Ben Lindbergh, Jeff Sullivan, and ESPN’s Sam Miller review the top candidates for the most enduring baseball memory of 2018, then conduct the sixth annual Effectively Wild Minor League Free Agent Draft, selecting 11 minor league free agents each and competing to see whose roster will accumulate the most combined MLB playing time in 2019 (followed by a Nelson Cruz signing addendum).

Audio intro: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, "Here We Go Again"
Audio outro: Teal Wicks, "I Know He’s Out There"

Link to Sam’s article about 2018 memories
Link to video of Bregman play
Link to MiLB FA list
Link to Moreland video
Link to EW competitions and drafts sheet

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In the second of two themed episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan review one aspect of each National League team’s year that they overlooked on earlier episodes, touching on stories involving the Baby Braves, Charlie Culberson, and Dansby Swanson, Brent Suter vs. Corey Kluber, Jack Flaherty vs. Walker Buehler, Willson Contreras’s wedding, Archie Bradley, Yasiel Puig, Dereck Rodriguez and Gorkys Hernandez, Wei-Yin Chen’s record split, Zach Wheeler and the Mets, Dave Martinez and camels, the Padres’ bullpen, Jorge Alfaro, Trevor Williams, Jesse Winker, D.J. Johnson, and more.

Audio intro: Kim Wilde, "The Second Time"
Audio outro: Bryan Adams, "We Did it All"

Link to article about Baby Braves
Link to Swanberson photo 1
Link to Swanberson photo 2
Link to Suter homer
Link to Meg on Bradley
Link to Chen’s record split
Link to Williams turnaround article
Link to Johnson origin story

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In the first of two themed episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan review one aspect of each American League team’s year that they overlooked on earlier episodes, touching on stories involving Mike Scioscia, Myles Straw, Stephen Piscotty, Rowdy Tellez, Jose Ramirez, Mike Marjama, Richard Bleier, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a stathead in uniform, Tony Renda, Brad Keller, a fight between broadcasters, Byron Buxton, Yolmer Sanchez, Gary Sanchez, and more.

Audio intro: John Cale, "You Know More Than I Know"
Audio outro: Neko Case, "I Missed the Point"

Link to Straw article
Link to Straw spray chart
Link to Piscotty post
Link to Ramirez Mario Kart article
Link to Bleier post
Link to Erlichman article
Link to innovative walkoffs
Link to wild pitch caught stealing

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Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Daniel Murphy, Trevor Cahill, Anibal Sanchez, and Andrew Miller signings, react in real time to the three-team Jurickson Profar trade, and answer listener emails about signing Bryce Harper for one year, signing Harper as a catcher, choosing between watching games and having access to all other information, rebuilding by collecting exorbitant contracts, an NBA case of mistaken identity, and the offseason if teams were in the dark about transactions, plus a Stat Blast about one-year wonders. Then (54:38) Ben talks to The Ringer’s Katie Baker about the greatness of the late Penny Marshall’s A League of Their Own, its casting and most quotable lines, the best what-ifs from the film, what the movie missed, and what it means to many women. Lastly (1:21:36), Ben brings on another Ringer colleague, Zach Kram, to talk about the Dodgers-Reds blockbuster involving Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, and Alex Wood, the Mariners’ trade for Domingo Santana, and his research about why trading for prospects often doesn’t pan out.

Audio intro: Willie Nelson, "So Much to Do"
Audio interstitial 1: Guided By Voices, "The Littlest League Possible"
Audio interstitial 2: Koufax, "Work Will Never End"
Audio outro: Pixies, "The Holiday Song"

Link to Travis on the slow free-agent market
Link to Jeff on the Murphy signing
Link to Jeff on Cahill
Link to Russell on the defense of emergency catchers
Link to Katie on A League of Their Own
Link to Britni on A League of Their Own
Link to Zach on trading top prospects

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Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Royals signing Terrance Gore and turning themselves into a bad-but-entertaining team of stolen-base threats, the Angels signing Matt Harvey and how they stack up, the renaming of Safeco Field, and the new posting system for Cuban players. Then (28:18) they talk to left-hander Rick Teasley about becoming the first pitcher ever to strike out Willians Astudillo twice in one pro game, the significance of getting big leaguers out, his itinerant career, staying safe in Venezuela and the deaths of Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo, why fan participation in other countries kicks MLB’s butt, how he weighs where (and whether) to keep pitching, his time as a Tampa Bay farmhand, and more, followed by a few outro updates.

Audio intro: Elliott Smith, "Speed Trials"
Audio interstitial: Bob Marley, "Do it Twice"
Audio outro: The Flashing Lights, "Same Thing Twice"

Link to Ringer Royals article
Link to Jeff’s Harvey post
Link to Gore episode
Link to Octavio’s brawl video
Link to closeup video of brawl
Link to summary of latest Russell revelations

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Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about the Astros’ signing of Michael Brantley, the curious cases of blocked prospects Kyle Tucker and Alex Verdugo, the Mets’ signing of Wilson Ramos, and the unique career of globe-trotting Trey Hillman. Then (20:49) they talk to Charlie Olson, co-founder and CEO of Pando Pooling, about his company’s plan to provide a security net for poorly paid minor-league players by pooling their future earnings, how they approach players and whether the service is an easy sell, how it works and where the concept came from, what type of players tend to take the company up on its offer, how Pando ensures that the terms are upheld, what might change in the future, other industries where pooling might make sense, and more.

Audio intro: Tonedeff, "Safety First"
Audio interstitial: Real Estate, "Pool Swimmers"
Audio outro: Camera Obscura, "Swimming Pool"

Link to Ben’s article about Hillman
Link to Pando site
Link to SI piece about Pando
Link to Big League Advance episode
Link to Agostinelli episode

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Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about why there have been so many Noah Syndergaard trade rumors, then answer listener emails about whether Giancarlo Stanton would be better if he raised his launch angle, how and when a manager who kept intentionally walking hitters would be stopped, how and whether to debate saber skeptics (about Harold Baines, or anything else), Bryce Harper pulling a LeBron, how to identify pitches, and the definitions of “gas” and “inning,” plus a Stat Blast about J.T. Realmuto and the biggest career home/road splits.

Audio intro: T. Rex, "Life’s a Gas"
Audio outro: Saturday Looks Good to Me, "Keep Walking"

Link to Ben’s article about Baines
Link to guide to identifying pitches

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Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Jeff’s sartorial choice during his MLB Network appearance at the Winter Meetings, Willians Astudillo striking out twice against the same pitcher in a pro game for (possibly) the first time, Scott Boras and Brian Cashman metaphors, big-picture takeaways from the Winter Meetings, the Phillies signing Andrew McCutchen, the Blue Jays releasing Troy Tulowitzki, Jerry Dipoto’s hospital heroics and the three-way trade involving Yandy Diaz, Jake Bauers, Cole Sulser, Edwin Encarnacion, and Carlos Santana, the Jeurys Familia and Joe Kelly signings and the Alex Claudio trade, the Charlie Morton, Lance Lynn, and J.A. Happ signings, Justin Bour and Albert Pujols, Kaleb Cowart and Michael Lorenzen as two-way players, and Matt Harvey’s facial mask.

Audio intro: Weezer, "Undone – The Sweater Song"
Audio outro: Yo La Tengo, "Autumn Sweater"

Link to video of Jeff on MLB Network
Link to Jeff on the McCutchen signing
Link to Jeff on the Morton move
Link to Jeff on the three-way trade
Link to Harvey’s Instagram photo

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Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about expected activity at the Winter Meetings, the pointlessness of the Winter Meetings, and the Hall of Fame elections of Lee Smith and Harold Baines (yes, that Harold Baines). Then (23:04) they talk to FanGraphs prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen about the baseball and multi-sport future of Heisman Trophy winner and A’s first-round draftee Kyler Murray. Lastly (38:38), they bring on baseball executive and former journalist Octavio Hernández to discuss the killings of Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo, how Venezuelan Winter League teams arrange travel and security, how major leaguers deal with unrest at home, the state of baseball in Venezuela, the state of life in Venezuela, and why Octavio fled the country.

Audio intro: Yes, "Harold Land"
Audio interstitial 1: Dr. Dog, "Both Sides of the Line"
Audio interstitial 2: Parquet Courts, "Violence"
Audio outro: The Thrills, "Your Love is Like Las Vegas"

Link to right field JAWS leaders
Link to Jay’s pre-election post on Baines
Link to Jay’s post-election post on Baines
Link to Ben’s Hall of Baines
Link to Eric’s post on Murray
Link to Murray’s recreation of the Jackson photo
Link to Kiley’s Murray video
Link to story about Venezuelan MLB players who won’t go home
Link to story about Venezuelan players speaking out
Link to episode on Mexican League sabermetrics

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Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo and discuss Nathan Eovaldi re-signing with the Red Sox, the Cardinals-Diamondbacks trade involving Paul Goldschmidt, Luke Weaver, and Carson Kelly, and the significance of good teams trading away great players. Then (36:03) they bring on free-agent outfielder and probable fastest man in baseball Terrance Gore to talk about when he first knew he was fast, his football career and non-track career, whether he actually likes running, improving his base-stealing technique, racing teammates, how he ever gets caught, the difficulty of bunting, getting his first big-league hit and home run, whether he can be an everyday big leaguer, how he’ll pick a team, staying healthy before he gets called up, the 2014 AL wild card game and 2018 NL wild card game, the excitement of stealing, and more.

Audio intro: Buzzcocks, "What Do I Get?"
Audio interstitial 1: Lorde, "Glory and Gore"
Audio interstitial 2: The Posies, "Everyone Moves Away"
Audio outro: Big Thief, "Paul"

Link to 2014 Gore feature
Link to Gore’s first hit
Link to Gore’s 2018-wild-card-game strikeout
Link to Gore’s minor-league homer
Link to Gore’s steal in the 2014 AL wild-card game
Link to Gore’s favorite baserunning play

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