Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about recent headline-generating comments by Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, a Padres position change, and the possibility of another Ronald Acuña Jr. extension. Then (34:11) they bring on Patreon supporter Sean Saxe and answer listener emails (40:13) about the best substitute for Babe Ruth in a remake of The Sandlot, the expression “right down the dick,” elevated decibel levels at games, F1-style advance free-agent commitments for MLB players, and a leaguewide conspiracy to inflate one player’s performance, and then Stat Blast (1:17:14) about baseball teams in Midwestern cities, Corey Kluber and Opening Day starts in a pitcher’s final season, and whether switch-hitters and players who bat and throw from opposite sides age better than others.

Audio intro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Trout comments
Link to MLBTR on Trout
Link to Rendon comments
Link to previous Rendon pod
Link to Padres switch
Link to Merrill position article
Link to Acuña article
Link to FG on Sal Perez extension
Link to article on Austin loyalties
Link to Dickson definition
Link to Google Trends data
Link to NYT on loudness
Link to more on loudness
Link to Clair on walk-up songs
Link to Lewis Hamilton news
Link to listener emails database
Link to Middle West survey 1
Link to Middle West survey 2
Link to WSJ article
Link to Midwest map graphic
Link to Tex’s GitHub
Link to Tex’s Google Sheet
Link to article on Midwest Colorado
Link to Nevada pronunciation article
Link to article on Kluber’s start
Link to Opening Day starts data
Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter
Link to 2018 Ohtani article
Link to Stroman workout article
Link to Judge on aging curves
Link to Judge on Twitter
Link to aging curve 1
Link to aging curve 2

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Rob Manfred’s announcement that he’ll step down as commissioner after his current term. Then they preview the 2024 St. Louis Cardinals (26:01) with The Athletic’s Katie Woo and the 2024 Cleveland Guardians (1:09:24) with MLB.com’s Mandy Bell, plus a postscript (1:44:43).

Audio intro: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 1: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 2: Justin Peters, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Ian H., “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Drellich on Manfred 1
Link to Drellich on Manfred 2
Link to Drellich on Manfred 3
Link to Cardinals offseason tracker
Link to Cardinals depth chart
Link to Mozeliak on Ks
Link to Katie’s Athletic archive
Link to Guardians offseason tracker
Link to Guardians depth chart
Link to eclipse opener news
Link to Mandy on the eclipse
Link to Ben on the 2017 eclipse
Link to Langs on Vogt
Link to payrolls page
Link to Mandy’s MLB.com archive
Link to article on Cavnar
Link to Ben on ex-player GMs
Link to Toronto Fogo page
Link to Toronto Fogo article
Link to article on Escobar

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about injuries at spring training (specifically the Orioles’) and Jorge Soler and the Giants’ offseason, Stat Blast (21:04) about Kenley Jansen and the age of active career leaders in pitching appearances and recording five or six hits in a game against five or six different pitchers, and then talk to FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen about his ranking of the top 100 (or 101) prospects in baseball.

Audio intro: Xavier LeBlanc, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial: Liz Panella, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Harold Walker, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to tweet about O’s injuries
Link to Ben on spring injuries
Link to FG post on Soler
Link to Stat Blast sheet 1
Link to Stat Blast sheet 2
Link to Alou game
Link to Oliver game
Link to Johnson game
Link to guest appearances sheet
Link to 2024 top 100
Link to ZiPS top 100
Link to “how’s my driving?” post
Link to Ben on prospect promotion
Link to Ben on pitching prospects

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a difference between baseball and football (as illustrated by the Super Bowl), the lowering of the limit on players per organization, and umpire Jen Pawol’s ascent toward the majors (and history). Then they preview the 2024 Texas Rangers (22:28) with MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry and the 2024 Chicago Cubs (56:31) with The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma.

Audio intro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 1: Gabriel-Ernest, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 2: El Warren, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Guy Russo, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Ben’s podcast on trailers
Link to baseball exceptionalism wiki
Link to Cooper on roster rules
Link to Pawol article 1
Link to Pawol article 2
Link to Rangers offseason tracker
Link to Rangers depth chart
Link to Kennedi’s MLB.com archive
Link to Cubs offseason tracker
Link to Cubs depth chart
Link to Sahadev on Kanzler
Link to Sahadev’s The Athletic archive
Link to Pham tweet

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about former Mets GM Billy Eppler’s suspension for fabricating injuries, then Stat Blast (15:25) about players who amassed the most WAR for their secondary, tertiary, quaternary (etc.) teams, Hall of Famers who played with their hometown teams, and uniform numbers assigned to different players with the same surname on the same team. Then they preview the 2024 Boston Red Sox (33:13) with The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and the 2024 San Diego Padres (1:16:44) with MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell.

Audio intro: The Gagnés, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 1: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio interstitial 2: Alex Ferrin, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: Daniel Leckie, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Eppler press release
Link to The Athletic on Eppler
Link to Stat Blast sheet 1
Link to Stat Blast sheet 2
Link to Stat Blast sheet 3
Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter
Link to Kenny Jackelen’s Twitter
Link to Red Sox offseason tracker
Link to Red Sox depth chart
Link to Alex’s Boston Globe archive
Link to Padres offseason tracker
Link to Padres depth chart
Link to AJ’s MLB.com archive
Link to Opening Day boycott

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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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