recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Episode 1020: The First Baseman’s Fumarole

## Summary

*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 about preventing Tommy John surgeries, a Randy Johnson alternate history, Statcast in non-MLB ballparks, a baserunner’s secret skill, whether defense slumps, a Kyle Hendricks hipster, and an Adam Lind emission.*

## Topics

* A surgeon that prevents Tommy John surgeries
* Extending Randy Johnson's career
* Statcast in non-MLB ballparks
* High leverage stolen bases
* Proving that defense is slump-proof
* Predicting prospect success
* Adam Lind's emission

## Banter

* Episode 1016 follow-up: Ben and Jeff review video of Carter Capps throwing a bullpen session.
* Brian Flynn fractured his spine when he fell through the roof of his barn.
* Ben emailed the Cincinnati Reds to find out about why so many of their listed player weights were not divisible by five. The Reds said it is because they list actual player weights.
* C.J. Wilson has retired to Fresno, CA.

## Email Questions

* Matt: "Imagine a surgeon announced they've perfected a procedure that guarantees UCL health for life. Let's say it's an outpatient surgery with a 2-3 week recovery. Where does the surgeon rank in importance to MLB of all non-players?"
* Michael: "If Randy Johnson had wanted nothing more than to pitch in the majors as long as possible, how long could he have gone?"
* Ethan: "When do you think other professional leagues will install Statcast in all of their stadiums?"
* Ben: "To what degree do we have evidence that defense is slump proof?"
* Joe: "Is it OK for me to feel smug about being one of the early ones on the Kyle Hendricks train, or did I just get lucky? How much am I allowed to gloat about this?"
* Eric: [Based on video of Adam Lind] "Did he fart?"

## Stat Blast

* Jeff uses FanGraphs splits to examine players that have high numbers of steals in high leverage situations.
* In 2016 Terrance Gore was 10/11 stealing in high leverage situations. Rajai Davis was 14/14.
* There are four previous seasons where players stole 14 bases during high leverage situations.

## Notes

* Almost all minor league stadiums have TrackMan setup right now, but very few have Statcast.
* During his rookie season Mike Trout saw 58% fastballs. During his second season he was thrown more fastballs and saw a greater number of pitches in the strike zone.
* Jeff refers to Adam Lind's emission as a "chalk fart". He also guesses that "I think we can conclude that Adam Lind is not a quiet farter."

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1020: The First Baseman's Fumarole
* Carter Capps' bullpen session video
* MLB Player Non-Multiple-Of-Five Weights Over Time
* Adam Lind video
Episode 1145: The Reigning-MVP Podcast

## Summary

*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’ surprising hiring of Aaron Boone. Then they bring on former (and future?) MLB pitcher and current Fukuoka Softbank Hawks closer Dennis Sarfate, the 36-year-old reigning MVP of Japan’s Pacific League, to talk about his transition from marginal major leaguer to record-setting NPB star, how he adapted to a relief role and learned to blow away batters, his heroics in the Japan Series, Japan’s participatory fan experience, having his request to be posted rejected by his team, pitching to Ohtani and Takuya Nakashima, and more (plus a closing fun fact from Ben).*

## Topics

* Interview with Dennis Sarfate
* Transition from MLB to NPB
* Reasons for Dennis' success in Japan
* Family, cultural, and language adjustment in Japan
* Pitcher usage and reliever conversion
* Pitching in the Japan Series
* Japanese fan experience
* NPB posting system
* Pitching against Takuya Nakashima & Shohei Ohtani

## Banter

* There has been no movement on Shohei Ohtani or Giancarlo Stanton
* Only 27 teams submitted responses/information packets to Ohtani.
* Aaron Boone signed to be manager of the Yankees.

## Notes

* The Reds are the only team in MLB that has never had a Japanese player.
* Dennis comments that spring training in Japan (compared to MLB) is much more rigorous and deliberate to prepare players for the season.
* Starting next year Dennis will not count as a foreign player on NPB rosters. He asked his team to post him and they declined.
* Dennis had an 18 pitch at-bat against Takuya Nakashima.
* Ohtani is 2-11 with 5Ks against Dennis.
* Since 1925, Yankees center fielders have averaged 5.2 WAR per season.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1145: The Reigning-MVP Podcast
* The Most Interesting Man in Baseball Has an Equally Interesting Teammate by Ben Lindbergh
Episode 1000: The Old and the New

## Summary

*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.*

## Topics

* Kevin's work with the Houston Astros
* How to judge job performance
* Front office nicknames
* How Kevin watches baseball compared to previous jobs
* Information imbalance and trading prospects
* Day to day of working for a MLB team
* Working from home
* Why is Nori Aoki available?
* Lineup balance
* Signing minor league free agents
* Introducing Jeff Sullivan

## Banter

* This is Sam's final episode as a regular co-host. Sam would return as co-host in Episode 1344.
* Kevin Goldstein's first appearance on the podcast was in Episode 100. In that episode Sam suggested that Kevin join again for Episode 1000.
* Sam discusses the frequent callbacks to past episodes and jokes that they should have reprised their topic from Episode 1 and chatted about whether Aroldis Chapman should be a starter.

## Notes

* Kevin says that internally he sometimes refers to Jeff Luhnow as El Jefe.
* Kevin says that for most free agents the money they are offered will be the overwhelming key decision factor in what team they sign with. In some cases they will also consider comfort level, location, recent team performance, etc. This subject had previously appeared in Episode 774 and spawned the Avocado Factor running joke.
* Ben notes that he and Sam are ending the week (and Sam's tenure) on a multiple of five.
* Jeff is calling in from the airport where he is leaving for a trip to Chile.
* Episode 999: Mike Trout reportedly won a home run derby in high school while batting left handed.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1000: The Old and the New
Episode 104: Our Least-Favorite Offseason Signings So Far

## Summary

*Ben and Sam discuss what they see as the worst signings so far this winter.*

## Topics

* Offseason signings
* Brandon League
* Kevin Correia
* Shane Victorino
* Josh Hamilton

## Notes

* Ben's least-favorite signings: Brandon League, Kevin Correia, Shane Victorino
* Sam's least-favorite signings: Brandon League, Kevin Correia, Josh Hamilton
* Sam reviews a list of Pittsburgh Pirates all-star selections. From 1994-2010 they only had multiple all-stars 3 times.
* The Josh Hamilton signing was discussed in Episode 102.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 104: Our Least-Favorite Offseason Signings So Far
* There is No Unicorn by Russell Carlton
* Twins Find Their Identical Match by Ben Lindbergh
Ben Clemens

Ben Clemens has been a writer at FanGraphs since 2019, where he also hosts a every-week-or-maybe-every-other-week chat. "Before that, I did not write at FanGraphs."

On the podcast, Ben Clemens is often called "Other Ben", to avoid confusion with host Ben Lindbergh. Together, they are sometimes called "The Bens", their conversation is called "benter", and the outro music is sometimes a song by the short-lived rock group *The Bens*.

The hosts sometimes tease Ben about the oddly-placed underscores in his Twitter handle.

* Guest appearances

## References

1. ↑ This convention is inverted when Ben Clemens serves are a substitute guest host for Ben Lindbergh, making Ben Clemens "Prime Ben" and Ben Lindbergh "Other Ben." This happened, for example, in episodes 1762, 2046, and 2047.
Episode 1031: Season Preview Series: Mariners and Rockies

## Summary

*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 Prospectus and the Rockies’ 2017 season with Jen Mac Ramos of the Sonoma Stompers.*

## Topics

* Seattle Mariners preview with Meg Rowley
* Jerry Dipoto's active offseason
* Is the Mariners' window closing?
* Farm system depth
* Felix Hernandez
* Building on the 2016 season
* Rotation and bullpen depth
* Edwin Diaz
* Jean Segura
* Fan feelings going into the season
* Colorado Rockies preview with Jen Mac Ramos
* Ian Desmond signing and injury
* Developing pitchers for Coors Field
* Bullpen potential
* Coors Field advantages
* Front office strategy
* Nolan Arenado
* DJ LeMahieu
* Jen's job with the Stompers

## Interstitials

Wings, "Soily"

Teenage Fanclub, "Thin Air"

## Banter

* Ian Desmond said "I am a baseball player" when he was introduced to new Rockies' manager Bud Black.
* Dick Williams, a Hall of Fame manager, reportedly once soiled his pants while fighting with a player and then tried to use it as a motivational tactic with the team.

## Notes

* All of the Mariners' minor league affiliates went to the playoffs in 2016 in their respective leagues.
* Meg is most worried about the Mariners' starting rotation going into the season.
* Meg predicts that the Mariners will win 85 games this season.
* The Rockies' bullpen in 2016 was last in WPA.
* Jen predicts that the Rockies will win 74 games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1031: Season Preview Series: Mariners and Rockies
Episode 1184: When Would You Want Your World Series?

## Summary

*Ben and Sam discuss the optimal distribution of World Series wins across an average lifespan.*

## Topics

* World Series wins hypothetical
* Team fandom
* Cincinnati Reds all star selection

## Banter

* Sam refers to Effectively Wild as a "twice daily podcast".
* Ben jokes that the Baseball Reference play index has added Statcast data.
* Sam suggests that Ben is expecting his first child.

## Notes

* This is the 703rd episode of Effectively Wild. The episode number was selected as part of a future day at Baseball Prospectus where all articles were written two years into the future. Ben would acknowledge this in Episode 1185 in March 2018, explaining why the podcast feed appeared to skip 1184.
* While setting up his topic, Sam rattles off recent World Series winners, starting with the Marlins winning in what would have been the 2016 season (in reality, they went 79-82). He correctly "predicted" the Royals winning in 2015 (on the day the episode ran, the Royals had MLB's second-best record).
* He also mentions the Cubs being in first place. On the air date, they were 46-37. On the future date, they were 4.5 GB.
* Sam's central question for the episode: Your child's favorite team will win three world series in their lifetime. You get to choose when those wins occur. When do you choose them to maximize happiness?
* Ben refers to his unborn hypothetical child as "little Albers".
* Ben's first response is to have the wins evenly spaced out, with the first win coming while the child is young, but old enough to appreciate the win.
* Sam likes the idea of a dynasty, but also would want to win one at a younger age. Sam chooses ages 9, 59, and 60.
* Ben & Sam try to guess who the Reds' (future) all star selection will be. Ben suggests Jumbo Diaz, Sam says Tanner Scheppers. Ben references an imaginary Joey Votto trade.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1184: When Would You Want Your World Series?
* Archive for July 8, 2015 by Baseball Prospectus
Episode 1191: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Pirates

## Summary

*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 Holland, then preview the 2018 Blue Jays (15:00) with Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, and the 2018 Pirates (46:48) with MLB.com’s Adam Berry.*

## Topics

* Toronto Blue Jays preview with Ben Nicholson-Smith
* Blue Jays offseason moves & 2018 projections
* Aaron Sanchez blister problems
* Macrus Stroman recovery
* Josh Donaldson contract
* Justin Smoak's ceiling
* Blue Jays' outfield prospects
* Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. & Bo Bichette
* Starting rotation & bullpen depth
* Randal Grichuk
* Kevin Pillar defensive outlook
* Jose Bautista's Toronto legacy
* Pittsburgh Pirates preview with Adam Berry
* Andrew McCutchen & Gerrit Cole trades
* Bob Nutting & MLBPA grievance
* Could the Pirates spend if they wanted to?
* Pirates' farm system depth
* Free agency options for Pirates
* Gregory Polanco & Starling Marte
* Austin Meadows & Jordan Luplow long term projection
* Replacing John Jaso

## Interstitials

The Tragically Hip, "Toronto #4"

Neko Case, "Mood to Burn Bridges"

## Banter

* Episode 1173 follow-up: Scott Boras boat analogy
* Lucas Giolito projection
* Episode 1190 follow-up: Ronald Acuna's OPS has gone up again.
* Alex Cobb and Greg Holland are still unsigned.

## Notes

* Ben Nicholson-Smith predicts that Guerrero Jr. and Bichette will land on the Blue Jays' MLB roster in early 2019.
* Ben projects 84 wins for the Blue Jays.
* The Blue Jays drew over 3 million fans last season and were #1 in American League attendance.
* David Freese is the only payer on the Pirates' 40-man roster to be acquired by free agency.
* Adam projects 76 wins for the Pirates.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1191: Season Preview Series: Blue Jays and Pirates
* 2018 Season Preview Series Index by Banished to the Pen
* Aaron, Trout, Harper...Acuna? Scout thinks so by Mark Bowman
Episode 106: How Good is the Angels’ Offense?/What We Think About the Yips/Does Pitcher Pace Matter?

## Summary

*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.*

## Topics

* Los Angeles Angels' offense
* The yips
* Pitcher pace

## Banter

Sam is currently watching the show Girls, which Ben has also watched. Sam thinks you can make anything exciting by setting it in New York.

## Email Questions

* Robert: "After the Hamilton signing the Angels' lineup seems pretty much set, except possibly for the departure of one or two of the outfielders. That said, is it particularly likely to be a better offense than it was last year? [Sam skims the email]...The Angels have a decent chance of getting more help from Ianetta and another step forward from Trumbo, but it sounds to me as if it adds up to a better than even chance of fewer runs scored."
* Allen: "I heard on a pod last year that one scout said Bauer had the yips. What's your thought on the yips?"
* Donald: "Is there any comparative data on starting pitchers who are fast workers versus slow workers? Commentators will compliment both styles, for example "he works so quickly, he keeps the hitters off balance", or "he works so slowly, he ruins the hitters' timing and interrupts their routines". I also wonder if there is data on batters stepping out and asking for time and whether or not that really does negatively impact pitcher results."

## Notes

* Sam thinks you can make a case that at every position the Angels are a little bit worse.
* Sam is amazed at how little players get the yips, since he thinks it would happen to him "almost immediately".
* Ben does not have a driver's license.
* Ben discusses Randy Consuegra who struggled with command in 2010, throwing 6 wild pitches in 1/3 inning. Consuegra played for the Sonoma Stompers in 2014.
* The average time per pitch is 22 seconds.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 106: How Good is the Angels’ Offense?/What We Think About the Yips/Does Pitcher Pace Matter?
* Schrodinger's Bat: Hummingbirds and Sloths by Dan Fox
* Short Work by Mike Fast
Episode 1097: How the Big Mac Was Made

## Summary

*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 Baseball Encyclopedia, or “Big Mac,” which provided the most comprehensive and accurate account of the sport’s statistical past when it was published in 1969, and which made baseball’s sabermetric revolution possible.*

## Topics

* Stat sources
* What made you want to put the encyclopedia
* Reception of book
* Help with the book
* How did this happen so fast
* Babe Ruth suspensions
* Process for feeding the stats into computer
* Could you foresee the sabermetric movement

## Notes

* Sammy Bird got the nickname, Babe Ruths legs.

## Links

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1097-how-the-big-mac-was-made/

Link to Rob Neyer’s article about the Big Mac
Episode 1039: Is Defense Still Winning the Analysis War?

## Summary

*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 latest sabermetric insights still favor defense over offense, or whether hitters have started to even the score.*

## Topics

* Does offense or defense have the advantage in the information era?
* Statcast and swing changes
* Pitch location
* Hitter responses to the shift
* Manager in-game decisions
* Projections for specific batter-pitcher matchups

## Banter

* This is the last podcast of the 2016-17 offseason; Jeff and Ben review some of the big stories from the winter.
* Neither Jeff nor Ben feel that any one team 'won the offseason'.
* Episode 1038 follow-up: One listener looked at the Blue Jays schedule and concluded that Clayton Kershaw could have made 24 starts during the season even if he only pitched during homestands.
* Drew Smyly will likely need Tommy John surgery which sparks a discussion about the potential health issues caused by the World Baseball Classic.

## Notes

* While hitters have adjusted to the changes in defense and pitching, Jeff notes that there have already been counter-adjustments made by pitchers in response. He cites the changes that pitchers made to how they approached Mike Trout.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1039: Is Defense Still Winning the Analysis War?
Episode 1013: Were the Cardinals Punished Appropriately?

## Summary

*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 Cardinals-Astros hacking scandal.*

## Topics

* St. Louis Cardinals hacking of Houston Astros
* Were the Cardinals punished enough?
* What could have been gained from the hack?
* What would have been the correct punishment?
* Did this affect the front office, team, or fans more?

## Notes

* “Wherever I Go, the Champagne flow” - Jerrod Dyson
* The Cardinals have to give the Astros $2 millino and their top two draft picks (56 & 75) and international signing bonus money
* Cardinals ex-scouting director Chris Correa was banned from baseball for life
* $2 million is the maximum amount a team can be fined.
* The cardinals signed a free agent that costed a first round pick for the first time in ten years before the punishment was levied.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1013: Were the Cardinals Punished Appropriately?
Episode 1088: Sabermetrics Meets Japan

## Summary

*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 Shingo Murata, baseball strategy group manager for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (the team with the best record in Nippon Professional Baseball), about how he got a job in Japanese baseball, the resistance to sabermetrics in Japan, and Rakuten's cutting-edge analytical efforts to optimize their in-game tactics and evaluate players both at home and abroad.*

## Topics

* Interview with Shingo Murata
* Getting jobs in Japanese baseball
* Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
* Sabermetrics in Japanese baseball
* Deltagraphs
* Bunting
* Communication with coaches and players
* Outlook for NPB growth
* Limited shifting in Japan
* NPB fan coordination
* Best ways to follow NPB

## Banter

* Ben mentions past episodes 426, 700, and 887 which examined use of sabermetrics in other countries and baseball leagues.
* Trevor Cahill trade between the Royals and Padres
* Keon Broxton's demotion to the minor leagues
* Khris Davis weak throwing arm
* Clayton Kershaw's injury outlook
* Ben booked his trip to Salina, Kansas to see the Stockade play

## Notes

* Shingo says that several NPB companies are owned by technology companies and those have been more receptive to building up analytics departments.
* Bunting in Japanese baseball is almost four times as common than in MLB.
* Shingo things that talent and cultural barriers will prevent sabermetrics from spreading in Japan as quickly as it did among MLB teams.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1088: Sabermetrics Meets Japan
* The Bill James of Japan by Ben Lindbergh
Episode 1201: The Shohei Ohtani Reappreciation Pod

## Summary

*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, and Ian Happ, and then do a deep dive on Shohei Ohtani’s past, present, and future as a hitter and pitcher and the wonder of what he accomplished last week.*

## Topics

* Shohei Ohtani is the biggest baseball story since….?
* What would be the lowest rated MLB TV game this year?
* Will the lure of the playoffs change the way the Angels handle Shohei Ohtani?
* Teams adjustments to Shohei Ohtani, the hitter.
* When will we start to take Shohei Ohtani for granted?
* Will the Royals attendance be inflated if Shohei Ohtani pitches Sunday?

## Banter

* The Padres game Saturday ended on a walk off pop up.
* The Yadier Molina incident from the weekend.
* Giancarlo Stanton getting booed.
* Byron Buxton’s slow start.
* Ian Happ is starting slow.
* Xander Bogarts hurt

## Notes

* Shohei Ohtani’s fangraphs page is 5.9 times as popular as any other player.
* Giancarlo Stanton got booed after having 5 strikeouts in a game.
* Byron Buxton has a .185 batting average, a .222 OPS, and a wRC+ of 5, which is actually an improvement from last year.
* Jeff thinks we will unfairly hold the success of Shohei Ohtani against the next Japanese star coming over.
* Shohei Ohtani was worth 1 WAR in his first week.
* Ben feels for Mike Trout that it takes Shohei Ohtani to come over for him to get recognition.
* Ben thinks maybe the Angels can try to have Shohei Ohtani bat for himself down the line.
* Shohei Ohtani has 2nd highest exit velocity.
* Ben thinks we won't take Shohei Ohtani for granted until mid next season.

## Links

* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1201-the-shohei-ohtani-reappreciation-pod/
* https://twitter.com/MLB/status/982812614509125634/video/1
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMh1Zp8ETPc
* https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/4/9/17215898/shohei-ohtani-los-angeles-angels-pitching-hitting-one-week-war
Mass Production Unicron

Mass Production Unicron is a planet size mecha built by Zen Gobotron Teikoku base on Unicron. Despite the name implied it power, Mass Production Unicron was not very effective even in it first combat tour. Primus considered both Unicron and Mass Production Unicron to be an insult to himself.

## Weapon System

Point Defense Turret

Chest Mounted Seibertron Grade Nuclear Missile Launcher

Eye Beam

Mouth Flame Thrower

Omniversal Destruction Cannon
Episode 1051: The Mike Trout Challengers

## Summary

*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, if any, can challenge Mike Trout for the title of best player in baseball, try to assemble a FrankenTrout, and conduct a brief Bryce Harper debate.*

## Topics

* Is Mike Trout still baseball's best position player?
* Francisco Lindor
* Bryce Harper
* Creating the best Mike Trout season

## Banter

* Jeff Manship's KBO stats
* Chris Devenski's strikeout total
* Hitters' approach to Andrew Miller
* Changing playoff odds
* Mets' injury management

## Notes

* In 5 starts in the KBO, Jeff Manship has a 1.72 ERA and .99 WHIP.
* Chris Devenski has 32 strikeouts this season in 16 2/3 innings.
* The Giants' Fangraphs win projection has gone down by 8 games since opening day.
* Jeff, on the episode's topic: "Mike Trout episode! We're not going to cripple Mike Trout, we're not going to tie him to anything heavy...we're not going to draw and quarter Mike Trout..."
* Ben thinks perhaps Bryce Harper could take the 'best position player title' from Mike Trout. Jeff thinks Francisco Lindor.
* Ben mentions past discussions in Episode 282, Episode 771, and Episode 867 that compared the careers of Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.
* Ben is curious to put together the best possible Mike Trout season based on elements of past Mike Trout seasons.
* Bryce Harper has 6 more walks that strikeouts this season.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1051: The Mike Trout Challengers
* Rick Ankiel and Chris Devenski by The Ringer MLB Show
* Joey Votto: I want to be 'unpitchable' by Zach Buchanan
* The Take That for Data Edition by Hang Up and Listen
Episode 1055: A Scorecard, a Save, and a Home-Run Reveal

## Summary

*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 a besieged closer and a Matt Albers milestone, and discuss the implications of a new development in the high-home-run-rate mystery.*

## Topics

* Increased home-run rate
* MLB ball testing results
* Possible explanations for the home-run rate

## Banter

* Ben and Jeff talk with listener (and future University of Chicago pitcher) Connor Watrous about his experience keeping score during the 18-inning Cubs vs. Yankees game.
* Both Ben and Jeff admit that they very infrequently (or never in Jeff's case) keep score for games. Connor says that keeping score at spring training games was good practice for the 18-inning game.
* Experience of watching a very long baseball game
* Connor's scouting report
* Jeff reads an article about a fan attacking Randy Myers on the field in 1995 after he blew a save.
* Matt Albers earned his first career save. He now holds the record for most games finished with only one save. In a post-game press conference Albers acknowledged the article Ben had written about him and Ryan Webb.

## Notes

* Jeff asks Connor if he "has a preferred elbow surgeon".
* Ben says that while watching Matt Albers go for the save he found himself wanting Albers to get it. Ben had previously not been sure how he would feel.
* This season's home-run rate is the highest in history.
* After reviewing the MLB ball testing results Ben no longer feels he can say that the ball is being juiced. Jeff says after getting these results it makes it a conspiracy theory to say that the ball is juiced.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1055: A Scorecard, a Save, and a Home-Run Reveal
* As Home Run Rates Rise, MLB Offers Evidence That the Ball Isn't Juiced by Ben Lindbergh
* Connor's 18-inning scorecard
* Fan Tussles With Myers on Field by Associated Press
Episode 1178: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Tigers

## Summary

*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, why spring training intentions often go awry, and sabermetric trailblazer Sherri Nichols, then preview the 2018 Nationals (23:46) with the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes, and the 2018 Tigers (50:44) with MLB.com’s Jason Beck.*

## Topics

* Washington Nationals preview with Chelsea Janes
* Winter Olympic
* Bryce Harper & Nationals timeline
* Hiring of Dave Martinez
* What are the chances the Nationals sign Jake Arrieta?
* Matt Wieters bounce back?
* Michael Taylor's level of faith from organization
* Adam Eaton injury recovery progress
* What is Max Scherzer working on?
* Ryan Zimmerman expectations
* What is the feeling and perception of Stephen Strasburg?
* Is this the best bullpen the Nationals have had?
* Did Jayson Werth live up to contract?
* Where does Anthony Rendon rank among baseball's best?
* Are there any position battles for the Nationals?
* Detroit Tigers preview with Jason Beck
* Daniel Norris expectations
* Can Jordan Zimmermann ever bounce back?
* Can Miguel Cabrera stay healthy?
* Victor Martinez's future?
* Tigers' farm system?
* Are the Tigers playing closer attention to the defensive catching metrics?
* What is missing with Nicholas Castellanos or is this his ceiling?
* Are fans upset that the Tigers are starting this rebuild?
* Will the payroll ramp up to prior highs or will they live a bit more ”in their means”?

## Interstitial

Marcy Playground, "Sherry Fraser"

The Isotopes, "Tigerblood"

## Banter

* Scott Boras used another bad volcano analogy
* Eric Hosmer and J.D. Martinez contracts
* The Rays have decided to sell everyone again
* New pace of play rules
* The Tigers working on changing “pitching cadence”
* Ben's article about Sheri Nichols

## Notes

* Chelsea predicted the Nationals win 93 games
* The Tigers ranked last by far in catching runs saved
* Jason predicted the Tigers win 64 games

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1178: Season Preview Series: Nationals and Tigers
* The Sabermetric Movement's Forgotten Foremother by Ben Lindbergh
* 2018 Season Preview Series Index by Banished to the Pen
Episode 1004: The Joe and Rany Re-Reunion

## Summary

*Ben talks to Joe Sheehan and Rany Jazayerli about unsigned free agents, baseball economics, trends to watch in 2017, and the perplexing Royals.*

## Topics

* Off season catch up
* Why has offseason been so slow
* No overpays
* Revenue
* The CBA and player control
* Baseball now
* The Royals

## Notes

* “We’re all just saving all our pennies for 2 years” - Rany
* “Can we do the CBA conversation or do we not have 17 hours?” - Joe
* “We have 7 minutes to talk about the Royals, thes about 7 more minutes than anyone else will talk about the Royals” - Ben and Joe

## Links

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1004/
Episode 1076: Undoing the Dodgers

## Summary

*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 discuss the Dodgers’ enviable present and future and whether anything can end their NL West hegemony. After that, they close with some episode-ending banter about the Adeiny Hechavarria trade and the official start of trading season.*

## Topics

* Los Angeles Dodgers' long term future
* Dodgers' strong lineup and rotation
* How long will the Dodgers stay competitive?
* NL West long-term projections

## Banter

* Jeff says the weather in Portland this weekend made it seem like "the world was trying to kill us".
* Boston Red Sox success at throwing high fastballs
* Increase in the average height of fastballs
* Carter Capps was charged with two illegal pitches in a recent minor league start. He was then ejected after throwing two additional illegal pitches.
* Consistent struggles of the Washington Nationals' bullpen
* Mark Melancon's impact on the San Francisco Giants' team chemistry
* Grant Brisbee's new TV show
* Tampa Bay Rays trade for Adeiny Hechavarria

## Notes

* This season Red Sox pitchers have allowed the lowest wOBA on fastballs.
* Ken Rosenthal reported that Angel Pagan's negative presence in the Giants' clubhouse actually worked to bring other players together.
* The episode topic is inspired by an article Ben wrote in 2015 that discussed the Dodgers' bright future. He still thinks that if you were to start a franchise today you would want to build it to look like the Dodgers.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1076: Undoing the Dodgers
* The Red Sox Are Kings of the High Fastball by Jeff Sullivan
* San Francisco Giants find nothing is routine in troubled 2017 season by Ken Rosenthal
Episode 1045: Go-Go Gadget Game Times

## Summary

*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 increase in game times in 2017, the factors slowing pace of play, and the coming of the pitch clock.*

## Topics

* Mike Trout, WAR king on Baseball-Reference
* Stephen Wright bad in heat or rain
* Matt Adams
* Fake athlete social media accounts
* Pitch clocks and pace of play

## Banter

* Mike Trout takes lead in WAR on Baseball-Reference
* Stephen Wright is called out because in any moisture he is bad according to coach John Farrell
* Matt Adams in St. Louis Cardinals outfield (bad)
* Briefly touched on athletes; fake social media accounts and how it's a great idea

## Notes

* They begrudgingly bring up the Reds due to Eugenio Suárez being in top 10 in WAR.
* Tommy Pham liked Dave Cameron's article about Adams being bad in OF and Pham's deserving chance.
* Pitch clocks were, in part, responsible for AA and AAA games being sped up by just over 10 minute0.s

## Links

* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1045-go-go-gadget-game-times/
* http://www.weei.com/blogs/ryan-hannable/john-farrell-hints-steven-wright-may-need-be-scratched-games-involving-rain-heat
* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/whats-the-point-of-the-matt-adams-outfield-experiment/
Diamondbacks Headlines Contest

The **Diamondbacks Headlines Contest** was a daily contest on the web site for the Diamondbacks' hometown newspaper, the Arizona Republic, in which fans submitted game headlines. Sam stumbled upon the contest in late 2014, leading to an episode arc (starting with Episode 498). He would take the entries to task, critiquing the information conveyed and the wordplay used (which included rhymes, alliteration, and really obvious puns). Oft-cited phrases in the Facebook group would soon include “How Sweep It is” and “Venomous Snakes.”

## Nora Morse

Nora Morse was a prolific contributor to the competition, submitting 25 headlines in all. She repeatedly supplied depressing, frequently nihilistic headlines that reflected a state of severe pessimism about the Diamondbacks team, front office, and life in general. They amused Sam to such an extent that it provoked fits of laughter in one episode . Highlights included:

"D-Backs fight valiantly to win meaningless game"

"D'Backs Pathetic in Split With Cleveland: Kevin Towers Designated for Assignment"

"D'Backs lousy"

On one memorable occasion, July 31st, Nora submitted seven different headlines lamenting the state of the team. None of them won.

Nora's methods did not include puns, but because they were such a staple of other contest entrants, many have since associated her with pun-based headlines.

### After the headlines contest

Late in 2016, Nora resurfaced as a commenter on one of Sam's articles at ESPN. This prompted much discussion in the Facebook group as to whether this was in fact the real Nora, an EW listener, or even whether there ever was a real Nora in the first place. The matter remains unresolved, although given that the contest was unrelated to EW, and she also penned a review of a golf course in September 2014, if it has been a listener all along, they have worked awfully hard to make it appear otherwise.

In 2023, a user named Nora Morse used the social media platform formerly known as Twitter to celebrate the Diamondbacks reaching the World Series, as noted in Episode 2077.
Branzino

Meg will occasionally complain about missing out on the **branzino** at Ironside Fish & Oyster. This is a reference to an incident during the 2019 Winter Meetings when FanGraphs owner David Appelman took the staff out to dinner, but the Gerritt Cole deal broke, and she had to abandon their dinner to cover it. She never got to eat the branzino.

Mentioned in Patreon Bonus Episode #13 (Thanksgiving traditions), Episode 1939 banter, Episode 1940, 2023 World Series Game 1 Patreon livestream, Episode 2094 at the Winter Meetings.

In the Patreon livestream of the first game of the 2023 World Series, Ben enjoyed some branzino as the game went into extra innings at midnight. He shared a picture of it. So Meg missed the branzino *again*.

## Footnotes and references

1. ↑ At the same dinner, Eric Longenhagen missed dessert to cover the Nomar Mazara trade. Oh, the hazards of being a baseball writer.
Episode 1115: Has The 2017 Season Been Bad?

## Summary

*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 decision to kneel during the National Anthem, whether the 2017 season has been bad, and how one would even decide such a thing.*

## Topics

* Reviewing the 2017 season
* What makes a baseball season good or bad?
* Playoff races
* 2017 season storylines

## Banter

* Episode 1114 follow-up: Several listeners followed up with more information about the Glory Hole recreation area and the glory hole in Lake Berryessa, CA.
* Brandon Crawford's terrible bunt attempt against Clayton Kershaw
* Andrelton Simmons' deke of Carlos Correa to get him into a rundown
* Bruce Maxwell was the first MLB player to decide to kneel during the National Anthem.
* Reviewing Aaron Judge's performance since Ben wrote about him

## Notes

* Other recreation areas highlighted by listeners (and Jeff) include Big Bone Lick State Park and the Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area.
* The topic was based off a listener email wondering if 2017 had been a bad baseball season because of a lack of balance among good/bad teams.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1115: Has The 2017 Season Been Bad?
* Brandon Crawford's bunt attempt
* Andrelton Simmons gets Carlos Correa in a rundown
Baseball exceptionalism

Starting in Episode 1936, Ben began collecting **ways that baseball is unique or unusual** among major sports.

In Episode 1954, Ben acknowledges that many of these attributes are shared with cricket due their common ancestry as bat-and-ball games.

In Episode 1957, Ben notes that all sports have their own uniqueness. He's not denying that other sports can come up with their own list of unique or unusual properties, but he feels that baseball has more points of difference than most other sports.

In Episode 1963, a listener notes that tennis shares a number of properties with baseball.

## List of things that make baseball unique or unusual

Some things that make baseball unique predate the official introduction of the topic in Episode 1936. They are listed here as unnumbered.

* Very long season
* Batting order prevents you from putting your best hitter in the highest leverage moments
* 1936: Not clock-based
* 1936: Defense controls the ball
* 1936: Variable field dimensions
* 1936: Extensive data analysis
* 1936: The number of balls used in a game (also 1937)
* 1937: Coaches wear uniforms and are allowed on the field
* 1937: Strike zone changes size based on batter
* 1950: Asymmetric fields
* 1950: One-way substitutions
* 1953: The ball is not what scores points
* 1954: Players wear pants with belts
* 1954: Player handedness plays a large role
* 1955: Offense and defense use different equipment
* 1955: Multiple playing surfaces (dirt and grass)
* 1955: Ejections for being rude
* 1955: The game cannot be played in a mirror (due to counter-clockwise baserunning)
* 1956: Players bring snacks onto the field
* 1957: Mound puts players at different elevations
* 1958: Strike zone is invisible
* 1959: Concept of foul territory (out of bounds but in play)
* 1959: Scoring by sending the ball out of the field
* 1959: Spectators can legally interact with the game
* 1959: Highly descriptive scoreboard (also 1960)
* 1959: Numerically pleasing (3's and 9's)
* 1960: Scoreboard contains supplementary scoring information
* 1960: Out-of-town scoreboard
* 1960: Live play not show on video scoreboard, limited replays on scoreboard
* 1960: Tradition of singing a song about the sport itself during the game (also 1961)
* 1960: Each field has its own ground rules
* 1960: Umpires have to rule on hypotheticals
* 1960: Fielders can play the ball with any part of the body
* 1961: Unlimited time outs with no set limit
* 1961: Creation of a stat ("save") changed how the game is played
* 1962: Statistics consider what "should" have happened
* 1962: Players missing important games due to rest (particularly pitchers)
* 1962: Player usage very different between regular season and playoffs
* 1963: Unwritten rules (slowly vanishing)
* 1963: Meaningful difference between leagues (gone)
* 1963: Anti-fraternization rule (ignored)
* 1963: Double and triple plays are like running the clock at double-speed
* 1963: Defense outnumbers offense on the field
* 1963: Counterpoint: Baseball is not uniquely a game of failure
* 1966: The "series": Teams play multiple games against each other in a row
Episode 1177: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Padres

## Summary

*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 (16:27) with The Athletic Chicago’s Sahadev Sharma, and the 2018 Padres (46:43) with The Athletic San Diego’s Dennis Lin.*

## Topics

* Chicago Cubs preview with Sahadev Sharma
* Why won't the Cubs sign Alex Cobb
* Tyler Chatwood & Albert Almora Jr
* Why didn't the Cubs deal from position players for pitching
* Justin Wilson
* Can Kyle Schwarber play the field?
* Should Mike Montgomery be a starter?
* Addison Russell's ceiling
* San Diego Padres preview with Dennis Lin
* Austin Hedges, Eric Hosmer, & Will Myers
* Andy Green's managerial style
* Is Jose Pirela the Padres best hitter?
* Franchy Cordero’s role
* Is Kazuhisa Makita going to be good?
* Padres' rotation
* Ownership and GM relationship
* Padres' San Diego footprint
* Does Manny Margot have power potential?

## Interstitials

Neil Young, "Say Hello to Chicago"

Passion Pit, "Better Things"

## Banter

* Andrew Cashner signed with the Orioles
* Super teams that miss the mark
* Marcus Stroman loses arbitration case

## Notes

* The 2015 Nationals were projected to win division by 14 games, the Mets won the division by 7 games
* The Cubs never exchanged names for Chris Archer
* Justin Wilson came to the Cubs and walked 19 in 17.2 innings
* Sahadev predicted the Cubs win 99 games.
* Dennis predicted the Padres win 75 games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1177: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Padres
* Does Arbitration Drive Players Away? by Ben Lindbergh
* 2018 Season Preview Series Index by Banished to the Pen
Episode 1189: Season Preview Series: Giants and Athletics

## Summary

*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 signings, the offseason market in review, and a Stephen Hawking baseball connection, then preview the 2018 Giants (32:07) with SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee, and the 2018 Athletics (1:07:20) with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser.*

## Topics

* San Francisco Giants preview with Grant Brisbee
* Giants hitting fewer home runs
* Giants unable to acquire Giancarlo Stanton
* Luxury tax
* Giants roster age
* Brandon Belts health?
* What does Hunter Pence have left?
* Is Austin Jackson an everyday guy?
* Is there worry about Madison Bumgarner?
* Any optimism for Johnny Cueto or Brandon Crawford?
* The Giants rotation behind Madison Bumgarner
* Chris Stratton
* The Giants bullpen
* Oakland Athletics preview with Susan Slusser
* Why are there so few international players on the team?
* What does Jonathan Lucroy signing mean to the A’s?
* Are the A’s still a team that has an edge, analytically, on other teams?
* The A’s pitching rotation
* What is the outlook on the A’s position players?
* What was the team's response to the revenue sharing grievance by the MLBPA and how is the phasing out of the revenue sharing dollars affecting the spending?
* A’s stadium problem update and is it affecting getting players to come play?
* What is Franklin Barreto's outlook?
* Have you ever encountered a “yips” case like Khris Davis?
* Have the A’s not completely bottomed out on purpose, and why or why not?
* Why did the A’s sign so many fly ball relievers?
* Is Stephen Piscotty able to focus on baseball?
* What does Dustin Fowler look like, how is injury rehab going?
* The feelings of A’s fans towards recent moves

## Interstitials

Marbles, "Grant Me the Day"

The Jayhawks, "Black-Eyed Susan"

## Banter

* Free agent contract contest and the various things that contributed to the down market.
* Lance Lynn contract and how it affects the Twins rotation.
* Neil Walker contract and why the Yankees signed him.
* Jake Arrieta signed a team friendly contract with the Phillies.
* Middle class free agents and how they were hit hardest this past off-season (unless they are a reliever).
* Stephen Hawking’s death and connection to baseball.

## Notes

* Lance Lynn had 58 strikeouts and 54 walks last year.
* Grant predicted the Giants win 84 games.
* Susan predicted the A’s win 81 games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1189: Season Preview Series: Giants and Athletics
* Why Baseball Games Are So Damned Long by Grant Brisbee
* Effective Wild Competitions and Drafts
* Yankees Rescue Neil Walker from Value Bin by Travis Sawchik
* 2018 Season Preview Series Index by Banished to the Pen
Episode 1104: Operation Mic Drop

## Summary

*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 Zelezny, Rich Hill and pitcher bunting, the Pirates placing Juan Nicasio on outright waivers, and infield dirt, then talk to musician and artist Will Johnson about how he started doing his popular portraits of baseball players, why baseball lends itself to art, and the Mookie Wilson work that he’s auctioning off for the Houston Food Bank.*

## Topics

* Interview with Will Johnson
* Will's painting style
* Commission requests
* Deciding on content for paintings
* Will's baseball fandom and music career
* ESPN video-box strike zone
* Baseball music
* Will's painting of Mookie Wilson

## Banter

* Episode 1099 follow-up: There will be a raffle for Ben's broken microphone, a signed copy of *The Only Rule Is It Has to Work*, and an Effectively Wild t-shirt. Proceeds will go towards Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
* Justin Upton was traded to the Angels.
* The Minnesota Twins won a game on a walk-off hit by pitch.
* Episode 1098 follow-up: Jan Zelezny, a gold medal javelin thrower, once got a tryout with the Atlanta Braves. He was estimated to throw around 80-85 MPH.
* Rich Hill bunted for a base hit; Ben wonders why more pitchers do not do this.
* Juan Nicasio was placed on outright waivers by the Pirates in an effort to get him on a team that is a playoff contender.
* Use of dirt from western Pennsylvania in MLB fields

## Notes

* Since 1930 there have been 67 walk-off hit by pitches. Jonny Gomes is the only batter to be hit twice to win a game.
* Will said that he initially started painting simply as a way to help fill the walls in his home. Within two years it had progressed into something that he was able to sell.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1104: Operation Mic Drop
* Jan Zelezny baseball training video
* Rich Hill Bunted for a Base Hit by Carson Cistulli
* Javelin Thrower Shows Braves His Stuff by Jerry Schwartz