Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Angels manager Joe Maddon’s befuddling bases-loaded intentional walk to Corey Seager, NPB phenom Roki Sasaki’s perfect followup to his perfect game, Hunter Greene and velo-induced fear for young starters, injury close calls for Byron Buxton and Mike Trout, the rise of non-fastballs leaguewide and what Andrew Heaney’s sweeper-iffic success says about player development, more stringent pitch clocks reducing game times in the minors, unvaccinated players not making trips to Toronto, Ichiro Suzuki’s speedy ceremonial first pitch, a feral-cat infestation in Oakland, rebounds in MLB’s average salary and per-game attendance, and a reduction in home-run rate and speculation about the behavior of the ball, plus followups about beef boys, replay review signals in Japan, a rules loophole exploited by Jackie Robinson and his contemporaries, and a way to calculate the most expected no-hitters subtracted.

Audio intro: Ben Kweller, “Make it Up”
Audio outro: Marshall Crenshaw, “(We’re Gonna) Shake Up Their Minds”

Link to The Athletic on Maddon’s IBB
Link to the AP on Maddon’s IBB
Link to Nathan Fielder tweet
Link to list of bases-loaded IBB
Link to info on previous bases-loaded IBBs
Link to 2015 Maddon zoo-animals story
Link to images of Maddon’s zoo animals
Link to Ben Clemens on Maddon’s IBB
Link to Ben on Maddon’s IBB again
Link to confused Trout clip
Link to Slate story on Sasaki
Link to Ben on Sasaki on Hang Up and Listen
Link to Sponichi poll about Sasaki
Link to story on Greene’s velo record
Link to video of Buxton injury
Link to video of Trout HBP
Link to BIS MLB pitch types by year
Link to Pitch Info MLB velocity by year
Link to “sweeper” leaderboard
Link to Jay Jaffe on Heaney
Link to Fabian Ardaya on Heaney
Link to Michael Ajeto on Heaney
Link to Eno Sarris on the sweeper
Link to Lindsey Adler on the whirly
Link to before-and-after Heaney videos
Link to Lucas Apostoleris tweet about sweepers
Link to Baseball America on the new pitch clock
Link to Joe Posnanski on the new pitch clock
Link to Jeff Passan on the new pitch clock
Link to Darwinzon Hernandez video
Link to Ben and Rob on pitch-clock exposure
Link to article about Oakland’s COVID outbreak
Link to story about unvaccinated Red Sox
Link to article about Story’s vaccination
Link to Ichiro video (and inaccurate velo)
Link to accurate Ichiro velo
Link to Ben on Ichiro’s power
Link to Oakland ballpark-cats story
Link to MLB average salary news
Link to yearly MLB attendance figures
Link to “pent-up demand” EW episode
Link to Rotowire story about power outage
Link to Jim Albert on balls flying less far
Link to Joe Sheehan on the new ball’s behavior
Link to Derek Carty tweet about HR rates
Link to tweet about humidor and HR rates
Link to Jeremy Frank tweet
Link to story about Angels remote broadcasts
Link to “ground beef” tweet
Link to NPB replay review signal video
Link to EW Stanky draft episode
Link to story about Robinson and rules
Link to other story about Robinson and rules
Link to Don Hoak Wiki
Link to “Kris Bryant rule” story
Link to data on new no-hitters stat

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about an unlikely grand slam on a major meatball pitch and the hot start of Seiya Suzuki, then answer listener emails about how to make baseball sound most appealing, the effect of using different-colored balls to denote different pitch types, whether umpires would be better at calling balls and strikes if they had PitchCom devices, Yandy Díaz and what makes a player a “beef boy,” whether we need a new signal for replay review now that umpires don’t use over-the-ear headphones, a “Ruby Runner” award to recognize good baserunning, whether high roster turnover is an impediment to teams winning and fans following baseball, what the disparity between the biggest and smallest payrolls should be, the “90 records” supposedly set by Ty Cobb, and more.

Audio intro: Ry Cooder, “One Meat Ball”
Audio outro: The Nude Party, “Records”

Link to results on 0-2 pitches
Link to article about Heim grand slam
Link to video of grand slam
Link to video of Camarena homer
Link to Jeff Sullivan on meatballs
Link to Jay Jaffe on Suzuki
Link to Ben Clemens on Kwan
Link to video of moth in ump’s ear
Link to story about moth in Holliday’s ear
Link to video of moth in Simms’ ear
Link to story about noise and PitchCom
Link to story about Yandy’s training
Link to story about NFL roster turnover
Link to study on NBA roster turnover
Link to NBA roster turnover stat
Link to Rob Mains on MLB turnover
Link to Ben on MLB roster turnover over time
Link to Ben on roster complacency
Link to Russell on roster turnover and chemistry
Link to Travis tweet about payroll disparity
Link to Travis story about payroll disparity
Link to Rob on market size and winning
Link to Rob on the CBT and competitive balance
Link to Forbes MLB franchise values
Link to Sportico MLB franchise values
Link to Cobb obit
Link to Cobb trivia quiz
Link to Cobb trivia question
Link to EW listener emails database

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley break down a watershed week in overturning traditions, discussing the Dodgers pulling Clayton Kershaw after seven perfect innings and provoking a “baseball is dying” debate, the Giants flouting the unwritten rules, Alyssa Nakken debuting as the Giants’ first-base coach (under vexing circumstances), the new-look Alex Cobb, Andrew Heaney, and Jesús Luzardo, a three-homer game by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the callup of Padres pitcher Mackenzie Gore, Albert Pujols calling his shot (and getting caught stealing), and the confounding calculations of live play probabilities on Apple baseball broadcasts.

Audio intro: Blood Red Shoes, “The Perfect Mess”
Audio outro: Joe Bourdet, “Unwritten Story”

Link to Jay Jaffe on Kershaw
Link to Fergie Jenkins tweet
Link to Reggie Jackson tweet
Link to EW emergency episode on Hill
Link to EW episode on Stripling
Link to Ben on Tatis and unwritten rules
Link to article about Stripling’s dad
Link to MLB.com article on Stripling
Link to Sam Miller on unwritten rules
Link to story about Kapler and Giants
Link to other story about Kapler and Giants
Link to Woodward unwritten rules story
Link to Shildt and Richardson video
Link to Shildt and Richardson story
Link to Nakken video
Link to Nakken story
Link to The Athletic on Heaney
Link to MLB.com on Heaney
Link to Lindsey Adler on the “whirly”
Link to Ben Clemens on Luzardo
Link to Cobb story
Link to Vladito highlights
Link to history of spiking
Link to Pujols caught stealing
Link to Pujols prediction story
Link to study on sports betting and addiction
Link to Patrick Hruby on betting and addiction
Link to Kurt Streeter on betting and addiction
Link to Apple odds story

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about NPB phenom Roki Sasaki’s 19-strikeout perfect game for the Chiba Lotte Marines, the historic crop of prospect debuts in the first week of this MLB season, the unprecedented career-starting hot streak of (and long-term outlook for) Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, A’s catcher Sean Murphy’s butt photogenically taking one for the team, Alec Bohm and the Phillies’ bad-defense, good-offense approach, an exposé on the Pirates’ (lack of) spending, Reds ownership saying the quiet part loud, public funding for sports teams and supermarket congestion in Buffalo, Brett Phillips’ attempt to combat position-player-pitcher fatigue, early, inconclusive indications that the baseball may not be flying as far as before, and Kelsie Whitmore signing with an Atlantic League team, plus a Stat Blast (1:01:03) about Padres pitcher Tim Hill blowing back-to-back no-hitters, Ripper Collins claiming to have spoiled four no-hitters, and the hitters who actually broke up the most no-nos (followed by a few updates and postscripts).

Audio intro: A Tribe Called Quest, “Da Booty”
Audio outro: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, “Beautiful Steven”

Link to R.J. Anderson on Sasaki’s perfecto
Link to video of Sasaki’s 13 consecutive Ks
Link to highlights of Sasaki’s start
Link to best starts by Game Score
Link to Ben on top-prospect debuts
Link to viral Murphy HBP tweet
Link to Recker Facebook group
Link to video of Bohm errors
Link to video of Bohm comment
Link to story about Bohm
Link to Ryan Nelson’s tweet about Bohm
Link to video of ovation for Bohm
Link to Post-Gazette Pirates spending story
Link to Rob Mains on the Pirates
Link to new CBA’s revenue-sharing change
Link to Phil Castellini’s initial comments
Link to Castellini’s subsequent comments
Link to O’s statement about public funding
Link to statement about supermarkets
Link to Will Leitch on Buffalo’s stadium deal
Link to story about potential Nationals sale
Link to video of Phillips catch
Link to Twitter thread about the ball
Link to SI story about Whitmore
Link to MLBN Whitmore interview
Link to Ben’s old interview with Whitmore
Link to EW episode with Gauci
Link to Stathead
Link to Ripper Collins SABR bio
Link to Infinite Inning episode on Collins
Link to Collins Stat Blast data
Link to Stat Blast no-hitters data
Link to Mauer montage
Link to Kwan strikeouts story
Link to Madrigal strikeouts story
Link to video of Kwan’s almost-whiff
Link to photo of Manfred’s headphones gift
Link to 2015 MLB/Canada beer story
Link to 2018 MLB/Canada beer story

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their impressions of Opening Day, the “baseball zen” interludes on MLB.TV and Apple’s proposed broadcast innovations, Joey Votto’s in-game interview (and in-game interviews in general), a tasty new MLB sponsorship, PitchCom and pace of play, the fraught relationship between Ronald Acuña Jr. and Freddie Freeman, the Padres-Twins trade involving Chris Paddack and Taylor Rogers, and extensions for José Ramírez, Ke’Bryan Hayes, and J.P. Crawford but not for Aaron Judge (or a pair of Red Sox), plus a Stathead-sponsored Stat Blast (1:11:14) about the “on the money” players whose career production most closely matched their career earnings, and an ode to catcher receiving techniques (followed by a few updates and postscripts).

Audio intro: Spirit, “Life Has Just Begun”
Audio outro: Colin Blunstone, “I Wonder if You Know What You’ve Begun”

Link to Jeff Passan on the CBA negotiations
Link to article on Witt’s first hit
Link to Ohtani pitching highlights
Link to Tungsten Arm O’Doyle tweet
Link to Beer walkoff homer
Link to MLB/Dairy Queen press release
Link to Votto in-game interview video
Link to Ben on in-game player interviews
Link to Ginny Searle on the Votto interview
Link to Apple broadcast details
Link to Acuña/Freeman story
Link to second Acuña/Freeman story
Link to Ben on “Let the kids play”
Link to Lindsey Adler on Judge
Link to Andy McCullough on Judge
Link to Ken Rosenthal on Judge
Link to Rogers twin pitching video
Link to Ben Clemens on Ramírez
Link to Jay Jaffe on Hayes
Link to Jay on PitchCom
Link to player impression of PitchCom
Link to Stathead
Link to Stat Blast data
Link to Bart framing video
Link to EW wiki on Episode 1523
Link to EW wiki Stat Blast page
Link to Tigers tweet about Paredes
Link to MLB player names guide

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Sports Illustrated writer Emma Baccellieri banter about the contrast between March Madness and early-season baseball, the Rays-Tigers trade involving Austin Meadows and Isaac Paredes, and the challenge of evaluating Rays transactions in general, then complete the 2022 division preview series by setting the stage for the season in the National League East, team by team.

Audio intro: The Boo Radleys, “One Last Hurrah”
Audio outro: Night Shop, “Let Me Begin”

Link to Emma on South Carolina’s championship
Link to Ben Clemens on the Rays trade
Link to Rays tweet about the Lowes
Link to Sam’s tweet about the Rays
Link to FanGraphs playoff odds
Link to post about Albies and switch-hitting
Link to Scherzer photo
Link to Jayson Stark on the Phillies’ defense
Link to Matt Gelb on the Phillies’ spending
Link to ESPN on Soto’s brother
Link to Ben on Soto

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about top prospects making Opening Day rosters, the Padres’ Sean Manaea trade and Eric Hosmer almost-trade, the A’s firesale and accurate and inaccurate payroll figures, Joe Davis replacing Joe Buck in the World Series broadcast booth, new broadcaster Carlos Beltrán’s comments about the Astros’ sign stealing, and Wilmer Font’s attempt at the first KBO perfect game, plus a Stat Blast (25:36) about Zack Collins, Reese McGuire, and one-for-one trades of same-aged players at the same position, then (35:43) bring on The Ringer’s Zach Kram and Bobby Wagner to preview the 2022 season in the American League East, team by team (followed by a few updates and postscripts).

Audio intro: The Society of Rockets, “Just Like You”
Audio interstitial: Filthy Friends, “One Flew East”
Audio outro: Frankie Cosmos, “Sinister”

Link to Rodríguez callup video
Link to Dan Szymborski on the Manaea trade
Link to MLBTR on the Hosmer non-trade
Link to Baseball America on Padres trades
Link to RosterResource payroll page
Link to Joe Davis news
Link to article about Beltrán comments
Link to Ben Clemens on the catchers trade
Link to Stat Blast trades data
Link to article about 1985 trade
Link to 30-30 Vlad quote
Link to story about Blue Jays and vaccines
Link to story about Romano’s injury
Link to story about the Queen’s dorgis
Link to Zeus’s “OK Blue Jays”
Link to 30-30 Hicks story
Link to Beltrán comments about Judge
Link to story about NYC’s vaccine mandate
Link to Yankees baserunning story
Link to Baseball America on Rays affiliates
Link to Red Sox Whitlock story
Link to Orioles fence news
Link to Orioles fence analysis
Link to story on O’s pitches and the fence
Link to story about minor league housing
Link to tweet about Orioles housing
Link to Tipping Pitches podcast
Link to Ben on Britton in 2016
Link to study on “sinister right-handers”
Link to story about “sinister” study
Link to handedness proportions data
Link to FanGraphs playoff odds

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jacob deGrom’s latest injury, the White Sox-Dodgers trade involving Craig Kimbrel and AJ Pollock, umpires explaining replay reviews, “Home Run Derby X,” a lousy likeness of Derek Jeter, Yankees games on Amazon Prime and the continued splintering of baseball broadcasts, and an update about MLB’s official cerveza and official beer, then (39:43) bring on listener and Patreon supporter Stefan Lund to discuss his podcast-listening and baseball-loving origin stories and a confusing Shohei Ohtani reference on Billions and answer listener emails about the lack of captains in baseball, whether a reliever could still win a Cy Young or MVP award, how innings totals are displayed, what to call players who bat left-handed and throw right-handed, the Guardians’ new theme song, and how different baseball would be if the pitching rubber extended from foul line to foul line, plus a Stat Blast (1:41:51) about Albert Pujols, Oliver Marmol, and players who are older than their managers.

Audio intro: Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, “Go Cry on Somebody Else’s Shoulder”
Audio interstitial: Girlpool, “Emily”
Audio outro: Colin Blunstone, “This is Your Captain Calling”

Link to MLBTR on Pollock and Kimbrel
Link to Ben Clemens on the CBA/CBT change
Link to La Russa quote
Link to umpires and replay story
Link to Home Run Derby X video
Link to Home Run Derby X explainer
Link to Sam on home run derby
Link to Jeter giveaway
Link to Jeter’s HoF plaque
Link to Ronaldo statue story
Link to fresco restoration story
Link to story about Yankees broadcasts
Link to Ohtani/Trout/Watt photo
Link to Bourcard Nesin on Twitter
Link to Liquid Assets podcast
Link to SBJ story on splitting sponsorships
Link to 2015 story on US/Canada MLB sponsors
Link to 2018 story on US/Canada MLB sponsors
Link to 0-9 Twins/Braves EW episode
Link to The Billions Companion on Doyle
Ben on Billions dialogue
Link to baseball captains wiki
Link to hockey captains wiki
Link to story about Belt being captain
Link to THT story on L/R players
Link to WSJ story on R/L players
Link to THT story on R/L players
Link to story about Guardians theme song
Link to “We Are Cleveland” song
Link to Twins fight song
Link to “Get Metsmerized!”
Link to manager/player-age Stat Blast data
Link to Stefan’s Radke article
Link to Sam on Radke
Link to Aaron Gleeman on Radke
Link to Russell on hitting and defense
Link to AP story about minor leaguers

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Fox Sports national writer Pedro Moura discuss Pedro’s new book How to Beat a Broken Game: The Rise of the Dodgers in a League on the Brink, then (18:54) preview the 2022 season in the American League West, team by team.

Audio intro: Jim White, “Book of Angels”
Audio outro: Dire Straits, “Wild West End”

Link to Pedro’s book
Link to 2021 Gurriel story
Link to 2022 Gurriel story
Link to Ben on Ohtani
Link to Ken Rosenthal on the Angels
Link to Corey Brock on Gilbert
Link to Ken Rosenthal on Kelenic

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and FanGraphs writer Ben Clemens banter about an MLB beer/cerveza sponsorship, upcoming updates to sticky stuff inspections, the position of second base, and humidor use, the Twins signing Chris Archer and the Diamondbacks extending Ketel Marte, Dave Roberts guaranteeing a Dodgers championship, and Andrew Miller’s retirement, then (36:50) preview the 2022 season in the National League Central, team by team (plus a closing Stat Blast note).

Audio intro: Boogie Down Productions, “Word From Our Sponsor”
Audio outro: Guided By Voices, “Time Remains in Central Position”

Link to MLB’s cerveza press release
Link to Rob Arthur on the spin resurgence
Link to Tom Verducci on sticky stuff inspections
Link to Jayson Stark on moving second base
Link to Tom Shieber on second base
Link to Eno’s thread on humidors
Link to article on humidor physics
Link to Aaron Gleeman on the Archer signing
Link to Ben Clemens on the Archer signing
Link to Ben on the Marte extension
Link to Roberts guarantee
Link to Ben Lindbergh on spring predictions
Link to Ben on spring predictions again
Link to Ben on spring chemistry
Link to Ben on Miller in 2016
Link to Ben on Miller copycats in 2017
Link to FanGraphs playoff odds
Link to FanGraphs second base PPRs
Link to FanGraphs catcher PPRs
Link to article on Cardinals closing plans
Link to Dan on consistent Cards projections
Link to David Stearns contract details
Link to Brandon Williamson footage
Link to Eno’s bold predictions
Link to Verducci on Votto’s revival
Link to Votto’s Instagram
Link to Votto’s TikTok
Link to latest Castellanos clip
Link to Dan on projecting Suzuki
Link to thread on anti-sign-stealing rules
Link to Shinjo first pitch video
Link to Shinjo entrance video
Link to Boras puns study
Link to Stat Blast game log

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