Best Ben Lindbergh Podcasts (2023)

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CubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game

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Episode 37 - From Branch Rickey to Driveline & Beyond: The Ongoing Evolution of Player Dev with Ben Lindbergh 1:01:33

9d ago1:01:33

1:01:33

Welcome in to Episode 37! The #37 makes this the Travis Wood episode! The Cubs opened the weekend by designating Eric Hosmer for assignment, a move we’ve all been talking about for a few weeks. Nico Hoerner made his return in Philadelphia and the Cubs were a mixed bag over the weekend – winning a blowout Friday, getting blown out Saturday and wasti…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2013: The League Looks More Level 1:44:41

3h ago1:44:41

1:44:41

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Pete Alonso‘s, um, emergency swing, the activations (6:25) of four players (Liam Hendriks, Michael Soroka, Paul Blackburn, and Royce Lewis), the small leads in most divisions (12:03) and the leveling out of the league (A’s aside), José Abreu‘s first homer “trot” of the season, and an umpire comment caught o…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2012: Double Clutch 1:49:57

3d ago1:49:57

1:49:57

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Ben’s prediction concerning the Padres’ and Rangers’ rest-of-season performance with runners in scoring position, then (14:08) answer listener emails about the ultimate Quadruple-A player, leaving runners on base for the opposing team, immaculate-inning edge cases, tanking for Shohei Ohtani, setting up a li…

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CubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game

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Episode 38 - Hendricks, the Pen & the Curious Case of Miles Mastrobuoni 44:56

4h ago44:56

44:56

This week I cover a few topics impacting the Cubs right now. The episode opens with my thoughts on the return of Kyle Hendricks and then I get into the slowly (maybe too slowly) changing face of the Cubs bullpen. After that, the big topic - why do Cub fans hate Miles Mastrobuoni so much? I break down Mastrobuoni’s numbers and make a comp to a memor…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2011: Who Was That Mascot Man? 1:33:16

3d ago1:33:16

1:33:16

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the major leagues’ sudden influx of 24-year-old right-handed pitchers with the surname “Miller,” the Rays’ surprisingly precarious position in the AL East (7:48), and the Cubs, the Brewers, and the state of the NL Central (12:45), before focusing their bat-resuscitating powers on Trea Turner (17:22), with a…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2010: Dead Bird Bounce 1:53:29

21h ago1:53:29

1:53:29

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Yordan Alvarez kissing Martín Maldonado, Will Brennan’s birdslaughter (12:33), the Guardians’ slow start (23:12), Madison Bumgarner’s reported reluctance to alter his pitching approach (32:49), Mike Trout passing Ken Griffey Jr. in career Baseball-Reference WAR (45:56), whether the A’s will end up historica…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2009: Safe By a Hair 1:49:18

4d ago1:49:18

1:49:18

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley follow up with additional details about the Cardinals’ cheeseburger phone, banter about the hot hitting of Ronald Acuña Jr. and Aaron Judge, answer listener emails (31:13) about home run rituals and the unwritten rules, a prophylactic procedure to prevent Tommy John surgery, whether a runner could be safe because of his…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2008: Big Hack Attack 1:51:55

2h ago1:51:55

1:51:55

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the sesame-seer Cardinals using a cheeseburger phone to predict home buns (er, runs) by hitters who are dialed in, the varying fortunes of three offseason big spenders (the Mets, Padres, and Rangers) and the stakes of their success, Kumar Rocker’s Tommy John surgery, Dustin May’s flexor strain, the prolifer…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2007: Catch As Catcher Can 1:38:23

2d ago1:38:23

1:38:23

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Shohei Ohtani’s near-cycle and newly hot hitting on days when he’s pitched, the Cardinals reinstating Willson Contreras at catcher (and Zac Gallen’s comments on the Cardinals Way), the Sean Murphy/William Contreras/Esteury Ruiz trade revisited, post-peak Christian Yelich and the breakout of Brent Rooker, th…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2006: Not My Cup of D 1:46:41

4d ago1:46:41

1:46:41

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Akil Baddoo taking a baseball to the beans, broadcasters describing groin shots, and players deciding whether to wear cups. Then they compare a resurgent Joey Gallo and a slumping Andrew Benintendi (20:25), recall reliever Zack Littell’s affinity for cruise ships (33:22), forecast MLB’s international future…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2005: Spring Has Sproing 1:49:42

10d ago1:49:42

1:49:42

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Meg’s recovery from COVID and the belated release of the CBA, predict how well White Sox cast-off Jake Diekman will pitch for the Rays, discuss injuries to Luis Garcia, Max Fried, Tyler Mahle, and more pitchers and investigate forearm/flexor strains as potential precursors to Tommy John surgery, react to Ja…

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CubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game

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Episode 36 - Run Differential, Luck and Winning (Losing) in the Margins 47:22

13d ago47:22

47:22

The Cubs are surprisingly among the league leaders in run differentials, yet sit on this off day with an 18-19 record. In this episode I dig into run differential and how it plays into playoff chances. Tied in with run differential is the baseball idea of “luck” (no, not black cats & dark magic), so I talk about baseball luck and how the Cubs can m…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2004: House of Cards 1:59:16

19d ago1:59:16

1:59:16

Ben Lindbergh talks to Will Leitch about the Cardinals’ horrendous start, their baffling decision to bar big free-agent addition Willson Contreras from catching, how Yadier Molina’s legacy looms over the franchise, how Oli Marmol and John Mozeliak have handled the team’s struggles, how the rest of the season might go, and more, along with the Effec…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2003: Return of the Mack 2:08:50

27d ago2:08:50

2:08:50

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about more examples of players whose names describe what they do (like Colin Holderman), the return of Justin Verlander, Juan Soto’s overdue hot streak, Keynan Middleton calling out Carlos Correa, the difference between Craig Kimbrel’s leverage and results, and how success lowers the boo threshold, then (16:22) r…

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CubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game

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Episode 35 - Talkin’ Baseball with Cubs Baseball Scientist Dr. Mike Sonne 48:25

6d ago48:25

48:25

The Cubs aren’t playing as well as they were the last time I sat down to have a conversation with y’all, so let this week’s episode be a nice distraction from all the concerns about what’s going on with the team on this road trip (1-5 heading into today’s finale against the Nationals). This week I was thrilled to talk baseball with Cubs baseball sc…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2002: East Coast MLBias 1:25:07

23d ago1:25:07

1:25:07

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about players being paid for on-field, in-game interviews, pitcher injuries and pitcher call-ups, how low Oakland’s attendance could go (and whether the team might bungle its move to Las Vegas), the NL West race, the AL East’s strength compared to the AL Central’s, which team invented the in-dugout home […]…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2001: Open the Podcast Bay Doors, HAL 1:51:19

26d ago1:51:19

1:51:19

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about the podcast’s naming conventions, the EW reverse jinx boosting Byron Buxton, the stress of observing Jacob deGrom’s high-wire act, Drew Maggi’s first major league hit (off of Hobie Harris!), high-scoring, high-altitude baseball in Mexico City, MLB editing (and later restoring) an A’s highlight, White Sox fa…

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CubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game

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Episode 34 - Wins, Roster Growth & Catching Metrics 40:48

18d ago40:48

40:48

The Cubs continue to play good ball and are now beginning a 10-game stretch against the Marlins and Nationals, hopefully they can continue to win series. This week I look back at what the Cubs have been doing over the last week and talk about the roster changes made in the last couple of days and what those might mean going forward. I get into some…

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 2000: We Thought of More Things We Like About Baseball 1:44:22

25d ago1:44:22

1:44:22

In the fourth incarnation of a time-honored tradition that recurs every 500-ish episodes, Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley are joined by former co-hosts Sam Miller and Jeff Sullivan, and The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee, to draft assorted things that they like about baseball, followed (1:37:06) by a Past Blast from 2000. Audio intro: Benny and the Jeffs, […

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

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Effectively Wild Episode 1999: Meet a Maggi Leaguer 1:29:56

22d ago1:29:56

1:29:56

Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Drew Maggi’s major league debut and whether there should be a way for other journeyman minor leaguers to make the majors more easily, the story of short-lived Mariners mascot Spacey the Space Needle, the causes of a dramatic uptick in occurrences of catcher’s interference, Shohei Ohtani’s anti-pitch-tipping…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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Ben Lindbergh Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley

1
Achievement Oriented

The Ringer

1
CubsPS+ - A North Side Numbers Game

Mike Waller

1
Episode 37 - From Branch Rickey to Driveline & Beyond: The Ongoing Evolution of Player Dev with Ben Lindbergh 1:01:33

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2013: The League Looks More Level 1:44:41

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2012: Double Clutch 1:49:57

1
Episode 38 - Hendricks, the Pen & the Curious Case of Miles Mastrobuoni 44:56

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2011: Who Was That Mascot Man? 1:33:16

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2010: Dead Bird Bounce 1:53:29

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2009: Safe By a Hair 1:49:18

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2008: Big Hack Attack 1:51:55

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2007: Catch As Catcher Can 1:38:23

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2006: Not My Cup of D 1:46:41

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2005: Spring Has Sproing 1:49:42

1
Episode 36 - Run Differential, Luck and Winning (Losing) in the Margins 47:22

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2004: House of Cards 1:59:16

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2003: Return of the Mack 2:08:50

1
Episode 35 - Talkin’ Baseball with Cubs Baseball Scientist Dr. Mike Sonne 48:25

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2002: East Coast MLBias 1:25:07

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2001: Open the Podcast Bay Doors, HAL 1:51:19

1
Episode 34 - Wins, Roster Growth & Catching Metrics 40:48

1
Effectively Wild Episode 2000: We Thought of More Things We Like About Baseball 1:44:22

1
Effectively Wild Episode 1999: Meet a Maggi Leaguer 1:29:56

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Ben Lindbergh Podcasts

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Podcasts Worth a Listen

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Quick Reference Guide