This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about tough times for a few EW favorites and Ben’s pre-podcast injury, then (15:00) discuss the response to Cade Cavalli telling Willson Contreras to “Sit down, boy.” After that (38:10), they cover the MLBPA’s proposals to limit certain types of transactions, a continued tightening of the leashes on starting pitchers, Paul Skenes’s recent struggles, the unlikely win-loss records of Tanner Bibee and Aaron Ashby (and an embarrassing Cooper Ingle error), Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong hot streaks and PCA’s newfound patience, recent swoons by the Braves and Yankees and surges by the Marlins and Rangers, what the Red Sox and Tigers should do at the deadline, and more.

Audio intro: Philip Tapley and Michael Stokes, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Sean .P, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLBTR on Brebbia
Link to MLBTR on Rooker
Link to Rooker/Pasquantino pod
Link to MLBTR on Lin
Link to MLBTR on Lasko
Link to Brussels sprouts episode
Link to Venezuela earthquakes story
Link to MLB/MLBPA Venezuela donation
Link to Cavalli/Contreras video
Link to story on first Contreras ejection
Link to ump’s ejection explanation
Link to story about Contreras/Cavalli incident
Link to Cavalli apology
Link to Toboni comments
Link to Bixby census data
Link to The Athletic on Cavalli
Link to punishments for players
Link to MLBTR on the suspensions
Link to Contreras Instagram comment
Link to Contreras Instagram report
Link to The Athletic on player proposals
Link to MLBTR on player proposals
Link to Ben on pitcher roster restrictions
Link to BP on rampant DFAing
Link to BP on rampant optioning
Link to MLBPA prop-bet proposal
Link to Crizer on Skenes, etc.
Link to Skenes Big Glizzy ad
Link to McClanahan game
Link to Sam on starter usage
Link to Snell no-hitter
Link to familiarity vs. fatigue research
Link to Ingle error
Link to MLB wins leaders
Link to Ashby quotes
Link to RP IP leaders
Link to RP leverage leaders
Link to 23-3 game
Link to Littleton save
Link to Corbin save tweet
Link to PCA fun fact
Link to Swanson fun fact 1
Link to Swanson fun fact 2
Link to fun-fact-finding interview
Link to Woodrum on PCA
Link to NL East playoff odds graph
Link to Defector on the Marlins
Link to Sheehan on the Rangers
Link to Jay on bad defenses
Link to Temecula incident

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the firing of Perry Minasian and the Angels’ outlook under John Mozeliak, Molly Jolly, and Arte Moreno, how MLB is using official channels to publicly promote its position in labor bargaining, whether the Mets’ disappointing season will influence other teams’ approaches to roster construction, the popularity (or lack thereof) of Josh Naylor, Jacob Misiorowski and the imprecise nature of pitch-speed records, and the delightful debut of the Diamondbacks’ Mitch Bratt, plus a postscript about MLB’s ball-drag statement.

Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Blum on Minasian
Link to Blum on Minasian 2
Link to Dubuque on Minasian
Link to Rosenthal on Mozeliak
Link to Nightengale’s Angels report
Link to Jolly article
Link to MLB labor videos
Link to MLB Instagram labor post
Link to Ozempic ad 1
Link to Ozempic ad 2
Link to MLB.com column 1
Link to MLB.com column 2
Link to Baumann on draft prospect opinions
Link to bully pulpit wiki
Link to 2026 Mets clubhouse story
Link to 2025 Mets clubhouse story
Link to 2023 Mets clubhouse story
Link to Stearns clip
Link to Meisel on Naylor
Link to Hedges clip
Link to Garrett comment
Link to Naylor on Pawol
Link to Miz 105.5 mph story
Link to Miz postgame comment
Link to Miz postgame clip
Link to 105+ MPH pitches
Link to 107+ perceived MPH pitches
Link to Pitch Info website
Link to Chapman max MPH at BB
Link to Hicks max MPH at BB
Link to Joyce max MPH at BB
Link to Miz max MPH at BB
Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 1
Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 2
Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 3
Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 4
Link to PITCHf/x calibration article 5
Link to Bratt delivery 1
Link to Bratt delivery 2
Link to Bratt last year
Link to Walden/Capps story
Link to Seinfeld clip
Link to Bratt extension rank
Link to “fall on my ass” tweet
Link to Savant drag dashboard
Link to MLB statement to Ben
Link to Acuña comparing balls
Link to MLB trademark application

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Ben Lindbergh and Ben Clemens banter about some suspicious variability in the ball’s behavior and whether the low-drag, high-home-run-rate times of the late 2010s have returned, Carlos Mendoza’s “departure” from the Mets, the Blue Jays’ dominance of “Phase 1” of All-Star voting, the hitters and pitchers who have most overperformed and underperformed their projections through the halfway point of the regular season, forsaking single-team fandom, platoon god Paul Goldschmidt, Dalton Rushing’s clash with Shohei Ohtani, the Pope’s audience with A.J. Pierzynski, MLB’s economic proposals, and more, plus Stat Blasts about an unusual homestand and the Nationals’ latest, not-so-greatest bullpen blowup(s).

Audio intro: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLFAD scoreboard
Link to bouncing ball wiki
Link to Savant drag dashboard
Link to ball carry analysis
Link to Nathan post 1
Link to Nathan post 2
Link to Nathan post 3
Link to Nathan post 4
Link to March/April scoring
Link to May scoring
Link to story about May offense
Link to June scoring
Link to MLB/Rawlings story
Link to scoring/attendance research 1
Link to scoring/attendance research 2
Link to scoring/attendance research 3
Link to scoring/attendance research 4
Link to Mets announcement tweet
Link to Mets announcement post
Link to MLBTR on Mendoza
Link to MLBTR on Green
Link to Rosenthal on Mendoza/Stearns
Link to Ben L. on team turnover
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to Phase 1 ASG voting results
Link to Sogard contest post
Link to FG combined WAR leaderboard
Link to 2025 trade value series
Link to Dan S. on batter ZiPS movers
Link to Dan S. on pitcher ZiPS movers
Link to batter preseason projections
Link to batter pace leaders
Link to batter paces vs. projections
Link to pitcher preseason projections
Link to pitcher pace leaders
Link to pitcher paces vs. projections
Link to MLBTR on Ragans
Link to Cashman on running back the roster
Link to Goldschmidt tOPS+ query
Link to Goldschmidt sOPS+ query
Link to 1B JAWS leaders
Link to Petriello on Goldschmidt
Link to Other Ben’s VEB archive
Link to Jensen HR off of Kimbrel
Link to Rushing/Ohtani video
Link to Rushing quotes
Link to Rushing postgame video
Link to Ohtani postgame video
Link to Roberts postgame video
Link to contested challenge clip
Link to dugout conferences clip
Link to mound conference clip
Link to costly missed catch
Link to Rushing bench reaction
Link to Ohtani’s Smith/Rushing splits
Link to Rosenthal on Pope/Pierzynski
Link to Papal infallibility wiki
Link to MLB proposals article
Link to MLB proposals tweet
Link to MLBPA response
Link to article on player aging
Link to aging curve research 1
Link to aging curve research 2
Link to late homestands spreadsheet
Link to BP on the Phillies comebacks
Link to Langs on the Phillies comebacks
Link to 2026 team RP WAR
Link to worst-ever team RP WAR
Link to Phillies comeback gamer
Link to last-strike-comebacks data
Link to non-Einstein quote investigation
Link to The Athletic on the Nats’ pen
Link to The Athletic on the Nats’ pen again
Link to Rockies comeback gamer
Link to Other Ben on inherited runners
Link to Stat Blast on inherited runners
Link to listener emails database
Link to SCG Con
Link to MLBTR on Minasian/Mozeliak
Link to Miz 105.5 mph story
Link to fastest tracked pitches
Link to Miz postgame comment
Link to Miz postgame clip

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the rise and fall of Ildemaro Vargas, the Mets’ and Cubs’ David Peterson swap, Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s refusal to wear a cup, the Giants’ response to Pride Night fallout, and the owners’ CBA strategy. Then (56:41) Ben brings back John Brebbia to discuss the Rockies reliever’s return to the majors, how he’s handling the journeyman phase of his career, when to opt out of a contract, Colorado’s player-dev improvements, Triple-A attitudes, how the minors have changed, the greatest major league luxury, dugout pitch-calling, challenging, his entrance song, how he and other players are following the labor talks, and more.

Audio intro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: The Spaghettis, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic)”

Link to Lennon song
Link to MLFAD
Link to “Train Daddy” article
Link to “Railroad Daddy” article
Link to Brebbia’s first appearance
Link to Vargas hot streak
Link to Vargas cold streak
Link to Voros’s Law
Link to gambler’s fallacy
Link to Vargas collision
Link to Flowers for Algernon adaptations
Link to Charly
Link to TV movie
Link to Awakenings
Link to “Snakes alive” slogan
Link to Nora Morse wiki
Link to FG post on the Cubs
Link to MLBTR on Peterson
Link to Gary Cohen quote
Link to Mets’ six errors
Link to Chisholm clip
Link to Chisholm story
Link to Mariners testicle injury thread
Link to Haniger story
Link to risk compensation wiki
Link to catcher helmets interview
Link to lollipop story
Link to Davitt interview
Link to Posey clip
Link to SF Chronicle on the Giants
Link to The Athletic on the Giants
Link to KNBR interview story
Link to Devers apology story
Link to Vitello’s The Town reference
Link to Manfred letter
Link to The Athletic on MLB’s proposals
Link to MLBTR on MLB’s proposals
Link to Play Sun Smart initiative
Link to Rockies team attitude story
Link to Senzatela pitch mix
Link to Bull Durham scene
Link to Collins quote
Link to dugout pitch-calling story
Link to dugout pitch-calling story 2
Link to Ben on dugout pitch-calling
Link to Wham! song
Link to story about Brebbia’s song
Link to Zoolander scene
Link to Meyer quote

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Joey Meneses and John Brebbia being back in the big leagues, Mike Trout’s hamstring strain, Dillon Dingler’s dominance, a Blue Jays All-Star voting update, the latest Home Run Derby format change, MLB’s radical amateur drafts proposal, the DOJ’s MLB investigation and the York Revolution’s Pride event, Rafael Devers vs. Tony Vitello, and the struggle-bus swan songs of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, plus (1:40:06) a postscript.

Audio intro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Garrett Krohn, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to MLB.com on Meneses
Link to MLBTR on Meneses
Link to MLBTR on Brebbia
Link to Ben on Meneses
Link to Brebbia on EW
Link to “Cecilia”
Link to MLB.com on Trout
Link to latest All-Star tallies
Link to AL “as 2B” leaders
Link to “primary 2B” leaders
Link to team OF rankings
Link to AL WAR leaders
Link to FG framing leaders
Link to Savant framing leaders
Link to on-pace leaders
Link to catcher batting leaders
Link to Derby report
Link to Derby format wiki
Link to The Athletic on MLB’s proposal
Link to ESPN on MLB’s proposal
Link to Cohen tweet
Link to BA on MLB’s proposal
Link to Dan S. on MLB’s proposal
Link to DOJ investigation story
Link to DOJ investigation story 2
Link to player reaction to investigation
Link to York Revolution statement
Link to York Revolution news story
Link to York Revolution wiki
Link to York Revolution news segment
Link to Teter clip
Link to story on Treinen
Link to Manfred letter
Link to York County voting results
Link to York County voting story
Link to Devers/Vitello interaction
Link to Devers/Vitello story 1
Link to Devers/Vitello story 2
Link to MLB.com on Scherzer
Link to Verlander quotes
Link to Verlander’s 25 things
Link to Upton story
Link to Verlander’s pitching splits
Link to Fleisig paper
Link to “tree of liberty” quote
Link to “rigor mortis” quote
Link to Worthington obit
Link to Episode 1505
Link to Shreiber obit
Link to Draft No. 4
Link to One Writer’s Beginnings
Link to Red McDermott at B-Ref
Link to Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the backlash to MLB’s initial statement about the Giants’ objectors to Pride Night, the league’s subsequent expanded statement, and the facts about the policies and punishments (or the lack thereof) pertaining to uniform alterations. Then (37:10) they banter about the Blue Jays’ ballot dominance in early All-Star voting, the history of teams being overrepresented on All-Star rosters, the Mariners’ piggyback pitching plan, and Curtis Washington Jr. as the ultimate phantom ballplayer, answer emails (1:19:28) about where the next two-way player might come from and whether Pete Crow-Armstrong’s defensive value is underrated, and Stat Blast (1:31:56) about where franchise scoring records tend to be set, the biggest run differentials in games with equivalent times on base, days when one team outscored many other teams combined, Boston’s lack of late comebacks, and teams whose win totals did or didn’t match their WAR totals.

Audio intro: Austin Klewan, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to wisdom teeth etymology
Link to Domínguez tooth news
Link to Ohtani gamer
Link to MLB’s initial statement
Link to assorted bad tweets
Link to MLB’s second statement
Link to story about statements
Link to Hawley letter story
Link to story about backlash
Link to CBA
Link to Josh Hawley fleeing footage
Link to Noah Hawley wiki
Link to Vesia tribute story
Link to California Post story
Link to All-Star vote totals
Link to AL 2B WAR leaders
Link to Blue Jays voting story 1
Link to Blue Jays voting story 2
Link to Blue Jays WAR leaders
Link to team All-Star records
Link to 2015 Royals voting story
Link to 2015 Royals All-Stars
Link to 2026 YoY attendance
Link to 2015 YoY attendance
Link to 2023 Braves All-Stars story
Link to Mariners piggyback plan
Link to Ben on the ’93 A’s
Link to Washington call-up story 1
Link to Washington call-up story 2
Link to Washington call-up story 3
Link to Washington scouting report
Link to Washington demotion story
Link to Rob Mains on roster limits
Link to Ben on Padres Rule 5 guys
Link to phantom ballplayers wiki
Link to Ben on Ohtani’s origin story
Link to Las Vegas stats
Link to Rockies record score
Link to scoring differentials data
Link to 9/2/01 scoreboard
Link to ninth-inning scoring splits
Link to FG mailbag answer
Link to team WAR/wins data
Link to listener emails database
Link to HRD format report
Link to HRD format history

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Ben Lindbergh and The Ringer’s Van Lathan banter about Van’s love of baseball, his origin story as a fan, how he got back into the sport, MLB’s resurgence in popularity, advanced stats questions, why the percentage of Black players in MLB fell, how average sports fans perceive MLB’s labor battle, and much more (warning: language). Then (1:25:38) Ben talks to Thomas Gilbert, author of Death in the Strike Zone: The Mystery of America’s First Baseball Hero, about how Jim Creighton revolutionized pitching and reshaped the game, and how Gilbert investigated the many unknowns and misperceptions surrounding the right-hander’s life and death.

Audio intro: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Van’s Ringer archive
Link to Van’s baseball outfit
Link to Van’s dad story
Link to Chico Escuela clip
Link to Ben on Dunn and Pierre
Link to B-Ref career WAR leaders
Link to wOBA glossary entry
Link to Field of Dreams scene
Link to Jeter’s dating history
Link to The Simpsons scene
Link to Death in the Strike Zone
Link to How Baseball Happened
Link to Creighton wiki
Link to Thorn on Creighton 1
Link to Thorn on Creighton 2
Link to EW on pesäpallo
Link to The Universal Baseball Association
Link to Defector on Coover’s book
Link to Ella Black series

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball’s time to shine after the NBA/NHL seasons and a structural difference between basketball and baseball, Jacob Misiorowski achieving escape velocity and entering the deGrom Zone (and a change he’s made that may matter more than his increased speed), the impending posting of red-hot Teruaki Sato, the losers and losers of the Rafael Devers deal one year later, what the trade deadline will look like in this topsy-turvy season, and (42:55) what MLB should do to avoid a repeat of the Giants’ Pride Night debacle, plus (1:25:45) closing banter about games starting/ending too early for night owls.

Audio intro: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to 82-0
Link to 162-0
Link to Jimmy John’s wiki
Link to Misiorowski game
Link to Misiorowski fun fact
Link to The Miz max speed by game
Link to The Miz zone rate by game
Link to Skubal game-ending pitch
Link to Skubal comeback
Link to “Just Dropped In”
Link to The Miz on Pokémon 1
Link to The Miz on Pokémon 2
Link to Charmander wiki
Link to Charizard wiki
Link to Mega Charizard X wiki
Link to Ground type Pokémon wiki
Link to Ben on the Brewers’ clutchness
Link to FG playoff odds
Link to FG post on the White Sox
Link to Passan’s deadline preview
Link to FG post on Ramírez injury
Link to The Athletic on the Devers trade
Link to Rosenthal on the Giants’ deadline
Link to MLBTR on Sato
Link to SFGate on the Giants
Link to McCovey Chronicles on the Giants
Link to Katie on the Giants
Link to Grant on the Giants
Link to Outsports on the Giants
Link to SF Chronicle on the Giants
Link to SF Chronicle on the Giants 2
Link to Webb quote
Link to Bates story
Link to info on Dodgers caps
Link to Outsports on Dodgers caps
Link to Dodgers’ Burke/Bean memorial
Link to 2022 Rays story
Link to NHL Pride story 1
Link to NHL Pride story 2
Link to NHL Pride story 3
Link to Outsports on Strider
Link to Outsports on MLB warning
Link to The Athletic on MLB warning
Link to uniform rules
Link to Outsports on Affeldt
Link to Picard scene
Link to SBJ on start times
Link to year-over-year attendance

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Tarik Skubal is the latest athlete to return to play faster than anticipated thanks to a new surgical technique or technology. But there’s something even better than coming back more quickly from an injury: avoiding an injury in the first place. Can injury prevention be improved as much as injury treatment? In this themed episode, Ben Lindbergh talks to four guests about three potential ways to keep players healthy. First (5:14), Mariners biomechanist Cedric Attias joins to discuss how pitching mechanics affect elbow stress, whether injuries stem more from nature or nurture, and whether MLB teams are prioritizing injury research. Second (49:23), Daryl and Adam Moreau, the father-and-son inventors of FlexProGrip, explain how forearm weakness endangers the UCL, how they designed and validated their training tool, and how the device has been adopted in the game. Third (1:41:18), Steve Rowson, director of the Helmet Lab at Virginia Tech, shares how helmets have improved across sports, why dangerous impacts are different in football and baseball, and why catcher’s masks may need an overhaul to minimize concussions.

Audio intro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 1: Luke Lillard, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 2: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Grant Brisbee, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to NanoNeedle AP piece
Link to NanoNeedle Athletic piece
Link to Ben on protecting pitchers
Link to Ben on pitcher roster limits
Link to McGregor/ElAttrache article
Link to MLB/ElAttrache article
Link to article on Altuve’s return
Link to article on Alvarez’s return
Link to internal brace info
Link to article on Tatum’s return
Link to article on Mahomes’s return
Link to article on Kittle’s return
Link to summary of Cedric’s research
Link to Cedric’s research paper
Link to other research on lower arm slots
Link to pulldowns explainer
Link to Ben on team secrets
Link to Rieekan quote
Link to lower-arm-slots trend
Link to video clip about the trend
Link to Crizer on arm slots
Link to Misiorowski game
Link to FlexProGrip site
Link to FlexProGrip article 1
Link to FlexProGrip article 2
Link to FlexProGrip article 3
Link to FlexProGrip article 4
Link to FlexProGrip white papers
Link to Driveline research
Link to The Layback Podcast
Link to The Island of Doctor Moreau
Link to Edward Scissorhands
Link to Helmet Lab concussions research
Link to helmet ratings site
Link to Rowson’s faculty page
Link to CNN Helmet Lab story
Link to Ben on catcher concussions
Link to Carlin baseball vs. football bit
Link to risk compensation wiki
Link to Helmet Lab testing footage
Link to Marvin the Martian wiki
Link to Great Gazoo wiki
Link to Dark Helmet wiki
Link to Torres protective cap article 1
Link to Torres protective cap article 2
Link to Torres cap footage
Link to pitcher cap inserts info 1
Link to pitcher cap inserts info 2
Link to pitcher cap inserts info 3
Link to softball pitcher mask article
Link to softball fielder mask article
Link to softball fielder mask research
Link to The Athletic on catcher nut shots
Link to SIS on catcher nut shots
Link to Knoxville incident

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the listener response to their conversation with Adrian Chiles, newly minted major leaguer LuJames Groover, and a big Giants comeback (in defiance of the team’s historically walk-averse ways), then (21:25) answer listener emails about how long-term team outlooks factor into present-day disappointment levels, spectacle vs. analysis in closer-entrance pageantry, whether umps should be able to challenge themselves, how future sub-Ohtani two-way players will be perceived, the entertainment value of human managers and hypothetical robo-managers, a pre-playoffs rest period, and stats used as verbs, plus Stat Blasts (1:27:23) about teams that turned deficits into large leads, Paul Skenes and glad-to-see-him-go games, and the Angels’ used-to-be-good guys.

Audio intro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Episode 2489
Link to Groover debut story
Link to 2025 Groover story
Link to 2025 Groover clip
Link to Groover shirt story
Link to Eldridge game story
Link to Eldridge game box score
Link to ultimate slams story
Link to Giants BB%+
Link to Krukow/Kuiper clip
Link to Knicks comeback story
Link to Ben on Larry David
Link to Burnes setback story
Link to Crochet setback story
Link to Crochet setback confusion
Link to Michael’s BOOG intro
Link to BOOG pod appearance
Link to Jay on the White Sox
Link to Duran entrance video
Link to story about ballpark loudness
Link to call on Contreras
Link to Miller hot-mic moment 1
Link to Miller hot-mic moment 2
Link to Miller hot-mic moments article
Link to Sam on the Umpire Manual
Link to info on umps and HFA
Link to Sam on the two-way balance
Link to two-way draft prospects story
Link to “obligate” definition
Link to Grandstand Managers Night
Link to Ballers’ AI manager
Link to Twitch Plays Pokémon
Link to moonwalking robot
Link to running robot
Link to kicking robot
Link to Laws of Robotics
Link to Deep Thought wiki
Link to Marvin robot
Link to Grant on mascot pants
Link to NBA Cup
Link to Paine on the NBA Cup
Link to more Paine on the NBA Cup
Link to Knicks banner news
Link to Schlittler quote
Link to Shakespeare usage shifts
Link to Bulls vs. Tides story
Link to big comebacks data
Link to harmonic mean wiki
Link to listener emails database
Link to Skenes game story
Link to more on Skenes game
Link to bullpen blowups data
Link to Mancini comeback story
Link to past Angels Blasts
Link to used-to-be-good guys data
Link to Boog/Mancini survival story

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