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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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the wild NLDS Game 5 between the Dodgers and the Nationals and the wild (in a different way) NLDS Game 5 between the Braves and the Cardinals, touching on Clayton Kershaw’s blown lead and postseason career, what Dave Roberts was thinking and what’s next for him, the Nationals winning a postseason series, the Cardinals’ 10-0 first-inning lead and Jack Flaherty, Cardinals rookie Ryan Helsley and the Tomahawk Chop (1:24:48), the new, higher-drag baseball, and more, then bring on FiveThirtyEight sports editor and lifelong Twins fan Sara Ziegler to talk about Minnesta’s record 16-game postseason losing streak. her positive takeaways from the season, never making the playoffs vs. never winning there, losing by a lot vs. losing by a little, and more.

Audio intro: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "10 x 10"
Audio interstitial: The Replacements, "Sixteen Blue"
Audio outro: Eric Matthews, "Start of the Meltdown"

Link to Ben on Dave Roberts
Link to story on Helsley
Link to Rob Arthur on the ball
Link to Ben on the ball
Link to Hot Takedown
Link to Ben on Molina, McCann, and Martin
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller banter about Sam’s delayed postseason viewing schedule and five macro traits of the playoffs thus far (low batting averages with runners in scoring position, starters outperforming relievers, high pitch counts, the ball not carrying, and late-debuting postseason players), then analyze aspects of every ongoing and completed division series, including Mike Shildt’s managing, the Nationals’ bullpen use, the Astros’ rotation, Charlie Morton’s mesmerizing pitch overlay, and the Twins’ terrible timing, and discuss the most appealing possibilities for the rest of this round and beyond.

Audio intro: Sloan, "We’ve Come This Far"
Audio outro: Jeff Buckley, "Haven’t You Heard"

Link to Sam’s October bullpens guide
Link to Ben on playoff homers
Link to Ben on late-debuting playoff players
Link to Morton pitch overlay GIF
Link to d’Arnaud HBP GIF
Link to Ben on Cole
Link to Greinke press conference transcript
Link to Ben on an Astros vs. Dodgers matchup
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss and reflect on the first two games of the Nationals-Dodgers and Braves-Cardinals NL division series and the first games of the Astros-Rays and Yankees-Twins AL division series, focusing on playoff win probabilities, the Nationals’ aggressive/desperate usage of Max Scherzer, the greatness of Stephen Strasburg, a perplexing but ultimately not costly intentional walk, the Braves’ Game 2 redemption and an old-school duel, the contrast between the latest Ronald Acuña Jr. controversy and MLB’s postseason marketing message, Tyler Glasnow, Justin Verlander, and the difficulty of keeping pace with the Astros, M-V-P- chants, ever-interminable Yankees games, and more.

Audio intro: The 88, "It’s a Lot"
Audio outro: Del the Funky Homosapien, "Catch All This"

Link to Dan Szymborski on Strasburg
Link to Ben on sabermetrics and in-game tactics
Link to Ben on second-guessing matchup decisions
Link to Craig Edwards on Flaherty and the best second halves
Link to MLB’s “We Play Loud” ad
Link to Ben on the problem with bullpenning
Link to Ben Clemens on long Yankees games
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller discuss the AL and NL wild card games (touching on Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Nick Anderson, Oliver Drake, Yandy Díaz, Avisaíl García, Josh Hader, Trent Grisham, and others), bid farewell to the Brewers and A’s, and analyze the Rays’ and Nationals’ division series prospects, then answer listener emails about the the Rays’ and Yankees’ long-term outlooks and how the regular season would work without playoffs, plus a Stat Blast about the Twins and WAR from foreign-born players and a postscript on Scooter Gennett and a promised home run.

Audio intro: Son Volt, "Wild Side"
Audio outro: Mattiel, "Long Division"

Link to Ben Clemens on Nick Anderson
Link to Levi on Profar
Link to Wilkerson catch
Link to Ben on the Braves
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller follow up on banter about Mike Minor’s pop-up do-over and guaranteeing homers, revisit an earlier discussion about whether the 2019 regular season was good, and then preview the postseason, touching on every team in the playoff field, the difficulty of predicting playoff success, the most compelling matchups, the different ways to pick a playoff rooting interest, and more.

Audio intro: Generationals, "Ten-Twenty-Ten"
Audio outro: Boat, "Come With Me We’ll Win"

Link to Dizzy Dean pop-up story
Link to Sam on the pennant races
Link to Ben on the Astros and Dodgers
Link to Sam on the Dodgers and Astros and fastballs
Link to Sam on the Yankees
Link to ESPN playoff preview
Link to order The MVP Machine

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Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s mental preparations for Félix Hernández’s probable last start as a Mariner, the dubious appeal of playing spoiler, the biggest hits of the season according to Championship Win Probability Added, Rowdy Tellez delivering on a promised home run, what Meg loves about baseball, both hosts’ experiences in the Arizona Fall League, Mike Minor, Ronald Guzmán, and the intentionally dropped popup heard round the world, how to judge the quality of a regular season, and how the 2019 regular season stacks up.

Audio intro: Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Minor Thing"
Audio outro: James Taylor, "Let it Fall Down"

Link to Tellez story
Link to biggest cWPA plays of the 2019 regular season
Link to all-time top postseason cWPA plays
Link to video of Hal Smith home run
Link to Ben on Amaya at Scout School
Link to Levi on Minor
Link to MLB.com on Minor
Link to Rob Arthur on parity and attendance
Link to Manfred on the ball
Link to Meg on Félix
Link to order The MVP Machine

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