recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Episode 1147: Ohtani Time at Last

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss all the implications of the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani signing, including its impact on the franchise’s short- and long-term outlook, the Ohtani-Trout tag team, the Albert Pujols conundrum at DH, and where Ohtani’s trade value ranks. Then they assess the suffering of the finalists that lost out on Ohtani and banter about Giancarlo Stanton’s trade rejections, the Mariners’ trade for Dee Gordon, the Cubs’ signing of Tyler Chatwood, Brian Cashman’s extension, and more.*

## Topics

* Shohei Ohtani signed with Angels
* Why did Ohtani choose the Angels and how does he fit there?
* Ohtani impact on Angels' rotation
* Ohtani impact on Albert Pujols?
* Marketing the Angels with Ohtani
* Ohtani's trade value
* Next moves for teams that lost out on Ohtani

## Banter

* Giancarlo Stanton turned down a trade to the Cardinals.
* The Mariners traded for Dee Gordon and immediately moved him to center field.
* The Cubs signed Tyler Chatwood, why?
* Brian Cashman got a five year extension.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1147: Ohtani Time at Last
* Shohei Ohtani's Signing is Great News for Every Angel but Albert Pujols by Ben Lindbergh
Episode 1131: This One Goes to Seven

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the historic nature of the 2017 World Series and discuss World Series Game 6, including Josh Reddick’s record in clutch situations, David Roberts’ Rich Hill hook, a Justin Verlander decision, and the Astros’ and Dodgers’ different approaches to pitcher usage, then analyze Game 7’s pitching predicaments and the Clayton Kershaw question before answering listener emails about heavily used playoff relievers, starters pitching on short rest in the postseason, the significance of shutdown innings, Chris Taylor’s value, clutch defense, the timing of MVP voting, and more.*

## Topics

* Heavy reliever usage in the playoffs
* Lack of significance to shutdown innings
* Chris Taylor contract hypothetical
* Measuring clutch defense
* Timing of MVP voting

## Banter

* Review of the 2017 World Series and swings in championship probability
* Josh Reddick's poor performance in clutch situations throughout his career
* David Roberts' decision to pull Rich Hill through four innings
* Allowing Justin Verlander to hit with runners on in the fifth inning
* Differing approaches by the Astros and Dodgers to pitcher usage
* Expectations for Game 7 pitching plans
* Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and starters relieving on short rest

## Email Questions

* Andrew: "Do we know if there's any difference in the probability of a team scoring in the half inning immediately after their opponent has scored?"
* Ryan: "Say that the Dodgers accidentally non-tender Chris Taylor and he becomes a free agent. What sort of contract does he end up signing?"
* Marcus: "Is there a stat like clutch, but for defensive opportunities?"
* Steven: "Cody Bellinger broke the World Series strikeout record in Game 6, right? Does this mean we are used to the strikeouts? Should we even care about this record?

## Stat Segment

* Darold Knowles appeared in all seven games of the 1973 World Series. So far Brandon Morrow has appeared in all six games of the 2017 World Series.
* In 1997 Paul Assenmacher made 14 appearances for the Cleveland Indians, a playoff appearance record for pitchers.

## Notes

* Through six games the total change in WPA throughout the World Series ranks 20th all-time among all playoff series.
* Russell Carleton's research indicated that a 'shutdown inning' does not significantly increase a team's likelihood of scoring or improving WPA the following inning.
* Ben is in favor of keeping MVP voting before the playoffs.
* Cody Bellinger has 14 strikeouts in this series and is the first player in World Series history with multiple four strikeout games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1131: This One Goes to Seven
* King of the Unclutch by Ben Lindbergh
* The Effects of the Shutdown (Inning) by Russell Carleton
* The History of Starters Relieving on Short Rest by Jeff Sullivan
Episode 1034: Season Preview Series: Rangers and Marlins

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about anticipatory player celebrations, then preview the Rangers’ 2017 season with Levi Weaver of WFAA and the Marlins’ 2017 season with Tim Healey of the Sun Sentinel.*

## Topics

* Texas Rangers preview with Levi Weaver
* Accounting for overachieving in 2016
* Window to win and free agents
* Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar
* Carlos Gomez
* Rougned Odor
* Starting rotation
* Minor league depth
* International Signings
* Miami Marlins preview with Tim Healey
* Possible sale of the team
* Jose Fernandez
* Rotation and bullpen
* Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton
* Kyle Barraclough
* AJ Ellis
* Prospect depth

## Interstitials

Neil Young, "Texas Rangers"

Laura Marling, "Always This Way"

## Banter

* Episode 1033 follow-up: Jeff examined the last play of the 2016 World Series to see if Javier Baez celebrated early (he did not).
* Episode 1033 follow-up: Several listeners wrote in with examples of players reacting/celebrating early. This included David Ortiz walking to first base as a pitch was thrown (in a 3-ball count) and Timo Perez celebrating early in the 2000 World Series.

## Notes

* The Rangers have continued to restock minor league depth and stay competitive without having to undertake a complete rebuild.
* Levi predicts that the Rangers will win 89 games.
* Tim predicts that Christian Yelich will have a better offensive season than Giancarlo Stanton. He, Ben, and Jeff agree that Kyle Barraclough is the epitome of pitchers that are effectively wild.
* Tim thinks that the Marlins will win 81 games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1034: Season Preview Series: Rangers and Marlins
Episode 1009: The Orioles vs. the World

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan begin by bantering about tentative plans for an Effectively Wild event this summer. Then, prompted by Baltimore’s Mark Trumbo signing, they pit the perplexing Orioles against every other organization in a series of head-to-head matchups.*

## Topics

* Mark Trumbo resigning with the Baltimore Orioles
* Orioles' farm system depth
* Who would the Orioles trade places with?
* Orioles defeating projection systems

## Banter

* This is the first time Jeff does the podcast intro and he gets it on the first take.
* Episode 1008 follow-up: The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are hosting an eclipse event and Ben and Jeff are interested in organizing an Effectively Wild meet-up.

## Notes

* Mark Trumbo resigned with the Orioles for 3 years and $37.5 million, about half of what he was asking for.
* Jeff goes through each MLB team and tries to establish if a given MLB team would trade places (current roster, farm system, etc) with the Orioles.
* Jeff, after going through just a few teams, "I think this could be a six hour podcast."
* Jeff and Ben end up ranking the Orioles in the low 20s (between 22nd and 23rd) of all MLB teams.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1009: The Orioles vs. the World
Episode 117: Justin Upton Update: Still Not Traded

## Summary

*Ben and Sam discuss the rejected trade that would have made Justin Upton a Mariner.*

## Topics

* Justin Upton
* Seattle Mariners
* Trading top prospects

## Banter

* Sam is still sick. To make sure the show does not go too long, Sam takes Nyquil before the recording starts.
* Several listeners followed-up from Episode 116 on Sandy Alomar Jr.'s hall of fame qualifications.

## Notes

* Justin Upton declined a trade to the Mariners, however it still seems inevitable that he will be traded.
* Justin Upton's no-trade list includes the Red Sox, Cubs, & Mariners.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 117: Justin Upton Update: Still Not Traded
* Stuck in a slump by Robert Sanchez
Episode 1170: Are the Robots Ready?

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Nori Aoki’s return to Japan, Vladimir Guerrero’s swing rate, Franchy Cordero’s power/speed skills, spring training for free agents (again), and Melky Cabrera, then bring on Baseball Prospectus Director of Technology Harry Pavlidis to explain BP’s latest pitching-themed analysis, featuring robot umpires’ feasibility, desirability, and potential effects on offense; classifying pitchers and measuring stamina and command; and tunneling and deception.*

## Topics

* Interview with Harry Pavlidis
* Robot vs. Human umpires
* Would robot umpires favor hitters or pitchers?
* Robot umpire impact on catchers
* Classifying pitcher profiles
* Pitch tunneling
* Release point analytics

## Interstitials

Andrew Bird- Not a Robot, But a Ghost

Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots

## Banter

* It's pitching week at baseball prospectus
* Nori Aoki signed a 3 year deal in Japan
* Melky Cabrera is still on the market and that's someone sign of the broken market
* Jeff's articles on Vladimir Guerrero and Franchy Cordero
* MLBPA does not think it will have to have a special spring training camp for remaining free agents
* The possible barnstorming tour during the 94 strike

## Notes

* MLB is not close to using robot umpires.
* Harry says one game last season had 50 incorrect calls.
* Pitcher profiles include power, control, and stamina
* Ben was a game that the data found 50 incorrect balls or strikes
* The Ryan Dempster “glove flip” was in response to him tipping pitches

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1170: Are the Robots Ready?
* Vladimir Guerrero Was Obviously One of a Kind by Jeff Sullivan
* Updating Pitch Tunnels by Jeff Long, Harry Pavlidis, and Martin Alonso
* The Most Exciting Player on the Padres by Jeff Sullivan
* Robo Strike Zone: It's Not as Simple as You Think by Wayne Boyle, Sean O'Rourke, Jeff Long, and Harry Pavlidis
* Power, Command, and Stamina by Kate Morrison, Harry Pavlidis, and Jeff Long
Episode 1005: Dan Haren’s New Job and Old Fear of Hall of Famers

## Summary

*Ben talks to former major league pitcher (and newly hired Diamondbacks Pitching Strategist) Dan Haren about his new job, how players handle the media, his struggles and success against Hall of Fame-caliber hitters, his own hitting skills, PEDs, trades and free agency, baseball’s salary structure, and more.*

## Topics

* Dan Haren
* Teams hiring recently retired players
* Player training for speaking to the media
* Are baseball players funny?
* Facing hall of fame players
* Being traded and signing as a free agent

## Banter

New host Jeff Sullivan will join the show next episode.

## Notes

* Dan sees his new job as more of a front office role.
* Players have a tendency to tighten up with media after being burned for saying too much. Dan prided himself on being honest and open with the media.
* At 26:00 Dan tells stories of pitching against Hall of Fame candidates include Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Vladimir Guerrero, and Manny Ramirez.
* Ichiro Suziki had a .229 avg and .250 OBP
* Dan, on pitching to Adrian Beltre: "I would be better off just stepping off [the mound] and throwing the ball into the gap and giving him his double just to save everybody some time."

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1005: Dan Haren’s New Job and Old Fear of Hall of Famers
Episode 1120: Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back Baseball

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the larger improbability and significance of Archie Bradley’s triple in the NL wild-card game, how to experience a four-playoff-game day, the first games of both AL division series, Chris Sale’s and Masahiro Tanaka’s semi-struggles and the vexing nature of pitcher home-run allowance, the danger of using home/road splits to set playoff rotations, things every fan base believes about its team, Jose Altuve’s unusual strike zone, and more.*

## Topics

* Chris Sale decline?
* An email about Masahiro Tanaka
* Home road split cop out
* LDS game recaps
* Baserunning
* Fan beliefs
* Jose Altuve strike zone

## Banter

* Archie Bradley
* MLB playoff watching strategy
* Rich Hill has reinvented himself, again, and has become a fastball pitcher now.

## Notes

* Archie Bradley hit a triple that moved the win expectancy 16 points.
* Louis Perdomo hit 4 triples and only 5 hits in this season, he is tied for 2nd behind two guys with 5, before WW2.
* Jeff wants to watch all the games, but never seems to make the 4th game.
* Ben has no strategy in watching the marathon baseball day.
* In Chris Sale last 6 starts, 35 innings, he has allowed 12 home runs and only 9 walks and has 50 strikeouts.
* Masahiro Tanaka had a 21.2 hr/fb %, most with fastball.
* The guys think managers use “home road splits” to decide pitching starts is them not wanting to say I just have a gut feeling.
* Through 4 games there have been no surprises yet.
* The Royals only made 37 outs on the bases which is best in league.
* Jose Altuve seems to have a lot of high strikes.
* Rich Hill has the second highest whiffs per swing rate.

## Links

* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1120-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-baseball/
Episode 1205: Baseball on the Brain

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Shohei Ohtani’s blister, the Braves signing Jose Bautista as a third baseman, and Oakland’s well-attended free-admission game, then talk to two authors of new books about what happens in baseball players’ brains: Zach Schonbrun, author of The Performance Cortex: How Neuroscience is Redefining Athletic Genius (11:58), and former MLB pitcher (and current Giants mental skills coach) Bob Tewksbury, author of Ninety Percent Mental: An All-Star Player Turned Mental Skills Coach Reveals the Hidden Game of Baseball (41:04).*

## Topics

* Reason for picking baseball for neuroscience study
* Interest by teams and why
* Differences in different neuroscience scouting companies.
* How can this be used to evaluate potential
* Will this become more popular in player procurement or development?
* Pitch clock effect on players
* Psychological profiles of players vs the rest of us
* Are players still reluctant to talk to a mental skills coach?
* How are services solicited?
* Cultural divide?
* Differences in the players who have gotten big contracts and not
* How hard is it to get buy in for former players
* Effect of low pay in minors on psyche.
* Mental state of a pitcher
* More benefit to players in minors or majors?
* Bob vs Mark McGuire
* Bob vs Barry Bonds
* Mound visits

## Interstitials

The Action, "Brain"

Beulah, "Don’t Forget to Breathe"

## Banter

* Effectively Ohtani
* Braves sign Jose Bautista
* A’s “sellout”

## Notes

* Shohei Ohtani had a blister in last start and was pulled after 2 innings.
* Jose Bautista is slated at third base, played 38 games there last year.
* Jeff is curious about how the economics of the free A’s game worked out.
* “The hitting side of baseball is the most clean for data" - Zach
* The biggest hurdle is the time needed to make it work.
* Theo Epstein was in on this earliest.
* An EEG is used to measure players response time.
* Mookie Betts was a beneficiary to this science.
* This is a metric that can be read before the swing.
* There are studies that say if you warm up and then not do anything your performance suffers.
* Zach has no doubt neuroscience will be involved heavily in sports soon.
* Its part of CBA to have a mental skills coach on staff.
* Bob thinks the mental state of minor league players would improve with a more livable wage.
* Bob thinks mental skills is more important in minor leagues, but the need is also in majors.
* Bob threw Mark McGwire an eephus pitch and he grounded out and and popped out.
* Bob only allowed Barry Bonds 3 home runs.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1205: Baseball on the Brain
* How Do Athletes' Brains Control Their Movements? by Zach Schonbrun
* Bob Tewksbury's personal site
Episode 1165: Jeff Passan Diagnoses Baseball’s Broken Market

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a few recent trade demands (or non-demands), then bring on Yahoo Sports MLB columnist Jeff Passan to talk about what’s behind baseball’s slow-moving labor market, who and/or what is to blame for the sport’s present economic stalemate, and what can be done to avert disaster. Lastly, Ben provides a brief addendum on baseball’s most and least productive names.*

## Topics

* Interview with Jeff Passan
* Is there collusion this offseason?
* Baseball economics
* Free agency
* Competitive balance tax
* MLBPA leadership
* Pittsburgh Pirates
* Draft incentives to win
* Baseball names follow-up from Episode 1164

## Banter

Josh Harrison and Christian Yelich want to be traded.

## Notes

* If found to be colluding, MLB would have to pay to players 3 times the damages assessed.
* Jeff Passan disagrees with Jeff Sullivan about who people side with in the players vs. owners debate. Jeff Passan thinks that people will tend to side with owners and think players are being greedy.
* Is it a bad idea to have a former player, not a lawyer, in charge of the MLBPA?
* Jeff is frustrated at how teams have seemingly convinced fans that they are unable to spend, when they clearly are all able to.
* There have been 51 players named Willie in MLB history. They have an average of 14.6 career WAR.
* The 16 players named Jesus have the worst average career WAR (minimum 10 players with name) at 0.1.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1165: Jeff Passan Diagnoses Baseball’s Broken Market
* Here's why baseball's economic system might be broken by Jeff Passan
* Agent: Christian Yelich 'needs to get on with his career' by Jerry Crasnick
* Baseball Name Data
Episode 1162: Coping and Collecting

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh talks to SB Nation’s Grant Brisbee about the Mets’ Jay Bruce signing and finding ways to engage with baseball and keep the content coming during an excruciatingly slow offseason, then brings on Forbes contributor David Seideman to talk about trends in baseball memorabilia collecting, the enduring appeal of historic relics and signatures, and the most unlikely finds and valuable discoveries in recent years.*

## Topics

* How is Grant coping with this slow off-season?
* ERAs that have never existed
* Baseball caps at Disneyland
* Funny baseball names
* Jay Bruce signed with the Mets
* Interview with David Seideman
* Sports memorabilia
* What is the most valuable item Dave owns?
* The Jeff Ballard extra base hit baseball
* Authenticating memorabilia
* Most forged baseball cards
* The Moonlight Graham autograph
* Changing memorabilia business
* Is there a favorite card with an error on it?
* The market for Aaron Judge cards
* Beer box cards

## Banter

* Jeff is on vacation
* The off-season is slow

## Notes

* Grant's most interesting ERA that never existed is 1.05.
* Nick Testa played 1 inning in the majors and has 1 error as his only stat. He lives in the same place as Ben's grandmother.
* Cards from the 80s and 90s are widely worthless

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1162: Coping and Collecting
* The ERAs that have never existed in baseball history by Grant Brisbee
* How an Ingenious Collector Landed One of the Rarest Autographs in Baseball
* David Seideman's articles at Forbes
Episode 1067: Preseason Picks Revisited

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about another brawl involving a baseball, the still-sky-high home-run rate, and Jon Lester's successful pickoff, then revisit their preseason playoff-team picks to decide which ones they would change.*

## Topics

* Revisiting playoff predictions
* New York Yankees & Aaron Judge
* Resting pitchers mid-season
* AL Wild Card race
* Chicago Cubs' defense and losses from 2016
* NL Wild Card
* Colorado Rockies

## Banter

* Hitters are on pace this year to hit 5,993 home runs. This is over 300 more than the previous record.
* Episode 1066 follow-up: There was another minor league brawl in 2008 involving the Dayton Dragons where a ball was thrown at players.
* Jon Lester successfully picked off a runner over the weekend. He received a standing ovation afterwards. (In Episode 1163, catcher Willson Contreras explains how he got Lester to do it.)

## Final Notes

* Matt Albers was pulled from a game one out away from recording a save. This would have been a nail-biter a few months ago, but now it is hardly remarkable at all.

## Notes

* Ben says that he would not make any changes yet to his predicted division winners.
* Both Ben and Jeff think that the Rockies and Diamondbacks will be the NL Wild Card teams.
* This year the Rockies are 15-13 at home and 21-10 on the road. This goes against a long history of having a much better home than away record.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1067: Preseason Picks Revisited
Episode 1091: The Deadline Dust Settles

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Salina, skateboarding, and Albert Pujols, then break down all the big (and modest) trade-deadline deals and non-deals, paying particular attention to the Dodgers, the Yankees, and the competitive landscape with two months remaining in the regular season.*

## Topics

* The Dodgers trade deadline moves
* Yu Darvish
* The Yankees trade deadline moves
* A's return for Gray
* Sonny Gray outlook
* 2nd half outlook
* Red Sox lack of moves
* Things not addressed
* Jonathan Lucroy
* Matt Adams

## Banter

* Ben is in Salina, Kansas and reports on the amenities at the America's Best Value Inn.
* Skateboarding trick failures
* Albert Pujols grounded into double plays

## Notes

* Ben: "I don't know if I've ever seen a skateboarder land a trick."
* Last week, Ben was on a pier and watched a skateboarder try three times to perform a simple jump. On the third try, the skateboard skidded away and landed in the Hudson River.
* “This is like trying to do trampoline tricks on cement surfaces.” - Ben on skateboarding
* Albert Pujols has now tied Cal Ripken in the total times hes grounded into a double play.
* 67% of the A's return have had season ending surgery.

## Links

* Episode 1091: The Deadline Dust Settles
* Link to Ben’s article on Adrián Beltré
Meth Bell (Lord Omniverse)

Meth Bell is the elite unit compose entirely of A.I driven MS created by General Revil as an answer to Chimera Corps. While the unit record and effectiveness is unquestionable. No one in the army cannot keep themselves from chuckles everytime they heard the name.

## Methods

They're black-ops squad specialized in attacking and capture vital enemy base that are heavily guarded, causing the main force to relocated troop to said base, thinning out their forces but that is just one of their mission.

## Mobile Suit

RX-78-2 Gundam

RX-78-XX Gundam Pixie

RX-78-8 Over Gundam
Episode 1135: Players Seeking Salaries

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the latest Shohei Ohtani news, the contract requests of free agents J.D. Martinez and Jay Bruce, the Tigers’ MLB-worst World Series odds, and changes in catcher-framing stats, then review the results of Jeff’s survey on 2017 fan satisfaction*

## Topics

* Results of Jeff's 2017 Fan Satisfaction Survey
* Fan happiness

## Banter

* Shohei Ohtani to be posted
* How strong will uproar be if Shohei Ohtani starts the season in AAA?
* J.D. Martinez asking price, what is his value?
* 2018 World Series odds
* Jay Bruce contract demands
* Player nicknames
* Premium on pitch framing

## Notes

* Ben is 90% sure Shohei Ohtani will sign with a MLB team. Jeff thinks it is likely he will start the season in the minors.
* J.D. Martinez is seeking a $200 million contract. He slugged .690 last season, and has been the fifth best hitter in baseball over the last 4 years (wRC+).
* Ben thinks J.D. Martinez will be a 3.5-4 WAR player.
* The Tigers have lowest odds to win the World Series at 300 to 1.
* Jay Bruce is asking for $80 million and has been worth 3 WAR in the last 3 years, and sub replacement in 2014 and 2015.
* Jay Bruce's nickname is listed on Baseball-Reference as BRUUUUUCCE.
* There is more consistently in pitch framing overall, except from 2 years ago to this past year.
* The Yankees were the most popular team that responded to Jeff's poll.
* Usually the top two teams are the 2 world series teams, this year they are not.
* Giants and Mets fans had the worst experience according to Jeff's poll.
* The White Sox rating surged over the last two years.
* Average fan happiness is higher on average, but overall it's down.
* The biggest jump from 2016 too 2017 in fan satisfaction was the Diamondbacks and Twins.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1135: Players Seeking Salaries
* Desired dollars: Should we care what free agents are seeking? by Sam Miller
* Pitch-Framing Data Is Going Insane by Jeff Sullivan
* How You Felt About the 2017 Season by Jeff Sullivan
* Effectively Wild Heat Map T-Shirts
Episode 1093: Live at the Bell House With Fernando Perez

## Summary

*At the Bell House in Brooklyn for a Pitch Talks event, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk to former major leaguer Fernando Perez about Mike Trout’s birthday pranking, the return of Carter Capps, Perez’s injury history, his late conversion to switch-hitting, what makes a pitcher deceptive, the problems with player development and batting practice, the evolution of the ex-athlete analyst, conformity in the clubhouse, Perez’s inclusion in the Chris Archer trade, and more.*

## Topics

* Fixed game and Fernando Valenzuela
* Mike Trout birthday celebration
* Carter Capps
* Dealing with injuries
* Becoming “injury prone”
* Thoughts toward end of career
* Becoming a switch hitter
* Player development
* Becoming deceptive
* Practicing
* Being on TV
* The clubhouse
* Chris Archer trade
* Living with Matt Garza

## Notes

* Fernando Perez was the first latino ivy leaguer to make the big leagues.
* “We wanted to talk about Mike Trout for a minute, because that's what we do here” - Ben
* “Jim Hendry called me on the phone, and told me it was my job to lose…  I lost the shit outta that job.” - Fernando

## Links

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1093-live-at-the-bell-house-with-fernando-perez/

Link to Mike Trout birthday prank
Episode 107: Edwin Jackson, the Cubs, and Qualifying Offers

## Summary

*Ben and Sam discuss Edwin Jackson and the rest of the Cubs’ offseason signings and talk about how the specter of draft-pick compensation is affecting some free agents.*

## Topics

* Chicago Cubs rotation
* Impact of qualifying offers
* Will free agents regret not signing a qualifying offer?

## Banter

There is a discussion about Sam's wifi signal the previous day, which Ben blames for issues with recording Episode 106.

## Notes

* The Cubs signed Edwin Jackson and Carlos Villanueva. The rotation also includes Jeff Samardzija, Scott Feldman, and Matt Garza.
* Edwin Jackson has not spent more than 363 consecutive dates with a team since he was traded from Tampa Bay to Detroit in 2008.
* The top 5 free agents on the market have all received qualifying offers.
* Discussion of Mike Napoli.
* Discussion of how the Royals have built their starting rotation.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 107: Edwin Jackson, the Cubs, and Qualifying Offers
Episode 102: Josh Hamilton and Whether a Potentially Bad Contract is Worse Than No Contract at All

## Summary

*Ben and Sam are joined by Ian Miller and Riley Breckenridge, the heroes behind Productive Outs, to talk about the Angels, Josh Hamilton, and whether fans should worry about bad contracts anymore.*

## Topics

* Josh Hamilton contract
* Los Angeles Angels

## Notes

* Riley does admit to feeling some sense of "doom" about the Hamilton contract. There are similar concerns about the Albert Pujols contract.
* Do bad contracts actually prohibit teams from being successful? Sam cites the Giants and Yankees as examples of teams that have outrun bad contracts.
* The group thinks Peter Bourjos is a strong candidate to be traded to make room for better pitching on the Angels.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 102: Josh Hamilton and Whether a Potentially Bad Contract is Worse Than No Contract at All
* Peter Bourjos is Cameron Maybin by Dave Cameron
Episode 1082: Some of These Arms Are Not Like the Others

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Aaron Judge’s Home Run Derby performance, a subtle change in the way Rob Manfred talked about the baseball at the All-Star Game, and the Angels’ stats with and without Mike Trout. Then they make it two consecutive episodes of talking to a Glenn by bringing on UC Irvine professor and baseball researcher Glenn Healey to discuss the mechanics and implications of his new method of comparing pitchers based on their stuff.*

## Topics

* Home Run Derby
* Los Angeles Angels before and after Mike Trout injury
* Pitcher Similarity

## Banter

* Home run derby reactions
* Aaron Judge & Giancarlo Stanton
* Rob Manfred 'State of Baseball' address

## Notes

* Only 55% of polled Fangraphs users could identify the Angels with or without Trout by stats
* Derek Jeter injury for a month and half in 2003 at very start of season played .700 without him, .600 with him (Eric Almonte was replacement)
* Judge vs Stanton: Stanton average exit velocity in 2015 - 95.9, 2016- 93.9, 2017- 90.8
* In 2016 most similar RHP were Matt Harvey and Shelby Miller; most similar LHP were John Niese and Chris Rusin
* In 2016 least similar RHP were Brad Ziegler Marco Estrada; least similar LHP Zack Britton and Tommy Malone

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1082: Some of These Arms Are Not Like The Others
* Measuring Pitcher Similarity
Episode 1018: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Brewers

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Matt Wieters and debunk Scott Boras, then preview the Cubs’ 2017 season with Sahadev Sharma of the The Athletic Chicago and the Brewers’ 2017 season with Jack Moore of the The Hardball Times.*

## Topics

* Chicago Cubs preview with Sahadev Sharma
* Cubs offseason goals
* Fan patience
* Comparing the Cubs and Dodgers
* Kyle Schwarber
* Cubs' defense
* Jason Heyward
* Javier Baez
* Milwaukee Brewers preview with Jack Moore
* Keon Broxton
* Building the Brewers
* Domingo Santana
* Ryan Braun
* Brewers baserunning
* Promising prospects
* Eric Thames
* The Brewers' farm system
* Zach Davis
* How far away are the Brewers from competing?

## Interstitials

Grateful Dead, "Built to Last"

Maritime, "Milwaukee"

## Banter

* Dan Haren
* Matt Wieters
* Scott Boras on framing
* Felix Hernandez on a trampoline

## Notes

* Dan Haren volunteered to donate his UCL to science.
* “It's all about the dynasty” - Sahadev
* The Cubs last years had the best defensive BABIP, 43 points better than any other team.
* “Would you say they play some easy D?” - Jeff
* Sahadev predicted the Cubs will win 95 games this year.
* The Brewers as a team stole 181 bases last year.
* Jack predicts the Brewers will win 70 games this year.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1018: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Brewers
* Why is veteran catcher Matt Wieters still on the free-agent market? by Ken Rosenthal
Episode 1133: Lessons to Learn (and Unlearn) from October

## Summary

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Shohei Otani, the Players Association, and a trio of opt-ins, then discuss whether tanking is bad for baseball and which conclusions can and can’t be drawn from the rebuilds, roster constructions, and in-game tactics of this season’s successful playoff teams.

## Topics

* What are the lessons, either correct or incorrect, that teams will take from this past October?
* Is there a concern that more teams will tank after the success of the Cubs and the Astros?
* Are the Tigers tanking of just bad?
* Is there another team better situated to tank and rebuild like the White Sox than the Marlins?
* If there are several teams tanking is there a diminishing return per team?
* Do you have a moral opposition to the idea of getting really bad?
* Have the Astros changed the idea of “bullpenning” in the playoffs?
* Will the tandem starter approach gain popularity?
* Bullpen use by Astros in playoffs.
* Baseball trends in general.

## Banter

* Jeff watched Narcos and Ben played video games
* The MLBPA is fighting the MLB over the posting rules.
* Is there a resolution to the posting fee issue that is satisfying to both sides?
* A lot of players seem to be opting in, why?
* What are Johnny Cueto’s bounce back odds?

## Notes

* Johnny Cueto, Ian Kennedy, Masahiro Tanaka, and Justin Upton have opted in.
* Jeff is very unconcerned about Johnny Cueto.
* The guys think the White Sox, Padres, Braves, and Phillies are tanking.
* The Astros proved you can win in the playoffs without trusting anyone in your bullpen.
* Jeff thinks you'll see more teams use a “swing man” as a starter.
* Jeff and Ben think Ken Giles will be the Astros closer next year.
* Ben saw some Dodger fans “wanting to get away from all this stat nerd stuff”.
* How much higher can the pitcher trend go up.
* Mariners tied the all time number for pitchers used at 40.
* Charlie Morton thought the contract was for 7 million dollars, only later to find out it was 2 years for 14.

## Links

* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1133-lessons-to-learn-and-unlearn-from-october/
* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/new-effectively-wild-heat-map-t-shirts-are-here/
Episode 103: The R.A. Dickey Deal and Trading Top Prospects (With Jason Parks)

## Summary

*Ben and Sam are joined by Jason Parks for a discussion of the R.A. Dickey deal and the risks and rewards of trading top prospects.*

## Topics

* R.A. Dickey
* Travis D'Arnaud
* Noah Syndergaard
* Trading top prospects

## Banter

Sam is in Tyler, TX for a reporting assignment.

## Notes

* R.A. Dickey is going to the Blue Jays. The main prospects going to the Mets are Travis D'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard.
* Jason is surprised at the value that the Mets got for Dickey.
* This trade continues a trend from 2012 of teams being more willing than usual to trade top prospects.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 103: The R.A. Dickey Deal and Trading Top Prospects (With Jason Parks)
Episode 118: All About Pitchouts!

## Summary

*Ben and Sam discuss TV shows, the lack of things to talk about, and some interesting findings about pitchouts.*

## Banter

* Sam is feeling better.
* Marcus Thames announced his retirement.
* The two discuss Elementary and Sherlock, and why Sam prefers Elementary over Sherlock.

## Notes

* Sam: "Daily podcast, Ben, you still think this is a good idea?"
* Overall managers are very pad at predicting when to call a pitchout.
* There are about 400 pitchouts in all of baseball each season.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 118: All About Pitchouts!
* The Probably Pointless Pitchout by Sam Miller
Episode 1118: The Playoff Prep Podcast

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about John Jaso’s possibly career-ending comments, the ends of the Dodgers’ and Tigers’ seasons and the teams that have never had a first-overall pick, the selling points of this postseason, the changing consensus about the best team in baseball, how to analyze the playoffs and manage playoff games, the respective strengths of the Indians and Yankees, the Yankees-Twins wild card game, the best and worst WARs of 2017, the crazy debate about Austin Romine vs. Gary Sanchez, and the resignation of Braves GM John Coppolella.*

## Topics

* Playoff favorites
* Reliever usage in playoffs
* The Yankees
* Chad Green
* Watching October baseball
* Best regular season baseball
* The Yankees catcher non situation situation is
* John Coppolella
* Yankees Twins preview

## Banter

* Yet another national tragedy leads the show
* Jon Jaso
* The Dodgers and Indians
* The Giants
* 1st overall pick trends

## Notes

* Jon Jaso wants to just continue his life in amininty.
* The gap between the Indians and the Dodgers was 20 games on August 23rd, the lead was 1 game on September 20th for best record.
* Through August 4th, the Tigers were 51 and 57, they went 13 and 41 after that to finish with the worst record in baseball.
* There have been 8 franchises that have never had the 1st overall pick.
* Ben and Jeff both think the Reds are most likely of those teams to get 1st pick.
* À Indians are favorites to win World Series starting the playoffs.
* Aaron Judge had the highest WAR, Albert Pujols had the lowest.
* The Braves have been linked to some Latin American signing scandals.
* Fangraphs has the Yankees winning the game 2/3rds of the time.

## Links

* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1118-the-playoff-prep-podcast/
Episode 1066: Too Many Mascots

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about teams and players of particular interest (including the Astros, Marwin Gonzalez, and Aaron Hicks), Scott Boras vs. Theo Epstein, the brawl battle between Eduardo Jimenez and Jesse Stallings, bat-boy uniforms, Corey Dickerson’s real name, pitcher hitting and Walter Johnson’s unsung skill, many a mascot, and more.*

## Banter

* Ben is curious about how the "baseball hivemind" picks a few players each week to greatly focus on. This week Jeff fielded many questions about Marwin Gonzalez and Aaron Hicks.
* Ben and Jeff learn that the visiting team will provide uniforms for bat boys (the people are supplied by the home team) in varying sizes.
* Corey Dickerson's first name is McKenzie. He is the first McKenzie to play in MLB.
* Scott Boras' attempts to promote Jake Arrieta before his free agency.
* Would you rather have Scott Boras' job or Theo Epstein's job?
* West Michigan Whitecaps and Dayton Dragons on-field brawl
* Is there value in having pitchers dedicate more time to hitting?
* Walter Johnson's offensive value
* History of teams using people (no costumes) and live animals as mascots
* Most and least popular MLB mascots
* Strange MLB mascot backstories

## Notes

* Ben and Jeff agree that most baseball operations will not fall from Scott Boras' free agent contract tactics but admit that he has clearly had an impact in several cases on ownership.
* Ben would rather have Theo Epstein's job. He thinks that it is more difficult but far more rewarding.
* Jeff thinks it would be most interesting to be a 'stat consultant' for a specific player as they prepare a case for free agency.
* Eduardo Jimenez was suspended for 30 games for throwing a baseball during a minor league brawl.
* This season pitchers have a -16 wRC+ when hitting.
* The Yankees, Dodgers, and Angels are the three teams without official mascots.
* The Astros' mascot Orbit killed off former Astros mascot General Admission when the general was "zapped by an alien ray gun".

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1066: Too Many Mascots
Episode 109: Eight Questions (and Answers) for the End of the Year

## Summary

*Ben and Sam ask and answer eight mostly unrelated questions about baseball and themselves.*

## Topics

* Favorite BP article of 2012
* Commissioner power for non-baseball offenses
* Favorite BP article of year?
* Which players would Ben say hi to on a train?
* Ben's ability to hit MLB pitching (making contact, getting a hit)
* Could Ben or Sam get a hitter to swing and miss at a pitch?
* How fast could Ben & Sam throw?
* Would you do steroids?
* What would Ben & Sam write about if it weren't baseball?

## Banter

* Ben & Sam calculate that in February they will end a week on a multiple of 5.
* Sam got a piglet for Christmas.

## Notes

* Ben's favorite article of the year is Jason Park's article, 'Searching for a Prototype'.
* Sam's favorite article is 'The Postmodern Orioles' by Adam Sobsey.
* Sam asks specifically about if Ben would say hi to Brian Bruney.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 109: Eight Questions (and Answers) for the End of the Year
* The Postmodern Orioles by Adam Sobsey
* Prospects Will Break Your Heart: Searching for a Prototype by Jason Parks
Episode 1027: Season Preview Series: Cardinals and Royals

### Interstitials

The Jackson 5, "Never Can Say Goodbye"Great Lake Swimmers, "Everything is Moving So Fast"

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a bad highlight, then preview the Cardinals’ 2017 season with Will Leitch of Sports on Earth and the Royals’ 2017 season with Rany Jazayerli of The Ringer.*

## Topics

* St. Louis Cardinals preview with Will Leitch
* Season and playoff projections
* Alex Reyes injury
* Michael Wacha, Trevor Rosenthal, and the starting rotation
* Aledmys Diaz
* Yadier Molina
* Randal Grichuk
* Why are the Cardinals attached to Mike Matheny?
* Kansas City Royals preview with Rany Jazayerli
* Offseason acquisitions to replace Yordano Ventura
* Kyle Zimmer
* Team turnover and changing skill base
* Matt Strahm
* Salvador Perez's usage
* Alex Gordon bounce back and injury
* Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer

## Interstitials

The Jackson 5, "Never Can Say Goodbye"

Great Lake Swimmers, "Everything is Moving So Fast"

## Banter

* Jeff reads over some of the headlines from MLB.com including "Fan tries to catch homer, falls down instead".
* Jeff says that the "Internet could stand to use a few digital pounds" and he can't understand why it became a news story.

## Notes

* Will thinks that the Cardinals have kept Matheny around for how involved he has been with Cardinals history and that he is the prototypical baseball man.
* Will predicts that the Cardinals will win 87 games.
* The Royals are projected to have the second-worst bullpen in MLB.
* In 2016 Alex Gordon has his worst offensive season since 2010. His wRC+ on balls to the opposite field was 3.
* Rany predicts that the Royals will only resign one of the upcoming free agents in the offseason. He thinks they will win 86 games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1027: Season Preview Series: Cardinals and Royals
Episode 1160: The Podcast of Continuing Education

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and his Ringer MLB Show co-host Michael Baumann speculate about how the slow offseason will end, answer listener emails about sabermetrics and salary depression, sumo wrestling and the Hall of Fame, and baseball in winter weather, compare the careers of Omar Vizquel and Nomar Garciaparra, and analyze unorthodox new Padres relief pitcher Kazuhisa Makita. Then Michael makes a case for college baseball, and he and Ben talk to Justin Volman, founder and CEO of the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network, about how he’s assembled and trained a nationwide network of (mostly) college-aged scouts to cover games that MLB scouts might miss.*

## Topics

* Computer model used to determine salaries
* Comparing the careers of Omar Vizquel and Nomar Garciaparra
* Signing of Kazuhisa Makita
* Adapting Sumo wrestling honors for the Hall of Fame
* Baseball played outdoors in the winter
* Why should you watch college baseball?
* Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network
* Modeling the network after MLB scout teams
* How to train younger scouts
* Value Justin's network provides for teams
* How to get involved with the scouting network
* Value of getting writing or scouting experience

## Interstitials

Kanye West, "School Spirit"

Modern Baseball, "Your Graduation"

## Banter

* Michael is joining as a guest co-host while Jeff is away on vacation. The Ringer MLB Show is on hiatus during the offseason.
* Ben and Michael discuss the exceptionally slow offseason and the expectations players have for free agent contract offers.
* Discerning the difference between teams getting smarter and possible collusion.

## Email Questions

* Mark: "What if MLB players' contracts were determined by a computer model? What if a model from the moment you were drafted flexibly paid you what you were worth?"
* Matt: "How would the method of honoring Sumo wrestlers translate to baseball? MLB could set statistical measures then appoint a commission to review and recommend candidates after each season. Then players like Kershaw or Trout could be recognized for their achievements and continue to achieve with that elevated status."
* Jeff: "How different would baseball be if it were played during the winter?"

## Notes

* Michael thinks that some kind of computer model which flexibly pays baseball players is close to his ideal but the main issue is that human bias would be coded into what outlines the program uses to determine salaries.
* Kazuhisa Makita walked less than one batter per nine innings in his most recent season in Japan.
* Errors in college baseball are about twice as common as in MLB.
* Justin's scouting network is aimed at providing scouting information to teams on college baseball players who might not be seen by as many scouts. In addition it provides scouting experience to current students.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1160: The Podcast of Continuing Education
Episode 1022: Season Preview Series: Astros and Phillies

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Yoan Moncada’s kid and Randy Levine’s comments about Dellin Betances, then preview the Houston Astros’ 2017 season with writer Zachary Levine and the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2017 season with Michael Baumann of The Ringer.*

## Topics

* Houston Astros preview with Zachary Levine
* Differing between a drought and a curse
* Dallas Keuchel
* Joe Musgrove and Mike Fiers
* Lance McCullers' changeup
* Carlos Correa
* Alex Bregman
* Winter spending
* Outfield needs and Minute Maid Park
* Yulieski Gurriel
* Chris Devenski
* Philadelphia Phillies preview with Michael Baumann
* How to view the Philles' rebuild
* Ryan Howard and moving on from the old core
* Cesar Hernandez
* Balancing the roster with veterans and young players
* Jerad Eickhoff and young starting pitchers
* Future spending habits
* Maikel Franco
* Matt Stairs
* Freddy Galvis

## Interstitials

The White Stripes, "Astros"

Yoneda, "Nowhere for a Good Time"

## Banter

* Yoan Moncada's son, who is 2 1/2 years old, bat flipped during his tee-ball game.
* Randy Levine's comments and behavior regarding the Yankees' arbitration hearing with Dellin Betances

## Notes

* Both Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances have career ERA- of 53.
* The Astros project to strike out less than every other team in MLB after several years of having one of the highest strikeout rates.
* Zachary predicts that the Astros will win 90 games.
* Michael thinks that the Phillies didn't need to spend more in the offseason since their window to win hasn't quite opened yet.
* On Freddy Galvis' home run projections Michael says, "There's gotta be some regression, the ball isn't that juiced."
* Michael predicts that the Phillies will win 73 games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1022: Season Preview Series: Astros and Phillies
* Yoan Moncada's son bat flip video
Draft of Things We Like About Baseball

The **Draft of Things We Like About Baseball** is a non-competitive draft that takes place every 500 episodes. The participants include all current and former hosts, as well as podcast "Fifth Beatle" Grant Brisbee.

* Although Jeff Sullivan was never a host at the time of a "Things We Like About Baseball" draft, he managed to participate in all of them, as a guest, future host, or former host.
* In Episode 2000, Ben admits that it still bothers him that the second draft was not Episode 1000. Sam explains they had already booked Kevin Goldstein for Episode 1000 because he said he would appear only if they made it to 1000 episodes. Episode 1000 was also Sam's farewell episode, and Ben had not yet decided if the podcast would continue past that point, so they moved the draft a few episodes earlier to make room for farewell activities.