Effectively Wild Episode 2557: Forget it, Jake, it’s Beantown

November 13, 2026

EWFI
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, please visit our Patreon.

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Atlanta inking Evan Phillips, urge teams to sign some bigger free agents (foreshadowing!), review listener-suggested historical comps for Pat Murphy’s late-blooming managerial excellence, uncover Colonels of truth, compare the BBWAA and The Sporting News Manager of the Year Awards, consider whether other MLB awards voting has gotten too unanimous, react in real time to Boston signing Jake Bauers, bemoan the Blue Jays’ Anthony Santander situation, and discuss rampant playoff-field expansion across sports.

Audio intro: Jonathan Crymes, “Effectively Wild Theme 2”
Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”

Link to Clemens on Phillips
Link to Chinatown clip
Link to Norman Maclean wiki
Link to George Eliot wiki
Link to Laura Ingalls Wilder wiki
Link to Colonel Sanders wiki
Link to Colonel Mustard wiki
Link to Colonel Tom Parker wiki
Link to Tillinghast L’Hommedieu Huston
Link to Jacob Ruppert wiki
Link to (honorary) Colonel wiki
Link to Kentucky Colonel wiki
Link to Rodney Dangerfield wiki
Link to Pep Guardiola wiki
Link to Bruce Arians wiki
Link to Chris Fagan wiki
Link to BBWAA MotY wiki
Link to SN MotY wiki
Link to SN awards explainer
Link to “C’mon, Do Something” meme
Link to Murphy’s Yankees apology
Link to Asterix wiki
Link to NL MVP voting
Link to AL MVP voting
Link to Yordan victory quote
Link to FG WAR leaders
Link to B-Ref WAR leaders
Link to halo effect wiki
Link to Posnanski on unanimous votes
Link to MLBTR on Bauers
Link to Sox depth chart
Link to 2026 team HR
Link to 2026 Red Sox homers
Link to MLBTR FA predictions
Link to Defector on Santander
Link to Atkins on Santander
Link to Jays statement on Santander
Link to belated Santander apology
Link to Santander apology article
Link to Paine on playoff expansion
Link to Carlin joke
Link to Sam on MLB playoffs
Link to EW on Sam’s suggestion
Link to CFL article 1
Link to CFL article 2
Link to Bradford on Boras
Link to Boras on Jeffers