Effectively Wild Episode 2327: Playing the Hits
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the new hardest-hit ball of the Statcast era, exit speeds across eras, Oneil Cruz vs. Elly De La Cruz, whether Tarik Skubal has gotten too good, Aaron Judge not feeling great at the plate, whether Rockies fans should boycott the team, how the (first) Juan Soto trade is working out for the Nationals, a Clay Holmes rotation conversion progress report, Jake Burger’s minor league reset, a threat to Shea Langeliers’ A’s sprint speed lead, a dominant DH in Division III, and a new show trying to claim the podcast’s corner.
Audio intro: Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “Effectively Wild Theme (Horny)”
Audio outro: Tom Rhoads, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Link to Cruz homer
Link to 120+ mph balls
Link to Clemens on Skubal
Link to Cooper stat
Link to Passan Skubal tweet
Link to ESPN on Skubal
Link to Skubal splits
Link to Misiorowski story
Link to Misiorowski clip
Link to Misiorowski video
Link to new Judge quotes
Link to 2024 Judge quote 1
Link to 2024 Judge quote 2
Link to Kyle Clark commentary
Link to year-over-year attendance
Link to Nats prospects
Link to Nats WAR leaders
Link to Rule of 17 explainer
Link to Burger game log
Link to MLB.com on Burger
Link to A’s speed leaders
Link to A’s prospects post
Link to A’s shakeup article
Link to CBS Mazzone post
Link to Mazzone player page
Link to Mazzone at TBC
Link to Mazzone article
Link to clip of the other EW
Link to Brault wiki
Link to Brault on EW
Link to Simpsons clip
Sponsor Us on Patreon
Give a Gift Subscription
Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com
EW Subreddit
Effectively Wild Wiki
iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!)
Spotify Feed
Facebook Group
Bluesky Account
Twitter Account
Get Our Merch!
Podcast (effectively-wild): Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Dear Ben and Meg,
I am a lifelong Coloradan, born and raised in the state, and a passionate fan of the Rockies since my first visit to Coors Field at 6 or 7 years old. Nothing this team has put me through over the last 25 or so years has made me rethink my allegiance to this tragic, humiliating, outrageous joke of a franchise; my memories watching the Rockies every night of their ’07 NLCS, and attending game 4 of the World Series at Coors! are among my most treasured, and still inspire a sense of awe in me.
I agree with everything your podcast has recently noted regarding the impeccable vibes at our ballpark, and, for a long time, I was happy to go to games in spite of the atrocities taking place on and off the field. Since the beginning of this season, however, I have not been to any games, and at this point I plan to keep “boycotting” this ballpark until its front office is meaningfully reorganized and restaffed or the team is sold.
I agree with the theory that the best way to influence the Monforts is by attempting to effect their revenue from Coors Field. However (and it is with great regret that I am disclosing this) I think, at this point, change is only likely to come if their revenue declines AND they continue to be ridiculed by the national media; therefore, I feel that at this juncture I am forced to root for losses. This pains me greatly, as I not only feel for my silly team (and my childhood self) but I feel terribly for the players. I’ve seen flashes of brilliance from Tovar and Doyle (especially) over the past few years, and I want nothing more than for them to receive the scrutiny and guidance that any organization calling itself a “major league baseball team” ought to prioritize for the athletes who sign contracts with them.
Fortunately, rooting for the Rockies to keep losing, and to keep attracting embarrassing publicity, makes my “boycott” easy to adhere to. I suspect that being at a Rockies game and rooting internally for the other team would feel so profoundly uncomfortable that I would end up leaving in short order anyway.
Closing note of gratitude: I appreciate all the Rockie-shaming that has been happening on the pod lately. Keep doing what you’re doing! I think a historic Rockies stat at the beginning of every episode is a fantastic idea. With the combination of a concerted fan boycott here in Denver and consistent negative national press, we (Rockies fans) just might stand a chance.
Thanks
NS
Denver, CO