Effectively Wild Episode 2385: Must-Win Shame

by
October 10, 2025

EWFI
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the rampant overuse of the phrase “must-win game,” denying late timeouts, the Blue Jays’ victory over the Yankees, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a Yankees postmortem, Aaron Judge’s partial postseason redemption, the athletic (and managerial) highlights and lowlights of the other ALDS and the two NLDSes, the swan song of October Clayton Kershaw, postseason sacrifice bunting, Bryce Harper’s thoughts on childbirth, and more.

Audio intro: Alex Glossman and Ali Breneman, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Audio outro: The Shirey Brothers, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Passan’s Phillies tweet
Link to Posnanski on comebacks from 0-2
Link to Vlad’s Yankees grudge
Link to Vlad and Papi
Link to Papi on Schlittler
Link to Rosenthal on Judge
Link to Sheehan on Judge
Link to Rosenthal on the Yankees
Link to The Ringer on Fox’s MLB panel
Link to “clean your clock” etymology
Link to Stott bunt explanation
Link to Harper quote
Link to Raleigh shirt story
Link to infield-fly call
Link to Stark fun fact
Link to The West Wing scene

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mp2022
9 months ago

On “literally”, there is no one currently alive who’s grandparents’ grandparents were alive before the use of the word as an exaggerator.

It’s less “language evolves, get over it” and more that if you’re going to be a pedant about “literally” then you’re being historically ignorant and smug about it. Not calling anyone out because at one point this was me.

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Willians Astu-stu-studilloMember since 2020
9 months ago

It is WILD that they are defending two guys who are millionaires dozens or hundreds of times over, taunting thousands or millions of everyday Yankees fans that just had their dreams dashed, as “punching up”. There’s, what, five people in the entire Yankee organization that are successful enough for these unbelievably wealthy and influential individuals to punch up at? Also, wow, that was some serious stereotyping of the fans in order to justify that take.

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