Author Archive

Effectively Wild Episode 687: Probably Premature Judgments About Offseason Trades

Ben and Sam banter about Sonoma Stompers Opening Day, then discuss the early returns from some of the winter’s biggest blockbusters.


Effectively Wild Episode 686: Catcher Game-Calling, Now Slightly Less Mysterious

Ben and Sam talk to BP Director of Technology Harry Pavlidis about his recent discoveries about game-calling and our new understanding of what catchers are worth.


Effectively Wild Episode 685: A Couple Complaints About Replays and Appeals

Ben and Sam banter about home runs and a Dan Jennings quote, then discuss some oddities of baseball’s replay and appeal rules.


Effectively Wild Episode 684: Pitchers and Pine Tar, the Meat of the Order, and Throwing Back Baseballs

Ben, Sam, and Dan Brooks banter about Saber Seminar, then answer listener emails about pine tar, the meaning of the middle of the order, and throwing back home runs.


Effectively Wild Episode 683: The Almost Inexplicable Stephen Strasburg

Ben and Sam banter about Dan Jennings, then attempt to explain Stephen Strasburg’s perplexing season.


Effectively Wild Episode 682: How Bryce Harper Broke Out

Ben and Sam banter about earthquakes, Tim Lincecum, and baseball nightmares, then talk to Dan Rozenson about Bryce Harper.


Effectively Wild Episode 681: Marlins Madness, Sabermetric Milestones, and Other Emails

Ben and Sam banter about the Marlins’ unorthodox managerial move, Play Index about doubles, and answer emails about innings counts, sabermetric milestones, and more.


Effectively Wild Episode 680: Travis Sawchik on the Pirates and Big Data Baseball

Ben and Sam talk to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Pirates beat writer Travis Sawchik about his new book, Big Data Baseball.


Effectively Wild Episode 679: The Barry Bonds Collusion Case

Ben and Sam banter about Bryce Harper, then talk about what Barry Bonds could have contributed to or cost a baseball team in 2008.


Effectively Wild Episode 678: Early Statcast Leaders, Laggards, and Lessons

Ben and Sam talk to Rob Arthur about which batters have had hard luck or good fortune so far, according to Statcast.