About this episode
Ben Lindbergh and guest co-host Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio and the Diamondbacks’ broadcast crew discuss the D-Backs’ 17-game losing streak and more extended stretch of futility before bantering about Shohei Ohtani’ s Player of the Week Award-winning performance and the potential for Ohtani to own All-Star Week, the call-up of (and expectations for) Rays infielder and MLB top prospect Wander Franco , and Manny Machado getting distracted by the wave. Then (50:09) Ben talks to biomechanics expert, former Dodgers analyst, and current CEO of Reboot Motion Dr. Jimmy Buffi about how sticky stuff enhances performance, whether Tyler Glasnow was right about the foreign-substance crackdown increasing injury risk, why injury rates are up this season, and whether Jacob deGrom ’s ever-escalating velocity and series of minor injuries are causes for concern. Lastly (1:25:37), Ben talks to Rays pitching prospect Graeme Stinson about the lefty’s experience with sticky stuff, the wisdom and effects of the enforced foreign-substance ban, the experimental pickoff rules that have boosted base stealing in A ball, housing and nutrition in the minor leagues, and the founding and future of StatStak , the performance-tracking company he helped start during the pandemic. Audio intro : Grateful Dead, " Loser " Audio interstitial 1 : Electric Light Orchestra, " Hold on Tight " Audio interstitial 2 : Dave Clark and Friends, " Rub it In " Audio outro : Sharon Van Etten, " Seventeen " Link to list of longest losing streaks Link to Peacock plate appearance Link to Peacock backstory Link to Ohtani Player of the Week highlights Link to Ohtani’s Coors BP Link to FanGraphs Rays prospect ranking Link to Franco origin story Link to all-time list of youngest MLB players Link to video of Machado and the wave Link to Buffi’s first podcast appearance Link to Glasnow comments Link to Mike Sonne’s fatigue research Link to Buffi’s elbow/forearm study Link to Reboot Motion website Link to 2021 experimental rules Link to Jayson Stark on A-ball base stealing Link to Stinson’s Twitter account Link to StatStak website Link to Diamondbacks game story Link to article on sticky stuff and batted balls Link to average 4-seam spin rate by day chart Link to Meg on Lind Link to Maldonado video iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Sponsor Us on Patreon Facebook Group Effectively Wild Wiki Twitter Account Get Our Merch! Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com var SERVER_DATA = Object.assign(SERVER_DATA || {}); Source