Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the impending premiere of Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, the projection-system verdict on the Braves’ extension of Michael Harris II, the White Sox signing Elvis Andrus, the possibly underrated, could’ve-been-Hall-of-Fame career of José Abreu, and the sophomore improvement of Ha-Seong Kim, then (25:06) answer listener emails about Albert Pujols and the 100-WAR threshold, big leaguers who’ve lost more games in their lives than they’ve won, and at which level a team would be unable to win even one game in a season were it promoted to the majors, followed by a Meet a Major Leaguer segment (51:08) on the Rockies’ Wynton Bernard, the Mariners’ Brennan Bernardino, and the Diamondbacks’ Stone Garrett, Stat Blasts (1:08:49) about the most first-round picks in a team game (and a starting lineup), streaks of team games with identical scores, and the highest WAR by a player with a negative WPA, plus a Past Blast (1:25:20) from 1892 (including a surprising Ed Delahanty comp) and (1:31:51) multiple Taylor Ward broadcaster mistakes.

Audio intro: Biz Markie, “The Dragon”
Audio outro: The Baseball Project, “The Death of Big Ed Delahanty”

Link to Dan S. on the Harris extension
Link to Dan on the Albies extension
Link to Craig Edwards on Albies
Link to MLBTR on the Sox signing Andrus
Link to Ben Clemens on the Abreu deal
Link to Abreu’s pre-MLB stats
Link to Dan S. on Kim’s projection
Link to Grant on Little League
Link to replacement level explainer
Link to Clay’s league strength post
Link to B-Ref’s new debuts page
Link to MLB.com on Bernard
Link to Bernard call-up video
Link to MLB.com on Garrett
Link to Garrett call-up video
Link to Bernardino announcement
Link to story on Bernardino and Rossman
Link to story on Bernardino’s debut
Link to Stathead
Link to Stathead addition post
Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter
Link to first-rounders-in-game data
Link to first-rounders-in-lineup data
Link to high WARs with negative WPA
Link to Beltré’s pivotal 2010 plays
Link to Delahanty comp article
Link to Phillies LF article
Link to Delahanty’s SABR bio
Link to RIP Baseball on Delahanty
Link to article on 1900 Phillies
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1892 story source 1
Link to 1892 story source 2
Link to Harry Stevens article
Link to Wade/Ward EW wiki page

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on Tony La Russa’s suspicious pinch-runner call, banter about Joey Gallo on the Dodgers and Andrew Benintendi on the Yankees, the utility of booing, and the parochial concept of being unable to play in New York, the curious timing of the Rangers’ firing of long-tenured executive Jon Daniels, the Athletics’ curious release of Elvis Andrus, the Braves extending Michael Harris II and the domino theory of extensions, and Joey Votto’s season-ending injury, then answer listener emails about which ownership group they would most want to compel to open its books and an MLB vs. NPB/KBO All-Star Game, plus (1:06:38) a Past Blast from 1891 and a bonus question about recursive caps.

Audio intro: Ryan Oxford, “Fa Fa Fa Fired”
Audio outro: Roland Roberts, “All About the Timing”

Link to La Russa video
Link to La Russa response
Link to Gallo’s quotes to The Athletic
Link to later Gallo quotes
Link to Updike’s New York quote
Link to MLBTR on the Daniels firing
Link to Levi Weaver on the Daniels firing
Link to press release about Daniels
Link to longest-tenured team execs
Link to FG farm rankings
Link to MLBTR on the Andrus release
Link to A’s WAR leaders
Link to MLBTR on the Harris extension
Link to Passan tweet about Braves core
Link to MLBTR on the Votto injury
Link to biblical losses quote
Link to KBO ASG story
Link to Team USA WBC roster
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1891 story source 1
Link to article on 1900 Phillies
Link to 1891 story source 2
Link to 1891 story source 3
Link to Orioles cap

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter a bit more about whether Dottie dropped the ball on purpose in the movie version of A League of Their Own, then discuss an Angels defensive meltdown, a vomiting Oakland Athletic, a Javier Báez bad-ball batted ball, Tony La Russa (and Bill Veeck) taking suggestions from the stands, the Mets’ promotion of Brett Baty, Francisco Lindor, Andrés Giménez, and the Lindor trade revisited, Walker Buehler’s Tommy John surgery, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s suspension, and the Rangers firing Chris Woodward and the dubious utility of one-run records in evaluating managers, then Stat Blast (51:34) about Drew Rasmussen and almost-perfect games versus nine-inning no-hitters and a Max Scherzer/Bryson Stott fun fact, share a Past Blast (1:04:01) from 1890, and talk (1:10:02) to Dr. Justine Siegal, trailblazing baseball coach, founder of Baseball For All, and Baseball Coordinator for the A League of Their Own TV reboot, about her work on the baseball scenes in the series and the progress of women in baseball.

Audio intro: Tommy Roe, “Dottie I Like It”
Audio interstitial: Neil Young, “Field of Opportunity”
Audio outro: Tami Neilson, “Green Peaches”

Link to info on Dottie debate
Link to show creators’ comments
Link to Dottie/Kit scene
Link to A League of Their Own movie
Link to A League of Their Own show
Link to A League of Their Own trailer
Link to video of Ohtani’s new pitch
Link to thread of Angels plays
Link to article on Angels plays
Link to Angels fan reaction GIF
Link to Julio’s almost-homer
Link to Santana’s sunflower seeds
Link to Ben on broken counts
Link to Bois on broken counts
Link to article on Bolt vomiting
Link to Báez batted ball
Link to La Russa video
Link to info on Veeck’s stunt
Link to MLBTR on Baty
Link to Fabian Ardaya on Buehler
Link to Dan S. on Tatis
Link to Tatis Sr. tweet
Link to other Tatis Sr. tweet
Link to Tatis bobblehead tweet
Link to Levi Weaver on Woodward
Link to worst one-run records
Link to Bill James on one-run records
Link to Rob Mains on one-run records
Link to Chris Jaffe’s managers book
Link to Ben Clemens on Rasmussen
Link to thread on perfectos vs. no-nos
Link to Stathead
Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter
Link to Scherzer fun fact tweet
Link to Stathead on fourth time through
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1890 story source 1
Link to 1890 story source 2
Link to Atlas Obscura story
Link to EW review of League
Link to Justine’s website
Link to Justine’s wiki
Link to Baseball For All’s website
Link to Maybelle Blair video
Link to Outsports on Blair
Link to The L.A. Times on Blair
Link to MLB.com on Blair
Link to Pitch coordinator episode
Link to Twilight coordinator episode
Link to watch party link

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about whether Dottie dropped the ball on purpose in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own, then (steering clear of spoilers) review and discuss the highs and lows of the new TV reboot, the first season of which debuted on Friday on Amazon Prime Video. After that (49:54), they answer listener emails about whether hard infield throws pose a danger to first basemen, Miguel Cabrera and the efficacy of “setting up” pitchers, announced attendance vs. actual attendance, the Braves’ notable lack of bunting, and what would happen if players had to wear their first uniform for their whole career, plus (1:23:41) a Past Blast from 1889 and a postscript (1:31:34) on Fernando Tatis Jr.’s PED suspension.

Audio intro: The Cast of A League of Their Own, “AAGPBL Victory Song”
Audio outro: Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra, “Suspended in Time”

Link to info on Dottie debate
Link to A League of Their Own movie
Link to A League of Their Own show
Link to A League of Their Own trailer
Link to Alison Herman’s review
Link to Michael Baumann’s review
Link to info on AAGPBL’s queer history
Link to A Secret Love
Link to Maybelle Blair video
Link to Outsports on Blair
Link to The L.A. Times on Blair
Link to MLB.com on Blair
Link to movie’s Black bystander scene
Link to Katie Baker on the movie
Link to Katie on EW
Link to football helmet photo
Link to info on setting up pitchers
Link to article on Miggy
Link to article on Manny
Link to Bill Russell anecdote
Link to Willie’s Time passage
Link to article on reported attendance
Link to fewest 2022 team bunts
Link to fewest pre-2022 team bunts
Link to Russell on the bunting decline
Link to Russell on bunting in extras
Link to 2022 bunt hits by team
Link to 2022 sac bunts by team
Link to Manfred quote about ASG unis
Link to Outsports on Bates
Link to “boner” etymology
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1889 story source 1
Link to 1889 story source 2
Link to listener emails database
Link to Tatis statement
Link to Union-Tribune on Tatis
Link to MLBTR on Tatis

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Mariners’ soaring playoff odds, a wild Mariners-Yankees game, the other greatest team gainers and losers in playoff probability over the past month, the difference between Baseball-Reference’s playoff odds and other sites’ versions, Keith Hernandez’s thoughts on the Phillies, how their own preseason predictions have held up, Steven Kwan and Triston McKenzie, the dominance of the Dodgers, a few significant injuries, the Tigers firing GM Al Avila (40:26) and the future of their franchise, Jason Heyward’s Cubs contract, Rodolfo Castro’s phone mishap, and more. Then (1:05:23) they share a Past Blast from 1888, Stat Blast (1:09:06) about Miles Mikolas and the worst start ever, Robinson Canó’s trio of releases, Jake Fishman and long gaps between a college’s alumni making the majors, the most homers in a day by players with the same first name, games where every pitcher recorded the same number of outs, the longest winning streaks by sub-.500 teams, and the youth of the Guardians, before ending with a quick, condensed cold call (1:35:26) with nearly-97-year-old Larry Miggins, who hit the most emotional home run Vin Scully ever called.

Audio intro: The Soft Boys, “Lions and Tigers”
Audio outro: The Fernweh, “Happy as Larry”

Link to Yankees-Mariners game story
Link to BP on the game
Link to TOOTBLAN montage
Link to FG odds changes
Link to FG’s playoff odds page
Link to B-Ref’s playoff odds page
Link to Alex Speier on the Red Sox
Link to Keith’s Phillies comment
Link to The Ringer’s staff predictions
Link to FG’s staff predictions
Link to FG Kwan Q&A
Link to Dan S. on the White Sox
Link to Tigers statement on Avila
Link to The Athletic on Avila
Link to The Athletic on Avila again
Link to Heyward news
Link to Heyward’s FA value
Link to story on Heyward’s speech
Link to Joe Posnanski on Heyward’s deal
Link to AP story on Castro
Link to Castro video
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1888 story source 1
Link to 1888 story source 2
Link to Stathead
Link to Kenny Jackelen on Twitter
Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter
Link to worst 2022 starts
Link to worst post-1947 starts
Link to article on Oquist’s start
Link to most releases sheet
Link to college debut gaps sheet
Link to sheet of same-out-count games
Link to Garver game at B-Ref
Link to Garver episode
Link to list of longest sub-.500 W streaks
Link to weighted team ages sheet
Link to youngest/oldest teams sheet
Link to Guardians/Mustard story
Link to listener emails database
Link to Pages from Baseball’s Past
Link to Craig Wright on Miggins/Scully
Link to Scully video
Link to list of oldest living players
Link to Miggins’ SABR bio
Link to story on Miggins and Scully
Link to story on Miggins and Jackie
Link to 1946 story on Jackie’s debut

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Dodgers’ and Mets’ “statement” series and the awe and anxiety inspired by Jacob deGrom, follow up on Vin Scully’s musical taste, retractable mounds, and Justin Verlander vs. Max Scherzer, and discuss a recent Rockies pickup and promotion and a hazardous mound visit, followed (33:00) by a Past Blast from 1887. Then (46:52) they talk to 95-year-old Ron Teasley, one of four living former Negro Leaguers from the MLB-designated 1920-1948 “major league” period, about his amateur and professional baseball career in Detroit, in the Dodgers’ minor league system, and with the New York Cubans, his memories of Minnie Miñoso, Buck O’Neil, and other Negro Leagues legends, breaking color barriers, the MLB reclassification and what else the league should do for former Negro Leaguers, his decades as a coach, the declining African-American presence in MLB, and more. Finally (1:23:50), they bring on author, editor, and historian Gary Gillette to discuss the restoration of one of the last surviving Negro Leagues ballparks, Hamtramck Stadium, as well as the ongoing efforts to preserve and uncover information about pre-integration Black baseball.

Audio intro: J.J. Cale, “Slower Baby”
Audio interstitial 1: Dick Haymes, “Little White Lies”
Audio interstitial 2: Radiator Hospital, “Detroit Diamonds (Sacred Strays)”
Audio outro: The Kinks, “Preservation”

Link to Ben Clemens on deGrom
Link to fastest sliders spreadsheet
Link to Plaschke on Scully
Link to Globe Life Field site
Link to retractable mound image
Link to retractable mound video
Link to Verlander/Scherzer stat
Link to all-time strikeout leaders
Link to FG post on Lamet
Link to article about Rockies hire
Link to LinkedIn page
Link to article about Rockies firing
Link to Keith Law tweet
Link to article about Nationals hire
Link to pitching coach injury article
Link to Teasley’s first EW appearance
Link to Teasley bio
Link to more Teasley info
Link to 1945 article on Brown Dodgers
Link to 1948 article on Teasley
Link to second 1948 article on Teasley
Link to third 1948 article on Teasley
Link to 1989 article on Teasley
Link to 1991 article on Teasley
Link to 1999 article on Teasley
Link to 2021 article on Teasley
Link to info on the Mandak League
Link to column about reparations
Link to article about pensions
Link to video about Hamtramck
Link to video about Hamtramck unveiling
Link to other video about unveiling
Link to article on Hamtramck unveiling
Link to The Biographical Encyclopedia
Link to EW episode about 42 for 21
Link to Hamtramck website
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1887 story source

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a possible solution to the quandary of not enough slashes in “triple slash stats,” discuss the increasing excitement surrounding Aaron Judge’s home run record chase, and (20:00) share a Past Blast from 1886. Then (24:47) they welcome back singer-songwriter, baseball balladeer, and converted Dodgers fan Dan Bern to talk about his appreciation for the late Vin Scully and his song “The Golden Voice of Vin Scully,” followed by performances of “Golden Voice,” “Ballpark,” “Turns Out, Ohtani,” and “42.”

Audio intro: Hot Chocolate, “Let Them Be the Judge”
Audio interstitial: Electric Light Orchestra, “Mr. Radio”
Audio outro: Dan Bern, “If the Dodgers Had Stayed in Brooklyn”

Link to Zach Kram on Judge
Link to Jay Jaffe on Judge
Link to Mains on July offense
Link to FG WAR leaderboard
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1886 story source
Link to Dan’s first EW appearance
Link to Dan’s website
Link to Doubleheader
Link to “Golden Voice”
Link to “Ballpark”
Link to “42”
Link to Dan on Spotify
Link to Scully’s farewell

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Clayton Kershaw’s back, balky backs in general, some of the players traded at the deadline who made immediate impacts in their debuts, and the perhaps surprisingly small impacts that deadline moves make on playoff and World Series odds. Then (15:09) they answer listener emails about intentionally scuttling a trade for leverage in a future negotiation, what would have to happen to convince them that the Rockies were a well-run organization, penalizing slow-paced pitchers by gradually lowering the mound, how to design the perfect pitching hand, convincing MLB to cut ties with gambling sponsors by paying players to throw games, Gold Gloves for utility players, an ethical conundrum involving Shohei Ohtani, and why we call them “triple-slash stats” when there are only two slashes, plus a Past Blast from 1885 (1:30:15) and followups.

Audio intro: The Smiths, “Stretch Out and Wait”
Audio outro: Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello, “Twenty Fine Fingers”

Link to article on Kershaw’s back
Link to article on stretching research
Link to article on the shortest day
Link to Dan on deadline improvements
Link to Merrifield article
Link to post on Rockies pizza party
Link to Sam Miller on the pit
Link to Driveline post on generating spin
Link to Driveline on finger/grip strength
Link to Fielding Bible utility awards
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1885 story source
Link to Angels tweet
Link to Timber Rattlers mascot
Link to Philadelphia Zoo mascot
Link to high-scoring-game box score
Link to 2014 Tigers rotation story
Link to 1880s baseball story source
Link to submarine softball story
Link to North Pole baseball story

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After a busy deadline day, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley react to all the trade activity, beginning with a high-level overview of the deadline, a recap of the Rockies’ inactivity (5:28), the Padres’ Juan Soto, Josh Hader, Brandon Drury, and Joe Musgrove moves (13:58) and the mad genius of A.J. Preller, the equally unprecedented nature of the Hader-Taylor Rogers swap (33:42), and the Nationals’ side of the Soto blockbuster (42:03). Then they pause to pay tribute to Vin Scully (53:37), whose death was announced during the recording. With heavier hearts, they return to the trade talk and discuss the Mariners and Luis Castillo (1:03:00), the completion of the Reds and A’s teardowns (1:15:43), the Yankees’ additions (1:20:50), the Astros’ upgrades (1:31:27), the Orioles’ decision to sell (1:36:01), the Twins’ activity in contast to the Guadians and White Sox (1:44:11), what the Cardinals did and didn’t do (1:47:51), the NL East’s moves (1:49:06), the Cubs keeping Willson Contreras and Ian Happ (1:52:56), and the Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays, Giants, and other teams (1:57:55), plus a Past Blast from 1884 (2:06:45).

Audio intro: Minutemen, “No Exchange”
Audio outro: Dan Bern, “The Golden Voice of Vin Scully”

Link to FanGraphs’ trade coverage
Link to CBS trade tracker
Link to The Ringer’s winners/losers
Link to Ben on Preller in 2020
Link to FG farm rankings
Link to Schmidt’s Rockies quote
Link to Nick Groke on the Bard deal
Link to Dodgers’ Scully announcement
Link to EW episode on Scully
Link to Gallo’s quotes to The Athletic
Link to later Gallo quotes
Link to The Athletic on Mancini
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1884 story source 1
Link to 1884 story source 2
Link to 1884 story source 3
Link to Facebook post about the EW wiki
Link to “How to Help” wiki page

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about a flummoxing fun fact, Justin Verlander’s career vs. Max Scherzer’s career, and Max Meyer’s Tommy John surgery, then (24:55) discuss the Andrew Benintendi trade, Joey Gallo’s struggles, and the biggest questions surrounding the trade deadline before (45:53) reviewing “other” Ben’s work on the annual FanGraphs Trade Value series, focusing on the list-making process, players who just missed the cut, Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Oneil Cruz, the surprisingly underperforming top three, Julio Rodríguez, Yordan Alvarez, Mike Trout, the relative lack of pitchers, and more. After that, they end (1:30:57) with a Stat Blast about big leaguers on minor league rehab assignments, plus a Past Blast from 1883 and a postscript.

Audio intro: Frank Sinatra, “(I Offer You the Moon) Señorita”
Audio outro: The Bens, “Just Pretend”

Link to first fun fact
Link to cached second fun fact
Link to Dan S. on the Benintendi trade
Link to Boone’s “fake news” quote
Link to Lindsey Adler on Gallo
Link to Gallo Stathead query
Link to Eric L. on the Naquin trade
Link to Dan S. on the playoff format
Link to Neil Paine on the deadline
Link to Trade Value intro
Link to Trade Value conclusion
Link to Ohtani report
Link to Ben on Harper’s defense
Link to Emma on promotional jerseys
Link to Stathead
Link to Stat Blast data
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1883 story source
Link to Evan on Manfred’s letter
Link to article on Trout’s back
Link to Facebook post about the EW wiki
Link to “How to Help” wiki page

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