Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about redefining the MVP award, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s unearthed baseball blogs, Billy Beane’s new role with the A’s, and the Braves’ spinoff from Liberty Media, plus a Past Blast from 1931. Then (30:27) they bring on listener and top-tier Patreon supporter Peter Bonney to discuss his baseball background and answer listener emails about baseball economics and the leaguewide effects of low-spending owners, an open-ended player to be named later, batters weeping intentionally, the art of arbitrary endpoints, PitchCom voice actors, how many MLB games are available via video, a team award for the regular season, how to order umpires by accuracy in the World Series, holistic Hall of Famers, and having to win three straight games to win the World Series.

Audio intro: Night Beats, “Crypt”
Audio interstitial: The Claudettes, “Dozing in the Crypt”
Audio outro: The Mother Hips, “Payroll Peter”

Link to AL MVP results
Link to NL MVP results
Link to The Ringer FTX explainer
Link to Bloomberg on FTX
Link to Milky Eggs on FTX
Link to SBF’s baseball blog posts
Link to SBF’s first post
Link to SBF’s first pitcher-roles post
Link to SBF’s second pitcher-roles post
Link to SBF on fetishization of the old
Link to Dave Cameron’s pitching post
Link to SBF’s 2021 Twitter thread
Link to story on FTX lawsuit
Link to Ohtani/FTX press release
Link to Manfred on FTX
Link to MLBTR on Beane
Link to Liberty Media announcement
Link to Travis Sawchik on the Braves
Link to 1931 story source
Link to SABR on night baseball
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Peter’s THT articles
Link to Peter’s umpire presentation
Link to Peter’s Fenway presentation
Link to Peter’s company
Link to Kwan on strikeouts
Link to The Gist on polarization
Link to Sawchik on PitchCom
Link to Pujols homer reel
Link to Dayn on a team award
Link to the Stat Blast song
Link to the EW emails database
Link to Ryan Nelson’s MVP tweet
Link to MLBTR on Bellinger

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani and the Cy Young Award, Buck Showalter and the Manager of the Year Award, Bryce Harper’s elbow surgery, the Angels signing Tyler Anderson, Anthony Rizzo and the Yankees’ record Defensive Runs Saved total, the Mariners trading for Teoscar Hernández, title inflation and the “associate manager,” and Royals owner John Sherman requesting a new ballpark, plus a double Past Blast (38:21) from 1930 (featuring Jack Powell’s meaty demise). Then (51:06) they talk to FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen about AFL award winners Heston Kjerstad and Connor Thomas, whether improvements carry over when players change teams, how rules changes are affecting player evaluation, this week’s 40-man-deadline roster crunches, and Kodai Senga and other NPB players who are coming to MLB.

Audio intro: Tri-State, “Hawk in the Fog”
Audio interstitial: Jordana, “Crunch”
Audio outro: The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, “Mr. Powell”

Link to MLB.com on Showalter
Link to Ben Clemens on Anderson
Link to Hawk Harrelson call
Link to Jay Jaffe on Rizzo
Link to highest team DRS totals
Link to Defensive Efficiency leaders
Link to Esteban Rivera on Teoscar
Link to MLBTR on Venable
Link to Sherman’s tweet
Link to Field of Schemes on Sherman
Link to AFL award winners
Link to FG prospect rankings
Link to Laurila on Boras
Link to Alex Eisert on Hilliard
Link to Evan Drellich on rule changes
Link to R.J. Anderson on rule changes
Link to MLBTR on the Rays’ roster
Link to Eric’s AL East piece
Link to Eric on Latin-American SP
Link to MLBTR on Nolan Jones
Link to 1930 story source
Link to SABR on William Veeck Sr.
Link to SABR on Margaret Donohue
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to @OldBaseballNews on Twitter
Link to article about Bill Haber
Link to first Powell article
Link to second Powell article
Link to NL Cy results
Link to Ben on Alcantara
Link to AL Cy results

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Scott Boras’s opinions about postseason pitch clocks and a neutral-site World Series, discuss Meg’s NL Rookie of the Year vote (14:16) and the rookie class, and then conduct two drafts: the eighth free-agent-contract over/under draft (35:37), and the fifth World Series odds movers draft (1:29:46), plus a Past Blast (1:48:40) from 1929 and a postscript.

Audio intro: Whitehorse, “Best Bet”
Audio outro: Aimee Mann, “Mr. Harris”

Link to Boras’s pitch-clock comment
Link to Boras on the World Series
Link to Ben on the rookie class
Link to Chris Gilligan on the rookies
Link to Tango on the WARs
Link to EW wiki on drafts
Link to competitions/drafts sheet
Link to Ben Clemens on RP signings
Link to MLBTR top 50 FA
Link to FanGraphs top FA
Link to Keith Law’s top FA
Link to qualifying offers
Link to Stathead on tall hitters
Link to WS odds spreadsheet
Link to Fanduel odds
Link to DraftKings odds
Link to 1929 story source
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Craig Wright on few SB
Link to NL RotY results
Link to AL RotY results
Link to Dan S. on Strider
Link to Ben N-S on Rutschman
Link to Tango’s math

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With Meg Rowley off, Ben Lindbergh talks to three guests: James Wagner (4:55) of the New York Times about Scott Boras puns in the paper of record, why players who test positive for PEDs have disproportionately been from the Dominican Republic, and why players wear perfume and cologne on the field; Ian Araujo (41:46) about the origins, appeal, process, and future of his viral TikTok videos about identifying sports games in the backgrounds of movies and TV shows; and Jeff Pearlman (1:20:24) about his new biography of Bo Jackson, The Last Folk Hero, Jackson’s life and career, separating Bo facts from Bo fiction, and hypotheticals about Bo, plus a closing baseball news brief (1:59:45) and a Past Blast from 1928.

Audio intro: The Americans, “Guest of Honor”
Audio interstitial 1: Jim Lauderdale, “If You Look Real Close”
Audio interstitial 2: Boogie Down Productions, “Bo! Bo! Bo!”
Audio ioutro: Crowded House, “Be My Guest (Home Demo)”

Link to Alden’s list of Boras puns
Link to video of Nimmo pun
Link to Correa’s Dior line
Link to James’s NYT pun mention
Link to Boras episode of EW
Link to James’s PED/DR article
Link to NYT article on Tatis
Link to James on perfume/cologne
Link to Ian’s TikTok account
Link to The Athletic on Ian
Link to Ian’s The Office video
Link to Mel Magazine on Ian
Link to Ben’s Elementary article
Link to The Irishman Reddit thread
Link to Defector on the buzzer-beater
Link to second buzzer-beater story
Link to Hilbert’s problems wiki
Link to baseball Hilbert’s problems
Link to article on TikTok security
Link to The Last Folk Hero
Link to Seitzer/Jackson excerpt
Link to Bo’s tweet about autographs
Link to 91-yard TD video
Link to Bo scaling the wall
Link to Jeff’s website
Link to The Bad Guys Won
Link to “Sho Knows” t-shirt
Link to Astudillo report
Link to MLBTR on Click
Link to Jay Jaffe on Click
Link to MLBTR on Powers
Link to Dan Szymborski on Kershaw
Link to FTX bankruptcy report
Link to FTX sponsorship news
Link to MLB/FTX press release
Link to Ohtani/FTX press release
Link to Emma’s tweet
Link to tweet about Triple-A ABS
Link to J.R.’s World Series data
Link to 1928 story source
Link to SABR on the DH rule
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley share their impressions of HBO’s new feature-length documentary about Willie Mays, Say Hey, Willie Mays!, and reflect on Mays’s career, then (29:23) talk to director Nelson George about the making of the movie, what didn’t make the movie, his interactions with Mays and other legends, and much more, followed (1:04:59) by a postscript and a Past Blast from 1927.

Audio intro: The Baseball Project, “Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays”
Audio interstitial: Michael Franti & Spearhead, “Say Hey (I Love You)”
Audio outro: Gallagher and Lyle, “Willie”

Link to Say Hey website
Link to Say Hey trailer
Link to story about banning Mays
Link to story about basket catch
Link to Mays on Bewitched
Link to Mays response to Robinson
Link to Alvin Dark controversy
Link to Bill Greason’s SABR bio
Link to MLBTR on Baker and Click
Link to Michael Mountain’s cLI data
Link to 1927 story source
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about Game 6 of the World Series, the Series and the playoffs as a whole, Phillies manager Rob Thomson’s decision to pull Zack Wheeler in favor of José Alvarado, Yordan Alvarez’s titanic dinger, the Astros’ bullpen performance, and Kyle Schwarber’s bunt attempt, before discussing the Astros’ legacy, the 2022 team vs. the 2017 team, and the “dynasty” debate. Then (45:29) they cover Edwin Díaz’s extension with the Mets, what the Phillies have to teach teams about spending, and Other Ben’s ranking of the best free agents (1:01:15), touching on the strengths of the class, their expectations for the pace of the offseason, the contracts Aaron Judge and Jacob deGrom could get, the premium shortstops available, the best and worst values on the market, and more, plus a Past Blast (1:30:33) from 1926.

Audio intro: Frazey Ford, “Season After Season”
Audio outro: Ben Gibbard, “Star Sign”

Link to Justin Choi on the Astros
Link to Ben Lindbergh on the Astros
Link to Zach Kram on the Astros
Link to Jayson Stark on the Astros
Link to The Onion on the Astros
Link to Alvarez homer video
Link to story about Alvarez’s hands
Link to reliever familiarity research
Link to Wheeler fatigue article
Link to Eno on Cash and Snell
Link to Devan Fink on Cash and Snell
Link to story about Schwarber’s bunt
Link to tweet about Astros’ bullpen
Link to Baker’s Cosby comment
Link to Dan Szymborski on Díaz
Link to Ben C.’s free-agent ranking
Link to Hamm’s Turner video
Link to 1926 story source
Link to SABR on the Grier game
Link to SABR on Negro Leagues no-nos
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Minasian’s comments

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley review all of the action from the historic, eventful fourth and fifth games of the World Series, banter about a fan heckling Rob Manfred, and share multiple Past Blasts (33:22) from 1925 (plus a throwback, Philly-centric Past Blast from 1868). Then (50:08) they talk to Baseball Prospectus writer Michael Ajeto about Astros starter Cristian Javier’s unicorn fastball, the value of vertical approach angle, and the state of pitching analysis, plus a postscript.

Audio intro: The Cribs, “Different Angle”
Audio interstitial: Dawes, “From the Right Angle”
Audio outro: Ringo Starr, “Vertical Man”

Link to Baumann on Game 4
Link to Baumann on Game 5
Link to Ben Clemens on Peña
Link to xBA figures from Game 4
Link to Walsh misplay
Link to Hoskins misplay
Link to Mancini play
Link to McCormick play
Link to Manfred letter
Link to Manfred Reddit thread
Link to Manfred heckling video
Link to 1925 story source
Link to Ban Johnson SABR bio
Link to SABR on O’Connell and Dolan
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to 1868 story source
Link to @OldBaseballNews on Coolidge
Link to Coolidge article source
Link to collected “boner” articles
Link to “boner” etymology
Link to Michael on Javier
Link to Passan on Javier
Link to Michael on Gallen
Link to Matt Lentzner on pitch angle
Link to Ethan Moore on VAA
Link to Alex Chamberlain on VAA
Link to Chamberlain on VAA again
Link to VAA primer on YouTube
Link to Ben Clemens on the Giants
Link to Robert Orr on the Giants
Link to Bregman on hitting spin
Link to Jackalopes name change
Link to Ben on pitcher deception
Link to Michael’s podcast

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the percentage of MLB fans who are paying close attention to the World Series, discuss the White Sox filling MLB’s last managerial vacancy by hiring Pedro Grifol (along with Charlie Montoyo as bench coach), and then reflect on a few aspects of Game 3 of the World Series, including Dusty Baker’s decision-making, the surprising postseason defensive success of Nick Castellanos, a pitch-tipping uproar, and more. After that (47:32), they mull over an Atlantic article about the impact of “Moneyballism” on baseball and American culture, note the record average fastball velocity and strikeout rate this postseason, Stat Blast (1:09:55) about how umpire accuracy affects offense (and what that might mean for a robo-ump-infused future), and close with a Past Blast from 1924 (1:24:35), plus a postscript about the Astros’ combined no-hitter in Game 4.

Audio intro: Jack White, “A Tip From You to Me”
Audio outro: Aimee Mann, “Momentum”

Link to MLBTR on the Grifol hiring
Link to MLBTR on the Montoyo hiring
Link to Shakeia Taylor EW episode
Link to study on manager demographics
Link to Shakeia on manager demographics
Link to Rob on manager demographics
Link to James Wagner managers thread
Link to Baumann on Game 3
Link to story about Baker and McCullers
Link to story about Castellanos’s defense
Link to clip of Harper and Bohm
Link to Pedro on pitch-tipping
Link to Rosenthal on pitch-tipping
Link to The Atlantic article
Link to Rany’s thread on the article
Link to FG on postseason velo
Link to BA on postseason velo
Link to Passan on postseason velo
Link to Ben Clemens on postseason Ks
Link to umpire Stat Blast data
Link to Lucas Apostoleris on Twitter
Link to 1924 story source
Link to story about Bohm comments
Link to story about booing Santa
Link to tweet about cheering Santa
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Russell on momentum
Link to Russell on momentum again
Link to FG World Series odds

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about umpire Pat Hoberg’s unprecedented “perfect game” behind the plate in Game 2 of the World Series, followed by musings on Nolan Arenado opting not to opt out of his contract, the Royals hiring Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro as their new manager, and Rob Manfred’s latest update on the zombie runner, then break down Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, reflect on the folly of predicting sweeps and seven-game series, and provide a Past Blast from 1923. Then (1:17:54) they bring on Umpire Scorecards creator Ethan Singer to explain how he realized an umpire perfect game had occurred, how Hoberg’s umpire perfecto was calculated, Hoberg’s track record, the squishy nature of ump perfection, the concepts of accuracy, expected accuracy, and consistency, the odds of a perfect game occurring, Umpire Scorecards in the robot-umps era, umpiring accuracy and difficulty in the postseason, the rest of the umps in the World Series, and more.

Audio intro: John Cale, “Perfect”
Audio interstitial: Ronnie Wood, “100%”
Audio outro: Kiwi Jr., “Highlights of 100”

Link to Ben on umpire perfect games
Link to Hoberg article
Link to Hoberg’s Twitter scorecard
Link to Hoberg’s website scorecard
Link to Hoberg game video
Link to Bob Wolff Larsen call
Link to Vin Scully Larsen call
Link to MLBTR on Arenado
Link to Jay Jaffe on Arenado
Link to MLBTR on Quatraro
Link to MLBTR on the White Sox search
Link to Shakeia Taylor EW episode
Link to study on manager demographics
Link to Shakeia on manager demographics
Link to Rob on manager demographics
Link to James Wagner managers thread
Link to zombie runner comments
Link to 2020 zombie runner survey
Link to The Athletic zombie runner survey
Link to FG zombie runner survey
Link to ZiPS postseason odds
Link to FG WS Game 1 story
Link to FG WS Game 2 story
Link to Jaffe on Verlander in the WS
Link to Posnanski on on Verlander in G1
Link to post on Díaz’s non-HBP
Link to FG post on starters in relief
Link to Valdez suspicion story
Link to Maldonado/Pujols bats
Link to Silver Slugger finalists
Link to Ben on predicting sweeps
Link to Joe’s newsletter
Link to MLB.com WS predictions
Link to ESPN WS predictions
Link to The Athletic WS predictions
Link to CBS Sports WS predictions
Link to 1923 story source
Link to SABR on radio broadcasts
Link to article on televised World Series
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter
Link to Ethan’s first EW interview
Link to Umpire Scorecards leaderboard
Link to World Series umpire lineup
Link to MLB’s no-hitter redefinition
Link to support Umpire scorecards
Link to Ethan’s personal website
Link to Ben in 2014 on postseason umps
Link to Ben on MLB ump evaluations
Link to 2015 article on ump improvement
Link to 2016 article on ump improvement
Link to study on umpire age
Link to umps and high leverage study
Link to EW on umpire decision fatigue
Link to Baumann on rainout implications
Link to NYT umpire interactive

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen banter about Ben’s latest ex-player Facebook friend recommendations and an MLB bourbon sponsorship, discuss (9:27) David Stearns stepping down from the Brewers’ top job, Adam Wainwright returning to the Cardinals, and Aaron Boone remaining the manager of the Yankees, and then (26:53) preview a few important factors to watch in the World Series, followed by a question (45:14) about Aaron Judge and scouting tall players, an explanation of how the Astros built and have maintained their player-development advantage (53:34), Eric’s insights (1:02:49) into impressive prospects in the Arizona Fall League (such as Rockies speeder Zac Veen), thoughts on Oswald Peraza, Anthony Volpe, and the Yankees’ infield of the future (1:25:50), and a preview (1:29:28) of what to watch in international and winter ball (including the top MLB prospects in NPB and the KBO), plus addenda (1:35:11) and a Past Blast from 1922.

Audio intro: The Fratellis, “Boy Scout to the End”
Audio outro: Ray Davies, “After the Fall”

Link to Evan Williams contest
Link to Jim Beam ad
Link to sponsorship growth story
Link to MLBTR on Stearns
Link to Wainwright signing news
Link to Baumann on Wainwright
Link to news about Boone
Link to news about Boone and Cashman
Link to Jeter video
Link to Michael Kay’s Lincoln comp
Link to info on Kay’s diet
Link to older post on Kay’s diet
Link to Ben on player height increase
Link to MLB.com on team makeup
Link to Ben Clemens WS preview
Link to FG post on Astros lefties
Link to FG post on pitching to Harper
Link to Silver Slugger finalists
Link to AFL stats
Link to AFL prospects on The Board
Link to Veen play
Link to Russell on winter ball
Link to Ben on Murakami
Link to info on LIDOM on MLB.TV
Link to EW emails database
Link to research about alternate titles
Link to 1922 story source
Link to SABR on the Supreme Court
Link to SABR on the MLBPA
Link to update on antitrust case
Link to tweet about minor league CBA
Link to Jacob Pomrenke’s website
Link to Jacob Pomrenke on Twitter

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