Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about listener responses to their earlier conversation about the proper pluralization of “hit by pitch,” then (11:41) bring on Bradford William Davis and Dr. Meredith Wills to discuss the reporting and research that revealed that two types of baseballs were used during the 2021 MLB regular season, as well as the differences between balls, players’ and teams’ reactions to the news, whether MLB’s ball problems stem from incompetence or conspiracy, how the league could improve its messaging and production process, the outlook for offense next year, the ball’s impact on gambling and the labor situation, and more.
Audio intro: Sparks, “Balls” Audio outro: Roy Orbison, “Two of a Kind”
Link to SABR style guide Link to Bradford’s report Link to thread about Bradford’s report Link to SI report about 2020 balls Link to study about the Yankees Link to Alonso’s comments Link to Ben’s first piece about the HR rate Link to Ben’s first piece about the ball Link to Manfred’s 2019 comments Link to Meredith’s 2019 analysis Link to Ben on 2019 postseason balls Link to article about Wilson basketballs Link to Sporting News on three-pointers Link to NPR on three-pointers Link to Effectively Wild Secret Santa Link to Stove League teaser video Link to Stove League review Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about which teams have the most unfinished roster construction to complete post-lockout and the league’s and union’s dueling playoff format proposals, then answer listener emails about what Wander Franco would make as a free agent today, a plan to combat tanking, and the proper pluralization of “hit by pitch,” Stat Blast about Rich Hill and Scott Service, and meet two major leaguers, the Nationals’ Joan Adon and the Cubs’ Tyler Payne.
Audio intro: Leftover Salmon, “Mountain Top” Audio outro: Biz Markie, “My Man Rich”
Link to 14-team-playoffs proposal Link to 12-team-playoffs proposal Link to Ken Rosenthal on Freeman Link to Sam Miller on seeking contracts Link to article about Boras loophole Link to the “Gold Plan” Link to article on MLB vs. NFL TV ratings Link to Ben Clemens on the Hill signing Link to list of most signings with one team Link to list of most stints with one team Link to article about Cubs players used Link to article about Service Link to Servais vs. Service record Link to Servais vs. Service video Link to Travis Sawchik thread Link to Adon debut highlights Link to Adon debut post Link to Effectively Wild Secret Santa Link to Stove League teaser video Link to Stove League review Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the beginning of the lockout, which marks MLB’s ninth work stoppage and the first in 26 years. They also discuss a flurry of buzzer-beating transactions, including the Dodgers re-signing Chris Taylor, the Cubs signing Marcus Stroman, the Brewers and Red Sox swapping Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hunter Renfroe, and the Red Sox remaking their rotation with Rich Hill and James Paxton. Then (32:13) they bring on Indiana University professor and FanGraphs contributor Nathaniel Grow to discuss the significance of the lockout, what can and can’t happen while the lockout is in place, how and when it might be resolved, challenging MLB’s antitrust exemption, and more.
Audio intro: Crowded House, “Locked Out” Audio interstitial: Lucinda Williams, “Changed the Locks” Audio outro: Pink Floyd, “The Show Must Go On“
Link to Manfred’s letter Link to Tony Clark’s statement Link to Manfred’s press conference Link to more Manfred and Clark comments Link to Ben Clemens on Taylor Link to Eric Longenhagen on Renfroe/Bradley Link to Kevin Goldstein on Iglesias Link to Dan Szymborski on Paxton Link to last Evan Drellich podcast appearance Link to Evan on the most divisive issues Link to Evan on the start of the lockout Link to Evan on the path to the lockout Link to Nathaniel’s CBA preview Link to Nathaniel’s lockout preview Link to Travis Sawchik on 1995 signings Link to Ben on spring training for free agents Link to Mike Axisa on work stoppage rules Link to Nathaniel on the antitrust exemption Link to Baseball on Trial Link to Effectively Wild Secret Santa Link to Travis on agents and earnings Link to Shi Davidi on the Gausman signing Link to Davidi on Gausman vs. Ray Link to Stove League teaser video Link to Stove League review Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the onslaught of transaction activity leading up to the expiration of the CBA, touching on why they and others misread how fast the market would move, why players and teams have done deals so quickly and how the burst of spending could affect labor talks, the group of non-playoff teams that are trying to win, the Rangers and Mets pushing in their chips, the futures of Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Javier Báez, Max Scherzer’s record-breaking contract, Kevin Gausman vs. Robbie Ray, the aesthetics of Starling Marte, how close to contention the Mariners, Tigers, and Marlins might be, the Byron Buxton extension and the state of the Twins, the prominent teams that haven’t been busy, what the Rockies are thinking, where Carlos Correa could end up, and more.
Audio intro: The Orange Peels, "All at Once" Audio outro: Bee Gees, "All My Christmases Came at Once"
Link to Dan Syzmborski on the Mets’ signings Link to Jay Jaffe on the Scherzer signing Link to Dan on the Semien signing Link to Kevin Goldstein on the Seager signing Link to Dan on the Ray signing Link to Ben Clemens on the Gausman signing Link to Brendan Gawlowski on the Frazier trade Link to Ben Clemens on the Buxton extension Link to Justin Choi on the Gray signing Link to Ben Clemens on the Báez signing Link to Danny Knobler on a signing deadline Link to MLB-proposed free-agent signing deadline Link to MLB.com on a signing deadline Link to SI on speeding up free agency Link to RosterResource payroll page Link to Ken Rosenthal on Correa Link to Stove League teaser video Link to Stove League review Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Rays signing 20-year-old Wander Franco to a long-term extension, rapid movement in the starting-pitcher market (capped off by the Cardinals signing Steven Matz and Mets owner Steve Cohen tweeting out his reaction), and the White Sox inking Kendall Graveman. Then (36:41) they continue their series of discussions of Korean baseball drama Stove League by breaking down Episodes 5–8. (Note: No spoilers beyond Episode 8.)
Audio intro: Willie Nelson, "I Let My Mind Wander" Audio outro: Lana Del Ray, "Not All Who Wander Are Lost"
Link to Dan Syzmborski on the Franco extension Link to Ginny Searle on the Franco extension Link to Devan Fink on the Giants’ deals Link to story about Cohen and Matz Link to Luke Hooper on the Graveman signing Link to Korean report on corporal punishment Link to “Fighting!” expression Link to “You’ve worked hard!” expression Link to first EW Stove League discussion Link to Stove League teaser video Link to Stove League review Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
Ben Lindbergh talks to baseball writer and romance novelist KD Casey about Unwritten Rules, her new romance novel about catchers and catcher framing, focusing on her history as a fan and writer, the intersection of sports and romance fiction, fictionalizing MLB teams, delivering details about baseball without alienating readers who aren’t fans, the ethics of dating a teammate, why MLB still hasn’t had a publicly out active player, the legacy of Glenn Burke, whether it’s harder to write baseball scenes or sex scenes, picking the cover model for a baseball romance novel, calibrating readers’ romance expectations, and more. Then (1:08:22) Ben brings on Baseball Prospectus author Gerald Schifman to discuss his latest research into whether shadows creeping across the field actually affect offensive performance.
Audio intro: Julian Lennon, “Kiss Beyond the Catcher” Audio interstitial: Dion, “In and Out of the Shadows” Audio outro: Great Lake Swimmers, “Catcher Song“
Link to Unwritten Rules publisher page Link to Unwritten Rules Goodreads page Link to KD’s website Link to all of KD’s books Link to KD’s social media landing page Link to KD on Jewish families Link to vote in Reads Rainbow Awards Link to Ben’s 2013 framing piece Link to most-read Goodreads baseball books Link to Goodreads baseball romance books Link to Emma Span on baseball slash fiction Link to Billy Beane/Theo Epstein story Link to podcast about Pitch Link to retrospective Pitch piece Link to EW episode with Billy Bean Link to story about Burke Link to Burke bio Singled Out Link to excerpt from Burke bio Link to Andrew Maraniss on Burke Link to True Blue LA interview about Burke Link to The Athletic interview about Burke Link to Moneyball “romantic” scene Link to Gerald’s first shadows study Link to Gerald’s second shadows study Link to Stove League teaser video Link to Stove League review Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on an earlier conversation about ERA vs. FIP and banter about Seiya Suzuki being posted, Noah Syndergaard’s explanation of why he left the Mets, the rumored Sandy Alcantara extension and the future of the Marlins, how Canada’s new policy about unvaccinated athletes could affect the Blue Jays, and a dirty punch thrown by Willians Astudillo. Then (26:49) they discuss whether and how Ben, who’s eligible to vote for the Hall of Fame for the first time, should cast his ballot in a year with an unusually divisive slate of candidates.
Audio intro: Crowded House, "Fame Is" Audio outro: Ry Cooder, "One Cat, One Vote, One Beer"
Link to Syndergaard comments Link to story about Canada’s policy change Link to Reddit thread about Astudillo’s punch Link to blog post about Astudillo’s punch Link to earlier Astudillo brawl Link to 2022 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot Link to Jay Jaffe on the 2022 ballot Link to Jay on the Era Committee ballots Link to 2022 ballots at B-Ref Link to Jay on his 2021 ballot Link to EW interview with philosophers Link to Jared Diamond on the character clause Link to Jeff Passan on Bonds and Clemens Link to Passan on not voting Link to Andy McCullough on not voting Link to The Athletic’s HoF survey Link to Beyond the Scrum pod on not voting Link to starting pitcher JAWS leaders Link to Ken Rosenthal’s 2021 ballot cw // Link to comments by Bonds’s ex-wife cw // Link to comments by Bonds’s ex-girlfriend Link to FanGraphs post about playerElo Link to paper about playerElo Link to 2019 playerElo ratings Link to FiveThirtyEight Elo ratings Link to Stove League teaser video Link to Stove League review Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley recap the results of awards week, focusing on the controversy over Corbin Burnes’s victory over Zack Wheeler in NL Cy Young voting, the inconsistency between the AL and NL Cy Young results, how voting patterns are evolving, whether anyone actually discounts the value of innings, FIP vs. ERA and a misconception about the suitability of FIP for retrospective evaluation, and the MVP victories of Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper. Then (43:24) they start their series of discussions of Korean baseball drama Stove League by breaking down the first four episodes of the show. (Note: No spoilers beyond Episode 4.)
Audio intro: The High Water Marks, "Award Show" Audio outro: The Lemonheads, "Stove"
Link to NL Cy Young voting results Link to AL Cy Young voting results Link to AL MVP voting results Link to Ben on Ohtani’s stats Link to NL MVP voting results Link to Alex Speier on Cy Young voting Link to Jayson Stark on awards stats Link to Jeff Passan’s tweet about innings Link to Tom Tango on deGrom vs. Urías Link to Tango on predicting Cy Young results Link to Dan Szymborski on his NL RotY ballot Link to Ben Clemens on Burnes Link to Neil Paine on MVPs and team performance Link to history of BBWAA Cy Young voting Link to history of BBWAA MVP voting Link to Russell Carleton on reliever workloads Link to Incheon SSG Landers Field Link to Moneyball bat scene Link to Twitter thread on Jung Hwa Kim Link to explainer about Korean beef Link to Stove League teaser video Link to Stove League review Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Astros re-signing Justin Verlander and MLB’s plan to house minor leaguers, then (19:53) bring on listener and top-tier Patreon supporter John Choe to discuss the single game he played in indy ball, the Moonlight Graham Society he co-founded to recognize minor league cups of coffee, how his love of baseball stats helped guide him to his current career, how he and his kids have spread the gospel of sabermetrics, his daughter’s on-field experience with Baseball For All, and more. After that (42:29), Ben, Meg, and John answer listener emails about why popular pitcher stats don’t mirror popular hitting stats, how different baseball would be if players were removed from games after making outs and if players and teams could copyright tactics, whether umps should intervene in an unforced walk-off, and whether players could opt not to wear caps. Lastly (1:24:17), Ben talks to another listener/Patreon supporter, Michael Mountain, about the most efficient itinerary for a trip to every affiliated ballpark in 2022.
Audio intro: Kelley Stoltz, "You’re Out of This World" Audio outro: Smash Mouth, "Shoes ‘N’ Hats"
Link to Brendan Gawlowski on Verlander Link to Baseball America on MiLB housing Link to MiLB.com on MiLB housing Link to the Moonlight Graham Society website Link to John’s page at the MGS site Link to John’s article about the MGS Link to NPR story on Evan Katz Link to Sam Miller on playing in a pro game Link to list of minor league one-game players Link to lists of major league one-game players Link to Baseball For All website Link to paper on protecting sports secrets Link to Ben on keeping secrets in MLB Link to Bryan Grosnick on openers Link to Sam on the history of bullpenning Link to story on copyrighting game mechanics Link to Michael’s previous pod appearance Link to Reddit thread on 2022 road trip Link to Michael’s ballpark grand tour Link to traveling salesperson problem Link to NoContextEWPod account Link to Acuña’s quote Link to Stove League teaser video Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a flurry of signings and other transactions, including the Tigers signing Eduardo Rodriguez, the Angels signing Noah Syndergaard, the Blue Jays extending José Berríos, and the Mets (finally) hiring a GM, Billy Eppler, plus musings on the Tigers and Mariners “turning the corner,” followups on player rankings, unorthodox trades, and the worst way to end a series, and a real-time reaction to some Shohei Ohtani sponsorship news. Then (43:47) they talk to Zack Frongillo, Director of Entertainment for the Savannah Bananas, about the team’s history, his history, the development of “Banana Ball” and its experimental rules, foul balls being in play, how a typical gameday goes, the team’s online and offline appeal, the tryout/audition process, what baseball could borrow from Banana Ball, the Bananas’ plans for the future, and much more.
Audio intro: Radiohead, “Banana Co.” Audio interstitial: Arkells, “Savannah” Audio outro: Matt Costa, “Savannah“
Link to Ben Clemens on the Rodriguez signing Link to ICC cricket rankings Link to ICC cricket rankings wiki Link to story on the Guardians’ name Link to Phanatic lawsuit story Link to Harwell trade story Link to story about Youppi! trade Link to video of 2014 Japan Series ending Link to story on 2014 Japan Series ending Link to Twenty20 cricket wiki Link to the Bananas’ “About” page Link to Banana Ball explainer Link to Banana Ball video Link to Baseball America on the Bananas Link to the Boston Globe on the Bananas Link to the WSJ on the Bananas Link to Max Patkin SABR bio Link to Eddie Feigner obit Link to the Bananas on TikTok Link to Zack’s post in the EW Facebook group Link to EW episode about Blaseball Link to info on the Bananas’ 2022 tour Link to Stove League teaser video Link to stream Stove League via Kocowa Link to stream Stove League via Viki