Effectively Wild Episode 1747: Embrace the Race

by
September 16, 2021

EWFI
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Jake Arrieta’s sub-replacement pitching and the sorry state of the Padres’ starting staff, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, and the NL MVP race, Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the competing, persuasive narratives of the AL MVP race, and the ascendance of micro sports betting. Then (31:49) they talk to FanGraphs writer Jay Jaffe about tracking “Team Entropy,” fun and far-fetched tiebreaker scenarios, the potential for wild endings to 2021’s division and wild card races, the retirement and legacy of Ryan Braun, and the players who’ve most helped their Hall of Fame cases this season.

Audio intro: Humble Pie, "The Sad Bag of Shaky Jake"
Audio interstitial: The Stroppies, "Entropy"
Audio outro: Mandolin Orange, "Old Ties and Companions"

Link to Ohtani on the Time Top 100
Link to story on Ohtani’s Top 100 appearance
Link to Jeff Sullivan on Harper’s 2015
Link to Rob Arthur on Harper’s 2015
Link to Ben on the Soto Shuffle
Link to story on micro sports betting
Link to study on micro sports bettors
Link to story on cricket betting scandal
Link to tennis match-fixing wiki
Link to Jay on Team Entropy in 2011
Link to MLB.com 2011 retrospective
Link to CBS Sports 2011 retrospective
Link to 2011 retrospective video
Link to Ben on five-way tiebreakers
Link to Russell on five-way tiebreakers
Link to Jay’s 2021 Team Entropy intro
Link to latest Team Entropy piece
Link to Rob on the Mariners’ run differential
Link to Jay on Braun
Link to Jay on pitchers’ Hall cases
Link to Jay on hitters’ Hall cases
Link to Jay on Negro Leagues candidates
Link to Jay’s first Sausage Race piece
Link to Jay’s second Sausage Race piece

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tomerafan
4 years ago

I love Shohei Ohtani as much as anyone whose name doesn’t rhyme with Ken Schindberg, but Vlad Jr. is going to put up an 8-win season even with the 1b-defensive penalty, leading the Blue Jays to the playoffs for only the second time since their 1993 World Series… with a .300 / .400 / .600 slash line…. what Ohtani is doing is so much fun but as much as I want to celebrate and encourage it, Vlad Jr. is the Most Valuable Player in the AL.

0
D-WizMember since 2019
4 years ago
Reply to  tomerafan

Ohtani is going to put up an 8-win season even with the much more punitive DH defensive penalty…

0
Junior Felix, Jr.
4 years ago
Reply to  tomerafan

It’d be the 4th time, no? 2015, 2016 and 2020.

0