Effectively Wild Episode 2045: The Designated Hugger

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley, and Patreon supporter Samuel Giddins banter about Samuel’s baseball background and history with Effectively Wild, before (9:52) discussing a Juan Soto quote and the type of disappointing team that’s most frustrating. Then (21:35) they answer listener emails about randomizing on-field decisions, the legibility of player autographs, whether teams should employ designated huggers, whether veterans are more clutch, whether we’re misusing the phrase “heating up,” what would happen if Shohei Ohtani asked the Angels to release him, whether teams in a robo-umps world should alternate tall and short hitters in the lineup, offering Ohtani an ownership stake, why we use miles per hour for pitch speeds instead of feet per second, using a matching process in the amateur draft, whether anyone could make a trade if they found a GM’s unlocked phone, mascots as zombie runners, and playoff teams without .300 hitters, plus a Future Blast (1:41:34) from 2045 and a follow-up postscript on a White Sox (un)fun fact. Audio intro : Benny and a Million Shetland Ponies, “ Effectively Wild Theme (Pedantic) ” Audio outro : Beatwriter, “ Effectively Wild Theme ” Link to Samuel’s website Link to Soto quote Link to Soto quote source Link to Neil Paine on the unlucky Padres Link to The Athletic on autographs Link to Russell on postseason experience Link to Russell on pennant-race experience Link to tweet about Judge/Altuve zones Link to tweet about Judge’s zone Link to article about Judge/Altuve zones Link to old FG post on Judge’s zone Link to older FG post on Judge’s zone Link to old FG post on Altuve’s zone Link to older FG post on Altuve’s zone Link to EW Stanky Draft Link to KG on player owners Link to Goold on player owners Link to details about Beckham’s contract Link to list of MLB mascots Link to data on teams without .300 hitters Link to graph of teams without .300 hitters Link to Ryan Nelson on Twitter Link to EW listener emails database Link to Rick Wilber’s website Link to Future Blast wiki Link to Ben Clemens on Littell Link to tweet about the Sox Link to Sox high-K games Link to worst WP w/13+ K Link to worst WP w/12+ K Sponsor Us on Patreon Facebook Group Twitter Account EW Subreddit Effectively Wild Wiki iTunes Feed (Please rate and review us!) Get Our Merch! Email Us: podcast@fangraphs.com var SERVER_DATA = Object.assign(SERVER_DATA || {}); Source