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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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the bunt’s rehabilitation and (17:49) the President publicly picking a side in MLB’s labor battle, then talk to two guests about falling in love with and learning about baseball as adults. First (32:35), beloved BBC presenter and The Guardian columnist Adrian Chiles breaks his baseball silence to expound on how he got bitten by the baseball bug, his long-distance Rays relationship, the loneliness of following baseball from afar, cross-sport comparisons, Chiles-like wonder, and what mystifies him as a fan. Second (1:21:39), Jade Van Kley joins to discuss her journey from registered nurse to baseball content creator, bingeing baseball history, finding an audience for baseball lore drops and video diaries of her first season as a fan, and what fascinates her about the sport.

Audio intro: Moon Hound, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Kite Person, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Philip Tapley and Michael Stokes, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Leo on left-handed hitting
Link to Other Ben on bunting
Link to Stat Blast about bunting
Link to The Wire quote
Link to Padres’ three bunts
Link to MSG boos
Link to Trump interview comments
Link to BP on Trump comments
Link to Drellich on Trump comments
Link to Drellich on Trump’s influence
Link to Trump’s Yankee Stadium visit
Link to Dodgers White House visit
Link to EW episode on Trump’s baseball past
Link to voter registration research
Link to article on screwworms
Link to Adrian’s baseball column
Link to Adrian’s Guardian archive
Link to Chiles wiki
Link to West Bromwich Albion wiki
Link to Adrian’s BBC show
Link to Adrian’s book about drinking
Link to Adrian’s columns collection
Link to article about Adrian 1
Link to article about Adrian 2
Link to article about Adrian 3
Link to article about Adrian 4
Link to Chiles headline generator
Link to Machado comments
Link to European Super League wiki
Link to EW episode on promotion/relegation
Link to “silly position” at EW wiki
Link to Playing Hard Ball book
Link to foul strike rule
Link to foul tip rule
Link to Snickometer wiki
Link to British baseball wiki
Link to “Baseball Brit” EW episode
Link to “London Series” EW episode
Link to Adrian on soap dispensers
Link to Whales logo
Link to @backlinenurse on Instagram
Link to Jade interstitial video
Link to Jade on her first game
Link to Sulphur Dell wiki
Link to Green Cathedrals book
Link to Veeck As In Wreck
Link to Ben on Veeck As In Wreck
Link to Ben on losing track of the count
Link to pitcher hitting by year
Link to Protoball
Link to backline wiki
Link to Jade article 1
Link to Jade article 2

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s career-year pace, how often his number of times on base has exceeded his times on base allowed in his two-way games, and his awards outlook, discuss Aaron Judge’s injury and the wide-open AL MVP race, and then (1:06:39) Stat Blast about the most former catchers in one game, Brayan Bello’s woes as a starter, clustering a team’s plate appearances in one inning, perfectly parallel pitch counts for piggybackers, long-lasting low-WAR players, where in the batting order teams tend to go back-to-back-to-belly, players with the longest streaks of having a teammate in the World Series, the most times striking out looking, the best duos drafted consecutively, and more.

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

Link to FG combined WAR leaderboard
Link to batting pace leaders
Link to pitching pace leaders
Link to Ohtani game story
Link to “true win” wiki
Link to “I’m the Greatest”
Link to Judge injury article
Link to Judge injury testing article
Link to article on Judge injury impact
Link to Judge quote
Link to Raiders scene
Link to story about Raiders scene
Link to Beer Barrel Man wiki
Link to Ben on Ohtani and Judge 1
Link to Ben on Ohtani and Judge 2
Link to Amtrak event
Link to Crizer on scoreless innings streaks
Link to The Miz on Pokémon
Link to Sánchez meal plan
Link to Red Sox vs. Guardians game
Link to Sox catchers tweet
Link to The Onion blades article
Link to Ben on Padres shortstops
Link to Russell on emergency catchers
Link to catchers Blast text
Link to catchers Blast data
Link to article on first-inning scoring
Link to info on first-inning scoring and HFA
Link to Bello Stathead query 1
Link to Bello Stathead query 2
Link to story on Bello being optioned
Link to MLBTR on Bello
Link to Yankees’ 13-run inning
Link to % of PA in one inning text
Link to % of PA in one inning data
Link to Miller-Castillo game
Link to parallel pitch counts text
Link to SABR on Allan Roth
Link to longest-lasting players
Link to consecutive-homers text
Link to consecutive-homers data
Link to The Human Centipede 3 wiki
Link to Jágr streak tweet
Link to Jágr streak post
Link to Jágr wiki
Link to The Rural Juror clip
Link to teammate WS streaks data
Link to looking-strikeouts text
Link to Beltrán K
Link to previous “Toothpick” Jones episode
Link to draft duos data
Link to harmonic mean wiki
Link to Brett-Schmidt draft round
Link to listener emails database
Link to Emil Gumbel wiki
Link to @ScoringChanges tweet 1
Link to @ScoringChanges tweet 2
Link to @ScoringChanges tweet 3
Link to loose bodies clip

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the duality of Jo Adell’s defense (after the FARTBAT low that followed his triple-robbery high), Spencer Arrighetti and MLB’s monthly player honors as the last bastion of old-school-stat-based awards, whether a team with a losing record could make the playoffs this season, Paul Goldschmidt’s pleasing platoon role, how much credit the Brewers deserve for Kyle Harrison’s success, Louis Varland’s value, the Tigers’ rapid plummet out of contention, the twilights of Nick Castellanos’s and Andrew McCutchen’s careers, and (1:15:01) whether the CBA negotiations merit horse race-style coverage.

Audio intro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2”

Link to Adell’s FARTBAT
Link to Adell quote
Link to Adell’s three robberies
Link to dramatic robbery photo
Link to EW robbery discussion
Link to Adell’s 2020 FARTBAT
Link to Canseco FARTBAT
Link to May’s Pitchers of the Month
Link to Pereda nut shot
Link to Pennywise quote
Link to Desk Set wiki
Link to Player of the Month Award wiki
Link to past PotM winners
Link to THT article on the award
Link to pitcher WAR leaders in May
Link to Sportico on the unbalanced leagues
Link to MLB.com on the lower October bar
Link to Jay on the Tigers
Link to Skubal rehab update
Link to Rosenthal on Skubal
Link to lowest-win playoff teams
Link to Curt on Harrison
Link to Location+ leaders
Link to Brewers WAR leaders
Link to reliever WAR leaders
Link to four-seamer velo leaders
Link to MLBTR on McCutchen
Link to MLBTR on Castellanos
Link to Clemens on the opening offers
Link to Drellich on Meyer/Caplin quotes
Link to Drellich on Manfred quotes
Link to The Athletic on open books
Link to story on Sánchez’s streak

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Fernando Tatis Jr.’s first home run of the season, injuries to Munetaka Murakami and Craig Kimbrel, a crotch-related suspension precedent, the mystery of Julio Rodriguez’s defense, Roki Sasaki’s surge, the phenomenon of National Anthem standoffs, Carmen Mlodzinski’s brief relief revolt, whether Victor Wembanyama would be a good pitcher, Aaron Ashby’s weirdly winning ways, (1:04:19) whether the Brewers have somehow solved clutch hitting, and the possibility of a Craig Breslow “interpreter.”

Audio intro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Nate Emerson, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Tatis HR
Link to Tatis HR website
Link to Kimbrel injury news
Link to MLBTR on Murakami
Link to Murakami injury play
Link to BP on Gonzalez
Link to Elly injury news
Link to Pérez injury news
Link to gracilis muscle wiki
Link to Papelbon article 1
Link to Papelbon article 2
Link to Papelbon article 3
Link to Julio’s defense at Savant
Link to Julio’s defense at FG
Link to May leaders in pitcher WAR
Link to Wrobleski spreadies article
Link to standoff ejections article
Link to standoff ejections article
Link to Mlodzinski article 1
Link to Mlodzinski article 2
Link to Mlodzinski article 3
Link to team SP WAR
Link to team RP WAR
Link to Pirates pitcher WAR leaders
Link to Jaso EW wiki
Link to Jaso on EW
Link to Wemby baseball photo post
Link to Wemby baseball photo
Link to Shelob wiki
Link to Wemby’s Yankee Stadium visit
Link to Wemby’s first pitch video
Link to Wemby height article 1
Link to Wemby height article 2
Link to pitcher win leaders
Link to Ashby’s game log
Link to single-season RP leaders
Link to Face obit
Link to Sheehan on clutch
Link to Episode 2263 wiki
Link to Brewers clutch data
Link to 2026 tOPS+ w/RISP
Link to Brooklyn clutch streak
Link to New York clutch streak
Link to Philly clutch streak
Link to Gumbel distribution wiki
Link to Clay Davenport’s adjusted standings
Link to BaseRuns standings page
Link to Dan S. on the Brewers
Link to Brewers wOBA w/RISP
Link to Brewers wOBA w/no RISP
Link to Brewers xWOBA w/RISP
Link to Brewers xWOBA w/no RISP
Link to Brewers wOBA w/RISP at home
Link to Brewers wOBA w/RISP on the road
Link to Brewers BABIP w/RISP
Link to Brewers BABIP w/no RISP
Link to Brewers Whiff% w/RISP
Link to Brewers Whiff% w/no RISP
Link to Brewers Pull% w/RISP
Link to Brewers Pull% w/no RISP
Link to Super Saiyan wiki
Link to Marmol on Brewers sign-stealing
Link to Brewers sign-stealing rumor
Link to “man in white” story 1
Link to “man in white” story 2
Link to “man in white” story 3
EW sign-stealing history episode
Link to Healey on Breslow
Link to “anger translator” sketch
Link to Brown trade news
Link to Yankees scoring stat 1
Link to Yankees scoring stat 2
Link to Mlodzinski update 1
Link to Mlodzinski update 2

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Enhanced Games and whether they would watch a baseball league where PEDS were explicitly permitted, Abner Uribe’s crotch-chop suspension, and (34:40) the most disappointing and surprising (in a positive way) teams of 2026, then (55:37) answer emails about raising a girl who likes baseball, how a salary cap would affect prices for fans, home runs on the first pitch of the game, the Hall of Fame prospects of Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, and Aroldis Chapman, the most players appearing in a game against their former team, and how to evaluate whether a team’s player development was responsible for a player’s success or failure.

Audio intro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to “Let’s enhance” meme
Link to “Let’s enhance” montage
Link to Enhanced Games wiki
Link to Defector on the Enhanced Games
Link to The Conversation on the Enhanced Games
Link to NPR on the Enhanced Games
Link to nostalgia study
Link to Ben on the PED era
Link to McGwire Simpsons clip
Link to dinger distribution article 1
Link to dinger distribution article 2
Link to dinger distribution article 3
Link to Hill homer
Link to Uribe post
Link to MLB.com on Uribe
Link to AP on Uribe
Link to MLBTR on Uribe
Link to Uribe/Marmol video
Link to D-Generation X wiki
Link to DX chop compilation
Link to player names on Uribe
Link to playoff odds changes
Link to team wRC+
Link to SI on Rays hitting
Link to Posnanski on Rays hitting
Link to Garp quote
Link to Owen Meany quote
Link to Tatis HR website
Link to MLBTR on Pérez injury
Link to dynamic vs. static stretching
Link to Goodnight Baseball
Link to @dril tweet
Link to BP on payrolls and prices 1
Link to BP on payrolls and prices 1
Link to BP on payrolls and prices 3
Link to first-pitch homers
Link to Sam on first-pitch homers 1
Link to Sam on first-pitch homers 2
Link to Sam on first-pitch homers 3
Link to RP JAWS
Link to player development study 1
Link to player development study 2
Link to players vs. former teams data
Link to listener emails database

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the initial CBA proposals by the MLBPA and MLB: some specific points of departure and alignment, whether we really learned anything about what each side wants or the likelihood of lost games, and what the rhetoric and rebuttals say about the PR battle to come. Then (50:08) they banter about whether baseball broadcasts could ever get good enough to endanger attendance, why ABS challenge rates haven’t closely correlated with batter quality, a difference between what fans and neutral spectators tend to enjoy about teams, whether ace-type starting-pitcher seasons are making a partial comeback, a threat to baserunners and bat-dog employment, and a mid-start stretching-related mishap.

Audio intro: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Drellich on franchise values
Link to MLBPA proposals
Link to Drellich on the MLBPA proposals
Link to Normandin on the MLBPA proposals
Link to Mains on the MLBPA proposals
Link to Drellich on the MLB proposals
Link to Meyer statement
Link to Caplin statement
Link to CBA math post 1
Link to CBA math post 2
Link to Episode 1542
Link to Passan’s CBA proposals breakdown
Link to Ben’s bargaining primer
Link to Hershberger’s 1876 post
Link to Sam on challenge rates
Link to challenge leaderboard
Link to Andrews on Wood’s challenges
Link to pitcher-pace leaderboard
Link to batter-pace leaderboard
Link to George injury article
Link to bat-dog suspension article 1
Link to bat-dog suspension article 2
Link to “Pups in the Park” page
Link to 2025 bat-dog call-up
Link to Pérez injury article
Link to Reddit comment about Ben
Link to MLBTR on Brebbia
Link to MLBTR on Jones

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