Archive for Effectively Wild

Effectively Wild Episode 1020: The First Baseman’s Fumarole

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Carter Capps’s comeback, Brian Flynn’s barn accident, the Reds’ weights and nicknames, and C.J. Wilson’s retirement town, then answer listener emails about preventing Tommy John surgeries, a Randy Johnson alternate history, Statcast in non-MLB ballparks, a baserunner’s secret skill, whether defense slumps, a Kyle Hendricks hipster, and an Adam Lind emission.

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1019: Season Preview Series: Red Sox and Reds

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan preview the Red Sox’ 2017 season with Alex Speier of the The Boston Globe and the Reds’ 2017 season with Zach Buchanan of the The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1018: Season Preview Series: Cubs and Brewers

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Matt Wieters and debunk Scott Boras, then preview the Cubs’ 2017 season with Sahadev Sharma of the The Athletic Chicago and the Brewers’ 2017 season with Jack Moore of the The Hardball Times.

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1017: The Ryan Raburn is Due Edition

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the anticlimactic approach of spring training and answer listener emails about baseball reductionism, investing in Little League, the Cardinals’ effect on the Cubs, transplanting Trout and Kershaw, and wearing out starters, with a statistical detour to talk about history’s most volatile hitters.

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1016: Season Preview Series: Dodgers and Padres

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan introduce the fifth annual Effectively Wild season-preview series and banter about the short life expectancy of front-office secrets. Then they preview the Dodgers’ 2017 season with Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times, and the Padres’ 2017 season with Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1015: You Need to Know Nakashima

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan fixate on their new baseball obsession, NPB shortstop (and offensive outlier) Takuya Nakashima. Then they discuss prospect terminology and the nebulous significance of the “ceiling.”

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1014: The Astros-Royals Roster Reversal

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about how and why the Astros and Royals seem to have exchanged strategies and revisit champagne in the clubhouse and trampolines, then answer listener emails about what to hack if you were hacking, Statcast and baserunning, catcher framing, and Mike Trout.

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1013: Were the Cardinals Punished Appropriately?

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and Sports on Earth Senior Writer Will Leitch banter about the accuracy of a Jarrod Dyson declaration and the fairness of the penalty levied against St. Louis in the Cardinals-Astros hacking scandal.

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1012: Rating the Rankings

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about baseball’s trampoline problem and the future of Andrelton Simmons, then discuss and critique the crowdsourced organizational rankings produced by FanGraphs readers.

Read the rest of this entry »


Effectively Wild Episode 1011: The Up-and-Down Defense Edition

EWFI

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan discuss their EclipseFest sellout and answer listener emails about Jae-gyun Hwang, Daniel Murphy, and power/contact reinventions; the most informative stats; the best way to split up seasons; drastic defensive changes; career cycles for pitchers; protecting the inside of the plate, and more.

Read the rest of this entry »