Effectively Wild Episode 2341: The Second Half Has Started

by
June 28, 2025

EWFI
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Kutter Crawford’s mysterious wrist accident, then discuss Wander Franco’s conviction (14:58) and Walker Monfort’s promotion (19:57) before checking in (33:36) on the players and teams on pace to overperform or underperform their preseason projections the most at the precise halfway point of the season. Finally (1:12:44), they answer listener emails about “secret teams” in MLB, throwback, quiet games at the ballpark, and Denzel Clarke.

Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2”
Audio outro: Cory Brent, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to WhatIfSports offer page

Link to Crawford story 1
Link to Crawford story 2
Link to Sale accident
Link to Barmes story 1
Link to Barmes story 2
Link to Kent story
Link to injury cover-ups
Link to Franco story 1
Link to Franco story 2
Link to Monfort story
Link to halfway point
Link to Rays playoffs story
Link to projections comparison spreadsheet
Link to preseason projections
Link to on-pace projections
Link to preseason playoff odds
Link to listener emails database
Link to Belanger club
Link to most PA with low OPS+

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jimf909
5 months ago

Quiet Games
A few years back my wife and I attended a Seattle Mariners game and were delightfully surprised when we discovered that it was a Throwback night where the ballpark attempted to present what a baseball game may have been like in the Throwback decade.The reason were were so delightfully surprised is the Throwback decade of the evening was either early in the 1900s or possibly even 1890. I don’t have perfect recollection but some of the elements used to throw us back included: the use of an organ for sound and elimination of (nearly?) all recorded music; the replacement of video scoreboard hat shell game with a gigantic puppet presentation of some sort behind the centerfield wall; possible elimination of the endless scoreboards lining the decks of the stadium; etc.

I’m sure I’m missing some details and may have misrepresented what actually happened but our reaction to the significant reduction in superfluous sensory input was an almost boisterous ‘that was very nice, let’s attend this Throwback game next year’. The absence of so much needless noise and distracting lights made it seem like the baseball game was almost supposed to be the main attraction of the stadium event. Frankly, some 10(?) years later that special afternoon focused on the game on the field in Safeco field is one of the best baseball experiences we’ve had there.

Postscript
Given our enthusiasm for the experience and possible lack of a complete understanding of the concept we gladly bought tickets to the following year’s Throwback game. Imagine our disappointment when we discovered that the Throwback decade was the 1970s. At least it wasn’t disco demolition night.

Thanks for all that you do in bringing the absolute best in baseball discourse to Effectively Wild and your listeners.

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