Effectively Wild Episode 1396: Stars and Chubs
Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast
Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley
4.7 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 29 June 2019
⏱️ 100 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the Twitter commotion caused by the Pioneer League’s Grand Junction Rockies (who are definitely not named the Humpback Chubs), an Angels outfield sign and Mike Trout, the curious rise and fall of Yonder Alonso, the promotion of Rays rookie (and two-way player) Brendan McKay, the upcoming FanGraphs All-Star Game event, the All-Star starters and how All-Stars should be selected, and J.D. Martinez’s comments about writers wanting to work in front offices. Then (40:33) they talk to FiveThirtyEight’s Nathaniel Rakich about his sabermetric analysis of the Congressional Baseball Game, why the Dems have dominated recent games, the two-way talents of Rep. Cedric Richmond, and why the game has resisted the polarization of politics. Lastly (1:06:21), they bring on NPR’s Linda Holmes to discuss her debut novel, Evvie Drake Starts Over, her love of baseball and fascination with the yips, whether a character with the yips is based on Brandon McCarthy, how the book has been received, her writing process and approach to dialogue, and more.
Audio intro: Greg Brown, "Grand Junction"
Audio interstitial 1: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording), "Take a Break"
Audio interstitial 2: Warm Thoughts, "Romance Novelist"
Audio outro: 10cc, "The Dean and I"
Link to Craig Goldstein on the Grand Junction Rockies tweets
Link to Humpback Chubs petition
Link to interview about the Humpback Chubs petition
Link to OCR story about Angels outfield sign
Link to Craig Edwards on the McKay call-up
Link to Dave Cameron on Alonso
Link to FanGraphs All-Star Game event post
Link to Devan Fink on All-Star starters and WAR
Link to Martinez’s comments about writers and voting
Link to Nathaniel’s article about the Congressional Baseball Game
Link to Nathaniel’s Congressional Baseball Game stats
Link to order Evvie Drake Starts Over
Link to order The MVP Machine
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Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Brandon, Brandon's Junction. |
| 0:04.9 | Brandon's Junction in New West. |
| 0:07.8 | I've been out on the line for a long, more time. |
| 0:11.4 | I'm going back to that Junction I love the best. |
| 0:15.1 | Hello and welcome to episode 1396. |
| 0:17.8 | I'm effectively wild. |
| 0:19.0 | A fan graphs podcast brought to you by our Patreon supporters. |
| 0:22.2 | I am Meg Rallert. |
| 0:23.0 | A fan graphs return from vacation. |
| 0:25.0 | And I am joined as always by Ben Lumberg of The Ringer. |
| 0:28.0 | How are you Ben? |
| 0:29.2 | I'm doing well. |
| 0:30.0 | Welcome back. |
| 0:30.8 | What's your week off restorative? |
| 0:33.0 | It was indeed. |
| 0:34.0 | And then I came back and being back from vacation |
| 0:37.0 | is very stressful. |
| 0:38.5 | Yeah. |
| 0:39.3 | It could kind of undoze a lot of the good. |
| 0:41.7 | It can, but yes, it was very nice to get away. |
| 0:44.9 | I watched baseball that I knew was not for work. |
| 0:48.7 | Like I was confident. |
... |
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