Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review all of the action from the historic, eventful fourth and fifth games of the World Series, banter about a fan heckling Rob Manfred, and share multiple Past Blasts (33:22) from 1925 (plus a throwback, Philly-centric Past Blast from 1868). Then (50:08) they talk to Baseball Prospectus writer Michael Ajeto about Astros starter Cristian Javier’s unicorn fastball, the value of vertical approach angle, and the state of pitching analysis, plus a postscript.

Audio intro: The Cribs, “Different Angle”
Audio interstitial: Dawes, “From the Right Angle”
Audio outro: Ringo Starr, “Vertical Man”

Link to Baumann on Game 4
Link to Baumann on Game 5
Link to Ben Clemens on Peña
Link to xBA figures from Game 4
Link to Walsh misplay
Link to Hoskins misplay
Link to Mancini play
Link to McCormick play
Link to Manfred letter
Link to Manfred Reddit thread
Link to Manfred heckling video
Link to 1925 story source
Link to Ban Johnson SABR bio
Link to SABR on O’Connell and Dolan
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to 1868 story source
Link to @OldBaseballNews on Coolidge
Link to Coolidge article source
Link to collected “boner” articles
Link to “boner” etymology
Link to Michael on Javier
Link to Passan on Javier
Link to Michael on Gallen
Link to Matt Lentzner on pitch angle
Link to Ethan Moore on VAA
Link to Alex Chamberlain on VAA
Link to Chamberlain on VAA again
Link to VAA primer on YouTube
Link to Ben Clemens on the Giants
Link to Robert Orr on the Giants
Link to Bregman on hitting spin
Link to Jackalopes name change
Link to Ben on pitcher deception
Link to Michael’s podcast

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the percentage of MLB fans who are paying close attention to the World Series, discuss the White Sox filling MLB’s last managerial vacancy by hiring Pedro Grifol (along with Charlie Montoyo as bench coach), and then reflect on a few aspects of Game 3 of the World Series, including Dusty Baker’s decision-making, the surprising postseason defensive success of Nick Castellanos, a pitch-tipping uproar, and more. After that (47:32), they mull over an Atlantic article about the impact of “Moneyballism” on baseball and American culture, note the record average fastball velocity and strikeout rate this postseason, Stat Blast (1:09:55) about how umpire accuracy affects offense (and what that might mean for a robo-ump-infused future), and close with a Past Blast from 1924 (1:24:35), plus a postscript about the Astros’ combined no-hitter in Game 4.

Audio intro: Jack White, “A Tip From You to Me”
Audio outro: Aimee Mann, “Momentum”

Link to MLBTR on the Grifol hiring
Link to MLBTR on the Montoyo hiring
Link to Shakeia Taylor EW episode
Link to study on manager demographics
Link to Shakeia on manager demographics
Link to Rob on manager demographics
Link to James Wagner managers thread
Link to Baumann on Game 3
Link to story about Baker and McCullers
Link to story about Castellanos’s defense
Link to clip of Harper and Bohm
Link to Pedro on pitch-tipping
Link to Rosenthal on pitch-tipping
Link to The Atlantic article
Link to Rany’s thread on the article
Link to FG on postseason velo
Link to BA on postseason velo
Link to Passan on postseason velo
Link to Ben Clemens on postseason Ks
Link to umpire Stat Blast data
Link to Lucas Apostoleris on Twitter
Link to 1924 story source
Link to story about Bohm comments
Link to story about booing Santa
Link to tweet about cheering Santa
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Russell on momentum
Link to Russell on momentum again
Link to FG World Series odds

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about umpire Pat Hoberg’s unprecedented “perfect game” behind the plate in Game 2 of the World Series, followed by musings on Nolan Arenado opting not to opt out of his contract, the Royals hiring Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as their new manager, and Rob Manfred’s latest update on the zombie runner, then break down Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, reflect on the folly of predicting sweeps and seven-game series, and provide a Past Blast from 1923. Then (1:17:54) they bring on Umpire Scorecards creator Ethan Singer to explain how he realized an umpire perfect game had occurred, how Hoberg’s umpire perfecto was calculated, Hoberg’s track record, the squishy nature of ump perfection, the concepts of accuracy, expected accuracy, and consistency, the odds of a perfect game occurring, Umpire Scorecards in the robot-umps era, umpiring accuracy and difficulty in the postseason, the rest of the umps in the World Series, and more.

Audio intro: John Cale, “Perfect”
Audio interstitial: Ronnie Wood, “100%”
Audio outro: Kiwi Jr., “Highlights of 100”

Link to Ben on umpire perfect games
Link to Hoberg article
Link to Hoberg’s Twitter scorecard
Link to Hoberg’s website scorecard
Link to Hoberg game video
Link to Bob Wolff Larsen call
Link to Vin Scully Larsen call
Link to MLBTR on Arenado
Link to Jay Jaffe on Arenado
Link to MLBTR on Quatraro
Link to MLBTR on the White Sox search
Link to Shakeia Taylor EW episode
Link to study on manager demographics
Link to Shakeia on manager demographics
Link to Rob on manager demographics
Link to James Wagner managers thread
Link to zombie runner comments
Link to 2020 zombie runner survey
Link to The Athletic zombie runner survey
Link to FG zombie runner survey
Link to ZiPS postseason odds
Link to FG WS Game 1 story
Link to FG WS Game 2 story
Link to Jaffe on Verlander in the WS
Link to Posnanski on on Verlander in G1
Link to post on Díaz’s non-HBP
Link to FG post on starters in relief
Link to Valdez suspicion story
Link to Maldonado/Pujols bats
Link to Silver Slugger finalists
Link to Ben on predicting sweeps
Link to Joe’s newsletter
Link to MLB.com WS predictions
Link to ESPN WS predictions
Link to The Athletic WS predictions
Link to CBS Sports WS predictions
Link to 1923 story source
Link to SABR on radio broadcasts
Link to article on televised World Series
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Ethan’s first EW interview
Link to Umpire Scorecards leaderboard
Link to World Series umpire lineup
Link to MLB’s no-hitter redefinition
Link to support Umpire scorecards
Link to Ethan’s personal website
Link to Ben in 2014 on postseason umps
Link to Ben on MLB ump evaluations
Link to 2015 article on ump improvement
Link to 2016 article on ump improvement
Link to study on umpire age
Link to umps and high leverage study
Link to EW on umpire decision fatigue
Link to Baumann on rainout implications
Link to NYT umpire interactive

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen banter about Ben’s latest ex-player Facebook friend recommendations and an MLB bourbon sponsorship, discuss (9:27) David Stearns stepping down from the Brewers’ top job, Adam Wainwright returning to the Cardinals, and Aaron Boone remaining the manager of the Yankees, and then (26:53) preview a few important factors to watch in the World Series, followed by a question (45:14) about Aaron Judge and scouting tall players, an explanation of how the Astros built and have maintained their player-development advantage (53:34), Eric’s insights (1:02:49) into impressive prospects in the Arizona Fall League (such as Rockies speeder Zac Veen), thoughts on Oswald Peraza, Anthony Volpe, and the Yankees’ infield of the future (1:25:50), and a preview (1:29:28) of what to watch in international and winter ball (including the top MLB prospects in NPB and the KBO), plus addenda (1:35:11) and a Past Blast from 1922.

Audio intro: The Fratellis, “Boy Scout to the End”
Audio outro: Ray Davies, “After the Fall”

Link to Evan Williams contest
Link to Jim Beam ad
Link to sponsorship growth story
Link to MLBTR on Stearns
Link to Wainwright signing news
Link to Baumann on Wainwright
Link to news about Boone
Link to news about Boone and Cashman
Link to Jeter video
Link to Michael Kay’s Lincoln comp
Link to info on Kay’s diet
Link to older post on Kay’s diet
Link to Ben on player height increase
Link to MLB.com on team makeup
Link to Ben Clemens WS preview
Link to FG post on Astros lefties
Link to FG post on pitching to Harper
Link to Silver Slugger finalists
Link to AFL stats
Link to AFL prospects on The Board
Link to Veen play
Link to Russell on winter ball
Link to Ben on Murakami
Link to info on LIDOM on MLB.TV
Link to EW emails database
Link to research about alternate titles
Link to 1922 story source
Link to SABR on the Supreme Court
Link to SABR on the MLBPA
Link to update on antitrust case
Link to tweet about minor league CBA
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s baseball Facebook friend recommendations, the Phillies’ odds against the Astros in the World Series, Kyle Schwarber’s mechanical bull ride, a hidden perk of the Astros’ pitching depth, whether we judge managers too much by their rings, the career and legacy of Dave Dombrowski, the Marlins hiring Skip Schumaker as manager, the length of games this postseason, and Shohei Ohtani’s old team drafting another two-way player, followed by Stat Blasts (1:10:37) about when the AL/NL’s cumulative HR total overtook its cumulative SB total, a pitcher pinch running for the DH, and George Springer and the most hits before a first pinch hit, plus a Past Blast from 1921.

Audio intro: Free, “Be My Friend”
Audio outro: Thrush Hermit, “Skip the Life”

Link to FG WS odds
Link to reliever familiarity research
Link to video of Schwarber’s ride
Link to Posnanski on Davey Johnson
Link to post on Dombrowski history
Link to Bannister’s Dombrowski thread
Link to MLBTR on Schumaker
Link to MLB.com on Schumaker
Link to Sam on nicknames
Link to study on manager demographics
Link to report on manager demographics
Link to more on manager demographics
Link to Acta’s mound tweet
Link to MLB.com on game lengths
Link to annual postseason offense
Link to research on scoring and upsets
Link to Yazawa news
Link to Shinjo jersey news
Link to Stathead
Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter
Link to EW emails database
Link to CloseCallSports video
Link to 1921 story source
Link to SABR on the ’21 World Series
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by FanGraphs writer (and Phillies fan) Michael Baumann, who covered the NLCS game in Philly, to recap the Phillies’ NLCS victory over the Padres, explain the minds of Phillies fans, celebrate Bryce Harper, review the Padres’ decisions, and much more, followed by breakdowns of the Astros-Yankees ALCS, the state and future of the Yankees, and the Phillies-Astros World Series matchup, plus a postscript and a Past Blast from 1920.

Audio intro: Herman’s Hermits, “Leaning on a Lamp Post”
Audio outro: Billy Swan, “Swept Away”

Link to Baumann on NLCS G3
Link to Baumann on NLCS G4
Link to Baumann on NLCS G5
Link to Esteban Rivera on Harper’s HR
Link to the Harper HR
Link to MLB.com on the Harper HR
Link to seismometer graph
Link to The Athletic on Melvin
Link to MLB.com on Melvin
Link to Grisham bunt/scoring change
Link to Profar check swing
Link to Ben Clemens on the Yankees
Link to Bader walk
Link to Mike Axisa on the Yankees
Link to story about Boone’s videos
Link to tweet about Ortiz
Link to StarTalk video
Link to 1920 story source
Link to SABR on Maharg
Link to SABR on the Black Sox in 1920
Link to Caminiti book
Link to Fiers confession
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on their 2022 minor league free agent draft results, banter about ALDS Game 2, teams “not making excuses,” the Rangers hiring Bruce Bochy, and other news, and answer listener emails about a suggestion for changing the number of games per playoff round, how an average person would do in the field if they knew where the ball was going to go, a 75-foot-tall batter, the most embarrassing kind of whiff, multiple “first” pitches, the phrase “a whole new ballgame,” and a ballpark named after the podcast, plus a Past Blast from 1919.

Audio intro: Sloan, “You Don’t Need Excuses to Be Good”
Audio outro: Billy Corgan, “Black Sox”

Link to 2022 draft results
Link to Raymond’s EW wiki post
Link to Boone comments
Link to Severino comments
Link to data on Bregman HR
Link to data on Judge flyout
Link to FG post on ALDS G2
Link to postseason ZiPS
Link to story on McCullers/champagne
Link to Jay on postseason SP
Link to Bochy news
Link to Dusty report
Link to Profar’s swing
Link to story on Veeck’s “giant”
Link to EW emails database
Link to 1919 story source
Link to SABR’s Eight Myths Out
Link to SABR on the Black Sox scandal
Link to SABR on Speaker’s columns
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Patreon/Discord instructions

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review the results of the 2022 minor league free agent draft, discuss Gold Glove finalists and a study about the lack of special ways to win in the postseason, recap the first few Championship Series games (and banter about José Alvarado and same-named athletes in multiple sports), and answer listener emails about the name of the Division Series, on-screen strike zone graphics, and spotting higher-seeded teams a game before the start of a postseason series, plus a Past Blast from 1918, concluding banter about Shohei Ohtani’s comments about the Angels’ season and José Ramírez’s post-postseason surgery, and a postscript.

Audio intro: Nada Surf, “What is Your Secret”
Audio outro: Andrew Weiss and Friends, “Everybody Loves a Comeback”

Link to 2022 draft results
Link to Raymond’s EW wiki post
Link to Gold Glove finalists
Link to FiveThirtyEight on Gold Gloves
Link to 2021 story on Soto’s defense
Link to Dan S.’s playoffs study
Link to Russell’s playoffs study
Link to Russell on playoff homer-hitting
Link to Rosenthal on the playoff format
Link to ZiPS playoff odds
Link to study on playoff randomness
Link to FG post on NLCS G1
Link to FG post on NLCS G2
Link to MLB.com on Snell
Link to MLB.com on Padres’ rally
Link to MLB.com on Alvarado
Link to FG post on ALCS G1
Link to MLB.com on ALCS G1
Link to BP ALCS game preview
Link to Reddit on the best-of-9 WS
Link to ALCS G1 ump scorecard
Link to Division Series wiki
Link to BP K-Zone plea
Link to FG post on KBO playoffs
Link to EW emails database
Link to 1918 story source
Link to 1918 Ruth box score
Link to MLB.com on Ruth’s lost homer
Link to Reddit on Ruth’s homers
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Ruth homers book
Link to Ohtani Angels story
Link to Ohtani WBC story
Link to Ramírez surgery news
Link to Japan athletes poll
Link to U.S. athletes poll
Link to Patreon/Discord instructions

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Meg Rowley returns from her trip to Seattle to banter with Ben Lindbergh about attending the 18-inning ALDS Game 3, the Mariners’ heartbreaking loss, the fans’ heartening response, and the franchise’s future, as well as overmatched postseason hitters, what scoreless extra-inning games could portend for the zombie runner, the outcomes of the other Division Series, why the NL’s upsets prompted playoff-format handwringing, the cognitive dissonance required to put stock in postseason success, the outlook for the ALCS and the NLCS, and much more, plus a Past Blast from 1917.

Audio intro: Dentist, “Upset Words”
Audio outro: The Wombats, “I Don’t Know Why I Like You But I Do”

Link to Meg’s dispatch from Game 3
Link to Davy Andrews on Game 3
Link to Raleigh injury news
Link to Jay Jaffe on the Dodgers
Link to Ben Clemens on NLDS managers
Link to Jake Mintz on Marsh’s hair
Link to Jay on ALDS Game 5
Link to Boone/Holmes comments
Link to Rosenthal on the playoff format
Link to study on playoff randomness
Link to Ginny Searle on the playoffs
Link to Rob Arthur on stratification
Link to Joe Posnanski on playoff Ks
Link to FG’s NLCS preview
Link to 1917 story source
Link to Shore’s SABR bio
Link to SABR on Shore’s perfect game
Link to Shore EW discussion
Link to Batting by F.C. Lane
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to rigor mortis quote
Link to Schwarber homer
Link to Harper GIF
Link to Patreon/Discord instructions

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With Meg Rowley on the road, Ben Lindbergh reunites with his former Ringer MLB Show colleagues Michael Baumann, Zach Kram, and Bobby Wagner to discuss the moods of Mets and Phillies fans and catch up on the first few days of Division Series action, touching on Yordan Alvarez, Robbie Ray, a playoff walk-off oddity, Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, Phil Maton, Max Fried, Jeremy Peña, geese, soup, and much more, plus a Past Blast from 1916 and a postscript.

Audio intro: Mark Lanegan, “Together Again”
Audio outro: Dead Kennedys, “Soup is Good Food”

Link to Jake Mailhot on Ray/Alvarez
Link to MLB.com on Ray/Alvarez
Link to The Athletic on Ray/Alvarez
Link to Eno on Ray/Alvarez
Link to Zach’s walk-off data
Link to Stark on the Alvarez homer
Link to Petriello on the Alvarez homer
Link to Davy Andrews on ALDS G2
Link to Ben Clemens on Alvarez
Link to Ben L. on Alvarez in 2019
Link to Ben on playoff second-guessing
Link to Ben on playoff rookies
Link to info on Peña adjustment
Link to story on Maton
Link to story on Plesac
Link to Eno on Fried
Link to Ben on the Castellanos meme
Link to article on the goose
Link to 1916 story source
Link to SABR on the Giants’ streak
Link to Perritt’s SABR bio
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Correa TV segment
Link to Correa opt-out news
Link to Correa baby news
Link to goose email episode
Link to Sutter SABR bio

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