Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the late John Sterling, fan affection for local broadcasters, and whether any broadcast institutions don’t inspire such attachment, then banter about Anthony Volpe’s demotion, Tarik Skubal’s elbow injury, the Mets’ decision to stand by Carlos Mendoza, dramatically different results in back-to-back Reds-Pirates games, Riley O’Brien’s success, Nick Kurtz, Roy Cullenbine, and prolific walk-drawers with unimpressive power, whether framing and challenging skills are correlated for catchers, and a Baseball Savant-based guessing game, plus follow-ups on Mexico City’s elevation and Dalton Rushing.

Audio intro: Philip Tapley and Michael Stokes, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Brussels sprouts EW episode

Link to Sterling obit

Link to previous Sterling discussion

Link to Sterling on FanGraphs

Link to 2011 Sterling profile

Link to Sterling wiki

Link to Kay wiki

Link to Kay on Sterling

Link to Kay diet piece 1

Link to Kay diet piece 2

Link to Kay diet piece 3

Link to Baumann on Volpe

Link to Clemens on Skubal

Link to Passan post

Link to Tatiana Trumpet story

Link to MLB.com on Skubal

Link to CBS Sports on Skubal

Link to Dan S. on managerial firings

Link to Ball on managerial firings

Link to Stearns on Mendoza

Link to Mendoza’s reaction

Link to seven consecutive walks

Link to worst hitters 2023-26

Link to RP WAR leaders

Link to Clemens on O’Brien

Link to Johnny interview

Link to Johnny and Riley

Link to Mexico City sinking story

Link to status quo bias wiki

Link to 2025 run differentials

Link to 2026 run differentials

Link to Cashman comments

Link to Ben on team turnover

Link to Kurtz streak story 1

Link to Kurtz streak story 2

Link to Cullenbine post 1

Link to Cullenbine post 2

Link to Ben on pre-WAR valuations

Link to Roy Thomas SABR bio

Link to foul-strike rule

Link to Max Bishop SABR bio

Link to Eddie Yost SABR bio

Link to Eddie Joost SABR bio

Link to career + stats

Link to team framing leaderboard

Link to catcher challenges leaderboard

Link to batter challenges leaderboard

Link to Tango’s Soto/Bailey tweet

Link to framing/challenging correlations

Link to Ruiz on framing/challenging

Link to Millas on framing/challenging

Link to Petriello on 2025 challenges

Link to player survey on challenges

Link to Rushing on Lee 1

Link to Rushing on Lee 2

Link to Rushing’s timeout call

Link to Rushing’s challenge

Link to Tango on the challenge

Link to Savantle

Link to other Savant guessing games

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing is the new reigning redass of MLB, and the first in-depth he-said, they-said mud-slinging about Craig Breslow and Boston’s coaching cull. Then (35:19) they Stat Blast about the longest streaks of series wins and non-losses to start a season (or at any point in a season), lapping the league in run differential, and batterymates who were previously exchanged in a trade, before bringing on Ben Clemens of FanGraphs (49:36) to talk about whether Munetaka Murakami’s hot start is sustainable (and if so, why he was widely underestimated), how the strike zone has been shrunk and reshaped in the ABS era—somewhat counterintuitively, not just because of overturned calls—and the potential short/long-term effects on scoring.

Audio intro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”

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

Link to “redass” definition

Link to Carig on “redass”

Link to Rushing timeline

Link to “fishy” comment clip

Link to “fishy” comment article

Link to Rockies celebration

Link to Lee incident clip

Link to Rushing denial

Link to Lee incident article

Link to Amaya incident clip

Link to Hoerner comments

Link to Rushing’s slide

Link to Arraez comments

Link to timeout request

Link to 2015 Williams feature

Link to Breslow/Boston report

Link to fatberg wiki

Link to streaks spreadsheet

Link to Columbus Solons wiki

Link to traded batterymates

Link to Ben’s catchers research

Link to Shackleton wiki

Link to Clemens on Murakami

Link to chase rate leaderboard

Link to Passan on Ohtani in 2018

Link to Passan’s follow-up

Link to Clemens on the strike zone

Link to strike zone definition

Link to Trueblood on the strike zone

Link to Trueblood on challenges

Link to Sam on 3-0 autostrikes

Link to 2025 buffer zone change

Link to ump accuracy over time

Link to Ben on umpire grading

Link to kernel regression wiki

Link to 2024-26 MLB rates

Link to 2025 MLB rates through same date

Link to 2024 MLB rates through same date

Link to highest full-season rates

Link to Federer Hawk-Eye stance 1

Link to Federer Hawk-Eye stance 2

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Email Us: [email protected]

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Vinnie Pasquantino’s new espresso machine, how the Phillies’ firing of Rob Thomson compares to Boston’s coaching overhaul and how Thomson’s dismissal both does and doesn’t make sense, Mason Miller’s “slump,” Shohei Ohtani’s WAR distribution, Max Scherzer’s major league last gasp, Travis Bazzana’s debut, and how the Mexican League’s Diablos Rojos have handled high altitude. Then (55:48) they talk to Jason Benetti, TV voice of the Tigers and new lead MLB broadcaster for Sunday Night Baseball on NBC, about how he got his new gig, juggling jobs and employers, teaming up with different broadcast partners (including a besuited John Kruk) every week, how NBC approaches baseball, the AL Central’s mediocrity, Kevin McGonigle’s precocious success, Jason’s full-circle Bob Costas story, and Mr. Monopoly vs. Mr. Peanut.

Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to espresso machine post

Link to Nespresso wiki

Link to Baumann on Thomson

Link to MLBTR on Thomson

Link to Paine on Thomson

Link to Phillies’ record under Thomson

Link to batter WAR under Thomson

Link to pitcher WAR under Thomson

Link to team defense

Link to team run differentials

Link to playoff odds changes

Link to Gelb on Thomson

Link to Cora report 1

Link to Cora report 2

Link to MLBTR on Crochet

Link to Miller story

Link to Soriano story

Link to combined WAR leaderboard

Link to MLBTR on Scherzer

Link to Scherzer’s daughter’s letter

Link to Baumann on Bazzana

Link to MLBTR on Bazzana

Link to 2026 FG top 100

Link to Bazzana at Prospect Savant

Link to list of debut IBBs

Link to The Devil Wears Prada 2

Link to Patrick Brammall wiki

Link to Song Sung Blue

Link to Tenet dialogue story 1

Link to Tenet dialogue story 2

Link to Nolan dialogue explanation

Link to sound mixing story

Link to MLBTR on Bazzana

Link to Mexican League elevations

Link to Octavio Hernández

Link to Coors hangover article 1

Link to Coors hangover article 2

Link to Coors hangover article 3

Link to Benetti at Saberseminar

Link to SBJ profile

Link to NBC Sundays schedule

Link to this Sunday’s schedule

Link to Jason’s broadcast partners

Link to Walton-Benetti story

Link to Kruk’s suit

Link to Curb “middling” scene

Link to Ben on Albert/Stockton

Link to interdivision records

Link to bat weight research

Link to Mr. Monopoly wiki

Link to Mr. Peanut wiki

Link to Mr. Peanut tweet

Link to Benetti’s podcast

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: [email protected]

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Red Sox suddenly sweeping their coaching staff clean, projected contenders off to even worse starts than the Sox, MLB offense in Mexico City, a double ball-strike challenge, Kyle Harrison as the new Quinn Priester, and Kevin McGonigle out-phenoming Konnor Griffin, then Stat Blast (38:37) about Brandon Phillips and major league afterlives, teams hitting for the homer cycle in a single inning, and individual net five-homer games. Then (53:38) they talk to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier about how and why the Red Sox fired Alex Cora and Co. and whether there’s more house-cleaning to come.

Audio intro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial: The Spaghettis, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG post on Sox firings

Link to MLBTR on Sox firings

Link to MLBTR on Sox hirings

Link to original Cronin wiki

Link to van photo

Link to Four Seasons Total Landscaping

Link to Whitlock quote

Link to Story quote

Link to player reactions round-up

Link to firing timing Stat Blast

Link to Sportradar firing fact

Link to “Chad” wiki

Link to Cora reactions story

Link to Cora text

Link to Cora tweet

Link to fired coaches photo 1

Link to fired coaches photo 2

Link to Paine’s Sox analysis 1

Link to Paine’s Sox analysis 2

Link to playoff odds changes

Link to Diamondbacks Mexico City win

Link to Mexico games

Link to Ben on Mexico City scoring

Link to Monterrey stadium

Link to Mexico City stadium

Link to run-scoring comparison

Link to Vancouver expansion story

Link to double challenge clip

Link to double challenge story

Link to Refsnyder challenge story

Link to Baty challenge story

Link to Harrison’s five-start averages

Link to FG on-pace leaders

Link to Griffin’s first dinger

Link to Phillips contract story

Link to EW on delayed retirements

Link to major league afterlives data

Link to Kenny Jackelen

Link to Phillips B-Ref page

Link to PCL wiki

Link to SIS Cameron story

Link to SIS Cameron post

Link to Red Sox preview pod

Link to team HR leaderboard

Link to team SP WAR

Link to Sheehan on the Sox offense

Link to Napoli photo

Link to Napoli story

Link to team payrolls page

Link to Rosenthal on Cora

Link to team payrolls page

Link to listener meetup tool (PW: EW2026)

Link to meetup tool Reddit post

Link to sub-two-hour-marathon story

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: [email protected]

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Apple Podcasts Feed

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YouTube Playlist

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Get Our Merch!

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether JR Ritchie should want to keep the ball that was hit for a homer on his first major league pitch, José Soriano’s season-starting hot streak, and the Yankees’ new alternate uniforms, plus follow-ups on accidental challenges, player pecks on the cheek, jersey numbers, and Nolan McLean’s apology, and a mini-Blast about the Rockies’ historically hot start (compared to last year). Then (50:36) they take a break from interviewing octagenarian former players to interview a youthful, quadragenarian former player: former All-Star Brad Lidge. An infamous manager once proclaimed, “The closer is the closer because he’s the closer.” But what if the closer becomes an archaeologist? Ben and Meg talk to Lidge at length about his post-playing pivot to archaeology: what drew him to the field, how he’s pursued a second profession (and how it differs from his first one), ancient Etruscans, misconceptions about archaeology, what he could learn from excavating a ballpark, discovering dice (note: not a gambling ad), discussing his career reinvention at cocktail parties, the pleasures and procedures of communing with the past, archaeology’s moneyball, and much more, followed by his thoughts on fellow fastball-slider artist Mason Miller.

Audio intro: PJ Harding, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Philip Bergman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to The Only Rule closer line

Link to line’s EW wiki entry

Link to Lidge’s SABR bio

Link to postseason saves leaders

Link to best post-’88 RP seasons

Link to Pujols homer

Link to 2008 WS victory

Link to Episode 2323

Link to Wood’s HR

Link to Ritchie game story

Link to Yankees jerseys report 1

Link to Yankees jerseys report 2

Link to Yankees jerseys report 3

Link to jersey number history

Link to Gilbert “catch”

Link to Gilbert “catch” rules

Link to Vargas “accidental” challenge

Link to Gonzales “accidental” challenge

Link to Martin-Davis smooch

Link to Soriano’s six-start stretches

Link to Soriano’s 2025 stretch

Link to Soriano’s 2026 stretch

Link to exit velo responsibility

Link to Soriano article 1

Link to Betteridge’s law 1

Link to Soriano article 2

Link to follow-up McLean report

Link to fastest team improvements data

Link to 2018 archaeoLidgey article

Link to 2026 archaeoLidgey article

Link to Lidge Explorers Club

Link to Poggio Civitate wiki

Link to Under the Tuscan Sun wiki

Link to Etruscan civilization wiki

Link to Roman Empire meme

Link to Lidge’s publications

Link to Lidge’s dice paper

Link to North American dice article 1

Link to North American dice article 2

Link to Ben on Detectorists

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: [email protected]

Effectively Wild Subreddit

Effectively Wild Wiki

Apple Podcasts Feed

Spotify Feed

YouTube Playlist

Facebook Group

Bluesky Account

Twitter Account

Get Our Merch!

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