Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about surprising playoff odds, the Astros extending Jose Altuve (26:40), the Brewers signing Gary Sánchez (34:57), the forthcoming Netflix docuseries about the 2024 Red Sox (38:49), a baseball equivalent of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift (45:17), and how trailblazing former first-round draftee Carter Stewart has fared in Japan (55:29). Then (1:03:25) they talk to Paul Freedman, co-founder and CEO of Pioneer League expansion teams the Oakland Ballers and the Yolo High Wheelers, about his efforts to ensure the survival of professional baseball in Oakland in the likely absence of the A’s.

Audio intro: Ted O., “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Josh Busman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to FG’s playoff odds
Link to Ben Clemens on the odds
Link to PECOTA’s projected standings
Link to Ben L. on the O’s
Link to Baumann on Altuve
Link to Astros Altuve tweet
Link to story on Altuve and cheating
Link to Martino Altuve report
Link to banging data
Link to Clemens on Sánchez
Link to Netflix press release
Link to MLB.com on the doc
Link to Drive to Survive myth
Link to Ben on Swift
Link to Princiotti on Swift
Link to Swift/NFL story 1
Link to Swift/NFL story 2
Link to Swift/NFL story 3
Link to Swift/NFL story 4
Link to Kiley on Stewart in 2019
Link to Jim Allen on Stewart
Link to Manfred on streaming
Link to Nevada teacher lawsuit
Link to Manfred comments
Link to Las Vegas mayor comments
Link to Oakland mayor comments
Link to A’s Opening Day offer
Link to Ballers promo video
Link to Ballers website
Link to High Wheelers website
Link to Pioneer League wiki
Link to Oaklandside on the Ballers
Link to Mercury News on the Ballers
Link to A’s Coliseum veto
Link to Oakland Roots SC wiki

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley introduce the 12th annual Effectively Wild season preview series, then banter about the Royals extending Bobby Witt Jr., the Dodgers reuniting with Clayton Kershaw (and Ryan Brasier), the Red Sox (sort of) reuniting with Theo Epstein, and the latest hitter who’s converting to pitching. Then they preview the 2024 Miami Marlins (33:33) with Fish on First’s Kevin Barral and the 2024 New York Mets (1:09:12) with The Athletic’s Tim Britton.

Audio intro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 1: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 2: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Indoor Recess, “On-Field Mics”

Link to preview series wiki
Link to FG depth charts standings
Link to Dan S. on Witt
Link to MLBTR on Witt
Link to Baumann on Peralta
Link to MLBTR on Kershaw
Link to FG on Brasier
Link to info on Brasier’s cutter
Link to MLBTR on Peters
Link to Ben on Taylor Swift
Link to Caribbean Series wiki
Link to Marlins offseason tracker
Link to Marlins depth chart
Link to team SP projections
Link to team RP projections
Link to Fish on First
Link to Fish on First podcast
Link to Kevin’s Fish on First archive
Link to Mets offseason tracker
Link to Mets depth chart
Link to Mauricio ACL news
Link to 2023 framing leaders
Link to “transitory” comment
Link to Mets fan survey
Link to Tim’s The Athletic archive
Link to MLBTR on Altuve

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down the Corbin Burnes trade between the Orioles and Brewers, then (23:19) talk to 81-year-old Don Kessinger, former six-time All-Star shortstop for the Cubs, about being an amateur multi-sport star, learning to switch-hit after making the majors, playing in Sandy Koufax’s perfect game, hitting in the low-offense 1960s, facing Nolan Ryan and Bob Gibson, doing Derek Jeter’s jump throw before Jeter did, being the American League’s last player-manager, the 1969 Cubs, his memories of Leo Durocher and Bill Veeck, Disco Demolition Night, being the father and grandfather, respectively, of big leaguers Keith Kessinger and Grae Kessinger, how pitching today compares to pitching during his era, and much more, plus (1:11:59) a few follow-ups.

Audio intro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Beatwriter, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ben Clemens on Burnes
Link to Logenhagen on Milwaukee
Link to FG SP depth charts
Link to Kessinger SABR bio
Link to more from SABR
Link to Prospect League page
Link to CICL wiki
Link to 1963 article
Link to Episode 1963
Link to perfect game call
Link to perfect game log
Link to perfect game wiki
Link to Kessinger vs. pitchers
Link to Cardboard Gods on Don
Link to retirement TV clip
Link to 1969 Cubs clip
Link to lowest K rates vs. Ryan
Link to Disco Demolition clip
Link to Mike Veeck on EW
Link to article on Don and Grae
Link to Grae highlights
Link to lowest-WAR 6-time AS
Link to MLBTR on Diekman
Link to Episode 2005
Link to MLBTR on Paxton

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein and managing editor Patrick Dubuque banter about editing, discuss the Orioles’ impending change in ownership (10:25), examine the newly released Baseball Prospectus 2024 (22:01), and then play a guessing/Remembering Some Guys game in which they each read aloud book comments about six unidentified players apiece, pulled from the full 29-year run of BP Annuals (39:20).

Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Horny)”
Audio outro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Baseball Prospectus 2024
Link to FG SP depth charts
Link to FG post on Burnes
Link to MLBTR on Rubenstein
Link to The Carlyle Group wiki
Link to Rob Mains on the sale
Link to The Athletic on the sale
Link to Tsao’s Wikipedia page
Link to Ben on bidets

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about what would happen if top prospects could promote themselves, the Mariners-Twins trade involving Jorge Polanco, Photoshop mockups of players in their new teams’ uniforms, Byron Buxton returning to center field, the Blue Jays signing Justin Turner, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as an MLB The Show cover model, the surprising aspects of the Hector Neris and Adam Ottavino signings, the Tigers’ Colt Keith extension, follow-ups on the death ball and a Dick Monfort body swap, and whether we need a central sports history authority to provide perspective on every sports controversy.

Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Morosi tweet
Link to marshmallow test article 1
Link to marshmallow test article 2
Link to marshmallow test article 2
Link to FG on the Polanco trade
Link to Twins depth chart
Link to Mariners depth chart
Link to Mariners’ Polanco tweet
Link to Mariners’ Taylor tweet
Link to Mariners’ Voth tweet
Link to Twins’ trade tweet
Link to Rosenthal on the Mariners
Link to airbrushed baseball cards
Link to Gleeman on the trade
Link to Falvey comments
Link to FG post on Julien
Link to Davy’s Julien song
Link to MLBTR on Buxton
Link to FG post on Turner
Link to ESPN on Vlad’s cover
Link to Sportsnet Vlad story
Link to FG post on Keith
Link to Tigers’ Keith tweet
Link to Sam on “seeking”
Link to tweet about Neris
Link to FG post on Neris
Link to Rosenthal on Neris
Link to MLBTR on Ottavino
Link to Becker tweet about Ottavino
Link to Seidler tweet about Ottavino
Link to Monfort email episode
Link to Barnwell on Campbell
Link to Florio on Campbell
Link to Kram on NBA scoring
Link to EW on running backs
Link to “arrow in the knee”
Link to Ben’s TLOU podcast
Link to Ben’s Palworld podcast
Link to MLBTR on the Orioles
Link to Rosenthal on the Orioles

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley unleash another rant about the Orioles’ inaction (prompted by Mike Elias quotes about their aggressiveness) and banter about the David Robertson and Joc Pederson signings and baseball in Masters of the Air, then (33:51) answer listener emails about whether the Diamondbacks still qualify as a young franchise, injury stoppage time in baseball, director’s cuts of baseball broadcasts, how baseball would be different if teams had to leave a player with the other team at the end of each series, and fixing the Rockies (plus a few follow-ups).

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

Link to Elias quotes
Link to FG SP projections
Link to Roster Resource payrolls
Link to earlier Orioles rant
Link to 30 Rock Sports Shouting clip
Link to Costanza clip
Link to MLBTR on Robertson
Link to MLBTR on Pederson
Link to EW Episode 2105
Link to Pederson poker article
Link to EW Episode 1856
Link to slap explainer
Link to Ben on Masters of the Air
Link to bowhead whale wiki
Link to Yankees on Kissinger
Link to EW Episode 2108
Link to EW Episode 2097
Link to Little Free Library
Link to Sam on the Rockies
Link to listener emails database
Link to Solak Stathead
Link to Orr on Abrams
Link to Abrams SB leaderboard
Link to EW Episode 1397
Link to Stripling clip
Link to Battleground wiki
Link to Ben on Palworld

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on the contract over/unders draft and the “death ball,” banter about the signings of Rhys Hoskins and Matt Moore, weigh their current confidence levels in the A’s actually moving to Las Vegas, and consider a suggestion for a “pulling the goalie”-style tweak to baseball. Then (35:44) they talk to leading Hall of Fame election forecaster Jason Sardell about how and why he developed his probabilistic Cooperstown projection model, how it works, this year’s results and surprises, the public-private ballot split, the toughest players to project, his Hall of Fame philosophy, the shrinking of the Hall of Fame backlog, upcoming candidates and ballots, his non-baseball scientific pursuits, and much more.

Audio intro: Jimmy Kramer, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to over/under draft results
Link to MLBTR FA top 50
Link to death ball BP article
Link to Leo on average fastballs
Link to post on unique pitches
Link to Dead Man’s Curve wiki
Link to Davy Andrews on Hoskins
Link to Brewers offseason additions
Link to MLBTR on Moore
Link to BP’s 2012 Top 101
Link to Ben on pitching prospects
Link to 2023 team RP ranks
Link to A’s update
Link to A’s payments
Link to Vegas event video
Link to MLBTR on the A’s ballpark
Link to “consequences” tweet
Link to Meg on the penalty box
Link to Beltré video
Link to Mauer video
Link to Helton video
Link to Jason’s final projections
Link to 2024 projections roundup
Link to 2023 projections roundup
Link to voting results
Link to Jay’s ballot breakdown
Link to Lewie Pollis on the voting
Link to Wagner interview
Link to Stark on Wright
Link to Posnanski suggestion
Link to SIS on Sabathia
Link to ballot tracker
Link to Thibodaux on EW
Link to Jason on MLB Network
Link to Ben on Mauer in 2018
Link to Ben on Beltré in 2017
Link to Ben on Hall of Framers

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the “death ball,” a curveball variant that could be baseball’s next sweeper-esque pitch-design innovation, and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of separate classifications for “new” pitches that are subsets of other pitches, and the importance of continuing education among fans and media members. Then (39:23) they talk about the Aroldis Chapman, John Brebbia, James Paxton, and Joey Gallo signings (with another contract over/unders draft update and a Clayton Kershaw check-in), the possibility that NPB phenom Roki Sasaki will come to MLB next offseason, Alex Blandino’s knuckleball conversion, a Willians Astudillo lowlight, and a player mercenary follow-up.

Audio intro: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme (“We Looked Like Giants” cover)

Link to death ball BP article
Link to sweeper definition
Link to Passan on the death ball
Link to Tread video
Link to “Public Enemy No. 1”
Link to Ben on young newsbreakers
Link to Cotillo on EW
Link to FG on Chapman and Brebbia
Link to over/under draft results
Link to Pirates payroll page
Link to MLBTR on Paxton
Link to story on Paxton’s knee
Link to Paxton eagle incident
Link to MLBTR on Gallo
Link to Ben on Gallo in 2014
Link to “genericization” article
Link to Sasaki article
Link to MLBTR on Blandino
Link to Blandino knuckler
Link to Blandino throwing 90
Link to Jannis EW interview
Link to Ben on knuckleballs
Link to Astudillo drop
Link to game outcome
Link to Astudillo HR robbery
Link to Astudillo in center
Link to Astudillo draft article
Link to other Astudillo draft article
Link to Farnsworth revenge article
Link to HoF voting results

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the offseason doldrums and this winter’s free-agent activity compared to last year’s, the Josh Hader and Robert Stephenson signings (with a contract over/under draft update), a bleak week in sports (and non-sports) media, pitcher/catcher technique and the automated strike zone, and the invasion of players named Jackson, followed by Stat Blasts (1:14:48) about Hader’s strikeout splits by out count, “minimum journeymen,” the longest palindromic win-loss sequences, and the most consecutive games started at catcher.

Audio intro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Lobner Facebook post
Link to Jake/Jordan FA tweet
Link to MLBTR on Graveman
Link to MLBTR on Hader
Link to MLBTR on Uwasawa
Link to MLBTR on Stephenson
Link to RP K% post-6/2
Link to over/under draft results
Link to The Ringer on SI
Link to apocalypse sign article
Link to The Atlantic on Pitchfork
Link to L.A. Times layoffs story
Link to Axios on media layoffs
Link to Defector on VC greed
Link to The Nation on ESPN/NFL
Link to Tango on intended location
Link to Ben on Lincecum in 2014
Link to Eno on command in 2018
Link to Tango on catcher location
Link to Tango on catcher lunges
Link to Tango on framing
Link to EW Episode 2054
Link to EW Episode 1851
Link to BA on Jacksons
Link to Jackson baby name data
Link to strikeout splits Stathead
Link to leaguewide strikeout splits
Link to minimum journeymen sheet
Link to palindrome Reddit question
Link to palindromic records sheet
Link to C start streak sheet
Link to C start % averages
Link to catcher ironmen page
Link to FG post on qualified catchers
Link to Ben on catcher fatigue
Link to study on player rest
Link to FG post on qualified catchers
Link to Stat Blast on qualified hitters
Link to Frankie Hayes SABR bio
Link to Young Sheldon spinoff story
Link to Stat Blast song cover
Link to all Stat Blast covers

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Patreon supporter Nick Taber banter about Nick’s baseball background and MLB’s most hated teams, then (19:41) answer listener emails about baseball’s newsbreakers as secret newsmakers, a baseball mercenary who plays for multiple teams in the same city (or who has it out for one particular opponent), whether we would remember the year with the last perfect game, making early playoff rounds longer than late rounds, a player whose stats improve depending on how much money he’s paid, allowing teams to choose the number of defenders in the field, picking the preferred way for Shohei Ohtani to specialize (if he had to choose one), a super-philanthropic free agent, and more.

Audio intro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Cowboys collapse article
Link to Coover book wiki
Link to “sports are rigged” account
Link to Shams/Woj moves
Link to EW Episode 2109
Link to Germán perfecto wiki
Link to more on Germán
Link to EW Episode 2108
Link to Neil Paine research
Link to Ben on innings eating
Link to Kershaw perfecto game
Link to Boras World Series proposal
Link to Jeff on baseball LeBron
Link to 1892 pitching proposal
Link to Ohtani donation
Link to 2020 donations article 1
Link to 2020 donations article 2
Link to 2020 donations article 3
Link to 2020 donations article 4
Link to 2020 donations article 5
Link to listener emails database
Link to Mario Superstar Baseball info
Link to Mario Superstar Baseball Discord

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