recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Episode 1032: The Outfield Impostor

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about WBC tiebreakers and the efficacy of the infield shift, then answer listener emails about a Mike Trout body snatcher, dropped third strikes, bricks behind home plate, premature rebuilds, your WAR compared to Tim Tebow’s, new Statcast stats, and more.*

## Topics

* Hypothetical Mike Trout impostor
* Tim Tebow's WAR compared to regular people
* Dropped third strikes
* Catch probability leaderboard
* Construction at SunTrust Park
* Rebuilding for teams at their peak

## Banter

* Ben notes that he is "bravely podcasting" during the NYC snowstorm.
* Confusion about WBC tiebreakers with regard to runs allowed vs. run differential
* Jeff discusses his research on the increasing BABIP on ground balls hit to the opposite field as a result of shifts.

## Email Questions

* Dylan: "One day you wake up and you're Mike Trout. You look like him, you talk like him, you are in his bed. But you play like you. You are not the best baseball player in the world, you are you. How long will you last in the big leagues? How long until you get cut?"
* Addie: "Would Tim Tebow and I have the same WAR?"
* Brian: "Was wondering if you could explain your thoughts on the [dropped third strike] rule and the origins behind it."
* David: "I came across photos of construction at SunTrust Park. In one of the photos they're working around the area around home plate but the ground is paved with bricks. Why would there be bricks around home plate?"
* Ben: "What would happen if the Cubs or the Red Sox or the Astros decided to rebuild now? We always here about how a team can get more in a rebuild if they trade away quality assets. The Cubs have tons of those. Would rebuilding now possibly lead to some even better super team in the future?"

## Stat Blast

* Jeff uses Statcast data to examine the rates at which certain catches are made based on catch probability data that is in beta testing.
* By catch probability, Kevin Kiermaier has made more difficult plays than expected among all MLB outfielders in the last two years.

## Notes

* Jeff is more curious to know what Mike Trout would do with a normal person's body than the reverse.
* Ben agrees with former host Sam Miller that the dropped third strike rule runs counteractive to the aims of the game.
* In 2016 there were 23 runs scored on strikeouts in MLB.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1032: The Outfield Impostor
* Here Is What the Shift Has Done by Jeff Sullivan
* Banished to the Pen 2017 Season Preview Series Index
* 3rd Annual Effectively Wild Tournament Bracket Classic
Baseball Thing

Baseball [Thing] is a running joke that is especially popular in the Effectively Wild Facebook group. In Episode 791 (4:00), emailer Shaun wondered if *Brewster's Millions* qualified as a baseball movie after he saw it being aired on MLB Network. Ben and Sam compared their personal criteria, and ultimately, Sam's bar wasn't as high as Ben's. In between, Sam went into detail about the writers' intent, with a tongue-in-cheek example of a pennant above a kid's bed being enough to make it a baseball movie.

Facebook group members proceeded to post images from every single movie they could think of that included a baseball scene, a pennant on a wall, or even just a bat being used to strike things other than baseballs. The accompanying text often included little more than "Baseball movie." An endless stream of "baseball show" examples was quickly phased in, and "baseball \_\_\_" continues to this day to the great amusement of many, and the great agony of many others.

## Notable episodes

* Episode 791: Is *Brewster's Millions* a baseball movie?
* Episode 1183: Tom Shieber researches (among other things) baseball in television and movies.
Episode 1132: There’s No Hibernating in Baseball

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the end of the season and the challenging (if somewhat merciful) transition to offseason mode, the resolution of the World Series and an underwhelming Game 7, the best and worst World Series performers, the significance of the Astros’ victory, the difficulty of repeating as champion, the outlooks for the Astros, Dodgers, and other 2017 playoff teams in 2018 and beyond, the uncertain status of Shohei Otani, new t-shirts for the show, and more.*

## Topics

* Closing thoughts on game 7 and the series performers overall.
* Will anyone from the Astros reach out to Yu Darvish and tell him that he was tipping pitches?
* Odds for next year's world series and Shohei Ohtani signing.
* How many of this year's playoff teams will be favored to be in playoffs next year?
* The Astros are far and away the tops in NAFI rankings.
* Josh Reddick and how bad he was.
* Shohei Ohtani posting agreement.
* Effectively Wild Tee Shirts

## Banter

* Do you miss baseball yet?
* What is the biggest move a team can make that will win the world series in 2018?
* Offseason plans
* Justin Upton signed an extension.
* How to correctly analyze how the offseason moves effect next years world series.
* Will Carlos Beltran retire?

## Email Question

* Rob - Is Yu Darvish really the worst starting pitcher in a single world series in modern times, and what will this cost him in free agency?

## Notes

* Jeff says a team that gets Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani get world series chances increased by 5%, and that would be the most.
* George Springer hitting a lead off double increased odds to win by 6.5%.
* Ben's favorite post of postseason was Dallas Keuchel vs the Dodgers that he wrote.
* Yu Darvish only missed 4 bats in his 2 series starts, 1 was a missed bunt.
* Dodgers had a lot of bad luck plate outcomes, a line drive double play being the most unlucky.
* Lance McCullers hit 4 guys in a game and didn't give up a run, first in history.
* For championship WPA added George Springer all time is now number 10, Yu Darvish 10th worst all time.
* Jeff doesn't think his performance should or will cost Yu Darvish in free agency.
* Not the first time there has been pitch tipping talk around Yu Darvish.
* Both the Dodgers and Astros are favorites for world series next year.
* Mariners are favorite to sign Shohei Ohtani.
* Marwin Gonzalez has a .907 OPS, his minor league OPS was .660.
* Yu Darvish, Ken Giles, and Josh Reddick were 3 worst players in world series.
* Shohei Ohtani may not come over because of a lapse in the agreement for posting fees, and the Fighters losing out on posting money.

## Links

* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/effectively-wild-episode-1132-theres-no-hibernating-in-baseball/
* https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/new-effectively-wild-heat-map-t-shirts-are-here/
* https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/mlb/2017/10/24/16533310/houston-astros-los-angeles-dodgers-dallas-keuchel-kryptonite
Episode 100: Astros Pro Scouting Coordinator Kevin Goldstein on Being Inside Baseball

## Summary

*Ben and Sam talk to Kevin Goldstein about his life after leaving Baseball Prospectus to work for the Houston Astros, what he’s working on, and what he’s learned about how baseball teams work. Also, what he’s drinking.*

## Topics

* Houston Astros
* Front office roles
* Moving from media to front office

## Banter

Sam is not in the Honda Fit so that he can get a better wi-fi signal from the house.

## Notes

* What is the gap between media knowledge and teams? Can writers ever know enough to truly evaluate a move?
* What does Kevin miss now that he has made the transition to working with a team?
* How much online content are teams reading?
* In homage to Up & In, Sam is drinking a cup of tea, Ben is drinking red wine, Kevin is drinking a Coke.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 100: Astros Pro Scouting Coordinator Kevin Goldstein on Being Inside Baseball
Episode 1069: A Real-Life Left-Handed Catcher

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about an odd Neifi Perez appearance, John McCain’s Diamondbacks mention, EW’s August eclipse event, and a questionable fun fact, then talk to Janell Wheaton, a left-handed catcher for the Florida Gators Women’s College World Series team, about why baseball is biased against left-handed catchers (and why it shouldn’t be). Lastly, Ben banters (with himself) about an ankle-injury hypothesis.*

## Topics

* Interview with Janell Wheaton
* Left-handed catchers
* Advantages for left-handed catchers
* Umpire adjustments
* Developing left-handed catchers

## Banter

* Neifi Perez and position players catching
* John McCain blamed staying up too late watching Diamondbacks games for strange questions he asked during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
* Updates on the Effectively Wild Eclipse Event
* Evaluating a fun fact about Colorado Rockies rookie pitchers

## Notes

* Ben says one of his great regrets about his summer with the Sonoma Stompers was being unable to sign a left-handed catcher.
* Janell thinks that the greatest advantage for her is plays where the ball is hit directly in front of the plate. Most disadvantages for right-handed catchers she believes can be easily seen as advantages for a left-handed catcher.
* Edinson Volquez credited his slightly injured ankle helped him with his control in his last two starts.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1069: A Real-Life Left-Handed Catcher
* Janell Wheaton in her catcher's crouch
* Janell Wheaton's player page
* Ben's collection of left-handed catcher articles
Burn the Ships

"Burn the Ships" is a reference to a motivational speech once given to the Dodgers by then-GM Ned Colletti. In Episode 704, Sam read an account in Molly Knight's book, *The Best Team Money Can Buy*, in which Colletti told his team about how Hernán Cortés, a 16th-century Spanish conquistador, burned his own ships to motivate his men and scare the Aztecs.

Colletti gave the team a similar speech in a later season, except this time attributing it to Alexander the Great. Team members who realized this turned it into a running joke, and had T-shirts printed up.

Since the episode, Facebook group members would post examples of the phrase being used in media and news stories, including as the title of a 2017 documentary about softball.

"Burn the Ships" was used as the title of a chapter in *The Only Rule Is It Has to Work*, inspired by a text given by Russell Carleton when asked for advice.

## Links

* Hernán Cortés - Wikipedia
* Burning the Ships - TV Tropes
Episode 1036: Season Preview Series: Tigers and Rays

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jered Weaver, David DeJesus, and Dan Duquette’s comments about Jose Bautista, then preview the Tigers’ 2017 season with Jason Beck of MLB.com and the Rays’ 2017 season with David Roth of Vice Sports.*

## Topics

* Detroit Tigers preview with Jason Beck
* What were the Tigers' winter plans?
* Closing competitive window
* Death of owner Mike Ilitch
* Plans for center field
* Nick Castellanos
* Bruce Rondon
* Miguel Cabrera
* Justin Upton's hot second half
* Brad Ausmus' job security
* Tampa Bay Rays preview with David Roth
* The Rays' team development plan
* 2016 underperformance
* Why the Rays have avoided a teardown
* Kevin Kiermaier
* Starting rotation
* Disadvantages of being a small-market team
* Minor league system

## Interstitials

ABBA, "Tiger"

Dillard & Clark, "In the Plan"

## Banter

* Jered Weaver has been reported to be complaining of dead arm. Jeff jokes that he has had dead arm for the last seven seasons.
* David DeJesus has officially retired, he most recently played in 2015.
* In an interview with MLB.com Dan Duquette reiterated his comments about Jose Bautista's work effort and why he thinks Orioles fans didn't like Bautista.

## Notes

* Jason thinks that this will be the last year the current Tigers roster will be very competitive. Jeff notes that it seems like people have said for years that they were about to fall off a cliff due to their aging roster.
* Miguel Cabrera has received MVP votes in every season of his career.
* Jason predicts that the Tigers will win 87 games.
* The Rays strongly underperformed their BaseRuns record last season.
* David predicts that the Rays will win 75 games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1036: Season Preview Series: Tigers and Rays
* Duquette talks winning formula, hopes for O's by Mark Feinsand
Episode 1188: Season Preview Series: Diamondbacks and Brewers

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the odd odds of Jason Heyward opting out, the Mike Moustakas and Carlos Gonzalez contracts, the origins of shifting, the always-all-out Noah Syndergaard, Shohei Ohtani, and a non-throwing outfielder follow-up, then preview the 2018 Diamondbacks (38:46) with AZCentral Sports' Nick Piecoro, and the 2018 Brewers (1:14:14) with The Frosty Mug's Kyle Lobner.*

## Topics

* Arizona Diamondbacks preview with Nick Piecoro
* Zack Greinke's velocity
* Diamondbacks' starting pitching depth
* Diamondbacks signed J.D. Martinez's ex hitting coach as a “hitting strategist”
* Diamondbacks front office turnover
* Humidor at Chase Field
* Yoshihisa Hirano, A.J. Pollock, David Peralta, and Ketel Marte expectations
* What ends up higher: Jake Lamb's wRC+ or Nick Ahmed and Jeff Mathis wRC+?
* Diamondbacks winning window
* Milwaukee Brewers preview with Kyle Lobner
* Why are the Brewers not as bad as other rebuilding teams?
* What is the level of confidence in Jimmy Nelson returning?
* Why didn't the Brewers make a deal with one of the free agent starting pitchers?
* Outfield playing time
* If the Brewers trade Ryan Braun how would Brewers fans take it?
* What do the Brewers do with Josh Hader?
* Are there more prospects coming from the Brewers system, or is it dry?
* What is Orlando Arcia’s ceiling?
* What is Domingo Santana’s ceiling?
* Brewers catching situation
* Can Christian Yelich be better and can Lorenzo Cain stay good?

## Banter

* Jason Heyward opt out odds
* Mike Moustakas signed with the Royals
* Free agent contract draft update
* Carlos Gonzalez contract
* Ben's article about defensive shift history
* Is Noah Syndergaard throwing too hard in spring training?
* Is Shohei Ohtani underrated as a hitter?
* Clayton Kershaw smack talk
* Episode 1187 follow-up about Randal Grichuk not throwing

## Notes

* Oddsmakers have said that it is 10,000 to 1 (originally though it was 1 million:1) that Jason Heyward opts out of his contract.
* Mike Moustakas was the most aggressive hitter in baseball last year and has a .265 BABIP for his career.
* Noah Syndergaard topped out at 101 MPH in his most recent spring training start.
* In 2017 the Arizona Diamondbacks had 7th best ERA+ since 1947.
* Nick predicted the Diamondbacks win 89 games.
* Kyle predicted the Brewers win 86 games.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1188: Season Preview Series: Diamondbacks and Brewers
* The Past, Present, and Future of Baseball’s Most Daring Defense by Ben Lindbergh
* Grichuk unable to throw video highlight
* The Growing Belief in Ohtani's Lesser Half by Travis Sawchik
* March to Friendship 2018
* 2018 Season Preview Series Index by Banished to the Pen
Episode 1017: The Ryan Raburn is Due Edition

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the anticlimactic approach of spring training and answer listener emails about baseball reductionism, investing in Little League, the Cardinals’ effect on the Cubs, transplanting Trout and Kershaw, and wearing out starters, with a statistical detour to talk about history’s most volatile hitters.*

## Topics

* Baseball reductionism
* Making baseball appeal to younger kids
* Ex-Cardinals players on the Cubs
* Ryan Raburn's volatility
* Bad teams with Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw
* Value of driving up starter pitch counts

## Banter

* Ben notes the tendency Jeff has had to write about topics they discuss they day before on the podcast, to which Jeff points out that it is one of the slowest parts of the baseball calendar.
* Pitchers and catchers will report to spring training next week but neither Ben or Jeff expect things to be very interesting. Jeff says it is "worse than useless".
* Episode 1016 follow-up: Listener Justin emailed in noting that the Dodgers signed Hisashi Iwakuma and then rejected him for health reasons. He would go on to make more than 30 starts that season.

## Email Questions

* Eric (Plainview): "I view the world from a reductionist point of view and so that is how I view baseball too. Do you see a point where the reduction stops? In other words for hitting, is measuring bat speed and swing path enough to measure a hitter's performance? Or should we go further and measure the physics of their muscle contractions or measure the neural networks in their brain?"
* Brent: "If you were Rob Manfred and you were tasked with making baseball interesting to younger demographics, what would you do?"
* Ron: "Were recent ex-Cardinals disproportionately represented on the Cubs' World Series roster? If so, did they contribute disproportionately to the World Series?"
* Zacharia: "If you were to somehow force both Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw to another team, which teams, even with both of them on them, do you think still wouldn't have a chance of making the playoffs in 2017?"
* Eric: "Is getting a starter out of a game due to high pitch counts good for an opposing team? Perhaps it isn't ideal for that game but helps down the line. Maybe it's more important to do so against divisional opponents."

## Stat Blast

* By wRC+, Jeff concludes that Ryan Raburn is the most volatile hitter in baseball history. His wRC+ the last five seasons has been: 28, 149, 50, 154, and 73.
* Gates Brown also had extreme swings in wRC+ but with fewer plate appearances than Raburn (minimum 100 plate appearances).

## Notes

* There is research to suggest that playing baseball as a child is one of the biggest indicators of whether or not you will be a baseball fan.
* Gates Brown once was called to pinch hit while eating hot dogs on the bench. He stuffed one into his jersey and shortly after the ketchup bled through his jersey.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1017: The Ryan Raburn is Due Edition
Episode 1168: Winning is for Losers

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan talk about the Brewers’ trade for Christian Yelich and signing of Lorenzo Cain, how the Brewers stack up in the NL Central, whether they’re the new model for a rebuilding team, how Yelich and Cain could perform in their new park, what the Cain contract says about the slow-moving market, and where the Yelich move leaves the Marlins. Then they talk to Patrick Dubuque of Baseball Prospectus about how moving away from a “winning is everything” mindset can make baseball better for fans.*

## Topics

* Milwaukee Brewers acquire Christian Yelich & Lorenzo Cain
* Are the Brewers the new example of the model rebuild?
* Did the Marlins finally get a decent return for a player?
* Interview with Patrick Dubuque about fan mindset
* Is baseball better when taken less seriously?
* Trading face of the franchise
* Future vs. present results
* Are the Giants the perfect rooting franchise or is there a better example?
* Do projections dampen fan enthusiasm?
* Disconnect between wanting to win and looking to the future

## Banter

* The possibility of a free agent camp is first reported by Jeff Passan.

## Notes

* The Brewers had only two years in between 80 win seasons.
* The Brewers have not had a draft pick from the last 3 years play in MLB yet

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1168: Winning is for Losers
* Short Relief articles at Baseball Prospectus
* A No-Win Situation by Patrick Dubuque
Episode 1019: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Reds

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan preview the Red Sox’ 2017 season with Alex Speier of the The Boston Globe and the Reds’ 2017 season with Zach Buchanan of the The Cincinnati Enquirer.*

## Topics

* Boston Red Sox preview with Alex Speier
* Pablo Sandoval
* Mitch Moreland
* Sandy Leon
* Replacing David Ortiz
* Andrew Benintendi
* Drew Pomeranz
* Red Sox pitching approach
* Joe Kelley
* Chris Sale
* Dick Williams
* Cincinnati Reds preview with Zach Buchanan
* Devin Mesoraco
* Pitching staff outlook
* Young players
* Joey Votto
* Michael Lorenzen
* Brian Price

## Notes

* Alex predicts the Red Sox will win 93 games this year.
* “He's very in tuned to any one talking about the Reds, so he's never heard you” - Zach.
* “I guess if you were to trade him it would be disco demolition” - Jeff
* Last year the Reds starting pitching was sub replacement.
* Zach predicts the Reds will win 70 games this year.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1019: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Reds
* Red Sox coaching methods getting the most out of pitchers by Alex Speier
* In the Name of the Father by Zach Buchanan
Episode 1060: The Other Best-in-Baseball Debate

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan follow up on a few topics from their previous episode, including allowing first career hits, defining jams and, naturally, bat-boning, then banter about the Mets and Kenley Jansen and discuss why we’re seeing fewer fastballs and Clayton Kershaw vs. Chris Sale.*

## Topics

* Leage-wide fastball rate
* Rich Hill & curveball rate
* Is Clayton Kershaw still the best pitcher in baseball?
* Chris Sale
* Max Scherzer
* Pitching to contact vs. striking batters out

## Banter

* Ben says that he is recording his fourth podcast episode of the day.
* Episode 1059 follow-up: Reviewing reasons why Clayton Kershaw has allowed more 1st career hits.
* Episode 1059 follow-up: Ben plays a clip of Bob Uecker discussing bat boning on a broadcast. Several listeners sent in pictures of former players in the act of boning their bats.
* Jerry Crasnick's investigation into the New York Mets' injury problems
* Episode 1059 follow-up: Whether or not a 'jam' requires that multiple runners are on base
* Kenley Jansen's strong start

## Notes

* Kenley Jansen has a -0.96 FIP so far this season.
* In 2002 64% of pitches thrown were fastballs. This dropped to 61% in 2008 and this season is 55%.
* When trying to quickly explain pitch-type run values Jeff says to "think of it as how people have done against things".
* The podcast is ending the week on an episode number that is a multiple of five.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1060: The Other Best-in-Baseball Debate
* It's moving day for Washington Nationals at new Palm Beach digs by Joe Capozzi
* Mets' injury issues go far beyond the disabled list by Jerry Crasnick
Episode 1102: The Miami Stantons

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the hot start of Phillies rookie Rhys Hoskins, the recent improvement of Byron Buxton, the position-player-pitching of White Sox minor leaguer Grant Massey, the Marlins’ Stanton-driven surge to .500 (and beyond), the Tigers-Yankees brawl, picking on umpires, and Michael Conforto’s injury as the latest symptom of the sad state of the Mets.*

## Topics

* Rhys Hoskins' hot start and the quality of pitching he has faced
* Byron Buxton's improved plate discipline
* Grant Massey as a two-way player
* Miami Marlins' surprising .500 record
* Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees brawls
* Recent umpire protests and anger directed at them
* Michael Conforto and the New York Mets' injury woes

## Banter

Ben's fiancee is now sick, catching what Ben had. Jeff says it still remains to be see if anyone in his house will get sick after Ben's visit.

## Notes

* Jeff says that the Miami Marlins pitching staff includes player such as "I don't know". Ben is able to successfully guess 5 of the 11 pitchers who have started games for this Marlins this season.
* The recent Tigers and Yankees game included four bench clearing incidents.
* Ben and Jeff discuss the relatively thankless job that umpires have; Jeff argues that they could be one of the most sympathetic characters in baseball because of this.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1102: The Miami Stantons
Episode 1075: Baseball Will Be Fine

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a non-revelatory tweet, cycles, Bryce Harper vs. Aaron Judge (and also vs. expectations), Jarrod Dyson’s homers and bunts, and Ben Davis’ 2001 bunt against Curt Schilling, then respond to Tom Verducci’s articles about baseball trends and explain why they aren’t worried about rising strikeout or home-run rates.*

## Topics

* Tom Verducci's article about the future of baseball
* Three true outcomes
* Pace of play
* Contact rates
* Changing in-game strategy

## Banter

* Non-revelatory rumors and tweets
* Episode 1074 follow-up: Coors Field is now tied with Fenway Park for ballparks where the most cycles (17) have been hit. Ben and Jeff discuss what changes could be made to the field to encourage cycles.
* Comparing season and career projections for Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge
* Jarrod Dyson has four home runs and has lowered his ground ball rate by close to 10%.
* Ignoring unwritten rules: Jarrod Dyson bunted to break up a no-hit bid in the 6th inning by Justin Verlander. Jeff remembers when Ben Davis bunted to break up a perfect game by Curt Schilling.

## Notes

* Jeff, on trying to find out about high school fields with strange quirks, "Are we allowed to talk to people in high school or is that weird and kind of illegal?"
* Discussing Ben Davis' bunt against Curt Schilling, Ben and Jeff wonder if it is the intent or result that makes a bunt. For example, if a player swings but hits what looks like a bunt, is it a true bunt?
* The increase in home runs this season amounts to one additional home run per team for every ten games played.
* Neither Ben nor Jeff feel that baseball is close to a point where the percentage of plate appearances ending in one of the three true outcomes is too high.
* In the outro Jeff tells a story of someone coming into his house and stealing $100 while he was upstairs.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1075: Baseball Will Be Fine
* Baseball's pressing question: What happens to a sport when nothing happens? by Tom Verducci
* Strikeouts Can't Kill Baseball (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Whiff) by Ben Lindbergh
Episode 1117: Pats on the Back and Slaps on the Wrist

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Ben’s chat with Bill James, a fan who got ejected for giving Gary Sanchez pitch locations, a suggestion for tweaking the wild card game, and Sammy Sosa, then discuss the teams whose organizational stocks have risen or fallen the most this season and wrap up with brief banter about a Patreon perk, awards voting, and Jason Benetti.*

## Topics

* Which teams have had the best and worst seasons?
* Organizational Rankings
* Arizona Diamondbacks
* New York Yankees
* Milwaukee Brewers
* Colorado Rockies
* Seattle Mariners
* New York Mets

## Banter

* Ben recorded a podcast episode with Bill James about his recent crime book.
* A fan was ejected for yelling out catcher locations in Spanish to Gary Sanchez
* Episode 1113 follow-up: Jeff proposes that that first wild-card team be given a certain run lead in the wild-card game based on how far ahead they are of the second wild-card.
* Episode 1116 follow-up: Sammy Sosa needed 248 home runs before he hit his first career grand slam.

## Notes

* Jeff and Ben agree that the Arizona Diamondbacks have had the best season when considering the full scope of the 2017 season and how it might impact the team's future.
* For just the second time in franchise history the Colorado Rockies will finish with an above .500 record on the road.
* Jason Benetti made another reference to trampolines on a recent broadcast.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1117: Pats on the Back and Slaps on the Wrist
* Cold Takes: Fandom Interference by Patrick Dubuque
Episode 1112: The Insulting Infield

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Astros’ almost insulting infield alignment against Albert Pujols and minor league hit-by-pitch machine Nick Sinay, then welcome on MIT draftee/new Mariners front-office addition David Hesslink and, later in the episode, YouTube baseball-highlight creator Andrew Vargha, proprietor of the newly anointed official baseball YouTube account of Effectively Wild.*

## Topics

* Interview with David Hesslink
* MIT baseball program
* David's scouting profile
* Joining the Mariners' front office
* Past internships with other teams
* MIT graduates in MLB
* Experiences to help get front office jobs
* Interview with Andrew Vargha
* Andrew's atypical highlight videos
* Getting inspiration for videos
* How to find highlights
* Andrew's highlight to-do list

## Interstitials

David Bowie, "A New Career in a New Town

Kanye West, "Highlights"

## Banter

* The Astros had an extreme shift on Albert Pujols that played Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve in the shallow outfield, assuming that he would pull the ball and run slowly to first base (he did both).
* Ben and Jeff wonder how Albert Pujols could possibly respond to shifts like this if it became more widespread around the league. Ben thinks it is bornerline offensive and Jeff wonders when a shift would start to violate the unwritten rules.
* Nick Sinay, a minor league player for the Blue Jays, was hit by a pitch in 13% of his plate appearances (MiLB average is 1.4%). Sinay also had the highest HBP rate last year in the minors.

## Notes

* Jeff says that Ray-Patrick Didder is "the most sexually uncomfortable name I've seen in a while".
* David is one of just four players ever drafted from MIT.
* When David was drafted by the Mariners there was an understanding that they would reevaluate his status at end of the season and possibly have him transition into the front office.
* David is a left-handed pitcher but bats from the right side.
* Andrew says that a lot of his videos are inspired by players he really likes or strange things he sees happening that there aren't highlights for.
* Andrew says that basketball is his first/favorite sport but it is easier to find baseball highlights.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1112: The Insulting Infield
* Astros infield alignment for Albert Pujols
* Andrew Vargha's YouTube channel
Episode 1064: Harper Throws Hands, Trout Hurts His

## Summary

Ben Lindbergh and a Jeff Sullivan substitute banter about Clayton Kershaw, then discuss all of the fallout from Mike Trout’s surgery and Bryce Harper’s brawl.

## Topics

* Mike Trout's torn thumb ligament
* Adjusting Trout's 2017 projections
* Sliding technique
* Comparing Trout with Barry Bonds
* Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland brawl
* Harper's helmet throw
* Washington Nationals
* San Francisco Giants
* Overcoming the 'villain' label
* *The Only Rule Is It Has to Work*

## Banter

* Former co-host Sam Miller is serving as guest host for while Jeff is on vacation.
* Ben asks Sam, "You have any banter from the last five months?"
* Clayton Kershaw has lowered his career ERA each season of his career. Currently he has a 2.37 career ERA and a 2.37 ERA this season.

## Notes

* Mike Trout hurt his thumb while sliding into second base and will be out 6-8 weeks after surgery.
* Trout had been on pace for an 11 WAR season.
* Hunter Strickland threw at Bryce Harper despite it being more than two years since Harper hit (and pimped) several home runs against Strickland in the 2014 NLDS.
* Sam thinks that it would be much better if Harper had thrown his shoe at Strickland. He also wonders if a player like Harper will ever be able to overcoming the heel/villain feelings that people had about him since he was a teenage prospect.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1064: Harper Throws Hands, Trout Hurts His
* Is it time for teams to treat Mike Trout like Barry Bonds? by Sam Miller
* Dear Bryce Harper, my dude: What were you thinking?! by Sam Miller
Episode 105: Will R.A. Dickey’s Knuckleball Be Better in the Dome?/Do the Red Sox Have a Consistent Philosophy?

## Summary

*Ben and Sam answer listener emails about R.A. Dickey, the Red Sox, and more.*

## Topics

* Boston Red Sox
* R.A. Dickey
* Knuckleball

## Banter

* Russell Carleton sent an email about episode 101 with some helpful notes about why left-handed starters were more in demand than right-handed starters. The reasons provided are platoon splits, the unfamiliar spin of left-handed pitchers is surprising to hitters, and it is beneficial to alternate between lefties and righties.
* Russell also followed up on another question about signing bonuses. He pointed out that it is financially beneficial to receive a signing bonus before a change in the tax rates.

## Email Questions

* James: "In August, when the Red Sox seemed to sacrifice Adrian Gonzalez to rid themselves of Beckett and Crawford's contract, it appeared the Red Sox were making a conscious decision to either spend money wiser or pursue a new core group of players in the upcoming offseason. However, neither of these things have happened. Instead they overpaid for good supporting players Napoli, Victorino, and Dempster and signed them to two or three-year deals that suggest these guys aren't just placeholders. Do you think there's a consistent front-office philosophy on how to retool this team to make them a contender again?"
* Allan: "Jason Parks stated Alex Anthopoulos was bullish on R.A. Dickey in the dome. Do we know the reason?"

## Notes

* The Boston Red Sox would go on to win the 2013 World Series.
* The second question revolved around the premise that knuckleball pitchers would achieve better results pitching in a dome due to favorable atmospheric conditions.
* In December of 2012, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired R.A. Dickey from the New York Mets in a trade that netted prospects Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard for Toronto.
* R.A. Dickey was the 2012 recipient of the National League Cy Young Award.
* When Sam was a child, his father told him that knuckleball pitchers "like the wind."
* Ben and Sam compare this trade to the Rays and Royals trade that saw Will Myers and James Shields change organizations.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 105: Will R.A. Dickey's Knuckleball Be Better in the Dome?/Do the Red Sox Have a Consistent Philosophy?
Baseball Begins in 1988

Sam Miller claimed that "real baseball" begins in 1988, and most of his Play Index/Stat Blast segments do not consider baseball prior to 1988.

Sam broke down baseball's eras in Episode 454:

We all have different time periods we like to use for our Play Index searches. Sometimes I like to think that baseball started in 1950. Sometimes I think that baseball started in 1969, when they raised the mound. A lot of times, I like to think that it started in 1988. I basically think that everything after 1988 is real baseball. Everything before 1988 is pretty close, like real close, but so much changed from year to year that it's hard to treat it with quite the same certainty. And then everything before, like, 1923, or maybe a couple years later, is completely made up. Like, totally useless. Not baseball. Not recognizable. Get out of here.
In Episode 493, Sam justified limiting a Play Index analysis to post-1988 "to avoid having to go to the old boring baseball, because those guys have names we don't know," and to "smooth out the offensive environment".

In Episode 676, Sam said that modern baseball cards begin in 1989, because that was the first year with 1988 stats.

In Episode 738, Sam's Play Index begins by looking at players from the 1950's and 1960's, then says, "That's pre-modern baseball. Doesn't count. All sorts of crazy things were happening."

Ben recalls in Episode 1840 that Sam chose 1988 because that was the first year we have full pitch data.

Ben occasionally teased Sam about his belief that baseball begins in 1988. In Episode 718, Sam expands his search back to 1988, and Ben says, "All of recorded history." In Episode 755, Sam does a second search over the years 1950 to 1987, and Ben says, "Back to pre-history."

This inside joke was also used by Baseball Prospectus:

Since 1988—and we pick 1988 as a tip of the hat to new BP boss Sam Miller, who believes modern baseball history begins then...
— Skewed Left: What Is An All-Star Pitcher?
## Notes

1. ↑ Sam misspoke: 1969 was the year that they *lowered* the mound.
2. ↑ The year 1950 is significant because Retrosheet has reconstructed play-by-play data for nearly all games since 1950.
Episode 1148: I’m a Marlins Fan, AMA

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss the Giancarlo Stanton trade’s impact on the Yankees, whether and why the Marlins are an embarrassment (and where they’ll go from here), the Orioles’ attitude toward international players, and the Hall of Fame admitting Alan Trammell and Jack Morris. Then they bring on listener Lazaro Rodriguez, a certified Marlins fan, to talk about his reaction to the Stanton trade and ask him to explain why he’s still a Marlins loyalist.*

## Topics

* Giancarlo Stanton traded to Yankees
* Are the Marlins an embarrassment?
* Did the Marlins need to trade Stanton?
* Marlins path to success
* Orioles' statement about Shohei Ohtani
* Veterans Committee Hall of Fame voting
* Interview with Lazaro Rodriguez
* Marlins World Series titles vs. sell-offs
* Marlins irrelevance
* Perception as a Marlins fan
* New Marlins ownership & Derek Jeter
* Face of the 2018 Marlins
* Carter Capps delivery: was it illegal?
* Camaraderie among Marlins fans
* Who makes the playoffs first: Braves or Marlins?

## Interstitial

Kendrick Lamar (Feat. Rihanna), "LOYALTY"

## Notes

* The Orioles were one of three teams that did not make a pitch for Shohei Ohtani.
* Laz didn't know there was baseball in Miami before moving to the USA from Cuba.
* Laz: “No one questions my loyalty [when they find out I'm a Marlins fan], they question my sanity"
* Laz is happy that Giancarlo Stanton was traded to Yankees because he escaped the Marlins.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1148: I'm a Marlins Fan, AMA
Episode 1144: The Explosive Edition

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo, Shohei Ohtani’s true two-way prospects (look, there’s no other news), MLB’s extraordinarily slow November, and trampoline pitching, then talk to volcanologist Erik Klemetti about how baseball would weather volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and other fascinating but terrifying geologic events.*

## Topics

* Interview with Erik Klemetti
* Baseball & extreme weather
* Volcanoes
* Earthquakes
* Baseball in Mexico City and Portland
* Volcano team names

## Banter

* Willians Astudillo's strikeout rate
* Skepticism about Shohei Ohtani
* Slow November signing/trade market
* Pitchers on a trampoline

## Notes

* In 2011 Willians Astudillo struck out twice in 220 plate appearances.
* No top 50 free agent has signed yet.
* If Mount Rainier erupted the ash would impact on baseball in Seattle and Tacoma, in addition to impacting flight routes in and out of the area.
* Erik comments that any volcanic eruption big enough to significantly interrupt baseball would be large enough to cause major issues across the US far beyond baseball.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1144: The Explosive Edition
* The Takes Are Still Hot, but MLB's November Stove Is As Cold As Ever by Ben Lindbergh
* Barry Bonds vs. pitcher on a trampoline
* Seattle's Backyard Sleeper by Erik Klemetti
* Mexico City Would Be MLB's Highest Home Run Haven by Ben Lindbergh
EW-Scrape

EW-Scrape is a Google Chrome extension created and maintained by User:Twinkiepower to partially automate the process of adding new episodes of Effectively Wild to the wiki.

While it's a work in progress, EW-Scrape is already capable of handling much of the tedious aspect of inputting information, such as adding links and copying large blocks of text with the proper wiki markup/formatting.

## Installing EW-Scrape

1. Download EW-Scrape from the GitHub repo's releases page.
2. Extract the contents of the download into its own folder in the location of your choice.
3. In Chrome, go to **chrome://extensions/** and check the box for Developer mode in the top right.
4. Click "Load Unpacked Extension" and then choose the project folder. EW-Scrape will now be installed in your browser!
5. Pin the extension to your navigation bar. You should see a button with the "EW" logo.

## Using EW-Scrape

1. In Chrome, to the individual Fangraphs episode page of Effectively Wild that you want to add to the wiki.
2. Open a new tab for the EW Wiki, and create a new page with the appropriate title for the episode.
3. Back on the Fangraphs tab, click the EW button in the navigation bar. A red button will appear, click it. This adds all of the relevant text needed to your clipboard. (Sadly, the current version of EW-Scrape does not give you any feedback that this step was successful. That feature will be added in a subsequent release!)
4. Return to your new wiki article. Ensure the editor is in "Source Editor" mode, and paste the text. You should now see the article populated with a ton of text in the format of the Episode Template!
5. Add and edit information as needed to finish off the episode. Click Save.
Ennui

Meg playfully refers to the ball having **ennui**, meaning that it is less lively.

The term entered the podcast vocabulary in Episode 1826, in which Meg says that the 2022 pre-season was "meaningfully better than the ennui perhaps that we felt in the last couple of years." Here, she is referring to herself having ennui, but she will soon transfer the "French feelings" from herself to the ball.

## Occurrences

In Episode 1857, Meg says, "A lot of people are mad about the current state of the ball and its relative juicelessness. It is not juice*less*. It is not dead. It is simply moribund. It is fatigued. It is a ball suffering from ennui."

In Episode 1861, Meg says, "It isn't just the ball - it's the humidors, it's the weather - there's all of this stuff that contributes to the relative enthusiasm and buoyancy for travel that the ball exhibits, or the state of ennui that it retreats into."

In Episode 1866, Meg says, "Maybe we need like a talking ball that would announce itself, like [shouting] 'I am alive!' and [tired] 'I have ennui.'"

In Episode 2078, Meg says, "... with the ball a little bit deader than it used to be. It's still fairly lively in a historical sense, so does not have ennui. It has a little more than it did recently, but not in the grand scheme of things."
Episode 10: Splash

## Summary

*Ben and Sam discuss whether the Orioles should be buyers and what teams mean when they dub a prospect “untouchable.”*

## Topics

* Untouchable prospects
* Are the Orioles buyers at the trade deadline?
* Baltimore Orioles' long term outlook

## Notes

* Ben has returned to New York after being in Vancouver. Sam says, "I don't like you sneaking around on me but I'm glad you're home safe."
* The Orioles have a 3% chance to make the playoffs. They only have 10 players that are above replacement level.
* Sam thinks that no Orioles team in the next 5 years will have more than a 15% chance of making the playoffs
Episode 1130: From Game 5 to Eternity

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the madness of World Series Game 5, including slick balls and home runs, Clayton Kershaw and Yuli Gurriel, and the many moments when the game appeared to be over but refused to end.*

## Topics

* World Series Game 5
* Changes to the baseball
* Slick baseballs
* Yuli Gurriel and Yu Darvish
* Bullpen performance
* The most ridiculous home runs of the series
* Player redemption
* Rest of series predictions
* Ken Giles
* Managerial decisions

## Notes

* When ranked by total change in WPA, Game 5 of the World Series was the sixth most 'exciting' World Series game of all time.
* In the World Series the Dodgers' bullpen has an ERA of 5.32. The Astros' bullpen has an ERA of 7.58.
* Carlos Correa hit a home run with a 48 degree launch angle. In 2017 balls with a similar launch angle had a batting average of .033 and slugging of .050.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1130: From Game 5 to Eternity
* All the Times That That Game Seemed Over by Jeff Sullivan
Episode 1033: Season Preview Series: Mets and Orioles

### Interstitials

Laura Stevenson and The Cans, "The Healthy One"Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, "Baltimore"

### Outro

Humble Pie, "The Sad Bag of Shaky Jake"Episode outtake sound clip

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about a beautiful Javier Baez tag, then preview the Mets’ 2017 season with Ted Berg of For The Win and the Orioles’ 2017 season with Jake Mintz of Cespedes Family BBQ.*

## Topics

* New York Mets preview with Ted Berg
* Healthy spring training
* Noah Syndergaard
* Jacob deGrom
* Michael Conforto
* David Wright
* Lack of major offseason moves
* Travis d'Arnaud
* Pitching prospects
* Lack of bullpen depth
* Baltimore Orioles preview with Jake Mintz
* Buck Showalter's bullpen management
* Ubaldo Jimenez
* Manny Machado
* Kevin Gausman
* Dylan Bundy
* Adam Jones
* Jonathan Schoop
* Mark Trumbo's usage at DH
* Bullpen depth

## Interstitials

Laura Stevenson and The Cans, "The Healthy One"

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, "Baltimore"

## Banter

* Ben and Jeff discuss Javier Baez's no-look tag in the World Baseball Classic. Baez begins to celebrate before receiving the ball or applying the tag, and doesn't look when he tags out Nelson Cruz.
* Jeff also analyzes the final play of the 2016 World Series to see how the Cubs players celebrated before the final out was made.

## Notes

* In 2016 pitchers had a .146 OPS against Noah Syndergaard in 51 at-bats.
* Ted predicts that the Mets will win 92 games.
* Jake thinks that it is more likely he has a child before the Orioles win the World Series.
* Jake predicts that the Orioles will win 82 games and build towards making the playoffs in 2018.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1033: Season Preview Series: Mets and Orioles
* Javier Baez tag video
Crickets

*For the sport, see Cricket.*
In the early episodes, the sound of **crickets** in Sam's garage was often captured on the recording. Some listeners liked it. Others found it distracting.

* Episode 31: Sam switches to recording in his Honda Fit to avoid the cricket sounds.
* Episode 32: In response to users who liked the cricket sounds, Sam compromises by recording from the Honda Fit with the door open.
* Episode 53: The Rangers had 500 crickets in their dugout.
* Episode 54: NPR reported on an "epidemic of crickets".
* Episode 77: Sam has gotten rid of most of the crickets, but his neighbors still have them.
* Episode 89: The crickets in Sam's garage have gone silent.
* Episode 166: The crickets are back.
* Episode 213: A foot stomping a cricket is proposed as possible logo for the podcast.

Crickets stopped being a regular theme for several years.

* Episode 1569: Sam disturbs a cricket nest, and the crickets have rediscovered the house.