Archive for Effectively Wild

Effectively Wild Episode 87: Baseball and the BCS/Halladay vs. Lee/Does the “Success Cycle” Still Exist?

Ben and Sam answer selected listener emails in a pre-Thanksgiving episode.


Effectively Wild Episode 86: Should the Commissioner Have the Ability to Overturn a Trade?

Ben and Sam discuss whether MLB’s Commissioner should have the power to block a trade, as Bud Selig considered doing to the Marlins-Blue Jays blockbuster.


Effectively Wild Episode 85: Manny Acta and the Blue Jays’ Managerial Job

Ben and Sam discuss whether Manny Acta’s lousy career win-loss record has any bearing on his likelihood of success if he becomes the Blue Jays’ manager.


Effectively Wild Episode 84: Jose Molina and What the Quantification of Catcher Framing Might Mean

Ben and Sam discuss the finding that Jose Molina’s receiving was worth 50 runs and talk about what it’s implications for baseball might be.


Effectively Wild Episode 83: Astros vs. Marlins in 2013/The Next Farewell Tour/Yasmani Grandal’s Suspension/Mark Trumbo, Center Fielder

Ben and Sam answer listener emails about whether the Marlins or Astros will win more games in 2013, who’ll be the next retiring player to get the Chipper Jones treatment, when Yasmani Grandal will play for the Padres, and how the Angels should align their outfielders.


Effectively Wild Episode 82: The Marlins-Blue Jays Blockbuster

Ben and Sam break down the Marlins-Blue Jays trade from every angle, or at least all the angles that occurred to them at the time.


Effectively Wild Episode 81: The Angels, the Reds, and Two Conflicting Closer Philosophies

Ben and Sam discuss the Reds’ and Angels’ approaches to bullpen-building, how Cincinnati’s philosophy affects Aroldis Chapman’s future, and which way the wind is blowing where the closer role is concerned.


Effectively Wild Episode 80: Could Josh Hamilton Be a Bargain?/Are the Financially Responsible Yankees for Real?

Ben and Sam discuss whether Josh Hamilton could end up signing a reasonable contract after all and talk about whether the Yankees can commit to and compete despite their goal to get under the luxury tax threshold by 2014.


Effectively Wild Episode 79: Are Teams Becoming More Willing to Trade Their Young Players?

Ben and Sam discuss whether recent events and rumors portend more young players on the move, and why.


Effectively Wild Episode 78: Quantifying Coaches/Why Some Fielders Look Better Than They Are/How Do We Know What Pitchers Should Weigh?

Ben and Sam answer listener emails about the importance of coaches, defensive stats, and how we know whether pitchers should gain or lose weight, with guest appearances by Colin Wyers and Doug Thorburn.