Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the research Meg saw on her trip to Saber Seminar, a vintage Max Scherzer start, Tarik Skubal’s espresso-machine maneuver, a Kevin McGonigle double and rule 9.06(f), an international signing scandal (or in truth, two), MLB’s proposals for reworking offseason signings and roster rules, legal wrangling regarding prediction markets, WPBL difficulties, a Chris Sale gem, a costly FARTBAT, outfield additions, whether Shohei Ohtani will pitch again, the first team eliminated from division-title contention, and more.

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

Audio outro: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Saber Seminar site

Link to Scherzer start

Link to espresso article 1

Link to espresso article 2

Link to McGonigle hit article

Link to @ScoringChanges explanation

Link to Posnanski post

Link to ESPN report on signing scandal

Link to MLB proposal article 1

Link to MLB proposal article 2

Link to Baumann on MLB proposals

Link to NHL holiday roster freeze

Link to MLB prediction-market deals

Link to latest legal decision

Link to prediction-markets piece 1

Link to prediction-markets piece 2

Link to WPBL standings

Link to WPBL article 1

Link to WPBL article 2

Link to Sale article 1

Link to Sale article 2

Link to Sale game page

Link to Baldwin game precedents

Link to FARTBAT article

Link to FARTBAT wiki

Link to MLBTR on Pham

Link to Pham vs. Myers spat

Link to MLBTR on Cave

Link to MLBTR on Robert Jr.

Link to Ohtani update

Link to Reddit Rockies post

Link to Curt’s Bluesky post

Link to Cowser catch clip

Link to Cowser catch article

Link to The Sun Never Sets

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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 a baseball reference in summer sci-fi flick The End of Oak Street and new reporting on players’ unwillingness to wear cups, then (32:30) discuss career years for Pete Alonso and Gabriel Moreno, Mason Miller’s changeup, Cal Raleigh’s swing change, and whether MLB will follow other leagues’ leads in establishing a tournament or trophy apart from the playoffs, before Stat Blasting (1:17:47) about the worst/least-experienced lineups ever, the most prolifically .500 teams, and the hierarchy of double-play frequency.

Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to The End of Oak Street wiki

Link to David Robert Mitchell wiki

Link to Detroit references in movie

Link to Parrish 1982 gamelog

Link to Doctor Strange Tigers reference

Link to protective cups article

Link to Luke 22:42-44

Link to Chisholm article

Link to Forbes article on JKG

Link to Time article on JKG

Link to best hitters in August

Link to on-pace leaderboard

Link to pitch run values since 2025

Link to Miller’s changeup count

Link to Cruz homer clip

Link to Miller article 1

Link to Miller article 2

Link to game theory meme

Link to Cal swing article

Link to Neil on alternate champions

Link to Neil on the NBA Cup

Link to Knicks NBA Cup decision

Link to regular-season-champion article

Link to regular-season-champion episode

Link to Yankees’ six-run win

Link to Stat Blast wiki

Link to Giants loss article 1

Link to Giants loss article 2

Link to Giants unfun fact

Link to Sam post 1

Link to Sam post 2

Link to 2022 White Sox .500 records

Link to Rochester Hop Bitters info

Link to Preston’s FB post

Link to “9 to 5” video

Link to double-play data

Link to Hembekides clip

Link to Hembekides graph

Link to Molina 3-2-8 double play

Link to Nootbaar play

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about takeaways from ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcast on Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara, disappointing parity (46:41), the latest public-funding ballpark boondoggles in Kansas City and Tampa (52:22), and which AL wild card contender most deserves to squeak into October (1:12:58).

Audio intro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani

Link to Passan video on the Dodgers

Link to Passan tweets on the Dodgers

Link to EW episode on Ippei

Link to criminal complaint

Link to Starz show update

Link to 2024 Shohei/Ippei clip

Link to deMause/Bradbury EW episode

Link to KC ballpark update

Link to Tampa ballpark update

Link to more on Tampa ballpark

Link to Field of Schemes book

Link to Field of Schemes post 1

Link to Field of Schemes post 2

Link to Field of Schemes post 3

Link to TIF wiki

Link to This One Will Be Different

Link to deMause Bluesky post

Link to Hurtak Bluesky post

Link to Nippon Ham wiki

Link to Fighters wiki

Link to fruit of the poisonous tree

Link to Chinese wall wiki

Link to national debt news

Link to Alou brothers game

Link to all-Alou-outfield article

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball’s new reigning fun fact (courtesy of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Randy Arozarena), Kade Anderson’s debut and Dan Wilson’s slow hook, a Cal Raleigh rally, and the firing of Astros GM Dana Brown, then Stat Blast (41:51) about a Phillies comeback, a strange Yankees streak, an unusual double play, getting hit by both pitched and batted balls, and consecutive same names in lineups, before finishing by discussing (58:37) follow-ups and errata pertaining to the previous week’s podcasts and (1:18:02) a sign-stealing/unwritten-rules controversy courtesy of the Cubs and Diamondbacks.

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

Audio outro: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to PCA/Randy fun fact 1

Link to PCA/Randy fun fact 2

Link to FG post on Anderson

Link to Sheehan on Wilson/Anderson

Link to Cal homers video

Link to Cal homers article 1

Link to Cal homers article 2

Link to Cal slump analysis

Link to MLBTR on Brown 1

Link to MLBTR on Brown 2

Link to Nightengale on Brown

Link to Clemens on Brown

Link to Wells gear 1

Link to Wells gear 2

Link to Schwarber homer video

Link to FG Phillies post

Link to Twins comeback article

Link to comebacks Stat Blast results

Link to Yankees scoring data

Link to Stanton injury update

Link to Judge injury update

Link to double-play data

Link to triple-Brown name game

Link to Gasper clip

Link to HBP/batted ball instances

Link to listener emails database

Link to sign-stealing article 1

Link to sign-stealing article 2

Link to Sam on unwritten rules

Link to sign-stealing EW episode

Link to Ben on coaching/front offices

Link to Miz/Sale article 1

Link to Miz/Sale article 2

Link to Miz/Sale box score

Link to Randy Johnson EW interview

Link to other case of Miz-taken identity

Link to Kelly/Mikolas article

Link to Mikolas article 1

Link to Mikolas article 2

Link to puck-tracking tech

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com

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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 a Chris Sale vs. Jacob Misiorowski matchup and how often anticipated pitching duels live up to the hype, a controversial fair/foul call and ball-tracking tech in baseball compared to other sports, and what stadium decibel levels say about whom baseball belongs to, then (57:26) answer listener emails about the AL MVP race, Brayan Bello’s bullpen turnaround, the highest-scoring game in which each run was driven in by a different batter, the potential downside of a closer entrance spectacle, the oldest player who could go yard in a home run derby, the value of freezing time on the field, a game between players dressed as their teams’ mascots, and what makes players fun.

Audio intro: PJ Harding, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Sale vs. Miz article

Link to Miz zone rate by month

Link to Miz velo by month

Link to Miz/Sánchez close call

Link to Miz/Skenes close call

Link to pitching leaders since 4/12

Link to Sale jersey article

Link to Ben on Sale in 2018

Link to LaRoche retrospective

Link to Alonso call article

Link to Yankees booth’s reaction

Link to Petriello tweet

Link to Tango tweet 1

Link to Tango tweet 2

Link to baseball exceptionalism wiki

Link to Kepner on baseball usage

Link to NFL measurement tech

Link to goal-line tech wiki

Link to hockey tech article

Link to FoxTrax wiki

Link to NBA tech article 1

Link to NBA tech article 2

Link to soccer connected ball info

Link to Miller/Grogu video

Link to hippo talk episode

Link to latest loudness article

Link to loudness article 2

Link to loudness article 3

Link to loudness article 4

Link to loudness article 5

Link to loudness prompt

Link to “Nothing Night” origin

Link to FG WAR leaderboard

Link to Bello SP/RP split

Link to biggest SP/RP splits

Link to 1-RBI-guys games

Link to urinalysis info

Link to Mariners derby article

Link to Ichiro derby video

Link to Clair on Appling

Link to Ben on Ichiro homers

Link to list of MLB mascots

Link to McCutchen “furries” lore

Link to listener emails database

Link to MLBTR on Anderson

Link to leaguewide games per year

Link to Small Axe Studios news

Link to Batman/Superman comic

Link to comic heroes roster

Link to Benge article 1

Link to Benge article 2

Sponsor Us on Patreon

Give a Gift Subscription

Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com

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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