In the hours immediately following MLB’s decision to cancel the first two series of the regular season, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by Ben’s colleagues from The Ringer and The Ringer MLB Show, Michael Baumann and Zach Kram, to recap the negotiations leading up to this week’s MLB-imposed deadlines, lament and lambast the owners’ self-interested stewardship of the sport, explain the queasy sensation of simultaneously rooting for and against baseball being played, and forecast how and when the lockout could end, while touching on a number of other topics including the prospect of MLB players suiting up overseas, Derek Jeter’s resignation as CEO of the Marlins, Tony Clark’s striking beard, and much more.

Audio intro: Murder by Death, “Raw Deal”
Audio outro: Bettye Swann, “(My Heart Is) Closed for the Season”

Link to MLBPA statement
Link to Manfred’s letter
Link to Baumann’s column
Link to Jaffe’s column
Link to Passan on the talks
Link to Rosenthal on the talks
Link to McCullough on the talks
Link to Ghiroli on the talks
Link to Harper’s Instagram post
Link to Rosenthal on Jeter
Link to Sherman on Jeter
Link to Rojas tweet
Link to article about lockout photos
Link to Ringer Baseball podcast feed
Link to Dan Devine on Ja Morant
Link to EW episode on lockout effects
Link to Stripling quote
Link to The Simpsons video clip

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about a week of many meetings but no breakthroughs between MLB and the MLBPA, Liberty Media’s financial disclosures about the Braves’ profitability, the prospects of a labor deal before the owners’ deadline for starting the season on time, and more, then (25:22) talk to historian and author Kerry Yo Nakagawa, the founder and director of the non-profit Nisei Baseball Research Project, about the history of baseball in Japan, the development of baseball in the Japanese American community, the impact and legacy of Kenichi Zenimura and the Vancouver Asahi, the 80th anniversary of FDR’s order to incarcerate Japanese Americans during World War II, the role of baseball in the internment camps, Masanori Murakami’s trailblazing career, Nakagawa’s athletic ancestors and his efforts to preserve Japanese American baseball history, and much more.

Audio intro: Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, “Faking a Living”
Audio interstitial: Kat Eggleston, “Executive Order 9066”
Audio outro: Sloan, “Can’t You Figure it Out?”

Link to Rosenthal’s column
Link to Passan’s tweet
Link to Liberty Media news
Link to The Athletic on Liberty Media
Link to Manfred video tweet
Link to dog photo tweet
Link to Nisei Baseball Research Project
Link to mlb.tv autorenew article
Link to NJAHS summary
Link to history museum explainer
Link to Diamonds in the Rough
Link to barnstorming photo
Link to high school curriculum
Link to Executive Order 9066
Link to E.O. 9066 wiki
Link to story on 80th anniversary
Link to Sleeping Dogs documentary
Link to Vancouver Asahi story
Link to THT on the Asahi
Link to Zenimura info
Link to Zenimura SI story
Link to Gila River story
Link to MLB.com Murakami story
Link to 42 for 21 list
Link to 42 for 21 EW episode
Link to Doc Adams EW episode
Link to Doc Adams story
Link to Doc Adams SABR bio

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen and national writer Kevin Goldstein for a FanGraphs Prospects Week discussion centered on the site’s Top 100 (or Top 114) prospects ranking, touching on the swift fall of MacKenzie Gore, the scarcity of pitchers toward the top of the list, whether there was a debate about the no. 1 prospect, the future of Adley Rutschman, the glut of catching prospects and how robo umps could affect the position, Oneil Cruz and Elly De La Cruz, assessing injured prospects, the outlook for Joey Bart, the placements of Jasson Dominguez, Anthony Volpe, and Nick Yorke, farm rankings and teams with good and bad systems, disagreements within the prospect team, prospects who just missed and who might make the list next year, and setting realistic expectations (plus a postscript followup on MLB heels and Jimmy Piersall, Casey Stengel, and the fallibility of history).

Audio intro: Jamestown Revival, “Prospector’s Blues”
Audio outro: Tigers Jaw, “Jimmy Piersall (Alternate Version)”

Link to 2021 prospects ranking
Link to 2022 prospects ranking
Link to prospect primer
Link to The Board tutorial
Link to top 100 chat
Link to 2023 picks to click
Link to prospect valuation study
Link to Ben on pitching prospects
Link to BP on picking the top prospect
Link to AFL strike call video
Link to Ben on robo umps
Link to Ben on teaching framing
Link to Rob Arthur on framing
Link to James Fegan on framing
Link to De La Cruz video
Link to Tess Taruskin on catchers
Link to story on Dominguez cards
Link to Votto video playlist
Link to Stanky draft episode
Link to Piersall’s SABR bio
Link to picture of Piersall
Link to Stengel’s reaction to Piersall
Link to story on Piersall and Frick
Link to story on Stengel and Piersall
Link to story on Stengel and Bordagary
Link to story on Piersall’s release
Link to second story on Piersall’s release
Link to story on his Stanky maneuver

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In an all-mailbag episode, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley answer listener emails about baseball with nine DH spots (and separate offensive and defensive units), baseball with eight lineup spots instead of a DH, a visual baseball rulebook, their favorite types of ballpark quirks, adjusting offensive stats for the behavior of the ball, an ethical question about preventing a Shohei Ohtani injury, anointing MLB’s biggest heel, bringing ultimate Frisbee’s self-officiating to baseball, posting the wrong lineup on the scoreboard to confuse an opposing team, a pitcher with one pitch but perfect (albeit limited) command, programming a robomanager, and more.

Audio intro: Roxy Music, “Three and Nine”
Audio outro: Belle and Sebastian, “I Can See Your Future”

Link to Ben on pitcher hitting
Link to BtBS on the universal DH
Link to Star Trek Ringer MLB Show
Link to ballpark homogeneity study
Link to BP on LeMahieu
Link to FanGraphs on LeMahieu
Link to Gonny Jomes EW wiki page
Link to video of Pierzynski play
Link to Michael Baumann on Bregman
Link to Incaviglia rule story
Link to Robinson retirement story

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Inspired by the loophole-exposing chicanery of former player and manager Eddie “The Brat” Stanky, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley draft 19 MLB rule changes that were solely or largely precipitated by one player, manager, coach, or owner.

Audio intro: We Are Scientists, “Rules Don’t Stop”
Audio outro: Pezband, “Eddie’s Pals”

Link to A Game of Inches
Link to A Game of Inches intro
Link to King Kelly myth
Link to archaic/obsolete rule changes
Link to story about Chapman and new balls
Link to more on Chapman and balls
Link to story on the spitball’s evolution
Link to story on banning the spitball
Link to Utley slide rule story
Link to Stanky maneuver story
Link to Stanky maneuver image
Link to Stanky maneuver/sac fly rule
Link to story on Randle foul ball play
Link to Randle video
Link to story on foul ball rules
Link to A Game of Inches on fair-fouls
Link to Nate Silver on Barnes
Link to Barnes Stathead WAR query
Link to Stanky running start rule story
Link to base-coach interference passage
Link to Schaefer reverse-running rule
Link to story about the Schaefer play
Link to Schaefer in The Glory of Their Times
Link to The Glory of Their Times fact-checks
Link to story on Harry Davis play
Link to story on Segura play
Link to Veeck’s fences story
Link to Ben on Veeck As in Wreck
Link to Green Cathedrals debunking
Link to A Game of Inches on Lane
Link to Venditte rule blog post
Link to ESPN Venditte feature
Link to 2008 NYT Venditte story
Link to 2008 Venditte video
Link to oversized mitt story
Link to A Game of Inches on oversized mitts
Link to Ben on the Waxahachie Swap
Link to start of Stanky LIFE story
Link to end of Stanky LIFE story
Link to Stanky college mound visit story
Link to Stanky SABR bio
Link to Stanky South Alabama feature
Link to Stanky retirement story
Link to George Wright hat catch story
Link to old hat catch rule
Link to NYT Hornsby story
Link to BP on why players can’t be owners
Link to story on the Spiders and syndicates
Link to ESPN on the foul-strike rule
Link to foul-strike rule in A Game of Inches
Link to Jeff’s Capps delivery post
Link to Weaver’s phantom DH rule
Link to Grant on Posey and Avila
Link to more info on home-plate collisions
Link to post on Gaedel and Veeck
Link to Cooney interference story

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s embarrassing use of a definite article, the latest non-developments in the MLB-MLBPA CBA discussions, the career and retirement of Ryan Zimmerman, a rejected extension offer to the new Nationals franchise player, Juan Soto, a digital recreation of Truist Park and what “the metaverse” means, the outcome of the Erik Kay trial, MLB aiming to downsize the minor leagues more, a baseball rule proposal known as “The Scramble,” and a listener email about what an eccentric billionaire would have to pay a player to retire.

Audio intro: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “The Year 1812 Solemn Overture, Op. 49”
Audio outro: Albert Lortzing, “Zar und Zimmermann, Holzschuhtanz”

Link to latest report about bargaining
Link to Zimmerman’s walk-off homer
Link to story about Zimmerman and spring
Link to more on Zimmerman and spring
Link to Zimmerman’s announcement
Link to report about Soto
Link to BP piece about the Nationals
Link to Truist press release
Link to Truist SBJ story
Link to Snow Crash on the metaverse
Link to WaPo on the metaverse
Link to The Ringer on the metaverse
Link to ESPN on the Kay verdict
Link to ESPN Daily episode on Kay
Link to 2019 JDA update
Link to Passan story on minor leaguers
Link to HUAL “Scramble” episode
Link to episode with NPB hypothetical

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Craig Goldstein discuss the owners’ latest CBA counterproposal, why analyzing Competitive Balance Tax surcharges isn’t exactly riveting, where the owners and players are still furthest apart, why the deadlock is about money—and not even that much money—more so than structural change, MLB’s argument for not paying minor leaguers during spring training, ethical consumption under capitalism, daydreaming about a better-run MLB, how and why some media members misrepresent the negotiations, how and when the lockout will end, and more.

Audio intro: Ty Segall, “Play”
Audio outro: The Avett Brothers, “Locked Up”

Link to Manfred transcript
Link to ESPN on the new proposal
Link to Jay Jaffe on the new proposal
Link to Heyman tweet
Link to report on Rosenthal and MLBN
Link to Drellich and Rosenthal report
Link to Emma’s Super Bowl tweet
Link to Emma on Manfred
Link to Sheehan’s latest newsletter
Link to EW episode with Joe
Link to Marc Normandin on owner PR
Link to Craig on covering the lockout
Link to Craig’s podcast
Link to CJR on describing lies
Link to WaPo on describing lies
Link to WaPo on “both sides”
Link to WaPo on the media and Jan. 6
Link to Travis Sawchik on player pay
Link to The Athletic fan survey
Link to thread on competitive balance
Link to Polygon report about crunch
Link to story about Nordic countries
Link to EW episode on lockout harm
Link to Drellich on minor league pay
Link to Drellich on minor league lawsuit
Link to thread on minor league union
Link to Russell on minor league pay
Link to Passan report
Link to Moore quote

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Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Joe Sheehan of the Joe Sheehan Baseball Newsletter discuss MLB’s approach to promoting sports betting and concerns about the integrity of games, then go over some of the most common misconceptions and flawed arguments about MLB labor relations, economics, and competitive balance (plus a postscript about listener nominations for potential MLB multisport players).

Audio intro: Buffalo Springfield, “Everybody’s Wrong”
Audio outro: The Resonars, “The World is Wrong”

Link to Joe’s newsletter
Link to piece about betting promotion
Link to episode with Bradford and Meredith
Link to Bradford’s baseballs report
Link to tennis match-fixing wiki
Link to Rob Mains on owner incentives
Link to Rob on market size
Link to Craig Goldstein on labor language
Link to Travis Sawchik on player pay
Link to 1998 study on ticket prices and payrolls
Link to 2003 study on ticket prices and payrolls
Link to 2006 column on ticket prices and payrolls
Link to 2019 study on contracts and payrolls
Link to thread on competitive balance
Link to Evan Drellich on MLB’s counterproposal
Link to Michael Baumann on Manfred
Link to Ben on Lords of the Realm
Link to story about the Mets’ “Five Aces”
Link to multisport players draft
Link to Josh Harrison pickle story

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about baseball equivalents of a stat about the New York Nets’ former big three, review Rob Manfred’s comments to the press about the labor situation (with an emphasis on his assertion about MLB teams being bad investments), Stat Blast (29:05) about players who batted at the bottom of the order after hitting 300-plus homers, and (45:15) talk to Kenyon College economics professor Jaret Treber about what his and other economists’ research has revealed about the impact that work stoppages have had on attendance and revenue in sports.

Audio intro: Rollins Band, “Liar”
Audio interstitial: Rollins Band, “Liar”
Audio outro: Hinds, “Come Back and Love Me”

Link to tweet about the Nets
Link to Zach Kram on the Harden trade
Link to Ben on the Royals’ outfield
Link to Sam Miller on the Royals’ pen
Link to Ben on record in games with homer
Link to Manfred transcript
Link to Manfred summary
Link to Evan Drellich on Manfred
Link to franchise values data
Link to Travis Sawchik on franchise values
Link to Rob Mains on franchise values
Link to Michael Baumann on Manfred
Link to Stat Blast data
Link to story about Foxx beaning
Link to story about Foxx’s final season
Link to Chuck Klosterman’s book
Link to Ben on post-strike attendance
Link to Jaret’s faculty page
Link to Jaret’s paper

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up on or banter about minor league free agent draftee reportedly Matt Shoemaker departing for the NPB, raising kids to root for one franchise, precedents for out-of-nowhere sports video game cover models, players nominated by listeners for the nickname “Three-and-Two,” the possible effects of MLB suspending drug testing during the lockout, and Mike Trout’s endearing recent social media activity, then (39:00) draft the MLB players they would most want to see play specific other sports.

Audio intro: Devin Davis, “Transcendental Sports Anthem”
Audio outro: Mattiel, “Athlete”

Link to Shoemaker news
Link to 2022 MiLB FA draft
Link to MLB The Show cover models
Link to Hillis story
Link to Sogard contest story
Link to drug testing story
Link to steroid effects story
Link to Trout sandwich tweet
Link to Trout snow GIF
Link to Trout snow video
Link to Matt Lisle video
Link to Trout’s reply
Link to Trout’s follow-up tweet
Link to Trout’s dunk comment
Link to ESPN on baseball athletes
Link to Trout football story
Link to Jones on Trout
Link to Sam on Hamilton
Link to article on Metcalf sprint
Link to The Athletic on Stallings
Link to Jason Mackey on Stallings
Link to SIS story on Stallings
Link to story on gigantic goalies
Link to jai alai video
Link to World Chase Tag wiki
Link to World Chase Tag video
Link to Pokémon story

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