Effectively Wild Episode 1871: Empire State of Grind

July 5, 2022

EWFI
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the possible end of the Taylor Ward/Tyler Wade broadcaster confusion, Ward getting caught unawares at first base, and the Twins turning the first-ever 8-5 triple play, then Stat Blast (11:06) about Cam Vieaux and the most pitches thrown in various types of innings, share a Past Blast (23:33) from 1871, and discuss the Empire State Greys, a traveling Frontier League team that started the season 0-35 and now, at 2-42, is in danger of posting the lowest winning percentage in pro baseball history. Then (43:23) Ben brings on brothers Eddie Gonzalez and Jerry Gonzalez, the co-owners and co-hitting coaches of the Greys, to talk about their work with the Empire Professional Baseball League, the challenges of operating in indy ball, the Greys’ origins and roster composition, being a perpetual road team, the mood on the team during its historically long losing streak, how the streak was snapped, the close calls they had before their first win, facing Kumar Rocker, their hopes for the rest of the season, the Greys’ growing fan base, and more, followed (1:23:54) by a few postscripts.

Audio intro: Bobby Bare, Jr., “One of Us Has Got to Go”
Audio interstitial: Fleetwood Mac, “Empire State”
Audio outro: Harry Belafonte, “Zombie Jamboree (Back to Back)”

Link to video of Ward play
Link to video of Twins triple play
Link to La Russa ejection clip
Link to Vieaux game B-Ref page
Link to Vieaux’s postgame comments
Link to Stat Blast pitch data
Link to most pitches between outs
Link to 2003 Pavano game
Link to 1954 Dodgers-Redlegs game
Link to Allan Roth SABR bio
Link to 2010 Linebrink game
Link to 1996 Orioles-Rangers game
Link to Stathead
Link to Ryan Nelson’s Twitter account
Link to Richard Hershberger’s Strike Four
Link to 1871 story source
Link to list of worst team records
Link to tweet about Muskogee Mets
Link to article about Muskogee Mets
Link to B-Ref page on Muskogee Mets
Link to EW wiki on the Salina Stockade
Link to Ben’s article on the Stockade
Link to the Stockade’s B-Ref page
Link to research on indy league quality
Link to the Greys’ B-Ref page
Link to Frontier League standings
Link to Frontier League stats
Link to story about the NCBL
Link to story about Empire League’s origin
Link to Empire League wiki
Link to Empire League website
Link to the Greys’ January announcement
Link to story about the Greys
Link to other story about the Greys
Link to the Greys on Twitter
Link to the Greys’ team shop
Link to the Greys’ schedule
Link to game story about the first win
Link to photo from after the first win
Link to story about Rocker’s season
Link to Cardinals dingers video
Link to Ben Clemens on single-game homers