Episode 1065: A Mountain of Emails

## Summary

*Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about mountain-climbing, Charlie Blackmon’s RBI barrage, starter-switching, the Reds’ still-lousy pitching, a bat-boning shoutout, and Ryan Raburn, then answer emails about Nolan Arenado, Ervin Santana, and Zack Cozart, Nelson Cruz clones, career longevity, gushing broadcasters, Albert Pujols and home runs, Cody Bellinger’s hot hitting, a Padres promotion, and more.*

## Topics

* Erivn Santana & Zack Cozart
* Nelson Cruz only team hypothetical
* Homerism on broadcasts
* Balancing longevity and milestones
* Albert Pujols
* San Diego Padres 5-win ticket pass

## Banter

* Jeff has returned from a summit attempt of Mount Shasta. He and his group had to turn around about 1,000 feet from the summit.
* Mike Trout was injured, Hunter Strickland threw at Bryce Harper.
* Charlie Blackmon is leading the MLB in RBI, a surprising feat for a leadoff hitter.
* What would it take for Nolan Arenado to be in the conversation for best player in baseball?
* Last season the Cincinnati Reds became the first team since 1900 to have a pitching staff finish with a negative WAR.
* Follow-up: Bat boning from Episode 1059.
* Ryan Raburn was traded from the White Sox to the Nationals.
* Follow-up: Sportsmanship and handedness from Episode 1062.
* Illinois Trampoline Safety Act

## Email Questions

* Ryan: "During all the newfound Twins fun, one player who you never mention is a revitalized Ervin Santana. Sano is great, Berrios is finally coming into his own, but even without dominant K numbers, Santana has been one of the top pitchers in the game this season. Any reason why he never gets a mention for his contributions this year, or is he truly being outdone by the aforementioned youngsters?
* Stephen: "I don't have too specific a question, but I'm completely confused about Zack Cozart. I haven't seen many people talking about him, but he is now 7th in OPS in the majors. As an over 30 year old, formerly mediocre SS, what's going on with him?"
* William: "Hey guys, I was having a baseball conversation with a coworker that veered into weird territory and now it's an email. I was thinking about a Mariners team made up only of 8 Nelson Cruz clones based solely on the fact that he led the team in OPS last year. Only the pitching staff would remain intact. Would this team be better or worse than the current Mariners? Nelson Cruz batting instead of Mike Zunino? Awesome. Nelson Cruz catching instead of Mike Zunino? Less awesome. Aside from every game likely becoming miserable 6-hour slugfest, would this team be better or worse?"
* Thomas: "So I had this thought while listening to WEEI's broadcast of the Chris Sale return to Chicago. Joe and Tim love him, and spend roughly 90 percent of the broadcast pulling up stats to rave about. I'm a Red Sox fan, but I'm pretty ambivalent. Does this kind of gushing about a player hurt or improve the broadcast in your opinion?"
* Sean: "Hey guys, earlier today I was playing the "MLB The Show" video game, and my created player broke Barry Bonds' career home run record in his 28th season. This event made me think, if a player hit some significant milestone but takes a long time to do it (for example: 3,000 hits in 27 seasons), would it cheapen the accomplishment at all to you? Or would durability and longevity be something that you take into account as part of the players profile."
* Alistair: "With Albert Pujols nearing 600 career home runs, how many would he need to be on at the end of his current Angels contract for a team to entertain re-signing him with the hope of beating the all-time record? Would the publicity and fanfare for the team outweigh having a declining batter in their lineup?"
* Victor: "My friend alerted me to a promotion the Padres are offering called the Padres Five-Win Pass. For $99, a fan gets to attend the first five Padre wins of June in a designated section below the scoreboard in left field at Petco Park. There are 16 games at Petco in June, which means someone who purchases this pass can attend anywhere from five to 16 home Padre games during the month. It all depends on how long it takes them to reach five victories during June. Have you guys ever seen a promotion like this before? Is is smart? Dumb? Somewhere in between? It feels extremely desperate to me, but maybe I'm missing something."

## Stat Blast

* What are the most RBIs in May by a first year player?
* Cody Bellinger, Tony Lazzeri, and Earl Torgeson had 27.
* Joe Dimaggio (28), Bob Speake (29), Zeke Banura (30), and Ted Williams (32).

## Notes

* The podcast got a shout out from the Washington Post's article about bat boning.
* The Nelson Cruz hypothetical team was followed-up in Episode 1068.

## Links

* Effectively Wild Episode 1065: A Mountain of Emails
* Baseball's Unlikely, League-Leading Leadoff Man by Ben Lindbergh
* Why do the Nationals have a 38-year-old cow femur and what is bat boning? by Jorge Castillo
* Trampoline Safety Act, Illinois General Assembly
* Padres Offer Unique Ticket Deal by Derek Togerson