Effectively Wild Episode 1426: Fun or Foul

EWFI
Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller debate whether a fact about Michael Lorenzen’s multi-way play is fun, banter about Nelson Cruz’s unflagging offense, technology and the future of the knuckleball, and an ignominious achievement by Billy Hamilton, then answer listener emails about the lack of four-homer games, what would happen if foul balls caught in the stands counted as outs, and whether (and how) MLB should ask its audience what it wants to see, plus a Stat Blast about the most-ever talent on one team and another fun-fact debate (about Cody Bellinger).

Audio intro: The Stooges, "No Fun"
Audio outro: The Scruffs, "You’re No Fun"

Link to Lorenzen story
Link to Ben on Cruz
Link to Ben on the knuckleball
Link to Travis on foul balls
Link to Sam on the most talented teams
Link to order The MVP Machine

 iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)
 Sponsor Us on Patreon
 Facebook Group
 Effectively Wild Wiki
 Twitter Account
 Get Our Merch!
 Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com





2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
JCCfromDCmember
4 years ago

Of course it will never happen, but if you play with the “foul ball” concept, it goes to a very dangerous place. Where you get a game in a stadium where the visiting team has a decent number of fans in attendance, fans will fight over catches. Whichever team hits the ball, the opposing team’s fans would go for the ball and the batting team’s fans will attempt to interfere with the fans that are trying to catch the ball. All while a baseball is whistling towards them at dangerous speeds. That would be a recipe for disaster. In OPACY, assume that some O’s fans show up to an O’s/Yankees or O’s/Red Sox game. People would get hurt.