Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Nationals’ well-earned World Series victory, the Nationals players they’re happiest for, the a strange, all-road-wins series, the brilliance of Zack Greinke, the decisions of A.J. Hinch (including a bad bunt, pulling Greinke, using Will Harris, and not using Gerrit Cole), Max Scherzer’s high-wire act, the futures of the Nationals and Astros, the free agencies of Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon, Scott Boras owning the offseason, which franchise without a championship will be the next to break through, and which team deserves to be named the team of the decade, then close by discussing bat-carrying, playing loud, and an upcoming brief break for Ben.

Audio intro: The Kinks, "Salvation Road"
Audio outro: Lou Reed, "Halloween Parade"

Link to Ben on the future of the Astros
Link to Ben on playing loud
Link to Ben on the World Series free-agent trio
Link to Ben on World Series rosters sticking together
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about a wild World Series Game 6, including a controversial interference call on Trea Turner, a strange conference call with New York, the ejection of Dave Martinez, the greatness of Stephen Strasburg, George Springer, Anthony Rendon, and Juan Soto, bat-carrying briefly becoming the new bat-flipping, a Max Scherzer sighting, why this series has been strange, the Nats pulling Strasburg in the ninth inning, and the outlook for Game 7.

Audio intro: The Decemberists, "Don’t Carry it All"
Audio outro: Thom Yorke, "Interference"

Link to video breakdown of Turner play
Link to Schwarber tweet
Link to video of Torre’s explanation
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about audible umpires, Lance Barksdale’s ball/strike calls in World Series Game 5, the Nationals’ offensive outage in Games 3-5, Max Scherzer’s neck spasms, Dave Martinez’s moves, why the series has been somewhat unexciting, the Nationals’ and Astros’ outlooks going into Game 6, the Astros’ retraction of their statement about Stephanie Apstein and Sports Illustrated, and a few hirings across the league, including the Pirates firing GM Neal Huntington and the Red Sox hiring the Rays’ Chaim Bloom as their new chief baseball officer.

Audio intro: The Who, "Run Run Run"
Audio outro: Joel Plaskett, "Run, Run, Run"

Link to Barksdale video
Link to Ben on Game 5
Link to Jim Crane’s retraction
Link to Chaim Bloom’s article archive
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss the latest on the Astros and the benefits and limitations of front-office diversity, Rob Manfred’s new comments about the baseball, Kris Bryant’s grievance against the Cubs, umpire Rob Drake’s apology for a bad tweet, and Yu Darvish’s good tweets, then answer listener emails about Juan Soto’s age and clubhouse drinking, the Nationals’ clubhouse chemistry, whether teams should stagger their starters to avoid opponents’ aces, whether stealing third is easier than stealing second, whether baseball should have a playoff losers bracket, and whether pitchers can use the variation between baseballs to their advantage.

Audio intro: Thrush Hermit, "This Week"
Audio outro: Modern Baseball, "Play Ball!"

Link to Manfred’s comments about the ball
Link to article about Bryant’s grievance
Link to article about Rob Drake’s tweets
Link to Rob Drake’s apology
Link to Boswell article about the Nats’ chemistry
Link to Svrluga article about the Nats’ chemistry
Link to article about the Astros’ chemistry
Link to Ben on forecasting chemistry
Link to Emma on MLB’s issues
Link to video of Soto’s sparkling grape juice
Link to story on Harper’s apple cider
Link to Rob’s new research about the ball
Link to story on Darvish/Verlander tweets
Link to Ben Clemens on staggering starters
Link to Dan Lependorf on staggering starters
Link to Dan Meyer on staggering starters
Link to Roger Cheng on staggering starters
Link to order The MVP Machine

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After an update from Ben Lindbergh on the Astros’ firing of Brandon Taubman and inadequate apology, Ben and Sam Miller follow up on a discussion of postseason chase rate, talk more about Taubman, and break down the first two games of the World Series, focusing on what went right for the Nationals, what went wrong for the Astros, why putting balls in play can be both good and bad, what lessons teams might draw from this postseason and the Nationals’ success, the outlook for the rest of the series, and more.

Audio intro: The 88, "Not Enough"
Audio outro: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, "Houston Hades"

Link to latest Astros statement
Link to Luhnow’s press conference
Link to Ben on Taubman
Link to Ben on Game 2
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about their playoff livestreams, the Yankees’ ALCS defeat, why pitchers are allowed to demand new baseballs, and pulling a catcher from the game when a team is leading, then discuss Sports Illustrated reporter Stephanie Apstein’s report about the post-ALCS behavior of Astros assistant GM Brandon Taubman, the Astros’ response to that report, the response to that response, and why the Astros’ actions seem so reprehensible and signify pervasive problems. Then they close with ruminations on minimum innings, postseason swing rates, the World Series as a showcase for free agents, the postseason performances of and offseason outlooks for Anthony Rendon, Gerrit Cole, and Stephen Strasburg, and more.

Audio intro: Jenny Lewis, "Bad Man’s World"
Audio outro: Margo Price, "Don’t Say It"

Link to Stephanie Apstein’s story about Taubman
Link to Houston Chronicle story about Taubman
Link to The Athletic story about Taubman
Link to Ben on World Series winners standing pat
Link to Zach Kram on the World Series’ historic starting rotations
Link to Ben on the free agents in the World Series
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about their upcoming live event, review ALCS Game 4, the Yankees’ precarious position, and the career and last appearance of CC Sabathia, then discuss the significance of MLB both allowing investment funds to take minority stakes in multiple clubs and proposing to downsize and reorganize the minor leagues before wrapping up by answering listener emails about whether the Cardinals’ season was a success and whether it would make sense to change the playoff structure to make repeat appearances less common.

Audio intro: Uncle Tupelo, "Cold Shoulder"
Audio outro: Golden Earrings, "Cut ‘Em Down to Size"

Link to info on November 21 live event
Link to Ben on ALCS Game 4
Link to video of Girardi on Sabathia
Link to Ben on mid-plate-appearance pitching changes
Link to report about investment funds
Link to Ben Clemens on investment funds
Link to report about the downsizing of Minor League Baseball
Link to Travis on Minor League Baseball and player development
Link to story on Minor League Baseball attendance
Link to results of poll on home run reduction
Link to Jon Roegele thread on strike zone size
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the Nationals’ sweep of the Cardinals, why the Nationals are good and fun, Stephen Strasburg and the history of no. 1 draft pick pitchers, Gerrit Cole’s performance in ALCS Game 3, how Wednesday’s rainout affects the Yankees and Astros, and the Angels’ opioid problem and hiring of Joe Maddon as manager. Then (36:22) they talk to writer and researcher Rob Arthur about the de-juiced postseason ball, how we can tell that the ball is behaving differently, how much balls vary from pitch to pitch and game to game, how the ball affects pitches, why the ball change reflects poorly on MLB, whether the change was intentional or unintentional, and what offense might look like in 2020.

Audio intro: Guided By Voices, "Calling Up Washington"
Audio interstitial: Gillian Welch, "Wrecking Ball"
Audio outro: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, "Rumors"

Link to ESPN report on Skaggs and the Angels
Link to The Athletic report about MLB opioid testing
Link to Rob’s recent research on the ball
Link to Ben on the ball
Link to Jeff Passan on the ball
Link to Michael Baumann on the ball in 2020
Link to Rob on the ball and pitch movement
Link to Gerald Schifman on shadows
Link to Ben on MLB marketing
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller break down the latest ALCS and NLCS action, touching on the Cardinals’ offensive outage, Mike Shildt’s old-school managing, the Nationals’ pitching, the Astros’ purported pitch-tipping and sign-stealing, Aaron Boone’s quick hooks, and the de-juiced ball, plus a Stat Blast about this October’s anomalous bullpen usage.

Audio intro: Neil Young, "Wolf Moon"
Audio outro: The Flaming Lips, "Hit Me Like You Did the First Time"

Link to story on Paxton’s pitch-tipping in April
Link to story on Paxton’s latest purported pitch-tipping
Link to post on pitcher usage and the home run rate
Link to story on Correa’s home run dedication
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s thoughts on Clayton Kershaw, Joe Kelly, and Dave Roberts, Tyler Glasnow’s pitch-tipping, Gerrit Cole’s strikeout streak, and the future of the Rays, the Astros-Yankees and Nationals-Cardinals championship series matchups, and whether it ever makes sense to predict a postseason sweep or a series lasting the maximum number of games.

Audio intro: Avey Tare, "Tipped in Hugs"
Audio outro: The Bees, "Sweet Like a Champion"

Link to Ben on Dave Roberts
Link to story on Glasnow
Link to Glasnow video breakdown
Link to Ben on predicting postseason series lengths
Link to order The MVP Machine

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