After a podcast preface by Ben Lindbergh about Mike Trout’s knee injury (sigh), Ben and Meg Rowley banter (4:19) about a weekend White Sox sweep, the overdue news that Nike is supposedly fixing the much-maligned MLB uniforms, follow-ups about rule rollbacks, ballplayer dirt ingestion, the “group Maddux,” and promotion/relegation, and the Twins’ summer sausage. Then (50:37) they talk to FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens about when it’s safe to evaluate changes in player performance and which hitters and pitchers have changed his mind the most (either positively or negatively) so far this season, plus a postscript (1:45:05).

Audio intro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Ted Berg, “Small Sample Size Song”
Audio outro: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on Trout’s knee
Link to BP Recovery Dashboard
Link to Trout baby announcement
Link to Trout hypotheticals
Link to Trout video
Link to uniform memo report
Link to The Athletic on unis
Link to Greene pants tear
Link to Drellich on MLBPA/Fanatics
Link to Ben on pitcher limits
Link to group Maddux response
Link to summer sausage wiki
Link to AP on the sausage
Link to Athletic on the sausage
Link to EW guest leaderboard
Link to signature significance info
Link to batted-ball predictiveness info
Link to Russell on hitter stats
Link to Russell on pitcher stats
Link to Carty on hitter stats
Link to Carty on pitcher stats
Link to Dolinar on sample size
Link to Russell on stability 1
Link to Russell on stability 2
Link to Ben C.’s riser picks
Link to Ben C.’s faller picks
Link to Orr on Abrams
Link to Ringer preseason predictions
Link to FG preseason top 100
Link to Clemens on Musgrove
Link to FG on Realmuto
Link to Tango on Realmuto
Link to Flaherty strikeouts story
Link to outfielder box article
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether they believe the projections that peg the White Sox as merely a run-of-the-mill terrible team, this season’s sophomore slumps (so far), and more on ballplayer dirt consumption and replay review protocol, then (30:09) answer listener emails about promotion and relegation in professional baseball, the definition of “getaway day,” the value of pitcher fielding, how hard it would be for big leaguers to be bad intentionally, whether pitchers could give away pitch selection on a pickoff throw, and recent MLB rules changes that could or should be rolled back (plus additional discussion of some injury news).

Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)”
Audio outro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Dan S. on the White Sox
Link to Neil Paine on the Sox
Link to Dubuque on the Sox
Link to Dan S. on the 2023 A’s
Link to Tango on the 2023 A’s
Link to EW on the 2023 A’s
Link to MLBTR on Lee
Link to MLBTR on Pham
Link to BaseRuns standings
Link to Dubuque on sophomore slumps
Link to The Athletic on promotion/relegation
Link to ESPN on promotion/relegation
Link to NYT on the Super League
Link to Dan S. on Tides vs. Rockies
Link to Scherzer on ump relegation
Link to team P DRS range
Link to team P plays made range
Link to Episode 2030 Stat Blast
Link to Baumann on Ohtani
Link to MLB rules changes
Link to Ben on faking to third
Link to Ben on the Waxahachie Swap
Link to article on Rendon
Link to MLBTR on Rendon
Link to MLBTR on Miley
Link to MLBTR on Luzardo
Link to listener emails database
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about how much dirt MLB players ingest in a season, the second-most-encouraging stat about Mike Trout’s season, Shohei Ohtani, Earl Webb, and the single-season doubles record, Cody Bellinger and whether the Cubs should pad the walls at Wrigley Field, whether replay review should privilege the call on the field, Matt Waldron’s knuckleball, the disparate seasons of Elly De La Cruz and Oneil Cruz, Francisco Lindor’s superstar status, José Ruiz’s pursuit of Ryan Webb’s record for games finished without a save, and Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti’s request for a baseball plus/minus stat (and whether baseball would be better with more player-interaction effects).

Audio intro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to dirt-consumption info
Link to FG post on Trout’s running
Link to BP on Trout’s swings
Link to Trout’s pitch-type performance
Link to Trout’s plate-discipline stats
Link to Trout’s sprint speeds
Link to Posnanski on Ohtani
Link to Webb SABR bio
Link to Maris Jr. article 1
Link to Maris Jr. article 2
Link to Bellinger play
Link to Bellinger quote
Link to Bellinger IL news
Link to MLBTR on Bellinger
Link to 1991 Wrigley padding article
Link to info on the ivy
Link to info on Veeck’s role
Link to article on Reiser
Link to second Reiser article
Link to ballpark homogenization info
Link to Adell play
Link to Sheehan on replay
Link to replay review rules
Link to Waldron article
Link to BP on Waldron’s latest
Link to Waldron game highlights
Link to Thrice band wiki
Link to Ben on knuckleballs
Link to Jannis EW appearance
Link to Lindor’s big game
Link to post-2020 hitter WAR
Link to Webb/Albers wiki
Link to Webb/Ruiz leaderboard
Link to plus/minus wiki
Link to MLB defense plus/minus
Link to hockey plus/minus problems
Link to NBA plus/minus problems
Link to Russell on lineups
Link to Ben on batter vs. pitcher stats
Link to catcher ERA article
Link to more on catcher impact
Link to article on Jeter studies
Link to all-22 film info
Link to Jeff on time of possession
Link to Trial By Content pod
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rockies (and their charter pilots) running afoul of the FAA, Jackson Holliday’s slow start, whether the Astros or Twins has hurt their division-title chances more, two embarrassing umpire incidents, offense being down relative to last season, the concept of a “combined Maddux,” Shohei Ohtani’s WAR as a DH, the Blue Jays’ self-funded ballpark renovations, new research on Tommy John surgeries in Japan, and more.

Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2”
Audio outro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Rockies plane video
Link to AP on the Rockies
Link to new flight deck rule
Link to Blum on Holliday
Link to O’s prospects joke
Link to Animorphs meme
Link to white guys selfie meme
Link to article on Scott
Link to story on Mays start
Link to story on Mantle start
Link to change in division odds
Link to García injury update
Link to RP fWAR
Link to Dan S. on the Astros
Link to Boone ejection video
Link to EW on ump-heckling
Link to CNN on Boone ejection
Link to SI on Boone ejection
Link to KBO ABS incident
Link to offense through 4/22
Link to Joe Sheehan on offense
Link to BallparkPal thread
Link to “Maddux” glossary entry
Link to “combined Maddux” mention
Link to WAR leaderboard
Link to Jaffe on the Dodgers
Link to Cardinals funding post
Link to more on Cards request
Link to article on Jays funding
Link to Diamondbacks statement
Link to Jim Allen TJ research
Link to archived version
Link to SABR on Tippy’s pickoffs
Link to Tippy video
Link to Tippy call
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Amid a wave of pitcher injuries, Ben Lindbergh talks to Dr. Rich Nye (4:20), a former major leaguer whose career-ending injury became a career-beginning injury when he decided to become an exotic-animal veterinarian (among other occupations). Then (1:07:09) Ben talks to prolific TV creators/writers/producers Tom Fontana and Julie Martin about what might have been for Baseball Wives, a long-lost HBO baseball drama that was canceled after its pilot episode was produced in 2002. Lastly (1:43:25), Ben brings on Frequent Stat Blast Correspondent Ryan Nelson to deliver eight Stat Blasts, plus (2:23:13) follow-ups.

Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLB.com on Freeland
Link to Freeland on EW
Link to Rockies airline story
Link to Meulens video
Link to The Athletic on McKenzie
Link to MLBTR on Stephenson
Link to MLBTR on Hurt
Link to MLBTR on Tiedemann
Link to The Athletic on Suárez
Link to 1969 Cubs-Giants broadcast
Link to Nye’s SABR bio
Link to 1967 rookie pitcher WAR
Link to Nye’s vet bio
Link to Nye wiki
Link to Nye’s debut game
Link to Nye’s 1970 game
Link to 1976 Nye Tribune article
Link to Seinfeld squirrel clip
Link to Nye’s woodturning site
Link to Kessinger on EW
Link to Hands on EW
Link to Ben’s Olerud interview
Link to The Wire Triandos clips
Link to SatC Yankee Stadium clip
Link to Ben on media exclusivity
Link to 2002 HBO AP article
Link to Race for the Pennant promo
Link to Fontana on IMDb
Link to Martin on IMDb
Link to Fontana WaPo profile
Link to Fontana Buffalo archive
Link to Baseball Wives wiki
Link to Baseball Wives article 1
Link to Baseball Wives article 2
Link to Baseball Wives article 3
Link to Baseball Wives article 4
Link to Baseball Wives article 5
Link to more info on Baseball Wives
Link to 2011 Baseball Wives
Link to Footballers’ Wives
Link to Ben on unaired pilots
Link to Stat Blast song cover
Link to Ryan’s previous appearance
Link to Stat Blast wiki
Link to article on Day no-no
Link to HoF on Feller no-no
Link to team BA spreadsheet
Link to lineup names sheet
Link to outs on bases sheet
Link to SABR on Tippy’s pickoffs
Link to Tippy pickoffs video
Link to lefty-starters sheet
Link to Russell on SP order
Link to Rockies lefties record
Link to “Darvishes” spreadsheet
Link to first BF screenshot
Link to first BF spreadsheet
Link to games played spreadsheet
Link to Calcaterra quote
Link to McCutchen steal
Link to Craig Wright on stealing home
Link to stealing home sheet
Link to listener emails database
Link to Bellinger on Boras
Link to Boras facility brag
Link to Sterling HR call ranking
Link to Yakkertech tweet
Link to Neil Paine on the White Sox
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Carlos Correa’s nerdiness, the Pirates pulling phenom Jared Jones after 59 effective pitches, the zombie runner, what Jontay Porter’s lifetime NBA ban portends for MLB, Shohei/Ippei conspiracy theories and Shohei Ohtani’s hitting and tax loophole, Michael Busch and the Dodgers’ outfield offense, the legacy of Whitey Herzog’s “Whiteyball,” and the power and prospects of two-way college star Jac Caglianone, plus follow-ups on MLB Blazes, IMG Academy, and Reynaldo López, then (1:13:48) answer listener emails about unsigned pitchers ramping up for the start of the season, whether all of the A’s could be traded to other teams, pitcher arm injuries in Japan, foul tips with fewer than two strikes, and MLB attendance/finances vs. NFL attendance/finances.

Audio intro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Benny and the Jeffs, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Correa on Dune: Part Two
Link to Correa Marvel post
Link to Correa Star Wars post
Link to article on Correa’s dogs
Link to Correa the stathead
Link to Correa wRC+ video
Link to Reylo wiki
Link to BP on Jones
Link to Jones Strike % stat
Link to Mikolas start
Link to Jones game story
Link to Pirates pitching plan
Link to Ben on workloads
Link to velo leaders
Link to Miller injury info
Link to NBA Porter announcement
Link to The Athletic on Porter
Link to Ohtani taxes article
Link to political baseball language
Link to team OF wRC+
Link to FG Dodgers OF post
Link to FG Busch post
Link to NYT Erskine obit
Link to NYT Herzog obit
Link to Whiteyball wiki
Link to Posnanski on Whiteyball
Link to Miklasz on Whiteyball
Link to Cranston MLB promo
Link to Caglianone article
Link to Gators Statcast tweet
Link to top MLB draft prospects
Link to longest MLB homers
Link to Mazara HR
Link to Boras facilities article
Link to Finley/Kuhn article
Link to EW Episode 1621
Link to Japan/U.S. pitchers study
Link to Richard Hershberger’s book
Link to EW Episode 627
Link to listener emails database
Link to IMG Academy wiki
Link to most-streamed 2023 shows
Link to Vulture on Bluey
Link to Slate on Bluey
Link to John/Jack explainer
Link to Caillou explainer
Link to Oops! All Berries explainer
Link to tick-tock explainer
Link to “Am I so out of touch?” meme
Link to Catherine Lowe wiki
Link to Wade/Ward wiki
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about MLB jerseys as Fremen stillsuits, an update on Blake Snell the self-perceived strike-thrower, Brent Suter and being the “best teammate,” which MLB team is last in the league in vibes, the struggling Marlins demoting the not-struggling Max Meyer, whether teams are working minor league pitchers (such as Paul Skenes) too lightly, and (1:02:49) the career and retirement of Yankees radio voice John Sterling and fan affection for long-lasting local broadcasters, then (1:29:31) meet major leaguers Spencer Arrighetti, Blaze Alexander, and Jorge Barrosa, plus postscript follow-ups (1:51:25).

Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLB stillsuit article
Link to sweat stains quote
Link to sweaty Yankees jerseys
Link to Snell quote
Link to Elly’s catch
Link to Suter article
Link to article on eco-conscious Suter
Link to Suter’s impressions
Link to 2016 LaRoche article
Link to 2021 LaRoche retrospective
Link to Freeland play
Link to article on Meyer demotion
Link to McCarthy tweet
Link to Sheehan on pitcher usage
Link to BP on Skenes in college
Link to Ben on TNSTAAPP
Link to MLB.com on Sterling
Link to The Athletic on Sterling
Link to Brosius call
Link to Camp call
Link to BP on the Camp game
Link to list of Sterling calls
Link to Sterling “fangraph” comment
Link to flubbed Sterling call
Link to last Sterling HR call
Link to “Something Sort of Grandish”
Link to 2011 Sterling NYT profile
Link to Warner Wolf wiki
Link to Meet a Major Leaguer wiki
Link to B-Ref new debuts page
Link to The Athletic on Arrighetti
Link to Longenhagen on Arrighetti
Link to MLB.com on Arrighetti
Link to Blazes on B-Ref
Link to 2018 Alexanders article
Link to 2019 Alexander article
Link to Barrosa call-up article
Link to March Barrosa article
Link to Longenhagen on player heights
Link to non-pitcher height query
Link to pitcher height query
Link to Burke break article
Link to EPL history wiki
Link to 1884 World Series wiki
Link to Saber Seminar
Link to Kite Person on Bandcamp
Link to Kite Person on SoundCloud
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the lack of an uptick in stolen bases this season, which of the teams that are off to surprisingly hot or cold starts has changed their minds the most, analogs to baseball’s epidemic of UCL tears in tennis and women’s soccer, whether MLB would/should allow a hypothetical UCL-strengthening steroid, and whether MLB will ever reboot its continuity, then Stat Blast (1:02:31) about players with inside-the-park homers and over-the-fence homers in the same game, games in which one team threw many pitches faster than its opponent’s fastest pitch, and the highest player winning percentages in starts.

Audio intro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ben C. on stolen bases
Link to birds and bees study
Link to playoff odds changes
Link to BaseRuns standings
Link to MLBTR on Schumaker option
Link to team defense projections
Link to Jontay Porter story
Link to NPR on tennis injuries
Link to WaPo on soccer injuries
Link to NYT on soccer injuries
Link to article on soccer cleats
Link to UEFA initiative
Link to artificial ligament wiki
Link to Mark McGwire comments
Link to Andy Pettitte comments
Link to EW on sports history authority
Link to comic-book reboots wiki
Link to EW on “modern era”
Link to AFI movies list wiki
Link to tweet about Babe Ruth’s wife
Link to EW listener emails database
Link to Garrett Krohn’s Stat Blast cover
Link to Langs tweet about Elly
Link to OptaSTATS tweet about Elly
Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter
Link to inside-the-park graph 1
Link to inside-the-park graph 2
Link to Statcast Era both HR list
Link to both HR, both sides list
Link to story on Nimmo game
Link to inside-the-parker data
Link to both HR types leaderboard
Link to Lucas Apostoleris on Twitter
Link to Foley tweet
Link to lopsided team velos sheet
Link to player winning percentage sheet
Link to Craig Wright on Lou Klein
Link to Moonfall wiki
Link to add EW on YouTube Music
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to news about Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara being charged with bank fraud, discuss the revelations in the government’s stunning, detailed complaint, and assess the implications for Ohtani and MLB. Then (1:06:58) they banter about Jordan Montgomery changing agencies after his offseason Boras debacle, a Juan Soto fan-pandering update, Jackson Holliday’s Orioles debut, Tyler Glasnow and the allure of a 21-strikeout game, a Driveline quote about training for velocity, and an A’s giveaway (and dubious pledge to spend more on players), plus (1:35:15) a few follow-ups.

Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Greene pants seam tear
Link to U.S. Attorney’s Office press release
Link to criminal complaint
Link to NYT report
Link to MLB statement
Link to @Yankees betting tweet
Link to Ippei surrendering tweet
Link to Baumann on gambling scandals
Link to MLBTR on Montgomery
Link to Soto spikes
Link to Glasnow game
Link to Sam on a 21-strikeout game
Link to MLBTR on Holliday
Link to Dan S. on the Tides
Link to Olney tweet story
Link to video of young Holliday
Link to Twins kiss
Link to 2023 Albies/Arcia kiss
Link to 2024 Albies/Arcia kiss
Link to Adler pitcher injuries article
Link to A’s giveaway tweet
Link to Rosenthal on A’s spending
Link to ESPN on the A’s move
Link to Belt on chicken tenders
Link to hitting at Rogers Centre
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about White Sox manager Pedro Grifol’s anti-eclipse eyewash, the shrinking moon, an eyebrow-raising quote by Blake Snell, the latest signature Elly De La Cruz game, the hot starts of Mike Trout, Anthony Volpe, and Tyler O’Neill, how this season’s converted relievers (including Garrett Crochet and Jordan Hicks) are faring, and more, then (38:57) discuss and debate the latest rash of pitcher injuries, the pitch clock as a culprit or a scapegoat, and possible solutions to the injury problem, plus (1:27:32) an 1892 complaint about position-player pitchers and a few follow-ups.

Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Grifol quote
Link to Sox Machine on Grifol
Link to Ben on the 2017 eclipse
Link to tweet about eclipse coincidence
Link to story on shrinking moon
Link to story on end of eclipses
Link to more on moon shrinking
Link to Nick Gordon comment
Link to Adler on eyewash
Link to Snell quote
Link to zone rate stats
Link to Elly homers
Link to Elly fun fact 1
Link to Elly fun fact 2
Link to article on Volpe swing
Link to Sox pitch usage story
Link to Sox Run Prevention Unit
Link to FG post on Sox pitching
Link to FG post on Rafaela
Link to FG post on Hicks
Link to Ben on pitcher injuries
Link to MLBTR top stories screenshot
Link to MLBPA statement
Link to MLB statement
Link to Cole comments
Link to Verlander comments
Link to Taillon/Wood comments
Link to Scherzer comments
Link to Passan on pitcher injuries
Link to Sawchik tweet
Link to Dan S. on the clock
Link to BP on the clock
Link to story on Bieber’s offseason
Link to cricket bowling rules
Link to cricket and TJS
Link to EW on speed limits
Link to mound height study
Link to Ben on pitcher roster limits
Link to Rich Hill surgeries
Link to 1892 article
Link to Bookforum Oyler review
Link to Imanaga presser
Link to The Athletic on Imanaga
Link to Imanaga song
Link to Kelenic comment
Link to Ontario cursive story
Link to ballpark meetup forms
Link to meetup organizer form

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 Email Us: [email protected]

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the earthquake in the Northeast, Juan Soto’s choice of walk-up song, J.J. Hardy building a ballpark in his Arizona backyard, the pluses and minuses of living in or near a ballpark, and how Shohei Ohtani relates to the Tower of Babel, then (1:04:21) answer listener emails about the […]