an almost-record day for home-run hitting (and a juiced-ball update), Arthur “Doc” Irwin and the Irwin Glove, Joey Vot...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1098: Pham is Fam from 2017-08-18T14:56:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about their upcoming eclipse event, Jered Weaver’s retirement, a Tommy Pham tweet, and two recent examples of unorthodox positioning, then follow up on player...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1097: How the Big Mac Was Made from 2017-08-14T07:00:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about “Babe Ruth’s Legs,” then talk to researcher and statistician David Neft about how he rebuilt baseball’s historical record to create the Macmillan Baseba...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1096: Pivoting to Pivot Tables from 2017-08-12T16:25:30
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to 17-year-old Jack Dumoulin, the first American winner of the Microsoft Excel World Championship, about how baseball stats helped him get good at spreadsheets,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1095: Ken Rosenthal on Sticking to Sports and Pivoting to Video from 2017-08-10T20:33:08
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the new-look, less-stuff Carter Capps, then bring on MLB on FOX reporter and MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal to discuss how and when Rosenthal relaxes...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1094: Not-Live Listener Emails from 2017-08-10T06:43:48
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about live shows, bounced throws, the spread of “such is life,” stats displayed on baseball broadcasts, more strange fields, a Dan Haren rules question, and t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1093: Live at the Bell House With Fernando Perez from 2017-08-08T07:03:52
At the Bell House in Brooklyn for a Pitch Talks event, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to former major leaguer Fernando Perez about Mike Trout’s birthday pranking, the return of Carter Capps, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1092: Live at Saber Seminar (for the Second Time) from 2017-08-06T11:08:35
In Effectively Wild’s second annual live recording at Saber Seminar, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to former major league pitcher (and current Red Sox pitching development analyst) Dave Bush...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1091: The Deadline Dust Settles from 2017-08-02T05:31:24
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Salina, skateboarding, and Albert Pujols, then break down all the big (and modest) trade-deadline deals and non-deals, paying particular attention to th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1090: What a Bummer from 2017-07-29T10:17:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about humorless umpires and the on-deck circle, Michael Blazek and disaster starts, the MLB promotion of Aaron Bummer (and the nickname “Bummer” in baseball),...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1089: A Very Odd Way of Walking from 2017-07-27T04:30:01
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Shohei Otani, another strange stance, and Eduardo Nunez, then answer listener emails about players owning particular teams, a potential tagging-up looph...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1088: Sabermetrics Meets Japan from 2017-07-26T09:43:41
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Royals-Padres trade, Khris Davis’s arm, Keon Broxton’s demotion, Clayton Kershaw’s injury ,and the Dodgers’ degree of need for a starter, then talk to...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1087: Survey Says You Suck from 2017-07-21T13:29:57
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Mariners’ and Marlins’ David Phelps trade, Sam Dyson’s bounceback, an eight-strikeout game, the Salina Stockade, Matt Davidson and Jeff Mathis, the ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1086: A Podcast With Precedent from 2017-07-20T03:48:27
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about why so many moves are being made in advance of the trade deadline, the Yankees-White Sox trade, the J.D. Martinez deal, and Yoan Moncada’s promotion, th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1085: Indy Ball is Beautiful from 2017-07-18T08:13:05
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Mike Trout’s return, the Nats-A’s trade, a Matt Holliday play, and a Jon Heyman tweet, then bring on Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press to talk ab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1084: Leaving the Break Behind from 2017-07-14T13:18:49
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Jose Quintana trade, an Aaron Judge anecdote, Dan Uggla’s disastrous 2008 All-Star Game appearance, and the significance of Ken Rosenthal being barr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1083: All-Star Off-Day Emails from 2017-07-13T07:39:46
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the All-Star Game, then answer listener emails about more oddly configured fields, fouling balls straight back, non-standard batting stances, FanGraphs ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1082: Some of These Arms Are Not Like the Others from 2017-07-12T12:02:51
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Aaron Judge’s Home Run Derby performance, a subtle change in the way Rob Manfred talked about the baseball at the All-Star Game, and the Angels’ stats w...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1081: The Not-Quite-Cold Call from 2017-07-08T02:58:30
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the correct all-time leaderboard of non-qualified offensive seasons, Carlos Correa’s complaint about Roberto Osuna, and the state of the race between the Bre...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1080: If Baseball Were Beep from 2017-07-06T09:48:35
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s altitude sickness, Matt Albers and Ryan Raburn, an odd-field update, the Rich Hill resurgence, the MLB Battlegrounds event in Hyde Park, Logan Mo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1079: The Most and Least Satisfying First Halves from 2017-07-03T07:39:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s latest hiking expedition, then try to determine which teams had the most and least satisfying first halves. Lastly, they talk to Brian Lacusky, w...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1078: Bring on the Banter from 2017-07-01T00:46:53
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan do an all-banter episode about Takuya Nakashima, Dustin Fowler, the latest on home runs and the baseball, an Aaron Judge intentional walk, too many Tylers, the signi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1077: Strangely Slanting Fields from 2017-06-29T22:37:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about (and/or follow up on) Miguel Montero’s Cubs demise, philosophical Pirates quotes, Carter Capps, unusual ballpark constructions, jams and rallies, and ta...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1076: Undoing the Dodgers from 2017-06-27T11:17:01
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about high fastballs and the Red Sox, Carter Capps, the Nationals bullpen, the Giants’ clubhouse chemistry with Mark Melancon (and without Ángel Pagán), then ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1075: Baseball Will Be Fine from 2017-06-24T07:19:33
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a non-revelatory tweet, cycles, Bryce Harper vs. Aaron Judge (and also vs. expectations), Jarrod Dyson’s homers and bunts, and Ben Davis’ 2001 bunt agai...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1074: Time is a Flat Cycle from 2017-06-22T09:56:45
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan have an only slightly outdated discussion of Freddie Freeman’s potential position change and a Coors Field scoreboard message, then answer listener emails about a gr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1073: The Plus-Plus Podcast from 2017-06-21T01:48:30
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the results of Jeff’s survey about what constitutes a “jam,” Justin Verlander’s comments about the height of baseball seams, and a Mike Chernoff quote a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1072: Over the Hill from 2017-06-17T03:59:27
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Diamondbacks’ baserunning, Rich Hill’s struggles, regrets about writing, reading the comments, and the prospect of an automated strike zone. Audio i...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1071: I Would’ve Felt Silly Saying Boo from 2017-06-15T05:58:04
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about position players pitching, another non-catcher catching, a Zack Cozart quote, and Ben’s latest home-runs research, then answer listener emails about Hun...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1070: What Winning the Draft Looks Like from 2017-06-12T13:52:49
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Aaron Judge’s latest home runs, Terrance Gore’s first home run, the Angels without Mike Trout, and a Mets precedent for the odd Neifi Perez appearance d...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1069: A Real-Life Left-Handed Catcher from 2017-06-09T21:26:37
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an odd Neifi Perez appearance, John McCain’s Diamondbacks mention, EW’s August eclipse event, and a questionable fun fact, then talk to Janell Wheaton, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1068: The Error-Prone Podcast from 2017-06-08T07:15:17
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Scooter Gennett and Cubs infield positioning, follow up on a Nelson Cruz question, and answer listener emails about defining “homegrown,” home-run leagu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1067: Preseason Picks Revisited from 2017-06-06T06:31:02
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about another brawl involving a baseball, the still-sky-high home-run rate, and Jon Lester’s successful pickoff, then revisit their preseason playoff-team pic...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1066: Too Many Mascots from 2017-06-03T05:21:27
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about teams and players of particular interest (including the Astros, Marwin Gonzalez, and Aaron Hicks), Scott Boras vs. Theo Epstein, the brawl battle betwee...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1065: A Mountain of Emails from 2017-05-31T21:35:53
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about mountain-climbing, Charlie Blackmon’s RBI barrage, starter-switching, the Reds’ still-lousy pitching, a bat-boning shoutout, and Ryan Raburn, then answe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1064: Harper Throws Hands, Trout Hurts His from 2017-05-30T22:37:17
Ben Lindbergh and a Jeff Sullivan substitute banter about Clayton Kershaw, then discuss all of the fallout from Mike Trout’s surgery and Bryce Harper’s brawl. Audio intro: The Muppets Take Manhatta...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1063: Should Fans Pay Attention to Projections? from 2017-05-27T03:07:03
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Pokémon as a baseball show, Mike Montgomery’s workload, whether the Yankees are preparing to turn heel again, and the AL’s early interleague dominance, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1062: Mum’s the Met from 2017-05-26T16:54:55
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan answer listener emails about performance in interleague games, how rising strikeout rates affect defense, the “foul pole” vs. the “fair pole,” the worst best player ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1061: Losing Lucroy from 2017-05-24T03:31:21
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the White Sox signing Luis Robert, the Twins’ turnaround, and small-sample successes such as Anthony Swarzak and Chad Pinder, then discuss Jonathan Lucr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1060: The Other Best-in-Baseball Debate from 2017-05-20T00:24:49
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on a few topics from their previous episode, including allowing first career hits, defining jams and, naturally, bat-boning, then banter about the Mets and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1059: Is Your Bat Boned? from 2017-05-18T13:04:03
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a mid-start adjustment by Clayton Kershaw and answer listener emails about what constitutes a “jam,” pitchers who’ve allowed the most first career hits,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1058: A Better Bullpen Tool from 2017-05-16T00:35:19
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Jason Vargas, and the evolution of Matt Albers’ save celebration, then talk to writer Sky Kalkman about his new bullpen stat, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1057: Tie Goes to the Podcast from 2017-05-13T00:21:22
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on two topics from the previous episode, announce an upcoming live event, banter about seven winning teams that weren’t supposed to win and Oakland’s month...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1056: You Only Swing Once from 2017-05-11T15:48:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s day off and Ron Fowler’s comments about Jered Weaver, then answer listener emails about baseball’s arbitrary rules, David Ross’s unexpected cultu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1055: A Scorecard, a Save, and a Home-Run Reveal from 2017-05-09T19:42:05
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to 18-year-old Effectively Wild listener/pitcher Connor Watrous about his heroic accomplishment of keeping score at an 18-inning Cubs-Yankees game, banter about...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1054: An Aaron Judge Appreciation Podcast from 2017-05-06T01:08:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s preseason predictions, voiding contracts, and Matt Albers’ most recent close calls with his first career save, then discuss the contact-rate impr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1053: The Baseball God Speaks from 2017-05-04T15:42:22
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about infield-alignment terminology and walking Bryce Harper, then answer listener emails about proper pitch usage, winning minor league championships, the mi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1052: The State of the Save from 2017-05-02T00:25:43
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Boog Powell’s debut, Ryan Webb’s and Matt Albers’ ongoing pursuit of history, and the ethics of baseball injuries, then discuss some early-season eviden...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1051: The Mike Trout Challengers from 2017-04-29T01:32:10
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff Manship, Chris Devenski, the biggest playoff-odds changers, Mets injuries, and Joey Votto’s comments on swing changes, then discuss which players, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1050: The Big Leaguer Born at Sea from 2017-04-27T08:17:16
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Chris Coghlan’s slide and the Pirates’ new international players, then answer listener emails about Korean baseball, fixing slides, the impressive JC Ra...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1049: Throwing Baseballs at Butts from 2017-04-25T11:56:27
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to Grant Brisbee of SB Nation about acceptable ballpark behavior, Madison Bumgarner, the Giants, and baseball’s latest tests of unwritten (and written) rules in...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1048: Such is This Game, and Such is Life from 2017-04-22T00:51:19
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ichiro’s home run in his return to Seattle, the feasibility of intentionally allowing dingers, a John Jaso quote, and manager bobbleheads, then discuss ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1047: The Email Answers You Ordered from 2017-04-20T15:48:41
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jason Benetti, Andrew Triggs, Addison Reed and Odubel Herrera, C.B. Bucknor’s bad day, and Starling Marte’s suspension, then answer listener emails abou...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1046: The Early-Career Contract Quandary from 2017-04-18T11:54:49
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the significance of some teams’ slow starts to the season, the slowest batter in baseball, and a curious coincidence on another show. Then they have a m...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1045: Go-Go Gadget Game Times from 2017-04-15T12:46:45
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Mike Trout topping the WAR leaderboard, Stephen Wright’s vulnerability to the elements, and baseball-player social media behavior, then talk about the i...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1044: How Many Kemps to a Kiermaier? from 2017-04-13T10:58:48
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan drop the no-Reds rule to banter about Michael Lorenzen and Joey Votto, then answer listener emails about a player who’s always in the rain, stats on baseball broadca...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1043: The More Interesting Tim Tebow Precedent from 2017-04-11T10:52:34
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Mets’ starting rotation, a Keon Broxton sighting, and the five WAR leaders vs. the five WAR trailers, then talk to Rob Neyer about his oral history ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1042: Several Premature Pronouncements from 2017-04-08T03:50:37
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Keon Broxton and batting helmets, statistical soothsaying, and the two-way-player attempts of Michael Lorenzen and Christian Bethancourt, then discuss t...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1041: The Fernando Rodney Dinner Date from 2017-04-06T12:13:32
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jake Arrieta’s velocity loss, the league’s artificial velocity gain, and whether the Astros won the winter, then answer listener emails about topspin an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1040: Opening Day and the Post-Trampoline Prospect from 2017-04-04T04:03:16
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the difficulty of keeping perspective on Opening Day events, the lone disagreement between their preseason predictions, and a common reader misconceptio...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1039: Is Defense Still Winning the Analysis War? from 2017-04-01T01:13:37
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the end of the offseason, a Canada-only Clayton Kershaw, and Drew Smyly’s health status, then discuss whether the advancement of technology and the late...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1038: The Player With a Permanent Head Start from 2017-03-30T06:16:43
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Carter Capps mimic, several recently released Effectively Wild favorites, a baseball use for trampolines, and Derek Jeter’s prolific publishing career...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1037: Season Preview Series: Pirates and Yankees from 2017-03-27T16:15:31
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Robbie Ray ejection, Tom Hamilton’s Brody Chernoff interview, a quote about Mike Trout, a Takuya Nakashima shift, and a Terry Francona comment about R...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1036: Season Preview Series: Tigers and Rays from 2017-03-24T23:53:07
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jered Weaver, David DeJesus, and Dan Duquette’s comments about Jose Bautista, then preview the Tigers’ 2017 season with Jason Beck of MLB.com and the Ra...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1035: The Catcher’s Crooked Finger from 2017-03-23T01:06:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan share responses submitted to a smattering of recent topics and banter about whether old scouting reports have value to teams, then answer listener emails about MVP-v...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1034: Season Preview Series: Rangers and Marlins from 2017-03-20T16:43:13
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about anticipatory player celebrations, then preview the Rangers’ 2017 season with Levi Weaver of WFAA and the Marlins’ 2017 season with Tim Healey of the Sun...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1033: Season Preview Series: Mets and Orioles from 2017-03-17T16:39:17
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a beautiful Javier Baez tag, then preview the Mets’ 2017 season with Ted Berg of For The Win and the Orioles’ 2017 season with Jake Mintz of Cespedes Fa...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1032: The Outfield Impostor from 2017-03-15T12:07:42
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about WBC tiebreakers and the efficacy of the infield shift, then answer listener emails about a Mike Trout body snatcher, dropped third strikes, bricks behin...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1031: Season Preview Series: Mariners and Rockies from 2017-03-13T14:56:52
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an Ian Desmond quote and a curious Dick Williams managerial motivational tactic, then preview the Mariners’ 2017 season with Meg Rowley of Baseball Pros...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1030: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Athletics from 2017-03-11T05:18:41
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan preview the Blue Jays’ 2017 season with Joshua Howsam of BP Toronto and the Athletics’ 2017 season with Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Audio intro: Ro...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1029: Clayton Kershaw’s Knuckleball from 2017-03-09T02:20:38
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan answer listener emails about one-pitch innings, trampoline stats, winning in spring training, David Price and pitcher pace, a baseball scene in Chicago Justice, auto...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1028: Season Preview Series: Angels and Diamondbacks from 2017-03-07T05:09:53
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Carter Capps, Noah Syndergaard, and salary distributions, then preview the Angels’ 2017 season with Pedro Moura of The LA Times and the Diamondbacks’ 20...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1027: Season Preview Series: Cardinals and Royals from 2017-03-03T14:05:21
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a bad highlight, then preview the Cardinals’ 2017 season with Will Leitch of Sports on Earth and the Royals’ 2017 season with Rany Jazayerli of The Ring...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1026: The Best Podcast on the Planet from 2017-03-02T03:58:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about nets, nicknames, and scouting directors’ comments about international prospect Luis Robert, then answer listener emails about robbing from the Cubs, a d...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1025: Season Preview Series: Giants and Braves from 2017-02-27T23:24:48
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on an Andrew Miller discussion and banter about Cubs backlash, then preview the Giants’ 2017 season with Grant Brisbee of SB Nation and the Braves’ 2017 se...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1024: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Twins from 2017-02-24T11:57:46
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an Andrew Miller image and the top-heavy projected standings, then preview the Nationals’ 2017 season with Chelsea Janes of the The Washington Post and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1023: Mike Trout, But Backward from 2017-02-23T02:28:13
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a Steven Matz tweet, the Reds and Ryan Raburn, and the automatic intentional walk, then answer listener emails about misleading headshots, pitchers who ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1022: Season Preview Series: Astros and Phillies from 2017-02-20T18:52:08
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Yoan Moncada’s kid and Randy Levine’s comments about Dellin Betances, then preview the Houston Astros’ 2017 season with writer Zachary Levine and the Ph...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1021: Season Preview Series: Indians and White Sox from 2017-02-17T14:08:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Adam Lind, Matt Albers, bunting to beat the shift, Mike Fiers, and Brandon Guyer, then preview the Cleveland Indians’ 2017 season with writer/editor Pet...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1020: The First Baseman’s Fumarole from 2017-02-15T23:29
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Carter Capps’s comeback, Brian Flynn’s barn accident, the Reds’ weights and nicknames, and C.J. Wilson’s retirement town, then answer listener emails ab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1019: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Reds from 2017-02-13T23:00:05
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan preview the Red Sox’ 2017 season with Alex Speier of the The Boston Globe and the Reds’ 2017 season with Zach Buchanan of the The Cincinnati Enquirer. Audio intro: T...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1018: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Brewers from 2017-02-10T13:35:59
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Matt Wieters and debunk Scott Boras, then preview the Cubs’ 2017 season with Sahadev Sharma of the The Athletic Chicago and the Brewers’ 2017 season wit...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1017: The Ryan Raburn is Due Edition from 2017-02-09T01:58:59
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the anticlimactic approach of spring training and answer listener emails about baseball reductionism, investing in Little League, the Cardinals’ effect ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1016: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Padres from 2017-02-07T03:54:22
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan introduce the fifth annual Effectively Wild season-preview series and banter about the short life expectancy of front-office secrets. Then they preview the Dodgers’ ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1015: You Need to Know Nakashima from 2017-02-04T03:09:10
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan fixate on their new baseball obsession, NPB shortstop (and offensive outlier) Takuya Nakashima. Then they discuss prospect terminology and the nebulous significance ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1014: The Astros-Royals Roster Reversal from 2017-02-02T15:15:21
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about how and why the Astros and Royals seem to have exchanged strategies and revisit champagne in the clubhouse and trampolines, then answer listener emails ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1013: Were the Cardinals Punished Appropriately? from 2017-01-31T12:59:53
Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and Sports on Earth Senior Writer Will Leitch banter about the accuracy of a Jarrod Dyson declaration and the fairness of the penalty levied against St. Louis in the C...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1012: Rating the Rankings from 2017-01-27T23:32:54
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about baseball’s trampoline problem and the future of Andrelton Simmons, then discuss and critique the crowdsourced organizational rankings produced by FanGra...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1011: The Up-and-Down Defense Edition from 2017-01-25T23:59:09
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss their EclipseFest sellout and answer listener emails about Jae-gyun Hwang, Daniel Murphy, and power/contact reinventions; the most informative stats; the bes...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1010: The Conditions Causing Baseball’s Winter Tragedies from 2017-01-23T21:37:14
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the brisk sales of tickets to their August “EclipseFest” outing and the strange saga of former major league reliever Jeff Manship. Then, on a much more sombe...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1009: The Orioles vs. the World from 2017-01-20T12:47:23
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan begin by bantering about tentative plans for an Effectively Wild event this summer. Then, prompted by Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo signing, they pit the perplexing Oriole...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1008: Tenth Time’s the Charm from 2017-01-19T13:08:10
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan analyze the Hall of Fame voting results and extend their unlikely Lenny Harris discussion streak, then answer listener emails about restructuring the BBWAA ballot, r...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1007: Baseball News is Back from 2017-01-17T23:07:35
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Lenny Harris and Jerry Dipoto, then celebrate the end of a long baseball news drought by discussing a few recent and imminent transactions, including th...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1006: Sullivan’s Travels from 2017-01-13T10:40:28
We’d like to welcome Effectively Wild to its new home on FanGraphs! Effectively Wild will continue to be hosted by The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh, who is joined by his new co-host Jeff Sullivan. Fans o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1005: Dan Haren’s New Job and Old Fear of Hall of Famers from 2017-01-12T08:51:16
Ben talks to former major league pitcher (and newly hired Diamondbacks Pitching Strategist) Dan Haren about his new job, how players handle the media, his struggles and success against Hall of Fame...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1004: The Joe and Rany Re-Reunion from 2017-01-10T09:58
Ben talks to Joe Sheehan and Rany Jazayerli about unsigned free agents, baseball economics, trends to watch in 2017, and the perplexing Royals.
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Effectively Wild Episode 1003: Happiness, the Human Condition, and Cracker Jack from 2017-01-06T20:09
Ben and Slate’s Mike Pesca banter about incentive clauses, happiness, analogies, injuries, and the Mets, then discuss sabermetric thinking about non-baseball subjects, optimism, podcasting, and pre...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1002: Mike Trout Turns Around from 2017-01-05T10:39
Ben, Carson Cistulli, and Eric Longenhagen scrutinize an unearthed video of Mike Trout taking batting practice in high school from both sides of the plate. Then Ben and Carson discuss podcasting, u...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1001: The One After 1000 from 2017-01-03T08:09
Ben and SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee banter about baseball ads, then talk about last season’s forgettable baseball stories, Grant’s favorite writing of 2016, covering the playoffs in person, and Barry...
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Effectively Wild Episode 1000: The Old and the New from 2016-12-31T06:15
In Sam’s last show as co-host, he and Ben talk to Astros pro scouting director Kevin Goldstein. Then, Ben talks to incoming co-host Jeff Sullivan before Jeff leaves on a fantastically timed vacation.
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Effectively Wild Episode 999: The One Before 1000 from 2016-12-30T08:05
In their penultimate show as co-hosts, Ben and Sam answer listener emails about baseball amnesia, iconic photos, Mike Trout hitting lefty, designing ballparks, and more before reminiscing about how...
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Effectively Wild Episode 998: The Podcast’s (and Baseball’s) Future from 2016-12-28T23:59
Ben and Sam announce Sam’s upcoming departure from the podcast and Effectively Wild’s future at FanGraphs with Ben and Jeff Sullivan, and then discuss several big questions about baseball’s next 50...
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Effectively Wild Episode 997: The Game Show Show from 2016-12-28T06:44
Ben and Sam discuss the seemingly aimless Oakland Athletics and bring on two unwitting contestants (Eric Roseberry and Steve Givarz) to play the first Effectively Wild game show, “Name that Oakland...
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Effectively Wild Episode 996: The Second Draft of Things About Baseball from 2016-12-24T05:15
Ben, Sam, Grant Brisbee, and Jeff Sullivan produce a sequel to Episode 500 by drafting 12 more things about baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 995: Manny Machado’s Midriff from 2016-12-23T00:33
Ben and Sam banter about Ivan Nova, early Hall of Fame voting, and a potential fat player, then answer listener emails about Mark Melancon and strikeouts, splitting the Rookie of the Year award, a ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 994: The 2017 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2016-12-21T12:42
For the fourth consecutive year, Ben and Sam draft the 20 minor league free agents they hope will earn the most major league playing time next season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 993: A Few Favorite Stories from 2016 from 2016-12-20T16:44
Ben and Sam banter about good deeds by two podcast listeners, then discuss several topics inspired by a selection of baseball writers’ self-selected favorite stories from 2016, including pitcher ab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 992: Baseball’s Most Underpaid Players from 2016-12-18T06:41
Ben and Sam talk to The Ringer’s Michael Baumann about his ranking of the 25 most underpaid players and how front-office salaries limit diversity.
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Effectively Wild Episode 991: In-Shoots, Out-Curves, and Drop Balls from 2016-12-18T02:41
Ben and Sam banter about Josh Harrison and old-timey pitch names, then answer listener emails about sabermetrics and fandom, baseball and birthdates, players’ phone numbers, managing bullpens, and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 990: Long Live Pitch from 2016-12-13T18:58
Ben and Sam talk to BP’s Meg Rowley about the downs and (mostly) ups of the recently finished first season of Fox drama Pitch (includes some spoilers).
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Effectively Wild Episode 989: A Reading from the Bill James Bible from 2016-12-12T19:54
Ben and Sam read a passage from The New Bill James New Historical Abstract and discuss whether contemporary observations of baseball players still have something to add to today’s closer-to-compreh...
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Effectively Wild Episode 988: The Real Mike Trout from 2016-12-10T21:11
Ben and Sam banter about Veeck As in Wreck and front offices hiring stat-savvy former players, then answer listener emails about the real Mike Trout, likeable teams, unwatchable players, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 987: The Stove Was So Hot from 2016-12-09T14:48
Ben and Sam banter about Veeck As in Wreck, Willie Mays, and the term “hot stove league,” then discuss some of the Winter Meetings’ major moves, including big closer contracts and the Chris Sale an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 986: The CBA Said What? from 2016-12-06T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about pitch limits, an MLB.com headline, and news about Rich Hill and Shohei Otani, then discuss the implications of several of the new CBA’s most noteworthy changes.
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Effectively Wild Episode 985: Three Topics for Winter-Meetings Week from 2016-12-05T21:28
Ben and Sam banter about the possibly unprecedented complete lack of luddite teams, then discuss the Royals as sellers, the reliever market, and Braves trade rumors.
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Effectively Wild Episode 984: Advice for Teams With Too Much Money from 2016-12-02T22:24
Ben, Sam, and BP’s Russell Carleton banter about Nolan Ryan as a reliever, the possibility of a strike in 2021, and how teams should use the money the new CBA prevents them from spending.
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Effectively Wild Episode 983: The Non-Endless-Lockout Edition from 2016-12-02T08:48
Ben and Sam banter about an endless lockout and an A.J. Ellis rumor, then answer listener emails about odd MVP votes in Japan, peak Pedro vs. peak Koufax, what they would bid for Charley Kershaw’s ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 982: Scouting the Yankees and Signing the Cespedes from 2016-11-30T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about a scene from Major League, an Adam Jones tweet, and the return of Nora Morse, then talk to BP’s Jeff Paternostro about the Yankees’ farm system, the Mets’ Yoenis Cespedes s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 981: The New-GM Job Check from 2016-11-29T12:04
Ben and Sam banter about a baseball TV trope and a Roger Angell passage, then discuss how they would have asked and answered interview questions for the Twins and Diamondbacks GM jobs and what they...
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Effectively Wild Episode 980: The Baseball-Book Draft from 2016-11-23T18:33
Ben, Sam, and Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times draft a few of their favorite baseball books.
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Effectively Wild Episode 979: Mike Trout and the Post-MVP Era from 2016-11-18T23:35
Ben and Sam banter about Kyle Gaedele, then share their thoughts on Mike Trout’s second MVP Award and what it does and doesn’t say about both Trout and the BBWAA.
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Effectively Wild Episode 978: Broken Bones and Broken Records from 2016-11-17T13:52
Ben and Sam banter about four pitchers with a broken bone, then answer listener emails about Ichiro, Bryce Harper, catchers, throwing games, whether players are making the most of their skills, and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 977: Indy Outliers from 2016-11-17T05:35
Ben and Sam reprise their “multiple Andrew Millers” conversation for the final time, banter about the AL Rookie of the Year Award and the NL Platinum Glove Award, and spotlight some of 2016’s most ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 976: Which Way Will the World Series Odds Go? from 2016-11-15T00:22
Ben and Sam revisit their conversations about Cubs-parade attendance and multiple Andrew Millers, banter about Eddie Gaedel, and discuss which teams will see their World Series odds improve or decl...
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Effectively Wild Episode 975: And Here’s the Pitch from Trout from 2016-11-12T17:23
Ben and Sam review listener responses to their skepticism about Cubs-celebration attendance figures, then answer emails about the offseason outlook, changes in closer usage, Times on Base, Edwin Ja...
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Effectively Wild Episode 974: Survey Says from 2016-11-09T21:08
Ben and Sam review the results from Jerry Crasnick’s 2015 MLB executive survey and discuss the latest installment in his long-running survey series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 973: The Potential Lasts of 2016 from 2016-11-07T13:44
Ben and Sam banter about the attendance at the Cubs’ World Series celebration, then discuss several things we may (or may not) have seen for the last time during the 2016 season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 972: The Cubs, Game Seven, and the World Series from 2016-11-04T02:02
Ben and Sam reflect on what they learned from Game Seven of the World Series and the Chicago Cubs’ first championship since 1908.
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Effectively Wild Episode 971: Drought Talk from 2016-11-02T23:42
Ben and Sam banter about Aroldis Chapman and answer emails about title droughts, the Cubs and consecutive pennants, scoreless streaks, World Series strategy, the recent rarity of Game Sevens, playo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 970: Managers, Closers, and Copycats from 2016-10-31T22:01
Ben and Sam banter about Manny Mota Grip Stick and Smash Mouth’s latest Twitter feud, then discuss the Cubs’ use of Aroldis Chapman in Game 5 and some strategic considerations for the rest of the s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 969: The Literally Hot Hitter from 2016-10-28T01:19
Ben and Sam banter about mean-spirited nicknames, then answer emails about Kyle Schwarber’s bat, Jon Lester’s long con, the neglected White Sox drought, the Nationals’ 2016 “success,” overcoming ba...
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Effectively Wild Episode 968: So You Suffered a Playoff Loss from 2016-10-24T22:13
Ben and Sam banter about the two Indians teams and perceptions of postseason Kershaw, then discuss whether the eight eliminated postseason teams had successful seasons.
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Effectively Wild Episode 967: The Miraculous Mr. Lester from 2016-10-22T02:30
Ben and Sam banter about the origin of the pitcher’s mound, the impact of seeing a starter multiple times in the same series, and the Dodgers’ perplexing approach against Jon Lester, who continues ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 966: Ask, and Ye Shall Receive from 2016-10-20T17:40
Ben and Sam banter about Ben’s engagement, then answer listener emails about Andrew Miller, playoff tactics during the regular season, renaming the playoff rounds, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 965: NLCS Update from 2016-10-18T14:19
Ben and Sam banter about Zach Britton and Shohei Otani, then discuss Dave Roberts, bullpen management, and the NLCS.
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Effectively Wild Episode 964: The Return of the Cold Call from 2016-10-12T22:45
Ben and Sam banter about Kidz Bop, answer emails about facing MLB pitching, a time-traveling manager, and communicating with catchers, and then cold-call the star of the Play Index segment.
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Effectively Wild Episode 963: Bumgarner, Wild Cards, and Cooperstown from 2016-10-07T20:28
Ben and Sam banter about the Madison Bumgarner-Noah Syndergaard wild-card duel, their favorite types of playoff games, and their favorite playoff rounds, then discuss whether the Dodgers are more d...
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Effectively Wild Episode 962: Buck, Britton, Bonds and Boredom from 2016-10-05T22:47
Ben and Sam banter about an aged usher, Buck Showalter’s decision not to use Zach Britton in the AL wild-card game, and Barry Bonds, then answer listener emails and talk to Saber Seminar raffle win...
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Effectively Wild Episode 961: Multiple Mike Trout Drafts from 2016-10-03T21:00
Ben and Sam conduct multiple Mike Trout drafts and discuss DJ LeMahieu’s batting title, the AL Cy Young race, Vin Scully’s sign-off, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 960: Theo Sets a New High Score from 2016-09-30T18:34
Ben and Sam banter about a wild night in baseball, the morality of forfeits, and the triples record, then discuss Theo Epstein’s record-setting extension.
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Effectively Wild Episode 959: Mike Trout’s Highest Hurdle from 2016-09-29T02:12
Ben and Sam banter about Rich Hill, Clayton Kershaw, and Shohei Otani, then answer listener emails about Mike Trout, playoff formats, inflated homer totals, their introductions to baseball, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 958: Jose Fernandez and the Hall of Fame from 2016-09-26T21:39
Ben and Sam talk about whether adding the late Jose Fernandez to the Hall of Fame ballot would be a fitting way to honor his superlative but tragically brief career.
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Effectively Wild Episode 957: The Man Who Makes Pitch (Almost!) Perfect from 2016-09-23T20:07
Ben and Sam talk to Mike Fisher, the baseball coordinator of Moneyball and the new Fox series Pitch, about how he makes baseball look realistic on screen (and what he might have missed).
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Effectively Wild Episode 956: Gary and Gore from 2016-09-22T22:09
Ben and Sam banter about the Giants’ bullpen problems and Bryce Harper’s shoulder, then answer listener emails about Terrance Gore, Gary Sanchez, calling time, playoff formats, one-pitch baseball, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 955: Pass/Fail Grades for Every Out-of-it Team from 2016-09-21T00:16
Ben and Sam banter about Padres GM A.J. Preller’s suspension, then discuss whether each of 2016’s non-playoff teams should consider its season a success or a failure.
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Effectively Wild Episode 954: Two Inside Looks at Minor League Life from 2016-09-16T10:56
Ben and Sam talk to former Sonoma Stompers pitchers Santos Saldivar and Dylan Stoops about their progress as players, meager earnings, and clubhouse experiences during their rookie seasons in affil...
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Effectively Wild Episode 953: Banter Goeth Before a Mailbag from 2016-09-15T00:11
Ben and Sam banter about Shohei Otani and answer listener emails about Rich Hill, tanking in the season’s last series, interleague play, Jose Bautista’s ballpark ownage, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 952: Dave Roberts Did What? from 2016-09-11T11:01
Ben, Sam, and Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Andy McCullough discuss Dave Roberts’ decision to remove Rich Hill after seven perfect innings on Saturday.
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Effectively Wild Episode 951: THE ONLY RULE Book Club Companion Podcast from 2016-09-09T11:01
Ben, Sam, and Sonoma Stompers GM Theo Fightmaster answer listener emails about the Stompers’ past two seasons and Ben/Sam’s book, The Only Rule Is It Has to Work.
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Effectively Wild Episode 950: The Triple-A Chemistry Edition from 2016-09-07T21:59
Ben and Sam banter about Yasiel Puig’s clubhouse qualities, Giancarlo Stanton’s comeback, and Anthony Rizzo vs. Wily Peralta, then answer listener emails about Kershaw and Trout, the Hall of Fame, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 949: 2016’s Contract Turnarounds from 2016-09-06T21:00
Ben and Sam banter about MLB’s copycat comedians, then discuss players whose big contracts seem much more movable (or unmovable) after perception-altering 2016 seasons.
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Effectively Wild Episode 948: Is Smart Baseball Boring? from 2016-09-02T10:01
Ben and Sam talk to BP’s Rob Mains about what Billy Hamilton’s career might have looked like in an earlier era, and whether baseball teams’ increasing efficiency has made the sport better or worse ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 947: Cy Young or Bust from 2016-08-31T22:52
Ben and Sam banter about Shohei Otani, then answer listener emails about running the Rockies (with a twist), a Kershaw dilemma, a time-traveling Ubaldo Jimenez, umpire park effects, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 946: Which WAR(P) is Just? from 2016-08-29T21:12
Ben and Sam banter about an In-N-Out Burger baseball promotion gone wrong and the MLB.TV Game Changer, then decide which win-value stat they side with when the available options don’t tell the same...
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Effectively Wild Episode 945: Why Did the Dodgers Make Clayton Kershaw Cry? from 2016-08-26T21:32
Ben, Sam, and BP’s Jonathan Judge discuss the Dodgers’ puzzling decision to trade A.J. Ellis for Carlos Ruiz, breaking down the beloved backstops’ hard-to-see skills and then considering the clubho...
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Effectively Wild Episode 944: How Many Barry Bondses? from 2016-08-24T21:33
Ben and Sam banter about Rich Hill and Dylan Stoops, then answer listener emails about Collin McHugh, stacking rosters with clones of Barry Bonds, diving into first base, Dylan Bundy and Ervin Sant...
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Effectively Wild Episode 943: Debating the Diamondbacks and Dylan Bundy from 2016-08-22T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Mike Trout’s draft-round dominance, then discuss whether the Diamondbacks need a regime change and whether the Orioles are making the right decisions about Dylan Bundy.
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Effectively Wild Episode 942: Should Baseball Teams Buy Insurance? from 2016-08-19T12:03
Ben and Sam talk to author, associate professor, and FanGraphs writer Nathaniel Grow about the financial ramifications of Prince Fielder’s retirement and how contract insurance works in baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 941: Pitcher Value and the Zach Britton Debate from 2016-08-17T21:51
Ben and Sam discuss their definitions of “value” and whether they think Orioles closer Zach Britton will be a deserving candidate for end-of-season awards.
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Effectively Wild Episode 940: Live at Saber Seminar! from 2016-08-15T11:01
In their first live episode of Effectively Wild, recorded on Saturday at Saber Seminar, Ben and Sam answer listener emails with help from two players, John Baker and David Aardsma.
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Effectively Wild Episode 939: Death to Dumb Stadium Deals from 2016-08-12T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Georgia State University Assistant Professor Tim Kellison about his initiative to combat misinformation about public stadium funding for sports teams.
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Effectively Wild Episode 938: Emails, Mejia, and Math from 2016-08-10T22:16
Ben and Sam banter about the longest-lasting plays in baseball, then answer listener emails about the Braves with a man advantage, Francisco Mejia’s hitting streak, dealing with Fenway Park poles, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 937: A Requiem for A-Rod from 2016-08-08T13:01
Ben and Sam banter about an odd ad, a Terry Collins quote, Andrew Miller, and more, then discuss the lessons we can learn from the legacy and career of Alex Rodriguez.
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Effectively Wild Episode 936: Make Bryce Harper Fun Again from 2016-08-05T12:01
Ben talks to FanGraphs writer Jeff Sullivan and FiveThirtyEight writer Rob Arthur about Bryce Harper’s extended slump and their surprising (and somewhat dismaying) findings about his great 2015.
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Effectively Wild Episode 935: A Round Podcast with a Round Bat from 2016-08-04T12:01
Ben and Sam banter about a hard-to-believe baseball ad, then answer listener emails about the NL Central, GM metadata, Aaron Sanchez, deceptive debuts and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 934: A Few Points of Trade-Deadline Discussion from 2016-08-02T20:35
Ben and Sam discuss Jonathan Lucroy, Rich Hill, the rebuilding Yankees, the price of relievers and multiple trade-deadline rumors they had trouble believing.
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Effectively Wild Episode 933: Your Most Elite Emails from 2016-07-29T21:28
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about player development what-ifs, Aroldis Chapman and elite relievers, a team that could control the weather, Mike Trout and Barry Bonds, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 932: Fixing the Angels Without Trading Trout from 2016-07-27T23:06
Ben and Sam banter about Matt Albers’ heartbreaking blown save, then discuss how much talent the Angels could acquire in a franchise-saving firesale.
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Effectively Wild Episode 931: Cubs Add Aroldis, Chris Sale Slices Laundry from 2016-07-25T20:18
Ben and Sam banter about the Hall of Fame and Jon Lester, then discuss Chris Sale’s jersey tantrum, Shelby Miller trade rumors, and the Cubs-Yankees Aroldis Chapman deal.
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Effectively Wild Episode 930: Dave Cameron’s Semi-Responsible Trade Speculation from 2016-07-22T22:28
Ben and Sam talk to FanGraphs managing editor Dave Cameron about his probably-not-entirely-inaccurate predictions for the upcoming non-waiver trade deadline.
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Effectively Wild Episode 929: You Want it This Way from 2016-07-21T00:28
Ben and Sam banter about Ben’s new job at The Ringer, a distressing Jose Altuve video, and Clayton Kershaw, then answer listener emails about dugout pranks, contracts and the Hall of Fame, tattoos ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 928: The Evolution of Umpire-Manager Arguments from 2016-07-19T20:55
Ben and Sam banter about Joe DiMaggio’s breath and Yan Gomes’s sacrifice, then discuss the latest wrinkle in umpire-manager fights.
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Effectively Wild Episode 927: The Twins Without Terry Ryan from 2016-07-18T22:30
Ben and Sam banter about Rich Hill and the Jonny Gomes White House snub, then discuss the Twins’ firing of GM Terry Ryan.
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Effectively Wild Episode 926: Dealin’Dombrowski and the State of the Red Sox from 2016-07-15T19:05
Ben and Sam talk to BP’s Ben Carsley about the Drew Pomeranz trade, David Price and David Ortiz, the Bogaerts/Betts debate, and the impact of Theo Epstein and Ben Cherington on Boston’s 2016 team.
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Effectively Wild Episode 925: Position Players the Projections Missed from 2016-07-14T20:49
Ben and Sam banter about the Sonoma Stompers and MLB payroll disparities, then try to outwit PECOTA in projecting hitters’ second halves.
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Effectively Wild Episode 924: Abducting the All-Stars from 2016-07-13T21:28
Ben and Sam banter about box scores and the All-Star Game, then answer listener emails about alien abductions, odd career arcs, Clayton Kershaw, and being above or below .500.
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Effectively Wild Episode 923: The Jerry Dipoto Report Card from 2016-07-12T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Meg Rowley about how Jerry Dipoto’s flurry of offseason moves for the Mariners worked out over the first half of the season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 922: What’s a Wild Card Worth? from 2016-07-11T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Sam’s move, the Waxahachie Swap, and Ryan Webb and Matt Albers, then discuss how much several contenders should be willing to trade to improve their playoff odds.
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Effectively Wild Episode 921: Bow Before Shohei Otani from 2016-07-08T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times about the incredible two-way dominance of Japanese ace/slugger Shohei Otani.
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Effectively Wild Episode 920: Home Runs Have More Than Bounced Back from 2016-07-07T21:19
Ben and Sam discuss the causes and ramifications of this season’s dramatic (but easily overlooked) rise in home run rate.
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Effectively Wild Episode 919: All-Star Emails from 2016-07-06T22:06
Ben and Sam banter about their All-Star selection philosophies, then answer listener emails about the DH, the trade deadline, hidden knuckleball benefits, the virtues of tanking, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 918: One Word: Plastics from 2016-07-05T11:00
Sam and Craig talk to Russell Carleton and Kate Morrison about their recent series covering the complexion of MLB’s front offices.
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Effectively Wild Episode 917: State of the Standings: AL East from 2016-07-01T11:01
Ben talks to Joe Sheehan about the AL East, wrapping up a five-episode series on the state of each division as the regular season’s midpoint approaches.
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Effectively Wild Episode 916: State of the Standings: AL West from 2016-06-30T11:01
As the regular season’s midpoint approaches, Ben talks to Joe Sheehan about the state of the AL West.
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Effectively Wild Episode 915: State of the Standings: NL Central from 2016-06-29T11:01
As the regular season’s midpoint approaches, Ben talks to Joe Sheehan about the state of the NL Central.
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Effectively Wild Episode 914: State of the Standings: NL East from 2016-06-28T11:01
As the regular season’s midpoint approaches, Ben talks to Joe Sheehan and Rany Jazayerli about the state of the NL East.
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Effectively Wild Episode 913: State of the Standings: NL West and AL Central from 2016-06-27T15:43
As the regular season’s midpoint approaches, Ben talks to Joe Sheehan and Rany Jazayerli about the state of the NL West and AL Central.
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Effectively Wild Episode 912: Three Teams on the Buy-or-Sell Bubble from 2016-06-24T09:14
Ben and Sam discuss their fatalistic feelings concerning Noah Syndergaard, banter about fun facts and Fernando Abad, and talk about impending trade-deadline decisions for the White Sox, Yankees, an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 911: Good Knuckleballs, Bad Ballpark Deals from 2016-06-23T19:05
Ben and Sam talk to Professor Alan Nathan about the physics of knuckleballs, then talk to WFAA’s Brett Shipp about his reporting on public funding for the Rangers’ new ballpark.
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Effectively Wild Episode 910: Mike Trout’s Identical Twin from 2016-06-22T20:06
Ben and Sam banter about Steven Wright and knuckleball physics, then answer listener emails about the least interesting inning, the one-baserunner leash, an all-or-nothing Ichiro, Mike Trout’s hypo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 909: Vin Scully Meets Mount Rushmore from 2016-06-21T20:52
Ben and Sam banter about Clayton Kershaw and clarify five-man infields, then discuss who would be on a baseball Mount Rushmore and dig through Sports Illustrated’s archives to pinpoint what makes V...
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Effectively Wild Episode 908: Remember the Rays? from 2016-06-20T20:52
Ben and Sam banter about Santos Saldivar and discuss Tim Lincecum’s comeback, two player demotions, and the decline of the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Effectively Wild Episode 907: Root for the Home Team (To Lose By 5 or More Runs) from 2016-06-17T16:16
Ben and Sam talk to Warren Friss, the founder of GameHedge, a new ticket vendor that promises to issue 50 percent refunds when the home team loses by five or more runs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 906: Beware the Diamondbacks’Bench from 2016-06-16T18:27
Ben and Sam discuss the Diamondbacks’ bench (literally), Johnny Cueto’s varied deliveries, Zack Cozart’s incredible power, the demise of David Wright, Ichiro and Rose, and Kershaw’s unjust walks.
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Effectively Wild Episode 905: The Pitch-Clock Countdown Edition from 2016-06-15T21:53
Ben and Sam banter about Dodgers injuries, home run derbies, and the new TV show Braindead, and answer listener emails about intimidation tactics, scouting trade targets, baseball’s best commercial...
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Effectively Wild Episode 904: The Big Baseball Grab Bag from 2016-06-14T19:53
Ben and Sam banter about a wide range of topics, including Ray Searage and the struggling Pirates pitching staff; the pitcher home run derby; rehabilitating Ben Cherington; the amazing Matt Shoemak...
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Effectively Wild Episode 903: The Not-So-Surprising Standings from 2016-06-13T20:20
Ben and Sam do an all-banter episode about the standings through the first 40 percent of the season, Yordano Ventura’s suspension, and the unchanging closer role.
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Effectively Wild Episode 902: The Names to Know from Draft Day One from 2016-06-10T19:07
Ben and Sam talk to Baseball Prospectus draft expert Christopher Crawford about what went down on day one of the amateur draft.
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Effectively Wild Episode 901: The Best Candidates for Weird Defense from 2016-06-09T19:31
Ben, Sam and FanGraphs writer August Fagerstrom banter about the allure of Kelly Johnson and the Indians’ plan for winning without Michael Brantley, then talk about big league candidates for untrie...
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Effectively Wild Episode 900: The Salvy Won’t Save You Edition from 2016-06-08T20:20
Ben and Sam banter about the brawl between the Orioles and Royals, then answer listener emails about Clayton Kershaw, Jon Lester, beating the shift, and how bad they would be at calling balls and s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 899: The Padres’Points for Trying from 2016-06-07T19:08
Ben and Sam banter about a Clayton Kershaw mystery and discuss where the depressing Padres should go from here.
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Effectively Wild Episode 898: The Expendable Ex-Superstars Edition from 2016-06-06T20:41
Ben and Sam reevaluate the Dodgers’ mega-trade from 2012 and discuss how far Carl Crawford, James Shields, and Ryan Howard have fallen.
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Effectively Wild Episode 897: Mark Simon on Fun Facts and The Yankees Index from 2016-06-03T19:16
Ben and Sam talk to ESPN Stats&Info’s Mark Simon about fun-fact philosophies, David Wright, Daniel Murphy, and other notable players, and his new book, The Yankees Index.
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Effectively Wild Episode 896: Beware of Wearables? from 2016-06-02T20:08
Ben and Sam banter about Matt Albers’ double and a Stompers success, then discuss the privacy/performance implications of new tracking technology employed by big league teams.
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Effectively Wild Episode 895: The Chain Letters Edition from 2016-06-01T21:25
Ben and Sam banter about old business, then answer listener emails about deceptive defenders, gold chains, nature vs. nurture, strikeout records and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 894: Lasers in the Outfield from 2016-05-31T20:39
Ben and Sam banter about a play at the plate and a bad fun fact, then discuss the defensive-positioning differences between the Dodgers and Mets.
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Effectively Wild Episode 893: Hello, Julio Urias from 2016-05-27T12:01
Ben and Sam talk to Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Andy McCullough about the arrival of Julio Urias, the struggles of Yasiel Puig, the excellence of Clayton Kershaw and, reluctantly…politics?
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Effectively Wild Episode 892: Carson Cistulli on Ranking Baseball’s Broadcasts from 2016-05-26T11:52
Ben and Sam talk to FanGraphs writer Carson Cistulli about his recently completed television broadcast rankings for baseball’s local markets.
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Effectively Wild Episode 891: The Support Saberseminar Edition from 2016-05-25T16:00
Ben, Sam, and listener Corey McMahon plug the Saberseminar, then answer listener emails about automated strike zones, Jackie Bradley, Mike Trout, Bill Wambsganss, Willians Astudillo and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 890: Ichiro, Kershaw, and Rich Hill’s Contract Comparables from 2016-05-24T19:46
Ben and Sam banter about Ichiro Suzuki’s resurgence, Clayton Kershaw’s continued dominance, and Rich Hill’s free-agent outlook.
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Effectively Wild Episode 889: Three Aces in Distress from 2016-05-23T20:42
Ben and Sam banter about burning clubhouse belongings and banning intentional balls, then discuss the shaky starts to the season by Matt Harvey, Sonny Gray, and Dallas Keuchel.
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Effectively Wild Episode 888: Meet the Minor Leagues’Latest Recruit from 2016-05-20T12:27
Ben and Sam talk to former Sonoma Stomper (and The Only Rule Is It Has to Work character) Santos Saldivar, a pitcher they discovered on a spreadsheet last summer who was just signed by the Brewers....
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Effectively Wild Episode 887: Sabermetrics Meets the Mexican League from 2016-05-19T13:23
Ben and Sam talk to Tadeo Varela, sabermetric analyst for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League, about the team’s pursuit of a statistical advantage.
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Effectively Wild Episode 886: Take My Pujols, Please from 2016-05-18T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about trading Mike Trout, David Ortiz’s impending retirement, analyzing scouts, judging batted balls on TV, Clayton Kershaw and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 885: How We’d Question the Commissioner (Off the Record) from 2016-05-17T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Joey Votto, then discuss what they’d ask Rob Manfred if they knew he’d answer honestly.
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Effectively Wild Episode 884: The Rangers-Blue Jays Brawl Draft from 2016-05-16T18:15
Ben and Sam banter about a bad fun fact, David Ortiz, and retirement tours, then draft noteworthy moments from Sunday’s Rangers-Blue Jays brawl.
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Effectively Wild Episode 883: T.J. Quinn Explains the Latest PED Problems from 2016-05-13T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to ESPN investigative reporter T.J. Quinn about the string of suspensions in the ongoing battle between baseball and PEDs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 882: Scherzer’s Dominance, Described and Dissected from 2016-05-12T21:26
Ben and Sam talk to FanGraphs writer August Fagerstrom about the mechanics and significance of Max Scherzer’s 20-strikeout start.
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Effectively Wild Episode 881: The Big Unit’s Perplexing Punctuation from 2016-05-11T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Bartolo Colon’s likeability, then answer listener emails about Colon, Randy Johnson, the Cubs, prescient managers and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 880: Extending Strasburg and Trading Trout from 2016-05-10T21:03
Ben and Sam banter about Stephen Strasburg’s extension, then discuss whether the Angels should trade Mike Trout.
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Effectively Wild Episode 879: Bartolo, Bryce, and Goodbye Good Wife from 2016-05-09T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Bartolo Colon’s first career home run, the Cubs’ continued success and willingness to walk Bryce Harper, and The Good Wife’s series finale.
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Effectively Wild Episode 878: Gender Imbalance in Baseball Operations from 2016-05-06T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Dodgers Baseball Operations Coordinator Emilee Fragapane and Senior R&D Analyst Megan Schroeder about their backgrounds and responsibilities and the gender imbalance in baseball...
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Effectively Wild Episode 877: The Cubs’Crazy-Ridiculous Start from 2016-05-05T19:37
Ben and Sam talk to FiveThirtyEight author Rob Arthur about the Cubs’ historically dominant start to the season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 876: The Thanks for Buying Our Book Edition from 2016-05-04T21:27
Ben and Sam banter about book events and answer listener emails about baseball’s Leicester City, the batting order, Rich Hill, Manny Machado and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 875: The Pedro-Kershaw Peak Comparison from 2016-05-03T19:28
Ben and Sam banter about their book release, Dylan Bundy, and juiced baseballs, then revisit the Pedro Martinez-Clayton Kershaw comparison.
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Effectively Wild Episode 874: The One-Month Winter-Move Mulligans from 2016-05-02T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Marlins’ failed Friday no-hitter attempt, then talk about which offseason transactions teams would already take back if they could.
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Effectively Wild Episode 873: The Braves Are the Best (at Bilking Taxpayers) from 2016-04-29T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Bloomberg’s Kate Smith about how the Braves have talked taxpayers and local councils into funding ballparks at every level of their organization.
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Effectively Wild Episode 872: The April Prospect Primer from 2016-04-28T18:45
Ben and Sam talk to BP Minor League Editor Craig Goldstein about recent prospect call-ups and prospect call-ups to come.
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Effectively Wild Episode 871: The Braves Are Bad Edition from 2016-04-27T20:29
Ben and Sam banter about the Braves and Rich Hill, then answer listener emails about fun-fact distortion, Adrian Beltre vs. Chipper Jones, assessing broadcaster quality, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 870: Reevaluating the Astros from 2016-04-26T20:07
Ben and Sam banter about Matt Albers, Mike Trout, and front-office hiring trends, then discuss whether the Astros have answered the doubts about their rebuild.
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Effectively Wild Episode 869: Buckle Up, Replay is the Law from 2016-04-25T09:33
Ben and Sam banter about a behind-the-scenes Barry Bonds story, then talk to legal consultant Jason Wojciechowski about why it’s both good and bad that replay review is like the law.
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Effectively Wild Episode 868: Jake Arrieta is Reaganing from 2016-04-22T18:00
Ben and Sam banter about this spring’s Tommy John toll, tanking, Barry Bonds, closer erosion, and a replay wrinkle, then discuss the dominance of Cubs starter Jake Arrieta.
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Effectively Wild Episode 867: Embracing the Harper-Trout Temptation from 2016-04-21T19:46
Ben and Sam reopen the great debate about who’s better, Bryce Harper or Mike Trout.
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Effectively Wild Episode 866: Noah Syndergaard, Right Now from 2016-04-20T21:51
Ben and Sam banter about Noah Syndergaard, then answer listener emails about 1-2-3 innings, what David Ortiz could do to replicate Kobe, conservative replay reviewing, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 865: 2016 Trend Watch (Reliever Evolution Edition) from 2016-04-19T22:47
Ben and Sam banter about Walt Weiss and Nolan Arenado, then continue their discussion of potential 2016 trends with multiple investigations into pitcher usage.
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Effectively Wild Episode 864: A Too-Soon Search for 2016 Trends from 2016-04-18T19:13
Ben and Sam banter about Rich Hill, Jon Lester, and the no-longer-winless Braves and Twins, then discuss some possibly premature evidence that the game has changed since last season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 863: The 0-9-Off: A Battle for Baseball’s Most Soul-Crushing Start from 2016-04-15T13:01
With help from Twins fan Aaron Gleeman and Braves fan Alex Remington, Ben and Sam attempt to determine which of MLB’s two winless teams has had the more demoralizing start to the season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 862: Jeff Sullivan on This Season’s Noteworthy Novelties from 2016-04-14T19:37
Ben, Sam, and FanGraphs writer Jeff Sullivan banter about ballplayer humor, then talk about players (including Garrett Richards, Starlin Castro, and Stephen Strasburg) who are doing something notab...
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Effectively Wild Episode 861: Murder, Remorse, and Major League Games from 2016-04-13T20:34
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about whether they would want to play in a major league game, un-fun facts, chyron decisions, GM hypotheticals, robot pitchers, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 860: Week One in Baseball Confirmation Bias from 2016-04-12T18:03
Ben and Sam banter about the most popular picks in BP’s “Beat PECOTA” game, then discuss Rich Hill, the Cubs’ strong start, Ray Searage’s promising pupils, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 859: Ross Stripling and Trevor Story from 2016-04-11T19:30
Ben and Sam discuss two surprise stars of week one, debuting Dodgers starter Ross Stripling and Rockies rookie slugger Trevor Story.
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Effectively Wild Episode 858: John Thorn on the New Details About Baseball’s Origin Story from 2016-04-08T22:19
Ben and Sam talk to MLB’s Official Historian, John Thorn, about a trio of founding documents now up for auction that casts light on the truth behind baseball’s long-disputed origin story.
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Effectively Wild Episode 857: Joe Sheehan on the Scourge of Big Bullpens from 2016-04-07T18:10
Ben and Sam banter about Kenta Maeda’s debut, then talk to Sports Illustrated’s Joe Sheehan about how pitcher-centric roster construction is making baseball more boring (and what might make it bett...
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Effectively Wild Episode 856: The Biggest Baseball-Watchers Edition from 2016-04-06T20:07
Ben and Sam banter about Rich Hill, a controversial game-ending call, and bad baseball ads, then answer listener emails about unfun facts, Theo Epstein’s future, and who’s seen the most major leagu...
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Effectively Wild Episode 855: Jeff Passan on Righting the Elbow and Writing The Arm from 2016-04-05T18:38
Ben and Sam talk to Yahoo! Sports columnist Jeff Passan about his new book, The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports.
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Effectively Wild Episode 854: The Opening Day Edition from 2016-04-04T20:39
Ben and Sam banter about Opening Day games, the Astros’ closer situation, Albert Pujols, and more, then discuss some of the BP staff’s standout preseason predictions.
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Effectively Wild Episode 853: 2016 Season Preview Series: Los Angeles Dodgers from 2016-04-01T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Dodgers’ season with Vice Sports editor Eric Nusbaum, and Jeff talks to Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Andy McCullough (at 21:22).
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Effectively Wild Episode 852: 2016 Season Preview Series: Chicago Cubs from 2016-03-31T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Cubs’ season with authors Mark Armour and Dan Levitt, and Jeff talks to Mountain Goats frontman/Cubs fan John Darnielle (at 21:40).
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Effectively Wild Episode 851: The Squid is Fried Edition from 2016-03-30T11:51
Ben and Sam banter about a listener-suggested expression, then answer listener emails about Albert Pujols’ impact on the Cardinals, rooting against incentive clauses, what a lack of analytics looks...
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Effectively Wild Episode 850: 2016 Season Preview Series: Cleveland Indians from 2016-03-29T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Indians’ season with Pete Beatty, and George talks to MLB.com Indians beat writer Jordan Bastian (at 23:44).
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Effectively Wild Episode 849: 2016 Season Preview Series: New York Mets from 2016-03-28T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Mets’ season with Mike Vorkunov, and Jeff talks Mets prospects with Toby Hyde of BP Mets and SNY.tv (at 22:49).
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Effectively Wild Episode 848: 2016 Season Preview Series: Tampa Bay Rays from 2016-03-25T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Rays’ season with ESPN Insider’s Tommy Rancel, and George talks to Tampa Bay Times Rays beat writer Marc Topkin (at 24:47).
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Effectively Wild Episode 847: 2016 Season Preview Series: Boston Red Sox from 2016-03-24T11:01
Ben and Sam preview Boston’s season with Providence Journal Red Sox beat writer Brian MacPherson, and George talks to Brian’s ProJo colleague, Tim Britton (at 28:41).
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Effectively Wild Episode 846: Nihilistic Trivia Time from 2016-03-23T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about a LaRoche-related White Sox conspiracy and update Ryan Webb’s save outlook, then answer emails about Ryan Howard, Trout vs. Goldschmidt, a terrible trivia question, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 845: 2016 Season Preview Series: San Francisco Giants from 2016-03-22T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Giants’ season with Erik Malinowski, and Jeff talks to Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles (at 24:10).
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Effectively Wild Episode 844: 2016 Season Preview Series: Washington Nationals from 2016-03-21T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Nationals’ season with Washington Post Nationals beat writer Chelsea Janes, and Jeff talks to Chelsea’s Washington Post colleague, James Wagner (at 23:56).
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Effectively Wild Episode 843: Cole Figueroa is Your Sabermetric Spirit Animal from 2016-03-19T11:01
Ben and FiveThirtyEight author Rob Arthur talk to Pittsburgh Pirates multi-position player Cole Figueroa about his use of statistics, why athletes should keep a close eye on what teams are tracking...
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Effectively Wild Episode 842: 2016 Season Preview Series: Houston Astros from 2016-03-18T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Astros’ season with Houston Chronicle Astros beat writer Evan Drellich, and George talks to Evan’s Houston Chronicle colleague, Jesus Ortiz (at 31:38).
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Effectively Wild Episode 841: 2016 Season Preview Series: Toronto Blue Jays from 2016-03-17T11:02
Ben and Sam preview the Blue Jays’ season with Joshua Howsam of Baseball Prospectus Toronto, and George talks to Sportsnet columnist Shi Davidi (at 19:49).
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Effectively Wild Episode 840: The Underrated Trout Edition from 2016-03-16T11:01
Ben and Sam announce this year’s Effectively Wild fantasy game, “Beat PECOTA,” then answer listener emails about Mike Trout, game theory in the amateur draft, baseball caps, Goose Gossage, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 839: 2016 Season Preview Series: New York Yankees from 2016-03-15T11:02
Ben and Sam preview the Yankees’ season with Kenny Ducey of Sports Illustrated and BP Bronx, and George talks to Lohud.com Yankees beat writer Chad Jennings (at 29:32).
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Effectively Wild Episode 838: 2016 Season Preview Series: Seattle Mariners from 2016-03-14T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Mariners’ season with BP/Lookout Landing writer Meg Rowley, and George talks to Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto (at 25:23).
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Effectively Wild Episode 837: 2016 Season Preview Series: Pittsburgh Pirates from 2016-03-11T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Pirates’ season with Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pirates beat writer Travis Sawchik, and Jeff talks to Pat Lackey of Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke? (at 23:58).
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Effectively Wild Episode 836: 2016 Season Preview Series: St. Louis Cardinals from 2016-03-10T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Cardinals’ season with Dayn Perry of CBS Sports, and Jeff talks to The Cardinals Way author Howard Megdal (at 22:29).
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Effectively Wild Episode 835: The River of Banter Edition from 2016-03-09T11:02
Ben and Sam banter about a T-Pain tweet, two famous phrases, Ray Searage, and the final results of their contracts draft, then answer listener emails about the Cubs, a baseball broadcast from Bette...
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Effectively Wild Episode 834: 2016 Season Preview Series: Chicago White Sox from 2016-03-08T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the White Sox’ season with BP author R.J. Anderson, and George talks to CSN Chicago White Sox insider Dan Hayes (at 23:14).
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Effectively Wild Episode 833: 2016 Season Preview Series: Texas Rangers from 2016-03-07T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Rangers’ season with BP author Kate Morrison, and George talks to Fort Worth Star-Telegram Rangers beat writer Jeff Wilson (at 26:32).
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Effectively Wild Episode 832: 2016 Season Preview Series: Arizona Diamondbacks from 2016-03-04T13:50
Ben and Sam preview the Diamondbacks’ season with BP author Zachary Levine, and Jeff talks to SiriusXM and Diamondbacks pre- and postgame host Mike Ferrin (at 32:10).
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Effectively Wild Episode 831: 2016 Season Preview Series: Detroit Tigers from 2016-03-03T11:02
Ben and Sam preview the Tigers’ season with FiveThirtyEight author Rob Arthur, and George talks to MLB.com Tigers beat writer Jason Beck (at 22:06).
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Effectively Wild Episode 830: The Longest Listener Email Show from 2016-03-02T11:01
Ben and Sam play a quick player guessing game, banter about pitching-coach projects and Coors Field fences, and answer listener emails about the Cubs and personal catchers, irrational fan beliefs, ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 829: 2016 Season Preview Series: Minnesota Twins from 2016-03-01T13:02
Ben and Sam preview the Twins’ season with BP author Kun Funck, and Jeff talks to Pioneer Press Twins beat writer Mike Berardino (at 23:40).
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Effectively Wild Episode 828: 2016 Season Preview Series: San Diego Padres from 2016-02-29T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Padres’ season with MLB.com Cut 4 writer Michael Clair, and Jeff talks to MLB.com Padres beat writer Corey Brock (at 23:31).
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Effectively Wild Episode 827: 2016 Season Preview Series: Milwaukee Brewers from 2016-02-26T16:56
Ben and Sam preview the Brewers’ season with BP Milwaukee’s Ryan Romano, and Jeff talks to freelance writer Jack Moore (at 23:16).
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Effectively Wild Episode 826: 2016 Season Preview Series: Kansas City Royals from 2016-02-25T17:14
Ben and Sam preview the Royals’ season with Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger, and George talks to Kansas City Star Royals beat writer Rustin Dodd (at 28:04).
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Effectively Wild Episode 825: The Airport Angels Edition from 2016-02-24T20:04
Ben and Sam banter about Angels at the airport, Ryan Webb, and a home-run-hitting contest, then answer listener emails about winning three-game series, the best radio broadcasts, the baseball equiv...
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Effectively Wild Episode 824: 2016 Season Preview Series: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2016-02-23T15:50
Ben and Sam preview the Angels’ season with Vice Sports contributing editor David Roth, and George talks to Los Angeles Times Angels beat writer Pedro Moura (at 27:42).
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Effectively Wild Episode 823: 2016 Season Preview Series: Miami Marlins from 2016-02-22T18:30
Ben and Sam preview the Marlins’ season with BP author Matt Trueblood, and Jeff talks to ESPN/Fox Sports Florida analyst Eduardo Perez (at 28:08).
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Effectively Wild Episode 822: 2016 Season Preview Series: Oakland Athletics from 2016-02-19T00:28
Ben and Sam preview the Athletics’ season with SB Nation’s Claire McNear, and George talks to San Francisco Chronicle A’s beat writer Susan Slusser (at 21:09).
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Effectively Wild Episode 821: 2016 Season Preview Series: Colorado Rockies from 2016-02-18T13:16
Ben and Sam preview the Rockies’ season with Deadspin editor Tom Ley, and Jeff talks to Purple Row prospect writer Jen Mac Ramos (at 19:45).
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Effectively Wild Episode 820: The Posing Pineda Edition from 2016-02-17T20:46
Ben and Sam banter about a picture of Michael Pineda, then answer emails about deferred contracts, players they wish would write books, Michael Jordan the minor leaguer, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 819: 2016 Season Preview Series: Baltimore Orioles from 2016-02-16T18:57
Ben and Craig preview the Orioles’ season with Jon Bernhardt, and George talks to MASN/MASNSports.com Orioles reporter Roch Kubatko (at 25:52).
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Effectively Wild Episode 818: 2016 Season Preview Series: Cincinnati Reds from 2016-02-15T07:00
Ben and Sam preview the Reds’ season with Russell Carleton, and Jeff talks to Cincinnati Enquirer Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans (at 28:21)
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Effectively Wild Episode 817: 2016 Season Preview Series: Atlanta Braves from 2016-02-12T10:34
Ben and Sam preview the Braves’ season with Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Mark Bradley, and Jeff talks to Talking Chop prospect writer Garrett Spain (at 31:23)
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Effectively Wild Episode 816: 2016 Season Preview Series: Philadelphia Phillies from 2016-02-11T07:00
Ben and Sam preview the Phillies’ season with Holly M. Wendt, and Jeff talks to News Journal Phillies beat writer Meghan Montemurro (at 23:50)
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Effectively Wild Episode 815: The Season-Previews Preview from 2016-02-10T20:49
Ben and Sam preview their fourth annual 30-team season-preview podcast series with preview partners Jeffrey Paternostro and George Bissell, then answer listener emails about prospect lists, talking...
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Effectively Wild Episode 814: Why Don’t the Best Free Agents Make Even More Money? from 2016-02-09T19:24
Ben and Sam discuss why teams don’t pay a premium for elite free agents and why players who switch positions might not always do so smoothly.
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Effectively Wild Episode 813: Changing the Strike Zone Responsibly from 2016-02-08T18:45
Ben and Sam banter about The Good Wife’s Super Bowl spot and discuss some potential unintended consequences of raising/shrinking the strike zone.
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Effectively Wild Episode 812: Warren Spahn and the Forgotten Flexible Starter from 2016-02-05T19:33
Ben talks to former Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Steven Goldman and Banished to the Pen’s Darius Austin about how Warren Spahn avoided the 1950s Dodgers and what we can learn from the way ma...
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Effectively Wild Episode 811: 2016 Comeback Player Predictions from 2016-02-04T19:03
Ben and Sam banter about Alvaro Espinoza and Kenta Imamiya, then draft candidates for the 2016 Comeback Player of the Year Award(s).
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Effectively Wild Episode 810: The Empty Average Edition from 2016-02-03T20:47
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Howie Kendrick’s contract, Scott Boras and the CBA, how teams hire analysts, young MVPs, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 809: The 2016 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2016-02-02T20:27
For the third consecutive year, Ben and Sam draft the 20 minor league free agents they hope will earn the most major league playing time in 2016.
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Effectively Wild Episode 808: The BP Annual Guessing Game from 2016-02-01T19:39
Ben and Sam banter about Billions, the amazing Willie Davis, and a strange Fox Sports article, then conduct a quiz show.
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Effectively Wild Episode 807: Daren Willman Previews Statcast Season Two from 2016-01-29T19:28
Ben and Sam talk to the new Director of Baseball Research and Development for MLB Advanced Media, Daren Willman, about what’s in store for Statcast in 2016 and beyond.
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Effectively Wild Episode 806: How Quickly Chemistry Can Change from 2016-01-28T19:32
Ben and Sam banter about a Salvador Perez extension and a strike-zone change, then discuss the rapid reversal of the Athletics’ clubhouse and what it might mean for the Nationals.
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Effectively Wild Episode 805: How Much is That World Series in the Window? from 2016-01-27T21:56
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Yoenis Cespedes’s contract, relievers winning awards, how much it costs to buy a World Series, prospect comparisons, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 804: The Offseason Odds Movers from 2016-01-25T19:24
Ben and Sam banter about Mike Trout moonlighting as a weatherman, then discuss which teams have seen their World Series odds fall or rise the most since the beginning of the offseason.
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Effectively Wild Episode 803: Coin-Flip Friday from 2016-01-22T20:21
Ben and Sam banter about Yoenis Cespedes, then revisit the Josh Donaldson deal and answer listener emails about umpire inadequacy, the Ausmus-Matheny paradox, and what it would cost to pay minor le...
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Effectively Wild Episode 802: The Podcast We Put Away Wet from 2016-01-21T21:25
Ben and Sam banter about Chris Davis and Target, then answer emails about David Price, Yosemite Tim, requesting trades, true talent, and the most average player.
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Effectively Wild Episode 801: The Big-Contract Catch-Up from 2016-01-20T19:06
Ben and Sam banter about the resolution to a legal case they discussed last week, then discuss the Ian Kennedy, Chris Davis, and Justin Upton signings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 800: Kieran Powell on Converting from Cricket from 2016-01-19T19:26
Ben and Sam talk to former international cricketer Kieran Powell about his attempt to become a professional baseball player.
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Effectively Wild Episode 799: Andy McCullough Defends the Fourth Estate from 2016-01-18T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to incoming Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Andy McCullough about the Players’ Tribune, the Dodgers and Royals and, for some reason, Sublime.
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Effectively Wild Episode 798: The Baseball Amicus Brief from 2016-01-15T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to FanGraphs legal analyst Nathaniel Grow about a number of baseball-related cases working their way through the courts.
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Effectively Wild Episode 797: How to Have the Trout Talk from 2016-01-14T20:14
Ben and Sam banter about Chris Davis and burning ships, then answer a listener email about how to make Mike Trout matter to non-fans.
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Effectively Wild Episode 796: Podcasting Under Pressure from 2016-01-13T20:23
Ben and Sam banter about Ian Kennedy and their free-agent-contract predictions, then answer listener emails about the Dodgers’ front office, The Players’ Tribune, Coors Field and Gerardo Parra, sil...
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Effectively Wild Episode 795: The State of the Central Address from 2016-01-12T18:40
Ben and Sam banter about BP’s new catcher-defense stats, then discuss the AL Central’s offseason.
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Effectively Wild Episode 794: Belated Barry Bonds Banter from 2016-01-11T19:27
Ben and Sam discuss how long Barry Bonds will last as the Miami Marlins’ hitting coach.
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Effectively Wild Episode 793: The Emergency Mailbag Edition from 2016-01-08T19:32
Ben and Sam banter about Kenta Maeda’s physical, then consult an official scorer and answer emails about a market correction, the Dodgers’ spending, the Yankees’ and Cubs’ bullpens, and Dave Stewart.
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Effectively Wild Episode 792: What We Learned from This Year’s Hall of Fame Voting from 2016-01-07T20:22
Ben and Sam review the greatness of Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza and talk about their other takeaways from the Hall of Fame voting results.
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Effectively Wild Episode 791: Brewster’s Emails from 2016-01-06T19:55
Ben and Sam banter about Justin Upton and answer listener emails about baseball movies, rap lyrics, restructuring divisions, free-agent demands, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 790: The Non-Hilarious Haren from 2016-01-05T19:27
Ben and Sam banter about dress codes and the recent lack of rumors, then discuss Dan Haren’s revelatory tweets.
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Effectively Wild Episode 789: Premature Takes on the Kenta Maeda Contract from 2016-01-04T19:28
Ben and Sam banter about the unusual number of unsigned position players, then share their initial reactions to the Dodgers’ signing of Kenta Maeda.
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Effectively Wild Episode 788: The Deepest Mailbag Dive from 2015-12-28T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about player privacy concerns, then dig (very) deep into the mailbag for questions that time forgot.
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Effectively Wild Episode 787: He Knows if Your Hall of Fame Ballot Has Been Bad or Good from 2015-12-21T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Ryan Thibodaux about what he’s learned from his effort to track Hall of Fame ballots.
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Effectively Wild Episode 786: The Longest-Awaited Listener Email Answers from 2015-12-18T19:25
Ben and Sam banter about a fictitious player from TV, then answer listener emails about Mike Trout, opt-ops, paying players not to play, persuading a parent to value Barry Bonds, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 785: The Tantalizing 2018 Free Agent Class from 2015-12-17T07:57
Ben and Sam discuss whether the awe-inspiring 2018 free agent class is something MLB teams should be planning for already.
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Effectively Wild Episode 784: The Cubs Are Kinda Good from 2015-12-11T20:38
Ben and Sam discuss whether signing Jason Heyward makes the Cubs the best team in baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 783: The Astros Get Giles, and a Heyward Hypothetical from 2015-12-10T21:20
Ben and Sam banter about Serial and basketball, then discuss the Astros-Phillies trade and Jason Heyward.
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Effectively Wild Episode 782: Shelby Miller Madness, and a Zobrist-Castro Comparison from 2015-12-09T20:03
Ben and Sam discuss the Shelby Miller trade between the Diamondbacks and Braves, and the Cubs’ Starlin Castro trade and Ben Zobrist signing.
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Effectively Wild Episode 781: Are Teams Going Overboard in the Bullpen? from 2015-12-08T20:17
Ben and Sam banter about Hall of Fame voting and David Price, then talk about the recent trend toward teams acquiring multiple elite late-inning relievers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 780: Good Pitchers Go West from 2015-12-07T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about David Price and Ryan Madson and discuss the Zack Greinke and Jeff Samardzija signings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 779: Meet Major League Hitters’Newest Nightmare from 2015-12-04T18:55
Ben and Sam talk to BP author Chris Mosch about the newest innovation in defensive positioning: the outfield shift.
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Effectively Wild Episode 778: Your Best Emails, with a Special Surprise(d) Guest from 2015-12-03T21:56
Ben and Sam banter about rumors, answer emails about reclamation projects, a free-agent A-Rod, secret contracts, no-trade clauses, and more, and speak to someone who’s not expecting their call.
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Effectively Wild Episode 777: The Pun-Free David Price Podcast from 2015-12-02T19:15
Ben and Sam banter about the Tony Cruz trade and then discuss a slightly (but only slightly!) more momentous move, the Red Sox signing David Price.
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Effectively Wild Episode 776: One Man’s Winter Meetings Saga from 2015-12-01T20:28
Ben and Sam talk to Andre Archimbaud, whose experience at the 2002 Winter Meetings, just before Moneyball blew up, was chronicled in Josh Lewin’s book, Getting in the Game.
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Effectively Wild Episode 775: The Happ/Zimmermann Contract Conundrums from 2015-11-30T19:11
Ben and Sam discuss the perplexities of the J.A. Happ and Jordan Zimmermann signings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 774: The Thanksgiving Emails Episode the World Didn’t Want You to Hear from 2015-11-26T09:00
Ben and Sam banter about troublesome software (for some reason), then answer emails about constructing sensible trades, solving moral hazard, subbing for Andrelton Simmons, and what makes free agen...
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Effectively Wild Episode 773: The Aroldis Chapman Trade Discussion from 2015-11-24T18:52
Ben and Sam banter about Lloyd McClendon’s new managerial job, then talk about Aroldis Chapman being on the block.
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Effectively Wild Episode 772: Slide Rules, Innings Limits, and Cano Contracts Revisited from 2015-11-23T19:05
Ben and Sam discuss MLB’s track record with rule changes, Scott Boras’ involvement in Jose Fernandez’ pitching plans, and Robinson Cano’s contract.
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Effectively Wild Episode 771: Trout-Harper Redux, and the Week in Clubhouse Gossip from 2015-11-20T19:40
Ben and Sam discuss the latest gossip about the Mariners and Marlins, then do another career comparison of Mike Trout and Bryce Harper.
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Effectively Wild Episode 770: Shooting the Baseball Breeze from 2015-11-19T18:34
Ben and Sam banter about award apathy, Hall of Fame voting, and Francisco Rodriguez, then answer a couple listener emails.
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Effectively Wild Episode 769: Rich Hill, Jerry Dipoto, and David Ortiz from 2015-11-18T20:11
Ben and Sam discuss the Rich Hill signing and more Mike Trout punctuation, then answer listener emails about Jerry Dipoto and David Ortiz and do a double Play Index.
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Effectively Wild Episode 768: The Angels’Simmons Incentives and the Braves’Odd Rebuild from 2015-11-17T18:51
Ben and Sam discuss why three free agents accepted qualifying offers, then break down both sides of the Andrelton Simmons trade.
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Effectively Wild Episode 767: The Non-Cookie-Cutter Craig Kimbrel Reaction from 2015-11-16T19:17
Ben and Sam discuss the Craig Kimbrel trade and the way to talk about closers in 2015.
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Effectively Wild Episode 766: The Second Annual Free-Agent-Contract Over/Under Draft from 2015-11-13T11:01
Ben and Sam draft the free agents they think will make more or less money than predicted.
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Effectively Wild Episode 765: MLB’s MBA Future from 2015-11-12T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to BP author Jeff Quinton about how baseball teams could benefit from design thinking.
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Effectively Wild Episode 764: Award Apathy and Splashy Stats from 2015-11-11T18:43
Ben and Sam banter about daily-fantasy ads, then answer listener emails about Barry Bonds and splash hits, end-of-season awards, when to spend on free agents, baseball and the metric system, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 763: Predicting the GM Predictions from 2015-11-10T19:28
Ben and Sam banter about Mike Trout and Brian Cashman, then predict and discuss the results of Jerry Crasnick’s annual executive poll.
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Effectively Wild Episode 762: The Best Barry Bonds Facts from 2015-11-09T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about the best Barry Bonds facts with Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman of Cespedes Family Barbecue.
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Effectively Wild Episode 761: An Offseason Friday Gallimaufry from 2015-11-06T19:02
Ben and Sam discuss free agents, qualifying offers, the Rays-Mariners trade, Alex Anthopoulos’ departure from Toronto, and Mike Trout Twitter.
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Effectively Wild Episode 760: Andy McCullough Reveals Every Royals Offseason Move from 2015-11-05T21:07
Ben and Sam talk to Kansas City Star Royals beat writer Andy McCullough about why the Royals won the World Series and what their offseason might look like.
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Effectively Wild Episode 759: Your Fantastic Offseason Emails from 2015-11-04T19:23
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about buying two tickets to games, Derek Jeter jerseys, and the World Series, and Play Index about extra innings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 758: Welcome Back, Baker from 2015-11-03T19:47
Ben and Sam banter about Jeurys Familia’s blown saves in the World Series, then talk about Bud Black, Dusty Baker, and the state of managing.
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Effectively Wild Episode 757: World Series Lessons Learned from 2015-11-02T19:26
Ben and Sam say goodbye to Grantland, the World Series, and the 2015 season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 756: The Unwritten Rules of Syndergaard-Escobar from 2015-10-31T19:02
Ben and Sam do a quick bonus Saturday episode on Mets starter Noah Syndergaard’s first pitch of World Series Game 3.
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Effectively Wild Episode 755: The Soundtrack to Your World Series Weekend from 2015-10-30T18:51
Ben and Sam banter about the Market Diner, then discuss World Series strategy and answer listener emails.
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Effectively Wild Episode 754: The Royals Are Reading Your Mind from 2015-10-29T19:32
Ben and Sam banter about the brilliance of Roger Angell, then discuss the latest Ned Yost news, Jacob deGrom’s supposed pitch-tipping, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 753: Takeaways from a Wild Game One from 2015-10-28T19:16
Ben and Sam discuss several aspects of a classic start to the World Series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 752: Hey, the World Series is Starting from 2015-10-27T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the 2015 World Series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 751: Between-Series Banter from 2015-10-26T18:23
Ben and Sam follow up on a story from last week and discuss the Royals’ rotation secrecy, Ruben Amaro’s new job, managing for the Marlins, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 750: A Postseason Smorgasbord from 2015-10-23T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss a smattering of postseason topics, including Kyle Schwarber, a playoff-team draft, ALCS Game 6, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 749: Stan Conte on Injury Unknowns and Brett Anderson’s 180 from 2015-10-22T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to recently resigned Dodgers VP of Medical Services and Head Athletic Trainer Stan Conte about hidden injuries, fighting fatigue, and Brett Anderson’s almost-miraculous season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 748: The Endangered Diner Edition from 2015-10-21T19:57
Ben and Sam banter about Ben’s endangered diner and position player pitching, then answer listener emails about shutdown innings, evaluating GMs, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 747: Important Playoff Questions Answered from 2015-10-20T17:34
Ben and Sam banter about Johnny Cueto and the differences between the most boring parts of baseball and other sports, then answer playoff-related listener emails.
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Effectively Wild Episode 746: The Championship Series Check-In from 2015-10-19T11:01
Ben, Harry Pavlidis, and Jeffrey Paternostro review the weekend’s ALCS and NLCS action and preview the pitching in ALCS Game 3.
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Effectively Wild Episode 745: The Obligatory Championship Series Preview Episode from 2015-10-16T17:50
Ben, Craig Goldstein, and Matt Trueblood banter about Mets-Dodgers Game 5, then preview the NLCS and ALCS.
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Effectively Wild Episode 744: The Texas-Toronto Seventh-Inning Insanity Draft from 2015-10-15T11:01
Ben and Sam draft their favorite moments from the unbelievable seventh inning of Blue Jays-Rangers Game Five.
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Effectively Wild Episode 743: The Cubs Clinch and Kershaw Recovers from 2015-10-14T11:01
Ben and Sam review the Cubs-Cardinals series and Mets-Dodgers Game Four, then return to the David Price puzzle.
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Effectively Wild Episode 742: Price’s Puzzle, Kershaw’s Seventh, and the Astros-Royals Reversal from 2015-10-13T18:23
Ben and Sam banter about how this year’s playoffs compare to last year’s, then discuss the postseason performances of Clayton Kershaw and David Price, the crazy Astros-Royals reversal, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 741: All About Utley from 2015-10-12T18:53
Ben and Sam banter about TBS baseball broadcasts, then discuss the Chase Utley slide in Game 2 of the Dodgers-Mets NLDS.
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Effectively Wild Episode 740: NLDS Deep Thoughts from 2015-10-09T18:54
Ben and Sam review the first games of the American League Division Series, then discuss the Cubs-Cardinals and Dodgers-Mets matchups.
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Effectively Wild Episode 739: Wild Cards in Review and All Your ALDS Analysis from 2015-10-08T19:16
Ben and Sam review the wild-card games and discuss the Rangers-Blue Jays and Astros-Royals Division Series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 738: The Playoff Draft from 2015-10-06T19:35
Ben and Sam give an update on ongoing competitions, draft playoff teams, and answer emails about play-in games, Clayton Kershaw, a Tigers scoring mystery, and more.
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Effectively Wild: Episode 737: Several of the Biggest Surprises from the 2015 Regular Season from 2015-10-05T20:43
Ben and Sam banter about an eventful weekend in baseball, then discuss some of the developments that surprised them most during the 2015 regular season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 736: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and the Angels’Attempt to Stay Alive from 2015-10-01T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to OC Register writer Pedro Moura about the odd career paths of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, the Angels’ recent resurgence, and the team’s search for a new GM.
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Effectively Wild Episode 735: Podcast Court is in Session from 2015-09-30T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Mike Trout’s punctuation, then answer listener emails about the fastest fastball, pennant-race anxiety, Rich Hil, shortstop studs, and a fantasy-league dilemma.
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Effectively Wild Episode 734: The Most Important Player on Every Postseason Team from 2015-09-29T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Clayton Kershaw, Jake Arrieta, and Jerry Dipoto, then pick the player each playoff team would be most screwed without.
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Effectively Wild Episode 733: The Response to the Players’Response to the Papelbon-Harper Brawl from 2015-09-28T20:29
Ben and Sam banter about the changing structure of front offices, then discuss what former players are saying about the brawl between Jonathan Papelbon and Bryce Harper.
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Effectively Wild Episode 732: Andy McCullough on A-Rod, the Royals, and Rock from 2015-09-25T20:57
Ben and Sam talk to Kansas City Star Royals beat writer Andy McCullough about Alex Rodriguez, several Royals-related topics, and 1990s music.
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Effectively Wild Episode 731: The Up to One Swing for the Fences Edition from 2015-09-24T14:47
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about bullpen catchers, past playoff odds, a Nationals Park promotion, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 730: David Stearns, Pete Mackanin, and Troublesome Tags from 2015-09-23T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Brewers’ hiring of David Stearns, then talk about why timing is everything when it comes to tags, interim managers and Weezer and Wes Anderson.
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Effectively Wild Episode 729: How (Not) to Wager on the World Series from 2015-09-22T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about a Sandy Alderson story, then compare what PECOTA and the sportsbooks say about the likely winners of the World Series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 728: The Mercurial Matt Moore from 2015-09-18T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Matt Albers and baseball cards, then talk to Adam Sobsey about Matt Moore and the dependability of top pitching prospects.
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Effectively Wild Episode 727: The AL’s Outscored Contenders from 2015-09-17T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about one of the worst games of the season, Madison Bumgarner, and an old bet, then talk to Adam J. Morris about the Rangers and Brandon Warne about the Twins.
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Effectively Wild Episode 726: How Many Fingers is Mike Trout Holding Up? from 2015-09-16T11:01
Ben and Sam read responses to previous topics, then answer listener emails about Mike Trout, questionable bullpen decisions, what WAR is missing, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 725: Why Don’t Bad Teams Tank in September? from 2015-09-15T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Yoenis Cespedes’ MVP case and contract, then talk about why bad teams don’t try to lose in September.
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Effectively Wild Episode 724: Debating David Ortiz and Buying Stock in Baseball Players from 2015-09-14T21:28
Ben and Sam discuss David Ortiz’s Hall of Fame candidacy and Angels starter Andrew Heaney’s decision to sell stock in himself.
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Effectively Wild Episode 723: Outlaw Relievers and New-Model Managers from 2015-09-11T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Chin-hui Tsao, Joey Votto, insect intruders, and the Indians’ defense, then discuss what we’ve learned about Brad Ausmus, Robin Ventura, and other new-model managers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 722: Cold-Calling Ned Garver from 2015-09-10T20:16
Ben and Sam answer listener emails, come across a baseball mystery, and get answers straight from a primary source.
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Effectively Wild Episode 721: The Mechanics and Morality of the Mets’Matt Harvey Dilemma from 2015-09-08T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about GM smack talk, then discuss the Mets, Matt Harvey, and innings limits.
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Effectively Wild Episode 720: The Extra-Long Listener Email Blowout from 2015-09-04T18:58
Ben and Sam banter about the Mets, Matt Harvey, and Scott Boras, then answer listener emails about pitcher stuff, park effects, permanent shifts, a magic Jonny Gomes, playoff seeding, and much more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 719: Jinxing Jacob deGrom from 2015-08-25T12:00
Ben and Sam talk to Amazin’ Avenue’s Jeff Paternostro about Mets player development and the mysterious origins of unexpected ace Jacob deGrom.
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Effectively Wild Episode 718: Early Awards and Excessive Celebrations from 2015-08-24T19:42
Ben and Sam banter about Joc Pederson and answer emails about Madison Bumgarner, on-field celebrations, the Triple Crown, holding runners, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 717: The WTF Washington Nationals from 2015-08-19T00:45
Ben and Sam discuss the Washington Nationals’ seemingly lost season, followed by special appearances from podcast legends Ryan Webb and Matt Albers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 716: Appreciating Carlos Correa from 2015-08-17T18:38
Ben, Sam, and Erik Malinowski banter about Madison Bumgarner the batter, then discuss Astros rookie Carlos Correa’s early achievements.
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Effectively Wild Episode 715: Strand Me in St. Louis from 2015-08-13T20:21
Ben and Sam banter about casting news, then discuss the St. Louis Cardinals’ seemingly incredible luck.
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Effectively Wild Episode 714: The 2015 MLB Debuts Draft from 2015-08-10T18:31
Ben and Sam banter about last week’s banter and the Dodgers’ speed camp, then draft players who made their big league debuts in 2015.
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Effectively Wild Episode 713: The Mysteries and Strategies Edition from 2015-08-06T20:09
Ben and Sam banter about Joe Girardi’s strategy and Dave Stewart’s stories, then answer listener emails about a Martin Prado mystery, deadline trades, Nick Markakis, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 712: Combating Baseball’s Beanball Wars from 2015-08-04T11:01
Ben, Sam, and Zachary Levine banter about hidden streaks, then discuss baseball’s latest self-policing problems and the best ways to discourage beanballs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 711: The Least Active Team at the Most Active Trade Deadline from 2015-08-03T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Dave Stewart’s violation of front-office unwritten rules and a bad call on Bryce Harper, then discuss the extra-active deadline, the Padres’ inactivity, and the latest top-...
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Effectively Wild Episode 710: Hamels, Latos, and Gomez, Oh My from 2015-07-30T17:02
Ben and Sam discuss a wild Wednesday night on the trade market, covering a three-team involving involving the Dodgers, Braves, and Marlins, the Cole Hamels deal, and the Mets’ almost-trade for Carl...
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Effectively Wild Episode 709: Zobrist, Papelbon, and Other Updates from Deadline Week from 2015-07-29T21:27
Ben and Sam banter about history, etymology, lexicography, and Nolan Arenado, then discuss the Ben Zobrist, Jonathan Papelbon, and Mat Latos trades.
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Effectively Wild Episode 708: The Cueto and Tulo Trades from 2015-07-28T19:34
Ben and Sam banter about an Elvis Andrus glove toss, an odd triple play, and A-Rod, then discuss the Johnny Cueto and Troy Tulowitzki trades.
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Effectively Wild Episode 707: Kershaw as a Closer, the Phillies’Pitching Apocalypse, and Other Emails from 2015-07-24T19:50
Ben and Sam banter about analytics and secrecy, then answer listener emails about aces in relief, the Phillies’ terrible rotation, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 706: Go-Go-Gadget Greinke from 2015-07-23T19:05
Ben and Sam banter about the Astros and then discuss the possible interpretations of Zack Greinke’s scoreless innings streak.
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Effectively Wild Episode 705: The Anniversary Emails Edition from 2015-07-17T19:51
On the podcast’s third anniversary, Ben and Sam answer emails about how much baseball players work, whatever happened to offensive shortstops, breaking unwritten rules, projecting prospects, and mo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 704: Mysteries from the Front Office from 2015-07-14T19:21
Ben and Sam banter about former Pirates executive Merrill Hess and then discuss stories about former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti from Molly Knight’s new book.
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Effectively Wild Episode 703: Oakland’s Trade Deadline Dilemma from 2015-07-13T19:54
Ben and Sam banter about the All-Star Game and then discuss how the Oakland A’s should handle the next phase of their strange season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 1184: When Would You Want Your World Series? from 2015-07-08T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the optimal distribution of World Series wins across an average lifespan.
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Effectively Wild Episode 702: The Significance of Scioscia Deposing Dipoto from 2015-07-07T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about trade arbitrage and Jon Lester, then discuss the Angels’ front-office overthrow.
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Effectively Wild Episode 701: The All-Banter Backlog Show from 2015-07-06T18:40
Ben and Sam return from a semi-extended absence to banter about Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, a David Ortiz fun fact, All-Star voting, Cardinals hacking, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 700: Sabermetrics, Australia-Style from 2015-06-29T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Anthony Rescan about his statistical work with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League.
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Effectively Wild Episode 699: Radio Producers, Cycles, and Dave Stewart Don’t Make Sense from 2015-06-25T22:35
Ben and Sam banter about baseball crimes, All-Star voting, and Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart, then answer listener emails about perfect games, discuss stats about cycles, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 698: The Diamondbacks Do it Again from 2015-06-23T20:09
Ben and Sam banter about prosecuting the Cardinals and the Royals’ All-Star tally, then talk about the Diamondbacks’ perplexing Bronson Arroyo trade.
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Effectively Wild Episode 697: The David Price Trade Revisited from 2015-06-22T21:27
Ben and Sam banter about Tim Lincecum and a fateful Jose Tabata hit by pitch, then discuss how the 2014 David Price deal looks in retrospect for the Rays.
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Effectively Wild Episode 696: Listener Emails: The Hacking, Hanley, and Position Player Pitching Edition from 2015-06-18T19:56
Ben and Sam banter about position players pitching and answer emails about the Cardinals-Astros hacking scandal, Hanley Ramirez, defensive positioning, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 695: The Cardinals Face the Feds from 2015-06-16T19:43
Ben and Sam banter about Billy Hamilton and discuss the New York Times report about the Cardinals’ involvement in the hacking of the Astros’ internal system.
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Effectively Wild Episode 694: Adjudicating an All-Royals All-Star Game from 2015-06-15T20:25
Ben and Sam banter about clothing choices, Albert Pujols, and a defensive play, then discuss the threat of a Royals-heavy American League All-Star team.
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Effectively Wild Episode 693: Dugout Etiquette, Warm-Up WAR, and Other Thrilling Emails from 2015-06-12T19:39
Ben and Sam banter about Pat Venditte and Zack Cozart, then answer emails about batter-pitcher matchups, when to congratulate players, double Delino DeShieldses, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 692: The Year of Top Prospects from 2015-06-11T18:59
Ben and Sam banter about Bryce Harper and talk about the unusual number of top prospects making the majors early this season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 691: Chris Long on Analytics’Role in the Draft Room from 2015-06-09T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to former Padres Senior Quantitative Analyst Chris Long about how teams can use stats to improve their performance in the amateur draft.
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Effectively Wild Episode 690: Probably Premature Judgments About Offseason Trades, Part Two from 2015-06-08T19:03
Ben and Sam banter about Pat Venditte, then revisit three winter blockbusters involving NL West teams.
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Effectively Wild Episode 689: Reluctantly Trashing the Twins from 2015-06-05T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Aaron Gleeman about the confounding, first-place Minnesota Twins.
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Effectively Wild Episode 688: Success Without Strikeouts, Strange-Looking Lineups, and Other Emails from 2015-06-04T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss their schedule and answer emails about rebellious players, pitching to contact, coaching catchers, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 687: Probably Premature Judgments About Offseason Trades from 2015-06-01T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Sonoma Stompers Opening Day, then discuss the early returns from some of the winter’s biggest blockbusters.
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Effectively Wild Episode 686: Catcher Game-Calling, Now Slightly Less Mysterious from 2015-05-29T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to BP Director of Technology Harry Pavlidis about his recent discoveries about game-calling and our new understanding of what catchers are worth.
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Effectively Wild Episode 685: A Couple Complaints About Replays and Appeals from 2015-05-28T19:36
Ben and Sam banter about home runs and a Dan Jennings quote, then discuss some oddities of baseball’s replay and appeal rules.
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Effectively Wild Episode 684: Pitchers and Pine Tar, the Meat of the Order, and Throwing Back Baseballs from 2015-05-27T11:01
Ben, Sam, and Dan Brooks banter about Saber Seminar, then answer listener emails about pine tar, the meaning of the middle of the order, and throwing back home runs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 683: The Almost Inexplicable Stephen Strasburg from 2015-05-26T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Dan Jennings, then attempt to explain Stephen Strasburg’s perplexing season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 682: How Bryce Harper Broke Out from 2015-05-22T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about earthquakes, Tim Lincecum, and baseball nightmares, then talk to Dan Rozenson about Bryce Harper.
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Effectively Wild Episode 681: Marlins Madness, Sabermetric Milestones, and Other Emails from 2015-05-20T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Marlins’ unorthodox managerial move, Play Index about doubles, and answer emails about innings counts, sabermetric milestones, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 680: Travis Sawchik on the Pirates and Big Data Baseball from 2015-05-19T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pirates beat writer Travis Sawchik about his new book, Big Data Baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 679: The Barry Bonds Collusion Case from 2015-05-18T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Bryce Harper, then talk about what Barry Bonds could have contributed to or cost a baseball team in 2008.
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Effectively Wild Episode 678: Early Statcast Leaders, Laggards, and Lessons from 2015-05-15T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Rob Arthur about which batters have had hard luck or good fortune so far, according to Statcast.
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Effectively Wild Episode 677: Pulling Corey Kluber from 2015-05-14T11:01
Ben and Sam answer discuss the Indians’ decision to remove Corey Kluber with a 21-strikeout start on the line.
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Effectively Wild Episode 676: Questions You Asked Us to Answer from 2015-05-13T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about ace vs. ace matchups, videos they wish they could watch, high-strikeout starts, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 675: The Ways Teams Could Cheat, and the Ways We Would Punish Them from 2015-05-12T19:34
Ben and Sam banter about trees on the field and Kevin Gregg, then discuss the punishments for a few hypothetical crimes.
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Effectively Wild Episode 674: Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and Turning Corners from 2015-05-11T18:27
Ben and Sam banter about the Astros and discuss what Bryce Harper’s hot streak means.
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Effectively Wild Episode 673: The Red Sox Pitching Coach Kerfuffle from 2015-05-08T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Providence Journal Red Sox beat writer Brian MacPherson about the Red Sox rotation and the firing of Juan Nieves.
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Effectively Wild Episode 672: How Real Are the Astros? from 2015-05-07T19:27
Ben and Sam banter about Bryce Harper and Mike Trout and dissect several stats about the Astros’ season so far.
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Effectively Wild Episode 671: Avenging Umpires, Adjustable Innings, and Other Emails from 2015-05-06T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about umpires and framing, a different home-field advantage, bad baseball terms, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 670: Xander Bogaerts vs. Mookie Betts from 2015-05-05T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Ben Carsley about Boston’s talented 22-year-olds, Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts.
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Effectively Wild Episode 669: The 2015 Under-25 Starters Draft from 2015-05-04T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the weekend in baseball and draft starting pitchers under age 25.
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Effectively Wild Episode 668: The No-Strikeout Streak, The Double DH, and the Overgrown Infield from 2015-05-01T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about DH alternatives, baseball without the grounds crew, the most exciting starters, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 667: The New Frontier in Pitching Statistics from 2015-04-30T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Jonathan Judge about BP’s new pitching metrics and the challenges and opportunities ahead of statisticians who are still trying to uncover new truths about baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 666: The Josh Hamilton Trade from 2015-04-28T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Salvador Perez, Erik Kratz, and emergency catchers and then discuss Josh Hamilton’s return to Texas.
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Effectively Wild Episode 665: The A-Rod Breakout Breakdown from 2015-04-27T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the NL DH and then discuss A-Rod’s newfound patience and oldfound power.
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Effectively Wild Episode 664: The Brawling Royals and the Remarkable Mets from 2015-04-24T11:01
Ben, Sam, and Will Woods talk about the Royals’ latest dust-up, the Mets’ 11-game winning streak, and Giancarlo Stanton’s almost physics-defying home runs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 663: Your Mostly Excellent Emails from 2015-04-23T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about defining team success, four-man outfields, pitcher offensive futility, baseball’s Star Wars trailer moments, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 662: Michael Schur on Metacommentary 10 Years After Fire Joe Morgan’s First Post from 2015-04-22T11:01
On the 10th anniversary of Fire Joe Morgan’s first post, Ben and Sam talk to Michael Schur about FJM, sports-media sins in the age of Twitter and, oddly enough, The O.C.
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Effectively Wild Episode 661: How Different is Baseball in 2015? from 2015-04-21T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about batting around and Bryan Price’s media meltdown, then check in on early-season statistical trends.
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Effectively Wild Episode 660: The Weekend-Long A’s-Royals Rumble from 2015-04-20T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Alex Rodriguez and discuss the three-day dispute about unwritten rules between the A’s and the Royals.
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Effectively Wild Episode 659: The Making of the Modern General Manager from 2015-04-17T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Mark Armour and Dan Levitt, the authors of In Pursuit of Pennants, about whether good GMs have to break rules, how long competitive advantages last, and how good teams go bad.
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Effectively Wild Episode 658: Playoff Odds Changes and the Meaning in Small Samples from 2015-04-16T17:43
Ben and Sam talk to Matt Trueblood about the teams that have hurt or improved their odds the most, and the aspects of performance that are significant in small samples.
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Effectively Wild Episode 657: The Switching Cities, Dealing Draft Picks, and Trading Divisions Edition from 2015-04-15T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Mike Trout and answer listener emails about trading draft picks and divisions, saving failing franchises, limiting pitchers, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 656: How to Pick Breakout Players from 2015-04-14T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Jon Lester and then talk to the entire TINO (There Is No Offseason) podcast crew about their breakout-player beliefs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 655: Lester vs. Hamilton: The Pickoff Culmination from 2015-04-13T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the weekend’s best plays and Mike Trout’s hidden hobby, then discuss the potential pickoff showdown between Jon Lester and Billy Hamilton.
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Effectively Wild Episode 654: How to Talk About Offense in 2015 from 2015-04-10T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about how we should talk about baseball’s latest decline in scoring.
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Effectively Wild Episode 653: The First Sign of Statcast from 2015-04-09T18:01
Ben and Sam banter about time of game and Jon Lester, then discuss what to do with the first release of Statcast data.
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Effectively Wild Episode 652: Revenue, Run Differential, and Ways to Win Now from 2015-04-08T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Doug Melvin’s extension talks and then answer listener emails about run differential, the players’ portion of revenue, Kris Bryant, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 651: How Extensions Lost Their Intrigue from 2015-04-07T17:28
Ben and Sam banter about pace and time of game and then discuss why the structures of player extensions haven’t evolved.
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Effectively Wild Episode 650: Hamilton, Lester, and Preller’s Latest Trade from 2015-04-06T11:01
Ben and Sam have an all-banter episode for Opening Day, discussing Jon Lester’s lack of pickoff attempts, the Angels’ statements about Josh Hamilton, and the Padres-Braves Craig Kimbrel trade.
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Effectively Wild Episode 649: Our Most-Anticipated Storylines of 2015 from 2015-04-03T11:01
Ben and Sam update the results of their ongoing contests, bemoan the predictions process, and discuss the storylines they’re looking forward to this season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 648: The No-Tommy-John Draft from 2015-04-02T11:01
Ben, Sam, and guests Doug Thorburn and Jeff Zimmerman draft the pitchers they think will make the most starts and avoid Tommy John surgery in the next calendar year.
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Effectively Wild Episode 647: The Baseball Ethics Edition from 2015-04-01T18:17
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about whether we should talk about teams’ use of stats, whether injury research should be shared, how to break up with a team, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 646: 2015 Season Preview Series: Los Angeles Dodgers from 2015-03-31T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Dodgers’ season with Molly Knight, and Sahadev talks to True Blue LA’s Eric Stephen (at 32:54).
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Effectively Wild Episode 645: 2015 Season Preview Series: Washington Nationals from 2015-03-30T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Nationals’ season with Chris Cwik, and Sahadev talks to Washington Post Nationals beat writer James Wagner (at 26:56).
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Effectively Wild Episode 644: 2015 Season Preview Series: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2015-03-27T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Angels’ season with Dan Volmar, and Sahadev talks to OC Register Angels beat writer Pedro Moura (at 20:16).
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Effectively Wild Episode 643: 2015 Season Preview Series: St. Louis Cardinals from 2015-03-26T15:52
Ben and Sam preview the Cardinals’ season with Howard Megdal, and Sahadev talks to St. Louis Post-Dispatch Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold (at 26:32).
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Effectively Wild Episode 642: The Gambling, Brackets, and Bonds Edition from 2015-03-25T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about players out of position, pace-of-play rules, Bonds vs. Clemens, gambling, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 641: 2015 Season Preview Series: Seattle Mariners from 2015-03-24T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Mariners’ season with Patrick Dubuque, and Sahadev talks to Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto (at 26:49).
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Effectively Wild Episode 640: 2015 Season Preview Series: Boston Red Sox from 2015-03-23T11:01
Ben and Sam preview Boston’s season with Providence Journal Red Sox beat writer Tim Britton, and Sahadev talks to Boston Globe writer Alex Speier (at 27:48).
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Effectively Wild Episode 639: 2015 Season Preview Series: Tampa Bay Rays from 2015-03-20T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Rays’ season with Adam Sobsey, and Sahadev talks to FOX Sports Florida writer Andrew Astleford (at 36:22).
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Effectively Wild Episode 638: 2015 Season Preview Series: San Francisco Giants from 2015-03-19T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Giants’ season with Grant Brisbee, and Sahadev talks to CSN Bay Area Giants Insider Alex Pavlovic (at 32:06).
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Effectively Wild Episode 637: The Interviews, Ejections, and Injuries Edition from 2015-03-18T11:01
Ben, Sam, and guest Jake Silverman banter about Tommy Lasorda and franchise players, then answer listener emails about interviews, ejections, and MLB information-sharing.
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Effectively Wild Episode 636: 2015 Season Preview Series: Oakland Athletics from 2015-03-17T19:58
Ben and Sam preview the Athletics’ season with Philip Michaels, and Sahadev talks to Bay Area News Group A’s beat writer John Hickey (at 22:50).
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Effectively Wild Episode 635: 2015 Season Preview Series: Texas Rangers from 2015-03-16T04:50
Ben and Sam preview the Rangers’ season with Russell Carleton, and Sahadev talks to FOX Sports Southwest reporter Anthony Andro (at 28:13).
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Effectively Wild Episode 634: 2015 Season Preview Series: San Diego Padres from 2015-03-13T17:26
Ben and Sam preview the Padres’ season with Miles Wray, and Sahadev talks to MLB.com Padres writer Corey Brock (at 20:33).
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Effectively Wild Episode 633: 2015 Season Preview Series: Detroit Tigers from 2015-03-12T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Tigers’ season with Ken Funck, and Sahadev talks to MLB.com Tigers writer Jason Beck about the big league club (at 21:25).
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Effectively Wild Episode 632: Super-Rotations Revisited, Perplexing Projections, and Other Emails from 2015-03-11T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the Nationals’ rotation, team projections they disagree with, the most interesting eras to cover, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 631: 2015 Season Preview Series: Chicago Cubs from 2015-03-10T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the prospect side of the Cubs’ season with Chris Crawford, and Sahadev talks to Daily Herald Cubs beat writer Bruce Miles about the big league club (at 31:43).
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Effectively Wild Episode 630: 2015 Team Preview Series: New York Mets from 2015-03-09T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Mets’ season with Ted Berg, and Sahadev talks to Newsday Mets beat writer Marc Carig (at 32:28).
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Effectively Wild Episode 629: 2015 Season Preview Series: Toronto Blue Jays from 2015-03-06T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Blue Jays’ season with Andrew Stoeten, and Sahadev talks to Sportsnet baseball columnist Shi Davidi (at 30:49).
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Effectively Wild Episode 628: 2015 Season Preview Series: Miami Marlins from 2015-03-05T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Marlins’ season with Bryan Grosnick, and Sahadev talks to MLB.com Marlins beat writer Joe Frisaro (at 27:40).
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Effectively Wild Episode 627: Saving the Strike Zone, the NL Ascendant, and Other Emails from 2015-03-04T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about an all-catcher lineup, league strength, robot umps, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 626: 2015 Season Preview Series: Cleveland Indians from 2015-03-03T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Indians’ season with Bryan Joiner, and Sahadev talks to MLB.com Indians beat writer Jordan Bastian (at 25:36).
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Effectively Wild Episode 625: 2015 Season Preview Series: New York Yankees from 2015-03-02T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Yankees’ season, and Sahadev talks to Journal News Yankees beat writer Chad Jennings (at 31:40).
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Effectively Wild Episode 624: 2015 Season Preview Series: Pittsburgh Pirates from 2015-02-27T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Pirates’ season with Sarah Sprague, and Sahadev talks to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pirates beat writer Travis Sawchik (at 23:22).
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Effectively Wild Episode 623: 2015 Season Preview Series: Cincinnati Reds from 2015-02-26T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Reds’ season with R.J. Anderson, and Sahadev talks to Cincinnati Enquirer Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans (at 25:34).
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Effectively Wild Episode 622: 2015 Season Preview Series: Milwaukee Brewers from 2015-02-25T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Brewers’ season with J.P. Breen, and Sahadev talks to Brewers play-by-play broadcaster Joe Block (at 24:16).
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Effectively Wild Episode 621: The Moncada Contract, Win Expectancy, and the High-Five Hypothetical from 2015-02-24T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Yoan Moncada, sabermetric broadcasts, the replacement-level high-five rate, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 620: 2015 Season Preview Series: Chicago White Sox from 2015-02-23T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the White Sox’ season with Tim Marchman, and Sahadev talks to Dan Hayes, who covers the White Sox for CSN Chicago (at 36:52).
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Effectively Wild Episode 619: 2015 Season Preview Series: Baltimore Orioles (And an Announcement) from 2015-02-20T11:01
Ben and Sam make an exciting announcement and preview the Orioles’ season with Jeff Long, and Sahadev talks to MASNSports.com Orioles beat writer Roch Kubatko (at 32:04).
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Effectively Wild Episode 618: 2015 Season Preview Series: Houston Astros from 2015-02-19T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Astros’ season with Ted Walker, and Sahadev talks to Houston Chronicle Astros beat writer Evan Drellich (at 34:30).
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Effectively Wild Episode 617: Dangerous Dodgers, Spray Hitters, and a World Without Moneyball from 2015-02-18T11:01
Ben and Sam catch up on banter and answer listener emails about the Dodgers, the shift, Moneyball, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 616: 2015 Season Preview Series: Arizona Diamondbacks from 2015-02-17T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Diamondbacks’ season with David Raposa, and Sahadev talks to AZCentral Sports Diamondbacks beat writer Nick Piecoro (at 23:26).
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Effectively Wild Episode 615: 2015 Season Preview Series: Atlanta Braves from 2015-02-16T05:46
Ben and Sam preview the Braves’ season with Alex Remington, and Sahadev talks to MLB.com Braves beat writer Mark Bowman (at 32:00).
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Effectively Wild Episode 614: 2015 Season Preview Series: Kansas City Royals from 2015-02-13T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Royals’ season with Kansas City Star Royals beat writer Andy McCullough, and Sahadev talks to KC Star columnist Sam Mellinger (at 25:53).
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Effectively Wild Episode 613: 2015 Season Preview Series: Colorado Rockies from 2015-02-12T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Rockies’ season with David Roth and Andrew Koo, and Sahadev talks to Denver Post Rockies beat writer Nick Groke (at 25:56).
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Effectively Wild Episode 612: What Life After Rules Changes Would Look Like from 2015-02-11T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Russell Carleton about the possible fallout from rules changes intended to shorten games and increase offense, then Play Index replacement players and answer emails about breako...
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Effectively Wild Episode 611: 2015 Season Preview Series: Minnesota Twins from 2015-02-10T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Twins’ season with Steve Neuman, and Sahadev talks to Pioneer Press Twins beat writer Mike Berardino (at 26:30).
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Effectively Wild Episode 610: 2015 Season Preview Series: Philadelphia Phillies from 2015-02-09T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Phillies’ season with Michael Baumann, and Sahadev talks to News Journal Phillies beat writer Meghan Montemurro (at 30:41).
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Effectively Wild Episode 609: Kiley McDaniel on Yoan Moncada, Cuba, and Prospect Bias from 2015-02-06T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to FanGraphs Lead Prospect Analyst Kiley McDaniel about Yoan Moncada, Cuban talent, and teams manipulating prospect rankings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 608: Unsolved Mysteries of the Mailbag from 2015-02-04T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss why the league is looking less clutch and answer listener emails about time-released rumors, a cryptic comment by Buck Showalter, Rick Porcello’s salary, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 607: The 2015 Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2015-02-03T11:01
Ben and Sam draft 20 minor league free agents who might see major league playing time in 2015.
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Effectively Wild Episode 606: The Baseball-to-Cricket Conversion from 2015-01-30T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to international baseball and cricket coach Julien Fountain about his efforts to turn marginalized minor leaguers into well-compensated cricketers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 605: Emails for the Asking from 2015-01-28T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about a world without the minors, bigger bats, Ernie Banks, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 604: PECOTA’s Surprising Pitcher Projections from 2015-01-26T11:01
Ben and Sam share their thoughts on some of PECOTA’s most surprising pitcher projections.
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Effectively Wild Episode 603: Dirk Hayhurst on Pace and the Batter-Pitcher Balance of Power from 2015-01-23T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to former major leaguer Dirk Hayhurst about the player’s perspective on MLB’s efforts to speed up games.
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Effectively Wild Episode 602: These Emails Are Marked As Important from 2015-01-21T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about their favorite regular-season games, then answer listener emails about player relocation, bidding for top prospects, transaction crowdsourcing, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 601: Why Washington Signed Scherzer from 2015-01-20T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Nori Aoki’s contract, then discuss the Nationals’ signing of Max Scherzer.
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Effectively Wild Episode 600: If You Love Your GM, Should You Set Him Free? from 2015-01-16T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Gabe Kapler and Chris Tillman, then discuss the Orioles’ dilemma about whether to let GM Dan Duquette leave (with help from The Good Wife).
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Effectively Wild Episode 599: Timeless Listener Emails from 2015-01-14T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Diamondbacks’ latest quote kerfluffle, then answer listener emails about timeless tickets, home-field disadvantages, and breakout players.
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Effectively Wild Episode 598: The A’s, Rebuilding, and Ben Zobrist from 2015-01-12T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Ryan Lavarnway and Billy Beane fan fiction, then discuss the Ben Zobrist trade.
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Effectively Wild Episode 597: Why Aren’t Winning Teams Spending? from 2015-01-09T11:01
Ben and Sam attempt to solve the mystery of why losing teams have uncharacteristically snapped up so many free agents this winter.
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Effectively Wild Episode 596: Hall Hypotheticals and Other Luminous Emails from 2015-01-08T11:01
Ben and Zachary answer emails about Hall of Fame voting, stats in other sports, baseball with no projections, and more (plus a Play Index about plunkings).
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Effectively Wild Episode 595: Jay Jaffe Explains the Hall of Fame from 2015-01-05T11:01
Ben and Russell preview the Hall of Fame voting results and review election season with Sports Illustrated’s Jay Jaffe.
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Effectively Wild Episode 594: The Year’s Last Listener Emails from 2014-12-31T11:01
Ben and Sam end the year by answering listener emails about Barry Bonds, baseball in pop culture, Wil Myers, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 593: Reimagining the Manager from 2014-12-29T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Zachary Levine about whether baseball could benefit from a coaching shakeup akin to the New Jersey Devils’ experiment with a three-headed head coach.
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Effectively Wild Episode 592: Listener Emails (The Holiday Edition) from 2014-12-24T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the Hall of Fame, the best baseball gifts, GM track records, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 591: How Did Preller’s Padres Pull it Off? from 2014-12-22T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about John Smoltz’s Hall of Fame candidacy, then try to decipher how A.J. Preller’s Padres rebuilt in the blink of an eye.
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Effectively Wild Episode 590: How Much Should Minor Leaguers Make? from 2014-12-19T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to pitcher-turned-attorney Garrett Broshuis about his class-action lawsuit seeking higher wages for minor league players.
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Effectively Wild Episode 589: How Super Mega Baseball Was Made from 2014-12-18T11:01
Ben talks to Scott Drader of Metalhead Software about the development of their successful new video game, Super Mega Baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 588: The Emails That the Winter Meetings Didn’t Want You to Hear from 2014-12-17T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about baseball aesthetics, baseball myths, and trades involving only big leaguers, then discuss the Dodgers’ Brett Anderson signing.
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Effectively Wild Episode 587: Valuing Draft Picks Inappropriately, the Marlins’Sincerity, and Boston’s Low-Strike Strategy from 2014-12-15T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about changes in World Series odds, then discuss how teams value draft picks inappropriately, whether the Marlins are sincere, and Boston’s low-strike strategy.
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Effectively Wild Episode 586: The Winter Meetings Moves We Missed from 2014-12-12T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the deluge of signings and trades during the last two days of the Winter Meetings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 585: The Winter Meetings So Far from 2014-12-10T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about contradictory rumors and the biggest moves made early at the Winter Meetings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 584: Is Billy Beane Bad for Baseball? from 2014-12-08T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about rumors, David Robertson, and the Winter Meetings, then revisit the Josh Donaldson trade to decide whether Billy Beane is bad for baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 583: What the Braves, Red Sox, and Dodgers are Doing from 2014-12-05T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about rumors and Ryan Webb’s wedding, then discuss the pre-Winter Meetings trajectories of the Braves, Red Sox, and Dodgers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 582: Pablo Sandoval’s Special Skill, Your Special Emails from 2014-12-03T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Robert Arthur about what makes Pablo Sandoval uniquely valuable, then answer emails about eating contracts, baseball abroad, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 581: The Mysterious Josh Donaldson Deal from 2014-12-01T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the surprising Josh Donaldson-Brett Lawrie deal between the A’s and the Blue Jays.
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Effectively Wild Episode 580: Don’t Leave Home Without Listener Emails from 2014-11-26T11:01
Ben and Sam end the holiday week with listener emails about Red Sox spending, the least similar teams, clubs doubling down on position players, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 579: Chase Headley, Pablo Sandoval, and the Red Sox from 2014-11-24T17:47
Ben and Sam talk about the curiously large gap between the rumored contract terms for Chase Headley and Pablo Sandoval, then discuss the reports about the Red Sox signing Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez.
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Effectively Wild Episode 578: The Free-Agent Contract Over/Under Draft from 2014-11-21T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Jose Molina, Pat Venditte, and non-revelatory rumors, then draft free agents whose contracts they expect to be above or below published estimates.
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Effectively Wild Episode 577: Backloaded Contracts and Listener Emails from 2014-11-19T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about non-revelatory rumors and new details about the Giancarlo Stanton deal, then answer listener emails about front-office roles, offensive eras, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 576: Martin to Toronto and the Atlanta-St. Louis Swap from 2014-11-18T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about being blindsided by trades, then discuss Toronto’s Russell Martin signing and the Jason Heyward-Shelby Miller deal.
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Effectively Wild Episode 575: The Giancarlo Stanton Extension from 2014-11-17T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about non-revelatory rumors, replay-review revisions, and Barry Zito, then discuss the reported terms of the Marlins’ historic Giancarlo Stanton extension.
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Effectively Wild Episode 574: The Cubs’Unparallelled Prospects from 2014-11-14T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to BP prospect staffers Nick J. Faleris and Chris Mellen about the Cubs’ top-ranked farm system.
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Effectively Wild Episode 573: Free Agents, Front-Office Surveys, and Other Incisive Emails from 2014-11-12T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Jerry Crasnick’s executive survey, then answer listener emails about Max Scherzer, international spending, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 572: How the World Series Odds Will Look Different on Opening Day from 2014-11-10T11:01
Ben and Sam size up the pre-offseason 2015 World Series odds and speculate about how they might change before next season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 571: Thoughts on a Thin Free-Agent Market from 2014-11-07T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Fat Kershaw and GMs without playing experience, then talk about free agents who aren’t getting their due.
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Effectively Wild Episode 570: The Offseason’s First Emails from 2014-11-05T17:46
Ben and Sam banter about Joe Maddon, Michael Cuddyer, and more, then answer offseason-related listener emails.
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Effectively Wild Episode 569: The Yankees and Free Agency from 2014-11-03T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Yankees’ free-agent spending plans and their impact on the market.
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Effectively Wild Episode 568: Postseason Lessons and Legacies from 2014-10-31T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss World Series hangovers and the Danny Duffy deception, then talk about what they learned from the Royals and the Giants.
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Effectively Wild Episode 567: Game 7, from Start to Finish from 2014-10-30T18:16
Ben and Sam recap and respond to Game 7’s twists and turns, from Guthrie to Bumgarner and Gordon.
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Effectively Wild Episode 566: Game 6 Analysis and Game 7 Game Plans from 2014-10-29T17:29
Ben and Sam discuss the breaks that went the Royals’ way in Game 6, then preview the final game of the 2014 season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 565: Joe Maddon Moves On from 2014-10-28T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Joe Maddon’s decision to opt out of his contract with Tampa Bay, then talk about other front-office comings and goings and Miguel Cabrera’s surgery.
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Effectively Wild Episode 564: The Weekend in World Series from 2014-10-27T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about the tragic death of Oscar Taveras, then discuss the baseball they watched over the weekend.
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Effectively Wild Episode 563: October Off-Day Emails from 2014-10-24T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about non-playoff news, then answer emails about postseason teams and search for the most exciting playoff games ever.
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Effectively Wild Episode 562: How Kansas City Evened the Series from 2014-10-23T15:54
Ben and Sam discuss the deceptive stats, mistaken managers, and rejuvenated Royals of World Series Game 2.
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Effectively Wild Episode 561: What the Royals Look Like When They’re Losing from 2014-10-22T17:24
Ben and Sam discuss James Shields, Madison Bumgarner, and what World Series Game 1 reminded us about the Royals.
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Effectively Wild Episode 560: Grant Brisbee Still Isn’t Sick of the World Series from 2014-10-21T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to McCovey Chronicles author Grant Brisbee about the World Series and the Giants’ recent run.
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Effectively Wild Episode 559: Andy McCullough is Too Busy To Bask from 2014-10-20T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Kansas City Star Royals beat writer Andy McCullough about the World Series and covering the Royals.
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Effectively Wild Episode 558: Mike Matheny Ruins a Perfectly Good Podcast from 2014-10-17T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss NLCS Game Five and respond to Mike Matheny’s post-game comments in real time.
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Effectively Wild Episode 557: Ned Yost’s Mid-October Evolution from 2014-10-16T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Ned Yost’s evolving tactics and Wednesday’s Game Fours.
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Effectively Wild Episode 556: Andrew Friedman Makes His Move, and the Royals Roll On from 2014-10-15T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Dodgers’ hiring of Andrew Friedman and the Royals’ latest postseason victory.
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Effectively Wild Episode 555: Doug Thorburn on Postseason Pitchers with Problems from 2014-10-14T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to BP pitching mechanics expert Doug Thorburn about Adam Wainwright, Danny Duffy, and other postseason pitchers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 554: Observations from Another Wild Weekend from 2014-10-13T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Cardinals’ injuries, the value of outfield arms, Statcast, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 553: Rob Neyer on Sabermetric Broadcasts and October Baseball from 2014-10-10T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Rob Neyer about bringing stats to Fox Sports 1’s NLCS Game 1 broadcast, plus the Royals, postseason managerial moves, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 552: Your Playoff-Related Emails, Answered from 2014-10-09T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the postseason.
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Effectively Wild Episode 551: Debating Postseason Unpredictability and Decisive Game Fours from 2014-10-08T11:01
Ben, Sam, and Zachary Levine discuss whether the postseason is too unpredictable and then break down the managerial decisions from two decisive NLDS games.
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Effectively Wild Episode 550: An NLDS Progress Report from 2014-10-07T16:40
Ben and Sam banter about Terrance Gore’s future, then discuss Clayton Kershaw and the Cardinals and the Giants-Nationals series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 549: ALDS Postmortems and the Rest of Baseball’s Big Weekend from 2014-10-06T11:01
Ben and Sam marvel at a wild baseball weekend and dissect the ALDS sweeps.
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Effectively Wild Episode 548: How Game Ones Were Won, Plus NLDS Discussion from 2014-10-03T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about MLB’s AFL experiment, then discuss what went down in the ALDS and preview the NLDS.
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Effectively Wild Episode 547: The ALDS Discussion Show from 2014-10-02T18:29
Ben and Sam discuss the NL wild card game, Adam Dunn, and the suffering of Oakland fans, then preview the ALDS.
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Effectively Wild Episode 546: The Wildest Wild Card Game from 2014-10-01T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the thrilling AL wild card game.
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Effectively Wild Episode 545: The AL Play-In Game Preview Show from 2014-09-30T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the AL wild-card showdown between the A’s and the Royals.
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Effectively Wild Episode 544: Cole, Altuve, and Other Season-Ending Excitement from 2014-09-29T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Pirates’ decision to start Gerrit Cole, the Astros’ decision to sit (and then start) Jose Altuve, and other news from the weekend.
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Effectively Wild Episode 543: The GM-for-Top-Prospect Trade from 2014-09-26T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the most famous players, then talk about the relative value of top prospects and elite executives.
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Effectively Wild Episode 542: Our Biggest Mistakes of the Season (So Far) from 2014-09-25T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Matt Kemp, Phil Hughes, and the wild card races, then talk about their most memorable errors of 2014.
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Effectively Wild Episode 541: The Invisible Shift, Chipper vs. Jeter, and Other Listener Emails from 2014-09-24T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the shift and answer listener emails about instant replay, wild cards, prospect promotions, Chipper vs. Jeter, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 540: The Braves Fire Frank Wren from 2014-09-23T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Braves’ decision to dismiss GM Frank Wren.
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Effectively Wild Episode 539: Instant Replay and the Pennant Race from 2014-09-22T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Kolten Wong and the scout who signed Mike Trout, then talk about a controversial call with playoff implications.
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Effectively Wild Episode 538: Nate Silver, By Popular Demand from 2014-09-19T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Nate Silver about baseball analysis and the first six months of FiveThirtyEight.
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Effectively Wild Episode 537: Sean McIndoe on the NHL’s Analytics Awakening from 2014-09-18T15:40
Ben and Michael Baumann talk to Grantland lead hockey writer Sean McIndoe about the rise of sabermetric-style analysis in the NHL.
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Effectively Wild Episode 536: Manager Challenges, MVP Pitchers, and Other Exciting Emails from 2014-09-17T11:01
Ben and Sam answer emails about Derek Jeter, manager challenges, the closer role, pitcher MVPs, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 535: Reassessing the Retirement Tour from 2014-09-16T11:01
Ben and Sam evaluate the Derek Jeter retirement tour as it begins to come to a close.
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Effectively Wild Episode 534: Ned Yost, Clayton Kershaw, and Russell Martin’s Most Shape from 2014-09-15T11:01
Ben and Sam compare Kershaw to Pedro and discuss Ned Yost’s bullpen usage, Russell Martin’s fitness, and Jenrry Mejia’s save celebration.
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Effectively Wild Episode 533: Life in an Indy League from 2014-09-12T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to 2014 St. Paul Saints pitcher Andy Johnson aboutwhat life is like in the independent leagues.
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Effectively Wild Episode 532: Marc Carig on the Mystifying Mets from 2014-09-11T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Newsday Mets beat writer Marc Carig about the ups and downs of the Mets’ season, and their chances in 2015.
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Effectively Wild Episode 531: Emails and Talk About Tanking from 2014-09-10T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about tanking, job searching, rule changes and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 530: Predicting the Comeback Players of 2015 from 2014-09-08T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Ben’s encounter with Roger Angell, then discuss Comeback Player of the Year candidates for 2015.
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Effectively Wild Episode 529: Do Fans Know Better Than Major League Baseball? from 2014-09-05T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about September call-ups and game length, then discuss whether MLB and its owners are acting in the long-term interests of the sport.
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Effectively Wild Episode 528: David Epstein on Nature, Nurture, and Baseball from 2014-09-04T11:01
Ben and Sam talked to David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene, about whether women will make the majors, whether Babe Ruth could compete today, whether genetics explain injury rates, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 527: The Roster Expansion Email Show from 2014-09-03T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about expanded rosters, waiver claims, hidden perfect games, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 526: The Most Predictable Lineups of 2014 from 2014-09-02T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss which lineups have deviated from preseason projections by the most, and what it means.
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Effectively Wild Episode 525: Oakland’s Swoon and the AL West Race from 2014-08-29T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Jason Wojciechowski about how Oakland’s lead evaporated and how the AL West will be won.
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Effectively Wild Episode 524: Deep Thoughts About Beating the Shift from 2014-08-28T16:53
Ben and Sam banter about the latest in Andrelton Simmons defense, then discuss why hitters don’t often go the other way against the defensive shift.
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Effectively Wild Episode 523: The Bo and Baez Email Show from 2014-08-27T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about bat speed, umpire bias, and error bars and then Play Index about Javier Baez and Bo Jackson.
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Effectively Wild Episode 522: The Season’s Best Unsung Transactions from 2014-08-26T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about balls and strikes and then discuss 2014’s top transactions relative to the amount of attention they received at the time.
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Effectively Wild Episode 521: The Rusney Castillo Contract from 2014-08-25T16:43
Ben and Sam take the Ice Bucket Challenge and then discuss the signing of new Red Sox center fielder Rusney Castillo.
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Effectively Wild Episode 520: Garrett Richards and the Most Pivotal Pain of 2014 from 2014-08-22T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Angels’ loss of Garrett Richards and the other costliest injuries of 2014.
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Effectively Wild Episode 519: The Crack of the Bat and Other Research from 2014-08-21T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Robert Arthur about the analytical significance of the crack of the bat and his other original sabermetric research.
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Effectively Wild Episode 518: Your Emails Mean Business from 2014-08-20T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about outfielders, strikeouts, command vs. control, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 517: The MVP Conversation Conversation from 2014-08-19T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Alex Gordon, Mike Trout, and the relationship between defensive stats and the MVP award.
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Effectively Wild Episode 516: What You Missed at Saber Seminar from 2014-08-18T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about Ben’s weekend at Saber Seminar.
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Effectively Wild Episode 515: Jeff Passan on How the Commissioner Got Made from 2014-08-15T17:22
Ben and Sam talk to Yahoo! Sports columnist Jeff Passan about Commissioner-elect Rob Manfred.
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Effectively Wild Episode 514: A Podcast for Your Thoughts from 2014-08-14T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Justin Verlander’s woes, switch-pitchers, empty averages, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 513: The 1994 Strike Season Revisited from 2014-08-13T15:36
Ben and Sam discuss what baseball lost because of the 1994 strike.
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Effectively Wild Episode 512: TV Blackouts Will Rot Your Brain from 2014-08-12T06:51
Sam and Craig Goldstein bring on Wendy Thurm to talk about a big ruling out of New York that could affect MLB’s television territories and blackouts.
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Effectively Wild Episode 511: Diagnosing the Rangers’Downfall from 2014-08-11T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the factors that have led to the Texas Rangers’ disastrous season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 510: Playoff Pitching and the Pace of Play from 2014-08-08T17:06
Ben, Russell Carleton, and Michael Baumann discuss whether winning in the playoffs is any different from winning in August, then talk about ways to shorten games.
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Effectively Wild Episode 509: How to Hire a GM from 2014-08-07T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss San Diego’s hiring of A.J. Preller and what they would look for in a general manager.
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Effectively Wild Episode 508: Emails Wicked This Way Come from 2014-08-06T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about timing trades, breaking news, outlawing headhunting, prospect debuts, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 507: Javier Baez’s Call-Up and What’s to Come for the Cubs from 2014-08-05T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to ESPN Chicago contributor Sahadev Sharma about the arrival of Javier Baez and the future of the Cubs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 506: Are Prospects Depreciating? from 2014-08-04T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss why so few teams traded prospects at the deadline.
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Effectively Wild Episode 505: Dissecting Trade Deadline Day from 2014-08-01T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the major moves made (and not made) before Thurday’s trade deadline.
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Effectively Wild Episode 504: Lester, Lackey, and the Red Sox as Sellers from 2014-07-31T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Boston’s incentives to consider trading two of their top starters on trade deadline day.
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Effectively Wild Episode 503: Listener Emails of Future Past from 2014-07-30T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the trade deadline, draft strategy, five-strikeout innings, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 502: Andrelton, Astros, and Independent Leagues from 2014-07-29T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Diamondbacks headlines, Andrelton Simmons, the latest Astros controversy, and independent leagues.
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Effectively Wild Episode 501: News from the Hall of Fame Front from 2014-07-28T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Sports Illustrated’s Jay Jaffe about Hall of Fame induction weekend and the latest changes to the election process.
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Effectively Wild Episode 500: The Somewhat Special 500th Episode from 2014-07-25T11:01
Ben, Sam, Grant Brisbee, and Jeff Sullivan draft their favorite things about baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 499: Yesterday, All Your Emails Were So Far Away from 2014-07-24T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about front-loaded contracts, qualifying offers, scouting umpires, pitcher command, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 498: The Astros’Draft Postmortem from 2014-07-23T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about banning the shift, then discuss the way the Astros’ draft deadline went down.
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Effectively Wild Episode 497: The Trade Deadline Desperation Index from 2014-07-22T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Andrelton Simmons’ defense and stars playing through injuries, then assess how willing each contender should be to make a major move.
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Effectively Wild Episode 496: The Q&A Episode from 2014-07-21T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about unwritten rules, then discuss the Angels-Padres trade, Oakland’s ingeniousness, and a few other subjects.
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Effectively Wild Episode 495: What We Would Put in Our Player Manuals from 2014-07-18T11:01
On the podcast’s second anniversary, Ben and Sam banter about several subjects, then talk about what they would include in a team’s instructional manual.
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Effectively Wild Episode 494: Evan Drellich on the Astros’Aiken Pains from 2014-07-17T11:01
Ben and Zachary talk to Houston Chronicle Astros beat writer Evan Drellich about the Astros’ contentious negotiations with no. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken.
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Effectively Wild Episode 493: Listener Emails for Your Off-Day from 2014-07-16T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the All-Star Game and answer listener emails about All-Stars vs. Snubs, overly long-term contracts, teaming up on Trout, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 492: Revisiting April Aberrations from 2014-07-15T11:01
Ben and Sam revisit their discussion of early-season statistics to see whether potentialtrends held up.
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Effectively Wild Episode 491: Improving All-Star Week from 2014-07-14T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Zachary Levine about ways that Major League Baseball could make All-Star week better.
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Effectively Wild Episode 490: Announcements and Aces from 2014-07-11T11:20
Ben and Sam discuss their new jobs and the future of the podcast, then talk about how ace starters are defined.
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Effectively Wild Episode 489: Statcast’s Impact on Player Evaluation from 2014-07-10T11:01
Ben and and Sam discuss Billy Beane’s Wall Street Journal op-ed and how Statcast will affect scouting and player evaluation.
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Effectively Wild Episode 488: Only the Finest Listener Emails from 2014-07-09T11:01
Ben and and Sam banter about records they’d like to see broken and answer listener emails about the Yankees’ facial hair policy, trying not to hit homers, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 487: Ballplayers Say the Darndest Things from 2014-07-08T11:01
Ben and and Sam banter about Bronson Arroyo and Sean Doolittle, then discuss comments by John Lackey and Jose Bautista.
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Effectively Wild Episode 486: Jason Parks on the Top 50 Prospects in Baseball from 2014-07-07T11:01
Ben and and Sam talk to Jason Parks about the BP Mid-Season Top 50 Prospects List.
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Effectively Wild Episode 485: Trading Within the Division from 2014-07-04T11:01
Ben and Russell discuss whether trading David Price (or anyone else) to another team in the same division makes sense.
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Effectively Wild Episode 484: Kiley McDaniel Explains the International Signing Period from 2014-07-03T11:01
Ben and Russell talk to Scout.com National Baseball Analyst Kiley McDaniel about the strategic approach to the international free agent market and why the Yankees are spending so much.
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Effectively Wild Episode 483: Made Possible By Listeners Like You from 2014-07-02T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about meaningless splits, data leaks, exploiting unwritten rules, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 482: The Astros’Leaked Trade Talks from 2014-07-01T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the significance of the Astros’ leaked internal trade notes.
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Effectively Wild Episode 481: The Next Unwritten Rules from 2014-06-30T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about three things that could inspire new unwritten rules (as if there weren’t enough unwritten rules already).
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Effectively Wild Episode 480: The David Price Trading Game from 2014-06-27T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Astros, then discuss what a realistic return would be in a package for David Price.
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Effectively Wild Episode 479: A Move Each Contender Should Make from 2014-06-26T16:20
Ben and Sam banter about seeing no-hitters and team philosophies, then discuss potential solutions for each contender’s biggest need.
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Effectively Wild Episode 478: All the Questions of a Thousand Dreams from 2014-06-25T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Diamondbacks, then answer listener emails about David Price’s peripherals, favorite batter-pitcher matchups, evaluating defense, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 477: When Does a GM Deserve to Be Fired? from 2014-06-24T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Nationals, then discuss where the Padres went wrong and whether Josh Byrnes deserved his dismissal.
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Effectively Wild Episode 476: How Far Should MLB Go to Protect Players? from 2014-06-23T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss whether Major League Baseball should ban chewing tobacco, mandate that pitchers wear protective caps, and fund research about elbow injuries.
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Effectively Wild Episode 475: What Baseball Could Borrow from Soccer’s Structure from 2014-06-20T16:03
Ben and Sam talk to Will Woods about soccer conventions that might improve baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 474: The Rest-of-Season Projections Test from 2014-06-19T11:01
Ben and Sam identify the players who’ve most overperformed or underperformed their PECOTAs and discuss what they’ll do next.
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Effectively Wild Episode 473: Never Stop Asking Questions from 2014-06-18T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener email questions about players who take pitches, catcher defense, spotting terrible teams a run, tool grades, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 472: The Greatness of Gwynn from 2014-06-17T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about the legacy of the late, great, Tony Gwynn.
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Effectively Wild Episode 471: The All-MLB.TV Team from 2014-06-16T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the players they drop everything to watch on MLB.TV.
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Effectively Wild Episode 470: The Unprecedented Parity of 2014 from 2014-06-13T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the significance of the large number of teams still in contention.
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Effectively Wild Episode 469: Preserving Sabermetrics for Posterity from 2014-06-12T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Matt Dennewitz about his efforts to archive sabermetric research.
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Effectively Wild Episode 468: Questions of a Questionable Nature from 2014-06-11T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about unpredictability, then answer listener emails about Google Glass, split seasons, time travel, Austin Hedges, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 467: What’s Next for the Tampa Bay Rays? from 2014-06-10T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss whether the Rays are doomed if they don’t deal at the deadline.
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Effectively Wild Episode 466: The Battle for Bay Area Supremacy from 2014-06-09T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the weekend’s unwritten rule violations, then talk about the teams with the best records in baseball, the A’s and Giants.
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Effectively Wild Episode 465: How Draft Day One Went Down from 2014-06-06T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Nick J. Faleris about the best values and most surprising picks on the first day of the amateur draft.
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Effectively Wild Episode 464: Breaking Down the Amateur Draft from 2014-06-05T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Nick J. Faleris about the way the amateur draft works, the top talents available, and what we might see in the first round.
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Effectively Wild Episode 463: Listeners Ask the Difficult Questions from 2014-06-04T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about pitch selection, recruiting skills, bionic arms, and learning to scout.
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Effectively Wild Episode 462: The Singleton Extension and the Franchise Player Draft from 2014-06-03T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Jonathan Singleton’s extension and promotion, then dissect the first round of ESPN’s Franchise Player Draft.
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Effectively Wild Episode 461: The Fantastic Phil Hughes from 2014-06-02T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about several stories, then discuss Phil Hughes’ success and whether teams should trade prospects more often.
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Effectively Wild Episode 460: Nelson Cruz, Ryan Braun, and the Post-PED Good Life from 2014-05-30T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Royals, then catch up with the boys of Biogenesis.
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Effectively Wild Episode 459: The Dan Uggla Anti-All-Star Team from 2014-05-29T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about elbow injuries and then, in honor of Dan Uggla’s displacement, discuss the least-productive teams at each position.
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Effectively Wild Episode 458: Listener Emails Don’t Need Explainin’ from 2014-05-28T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the Scouting Bureau and scouting departments, stats and the mainstream media, genetic testing, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 457: Do the Astros Have a Perception Problem? from 2014-05-27T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss whether the Astros’ analytical approach has become (or could become) a PR problem.
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Effectively Wild Episode 456: The Cost of Concealing Injuries from 2014-05-23T11:01
Ben and Sam respond to the news about Prince Fielder’s surgery by discussing what teams can do to prevent players from concealing injuries.
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Effectively Wild Episode 455: Stan Conte on What We Need to Know About Pitcher Injuries from 2014-05-22T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Dodgers VP of Medical Services and Head Athletic Trainer Stan Conte about the pitcher injury epidemic.
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Effectively Wild Episode 454: Lend Us Your Listener Emails from 2014-05-21T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about ejections and the Diamondbacks, then answer listener emails about pitch count histories, career strikeout records, a baseball version of the XFL, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 453: The Continuing Effort to Counter the Shift from 2014-05-20T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about position player pitchers and Andrelton Simmons, then discuss batters’ latest attempts to bunt to beat the shift.
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Effectively Wild Episode 452: The Exaggerated Demise of Managerial Ejections from 2014-05-19T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about the Dodgers and run differential and then discuss a surprising trend in managerial ejections thus far.
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Effectively Wild Episode 451: Cueto, Greinke, and Green Lights from 2014-05-16T11:01
Ben and Sam reach into the topic grab bag and discuss Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke, when to give hitters green lights, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 450: Locking Up New Ligaments from 2014-05-15T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss whether it would make sense for a team to sign a recent Tommy John surgery sufferer to a long-term contract extension.
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Effectively Wild Episode 449: More Answers to Your Burning Baseball Questions from 2014-05-14T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Tommy John surgery, velocity limits, rooting for minor-league teams, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 448: Why Can’t We Have a Healthy Jose Fernandez? from 2014-05-13T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Jose Fernandez injury and talk to Corey Dawkins and Doug Thorburn about the Tommy John rehab process and why pitchers keep getting hurt.
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Effectively Wild Episode 447: The Oddly Underperforming Dodgers and the Exciting NL West from 2014-05-12T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Dodgers’ perplexingly slow start and the NL West race.
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Effectively Wild Episode 446: Dissecting the Surprise Teams from 2014-05-09T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss two teams that have significantly surpassed expectations so far: the Colorado Rockies and the Miami Marlins.
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Effectively Wild Episode 445: Jay Jaffe on Team Entropy and the AL East from 2014-05-08T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the deadlocked American League East with Sports Illustrated author Jay Jaffe.
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Effectively Wild Episode 444: Questions of Science and Progress from 2014-05-07T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about replay and umpires, home field advantage, picking a front office to follow, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 443: Looking at Lineup Protection from 2014-05-06T15:10
Ben and Sam banter about hustle and drug suspensions, then talk about how Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, and Giancarlo Stanton have been pitched this season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 442: The Second Annual 25-and-Under Starters Draft from 2014-05-05T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about position player pitchers and headfirst slides, then draft starting pitchers under the age of 26.
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Effectively Wild Episode 441: Dirk Hayhurst on the Profits and Perils of Player-Media Relations from 2014-05-02T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Dirk Hayhurst about the sticky subject of player-media relations from the perspective of a person who’s been on both sides of the mic.
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Effectively Wild Episode 440: J.P. Breen Explains the Brewers from 2014-05-01T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to J.P. Breen about the Milwaukee Brewers, owners of the best record in baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 439: The Email Answers You Asked For from 2014-04-30T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Jose Fernandez, the best baseball PED, a pitcher with perfect command, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 438: Bryce Harper, Hustle, and Health from 2014-04-29T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Bryce Harper’s latest injury and their thoughts on when hustle becomes counterproductive.
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Effectively Wild Episode 437: Charlie Wilmoth on the Pirates and the Psychology of Rooting for a Perennial Loser from 2014-04-28T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Charlie Wilmoth about his new book about the Pirates and the psychology of Pirates fans.
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Effectively Wild Episode 436: How Playoff Chances Have Changed from 2014-04-25T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss which teams have seen their chances of making the playoffs change the most since Opening Day.
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Effectively Wild Episode 435: The Battle of Bad First-Base Contracts from 2014-04-24T11:01
Ben and Sam banter about Josh Johnson, Michael Pineda, and more, then choose between the Ryan Howard, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera contracts.
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Effectively Wild 434: An Awful Lot of Listener Emails from 2014-04-23T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about must-watch players, breaking news, uniform numbers, Billy Hamilton, Mike Trout, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 433: The Career Compensation Competition from 2014-04-22T11:01
Ben and Sam attempt to guess the career earnings of a number of baseball players picked by guest Matt Trueblood.
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Effectively Wild Episode 432: The Weekend of Unwritten Rules from 2014-04-21T11:01
Ben and Dan discuss the weekend’s news and transactions, including a trio of unwritten rules violations.
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Effectively Wild Episode 431: The Rising Strikeout Rate Symposium from 2014-04-18T15:50
Ben discusses the origins and implications of baseball’s skyrocketing strikeout rate with a panel of experts including Harry Pavlidis, Rob Neyer, Brian Bannister, and Alan Nathan.
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Effectively Wild Episode 430: Dirk Hayhurst on Cheating, Beaning, and Clubhouse Race Relations from 2014-04-17T11:01
Ben and Russell talk to Dirk Hayhurst about doctoring baseballs, hitting batters, and the perceived effect of race on clubhouse chemistry.
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Effectively Wild Episode 429: The Dodgers, DirecTV, and Baseball’s Broadcast Bubble/Your Finest Emails from 2014-04-16T11:01
Ben and Zachary talk to David Lazarus about the Dodgers and baseball’s broadcast bubble, then answer emails about Scott Boras, Brian Cashman, the AL East, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 428: Jesse Katz on Yasiel Puig’s Origin Story from 2014-04-15T11:01
Ben and Jason talk to Jesse Katz about his reporting on Yasiel Puig’s harrowing escape from Cuba.
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Effectively Wild Episode 427: Owen Good on the Past, Present, and Future of Baseball Video Games from 2014-04-14T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Owen Good about MLB 14: The Show, where baseball video games have been, and where they’re going.
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Effectively Wild Episode 426: A Conversation with Cuba’s Sabermetric Splinter Group from 2014-04-11T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Alejandro Aldama of the Independent Group for Baseball Investigation about the state of sabermetrics in Cuba.
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Effectively Wild Episode 425: The Costliest Injuries Suffered So Far from 2014-04-10T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss events from Wednesday’s games, the new transfer rule, and the injuries that could cost teams playoff spots.
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Effectively Wild Episode 424: Bonds vs. Trout and Other Listener Emails from 2014-04-09T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Barry Bonds vs. Mike Trout, Billy Hamilton, teams taking the long view, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 423: Analyzing Early April Trends from 2014-04-08T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss whether they’re buying several statistical developments from the season’s first week.
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Effectively Wild Episode 422: Is Oakland’s Ballpark an Embarrassment to Baseball? from 2014-04-07T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss MLB’s obligation to the Oakland A’s.
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Effectively Wild Episode 421: How Much Money Should Players Make? from 2014-04-04T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the impact of extensions on the players’ share of baseball’s record revenues.
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Effectively Wild Episode 420: Yost, Replay, Porter, and PEDs from 2014-04-03T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about Ned Yost’s tactics, expanded replay’s first few days, Bo Porter’s bullpen philosophy, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 419: The Return of the Mid-Week Email Show from 2014-04-02T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Mike Trout (as usual), clubhouse etiquette, the worst teams in baseball, catcher framing and unwritten rules, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 418: Jonah Keri on the Beginning, End, and Importance of the Expos from 2014-04-01T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Jonah Keri about his new book about the Montreal Expos, Up, Up&Away, as well as expansion draft strategy and spelling defense with a c.
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Effectively Wild Episode 417: Baseball Banter for Opening Day from 2014-03-31T11:01
Ben and Sam cover a range of topics, including Mike Trout, Hanley Ramirez, and who’s hitting cleanup for the Marlins.
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Effectively Wild Episode 416: Listener Emails: One Miguel Cabrera, Many Mike Trouts from 2014-03-28T11:02
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the Miguel Cabrera contract extension, bullpen usage, productive at-bats, multiple Mike Trouts, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 415: 2014 Season Preview Series: Los Angeles Dodgers from 2014-03-27T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Dodgers’ season with Doug Thorburn, and Nick talks to Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Dylan Hernandez (at 25:52).
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Effectively Wild Episode 414: 2014 Season Preview Series: Tampa Bay Rays from 2014-03-26T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Rays’ season with Tommy Rancel, and Nick talks to Fox Sports Florida’s Andrew Astleford (at 21:48).
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Effectively Wild Episode 413: 2014 Season Preview Series: Washington Nationals from 2014-03-25T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Nationals’ season with Craig Goldstein, and Nick talks to Washington Post Nationals beat reporter Adam Kilgore (at 22:17).
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Effectively Wild Episode 412: 2014 Season Preview Series: Detroit Tigers from 2014-03-24T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Tigers’ season with Paul Sporer, and Nick talks to MLB.com Tigers beat writer Jason Beck (at 29:00).
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Effectively Wild Episode 411: The Too Many Excellent Emails Edition from 2014-03-21T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about supercomputers, heartbeat monitors, players using stats, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 410: 2014 Season Preview Series: Boston Red Sox from 2014-03-20T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Red Sox’ season with Marc Normandin, and Nick talks to WEEI.com Red Sox beat writer Alex Speier (at 18:53).
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Effectively Wild Episode 409: 2014 Season Preview Series: San Francisco Giants from 2014-03-19T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Giants’ season with Grant Brisbee, and Nick talks to Giants radio and TV broadcaster and ESPN play-by-play voice Dave Flemming (at 23:20).
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Effectively Wild Episode 408: 2014 Season Preview Series: Oakland Athletics from 2014-03-18T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Athletics’ season with Ken Arneson, and Nick talks to San Francisco Chronicle A’s beat writer Susan Slusser (at 27:12).
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Effectively Wild Episode 407: 2014 Season Preview Series: St. Louis Cardinals from 2014-03-17T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Cardinals’ season with Will Leitch, and Nick talks to 101 ESPN St. Louis host Kevin Wheeler (at 30:36).
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Effectively Wild Episode 406: The Answers You Seek from 2014-03-14T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Andrelton Simmons, finishers who can’t close, pitcher injuries, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 405: 2014 Season Preview Series: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2014-03-13T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Angels’ season with Matt Welch, and Nick talks to Los Angeles Times Angels beat writer Mike DiGiovanna (at 30:05).
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Effectively Wild Episode 404: 2014 Season Preview Series: Atlanta Braves from 2014-03-12T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Braves’ season with Mark Smith, and Nick talks to Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Mark Bradley (at 24:34).
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Effectively Wild Episode 403: 2014 Season Preview Series: Texas Rangers from 2014-03-11T11:00
Ben and Sam preview the Rangers’ season with Lana Berry, and Nick talks to Fort Worth Star-Telegram Rangers beat writer Jeff Wilson (at 26:14).
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Effectively Wild Episode 402: 2014 Season Preview Series: Cincinnati Reds from 2014-03-10T11:00
Ben and Sam preview the Reds’ season with Craig Fehrman, and Nick talks to Cincinnati Enquirer Reds beat writer John Fay (at 24:50).
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Effectively Wild Episode 401: Listen to Your Heart, and Also to These Listener Emails from 2014-03-07T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about MLBAM’s new tracking technology and the future of scouting, nine-man rosters, baseball spoilers, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 400: 2014 Season Preview Series: New York Yankees from 2014-03-06T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Yankees’ season with Emma Span, and Nick talks to Wall Street Journal Yankees beat writer Daniel Barbarisi (at 22:15).
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Effectively Wild Episode 399: 2014 Season Preview Series: Seattle Mariners from 2014-03-05T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Mariners’ season with Mike Curto, and Nick talks to Seattle Times Mariners beat writer Ryan Divish (at 26:49).
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Effectively Wild Episode 398: 2014 Season Preview Series: Milwaukee Brewers from 2014-03-04T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Milwaukee Brewers’ season with Jack Moore.
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Effectively Wild Episode 397: 2014 Season Preview Series: San Diego Padres from 2014-03-03T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Padres’ season with Geoff Young, and Nick talks to MLB.com Padres beat writer Corey Brock (at 22:23).
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Effectively Wild Episode 396: Your Emails, Answered from 2014-02-28T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about scouting based on one swing, how much GMs know, paying young players, psyching out opponents, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 395: 2014 Season Preview Series: Cleveland Indians from 2014-02-27T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Indians’ season with Susan Petrone, and Nick talks to MLB.com Indians beat writer Jordan Bastian (at 21:16).
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Effectively Wild Episode 394: 2014 Season Preview Series: Arizona Diamondbacks from 2014-02-26T11:01
Ben and Sam preview Arizona’s season with azcentral sports Diamondbacks beat writer Nick Piecoro, and Nick Wheatley-Schaller talks to FOX Sports Arizona’s Diamondbacks TV play-by-play voice, Steve ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 393: 2014 Season Preview Series: Kansas City Royals from 2014-02-25T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Royals’ season with Craig Brown, and Nick talks to Kansas City Star Royals beat writer Andy McCullough (at 25:35).
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Effectively Wild Episode 392: 2014 Season Preview Series: Toronto Blue Jays from 2014-02-24T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Blue Jays’ season with Adam Sobsey, and Nick talks to Sportsnet baseball columnist Shi Davidi (at 22:49).
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Effectively Wild Episode 391: The Best Listener Email Show Since Last Week’s from 2014-02-21T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about MLB’s blackout policy, the Phillies and the NCAA, missing triples, the save rule, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 390: 2014 Season Preview Series: Colorado Rockies from 2014-02-20T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Rockies’ season (and analyze Coors Field) with Russell A. Carleton, and Nick talks to Denver Post Rockies beat writer (and National Baseball Writer) Troy Renck (at 30:39).
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Effectively Wild Episode 389: 2014 Season Preview Series: Pittsburgh Pirates from 2014-02-19T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Pirates’ season with Michael Clair, and Nick talks to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pirates reporter Travis Sawchik (at 27:45).
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Effectively Wild Episode 388: 2014 Season Preview Series: Philadelphia Phillies from 2014-02-18T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Phillies’ season with Bill Baer, and Nick talks to Matt Gelb, who covers the Phillies for the Philadelphia Inquirer (at 20:58).
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Effectively Wild Episode 387: 2014 Season Preview Series: Chicago White Sox from 2014-02-17T11:01
Ben and Sam introduce a new sponsor, then preview the White Sox’ season with Ken Funck, and Nick talks to CSNChicago.com White Sox insider Dan Hayes (at 27:44).
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Effectively Wild Episode 386: Listener Emails/Ricky Smith on Losing His Date to Derek Jeter from 2014-02-14T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Mike Trout, Masahiro Tanaka, Javier Baez, and more, and Ben talks to Ricky Smith about being Jetered (at 44:17).
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Effectively Wild Episode 385: 2014 Season Preview Series: Baltimore Orioles from 2014-02-13T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Orioles’ season with Paul Sporer, and Nick talks to MLB.com Orioles beat writer Brittany Ghiroli (at 22:07).
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Effectively Wild Episode 384: 2014 Season Preview Series: New York Mets from 2014-02-12T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Mets’ season with Will Woods, and Nick talks to Newsday Mets beat writer Marc Carig (at 20:54).
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Effectively Wild Episode 383: 2014 Season Preview Series: Chicago Cubs from 2014-02-11T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Cubs’ season with Ken Funck, and Nick talks to Daily Herald Cubs beat writer Bruce Miles (at 20:53).
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Effectively Wild Episode 382: 2014 Season Preview Series: Minnesota Twins from 2014-02-10T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Twins’ season with Aaron Gleeman, and Nick talks to Star Tribune Twins beat writer Phil Miller (at 23:22).
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Effectively Wild Episode 381: Email Answers for Your Friday from 2014-02-07T11:01
Ben and Sam answer emails about an auction for playing time, Mike Trout’s plate approach, a contract that could kill baseball, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 380: 2014 Season Preview Series: Miami Marlins from 2014-02-06T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Marlins’ season with David Roth, and Nick talks to Sun-Sentinel Marlins beat writer Juan C. Rodriguez (at 29:09).
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Effectively Wild Episode 379: 2014 Season Preview Series: Houston Astros from 2014-02-05T11:01
Ben and Sam preview the Astros’ season with Zachary Levine, and Nick talks to Houston Chronicle Astros beat writer Evan Drellich (at 23:12).
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Effectively Wild Episode 378: The PECOTA Day Podcast from 2014-02-04T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about pitchers, catchers, and PECOTA projections reporting for spring training.
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Effectively Wild Episode 377: The 2014 Standings Draft from 2014-02-03T11:01
Ben and Sam draft teams based on their projected gains (and losses) in the standings this season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 376: Listener-Selected Listener Emails from 2014-01-31T11:01
Ben, Sam, and special guest Ryan Sullivan answer listener emails about instant replay, roster changes, shortening the lineup, Seinfeld, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 375: Peter Angelos and the Orioles’Fearsome Physicals from 2014-01-30T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Jack Moore about the history of Orioles physicals and Peter Angelos’ time with the team.
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Effectively Wild Episode 374: Baseball’s State of the Union: The BP Rebuttal from 2014-01-29T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Tom Verducci’s suggested ways to make baseball better.
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Effectively Wild Episode 373: Why the Manager Challenge System Might Be Broken from 2014-01-28T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Dan Brooks about why the expanded replay review system should motivate managers to challenge early and often.
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Effectively Wild Episode 372: The Rays, The Red Sox, and Getting Hometown Discounts from 2014-01-27T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Jon Lester and whether the Rays and Red Sox have figured out how to make players reluctant to leave.
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Effectively Wild Episode 371: Listener Emails: The Mariachi A-Rod Edition from 2014-01-24T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Baseball Prospectus 2014 and Mariachi A-Rod, then answer listener emails about quality of competition, contract clauses, PED placebos, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 370: Musings on Masahiro Tanaka from 2014-01-23T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss several subjects either closely or loosely related to the Yankees’ signing of Masahiro Tanaka.
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Effectively Wild Episode 369: Clearing the Listener Email Backlog from 2014-01-22T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Bobby Abreu, then answer listener emails about pushing PEDs, the best Barry Bonds stats, walk-up music, players becoming GMs, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 368: Least Beloved Baseball Figures/Comping Tanaka/North Korea’s Top Prospect from 2014-01-21T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the least beloved baseball figures and whether it makes sense to compare Masahiro Tanaka to other Japanese pitchers, then answer a listener email hypothetical.
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Effectively Wild Episode 367: The Listener Email Answers You’ve Been Waiting For from 2014-01-17T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Fat A-Rod and instant replay, then answer listener emails about Babe Ruth, Roger Clemens, and the darkness that lurks within all of us.
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Effectively Wild Episode 366: The Clayton Kershaw Contract from 2014-01-16T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Clayton Kershaw’s extension with the Dodgers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 365: Picking Copycat Players for 2014 from 2014-01-15T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Delmon Young, then pick candidates to become the 2014 versions of 2013 players.
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Effectively Wild Episode 364: The All-Hypothetical Podcast from 2014-01-14T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss hypothetical questions about Mike Trout, Barry Bonds, Mark Mulder and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 363: Yankees Beat Writer Andy McCullough on Alex Rodriguez, Again from 2014-01-13T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Andy McCullough about the latest legal developments in the Alex Rodriguez saga, the A-Rod episode of 60 Minutes, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 362: Emails About Baseball You Actually Sent Us from 2014-01-10T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about hiring GMs, a Hall of Fame-level LOOGY, restructuring divisions, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 361: Jay Jaffe on the Top Takeaways from the Hall of Fame Election Season from 2014-01-09T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Jay Jaffe about the 2014 Hall of Fame voting results, election-season mud-slinging, the 2015 ballot, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 360: Scouting 2013 Hall of Fame Candidates from 2014-01-08T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss BP’s Hall of Fame ballot, then review early scouting reports on the players BP would have voted in.
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Effectively Wild Episode 359: The Remaining Free Agents/Pillow Contract Candidates from 2014-01-07T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the remaining big-name free agents and talk about which might be best served by one-year deals.
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Effectively Wild Episode 358: Is Hall of Fame Balloting Really Broken? from 2014-01-06T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss what the early results of the Hall of Fame voting say about the induction process.
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Effectively Wild Episode 357: New Listener Emails for a New Year from 2014-01-03T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about switching agents, the spitball, rule changes, advanced stats in other sports, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 356: Bill James’Predictions for 2015, and Our Predictions for 2030 from 2014-01-02T11:01
Ben and Sam review Bill James’ old baseball predictions for 2015, then issue their own for 2030.
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Effectively Wild Episode 355: The Last and Longest Show of 2013 from 2013-12-27T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails until Sam’s battery dies.
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Effectively Wild Episode 354: The 2013 Time Capsule from 2013-12-26T15:38
Ben and Sam pick the season’s biggest baseball stories.
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Effectively Wild Episode 353: The Penultimate Listener Email Show of 2013 from 2013-12-20T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about a three-Andrelton infield, modern-day barnstorming, signing and trading Kendrys Morales, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 352: The Day in Transactions from 2013-12-19T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss moves made by the Royals, Rockies, Padres, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 351: Life-Changing Lessons from Recent Transactions from 2013-12-18T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss recent trades and signings, focusing on moves by the Indians, White Sox, and Diamondbacks, Kevin Towers’ changing approach to building a bullpen, and the reliever market.
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Effectively Wild Episode 350: Jason Coskrey on Masahiro Tanaka and the New Posting System from 2013-12-17T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times about Masahiro Tanaka and the recent changes to the NPB-MLB player posting system.
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Effectively Wild Episode 349: Brian Sabean’s Re-Signings and Rating GMs from 2013-12-16T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Giants’ offseason and their thoughts on Brian Sabean and other general managers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 348: Robot GMs, Bartolo at Bat, and Other Listener Emails from 2013-12-13T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about trading within the division, stats on baseball broadcasts, Mike Trout, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 347: The Rule Changes, Trades, and Signings of Winter Meetings Day Three from 2013-12-12T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss home plate collisions, the neighborhood play, and moves by the Mariners, Mets, and Nationals.
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Effectively Wild Episode 346: Matt Kemp Rumors and Hot Trade Takes from 2013-12-11T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Dodgers’ outfield situation, then talk about the two trades made on Tuesday.
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Effectively Wild Episode 345: Roy Halladay and Mark Prior Retire from 2013-12-10T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Roy Halladay, Mark Prior, rumors from the Winter Meetings, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 344: The Robinson Cano Signing and Seattle’s Dysfunctional Front Office from 2013-12-09T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Robinson Cano signing and the weekend’s big story about the Mariners’ front office.
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Effectively Wild Episode 343: Some Questions Asked from 2013-12-06T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the high-strikeout era, baseball with soccer scoring, unintentional walks and reaching on error, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 342: Should Teams Stop Spending?/Industry Theories About the Transaction Spree from 2013-12-05T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about the idea that trying to win is costing teams money, then discuss what the industry says about this week’s transaction activity.
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Effectively Wild Episode 341: Hot Stovepocalypse from 2013-12-04T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the year’s busiest day for big baseball news.
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Effectively Wild Episode 340: Attempting to Make Sense of the Doug Fister Deal from 2013-12-03T11:01
Ben and Sam try to puzzle out the Tigers’ motivation for making the Doug Fister trade.
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Effectively Wild Episode 339: Alex Rodriguez, Bud Selig, and Hard-Boiled Baseball from 2013-12-02T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the latest details of the exquisitely seamy A-Rod story.
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Effectively Wild Episode 338: Giving Thanks for Your Emails from 2013-11-27T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Hall of Fame and answer listener emails about brawls with Brian McCann, catcher framing, park effects, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 337: Free Agent Spending So Far/The McCann, Molina, and Smith Signings from 2013-11-26T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the early movement on the free agent market, then break down the Jose Molina, Brian McCann, and Joe Smith signings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 336: Paying Peralta, and Punishing PED Users from 2013-11-25T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Jhonny Peralta’s contract with the Cardinals, and whose responsibility it should be to publish PED users.
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Effectively Wild Episode 335: Your Questions, Our Answers from 2013-11-22T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about switching positions between batters, specialist scouts, risk-averse skippers, a team of top prospects, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 334: The Fielder-Kinsler Trade/Australia’s Asia Series Cinderella Story from 2013-11-21T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Ian Kinsler-Prince Fielder trade, then talk to Baseball South Australia’s Drew Samuelson about the incredible Canberra Cavalry.
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Effectively Wild Episode 333: How Teams Are Bridging the Gap Between Front Office and Field Staff from 2013-11-20T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the new kind of coach being hired by big-league teams this offseason.
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Effectively Wild Episode 332: Will Jay Z Revolutionize Being a Baseball Agent? from 2013-11-19T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Jay Z’s potential to be a new kind of agent, and whether they’d want to be one of his clients.
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Effectively Wild Episode 331: Jason Parks on the Best Farm System in Baseball from 2013-11-18T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Jason Parks about why he thinks the Minnesota Twins have the best minor-league talent in baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 330: A Lengthy Listener Email Show from 2013-11-15T11:01
Ben and Sam answer a strong selection of listener emails on award voting, the BBWAA, defensive stats, Phillies analytics, lefty catchers, free agent compensation systems, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 329: The Debate About Buying a Hall of Fame Vote from 2013-11-14T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Deadspin’s offer to purchase a Hall of Fame vote.
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Effectively Wild Episode 328: Chris Jaffe on Evaluating Managers and the Latest Trends in Managerial Hiring from 2013-11-13T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Evaluating Baseball’s Managers author Chris Jaffe about how to assess managers and what the latest managerial hirings mean.
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Effectively Wild Episode 327: Neil DeMause on the Braves’New Ballpark and Public Financing for Stadiums from 2013-11-12T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Field of Schemes author Neil DeMause about the Braves’ proposed new park and public financing for sports stadiums.
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Effectively Wild Episode 326: The Minor League Free Agent Draft from 2013-11-11T11:01
Ben and Sam select 20 minor league free agents with decent chances to see big league playing time in 2014.
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Effectively Wild Episode 325: The Offseason’s First Listener Emails from 2013-11-08T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about pitcher hitting, the Phillies’ new analyst, Scott Boras’ use of stats, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 324: Kevin Kerrane on Scouting and Dollar Sign on the Muscle from 2013-11-07T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to author Kevin Kerrane about the Dollar Sign on the Muscle reprint and the world of scouting.
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Effectively Wild Episode 323: Adrian Cardenas on Leaving Major League Baseball Behind from 2013-11-06T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to former big leaguer Adrian Cardenas about why he decided to walk away from baseball shortly after making his MLB debut.
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Effectively Wild Episode 322: The Qualifying Offer Analysis Episode from 2013-11-05T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss who did and didn’t get qualifying offers, which player stands to lose the most money as a result, and why the system doesn’t make sense.
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Effectively Wild Episode 321: Should the Yankees Be Big Spenders? from 2013-11-04T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss what the Yankees will (and should) do this winter.
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Effectively Wild Episode 320: Colin Wyers on Mathematical Modeling for the Astros and the Future of Public-Sector Sabermetrics from 2013-11-01T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Colin Wyers about how he got hired by the Astros, working in baseball, and where sabermetrics is headed.
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Effectively Wild Episode 319: Wrapping up the World Series from 2013-10-31T11:01
Ben and Sam review the World Series and talk about the 2013 seasons and futures of the Red Sox and Cardinals with Zachary Levine.
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Effectively Wild Episode 318: Playoff Listener Emails and a Fix for the Draft from 2013-10-30T15:48
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the playoffs, then discuss how MLB could disincentivize tanking for higher draft picks.
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Effectively Wild Episode 317: How World Series Game Five Was Won (and Lost) from 2013-10-29T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss David Ortiz, Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright, and the latest questionable moves by Mike Matheny and John Farrell.
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Effectively Wild Episode 316: The Wild Weekend in World Series from 2013-10-28T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the eventful Games Three and Four of the World Series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 315: Discussing World Series Game Two from 2013-10-25T11:01
Ben and Sam critique the managerial moves of Game Two, then talk about the kind of pitchers the Red Sox hit best.
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Effectively Wild Episode 314: Comparing Perceptions of World Series Game One from 2013-10-24T11:01
Ben and Sam compare notes from Game One of the World Series, discussing Adam Wainwright’s performance, Dana DeMuth’s perplexing call, the Cardinals’ good and bad defensive plays, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 313: The Dodgers and Tigers in 2014/Tim Lincecum’s Contract/Listener Emails from 2013-10-23T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the Dodgers’ and Tigers’ futures, then break down Tim Lincecum’s contract and answer listener emails.
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Effectively Wild Episode 312: The World Series Preview Show from 2013-10-22T11:01
Ben, Sam, and BP’s Zachary Levine discuss the upcoming World Series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 311: The Postseason Mythbusters Edition from 2013-10-21T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Russell Carleton about whether momentum and previous playoff experience matter, whether bunts are always bad, and the importance of shutdown innings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 310: ALCS Game 5/Leveraging Clayton Kershaw from 2013-10-18T05:50
Ben and Sam talk about ALCS Game 5, then discuss how the Dodgers could get the most NLCS value out of Clayton Kershaw.
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Effectively Wild Episode 309: ALCS Game 4, NLCS Game 5, and More Listener Emails from 2013-10-17T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about ALCS Game 4 and NLCS Game 5, then answer listener emails about sabermetrics and strikeouts.
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Effectively Wild Episode 308: Playoff Banter Plus Listener Emails from 2013-10-16T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the latest action in a pitching-dominated postseason, then answer emails about power outages, platoon splits, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 307: The NLCS Unpredictability Episode from 2013-10-15T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the improbable outcomes of the first three games between the Cardinals and Dodgers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 306: The ALCS Discussion Show from 2013-10-14T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss momentum, clutch, and other ALCS storylines.
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Effectively Wild Episode 305: Reevaluating Verlander/More Listener Emails from 2013-10-11T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Justin Verlander in the wake of his ALDS performance, then answer some listener emails.
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Effectively Wild Episode 304: The Pirates’Future/Cubs Prospects and Joe Girardi/Listener Emails from 2013-10-10T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Cubs prospects and (at the end of the episode) Joe Girardi’s managerial decision, then talk about the Pirates’ loss and answer some listener emails.
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Effectively Wild Episode 303: Picking Playoff Narratives from 2013-10-09T16:05
Ben and Sam discuss the narratives that are dominating the discussion this October.
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Effectively Wild Episode 302: The Diminished Miguel Cabrera/Clayton Kershaw and the Days-of-Rest Debate from 2013-10-08T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the current true talent of Miguel Cabrera, then talk about pitchers starting on short rest in October.
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Effectively Wild Episode 301: Dusty Baker’s Future and Joe Maddon’s Perplexing Move/Favorite Prospects from Scout School from 2013-10-07T11:01
Ben and Sam talk about two managers in the news, then discuss a pair of prospects Ben saw in Arizona.
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Effectively Wild Episode 300: Brian Kenny on Sabermetrics, Broadcasting, and Confrontation from 2013-10-04T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Brian Kenny about the reaction to his campaign to kill the win and why sabermetrics needs a confrontational face.
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Effectively Wild Episode 299: Was the Royals’Season a Success?/October’s Best Non-Kershaw Starter from 2013-10-03T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Dayton Moore’s comments about the Royals’ season, then talk playoff starters.
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Effectively Wild Episode 298: The Creative Questions Our Listeners Ask from 2013-10-02T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about unusual outfield alignments, high schoolers versus big leaguers, modern starters used like Cy Young, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 297: NL Wild Card Game Preview/Adam J. Morris on the Rangers from 2013-10-01T06:25
Ben and Sam preview the Reds-Pirates Wild Card game, then talk to Lone Star Ball’s Adam J. Morris about the Rangers’ season and tiebreak defeat.
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Effectively Wild Episode 296: Rivera’s Farewell/Carlos Gomez’s Strange Suspension from 2013-09-27T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Mariano Rivera’s farewell, Carlos Gomez’s suspension, and Bud Selig’s legacy.
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Effectively Wild Episode 295: Analyzing September Starter Usage/Reexamining the Astros Experiment from 2013-09-26T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss whether contenders use their starters optimally in September, then talk about the Astros’ approach to team-building.
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Effectively Wild Episode 294: Answering Your Baseball Questions to the Best of Our Abilities from 2013-09-25T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about MVP debates, the future of soft-tossing pitcher, Hall of Fame voting, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 293: Manny Machado’s Historical Comps/Ranking Playoff Rotations from 2013-09-24T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Manny Machado’s injury and season, then talk about playoff rotations.
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Effectively Wild Episode 292: Scott Boras’World Series Plan/A-Rod, Manny, Pettitte and the Hall from 2013-09-23T14:58
Ben and Sam discuss a World Series suggestion by Scott Boras and the Hall of Fame cases of three PED-implicated players. (Breaking Bad spoilers from 2:00-6:00.)
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Effectively Wild Episode 291: Hanley After Age 30/Next Year’s Playoff Picture from 2013-09-20T15:05
Ben and Sam discuss Hanley Ramirez’s season and future, then talk about various teams’ chances to make it to October in 2014 (and beyond).
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Effectively Wild Episode 290: The Rays’Under-the-Radar Move/Hot AL Wild Card Talk from 2013-09-19T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss Billy Hamilton, the Rangers’ “collapse” narrative, the Rays’ pickup of Freddy Guzman, and the AL Wild Card race.
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Effectively Wild Episode 289: From Our Inboxes to Your Ears from 2013-09-18T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about extreme tiebreak scenarios, home run robberies, the winningest and losingest players, Mike Trout, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 288: The Appeal of Year-to-Year Contracts/Ranking Contenders By Rootability from 2013-09-17T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss why players don’t choose year-to-year contracts, then rank contending teams by rootability.
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Effectively Wild Episode 287: Preparing for Postseason Narrative-Building/Guerrero, Helton, and the Hall of Fame from 2013-09-16T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the onslaught of articles about which teams are best-suited for October, then talk about the Cooperstown cases of Vladimir Guerrero and Todd Helton.
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Effectively Wild Episode 286: Picking Comeback Players for 2014/Top Team Improvements of the Past Decade from 2013-09-13T11:01
Ben and Sam pick potential comeback players for next season, then discuss Bill James’ list of the ways in which teams have improved over the last 10 years.
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Effectively Wild Episode 285: Was the Marlins’Season a Success?/Finessing Derek Jeter’s Final(?) Season from 2013-09-12T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss whether 2013 was a success or failure for the Marlins relative to expectations, then talk about how the Yankees should approach Derek Jeter’s age-40 season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 284: The Best Damn Listener Email Show Period from 2013-09-11T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Mariano Rivera’s workload, rarely applied rules, FIELDf/x and shifts, quality starts, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 283: An Upper-Minors Inefficiency/The Slippery Definition of Performance Enhancement from 2013-09-10T15:05
Ben and Sam talk about whether teams should step up advance scouting in the upper minors, then discuss the difference (or lack thereof) between the PEDs MLB bans and the procedures it allows.
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Effectively Wild Episode 282: Reassessing Trout vs. Harper/Top Pitchers Versus Top Position Players from 2013-09-09T14:07
Ben and Sam discuss (again) whether Mike Trout or Bryce Harper will have the better career, then talk about where they would rank today’s top pitchers and position players for the future.
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Effectively Wild Episode 281: The Soft-Tossing Starter Draft/Harry Pavlidis Explains All PITCHf/x from 2013-09-06T11:01
Ben, Sam, and guest Harry Pavlidis draft slow-throwing starters, and Harry explains the intricacies of classifying pitches and scouting pitchers from PITCHf/x.
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Effectively Wild Episode 280: Is Billy Hamilton Worth a Roster Spot?/Five Free Agents Finishing Make-or-Break Years from 2013-09-05T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss the debatable value of Billy Hamilton, then forecast the free agencies of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Phil Hughes and others.
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Effectively Wild Episode 279: You Have Questions, and We Have Answers to Some of Them from 2013-09-04T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about PED placebos, deceptively bad seasons, advanced stats in fantasy baseball, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 278: Chris Cotillo on Breaking Trades Before Finishing High School from 2013-09-03T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to MLBDailyDish.com writer Chris Cotillo about how he became a baseball newsbreaker before the age of 18.
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Effectively Wild Episode 277: C. Trent Rosecrans on Sabermetrics, the Reds, and the Hazards of Beat Writing from 2013-08-30T11:01
Ben and Sam talk to Cincinnati Enquirer reporter C. Trent Rosecrans about the Reds, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, and the trials and travails of beat writing.
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Effectively Wild Episode 276: How Would Wladimir Balentien Hit in the Majors?/Oakland’s Second-Half Success Narrative from 2013-08-29T11:01
Ben and Sam discuss how Wladimir Balentien’s explosive season in Japan would translate to the majors, then examine the notion that Billy Beane’s teams play better in the second half.
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Effectively Wild Episode 275: Listener Email Answers of Surpassing Wit and Clarity from 2013-08-28T11:01
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about rare plays they wish they would see, players wearing heart rate monitors, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 274: Mourning Matt Harvey/A Player Poll About A-Rod from 2013-08-27T11:01
Ben and Sam try to come to terms with Matt Harvey’s elbow injury, then discuss a player poll about Alex Rodriguez.
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Effectively Wild Episode 273: The State of Seattle’s Front Office/The Decline of CC Sabathia from 2013-08-26T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss Jack Zduriencik and the future of the Mariners, then talk about CC Sabathia’s dismaying season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 272: Picking Each Team’s Perceived Clubhouse Leader/Delmon Young and Players with Moral Warts from 2013-08-23T11:01
Ben and Sam pick a perceived clubhouse leader for each team, then talk about whether teams should ever refuse to sign certain players on moral grounds.
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Effectively Wild Episode 271: Disciplining Puig/Trade Deadline Do-Overs/Mistaken Sabermetric Assumptions from 2013-08-22T11:01
Ben, Sam, and guest co-host Russell Carleton discuss whether and how the Dodgers should discipline Yasiel Puig, teams that would want to take mulligans on their trade deadlines, and things sabermet...
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Effectively Wild Episode 270: Listener Email Answers in Search of a Theme from 2013-08-21T11:02
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about when every team will have won a World Series, the best baseball Kickstarters, rooting for draft picks, one-pitch pitchers, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 269: Revisiting the Jose Fernandez Call-Up/Handicapping Cano’s Suitors from 2013-08-20T11:01
Ben and Sam reevaluate whether the Marlins’ early promotion of Jose Fernandez made sense, then talk about where Robinson Cano will end up.
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Effectively Wild Episode 268: Clayton Kershaw and Cooperstown/Xander Bogaerts and Historic Years for Young Talent from 2013-08-19T14:50
Ben and Sam banter about the Saber Seminar, then discuss Clayton Kershaw’s odds of induction into the Hall and the best-ever years for young players.
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Effectively Wild Episode 267: Why We’re Happy About Expanded Replay Review from 2013-08-16T10:00
Ben and Sam (mostly) celebrate the impending arrival of a new replay review system.
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Effectively Wild Episode 266: How the A’s Were Built/Why the Dodgers Are Winning from 2013-08-15T14:58
Ben and Sam talk about how the A’s are winning in an unusual way for a small-market team, then discuss why the Dodgers have been the exception to the trend of money not leading to wins.
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Effectively Wild Episode 265: Answers to Your Burning Baseball Questions from 2013-08-14T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about baseball with clockwise bases, whether in-game managerial moves help or hurt, who pays players who get released, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 264: Four Questions About Miguel Cabrera/World Series Odds Update from 2013-08-13T10:00
Ben, Sam, and guest Zachary Levine mull over four questions about Miguel Cabrera, then talk about the World Series odds of the Tigers and other teams.
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Effectively Wild Episode 263: Jose Dariel Abreu and the Future of Cuban Baseball/The Unmade Wil Myers Trade from 2013-08-12T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the next potential star from Cuba and the future of Cuban baseball, then revisit a trade for Wil Myers that didn’t happen.
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Effectively Wild Episode 262: The All-Banter Episode from 2013-08-09T10:00
Ben and Sam do a grab-bag episode on an assortment of topics, including Kenley Jansen’s hidden perfect game, Phillies outfielder updates, teams that own other teams, and a comment by Kerry Wood.
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Effectively Wild Episode 261: Mike Trout and Becoming the Best Ever/Chase Utley’s Aging Outlook from 2013-08-08T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Mike Trout’s chances of becoming the best player ever, then talk about how the Phillies’ Chase Utley extension will work out.
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Effectively Wild Episode 260: Many More Listener Emails, and Our Answers to Them from 2013-08-07T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the best free agents available, expanded rosters, a world without Tommy John surgery, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 259: Cricket’s Replay Review Controversy/Revisiting Ruben Amaro’s Offseason Moves/The Ethics of Cruz, Peralta, and PEDs from 2013-08-06T14:55
Ben and Sam discuss a cricket replay review controversy, a few of Ruben Amaro’s regrettable moves, and the suspensions of Jhonny Peralta and Nelson Cruz.
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Effectively Wild Episode 258: 2014 Team Option Options/Matt Garza, the A’s, and Exploiting Unwritten Rules from 2013-08-05T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether teams should pick up various 2014 options, then talk about whether teams can make unwritten rules work to their advantage.
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Effectively Wild Episode 257: Reevaluating Extensions/The Cubs’Creative International Spending Strategy from 2013-08-02T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether several extensions would still be signed today, then talk about the Cubs’ decision to exceed their international spending allowance.
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Effectively Wild Episode 256: The Trade Deadline in Review from 2013-08-01T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss their favorite and least-favorite deadline moves, the biggest upgrades, teams that should have sold, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 255: Listener Emails Like Never Before from 2013-07-31T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the consequences of abolishing the trade deadline, baseball’s war on PEDs, time traveling front offices, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 254: Are Wealthy Teams Winning?/Pushing the Trade Deadline Back from 2013-07-30T10:00
Ben and Sam revisit the question of whether wealthy teams are winning (and will win) more, then discuss a proposal to push the trade deadline back.
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Effectively Wild Episode 253: Brian Cashman and the Meddlesome Steinbrenners/Revisiting the Justin Verlander Extension from 2013-07-29T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether an owner overruling a GM can ever be a good thing, then revisit the Tigers’ decision to extend Justin Verlander well before he was a free agent.
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Effectively Wild Episode 252: Yankees Beat Writer Andy McCullough on the Absurdity of Alex Rodriguez from 2013-07-26T10:00
Ben and Sam talk to Star-Ledger beat writer Andy McCullough about the experience of covering the Alex Rodriguez story, and how it will all play out.
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Effectively Wild Episode 251: Baseball Stories That Would Be Bigger Today/Finding a Narrative for the Nationals from 2013-07-25T11:00
Ben and Sam talk about events from baseball’s history that would be bigger stories today, then dicuss narratives to explain the Nationals’ season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 250: A Long-ish Listener Email Extravaganza from 2013-07-24T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about rating prospect ratings, baseball without rain delays, updating the box score, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 249: Gabe Kapler on Advanced Stats from the Player’s Perspective from 2013-07-23T10:00
Ben and Sam interview former big-league outfielder Gabe Kapler about his respect for sabermetrics and the purpose advanced stats can serve for players.
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Effectively Wild Episode 248: Bartolo Colon and the PED Question/Ruben Amaro and Prospect Rankings from 2013-07-22T15:04
Ben and Sam talk about whether it’s ever fair to suspect that a player is taking PEDs, then discuss Ruben Amaro’s comments about public prospect rankings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 247: Derek Lowe’s Rare Career Path/Matt Garza and the Rangers from 2013-07-19T15:10
Ben and Sam try to figure out why more pitchers’ careers don’t look like Derek Lowe’s, then talk about the latest Matt Garza trade rumors.
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Effectively Wild Episode 246: Anniversary Episode Emails from 2013-07-18T10:01
On EW’s one-year anniversary, Ben and Sam chat with Jason Wojciechowski about baseball and copyright law, then answer other listener emails.
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Effectively Wild Episode 245: Listener Emails Like You Wouldn’t Believe from 2013-07-17T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about knuckleballers, batting practice, crazy Coors Field seasons, Bryce Harper’s hair, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 244: Thoughts on the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game/The Real Home Run Record from 2013-07-16T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, then discuss Chris Davis’ comments about the home run record.
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Effectively Wild Episode 243: No-Hitters, Tim Lincecum, and Pitch Counts/Joe Blanton and ERA Estimators from 2013-07-15T15:28
Ben and Sam discuss whether we should care about pitch counts in no-hitters, then talk about the gap between Joe Blanton’s actual and estimated ERA.
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Effectively Wild Episode 242: The All-No-Bang-for-Your-Buck Team from 2013-07-12T10:00
Ben and Sam draft the worst player contracts to see who can spend the most money for the least production.
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Effectively Wild Episode 241: Manny Ramirez and Other Players Who Refuse to Retire/The Loveable, Hateable Yankees from 2013-07-11T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss batter-pitcher matchup stats, ancient players on the comeback trail, and the underdog Yankees.
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Effectively Wild Episode 240: Several of the Finest Listener Emails from 2013-07-10T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the best name for a future baseball player, no-trade clauses, RBI and wins, and a starter with Mariano Rivera’s cutter. Cameo by a raccoon.
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Effectively Wild Episode 239: Carlos Gomez and the NL MVP Race/The Cubs and Trading Recently Signed Free Agents from 2013-07-09T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Carlos Gomez’ valuable season and the Cubs’ willingness to trade players they recently signed as free agents.
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Effectively Wild Episode 238: Picking the Worst-All Stars Possible/Josh Hamilton’s Tobacco Turnaround from 2013-07-08T10:00
Ben and Sam pick the worst players eligible for the All-Star Game, then discuss Josh Hamilton’s smokeless tobacco use.
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Effectively Wild Episode 237: Stats That Won’t Last/No-Hitters and No-Walkers/The Worst Shortstop Ever/A Pitcher Who Can Hit/The All-Bunting Team/Trading Top Prospects for Trout/Pint-Sized Power Hitters from 2013-07-03T10:00
Ben and Sam answer the most listener emails they’ve ever answered.
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Effectively Wild Episode 236: Analysts as General Managers/Hall of Fame Probabilities from 2013-07-02T15:28
Ben and Sam discuss whether hardcore quantitative analysts make good GM material, then estimate the likelihood that under-30 players will make the Hall of Fame.
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Effectively Wild Episode 235: Alex Rios’Value/How the 2013 Pirates Were Built from 2013-07-01T16:00
Ben and Sam discuss their technical difficulties, Alex Rios’ trade value, and the origins of the surprisingly successful Pirates.
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Effectively Wild Episode 234: Byron Buxton, Joe Mauer, and the Twins/Dylan Bundy, Tommy John Surgery, and PRP from 2013-06-28T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss three things about the Twins, then talk about Dylan Bundy and the PRP approach to treating partial UCL tears.
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Effectively Wild Episode 233: Munenori Kawasaki and Clubhouse Chemistry/The Tigers, Strikeouts, and Defense from 2013-06-27T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about whether Kawasaki being sent to the minors tells us anything about chemistry, then discuss how much the Tigers’ defense hurts them.
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Effectively Wild Episode 232: Will Park Effects Go More Mainstream?/Yasiel Puig and Hitting .400/Evaluating Player Development/Loaning Players from 2013-06-26T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about park effects, player development, hitting .400, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 231: Revisiting Several Things We’ve Said from 2013-06-25T10:00
Ben and Sam revisit some predictions and discussions from prior episodes to see how their thoughts have changed.
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Effectively Wild Episode 230: Deceptive Strikeout-to-Walk Ratios/Picking the Perfect Run Environment from 2013-06-24T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about pitchers who are struggling despite lofty strikeout-to-walk ratios, then pick the perfect run environment.
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Effectively Wild Episode 229: Derek Jeter, Yasiel Puig, and the All-Star Game/The Royals and Blaming the Ballpark from 2013-06-21T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about a pair of All-Star candidates, then discuss Royals GM Dayton Moore’s comments about Kauffman Stadium suppressing walks.
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Effectively Wild Episode 228: Matt Harvey and Clubhouse Hazing/Albert Pujols at Present/Underrated Slash Line Stars from 2013-06-20T17:02
Ben and Sam discuss Matt Harvey’s response to hazing, Albert Pujols’ recent resurgence, and players we’re underrating because of the run environment.
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Effectively Wild Episode 227: Julio Urias and Young Pitchers/Prospects Switching Positions/Jose Iglesias and High BABIPs/Goodbye Base Coaches from 2013-06-19T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about young pitchers, prospects switching positions, Jose Iglesias’ high BABIP, and base coaches.
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Effectively Wild Episode 226: Predictions About Zack Wheeler/The Story of Signing Puig from 2013-06-18T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss their expectations for Zack Wheeler and other young pitchers, then talk about the true story behind the Dodgers signing Yasiel Puig.
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Effectively Wild Episode 225: Missing Out on Mariano Rivera/Scouting Scouts from 2013-06-17T17:28
Ben and Sam discuss what Mariano Rivera’s retirement might cost us, then talk about whether it’s possible to evaluate scouts statistically.
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Effectively Wild Episode 224: The Evolution of On-Field Celebrations/The Home Run Derby Draft from 2013-06-14T05:05
Ben and Sam discuss the evolution and future of on-field celebrations, then pick the players they’d most want to appear in the Home Run Derby.
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Effectively Wild Episode 223: Should College Pitchers Shut it Down After Being Drafted?/The Red Sox and Advance Scouting from 2013-06-13T15:31
Ben and Sam discuss whether college pitchers should stop pitching for their college teams after being drafted, then talk about the Red Sox and advance scouting.
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Effectively Wild Episode 222: Bloodlines and the Draft/Giving Up in Extras/Managers Telling the Truth/Moore, Molina, and Calling Pitches from 2013-06-12T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about baseball bloodlines, managers revealing too much, giving up in extras, calling games, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 221: Astros Pro Scouting Coordinator Kevin Goldstein on the Amateur Draft from 2013-06-11T10:00
Ben and Sam talk to Kevin Goldstein about the amateur draft, his scouting assignments, the Astros’ system, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 220: Sick Starters, The Value of Hitting Coaches, and The Most Disappointing Team of 2013 from 2013-06-10T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss how impressive it is when players play sick, whether hitting coaches are more important than they’d previously thought, and the season’s most disappointing teams.
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Effectively Wild Episode 219: The Mock Draft Mystery/Joey Votto’s Future/Scouts and Espionage/The New-Look Royals Lineup from 2013-06-07T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the mystery of mock drafts, how Joey Votto might age, the kinds of information scouts can trust, and the Royals’ lineup evolution.
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Effectively Wild Episode 218: Paralysis by Biogenesis from 2013-06-06T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the latest developments in the Biogenesis saga.
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Effectively Wild Episode 217: Umpires, Catchers, and Home Field Advantage/Forming a Wall/The Anti-DH Movement/Lengthening Games from 2013-06-05T05:05
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about umpires, catchers, and home field advantage, a wall in front of home plate, game length, and the anti-DH movement.
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Effectively Wild Episode 216: Whither the White Sox?/Dissecting Yasiel Puig’s Debut from 2013-06-04T15:16
Ben and Sam talk about where the White Sox should go from here, then discuss the (over?)hyping of Yasiel Puig’s big-league debut.
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Effectively Wild Episode 215: Does Money Still Make Teams Better?/Taking our Temperatures on Tim Lincecum and Chris Davis from 2013-06-03T15:10
Ben and Sam discuss whether the ability to spend big helps teams as much as it once did, then talk about their expectations for Tim Lincecum and Chris Davis.
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Effectively Wild Episode 214: B.J. Upton and Fixing Mechanical Flaws/Scouting and the International Draft from 2013-05-31T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss B.J. Upton’s slump and mechanical flaws, then talk about the impact an international draft would have on scouting.
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Effectively Wild Episode 213: The Royals and Not Hitting Homers/The Physical Signs of Scouting from 2013-05-30T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Royals’ power outage and the comments made by their hitting coach, then talk about surprising physical signs that scouts study.
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Effectively Wild Episode 212: Doing Away with Errors/Rotating Positions/What Would Retired Players Hit?/Aesthetically Pleasing Players/3-0 Red Lights from 2013-05-29T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about errors, ancient players, whether hitters should swing more often on 3-0, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 211: The Phillies, the Blue Jays, and Selling/The Scary Side of Jose Canseco from 2013-05-28T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Phillies, Blue Jays, and being a buyer or seller in the multi-Wild Card era, then talk about the significance of Jose Canseco’s internet notoriety.
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Effectively Wild Episode 210: Revisiting the Montero-Pineda Trade/Your Ticket Refund/Giveaway Ideas from 2013-05-24T15:15
Ben and Sam discuss how the Jesus Montero-Michael Pineda trade has turned out so far, then talk about your ticket refund/giveaway ideas.
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Effectively Wild Episode 209: Veterans vs. Young Players/The Dodgers and Grit from 2013-05-23T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about some recent conflicts between veterans and young players, then discuss Don Mattingly’s comments about the Dodgers’ lack of grit.
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Effectively Wild Episode 208: Refunds for Losses/More Catching Questions/DHs and Defensive Positioning/Most Pitchers in an Inning from 2013-05-22T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about refunds for team losses, catcher receiving, defensive positioning, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 207: Reevaluating Patrick Corbin/Baseball and Redheads from 2013-05-21T15:17
Ben and Sam discuss whether they’ve underrated Patrick Corbin, then talk about whether there’s a bias against redheads in baseball.
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Effectively Wild Episode 206: When Does it Make Sense to Fire Managers?/What We Think about Hot Streaks from 2013-05-20T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about the circumstances under which they’d feel comfortable recommending that a manager be fired, then discuss different beliefs about hot streaks.
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Effectively Wild Episode 205: Catcher Framing Questions/A Hypothetical Pitching Problem/Post-Start MRIs from 2013-05-17T10:00
Ben and Sam answers listener questions about catcher framing, a very unusual reliever, and cautionary MRIs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 204: The Yankees and Luck/How We Watch Baseball/Consuming Scouting Reports from 2013-05-16T12:00
Ben and Sam team up for a simulpodcast with Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs and FanGraphs Audio to discuss whether the Yankees have been lucky, the best way to watch baseball, and the value of old sco...
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Effectively Wild Episode 203: Strikeouts and Defense/Shortest Pitching Careers/Novelty All-Star Games/World Series of Worst/Rooting Against No-Hitters from 2013-05-15T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss listener emails about whether rising strikeout rates make defense less valuable, whether the worst teams should face off at the end of the year, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 202: Bryce Harper Hits the Wall/Albert Pujols’Pain from 2013-05-14T14:59
Ben and Sam talk about how a player’s willingness to crash into walls affects their expectations for him, then discuss whether Albert Pujols can improve if he keeps playing.
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Effectively Wild Episode 201: Drafting Age-25-and-Under Starters/Still No No-Hitters from 2013-05-13T10:00
Ben and Sam draft starting pitchers age 25 and under, then discuss whether there’s any significance to the fact that we haven’t seen a no-hitter yet this season.
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Effectively Wild Episode 200: Will Leitch on Media, Fans, and Media and Fans from 2013-05-10T10:00
Ben and Sam talk to Sports on Earth Senior Writer Will Leitch about the evolution of baseball coverage and the fan’s relationship with sports media.
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Effectively Wild Episode 199: Pitchers Putting on Sunscreen/The Astros and Clubhouse Chemistry from 2013-05-09T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the sunscreen scandal and how much clubhouse chemistry matters to the Astros.
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Effectively Wild Episode 198: Hitters with the Yips/Power vs. Contact/Starlin Castro’s Future/Reinhart-Rogoff and Sabermetrics from 2013-05-08T10:00
Ben and Sam answer emails about what it would look like if a hitter got the yips, what Starlin Castro could turn into, errors in sabermetric research, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 197: Our Incredibly Premature All-Star Picks from 2013-05-07T10:00
With All-Star voting officially underway, Ben and Sam make their incredibly premature picks, with Jason Wojciechowski joining them to settle any disputes.
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Effectively Wild Episode 196: The New Scott Kazmir/The Future of the Angels from 2013-05-06T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Scott Kazmir’s win over the weekend, then talk about the Angels’ outlook for the rest of this season and beyond.
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Effectively Wild Episode 195: Bad Body Language/Upgrading Bullpens/Steroids and the Children/BABIP and Bad Luck from 2013-05-03T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether a pitcher’s body language can cost him strikes, whether it’s worth trading for relievers early in the season, a study about perceptions of steroid use, and whether a low...
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Effectively Wild Episode 194: Outlawing Endless Games/Would Baseball Be Better Without Playoffs? from 2013-05-02T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether the league will ever take steps to prevent extremely long games, then talk about what baseball would be like without playoffs.
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Effectively Wild Episode 193: AAA Teams vs. the Marlins and Astros/The Braves and Strikeouts/Pickoffs and Pitch Counts/John Farrell and the Jays/Non-Superstar HOFers from 2013-05-01T05:50
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about whether good minor-league teams could beat bad major-league teams, the Braves and Ks, whether the Jays should regret letting John Farrell go, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 192: Stephen Strasburg’s New Injury Scare/The Underhyped Manny Machado from 2013-04-30T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the news about Stephen Strasburg’s forearm and talk about why Manny Machado’s performance this season hasn’t gotten more attention.
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Effectively Wild Episode 191: The Significance of the Blue Jays’Slow Start/Justin Upton and Internet Gloating from 2013-04-29T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss how deep a hole the Blue Jays have dug, then talk about whether it’s fair for people to gloat about the Diamondbacks’ decision to trade Justin Upton based on what’s happened so ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 190: The Ike Davis Enigma/Trading Prospects Straight Up for Stanton from 2013-04-26T10:00
Ben and Will discuss the confusing career of Ike Davis, then talk about whether there are any prospects teams wouldn’t trade straight up for Giancarlo Stanton.
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Effectively Wild Episode 189: Should Chad Billingsley Have Had Surgery Sooner?/Brendan Ryan, Robert Andino, and the Mariners from 2013-04-25T10:00
Ben and Paul talk to Corey Dawkins about Chad Billingsley’s elbow, then discuss the Mariners’ decision to start Robert Andino over Brendan Ryan and the state of Seattle’s organization.
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Effectively Wild Episode 188: The Yankees and PECOTA/Earned Run Ratio/Least Likely MVP Candidates/When to Trust 2013 Stats from 2013-04-24T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about whether PECOTA underestimates the Yankees, how to improve ERA, Coco Crisp the MVP candidate, and in-season stats vs. projections.
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Effectively Wild Episode 187: More About Velocity Loss/Baseball Players and Appendectomies from 2013-04-23T14:35
Ben and Sam discuss the velocity losses of some of baseball’s best starters, then talk about whether players should have prophylactic appendectomies.
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Effectively Wild Episode 186: Deceptive Starters/Matt Harvey’s Improvement/The Blue Jays and Waiver Claims from 2013-04-22T15:20
Ben and Sam discuss the short-lived success of starters without great stuff who rely on deception, then talk about Matt Harvey and the Blue Jays’ use (or abuse) of the waiver system.
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Effectively Wild Episode 185: Trading International Bonus Pool Space/Shortening the Time Between Pitches from 2013-04-19T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the implications of teams’ ability to trade international bonus pool space, and whether it makes sense to enforce the rule about time between pitches.
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Effectively Wild Episode 184: Brett Gardner Makes an Adjustment from 2013-04-18T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Brett Gardner’s new approach at the plate, and how hitters adjust to pitchers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 183: How to Set Up a Rotation/The DH of the Future/Batting Stanton Leadoff/Pitchers and Handwarmers/Quad-A Hitters from 2013-04-17T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the future of the DH role, whether teams rest starters in games they expect to lose, whether it makes sense to bat Giancarlo Stanton leadoff, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 182: How Much Will Mark Appel Make?/Is Mike Scioscia’s Job Safe? from 2013-04-16T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss how big a signing bonus Mark Appel will get in the amateur draft, then assess Mike Scioscia’s job security.
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Effectively Wild 181: Giancarlo Stanton’s Lineup Protection Problem from 2013-04-15T14:51
Ben and Sam discuss how the Marlins’ lack of lineup protection has affected Giancarlo Stanton so far.
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Effectively Wild Episode 180: Carlos Quentin vs. Zack Greinke/Why Catcher Height Matters for Framing from 2013-04-12T15:45
Ben and Sam discuss the brawl between the Dodgers and Padres, then talk about Ben’s latest catcher framing research.
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Effectively Wild Episode 179: Extending Barry Zito/The First-Place Royals from 2013-04-11T15:07
Ben and Sam discuss the situation surrounding Barry Zito’s contract for 2014, and the Royals’ hot, small-sample start.
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Effectively Wild Episode 178: Batter-Pitcher Matchups/Outfield Alignments/A Player Who Can’t Play Defense/The End of Innings from 2013-04-10T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about batter-pitcher matchups, curious outfield alignments, where to put a player who can’t play defense, and what baseball would be like without innings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 177: How Much Does Velocity Loss Matter?/The Astros’Runaway Strikeout Rate from 2013-04-09T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about the performance impact of velocity loss, then discuss the Astros’ astronomical early-season strikeout rate.
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Effectively Wild Episode 176: Jose Fernandez and Service Time/Jose Bautista and Umpire Payback from 2013-04-08T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about why the Marlins have put service-time considerations aside in Jose Fernandez’s case, then discuss Jose Bautista’s comments about umpires.
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Effectively Wild Episode 175: Brian Roberts’Injury, Baserunners Passing Baserunners, and the Pros and Cons of Trade Speculation from 2013-04-05T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the latest injury to Brian Roberts, Evan Longoria running by Ben Zobrist, and the speculation about a Profar-for-Taveras trade.
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Effectively Wild Episode 174: More Week One Reactions from 2013-04-04T10:00
Ben and Sam share their thoughts on Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Yu Darvish, Fernando Rodney, the Royals, Tom Milone, Shaun Marcum, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 173: Should Contract Size Influence Our Projections for Players?/Revisiting Our Pre-Offseason Predictions/What Started the Sabermetric Revolution? from 2013-04-03T15:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about whether we should let where and for how much a player signs influence how we expect him to play, then revisit their team predictions from the end of last se...
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Effectively Wild Episode 172: The Confirmation Biases of Opening Day from 2013-04-02T14:55
Ben and Sam discuss the events of Opening Day that reinforced preseason expectations.
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Effectively Wild Episode 171: Extensions for Everyone! from 2013-04-01T10:55
Ben and Sam discuss the recent news about extensions for Justin Verlander, Buster Posey, and Elvis Andrus.
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Effectively Wild Episode 170: Jason Parks on Podcasting, Prospect Ranking, and Player Development from 2013-03-29T10:00
Ben and Sam talk to Jason Parks about the forthcoming Fringe Average Podcast and BP prospect book, the ranking process, and how player development differs between teams.
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Effectively Wild Episode 169: The Retirement of Tim McCarver/Is Clubhouse Chemistry Less Important Than it Used to Be? from 2013-03-28T10:00
Ben and Sam talk about Tim McCarver’s impending retirement and share their thoughts on broadcasting, then discuss whether changes in players’ routines have reduced the importance of clubhouse chemi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 168: Projections for the Yankees and Blue Jays/If the Amateur Draft Were an Auction/Lifetime Contracts for Generational Talents from 2013-03-27T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about PECOTA’s projections for the Yankees and Blue Jays, how the amateur draft and free agency would work in an auction format, and whether teams should offer pl...
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Effectively Wild Episode 167: Yasiel Puig’s Explosive Spring from 2013-03-26T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Yasiel Puig’s spring hot streak, how perceptions of him have changed since his signing, and what the Dodgers will do with him now.
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Effectively Wild Episode 166: Is the Internet Too Optimistic About the Astros? from 2013-03-25T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether the supposed split between scouts and statheads about the outlook for the Astros actually exists.
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Effectively Wild Episode 165: The Worst Team to Work For/Baseball Without Outfield Fences/When to Give Up on Top Draft Picks/Would Mariano Rivera Make an All-Time Team? from 2013-03-22T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the worst team to work for, what baseball would look like without outfield fences, when it’s okay to give up on high draft picks, and how Mariano Rivera com...
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Effectively Wild Episode 164: Dan Evans on Being a BaseballRenaissance Man and His New Job with the Blue Jays from 2013-03-21T10:00
Ben and Sam talk to former Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager Dan Evans about his history as a baseball renaissance man and his new roles with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Northern League.
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Effectively Wild Episode 163: All About the International Draft from 2013-03-20T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the rumored approach of the international approach with highly informed guest Jorge Arangure.
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Effectively Wild Episode 162: Aroldis Chapman and Player Preferences from 2013-03-19T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Aroldis Chapman’s role and how much control players should have over the way they’re used by their teams.
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Effectively Wild Episode 161: Breaking Down the WBC from 2013-03-18T10:00
Ben and Sam talk to Ian Miller about his WBC experience and the response to the tournament in the US and abroad.
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Effectively Wild Episode 160: The Outlooks for Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay from 2013-03-15T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss their expectations for Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay after their disappointing 2012 seasons and struggles this spring.
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Effectively Wild Episode 159: The Carlos Gomez Extension and the 2013-14 Free Agent Class from 2013-03-14T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Brewers’ Carlos Gomez extension and the increasing scarcity of impact free agents.
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Effectively Wild Episode 158: Combining Bad Teams/Blocking the Plate/The 26-Man Roster from 2013-03-13T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about how many games a team formed from the three worst teams in baseball would win, whether catchers (and non-catchers) should be allowed to block the plate, and...
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Effectively Wild Episode 157: SABR Analytics Conference Recap from 2013-03-12T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Ben’s trip to Phoenix for the SABR Analytics Conference, covering the sabermetrics of marketing, clubhouse chemistry, knuckleballers, bullpen usage, the WBC, Kyle Lohse, and oth...
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Effectively Wild Episode 156: 2013 Season Preview Series: Colorado Rockies from 2013-03-08T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Rockies’ season with Geoff Young, and Pete talks to MLB.com Rockies beat writer Thomas Harding (at 16:42).
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Effectively Wild Episode 155: 2013 Season Preview Series: San Diego Padres from 2013-03-07T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Padres’ season with Geoff Young, and Pete talks to San Diego Union-Tribune writer Tom Krasovic (at 18:00).
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Effectively Wild Episode 154: 2013 Season Preview Series: Arizona Diamondbacks from 2013-03-06T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Diamondbacks’ season with Doug Thorburn, and Pete talks to AZCentral Sports Diamondbacks beat writer Nick Piecoro (at 19:39).
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Effectively Wild Episode 153: 2013 Season Preview Series: Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013-03-05T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Dodgers’ season with Jay Jaffe, and Pete talks to MLB.com Dodgers beat writer Ken Gurnick (at 15:21).
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Effectively Wild Episode 152: 2013 Season Preview Series: San Francisco Giants from 2013-03-04T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Giants’ season with Ian Miller and Josh Shepardson, and Pete talks to San Jose Mercury News and Bay Area News Group Giants reporter Alex Pavlovic (at 22:26).
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Effectively Wild Episode 151: 2013 Season Preview Series: Chicago Cubs from 2013-03-01T17:35
Ben and Sam preview the Cubs’ season with Colin Wyers, and Pete talks to CSNChicago.com Cubs beat writer Patrick Mooney (at 19:43).
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Effectively Wild Episode 150: 2013 Season Preview Series: Pittsburgh Pirates from 2013-02-28T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Pirates’ season with R.J. Anderson, and Pete talks to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pirates beat writer Rob Biertempfel (at 17:03).
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Effectively Wild Episode 149: 2013 Season Preview Series: Milwaukee Brewers from 2013-02-27T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Brewers’ season with Ken Funck, and Pete talks to MLB.com columnist Mike Bauman (at 19:37).
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Effectively Wild Episode 148: 2013 Season Preview Series: St. Louis Cardinals from 2013-02-26T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Cardinals’ season with Ken Funck, and Pete talks to St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Joe Strauss (at 18:06).
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Effectively Wild Episode 147: 2013 Season Preview Series: Cincinnati Reds from 2013-02-25T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Reds’ season with Jay Jaffe and Geoff Young, and Pete talks to Cincinnati CBS affiliate sports anchor/reporter Zach Wells (at 18:35).
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Effectively Wild Episode 146: 2013 Season Preview Series: Miami Marlins from 2013-02-22T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Marlins’ season with Daniel Rathman, and Pete talks to Sun-Sentinel Marlins beat writer Juan C. Rodriguez (at 16:59).
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Effectively Wild Episode 145: 2013 Season Preview Series: New York Mets from 2013-02-21T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Mets’ season with Jason Wojciechowski, and Pete talks to Newsday baseball columnist David Lennon (at 22:11).
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Effectively Wild Episode 144: 2013 Season Preview Series: Philadelphia Phillies from 2013-02-20T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Phillies’ season with Paul Sporer, and Pete talks to CSNPhilly.com Phillies Insider Jim Salisbury (at 19:27).
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Effectively Wild Episode 143: 2013 Season Preview Series: Atlanta Braves from 2013-02-19T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Braves’ season with Zachary Levine, and Pete talks to Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports columnist Mark Bradley (at 16:42).
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Effectively Wild Episode 142: 2013 Season Preview Series: Washington Nationals from 2013-02-18T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Nationals’ season with Paul Sporer and Daniel Rathman, and Pete talks to Adam Kilgore, who covers the Nationals for the Washington Post (at 19:51).
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Effectively Wild Episode 141: 2013 Season Preview Series: Houston Astros from 2013-02-15T05:00
Ben and Sam preview the Astros’ season with Jason Collette, and Pete talks to MLB.com correspondent Richard Justice (at 16:54).
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Effectively Wild Episode 140: 2013 Series Preview: Seattle Mariners from 2013-02-14T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Mariners’ season, and Pete talks to Seattle Times Mariners writer Geoff Baker (at 18:53).
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Effectively Wild Episode 139: 2013 Season Preview Series: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2013-02-13T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Angels’ season, and Pete talks to Orange County Register Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher (at 24:40).
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Effectively Wild Episode 138: 2013 Season Preview Series: Texas Rangers from 2013-02-12T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Rangers’ season with Jason Cole, and Pete talks to ESPN Dallas staff writer and blogger Richard Durrett (at 20:48).
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Effectively Wild Episode 137: 2013 Season Preview Series: Oakland Athletics from 2013-02-11T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Athletics’ season with Doug Thorburn, and Pete talks to Bay Area News Group A’s beat writer John Hickey (at 19:07).
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Effectively Wild Episode 136: 2013 Season Preview Series: Minnesota Twins from 2013-02-08T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Twins’ season with Michael Bates and Bill Parker, and Pete talks to Star Tribune reporter Phill Miller (at 20:26).
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Effectively Wild Episode 135: 2013 Season Preview Series: Cleveland Indians from 2013-02-07T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Indians’ season with Matthew Kory and Paul Sporer, and Pete talks to MLB.com Indians reporter Jordan Bastian (at 19:57).
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Effectively Wild Episode 134: 2013 Season Preview Series: Kansas City Royals from 2013-02-06T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Royals’ season with Craig Brown, and Pete talks to Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger (at 26:26).
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Effectively Wild Episode 133: 2013 Season Preview Series: Chicago White Sox from 2013-02-05T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the White Sox’ season with Ken Funck, and Pete talks to Chicago Tribune White Sox beat writer Mark Gonzales (at 16:24).
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Effectively Wild Episode 132: 2013 Season Preview Series: Detroit Tigers from 2013-02-04T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Tigers’ season with Paul Sporer, and Pete talks to MLB.com Tigers beat writer Jason Beck (at 17:49).
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Effectively Wild Episode 131: 2013 Season Preview Series: Boston Red Sox from 2013-02-01T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Red Sox’ season with Matthew Kory, and Pete talks to Boston Globe and Boston.com columnist Chad Finn (at 22:13).
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Effectively Wild Episode 130: 2013 Season Preview Series: Toronto Blue Jays from 2013-01-31T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Blue Jays’ season with Matthew Kory, and Pete talks to Toronto Star Blue Jays reporter Brendan Kennedy (at 17:32).
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Effectively Wild Episode 129: Why the Latest Steroids Scandal Isn’t That Scandalous/2013 Season Preview Series: Tampa Bay Rays from 2013-01-30T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether the latest PED revelations really revealed anything worrisome before previewing the Rays’ season with Adam Sobsey. Then Pete talks to Tampa Bay Tribune Rays reporter Rog...
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Effectively Wild Episode 128: 2013 Season Preview Series: Baltimore Orioles from 2013-01-29T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Orioles’ season with Derek Carty, and Pete talks to MLB.com Orioles reporter Brittany Ghiroli (at 13:22).
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Effectively Wild Episode 127: 2013 Season Preview Series: New York Yankees from 2013-01-28T10:00
Ben and Sam preview the Yankees’ season, and Pete talks to ESPN New York columnist Wallace Matthews (at 15:45).
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Effectively Wild Episode 126: Justin Upton is Actually Traded from 2013-01-25T10:00
Ben and Sam analyze the Justin Upton trade and Arizona’s offseason.
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Effectively Wild Episode 125: The Umpire-Manager Relationship from 2013-01-24T17:55
Ben and Sam discuss the ins and outs of umpire-manager arguments.
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Effectively Wild Episode 124: A World Without Easily Injured Pitchers/Hitter BABIP, and Whether Mike Trout Was Lucky/What We Think About Booing from 2013-01-23T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about pitcher injuries and pitching prospects, hitter BABIPs (specifically Mike Trout’s), and whether they boo baseball players.
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Effectively Wild Episode 123: How Far Away Are the Astros?/The MLBPA is Mad at the Marlins/Is A-Rod’s Surgery Suspicious?/The Future of Baseball on the Radio from 2013-01-22T16:15
Ben and Sam discuss an assortment of topics, including the Astros’ outlook for 2013 and beyond, Alex Rodriguez’s long-awaited surgery, the Marlins and the MLBPA, and whether baseball broadcasts on ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 122: PECOTA Projects Elite Draft Picks from the Past/Should Scouts Fear FIELDf/x? from 2013-01-18T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss PECOTA’s projections for top draft picks from 2007 and talk about whether FIELDf/x and comparable technologies will ever pose a threat to scouts.
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Effectively Wild Episode 121: The Three-Way Trade and the Mariners’Quest for a Big Bat from 2013-01-17T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the three-way trade between the Mariners, A’s, and Nationals and talk about whether Seattle was too fixated on adding power this offseason.
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Effectively Wild Episode 120: Quantifying PED Effects/Best Farm Systems in Baseball/Roleplaying Trade Talks from 2013-01-16T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about how much steroids help, the best farm systems in baseball, and how they’d try to negotiate a hypothetical trade.
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Effectively Wild Episode 119: Chris Sale’s Scary Mechanics/The Tigers and Justin Upton/AL Breakout Players/Trading Ryan Braun/Edwin Encarnacion’s Future from 2013-01-15T10:00
Ben and Sam answer several questions submitted but not answered during Ben’s Monday chat.
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Effectively Wild Episode 118: All About Pitchouts! from 2013-01-14T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss TV shows, the lack of things to talk about, and some interesting findings about pitchouts.
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Effectively Wild Episode 117: Justin Upton Update: Still Not Traded from 2013-01-11T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the rejected trade that would have made Justin Upton a Mariner.
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Effectively Wild Episode 116: Has the Sabermetric Movement Helped or Hurt Jack Morris? from 2013-01-10T10:00
Ben and Sam try to figure out whether the sabermetric movement has helped keep Jack Morris out of the Hall of Fame or given him a better chance to get in.
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Effectively Wild Episode 115: The Alternate-History Hall of Fame/Are NL Teams Stockpiling Position Players for Interleague Play?/Is 162 Games Too Many?/Preserving Parity from 2013-01-09T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the Hall of Fame, preparing for interleague play, the 162-game schedule, and methods of preserving parity.
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Effectively Wild Episode 114: The One Where We Talk About the Hall of Fame from 2013-01-08T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Hall of Fame voting and what their own ballots would look like.
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Effectively Wild Episode 113: Three Trade Rumors We Read This Weekend from 2013-01-07T10:00
Ben and Sam break down three trade rumors that surfaced over the weekend.
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Effectively Wild Episode 112: The Kyle Lohse Quandary from 2013-01-04T10:00
Ben and Sam reflect on one of the slowest days of the offseason and then discuss the lack of movement in the market for Kyle Lohse.
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Effectively Wild Episode 111: How Do Major-League Managers Differ from Non-Baseball Bosses? from 2013-01-03T16:34
Ben and Sam discuss Joe Maddon’s value and the ways in which managers might have more or less impact than the typical non-baseball boss.
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Effectively Wild Episode 110: Players with Criminal Pasts/How Much Do Pitcher Hitting, Fielding, and Baserunning Matter? from 2013-01-02T15:15
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about how players with criminal pasts should be treated and how much pitchers’ non-pitching skills matter.
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Effectively Wild Episode 109: Eight Questions (and Answers) for the End of the Year from 2012-12-28T15:44
Ben and Sam ask and answer eight mostly unrelated questions about baseball and themselves.
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Effectively Wild Episode 108: What Position Should Ian Kinsler Play?/How Do You Know When You Need a New GM? from 2012-12-27T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about Ian Kinsler, how to decide when it’s time to change GMs, R.A. Dickey and the dome, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 107: Edwin Jackson, the Cubs, and Qualifying Offers from 2012-12-21T10:01
Ben and Sam discuss Edwin Jackson and the rest of the Cubs’ offseason signings and talk about how the specter of draft-pick compensation is affecting some free agents.
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Effectively Wild Episode 106: How Good is the Angels’Offense?/What We Think About the Yips/Does Pitcher Pace Matter? from 2012-12-20T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the Angels’ offense, the dreaded mental block known as the yips, and the impact of the time pitchers take between pitches.
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Effectively Wild Episode 105: Will R.A. Dickey’s Knuckleball Be Better in the Dome?/Do the Red Sox Have a Consistent Philosophy? from 2012-12-19T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about R.A. Dickey, the Red Sox, and more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 104: Our Least-Favorite Offseason Signings So Far from 2012-12-18T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss what they see as the worst signings so far this winter.
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Effectively Wild Episode 103: The R.A. Dickey Deal and Trading Top Prospects (With Jason Parks) from 2012-12-17T10:00
Ben and Sam are joined by Jason Parks for a discussion of the R.A. Dickey deal and the risks and rewards of trading top prospects.
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Effectively Wild Episode 102: Josh Hamilton and Whether a Potentially Bad Contract is Worse Than No Contract at All from 2012-12-14T10:00
Ben and Sam are joined by Ian Miller and Riley Breckenridge, the heroes behind Productive Outs, to talk about the Angels, Josh Hamilton, and whether fans should worry about bad contracts anymore.
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Effectively Wild Episode 101: Learning to Like Youkilis/What the Diamondbacks Got Back for Bauer/Why Do Teams Love Lefty Starters? from 2012-12-13T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about whether a Yankees fan can learn to like Kevin Youkilis, whether the Diamondbacks got enough back for Trevor Bauer, why teams love left-handed starters, and ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 100: Astros Pro Scouting Coordinator Kevin Goldstein on Being Inside Baseball from 2012-12-12T10:00
Ben and Sam talk to Kevin Goldstein about his life after leaving Baseball Prospectus to work for the Houston Astros, what he’s working on, and what he’s learned about how baseball teams work. Also,...
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Effectively Wild Episode 99: Two More Reactions to the Rays-Royals Trade from 2012-12-11T10:00
Ben and Sam weigh in on the Rays-Royals trade involving James Shields and Wil Myers a day after the dust settles.
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Effectively Wild Episode 98: Zack Greinke and the Dodgers’Bottomless Bankroll from 2012-12-10T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Zack Greinke signing and the Dodgers’ astronomical payroll with Mike Petriello of Dodgers blog Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness.
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Effectively Wild Episode 97: Why Couldn’t Koji Uehara Get a Bigger Contract? from 2012-12-07T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Koji Uehara’s signing with the Red Sox and attempt to figure out why he doesn’t make more money and high-leverage appearances.
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Effectively Wild Episode 96: What the Winter Meetings Were Like from 2012-12-06T10:00
Ben and Sam recap Ben’s experiences on his first trip to the Winter Meetings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 95: Switch-Hitters Who Shouldn’t Switch-Hit/What We Learned from The Book/Dan Haren vs. Edwin Jackson/The Yunel Escobar Trade and the Yankees from 2012-12-05T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails mostly (but not entirely) about things that happened on day two of the Winter Meetings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 94: The Perplexing Trade Value of R.A. Dickey and Billy Butler from 2012-12-04T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the trade value of two of the players whose names were most often bandied about in rumors on the first day of the Winter Meetings.
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Effectively Wild Episode 93: Behind the Scenes of the Blue Jays-Marlins Blockbuster from 2012-12-03T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss and pick out the most interesting parts of Bob Elliott’s article on how the big Blue-Jays Marlins trade went down.
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Effectively Wild Episode 92: Why the Twins’New Prospect Isn’t Their Type/Why Didn’t Russell Martin Make More Money? from 2012-11-30T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss why prospect Alex Meyer isn’t the Twins’ usual type, then wonder why teams didn’t think Russell Martin was worth more than the Pirates paid him.
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Effectively Wild Episode 91: What Will the Braves Get from B.J. Upton? from 2012-11-29T10:00
Ben and Sam break down the Braves’ signing of B.J. Upton and discuss the discrepancy between different appraisals of his value.
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Effectively Wild Episode 90: The Cheapskate Approach to Aroldis Chapman/The Phillies and Framing/Ranking Baseball Figures By Historical Importance from 2012-11-28T10:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about how the Reds might save some money on Aroldis Chapman, whether certain teams might benefit more from framing than others, and where we would rank Marvin Mil...
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Effectively Wild Episode 89: The Evan Longoria Extension, the Rays, and Why Players Aren’t Holding Out for More Money from 2012-11-27T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss Evan Longoria’s second extension and why players aren’t holding out for a bigger slice of the revenue pie.
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Effectively Wild Episode 88: Wil Myers, the Royals, and Rumors About Trading Top Prospects from 2012-11-26T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss what we can learn from the rumors that Royals prospect Wil Myers is available via trade.
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Effectively Wild Episode 87: Baseball and the BCS/Halladay vs. Lee/Does the“Success Cycle”Still Exist? from 2012-11-21T10:00
Ben and Sam answer selected listener emails in a pre-Thanksgiving episode.
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Effectively Wild Episode 86: Should the Commissioner Have the Ability to Overturn a Trade? from 2012-11-20T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether MLB’s Commissioner should have the power to block a trade, as Bud Selig considered doing to the Marlins-Blue Jays blockbuster.
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Effectively Wild Episode 85: Manny Acta and the Blue Jays’Managerial Job from 2012-11-19T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether Manny Acta’s lousy career win-loss record has any bearing on his likelihood of success if he becomes the Blue Jays’ manager.
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Effectively Wild Episode 84: Jose Molina and What the Quantification of Catcher Framing Might Mean from 2012-11-16T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the finding that Jose Molina’s receiving was worth 50 runs and talk about what it’s implications for baseball might be.
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Effectively Wild Episode 83: Astros vs. Marlins in 2013/The Next Farewell Tour/Yasmani Grandal’s Suspension/Mark Trumbo, Center Fielder from 2012-11-15T11:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about whether the Marlins or Astros will win more games in 2013, who’ll be the next retiring player to get the Chipper Jones treatment, when Yasmani Grandal will ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 82: The Marlins-Blue Jays Blockbuster from 2012-11-14T11:00
Ben and Sam break down the Marlins-Blue Jays trade from every angle, or at least all the angles that occurred to them at the time.
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Effectively Wild Episode 81: The Angels, the Reds, and Two Conflicting Closer Philosophies from 2012-11-13T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Reds’ and Angels’ approaches to bullpen-building, how Cincinnati’s philosophy affects Aroldis Chapman’s future, and which way the wind is blowing where the closer role is co...
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Effectively Wild Episode 80: Could Josh Hamilton Be a Bargain?/Are the Financially Responsible Yankees for Real? from 2012-11-09T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether Josh Hamilton could end up signing a reasonable contract after all and talk about whether the Yankees can commit to and compete despite their goal to get under the luxur...
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Effectively Wild Episode 79: Are Teams Becoming More Willing to Trade Their Young Players? from 2012-11-08T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether recent events and rumors portend more young players on the move, and why.
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Effectively Wild Episode 78: Quantifying Coaches/Why Some Fielders Look Better Than They Are/How Do We Know What Pitchers Should Weigh? from 2012-11-07T11:00
Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the importance of coaches, defensive stats, and how we know whether pitchers should gain or lose weight, with guest appearances by Colin Wyers and Doug Thor...
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Effectively Wild Episode 77: The Teams in the Winter Spending Sweet Spot from 2012-11-06T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss which teams might benefit most from adding a few wins this winter.
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Effectively Wild Episode 76: The Free Agents the Internet Can’t Agree On from 2012-11-05T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the discrepancies between lists of the top free agents this offseason.
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Effectively Wild Episode 75: The David Ortiz Decision and the Offseason Outlook for the Red Sox from 2012-11-02T11:00
Ben and Sam welcome Matthew Kory to the podcast to discuss the David Ortiz contract negotiations and the outlook for the Red Sox this winter.
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Effectively Wild Episode 74: The Ervin Santana Trade, the Royals’Rotation, and the Pitching Market/Rick Hahn and the Future of Front Offices from 2012-11-01T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss what the Ervin Santana trade says about the Royals’ rotation and the pitching market, then talk about what Rick Hahn’s ascension to the GM role in Chicago means for the future o...
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Effectively Wild Episode 73: Did the Dodgers Overpay for Brandon League?/Are Gold Glove Voters and Defensive Stats Learning to get Along? from 2012-10-31T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the three-year deal the Dodgers gave Brandon League and reliever salaries in general, then talk about whether Gold Glove voters and advanced defensive stats agree more often tha...
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Effectively Wild Episode 72: How Many Members of the Angels’Rotation Will Be Back?/Predicting the First- and Last-Place Teams of 2013 from 2012-10-30T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the decisions the Angels are about to make concerning Dan Haren and Ervin Santana and talk about what their 2013 rotation will look like, then predict 2013’s division/World Seri...
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Effectively Wild Episode 71: The Giants Win the World Series/Assessing Brian Sabean from 2012-10-29T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the start of the offseason and what the Giants’ second World Series win in three seasons says about GM Brian Sabean.
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Effectively Wild Episode 70: World Series Game Two/Protective Gear for Pitchers from 2012-10-26T17:01
Ben and Sam discuss all the notable events from World Series Game Two, including Madison Bumgarner’s impressive outing, the line drive off of Doug Fister’s head, and Jim Leyland’s decision to play ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 69: The Weirdness of World Series Game One/Delmon Young’s Surprising Career from 2012-10-25T16:50
Ben and Sam discuss the unpredictable outcome of World Series Game One and observe that Delmon Young is starting to look a lot like Stanley from The Office.
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Effectively Wild Episode 68: The Obligatory World Series Preview Episode from 2012-10-24T15:41
Ben and Sam discuss the most interesting angles heading into the series and succumb to the pressure to make their picks.
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Effectively Wild Episode 67: Did Our Opinions of Players Change in the NLCS? from 2012-10-23T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether the NLCS performances of several players affected how they think about them or changed the narratives that followed them into the series.
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Effectively Wild Episode 66: Performing a Post-Mortem on the Yankees from 2012-10-19T17:54
Ben and Sam discuss the deeper significance, if any, of the Yankees getting swept.
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Effectively Wild Episode 65: The Impact of the ALCS Rainout/The Strange Appearance of Hunter Pence/Do We Dislike Any Players or Teams? from 2012-10-18T17:35
Ben and Sam discuss how the postponement of Game Four hurt the Yankees, talk about how terrible at baseball Hunter Pence appears to be and whether he’s always looked like that, and conclude by revi...
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Effectively Wild Episode 64: Should Joe Girardi Have Pinch-Hit in Game Three? from 2012-10-17T17:25
Ben and Sam discuss Joe Girardi’s decision(s) not to pinch-hit for any of his left-handed hitters late in Game Three of the ALCS.
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Effectively Wild Episode 63: The Slide Heard‘Round the World/Why Does Everyone Hate the Cardinals?/Ryan Vogelsong Rewards Bruce Bochy from 2012-10-16T17:11
Ben and Sam discuss whether Matt Holliday’s takeout slide at second was against the rules and why the Cardinals are so widely disliked, then talk about how Ryan Vogelsong has rewarded the Giants fo...
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Effectively Wild Episode 62: Yankees-Tigers ALCS Update/How Hard is Pitching on Short Rest?/October Bullpen Strategy from 2012-10-15T17:22
Ben and Sam catch up on the Yankees-Tigers ALCS and Ben’s beat-writing adventures, then talk about why players and stats disagree about the difficulty of pitching on short rest, and Jim Leyland’s c...
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Effectively Wild Episode 61: Division Series Round-Up/Giving Darren O’Day His Due from 2012-10-12T15:06
Ben and Sam catch up with the latest action developments in each of the just-completed or still-in-progress playoff series, then discuss Darren O’Day in greater depth.
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Effectively Wild Episode 60: Ibanez Pinch-Hits for A-Rod/The Strasburg Debate That Won’t Die from 2012-10-11T17:15
Ben and Sam discuss Game Three of the Yankees-Orioles ALDS, the decision to pinch-hit for Alex Rodriguez, and A-Rod’s future in New York, then talk about why the Stephen Strasburg debate won’t go a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 59: Does the 2-3 Playoff Format Affect Home Field Advantage?/Can the A’s Defeat Detroit? from 2012-10-10T11:00
Ben and Sam bring on Jason Wojciechowski to discuss whether the 2-3 playoff format is the abomination he makes it out to be, then talk about how the A’s Game Three victory changes (or doesn’t chang...
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Effectively Wild Episode 58: How Accurate Have the Postseason Narratives Been So Far?/Not Jim Tracy Returns from 2012-10-09T11:00
Ben and Sam talk to Not Jim Tracy about his resignation from the Rockies, then discuss how the narratives surrounding each playoff series have held up over the first few days of games.
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Effectively Wild Episode 57: The Teams That Will Win a World Series in the Next Five Years/Are Beat Writers Becoming More or Less Important?/The O’s Start Saunders from 2012-10-05T11:00
Ben and Sam are joined by Marc Normandin, formerly of Baseball Prospectus and currently of SB Nation, to discuss which teams will win a World Series in the next five years, the changing role of bea...
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Effectively Wild Episode 56: A Very Special Simulpodcast with FanGraphs Audio from 2012-10-04T11:00
Ben and Sam join/are joined by Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs for a longest-ever episode about the worst predictions teams and players made about themselves, Bryce Harper’s historical significance, a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 55: Shrinking Safeco/The Unpredictability of Japanese Players from 2012-10-03T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Mariners’ decision to bring in (and lower) Safeco Field’s fences, then talk about what the seasons of Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Norichika Aoki say about the difficulty of projec...
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Effectively Wild Episode 54: Jeff Luhnow’s Season-Ending Interview Idea/Why Players and Executives Disagree About the AL MVP from 2012-10-02T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss Jeff Luhnow’s plan to interview his players at the end of each season, then talk about why players and front-office executives are backing different candidates for AL MVP.
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Effectively Wild Episode 53: Is the Second Wild Card Working?/Explaining Mainstream Screeds Against Advanced Stats from 2012-10-01T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether the second wild card has made the stretch run more exciting, then talk about why papers publish columns that criticize advanced stats without making an effort to underst...
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Effectively Wild Episode 52: Oakland’s All-Rookie Rotation/Baseball’s Ever-Rising Strikeout Rate from 2012-09-28T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether the A’s all-rookie rotation bodes well for their future, then talk about whether the average strikeout rate has risen too high.
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Effectively Wild Episode 51: What the Rockies Knew About Ubaldo/The Eternal Torii Hunter/Declining Dan Haren from 2012-09-27T10:00
Ben and Sam discuss the decline of Ubaldo Jimenez and whether the Rockies saw it coming when they sent him to Cleveland, then talk about the Angels’ off-season plans for Torii Hunter and Dan Haren.
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Effectively Wild Episode 50: Travis Snider Tells All/Should the Giants Bring Melky Back in October? from 2012-09-26T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss what we can learn from Travis Snider’s revelations about his relationships with his former manager and hitting coach, then talk about whether they would bring Melky Cabrera back...
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Effectively Wild Episode 49: Another Attempt to Explain Why You Don’t Need an Ace in October/The New Old Ichiro/The Steve Johnson Story from 2012-09-25T10:00
Ben and Sam revisit their discussion from last week on aces in October, talk about the new old Ichiro, and tell you more than you need to know about Orioles starter Steve Johnson.
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Effectively Wild Episode 48: What We Would Pay James Loney/Are the Dodgers Trying Too Hard? from 2012-09-24T11:00
Ben and Sam size up this winter’s free-agent first basemen and estimate how much money James Loney will make, then talk about whether the Dodgers’ pursuit of a playoff spot is leading to dangerous ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 47: Is the Alex Anthopoulos Honeymoon Over?/Why Can’t We Figure Out What Works in the Playoffs? from 2012-09-21T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether Alex Anthopoulos is taking too long to turn around Toronto, then talk about why we can’t find the secret to success in October. Also, Sam drops his wedding ring.
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Effectively Wild Episode 46: The Meta-AL MVP Debate/Mike Trout’s In-Game Adjustments from 2012-09-20T11:00
Ben and Sam talk about how we talk about the AL MVP debate, then discuss Mike Trout’s ability to adjust from at-bat to at-bat.
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Effectively Wild Episode 45: What the Wild Card Games Could Look Like/Miguel Cabrera and the Triple Crown from 2012-09-19T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether teams will get creative with their Wild Card rosters, then talk about Miguel Cabrera’s Triple Crown chances and why we should care if he wins.
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Effectively Wild Episode 44: Sizing Up the Giants’Starters/Rooting for Run Differential from 2012-09-18T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Giants’ starting rotation and decide what it would take to trust Barry Zito, then talk about how they decide which teams to root for.
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Effectively Wild Episode 43: The Under-the-Radar Reds/Was Anthony Rizzo’s Scouting Report Wrong? from 2012-09-17T11:00
Ben and Sam talk about why they haven’t talked about the Reds more often, then discuss whether Anthony Rizzo has proved his critics wrong.
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Effectively Wild Episode 42: Breaking Down Baltimore’s Latest Extra-Inning Win/Should Rafael Soriano Opt Out? from 2012-09-14T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Orioles’ exciting 14-inning victory over Tampa Bay, then break down Rafael Soriano’s season and his upcoming opt-out decision.
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Effectively Wild Episode 41: The Brewers Are Back in Contention, Technically/Max Scherzer and the Tigers’2009 Trade Revisited from 2012-09-13T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the state of the Brewers, which is a lot like the state of the Phillies, then talk about Max Scherzer’s long-awaited improvement and which team won the 2009 trade that brought h...
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Effectively Wild Episode 40: The Phillies’Return to 500/A Modest Bullpen Proposal from 2012-09-12T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether the Phillies’ recent run of success should affect our expectations for the team in 2013, then talk about a potential scheme to get drafted pitchers into big-league bullp...
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Effectively Wild Episode 39: Outdrawing the Astros, Wilin Rosario’s Deadly Defense, and the Comeback Players of 2013 from 2012-09-11T11:00
Ben and Sam thank their listeners for being more numerous than Astros fans who watch the team on TV, dissect Wilin Rosario’s defense, and pick the most likely candidates for 2013 Comeback Player of...
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Effectively Wild Episode 38: The Greatness of Yadier Molina and the Not-So-Greatness of Omar Vizquel from 2012-09-10T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss Yadier Molina’s career year, catcher defense, and catcher aging, then talk about Omar Vizquel and the point at which clubhouse chemistry can’t cancel out poor on-field production.
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Effectively Wild Episode 37: The Tigers’Defense is What We Thought it Was/Brandon Wood and the Quad-A Player from 2012-09-07T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Tigers’ predictably bad defense and the unpredictably bad Brandon Wood.
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Effectively Wild Episode 36: How Not to Solve the Yankees’Problems/Bobby Valentine Says Some More Strange Things from 2012-09-06T08:01
It’s an all-AL East episode, as Ben and substitute co-host Jason Wojciechowski discuss a counterproductive proposal to fix what ails the Yankees, then talk about the latest Bobby Valentine controve...
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Effectively Wild Episode 35: Is Coors Field to Blame for the Rockies’Struggles?/Are Fans at Fault When Teams Don’t Draw? from 2012-09-05T14:58
Ben and Sam consider whether the ballpark might be to blame for the Rockies’ lackluster first two decades, then discuss the annual phenomenon of attendance shaming.
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Effectively Wild Episode 34: Making Sense of the Orioles and MLB’s Blackout Policy from 2012-09-04T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss two baseball mysteries: the Orioles’ success in 2012, and MLB’s blackout policy.
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Effectively Wild Episode 33: The Least Likely Team to Win a World Series In the Next 10 Years/Does it Matter if Jimmy Rollins Jogs? from 2012-08-31T15:28
Ben and Sam slum it with a bunch of bad teams from baseball’s underclass and speculate about which has the least hope of going all the way before 2022, then discuss Jimmy Rollins’ benching and how ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 32: Joe Mauer and his Contract Clear Waivers/The Demise of Erik Bedard from 2012-08-30T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss whether a team should have claimed Joe Mauer, what he’s worth, and what his future will look like, then talk about the end of Erik Bedard’s stay in Pittsburgh and how sad it is ...
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Effectively Wild Episode 31: Davey Johnson, How Much Managers Matter, and the Ideal GM-Manager Relationship from 2012-08-29T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss sabermetric managerial favorite Davey Johnson’s impact on the Nationals, whether certain managers can make their players play better, and what the ideal relationship between a G...
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Effectively Wild Episode 30: Is There Racial Bias in Baseball Broadcasting?/What to Make of Brian McCann from 2012-08-28T11:00
Ben and Sam question the conclusions of an article in The Atlantic about racial bias in baseball broadcasting, then talk about whether Brian McCann’s best is behind him and whether his down year is...
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Effectively Wild Episode 29: The Future of the Red Sox and Dodgers, and Roger Clemens’Comeback from 2012-08-27T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the futures of the two teams involved in the weekend’s blockbuster trade, then talk about whether the Astros would benefit from signing Roger Clemens.
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Effectively Wild Episode 28: Austin Jackson and Debating Defense/What Does the Mariners’Winning Streak Mean? from 2012-08-24T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss Austin Jackson’s excellent catch, whether he’s the best defensive center fielder in baseball, and whether it’s even possible to decide one way or another, then dissect Seattle’s...
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Effectively Wild Episode 27: Revisiting the Dan Haren Trade/Derek Jeter Defies Dire Forecasts from 2012-08-23T11:00
Ben and Sam revisit the trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels in light of Haren’s down year and Tyler Skaggs’ debut for the Diamondbacks, then talk about how Derek Jeter has remained productive a...
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Effectively Wild Episode 26: The Return of Brett Anderson, Oakland’s Playoff Rotation, and the Financial Future of Stephen Drew from 2012-08-22T11:00
Ben and Sam talk about Brett Anderson’s Tuesday return from Tommy John surgery and its impact on Oakland’s potential playoff rotation, then discuss whether Stephen Drew would be wise to test the fr...
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Effectively Wild Episode 25: The Secretly Successful White Sox System?/Starlin Castro’s Makeup Concerns from 2012-08-21T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss Kenny Williams’ contention that the poorly rated White Sox farm system is just misunderstood, then consider whether the Cubs should be concerned about Starlin Castro’s makeup.
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Effectively Wild Episode 24: The Rays Are Rolling/Assessing the Angels’Strange Season from 2012-08-20T11:00
The Rays demolished the Angels in a four-game weekend sweep, which gives Ben and Sam the idea to discuss the two teams’ divergent directions since the deadline and reevaluate Anaheim’s offseason ap...
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Effectively Wild Episode 23: Benching Bryce Harper/Why We Were Wrong About the White Sox from 2012-08-17T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the possibility that the Nationals might enter the playoffs without either Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg, then talk about how the White Sox have defied injuries yet again an...
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Effectively Wild Episode 22: Why BP Didn’t Break the Melky Cabrera Suspension from 2012-08-16T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss how they came to know that Melky Cabrera was about to be suspended for a positive PED test before the news broke, and how they decided what to do about it.
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Effectively Wild Episode 21: Typewriter from 2012-08-15T11:00
Ben and Sam reach a milestone (the 20-minute mark) as they tackle the topics of clubhouse chemistry and whether there’s more to Jeff Mathis than meets the eye.
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Effectively Wild Episode 20: Elephant from 2012-08-14T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the significance of a potential big-league promotion for Jurickson Profar and investigate the link between Johan Santana’s no-hitter and his subsequent struggles.
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Effectively Wild Episode 19: Scraping Ice from 2012-08-13T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the impact of CC Sabathia’s elbow soreness on the Yankees’ short- and long-term outlooks, and the difference between winning a division and winning a wild card under the new pla...
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Effectively Wild Episode 18: Popcorn Popping from 2012-08-10T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss two players exceeding all expectations in 2012: R.A. Dickey and Eric Chavez.
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Effectively Wild Episode 17: Manny Comin’ from 2012-08-09T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss Manny Machado’s surprising promotion to the majors and Roy Oswalt’s tumultuous transition to the bullpen.
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Effectively Wild Episode 16: Sonar from 2012-08-08T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the significance of Mike Trout’s 21st birthday and Mets manager Terry Collin’s comments about injured reliever Tim Byrdak’s workload.
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Effectively Wild Episode 15: Cat Fight from 2012-08-07T11:00
Ben and Sam talk about the presents, futures, and contracts of two starters having interesting seasons: Cliff Lee and Ben Sheets.
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Effectively Wild Episode 14: This is Gonna Be Ugly from 2012-08-06T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss the Royals, and then they discuss the Royals some more.
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Effectively Wild Episode 13: TIE Fighter from 2012-08-03T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss two outfielders in the news: Yoenis Cespedes and Jayson Werth.
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Effectively Wild Episode 12: Sam Walks to His Honda from 2012-08-02T11:00
Ben and Sam discuss players who turn down trades to contenders, Yu Darvish, and their standards for playoff starters.
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Effectively Wild Episode 11: Train Crossing from 2012-08-01T11:00
Ben and Sam reevaluate the NL West after the deadline and take stock of this season’s converted starters.
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Effectively Wild Episode 10: Splash from 2012-07-31T10:00:23
Ben and Sam discuss whether the Orioles should be buyers and what teams mean when they dub a prospect “untouchable.”
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Effectively Wild Episode 9: Homer and Marge from 2012-07-30T13:30:11
After a weekend sweep of the Giants by the Dodgers, Ben and Sam size up the NL West and discuss a hot Matt Moore-on-Mike Trout match-up.
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Effectively Wild Episode 8: Screen Door from 2012-07-27T10:00:53
Sam and Ian talk about the major-league debut of the Mets’ Matt Harvey.
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Effectively Wild Episode 7: Duck from 2012-07-26T10:00:32
Ben and Sam examine how the Nationals have gone about implementing and publicizing Stephen Strasburg’s innings limit and revisit Billy Beane’s trades from last winter in light of Oakland’s success.
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Effectively Wild Episode 6: Doorbell from 2012-07-25T10:00:18
Ben and Sam discuss the fallout from the Ryan Dempster debacle and a fascinating factoid about the Phillies’ staff.
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Effectively Wild Episode 5: Foghorn from 2012-07-24T10:00:37
Ben and Sam discuss Ichiro’s trade to the Yankees and the Tigers-Marlins swap.
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Effectively Wild Episode 4: Harp from 2012-07-23T10:00:16
Ben and Sam discuss the disappointing Miami Marlins and resurgent southpaw Francisco Liriano.
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Effectively Wild Episode 3: Thunder from 2012-07-20T10:00:13
It’s time to talk about the Texas Rangers.
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Effectively Wild Episode 2: Explosion from 2012-07-19T10:00:43
Our first episode didn’t destroy the internet, so we decided to do a second. We talked about Trevor Bauer.
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Effectively Wild Episode 1: Gong from 2012-07-18T10:00:32
The first episode of BP’s new daily podcast is ready for your ears, if your ears are ready for it. After months of deliberation and well-intentioned procrastination, we’ve gotten the Effectively Wi...
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