Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the Dodgers’ trade for Tarik Skubal from multiple angles: the Tigers’ return, expectations for Skubal and the Dodgers, why other teams let the trade happen, and the significance for the sport. Then they discuss a smattering of other moves (including deals for Freddy Peralta and Luis Castillo) before closing banter about a shampoo disclosure in the Baltimore booth.

Audio intro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Dave Armstrong and Mike Murray, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ben on the Skubal trade

Link to Other Ben on the Skubal trade

Link to Longenhagen on the Skubal trade

Link to Sheehan on the Skubal trade

Link to Paine on the Skubal trade

Link to Dodgers discourse article

Link to Friedman quote

Link to FG’s pre-deadline top 100

Link to SP RoS projections

Link to Baumann on the Brewers/Rays

Link to FG playoff odds

Link to San Andreas meme

Link to payroll/winning correlation

Link to more on payroll/winning correlation

Link to Rosenthal column

Link to Dodgers playoff improvement

Link to BP on competitive balance

Link to Sheehan on rentals

Link to Clemens on rentals

Link to Paine on deadline impact

Link to Cooper on prospect trades

Link to FG farm rankings

Link to FG on the Peralta trade

Link to MLBTR on the Castillo trade

Link to FG on the Twins trade

Link to FG on the Brewers/Guardians trade

Link to FG on the Atlanta/KC trade

Link to MLBTR on the Doval trade

Link to Queens vs. Heights gamer

Link to The West Wing scene

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

Ben Lindbergh brings on baseball-loving comic-book experts David Harper (of SKTCHD and Off Panel: A Comics Interview Podcast) and Tiffany Babb (of The Comics Courier, The Comics Staple, The Fan Files, and Interesting Jobs the Podcast) to assemble superpowered baseball teams. First they banter about Harrison Bader’s scooter troubles and David’s and Tiffany’s baseball/comic-book backgrounds, trade-deadline desires, and favorite baseball/comics crossovers. Then (37:20) they take turns filling out rosters from the ranks of Marvel/DC superheroes.

Audio intro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Bader article 1

Link to Bader article 2

Link to Bader article 3

Link to another Bader report

Link to 2014 Bader incident

Link to Bumgarner story

Link to Kent injury story 1

Link to Kent injury story 2

Link to Giants vehicular injuries

Link to Bader suspension article

Link to MLBTR on Bader’s suspension

Link to Shanahan injury article

Link to Midnight Sun Game

Link to Midnight Sons wiki

Link to Brand New Day box office

Link to The Death of Superman wiki

Link to Goldman on power levels

Link to Granillo on baseball and supes 1

Link to Granillo on baseball and supes 2

Link to Granillo on baseball and supes 3

Link to superhero strength scale wiki

Link to Peanuts podcast episode

Link to Joe Shlabotnik wiki

Link to Peanuts baseball analysis

Link to FG on the Angels/Rangers trade

Link to MLBTR on the Minter trade

Link to West Coast Avengers Annual #2

Link to Bullseye bio

Link to David’s Eisner acceptance speech

Link to Eisner Awards wiki

Link to SKTCHD

Link to Off Panel

Link to SKTCHD draft post

Link to SKTCHD HoF post

Link to SKTCHD Avengers post

Link to Tiffany’s website

Link to The Comics Courier

Link to The Comics Staple

Link to Interesting Jobs the Podcast

Link to The Fan Files

Link to The Fan Files Insta videos

Link to The Fan Files TikTok videos

Link to SI on baseball and superheroes 1

Link to SI on baseball and superheroes 2

Link to Clemens home run video

Link to Clemens home run article

Link to Clemens fun facts thread

Link to ultimate grand slam wiki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the end of Ben’s jury duty and Meg’s first colonoscopy, then discuss an investigation into Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s finances, Roki Sasaki’s big glove, Munetaka Murakami’s performance against good velocity, a squirrel sighting (and top prospect Max Clark’s arrival) in Detroit, baseball’s animal kingdom, who gets to claim Jimothy, the frustrating Mariners, Curtis Mead’s im-mead-iate injury, and pre-deadline unrest in Philly. Then (1:05:16) FanGraphs contributor Kiri Oler joins to preview the Women’s Pro Baseball League’s inaugural season and consider its prospects for long-term success.

Audio intro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio interstitial: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to WSJ on Walter’s finances

Link to WSJ on Walter’s stroke

Link to Ben on the Dodgers in 2015

Link to WSJ on Sasaki

Link to June FG post on Sasaki

Link to Roki’s rolling WAR

Link to Roki’s four-seamer speed by start

Link to Murakami vs. velo article

Link to extended squirrel video

Link to MLB.com squirrel article

Link to BP squirrel article

Link to PAWS page

Link to animal appearances video

Link to MLB.com on Clark’s call-up

Link to BP on Clark’s call-up

Link to baseball exceptionalism wiki

Link to Jimothy wiki

Link to M’s Jimothy promotion

Link to Trash Pandas’ Jimothy promotion

Link to food guarding info

Link to Mead injury article

Link to Mead recovery report

Link to BP IL Triage tool

Link to Gelb on the Phillies

Link to Paine on the Phillies

Link to WPBL wiki

Link to Kiri on the WPBL teams

Link to Kiri on WPBL managers

Link to Kiri’s 2025 pod appearance

Link to Kiri on other women’s leagues

Link to WPBL team pages

Link to AP on the WPBL

Link to ESPN’s WPBL press release

Link to 2025 WPBL announcement

Link to Women’s Baseball World Cup article

Link to Ben on the OWL

Link to A League of Their Own scene

Link to Roki game story

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s daughter’s first MLB game, and Ben briefly interviews the four-year-old Sloan about her spectator experience. Then they discuss the MVP races (with an emphasis on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s status as the NL frontrunner over Shohei Ohtani), the Nationals and Red Sox swapping Curtis Mead and Connelly Early, a Kerry Wood trick pitch, John Kruk’s Sunday Night Baseball attire, teams’ tendency to covet Tarik Skubal vs. their reluctance to trade top prospects for rental players, and the biggest pre-deadline positional strengths for non-contenders and positional weaknesses for contenders.

Audio intro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Dodgers vs. Mets game

Link to “if baseball were different” wiki

Link to Goodnight Baseball

Link to Decoy Saves Opening Day

Link to Moana box office

Link to Maui’s nipples article 1

Link to Maui’s nipples article 2

Link to Disney nipples history

Link to Mario nipples article

Link to FG WAR leaderboard

Link to B-Ref WAR leaderboard

Link to Roberts on MVP Ohtani

Link to Ohtani pen session news

Link to top baserunners

Link to Paine on PCA

Link to Witt injury article

Link to MLBTR on the Nats-Sox trade

Link to FG on the Nats-Sox trade

Link to Red Sox HR leaders

Link to Breslow quote

Link to Friedman quote

Link to winner’s curse wiki

Link to team SP projections

Link to Mead injury article

Link to Wood Reddit post

Link to Wood tweet

Link to “what kind of move” tweet

Link to Meg’s Kruk post

Link to article on Kruk broadcast

Link to Sheehan on rentals

Link to Cooper on traded prospects

Link to Paine on deadline deals

Link to Dan S. on deadline importance

Link to irresistible force paradox

Link to Juggernaut meme

Link to replacement-level killers series

Link to FG playoff odds

Link to projected positional WAR

Link to Ben’s color-coded spreadsheet

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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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 Donald Trump claim about Shohei Ohtani, José Caballero’s battle with MLB about his pre-pitch routine, Yandy Díaz spurning ABS, James Wood’s impressive results with a seemingly suboptimal approach, whether the Nats would be better off if they hadn’t traded pitching prior to the season, David Rubenstein’s Orioles optimism, and Corbin Carroll’s triples pace. Then (1:04:45) they talk to EW listener Jacob Redmon, who found himself at the center of a viral video this week when he was slapped by a man who objected to his staying seated during the National Anthem, about how the incident developed, what the video didn’t show, and what he took from the experience. Finally (1:57:33), Ben talks to Kenny Lofton about his exclusion from the Hall of Fame, his Cooperstown-caliber career, and his outlook for induction.

Audio intro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Trump on Ohtani

Link to Trump on Kershaw

Link to White House visit recap

Link to EW on Trump’s baseball career

Link to Caballero video 1

Link to Caballero video 2

Link to Caballero video 3

Link to Caballero comments

Link to Caballero article 1

Link to Caballero article 2

Link to Caballero article 3

Link to Caballero article 4

Link to Caballero article 5

Link to Caballero article 6

Link to “violation” comment

Link to CloseCallSports video 1

Link to CloseCallSports video 2

Link to Stanky draft episode

Link to Crizer on Yandy

Link to Yandy article 1

Link to Santana article

Link to MLBTR on Santana

Link to Yandy article 2

Link to batting team challenges

Link to Sam on bad challenges

Link to BP piece on Wood

Link to EW on Wood in 2025

Link to Nats WAR leaders

Link to team hitting WAR

Link to team pitching WAR

Link to Rubenstein quote

Link to Rubenstein quote thread

Link to Carroll triples fact

Link to triples park factor

Link to “55 burgers” ITYSL sketch

Link to National Anthem

Link to slap video

Link to Lucy Dacus tweet

Link to Lucy Dacus shirt

Link to Wednesday concert

Link to Chavez video

Link to Cubs statement

Link to EW Episode 2189

Link to 2022 Hoerner homer

Link to “third place” wiki

Link to Ben on the Hall of Fame

Link to Lofton highlights video

Link to Lofton playoffs video

Link to CF JAWS leaders

Sponsor Us on Patreon

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Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com

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Get Our Merch!

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